"What a relaxed bunch of brats," Pink Bear muttered.

It was night. On the carriage, Pink Bear was scrutinizing a crumpled map while sneaking a glance at the group not far away. Gathered around the campfire, they were chatting excitedly, devouring the food and drinks Moen had prepared, as if this journey was merely an outing. With disdain, he scratched his backside and sneered:

"Let’s just hope none of you wet your pants when real danger shows up."

"Danger? Really?"

Moen, holding a plate of food, had somehow appeared beside him. He curiously glanced at the map in Pink Bear's hands, but saw only crude scribbles akin to a child’s doodles. Helplessly, he turned to ask.

"Hah, kid, you doubting me again?"

Pink Bear grabbed a handful of roast meat, stuffed it in his mouth, and said indistinctly, "Do you even know who I am? I’m the one even your tsundere fiancée has to respectfully greet as 'Uncle!' Do you think the path I chose could possibly be wrong?"

"Uncle?" Moen latched onto the keyword.

However, Pink Bear only snorted, turned his head aside, and changed the subject.

"Thanks to those dragon-blood horses you provided, our speed is fifty percent faster than any normal convoy, even with how obscure the route I chose is. At this pace, we’ll cross the empire’s southern border in two days."

"I could really feel the temperature rose a little," Moen said, stroking his chin and calculating. "At this rate, we should reach Holy City in about five days?"

"If all goes well, yes."

"The way you said that makes me feel like it won't go well."

"Bah! What nonsense are you spewing? With me here, who’d dare intercept us halfway?!" Pink Bear shot Moen a glare and then extended the hand he had just scratched his backside with.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Moen asked, puzzled.

"I have a craving. Hand over a cigar."

"Like hell I have a cigar!" Moen said, exasperated.

"Kid, knowing I was leading this entourage, you didn’t even prepare top-grade cigars as a token of respect and instead brought useless delicacies to suck up to those brats?" Pink Bear slammed his food tray in a fit of rage. "Do you believe I won’t go to Audrich and lodge a formal complaint against you?"

"Useless?" Moen's lips twitched. Regardless of the impudent direct naming of the Emperor, he retorted helplessly, "I had no idea it would be you. Professor Pulan was quite covert about this. How was I supposed to prepare?"

"That damned old bastard!" Pink Bear cursed, remembering how tightly he'd been controlled by none other than the one called Professor Pulan. Grunting furiously, he raised a middle finger in some direction before again turning to Moen, hand still outstretched.

"No cigar, but surely you’ve got an adult magazine on you right?" he said.

"Wha...?" Moen was thoroughly flabbergasted.

"Why the hell would you think I’d have adult magazines?"

"A young guy like you, without adult magazines?" Pink Bear looked genuinely shocked. Then, as his round beady eyes swept over Moen, they grew suspicious. After staring for quite some time, he finally muttered:

"You… don’t tell me you’re incapable of..."

"Outrageous! You're the one who's incapable!" Moen gritted his teeth, smirking coldly. "I have a fiancée and a girlfriend. Why would I ever need adult magazines?"

"...Damn it. Go to hell, you damn normie!" Pink Bear cursed in fury. Remembering how he, despite having dedicated his life to appreciating the legs of all women, had yet to meet one with high enough standards to appreciate the fascinating soul hidden beneath his suit, he furiously took a large bite of the so-called "useless delicacies" to vent.

But during his chewing, he suddenly froze for a moment.

Wait. Something’s not right.

That kid—when he mentioned his girlfriend and fiancée, did he mean they were the same person… or not?

*Cough cough...*

Ignoring the questioning and prying look in Pink Bear's eyes, Moen cleared his throat twice and switched topics. "Why don’t you go and mingle with the others for a bit?"

He gestured toward the group by the campfire.

"Hah! What’s the point of mingling with those pathetic brats? A bunch of green kids, some of whom would probably blush just looking at an adult magazine," Pink Bear said, crossing his arms in contempt.

"Alright then." Moen shrugged. He decided against telling Pink Bear that the two third-years he had just chatted with earlier already had girlfriends too.

"Enjoy your meal. If you need anything, call me." Moen's about to walk away.

But Pink Bear suddenly called after him.

"Hold up. Pass on a message to the others for me."

"Huh? What message?"

"Nothing major."

