37 Side Story 5: Their Arrival (1/2)

[Fina's POV]

Leila: ”Hah?! What do you mean it disappeared?! How can a powerful being like that disappear without a trace?! It was even sealed by the hero of the Humans!”

Myu? Leila? What is she yelling about? And who is she talking to?

Hearing a loud and irritable voice right after I got out of the house, I followed it and found Leila holding her hand over her ear and is yelling.

Leila: ”Tch. You do my work there and I'll investigate here. … I don't need your apology. Just do whatever you can there. Got it??”

With a heavy heave of a sigh, Leila presses her temples with her thumb. Her brows are contorted to the middle and her nose bridge wrinkled.

She's really angry…

Still, she looks so cute that way! I want to hug her tight~!

Fina: ”Leila? Are you okay?”

I walked towards her and asked.

I'm getting a bit worried because of how busy she was for the past months and from the conversation she was having, it looks like she won't have any rest yet again.

Leila: ”Ah… It's you, Fina. No. It's nothing serious. Uh… Let me correct that, it's something very serious. *sigh* Why the hell is this happening now of all times…?”

Seeing me approach her, she relaxed her shoulders and expression.

She speaks like an elderly adult. Much like an office lady who was just given an insane amount of workload and was tasked to finish it by the day.

But she looks like a small child, so instead of getting concerned, I can only see her as being cute. Ehehe… An acting mature Leila… So cute~

Anyways, what does she mean by something serious, I wonder? Is it related to the mines?

I wanted to ask, but it looks like Leila decided to talk first.

Leila: ”I'll be going with you to the mines. I will be investigating something there while I help you guard the miners.”

Yes. It was decided that I'll be going to the mines with the miners to act as an escort.

To begin with, escorts only need to fend off the monsters that may hinder the mining process and lead the miners back to the exit. That's simple to do. Yes.

If you're used to the mines, that is.

It's needless to say that that'll be my first attempt in exploring the mines. Moreover, it'll be my first time to explore a dungeon infested with monsters.

True, I got stronger. But it's not enough to act as an escort.

That's why, since then, I've been studying the map of mines and memorizing every route possible. I'm even studying the types of monsters that may pop up inside. Actually? I'm not feeling confident about it…

What was Leila thinking when she told me to act as an escort where she fully knows that our opponent may be the new Demon Lord?? She's so Sparta…

Well… She told us that she will give me a Teleportation scroll that we can use for emergencies. She even mentioned that it can be used even if the opponent has a skill that prevents any escape.

But still…

It's really a wonder how Leila made Papa agree with that.

Fina: ”Myu? Investigate? Did something happen?”

Leila: ”You don't have to know right now. I'll tell you when we return.”

Muu…! Now it got me real curious! I want to know more about what this investigation is all about! Good thing they've decided to bring me along. Hyahaha~

…

A day has passed and we're now finishing the preparation for the departure. It will be a week trip until we reach the mountain range. We will be riding carriages pulled by horses that has horns on their back for a spine. You really cannot play horse riding with this kind of horse…

The caravan will be travelling on a straight road, directly leading to the mountain range. We will only be stopping for breaks and no towns to rest at, so I'm expecting a camp during the travel.

I'm fairly excited, to be honest~ It's been a while since the last time I went into a camping. And that was… Uhm… I was still a loner then, so I was just all alone. But that guy was with me then. He joined me even though he had friends to join with. So it got a lot better afterwards.

It's a shame that he's not with me this time. But… I swear that if ever he is in this world, I will definitely find him and make him look at me and only me!

I bid my farewell to Mama and Papa, who is now crying and bawling while waving his hands, as I fixed the backpack I'm carrying behind my back. I tightly gripped the staff that was given to me by Mama while walking towards the caravan. She said it was the one she used when she was still an adventurer. It is also the one she used when she was teaching at the school she worked at.

That's why, I feel so safe when I have it like this. I feel like Mama is beside me everywhere I go.

We departed at the wake of dawn. I asked why we left at dawn and not during the night to make use of that time to travel more distance before the next stop. But it looks like some dangerous monsters are active at night, so we would want to avoid them as much as possible.

It will also be like this for the whole trip. We will only travel during the day, then at night, Leila would be the look out while the others spend the night to sleep.

But then again… The scenery is close to perfect…~ Myufu…~

The trees are greener than what I remembered back in my world. The clouds that are drifting along the blue sky seems gentle to everyone who sees them. Even the sound of the wooden carriage is music to my ears.

Birds singing and the rustling of the trees…

The warm sunlight passing through the gaps of the tree leaves, painting the ground with glittering gems of light.

Jolly laughter of the miners and the Aelven artisan that went with us.

Mhmm~ Peaceful… Indeed~

With all that said, this trip is uneventful. Nothing much happens unless we encounter monsters along the way. But they're all easy to deal with so it didn't pose any threat to our travel. It's not like I want a strong monster to come at us to have an exciting trip, and the tranquil travel itself is fun, but…

I'm getting bored…

The sound of the spinning wooden wheel, the whistle of the wind, the rustling of the grass and trees, the gallops of the horses…