Under Adolf's arrangement, the hastily-moving group came to a stop for a brief respite.

Meanwhile, Moen exchanged a few polite words with the leader of this cavalry squad, a frontier count named Eller Campo.

"Thank you very much for this, Count Eller."

"It is my honor to serve you."

Though Eller bore the title of nobility, every move he made carried the swift decisiveness of a soldier.

"This matter, my Campbell family will remember it always," Moen said with a smile.

A flicker of excitement and fervor flashed through Eller's eyes, and he straightened his back even more resolutely.

After a brief conversation with Eller, Moen headed straight for the carriage where Lea was resting.

"Ahem, you two enjoy your chat," Adolf coughed meaningfully a few times and quickly pulled away another companion mage cloaked in a large robe. Soon, the spacious carriage was left with just Moen and Lea alone.

"What is that old rascal even implying?" Moen rolled his eyes.

From earlier, he already had a sense that Adolf had misunderstood something.

Between him and Lea, things were absolutely pure!

"And in this state, how could we even chat? Am I supposed to talk to myself?"

Glancing over, Moen couldn't help but sigh.

In the dim space, the girl lay silent like she was in deep slumber, without her usual adorably shy demeanor.

Her cheeks, which so often carried a rosy tint, were now ghostly pale, evoking a sense of pity.

Moen took a seat across from the girl.

The faint scent of medicinal smoke filled the air in the carriage, soothing to the nerves.

Through the light haze, Moen gazed at the girl's delicate face.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of idleness.

Though he'd initially intended to check on her, given that she was still unconscious, all he could actually do was quietly observe.

Thus, his thoughts wandered back to that moment.

The moment when she stood her ground against Disaster, never backing down. Though fragile like a flower on the verge of withering in a storm, in the end, she still bloomed into her own breathtaking beauty.

For someone naturally timid, what kind of immense courage and determination does it take to face despair head-on, even when knowing it will be futile?

"Speaking of…" Moen propped his chin on his hand and muttered under his breath.

"My original plan was to have you owe me a favor, so I could ask you to intercede with Ariel for me when it mattered most. But as it turns out, it's me who owes you more and more instead."

All the suffering and danger Lea had endured couldn't simply be compensated with fifty or even a hundred thousand Emil.

Thinking about this, Moen couldn't help but crack a wry smile.

"So now, how am I supposed to repay you?"

"Mmnn…"

"Hm?"

The girl's sudden murmur instinctively drew Moen's gaze.

But Lea didn't awaken.

Rather, she—

"Mm… no… it's not… I didn't…"

Even with her eyes closed, her body writhed slightly under the thin blanket, occasionally drawing arcs that were breathtaking to behold.

"Lea… isn’t that kind of person… mmmn… Goddess… you must… must believe in Lea…"

"Sleep-talking, huh?" Moen blinked, his expression turning odd.

What kind of dream could prompt her to say something like that?

Could it be that this usually devout girl had done something disloyal to her goddess in her dreams?

Moen suddenly felt a pang of curiosity.

Sadly, this world had no such thing as succubi or dream-invading abilities, so he had no means of prying into a maiden's dreams.

Still…

"If she can talk in her sleep, she probably doesn't have anything seriously wrong anymore, right?"

Noticing the familiar rosiness returning to Lea's previously pale face, Moen finally felt a sense of relief.

"Rest well, Lea."

With a smooth motion, he adjusted the blanket to cover her snugly and prepared to leave.

"Moen…"

Just then, in the midst of her incomprehensible murmuring, his name unexpectedly emerged, causing Moen to pause mid-exit.

The world suddenly stilled. He turned his head back, silently watching her cherry-like lips, waiting for more to follow.

"I…"

Yet after the single word, nothing else came.

Moen stood motionless for some time, waiting like a scarecrow, but as Lea's furrowed and adorable face once again relaxed into serene tranquility, no further words emerged.

"Lea, oh Lea…" Moen sighed dramatically, flashing a bitter smile.

"You’re just as aggravating as those writers who purposely cut off at cliffhangers."

Feeling pent-up frustration with no outlet, he ruffled his hair in annoyance.

He couldn’t exactly wake Lea up just to ask what she'd meant to say.

Besides, upon waking, she probably wouldn’t even remember what she’d dreamed of saying.

Dreams are frustratingly ephemeral like that.

"Ah, how I wish I had the ability to peek into a maiden's dreams…"

It wasn’t out of any inappropriate desires—he reasoned—but simply a wish to reprimand those "cliffhanger authors".

Moen let out an exasperated sigh, indulging in his unrealistic fantasy.

At that moment, the carriage gently swayed, as if utterly ignoring the fact that Moen was still alone with an utterly unguarded, unconscious maiden. The squad resumed its rapid pace.

"That old geezer…"

There was no need to guess who had given the order.

Resigned, Moen plopped back down into his seat.

With nothing to do, his gaze inadvertently drifted back to Lea’s face.

This wasn’t one of the specially-crafted carriages from the Duke's estate, so the ride was somewhat bumpy and noisy.