---

"Independent City, Elielze?" Lea repeated curiously upon hearing Moen’s announcement. "So, in three days, we’re stopping there for a while?"

"Yeah, that’s what Pink Bear said." Moen nodded. "The purpose is just to give you all some time to restock supplies and purchase equipment. After all, your preparation back at the academy might not have been thorough enough."

"Couldn’t we just buy stuff in Holy City?" Fannie raised her hand to ask.

"In Holy City, all you’d find would either be ridiculously expensive holy-light artifacts or utterly useless goddess statues. And heaven forbid you catch the eyes of their Judgment Hall—they’d haul you in for questioning as a suspicious individual, especially if you look as dashing as me. Those Judgment Hall guys eye me like perverts drooling over a supermodel..." Moen grimaced. "Pink Bear’s words, not mine."

"That doesn’t sound right..." Lea frowned skeptically. "Holy City has its fair share of zealots, sure, but they aren’t *that* strict. They just take a harder stance on heretics and contraband than other cities."

"Who knows," Moen shrugged. "Maybe it’s just Pink Bear’s personal history with them. Either way, stopping by Elielze makes sense. As one of the few free city-states on the continent, its geography and opening policies make it a vital trading hub. While it’s neither as populous nor as prosperous as Belland, you might find some interesting items there you couldn't even obtain in Belland."

"Interesting items..." Ariel, who had remained silent in the corner, raised her head. A peculiar gleam flickered in her eyes.

Moen's sharp gaze caught that moment. His eyebrow arched slightly, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he continued, "That’s the gist of it. While the suggestion came from Pink Bear, I’d still like to hear everyone’s opinions."

"What’s there to discuss?" Fannie teased with a wink. "We’re all just hitching a ride on your wagon. Even if you wanted to haul us to Elielze to sell us off, we wouldn’t have much say in it. You can just make the call."

"I wouldn’t do that," Moen chuckled. "Just offering a little modest sponsorship, that’s all."

His eyes shifted to the rest. "What about everyone else? If there are no objections, we’ll settle on this plan."

Of course, no one objected. Many even showed interest, and the girls, led by Fannie and joined by a slightly bashful Lea, were already enthusiastically discussing longer stays. Evidently, shopping was a universal joy for the girls no matter the world.

Watching the cheerful chatter, Moen chuckled softly and made his way over to the two other boys, Marshall and Aaron, exchanging a few words. Then, in an unhurried and inconspicuous motion, he turned to the corner.

"Still eating plain black bread? I thought I stocked enough supplies."

Moen plopped himself down by the fire and poked at it with a stick. The orange flames reflected brightly in his eyes.

"Who's eating black bread?!" Ariel snapped beside him, glaring.

"I’m not!"

"Then why do you have crumbs on your mouth?"

"What?!"

Panicking, Ariel wiped at her mouth furiously. Midway through, she noticed Moen’s amused gaze and realized he was bluffing. Furious and humiliated, she growled:

"Moen Campbell, do you have a death wish?!"

"Whoa, easy, now’s no time for a fight." Moen raised his hands, grinning wryly. "I was just showing some concern, is all."

"I don’t need your concern." Ariel hugged her knees, burying her face atop them. Her muffled voice came from within.

"..."

For a moment, silence lingered between them.

Across the fire, the laughter and playful bickering painted a lively picture, like a joyful outing.

Ariel cautiously peeked over, her eyes scanning the ones around the campfire before pivoting to her companion. The man beside her sat still, lips curling in a tranquil smile.

Only now did she notice… this man beside her felt so different from the one she had known.

Yet of course, there was no need for her to acknowledge that. This man had already proven to everyone that he was no longer the shallow, identity-reliant son of a duke she once thought he was.

No, the one who had misjudged him… had always been her.

Perhaps even Lea, that bashful little girl, had realized it earlier than she had.

"Hey, Moen Campbell."

"Hmm?"

"Why have you gotten so strong all of a sudden?"

"Go to bed early and rise early. Appreciating plenty of beautiful women. And rigorous training—"

"That’s crap; I’ve never seen you put in any effort!"

"..." Moen gave her a sidelong glance, murmuring, "Effort isn’t something you show off."

"...Is that so."

Lowering her head, Ariel sank into thought.

Moen’s words left behind a faint sense of loss within her, as though she’d somehow overlooked something important.

