"M-miss Aria? What does that even mean?" Cass was stunned the moment I revealed the news to the party.
He could not believe what I had just said… the news of me leaving Westford seemed to have stirred more trouble for him than I had expected.
"Is it because of the Joint raid? Did something happen, Miss Aria?" The party leader of Steel Wind Party, Captain Borin did not get too surprised by the news.
From his perspective, I was already in the wrong place right now.
The Westford dungeon did not suit someone with my abilities. While I may have been a great help during this raid operation, the fact remained that I could have been more useful somewhere else.
With the kind of supporting abilities I had, a much larger, stronger raid party could benefit from my powers… or so must be his thoughts right now.
"It does have something to do with the raid. However, it is fine. It's not really that big of a deal anyway. I would have left the city sooner or later anyway." I tried answering it with a smile, but they saw through my facade.
I did not want to go away so early, but we did not have a choice this time. While they did not know what the situation may have been, or what exactly the reason was, they knew I was not doing this because I wanted to.
"Cass… it's better that way," With a smile on my face, I patted the blond hair of the short boy who neither got to help me inside the dungeon, nor during any point in the aftermath.
I could tell just how helpless he had been feeling.
"Cass…" Keeling before him and bringing myself to his eye level, I spoke in a calm voice, "You have helped me a lot… and who says I must go by myself. If you want to follow me that badly, I won't be able to stop you, you know?"
In the first place, the branch manager didn't say I had to go away by myself. If I can bring along the people I wanted to look after, then that would be all better for me anyway.
"Huh?" He was surprised once again, but with a new glow on his face.
Sir Borin, ever the captain, cleared his throat at the teasing. "Miss Aria, does that mean you're inviting us to join you as well?"
Cass was coming with me, I knew that much. I don't know what Reddy would decide, and the same was the case for the rest of our party.
Their friends and families lived in Westford. This city was their home, which was not the case for Cass.
"No, captain. Sadly, I think it's best if you stay here. This is your home." They belonged here.
As for Riddle… well, she did as well.
They had a place they belonged to. Even Cass, who had run away from his house, had a place that wanted him back.
I, on the other hand, was not even from this world.
Westford was my starting point, perhaps a place I will return to again in the future. But staying here will only bring harm to all the people connected to me.
"I see. Well, it was an honor knowing you and working with you, Lady Aria." Captain Borin bowed his head, and behind him, Kaela and Finn followed as well.
All three of them were grateful to me, perhaps because of what I had done in the dungeon. My contribution known to the public was not small, therefore, their admiration for me had increased even more.
"I have a lot more to prepare, so I will excuse myself for now. I'm leaving tomorrow evening, so can we all have a good party tonight?" There was a lot more to prepare for the departure.
I don't even know where I am going so this is going to be a tough day.
If we can work things out today, tomorrow can be spared doing what I need to before leaving. Also, if I'm going to a certain city, I want to go through a road path instead of taking a direct flight route as the association had done to bring people from around the nation.
"M-Miss Aria, can I really join you?" Cass asked again as if he did not believe me for the first time. But that just seemed cute to me this time.
"Qwy~." Patting his head with a smile, I nodded and turned around towards the exit. "If you want to, just pack your things before tomorrow ends. We will be leaving by dusk."
Vice watched my back as I left the inn. I could tell he was still wondering about what we talked about yesterday… Well, we did more than just talk.
For the rest of the day, I went around the city looking for various materials. I needed a large quantity of various things so I had to look around various places.
Searching for a certain quality of materials was also something I needed to keep in mind this time. With how things were, I may not get to be in a proper city for a while.
'I don't even know whether we will be ending up in a city next.'
But I do know one thing…
'We're going to make a dungeon.'
After looking at the core of the Westford dungeon, I had this deep urge to create a dungeon of my own.
I even knew where to start and what basic things I needed. But, the most important thing was the core of the dungeon. I needed to create my own first, and to do that, I needed a big piece of unclaimed land, as well as a lot of energy cores from different creatures.
"Are you going to purchase many of them?"
"How many do you have on you?"
"Then, I'll take all of them." Since I have more money than ever, worrying about lacking funds was not needed.
I am leaving the city as well so worrying about the changes my actions would cause in the market was also not necessary.
I had money and the times weren't very good. The merchants had goods on their hands, and they decided to sell the goods to the one who had money, some even offered discounts for premium products because of my better image.
The experience was not bad at all, so, by the time it was night, I was happy with the materials we had gathered.
[ "You will need natural resources as well. You will have to gather them on the field itself." ]
Thanks to Rose guiding me, I was able to get the right materials, with the right price and at the right quality.
Things went well today… but as I made my way back to the inn, a certain familiar scent made me stop in my tracks. A scent of fresh herbs and brewing concoctions.
Standing outside the inn, looking up at the three moons, was Reddy, her silhouette bathed in silver light.
She wore a simple cloak over her captain's uniform, and in her hand, she held a small, intricately carved wooden box.
"Aria," she called, turning to face me, a soft smile gracing her lips.
Her eyes, usually so serious, held a gentle warmth tonight. "I thought you might need some of these for your journey."
She opened the box, revealing a collection of meticulously crafted potions and salves, glowing faintly with preservation magic.
Healing draughts, stamina restorers, even a few specialized elixirs I recognized as her own unique creations.
"You… you made all these for me?" My voice was softer than I intended, a strange emotion stirring in my chest at the sight of the box.
"Of course," she replied, her smile widening. "You're going on a grand adventure, aren't you? You'll need to be prepared." She stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. "And… I made a decision."
My heart gave a little flutter. I had half-expected her to choose Westford, her home, her duty. But at the same time, I did not want her to remain here any longer.
"What is it?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
She held out the box to me. "My contract with the guards ends in two days. I've already informed Sir Quinn."
Her eyes sparkled with a newfound determination. "He wasn't happy, but he understood. He even gave me a few tips for long-distance travel."
A wave of relief and joy washed over me, so strong it almost knocked me off my feet. "You're coming with me?"
Reddy nodded, her smile becoming a beaming grin. "Wherever you go, Aria. We're in this together, remember?"
She then looked at the wooden box in my hand, "Besides, someone needs to make sure you don't accidentally dismantle an entire city with your… 'unforeseen consequences'."
I laughed, a genuine, unburdened laugh that felt alien and wonderful after the somber day.
Qwy chirped happily from my shoulder, mirroring my relief.
"Thank you, Reddy," I hugged her first, reaching out to take her hand under the moonlight, the warmth of her touch grounding me. "This means more than you know." Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on noⅴelfire.net
"Don't mention it," she squeezed my hand, her eyes shining with unspoken promises. "Now, about this 'packing' you mentioned. Do you even have a map?"
I grinned. "Not yet. But I'm sure we'll find one."
The world beyond Westford suddenly seemed less daunting, and infinitely more exciting.
With Reddy by my side, and Qwy as our ever-present, adorable compass, the journey into the unknown felt less like an exile and more like the beginning of an epic.
One night to plan, and to say our goodbyes.
Then, a whole world of uncharted dungeons, curious creatures, and untold adventures awaited us forward…