MTM 127

The carriage had left Arnovar, the capital of Regnovar, and was crossing the imperial border toward Carseon. Inside the carriage, which could easily seat five people, sat Allen, Leon, Ser, and Harto, who was nestled in Zed’s arms. The group’s carriage rattled occasionally as it pushed forward on its long journey.

There was a specific reason Ser was traveling with the group. Just before they left, Isadora had handed him a recommendation letter. While staying at the Grenhardt mansion to assist her wasn’t a bad option, she felt it was a waste to let his genius-level talent for alchemy wither away.

Isadora recommended the ‘Verdant Guild,’ a place famous for alchemy in the Land of Abundance. Since that happened to be the group’s final destination, Ser’s joining them became a natural progression.

Zed still didn’t like Ser much, but he couldn’t deny the role the man played in saving Prince Damien. Moreover, since Ser never picked a fight with Zed unless absolutely necessary, Zed decided not to bother paying him any attention.

In fact, Zed did not have the mental capacity to spare someone like Ser. This was because, as Isadora had suggested, he had to stop by Carseon and meet the ‘Seeker’ before setting foot in the Land of Abundance.

‘Carseon… I never thought I’d set foot here again.’

Carseon was his mother’s land. He hadn’t visited the place once since her passing, let alone during his three years of wandering after leaving the empire. As the distance drew closer, his heart sank with increasing heaviness. A complex mix of emotions, unable to pinpoint whether it was guilt or longing, weighed on Zed.

Clunk!

Just then, the carriage jolted, shattering Zed’s contemplation.

“Oh, my! I’m sorry! The ground is rough from here on out, so please bear with me!”

At the driver’s shout, the group grabbed onto the backrests and seats. This road, which Zed used to travel with his mother as a child, was just as uneven now as it was then. Because of the barren, rocky ground, the road was always bumpy, making it dangerous to travel without slowing down.

“Harto.”

Zed spoke as he tightened his grip to keep the monster in his arms from falling.

“We’re going to rest in a village called Etheria near Carseon today.”

“Etheria? What’s it like there?”

Harto titled his head back and asked. The sight of his bright, puppy-like expression made Zed smile.

Etheria was a famous tourist spot that captured the full atmosphere of Carseon. Although it was currently a vassal state of the Regnovar Empire, it had originally belonged to Carseon, its unique culture and architecture remained intact. Thanks to that, the place overflowed with an exotic charm different from the rigid atmosphere of the empire. There was also one specific attraction that tourists could never pass up.

“There’s something you’ll like, Harto.”

“Something I’ll like?”

Harto’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, and Zed whispered into his ear.

“There are hot springs.”

“Hot springs?!”

Harto’s body puffed up like a balloon before wobbling. He hadn’t even seen a hot spring in his previous life. The thought of soaking in warm water while admiring the scenery outside already made Harto’s heart flutter with excitement.

Wobble, wobble.

Leon’s eyes shone as he watched the slime’s cute movements from the opposite seat. However, instead of reaching out recklessly like before, he kept his hands folded on his knees.

Allen, sitting next to him, raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“I’ve decided to hold back for a while,” Leon said with a shrug.

“Hold back?”

“Yes, Reina gave me some advice… She told me not to create unnecessary trouble and get on Zed’s bad side, regardless of my intentions.”

“What? You must have gotten pretty close with Reina?”

There was a subtle hint of jealousy in Allen’s voice. However, Leon continued speaking as if it were no big deal.

“I wouldn’t say we’re close… she just offered a formal apology for what happened in the Feast District, and I accepted it. Oh, we also promised to exchange letters from now on. Hmm, I wonder if that counts as being close?”

“What! Letters?!”

Allen felt like he’d been hit in the back of the head. On the day Reina left for Hipora Village, he only had the courage to say goodbye. Meanwhile, this youngster had already promised to exchange letters!

“…Hmph.”

Fuming with irritation, Allen huffed and turned his head away. He felt a wave of embarrassment when his eyes met Ser’s, who was sitting beside him. Eventually, he pulled his cloak over his head and kept his mouth closed.