But the feeling didn’t last. Soon, she shrugged it off and raised her chin. "Fine, I’ll give you that. You’ve changed."

"Oh? In that case, you ought to accept my apology then?"

Moen seized the opportunity and said, "I truly want to reconcile with you!"

"...No."

"Why?"

"Because, compared to what others say and how they seem to act, I prefer to use my own eyes and hands to confirm things for myself."

Ariel stared into Moen's eyes and said earnestly,

"So, after this trip to the Holy City is over, I will personally challenge you. At that time, show me your sincerity with your strength!"

"Huh? N-No, come on."

Moen's mouth twitched. "Do we really have to fight?"

"Of course!"

Ariel stood up, placing her hands on her hips in a domineering manner.

"Moen Campbell, while I admit that you’ve grown much stronger..."

"But I will never lose to you!"

"Not in strength, not in wealth, and not when it comes to Celicia!"

"When the time comes, I hope you’ll at least give me a good fight!"

Without waiting for Moen's reply, Ariel turned her head and vanished into the darkness where the firelight could no longer reach.

"..."

Watching Ariel's disappearing silhouette, Moen rubbed his chin. After a moment of dazed silence, he couldn’t help but reveal a look of helplessness mixed with a bitter smile.

"This is so strange. I’m really trying my best to avoid conflicts with her, so why does it feel like I’m finding it harder and harder to escape?"

"Is this some kind of fate? No matter what, this blond-haired villain can’t avoid clashing with the protagonist?"

"But... right now, she's the one to take my love away. Even if we end up fighting later, Ariel shouldn’t kill me, right?"

"Probably... right."

...

...

"Hm? If you have something to say, come out. Don't hide and sneak around, or I'll think you’re after my good looks."

At the front section of the caravan, just outside the firelight’s reach, Pink Bear wiggled his bottom and suddenly called out to an unoccupied direction.

Most of the group had already gone to sleep, and in the peaceful night, the sound of rustling leaves suddenly echoed.

Ariel emerged slowly from the forest, looking slightly nervous as she gazed at Pink Bear.

"I want to know, why haven’t we encountered even a single magical beast on this journey?"

"Hmm? Your hobbies are even stranger than mine? You actually like magical beasts?"

"N-No..."

Ariel lowered her head and whispered,

"I just... I just want the materials from them."

"Short on cash? If you're broke, why not borrow from that kid?"

Pink Bear looked puzzled.

"That guy has tons of money. If I had a daughter, I’d want him as a son-in-law. No way I'd leave that to that little brat Aldrich."

"I’d never take money from that guy!" Ariel bit her lip. "I’d rather die!"

"...Alright, fine. You kids in your adolescent years are just so troublesome."

Pink Bear wriggled to a different position like some oversized grub and said,

"Do you see those dragon-blood horses? Even though they only have a trace of dragon blood in them, the aura they exude is already enough to repel most low-level magical beasts. That's why we haven’t run into any. Pretty normal, really."

"But, if you’re so desperate to find magical beasts, based on my experience..."

Pink Bear extended a finger to point. "That direction might have some."

Looking toward the direction Pink Bear pointed, Ariel matched it up with the thoughts she remembered from her mentor. Her eyes lit up.

"Th-Thank you!"

"No problem, it’s nothing. But let me remind you, if you're not back by dawn, don’t blame me if we leave you behind."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely return before sunrise!"

Ariel, too eager to wait, prepared to set off immediately.

But Pink Bear called after her.

"Wait a moment."

"What is it now?"

"Do you have any *adult magazines*?"

"...What?"

"*Adult magazines!*"

Pink Bear emphasized impatiently,

"A girl-on-girl book works too—I’m not picky!"

"..."

...

Late into the quiet night, once Ariel confirmed no one was watching, her figure transformed into a silent shadow that darted into the ever-thickening southern forest.

What she didn’t know was that, at that moment, a pair of eyes was silently watching her.

Seeing her slip into the dangerous and unknown forest in the dead of night, the gaze in those eyes wavered, showing a hint of mercy and worry. Then, that mercy and worry resolved into a firm determination.

Once Ariel disappeared from sight, the shadow in the darkness turned and approached one of the carriages. After hesitating for a moment, they lightly knocked on the window.

"Who's there?"

"It’s me, Lea."