However, in this dim and confined space, looking at the face that seemed to brighten everything around her, Moen felt a calm wash over him.

"She really is… adorable."

Her face was softly rounded, with fluttering lashes and lips like freshly-plucked cherries, as though glazed with a sheen of jelly.

Particularly when she pouted her cheeks in anger—like a little pufferfish holding its breath—her cuteness level was simply…

"…"

Moen suddenly snapped out of his musings, cutting off his pointless ramblings, and shifted his gaze to the passing scenery outside.

Through the small gap in the curtains, he watched as the world outside sped by.

"At this speed, we’ll probably reach Holy City soon," he muttered quietly.

That would be their destination.

The saintess-to-be, who, aided by her childhood friend, would ascend to her destiny; and the duke's son, destined to live off the support of princess and his senior. In every conceivable future, their paths were never meant to truly intersect.

Resting his chin on his hand, Moen stared at the unfamiliar landscapes rushing by.

Fatigue began to overtake him.

He closed his eyes, attempting to rest.

Then, suddenly, his eyes snapped open. He scanned his surroundings rapidly and furrowed his brow.

"Strange. This matter is almost behind us, so why do I feel as if… I’ve forgotten something?"

Moen stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"What did I forget?"

…

"My Gosh… Disaster!"

In an abyss of utter darkness, Ariel clutched her arms tightly, shivering violently.

"Why… why? Why has Disaster awakened?!"

"I don’t know," her mentor's solemn voice answered near her ear.

"But it seems it wasn’t awakened for our sake."

"That’s true…"

Earlier, when Disaster appeared several thousand meters before her, Ariel had been scared to death. Even from such a distance, the feeling that merely a flick of its tail could obliterate her was overwhelming.

Thankfully…

"What unbelievable luck—to find a cave to hide in just in time."

Ariel conjured a Lightning Spell, illuminating her surroundings.

The cave was pitch-black, eerily silent without the usual forest-dwellers like snakes or insects to disturb it.

"Huh?"

Ariel's eyes suddenly widened as she let out a surprised gasp.

"This cave… it has signs of artificial excavation!"

"Indeed, it doesn't seem like a natural formation," her mentor's sense expanded, confirming her observations.

"Additionally, I detect faint traces of magic inscriptions here. This place… isn’t that simple."

"Is that so?"

Ideas began swirling in Ariel's mind.

To stumble upon a man-made cave within this forest dominated by Disaster… It couldn’t possibly be ordinary.

Without hesitation, she ventured deeper in.

After navigating a narrow passageway, she emerged into a vast open space.

"This is…"

Using magic to illuminate the area, she revealed a massive bronze door carved with ancient glyphs and murals, standing tall and imposing.

"An ancient relic?"

Ariel's eyes sparkled.

"It’s definitely an ancient relic!"

Her mentor’s voice sounded, tinged with excitement she couldn’t completely suppress.

"Judging by the writing and depictions on the walls, this seems to be the remains of a civilization or kingdom destroyed by Disaster. What’s left here may very well be their final legacy!"

Her mentor’s words caused Ariel to momentarily lose her breath.

The heritage of an entire civilization or kingdom—how monumental a treasure this could be…

Yet…

Ariel’s eyes flickered with indecision.

No, she needed to confirm something first—

"Wait," her mentor's voice cautioned.

"This door appears to have been opened before."

"What?!"

Ariel froze, stunned.

Someone else had arrived here first?

She instinctively placed her hand on the bronze door, expanding her senses…

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Ariel’s eyes flew wide open in disbelief. She appeared as though she'd just uncovered something she could scarcely believe.

"The trace energy here… it’s Lea! There’s no doubt—it’s Lea!"

A sudden rush of adrenaline made her heart pound.

"Could it be that Lea was the one who opened this door?"

"I don’t sense any other presences. It must have been her. And judging by the timeline, it aligns perfectly."

"So, Lea ventured into this ancient relic?"

"Chances are high. Considering her desperate, hunted situation, entering this relic and using an alternate exit to escape would have been the wisest course of action."

Ariel's master analyzed:

"However, that little girl Lea surprised me a bit. She actually managed to open this door on her own?"

"Could it be that I just happened to catch her in the act?"

Ariel, immersed in excitement, clenched her fist tightly:

"Sure enough, between Lea and me, there exists an invisible bond!"

With her master’s help, Lea quickly opened the bronze gate.

She gazed into the deep darkness beyond the door, and her excitement once again transformed into worry.

"Master, this place must be dangerous, right?"

"Of course. This is an ancient relic."

"Then Lea..."

Ariel closed her eyes, her mind conjuring an image of Lea—having barely escaped the tiger's den, now entering the wolf's lair. Alone, trembling in the terrifying ancient relic, helpless and pitiful.

At such a moment, naturally, what a young girl yearns for is the arrival of a hero!

Handsome, brave, strong, someone who could shield her from all the storms!

"Wait for me, Lea!"

Ariel opened her eyes, flames of determination burning in her pupils, and fearlessly stepped into the boundless darkness.

"I'm here—to save you!"