"Mari? I wonder why you are coming here?" Lira asked her while walking upholding one bubble tea to for him, and Mari holding for her own too.
when they are both walking in sidewalks on the road towards the east of Laira village. the well built four-story housing that is well-aligned left and right, with the two-way road in the left where Lira and Mari walk on its wood made sidewalks for upcoming horse traffic and right side for incoming horse traffic that many kids with different race is walking around and playing around the right side of sidewalks.
and Mari, she's silencing after Lira asked her why she's coming here. Not answering anything with Lira ask her again
"I hope you don't come because of your mating season" Lira sighed while continuing on the walk as Mari's face is deep red now.
"don't ask me to mat you, I'm not your husband" he continued as up after sees her blushed face. making what Lira guessed is on the spot.
"is it ok to stay with you for a while, Lira? it's my mating season and I don't want to mat with anyone yet" Mari with her blushing face, comes near Lira and holding his left arm hard.
Lira sighed up after she stated that, and replied while patted her head
"silly girl, I didn't angry on you, you know?"
and she's nodded happily that glad Lira isn't come to scold her as Lira asked the armies on Seikara Empire to protect her on dog demihuman's mating season that happened every 6 months once. which is many male dog demihuman will hunt for female dog demihuman for their sexual desire.
of course, it is a forced one. not a willingness that like what Mari offered to Lira at her last year mating season that she came to his place again and that's the reason why Lira is still not able to forgive here. glad nothing gaudy happened, or he wouldn't have any reason to face Kiana who he devoted, anymore.
"of course as your master, I wouldn't let anyone hurt you. get it?" Lira answered her smilingly that making her replied "yay!" and they continued to walk.
the location may look far. but for Lira who is a trained archer, and Mari who is a demihuman with inborn superhuman ability. it's nothing as they did walk for seventy kilometers nonstop together. and the trip of walking takes three hours that they finally arrive at a European castle-like palace, which on its board on its middle grassy land gate in front of it. written "Laira Medical University", the place where Lira once studied as a medic before, up until two years he took the study and he decided to drop out for following his passion for archery.
"four years passed huh"
Lira commented to the place while walking through the grassland on the front of that university with the gate behind of it, remain closed.
but a random man attacked him using a shard of stone that almost slashed Lira's face
"inferno..."
"it's my lecturer, don't get yourself offended" Lira stopped her who is about to use her Blackfire magic again
"to be honest Lira if you aren't dropped out. you will be a great medic, just yeah. you love it. hohoho"
the old tiger faced man with yellow hair on his head, and a white beard that proves that he's grown old already wearing a judge cloth. shows up and sees Lira who has successfully dodged his bullet speed rock throwing.
and lira walked in and shook his hand to him
"hi Professor Lore, its a while. haha, I'm still considered as your alumnus right?" he smiling awkwardly as he remembers how he did anger him just for quitting from his university day.
"its fine Lira, seeing you being a successful adventurer, is more than enough actually although you arent being medic at the end, and glad that you are being our contractor" Professor Lore happily welcomes them into the middle building with four pavilion door that requires Professor Lore with his right palm to open it, and it's the reason why the board near the door has a word which is
"kept this gate open". is because, only Professor Lore who could open it,
and they have entered the red carpet line which redirects them to a huge round-shaped room with the gold decoration of painting about dragons everywhere and professor Lore sat on the receptionist seat with a gold plated table in front of it that located in front of Lira and Mari.
"is this beautiful lady your girlfriend by any chance?" the professor asked him jokingly that Mari had replied, "he's my husband" that made Lira's face redden.
"don't spout any nonsense, Mari!" Lira replied with a pale looking face proving that he's dead inside as she spouted something that is not true.
"ahahahaha, I never thought you would get married son" he's laughing and knew that she's joking around. so this is why he is only laughing without taking it to another question. which is direct and simple
"you know your discovery at three years ago right?" he started the topic and Lira nodded to him
"This university is emptied for now. because I never thought the casualties over a picked woman with green hair will get killed and raped by that black creature you were talking about. as I checked the historical record of this university that lasts for 400 years already, this trace of darkness is the remain of someone that the identity remains unknown yet till now. and it had taken more than one thousand casualties already. yes, thousand of girls had killed and it's excluded from a countless of adventurer that had been going to investigate it and god knows where they are, can you help me for that? anything you want. the university will grant it for you"
the professor had explained any things he knew about the trace of darkness which is located on the fifth floor of the university, fully covered the whole floor that back in the day. Lira felt the gruesome feeling on it.
and he thought about it. as he is bringing a huge bag containing three days worth of food for both of them for in case the professor will leave the place, but in fact. the professor borrowed him a card black colored with a strong metoria aura on it.
"This contains my earth metoria that will help you to get in and out from this university easily for the next sixty days. good luck Lira, I believe you can do it!" he's leaving his chair and left the place. bidding farewell to Lira.
Lira tries to remember what he knows about it, and he felt uneasy with it as he wanted to go to the trace of darkness he knew.
but in his other mind, he can't afford gambling for Mari for it. so he came prepared
"Mari, let's change our clothes, I wore yours and you wore mine"