Early Morning.

The soft light of dawn streamed through the gaps between the trees, casting mottled patches of brightness onto the ground, resembling a serene sea of stars fallen to earth.

The branches and leaves of the evergreen shrubs were gently parted, and from the dense forest, a small head cautiously poked out.

Sharp eyes, akin to those of a hawk, scanned the silent camp.

The embers of the campfire still smoldered faintly, sending up a thin wisp of blue smoke. Beside the fallen, charred logs lay a pile of leftover scraps, gathered by some unknown hand.

Good, no one's here.

Ariel carefully emerged from the bushes, tiptoeing toward the wagon she shared with Lea.

"What are you doing?"

The unexpected voice made Ariel's heart skip a beat.

She spun around abruptly, only to see Moen stepping out from the woods as well, staring at her with an odd expression.

"You, what about you? Sneaking around like that—what are you up to?" Ariel snapped, placing her hands on her hips and feigning an aggressive tone.

"Brushing my teeth and washing up," Moen replied, pointing to his damp hair.

"There's a nice river over there, so I also took a bathe there."

"I—I was going to wash up too!"

"Is that so."

Under the faint light, Moen looked her over.

Just like him, Ariel was soaking wet, as if she had taken a dip in the river.

There was no dew in winter, which meant it must’ve been her intention to wash off the scent of magical beasts from her body. How cautious of her—but it seemed she still hadn’t realized that she had already exposed herself.

Though...

Moen's eyes drifted downward briefly, and he shook his head regretfully.

Even with her clothes soaked and clinging tightly to her skin, the curves they revealed remained disappointing. Evidently, she was the real deal. Naturally, it was impossible to expect any miraculous transformations akin to "stripping down to reveal muscles".

"What are you staring at!" Ariel noticed Moen’s pitying gaze and immediately crossed her arms over her chest, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

"Ahem, it's nothing."

Moen shook his head, choosing not to expose her and changing the subject instead. "There’s still some time before we set off. You can rest a little longer; there’s no need to wake up this early."

"Hmph, none of your business."

"Alright, then. Call it excessive concern on my part."

"Wait."

"Hm?"

"You..." Ariel stared at Moen, watching droplets fall from the golden locks of his hair one by one. Her tone was filled with doubt.

"You’re up so early too—why?"

The sky was still shrouded in darkness; everyone else remained fast asleep. Off in the distance, the Pink Bear shifted slightly and mumbled something incoherent.

"Morning jog," Moen said matter-of-factly. "Though for someone like me, running alone wasn’t exactly effective training anymore, it does help me feel more energized."

"A morning jog?" Ariel blinked at the not-yet-brightened sky, astonished. "At this hour?"

"What are you on about?"

Moen casually pulled out a towel, wiping his hair while speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I’ve already finished my run and washed up, of course."

"......"

...

...

Ariel slipped quietly back into the wagon. Peeking behind the curtain, she saw Lea still curled up on the sofa, sound asleep. She let out a deep breath of relief.

Luckily, she hadn't been discovered.

"What a silly little fool," Ariel murmured fondly, staring at Lea’s adorably peaceful, baby-like face as she slept. She couldn't help but smile.

But soon, that smile faded.

She recalled what Moen had said earlier, her expression turning complicated.

"That guy... suddenly becoming so strong—it's not unreasonable, is it?"

Ariel clenched her fists resolutely.

"The gains last night were good, but it’s still not enough."

"I need to work even harder!"

"I need to push beyond my limits—even again tonight!"

"To… better protect Lea."

...

...

Lea slowly opened her eyes, observing Ariel across from her.

Wanting to appear as though she were diligently training, Ariel had chosen to sit cross-legged with her back upright, even though the roomy sofa was plush enough to sprawl out comfortably.

But if you got close enough, you could clearly hear the sound of her soft, even snores.

She must’ve been utterly exhausted last night.

"Who’s the real fool here, honestly..." Lea murmured quietly.

With her expertise in Holy Light magic, spells like sleep curses or other negative effects couldn’t possibly hold sway over her.

"Just rest well," Lea whispered softly.

Raising her hand, the radiant glow of pure Holy Light shimmered in her palm before gently flowing into Ariel’s body with the tenderness of a breeze.

...

...

By morning, the camp was bustling again.

Everyone had gotten up and exchanged pleasantries, realizing that—surprisingly for a long journey that should've left them worn out—they had all slept exceptionally well.

Grateful, they gave their thanks to Moen, who had thoughtfully set up all of these conditions. During breakfast, Moen dramatically revealed a stash of exquisite ingredients, along with indulgences like coffee and tea, earning himself not just their gratitude but something close to adoration.

As the group prepared to set off, the sharp-eyed Fannie noticed Ariel was missing and asked Lea about it.

Lea explained that Ariel was busy training, prompting the others to nod in admiration. "She truly lives up to her title as the most legendary second-year top student at the academy," one remarked earnestly.

The journey resumed. Dust trailed behind the wagons as they headed south.

Moen could clearly feel the temperature rising. The surrounding vegetation grew lusher and greener; it felt as though winter had been left behind, giving way to the warmth of spring as the wagons pressed forward.

The gentle spring breeze wafted in, filling the caravan with a sense of peace and comfort.

...

...

Night fell again.

