Amidst the desolate wilderness of the mountains, six extraordinarily luxurious carriages maintained a meticulously orderly single-line formation, dashing forward at breakneck speed and kicking up clouds of dust in their wake.

At Moen's request, the convoy refrained from taking the smooth highways. Instead, taking advantage of Pink Bear's familiarity with the terrain and route, they plunged into the remote and rugged wilds of the forested mountains.

Although the others harbored some doubts about this decision, since the entire convoy was funded by Moen, naturally, no one had much to say.

However, despite their doubts, they couldn't help but marvel in astonishment.

Such treacherous, uneven mountain paths—yet the carriages moved as swiftly as if gliding on flat ground, and those seated within hardly felt any jolts or vibrations at all.

Apparently, those faint golden patterns etched on the carriage exteriors weren’t just for decorative purposes.

Ah, so this is what “money power” feels like?

I love it. Absolutely love it.

...

"Da—damn it, does being rich make you so great? Does having money mean you can act so high and mighty? I—I’ll have more money than that guy someday!"

Inside one of the carriages, Ariel buried her face into the oversized, plush sofa beneath her. Feeling the sumptuous softness of silk against her skin and the unbelievable smoothness of the journey—despite the carriage hurtling at top speed—she felt an inexplicable surge of frustration and grief.

Gritting her sharp little teeth, she clutched the blanket in both hands as though mangling it might somehow vent her anger toward that hateful person. Without thinking, she opened her mouth, ready to sink her teeth into it.

But then, realizing that if she ruined the blanket, she wouldn’t be able to afford compensation, she sheepishly withdrew her head.

“Ariel...”

“Oh, right, training! If I can’t beat him in terms of money, I won't lose in other aspects! With no one around to bother me, this is the perfect time to train!”

Ariel suddenly sat up straight, her determined eyes flashing as she pumped her fist.

She was, after all, a woman determined to set a palace for her "girls" someday—how could she let a small setback like this defeat her?

“Ariel...”

“...But I just advanced a little in my last session. Training aimlessly at this point won’t accomplish much—it’s better to consolidate my strength with some actual combat.”

With that thought crossing her mind, Ariel’s enthusiasm deflated. She turned her gaze to the scenery speeding past outside the carriage window.

“How strange... This place is so barren, yet we haven’t encountered any magical beasts. On the highways, there are people employed specifically to clear out threats, but surely there aren’t people doing that here too, right?”

“Ariel...”

“Well, even if we don’t encounter magical beasts, I can always meditate. I need to be in top shape before reaching Holy City.”

“ARIEL!”

The young girl abruptly slapped the table and shot to her feet, puffing her cheeks in frustration.

“If you keep this up, I won't talk to you anymore!”

“Wah...”

Hearing this, Ariel—who had been trying to evade the call of her companion—couldn’t ignore her any longer. She finally turned her head toward Lea, though she avoided meeting her gaze directly. Fidgeting with her fingers, she mumbled softly:

“S...sorry, my bad, Lea.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I—I took the money you gave me, placed a bet with it... and lost.”

“So that’s why you’ve been acting so weird this whole way?”

“Ugh...”

Lowering her head, Ariel’s hands scrunched her thighs as if she were punishing herself.

“I’m really, really sorry...”

“...”

Lea gazed silently at this Ariel—her usual fiery demeanor and confident smirk completely gone, replaced by the image of a remorseful child who had made a mistake. Still, Lea didn’t seem angry.

She sighed softly, leaning over suddenly to pull Ariel into a warm embrace.

“I already said, why apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong, Ariel.”

“But... your money...”

“Ariel was just trying to earn more money, wasn’t you? I know what you’re like. You’ve always been the same—whenever the odds of something succeeding are better than fifty percent, you take the gamble. And you used to win every time. But no one wins forever, so losing now isn’t unexpected. How could I possibly blame you?”

“Lea...”

Feeling the warmth and softness enveloping her, Ariel’s eyes reddened slightly. She reached out to wrap her arms around Lea’s slender waist, sniffing softly.

“You’re so good to me.”

“Well, I am your childhood bestie. If I’m not good to you, then who would be?”

“Ugh, if this keeps up, I won’t be able to live without you anymore.”

Ariel, savoring the delightful fragrance emanating from the young girl, couldn’t resist snuggling closer.