***

As evening fell, the carriage finally entered the outskirts of Etheria. Despite the cold weather, the village was teeming with travelers from all over and energetic touts.

“Come to our inn! Our water is the best!”

“No, come this way! We’ll even carry all your luggage!”

The group had just stepped off the carriage and was shocked by the crowd of touts.

“Here! Over here!”

A girl pushed through the crowd and approached them. She spoke briefly with the driver, mentioning Isadora’s name, and the driver informed the group that this girl would be their guide for the night.

“Hello! I’m Nina, your guide! I also work at the inn. I’m a bit young, but I’m diligent, so guests always ask for me!”

Nina gave a confident smile and began to lead the way with light steps.

‘Wow, it’s so exotic….’

The scenery of Etheria became more unique the further they went inside. Even though it was winter, hot air rose like a mirage between the stone buildings, which were covered in green moss due to the moisture. Nina explained that a hot spring lies deep within the land, causing steam to envelop the village throughout all four seasons.

Just as they felt like they’d stepped into another world, a building hanging off the edge of a cliff came into view. White particles fluttered through the air. They circled Nina playfully before scattering.

“Oh my! It’s going to snow tonight! It rarely snows in Etheria, so I didn’t even expect it this winter…!”

Harto’s eyes grew wide at the news of snow.

“How did you know it’s going to snow?”

At Harto’s question, Nina’s eyes crinkled as she burst into laughter.

“That’s thanks to the snow fairies, of course!”

Nina called the white particles ‘snow fairies’ and explained that they occasionally delivered good news.

“This place is close to Silpirnoa, so it isn’t strange for spirits to appear.”

Zed whispered a short explanation for Harto, who still looked confused despite Nina’s words.

“You’re very lucky. We only have two rooms left, one in the main building and one in the annex. It’s nearly impossible to find a room this winter because there are so many guests. Ah, just so you know, the annex only has one bed.”

“Then Harto and I will stay in the annex.”

Zed pulled Harto into his arms and grinned as if that were the obvious choice. He ignored the sound of Allen grumbling behind him.

The annex stood precariously on the edge of the cliff, but it was atmospheric and, most importantly, far from the main building, which Zed liked very much. Nina boasted that while only the silhouette of the mountain across from them was visible in the dark, the view would be spectacular in the morning.

After Nina left, the two entered the annex to unpack and rest.

Flap.

“……!”

While taking clothes out of his bag, Harto gasped and snatched a note that had fluttered to the floor. He quickly looked behind him. Fortunately, Zed was out on the terrace, breathing in the night air and surveying the surroundings.

“Whew….”

Harto carefully unfolded the note. On the paper, Robert’s elegant handwriting listed several book titles. Harto stared at the note as he recalled the memory of the day before they left the Grenhardt mansion.

‘Harto, this is the list of books Zed requested separately. I heard you’re heading to Carseon, and the <Logos Divine Great Library> is located there. It’s a historic place, so they likely have the books on Hartiros that Zed is looking for.’

‘Har… tiros?’

‘Yes. Oh, have you not heard yet? If I’ve been rude, I’ll speak to Zed myself….’

‘A-Ah, no! I heard! I’ll give it to him. Don’t worry, Mr. Robert!’

Harto deliberately raised his voice to reassure Robert before tucking the note away. However, he hadn’t told Zed about the note since that day.

‘He said he wouldn’t go to kill Hartiros….’

It upset him that Zed was still interested in Hartiros. From the time Zed subtly showed him an encyclopedia on monsters and spirits to his secret request for Robert to find materials, Zed’s actions were fueling the anxiety Harto had tried so hard to suppress.

However, he didn’t mean to ignore Robert’s request entirely.

“Later… I can just give it to him a little later….”

He told himself he would hand it over once that fateful day passed safely, claiming he’d forgotten. Harto ignored the small sting of guilt in his heart and made excuses to himself.

“…Harto? What did you just say?”

Zed asked, turning toward Harto, who had been muttering to himself. Harto jumped in fright and waved his hands.

“It’s nothing! I… I’ll go wash up first!”

He shouted with a flustered face and ran into the bathroom.