Around the campfire, laughter and chatter filled the air. This time, no one seemed to notice Ariel's absence. Instead, the focus shifted to Lea, who was encouraged by Fannie and Vicky to sing a song after they prodded her into confessing she knew a little music.

Lea hesitated but eventually relented under their cheerfully relentless teasing. To the rhythm of their clapping, she began to sing a folk melody from her homeland.

Her voice was beautiful. Her face, reddened by the glow of the fire, was even more so—so breathtakingly enchanting it felt almost otherworldly.

The only thing puzzling Moen was why Lea didn’t perform with the violin, her true forte.

...

...

Deep into the night.

"Shit! I almost overslept!" Ariel’s eyes shot open. She immediately glanced at the still-sleeping Lea beside her and suppressed the exclamation that had been trapped in her throat.

After ensuring she hadn't disturbed Lea, Ariel quietly got up and slipped out of the wagon.

The surroundings were silent. The campfire, though dying, still seemed to carry echoes of the merriment from earlier.

But all that liveliness belonged to others—it had nothing to do with her.

"...What a sound sleep." Ariel stretched, feeling refreshed and reinvigorated.

"A luxurious sofa truly makes a difference. Is this what it’s like to live rich..."

She muttered unconsciously, before snapping herself out of her thoughts with a firm slap to the cheeks.

"What’s this nonsense? What’s there to envy about wealth gained through family status? Someday, I’ll earn all this with my own hands!"

"Anyway... there's work to do now."

"Results from last night were decent, but I have to get even more tonight!"

Finished steeling her resolve, Ariel disappeared into the dense forest like a shadow.

Moments after she left, another figure emerged from the shadows behind the wagon.

"So, off again, huh?"

Moen massaged his temples and dispelled the faint flicker of his alchemy field—a protective, arc-like veil of energy used to conceal his aura—before walking over to another wagon and lightly rapping on its window.

After a short pause, a small face peeked out.

"Are you really okay with this?"

Leaning lazily against the wagon, Moen crossed his arms and asked, "Why don’t you tell Ariel you’ve already saved enough money? You could stop her from sneaking out in the middle of the night to hunt magical beasts. Those poor creatures—by day, they fight tooth and claw in their natural hierarchy of the wild, only to be massacred at night by some crazed beauty wielding a massive two-meter sword. It’s tragic, really."

"...Pfft!" The voice that emerged was soft and sweet, followed by a delicate giggle.

But the amusement faded quickly. Lea lowered her head and spoke in a quiet tone.

"I was going to tell her. But after thinking it over, I decided not to."

"Why?"

"Because of Ariel’s personality—if I suddenly presented such a large sum of money now, it might provoke her instead, pushing her actions further out of control. She might truly end up as that… uh, what did you call her? 'Crazed beauty'?"

"She needs this outlet for now. Once we reach Elizel, I can give her a proper surprise."

"I see."

"And... also..." Lea hesitated before continuing.

"Back at the academy, I could always come up with excuses, but in a place like this... suddenly taking out a fortune would definitely tip her off. No matter how slow Ariel is, she would start to suspect something’s amiss."

"I... I don’t want her to find out about this."

"Aren’t you worried she’ll encounter danger?" Moen asked, somewhat curious. "We are, after all, in the middle of nowhere."

"I’m not." Lea shook her head resolutely. "I have faith in Ariel."

"Fair enough."

After all, this was Ariel. Sneaking out at night to hunt magical beasts might just rank as one of the least remarkable exploits in her extraordinary protagonist life.

What could possibly go wrong?

As the thought crossed his mind, Moen gazed up at the clear night sky and smiled faintly.

"About last night—forcing you to agree to such an unreasonable promise—I never really apologized. So... since I can’t sleep anyway, how about stargazing together?"

In this unpolluted world, even during the winter, the starry canopy above shimmered brilliantly. Watching such a spectacle reflected in Lea’s eyes, Moen couldn’t help but extend the invitation to the beauty beside him.

"Stargazing..." Lea instinctively looked up at the galaxy of stars blanketing the sky.

But then something crossed her mind. Her cheeks turned crimson, and she hurriedly ducked back inside the wagon.

"Who—who wants to stargaze with you? You pervert! Scoundrel!"

"Eh?"

Moen blinked at the tightly shut curtains, baffled.

Did he say something wrong?

"Is she still mad about last night...?" Moen sighed.

Just as he resigned himself to his invite being declined and was about to shuffle off, the curtains slowly opened—just a crack.

"Um… That…"

In the stillness of the night, Lea revealed half of her delicate face, faintly visible and tinged with a hint of shyness. She asked in a soft voice:

"Could you wait just a little bit? I was lying down earlier, so my hair… is a little messy."

"And, I’d like to change my clothes."

…

"Tch, that’s what I’m saying—teenagers are just so annoying!"

Pink Bear remained sprawled out in the front compartment of the carriage like a slovenly old man. Whatever caught his attention wasn’t enough to stop him from muttering complaints. He rolled over lazily and then began flipping through the adult magazine he had extorted from Ariel.

"Hmm?"

But as he continued flipping through the pages, he suddenly furrowed his brows in confusion and raised his head to glance in the direction where Ariel had disappeared:

"I feel like there was something I needed to tell that kid…"

"Ah, forget it. If I can’t remember, it must not be anything important. Just let her go."

Pink Bear scratched his backside and resumed his lounging.