“...That’s not true at all.”

Lea lowered her head, gazing affectionately at Ariel while stroking her hair. Her eyes shimmered faintly, and in a voice as soft as the wind, she murmured:

“Ariel is so strong. She wouldn’t need anyone. Instead, someone useless like me who wouldn’t know what to do without Ariel by her side.”

“Hm? Lea, what did you say?”

“...Oh, nothing.”

...

“Alright then.”

After a brief embrace, Lea gently pushed Ariel away. Blinking her adorable wide eyes, she stared intensely at Ariel, anxiety creeping into her tone:

“Can you just tell me how much money you gambled away?”

“...Well, not too much... Just... all of it,” Ariel stammered.

“All of it?”

“No, no, not *all* of it! I didn’t touch the money you gave me for your supplies. What I lost is... all my own savings—money I set aside for buying materials, maintaining my weapon, and... food.”

Recently, Lea had repeatedly lent Ariel various sums of money. Still, Ariel hadn’t spent it all at once—she’d divided it carefully into different portions. Knowing the Holy Ceremony was approaching, she realized Lea would likely need funds for her own preparations.

Since Lea was so generous and selfless, Ariel had chosen to save part of the money for her sake, planning to return it after she made profit from her bet. Of course, she didn’t anticipate things going so wrong...

“Lea, I promise—this should be more than enough for your expenses!”

Hurriedly, Ariel rummaged through her belongings, pulling out all her remaining cash and laying it on the table in front of Lea. The bills were scattered, some crumpled and clearly handled countless times, but the total was significant.

Still, Lea didn’t reach for them. Instead, after a quiet glance, she looked straight into Ariel’s eyes, her gaze unwavering.

“This money is definitely enough for *me*, but... Ariel, what about *you*?”

“Me? Oh, I’ll be fine. The most pressing expenses have already been taken care of, and I won’t be needing much more after this.”

“That’s a lie. You just said you don’t even have enough to maintain your weapon. Isn’t your sword the one thing you treasure most?”

“...”

Ariel lowered her head again, staying silent.

“Take this money. I insist.”

Lea gently pushed the money back toward Ariel:

“You’ve always needed it more than I do, haven’t you?”

“But—”

Ariel looked up, about to protest, but froze midway.

That was because she realized the pile of money Lea had pushed toward her had somehow grown.

“Wait... Where did this extra money come from, Lea?”

“Oh, don’t underestimate the personal savings of a future Saintess!”

Lea playfully winked and grinned.

“I guessed you might be reckless with money and kept some aside for moments like this!”

“Lea...”

Hearing her response, Ariel’s eyes welled up once again with emotion.

What a sweet little liar.

Personal savings, huh? Even if those had existed, they’d likely been exhausted during past instances of Ariel’s financial trouble.

This money had to come from Lea’s recent hard work, earned through her own perseverance!

The thought of squandering Lea’s painstakingly earned money made Ariel feel like some spoiled brat—a kept companion indulging in Lea’s generosity.

No—absolutely not. How could she allow herself to fall so low? How could she win Lea's heart that way?

“Lea!”

Grasping Lea’s hands firmly, Ariel declared with unwavering resolve:

“I will definitely make you a Saintess. Trust me!”

“Mm, I trust you wholeheartedly.”

Lea intertwined her fingers with Ariel’s in return, nodding earnestly. Her adorable, delicate face radiated determination.

“I’ve always trusted you, Ariel. That’s why I’ll always support you unconditionally. Please stop worrying about things like money. Compared to the bond we share, what does a trivial thing like this even matter?”

“Lea...”

As Ariel stared into Lea’s crystal-clear, untainted eyes and listened to her sincere words, an overwhelming warmth filled her heart. Her earlier restlessness and irritation dissipated.

Yes, their bond was far too deep, far too unshakable to be dented by something so trivial.

She had simply stumbled once, that’s all. With renewed effort, she believed she could overcome it—riding a white horse straight into Lea's heart!

“But...”

Just as Ariel’s hand was about to touch the pile of bills on the table, she hesitated again, worriedly asking:

“If you give all this to me, what will you do for yourself?”

“...”

After a mere few seconds of silence, Lea tilted her head slightly, her smile so gentle it was almost radiant.

“Don’t worry about me. I've got this.”