Opening the door, Dad entered his room and spotted his children merrily sleeping on the bed. Dad ambled towards them. Looking at the two sleeping faces, he felt warmth in his heart. How long had it been since his wife had departed? He can't recall, but he did remember the time after she left them where he struggled to take care of Laurence and Greg when they were both young. Nevertheless, he did enjoy raising them and seeing them grow up. Feeling nostalgic upon remembering his past, Dad was moved to tears.
The sleeping figures of his children reminded him of the time where the three of them used to sleep together. Dad couldn't help shedding some tears. He knew he must do something now. Otherwise, his chance of saying goodbye will diminish. Wiping off his tears, he sauntered closer until he was close enough to give them both a kiss on the cheeks, which he did. Greg felt the prickly sensation of Dad's facial hair and was suddenly awoken. Once he realized he had just fallen asleep, Greg jolted to an upright position and looked at Dad with a surprised look.
"Good early morning, son. Did you have a nice sleep?" Dad said, while smiling. Greg was in a state of disbelief after recalling that he had failed to keep himself awake to look after Laurence. 'Not that it matters now.' was on his mind.
"..." Laurence was awakened by the diminutive conversation between Dad and Greg.
"Oh, that's right! What happened to Greg and that mysterious woman!?" Laurence was startled when she remembered what happened before she fell unconscious. Just like Greg, she too jolted into an upright position.
"My dear, you don't have to worry about that now. I want you to cherish our last moments." Dad said as he came closer to Laurence and hugged her.
"Last... moments?" Laurence faltered when she heard that.
"Not really our last, but um, you'll be gone for a long time since you're chosen as the hero who'll save the universe." Dad said in a tender voice. He let go of Laurence from his hug, then stared at her. He pulled Greg, and together, the three of them hugged each other. It was probably their longest time hugging until Greg and Laurence pulled away.
"Let's get you ready for the departure. The Great Sage said that you won't have to bring anything, but I would like to, at least, give you proper clothing before you start your adventure." Dad said, but a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
"I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion, but we'll be departing soon." Even though the door suppressed most of the sound coming from outside the room, Arnold's voice was still clearly audible.
"Welp seems like you don't have to worry about changing. Well, that pajamas looks fine." Dad said as he helped Laurence get up. The three of them went outside the room.
"I guess this is goodbye." The teary-eyed Dad said.
"I guess so." Laurence replied.
"Goodbye, Miss Shorty." Greg cracked up a joke, which caused Laurence to hiss.
"Are we all set?" Arnold asked to which they replied with a "Yes."
"Good. The carriage will be here soon." Arnold continued.
Looking outside the window, the time indicates it's early dawn. A thumping sound reverberated outside the tavern. It caught the attention of everyone inside.
"It's here." Arnold said as he signaled Laurence to come. Looking at his signals, Laurence followed after Arnold and went outside via the dining-room door. Dad and Greg followed too.
"Sorry, I must've let you guys wait for a long time." The Great Sage said as He went down from the driver's seat. The carriage looked magnificent that, apart from Arnold and the Great Sage, everyone else was flabbergasted. That included those who were also awakened by the thunderous thumping sound. The carriage was big and grand that it looks like it can fit a dozen people inside. But the thing that caught most of the attention was the one pulling it—an earth dragon. It looked well-built and was bigger than the carriage itself. It also occupied half of the road spacing. Seeing the golden earth dragon, Laurence sprinted towards it and touched its skin. It looks fierce, but it was common knowledge that they exhibit a peaceful nature. It paid no heed when Laurence felt its coarse hide.
"I'm sorry, milady, but you can touch it however you wanted to when we arrived at the palace. We must depart now before travelers block off the road." The Great Sage interrupted Laurence. Looking at Dad and Greg, Laurence waved and said her farewell before stepping inside the carriage. However, before she opens the door, the door itself opened, and a butler went out and prepared a small stair. Laurence found it weird and thought, 'Is this how nobility works?' Once she stepped inside, she saw Arnold sitting on one of the benches and waved back at her. He had a smirk on his face, and Laurence found it weird. She decided to sit somewhere far from Arnold. Seeing that she was already seated, the butler went in and sat near Laurence.
"Is everything all clear?" The Great Sage said as He opened a slid from the driver's seat, allowing Him to take a glimpse of the passengers.
"Yes, master." Arnold and the butler replied in unison.
Hearing everything was all set, the Great Sage nodded and closed the slid. He then signals the earth dragon to move. It walked till it sprinted. The earth dragon moved fast, albeit the carriage remained stable.
The bench seat was very comfortable. Laurence was still sleepy, but her excitement kept her awake. After all, it was her first time stepping outside the town of Gleedenfield. She looked outside the window and observed the magnificent view of the townhouses and architecture. After some time, they had managed to exit the town, and they were met with a grassy plain. The road is an important indication that prevents them from going astray.
The sun was about to set, giving light to the grassy fields. The window provided Laurence with a magnificent view of the plains. She wondered if she can spot some monsters, but there'll probably be just a few as the grassy terrains were purified ages ago and monster-warding crests are placed so that travelers can have a safe passage. But of course, one can't just entirely rely on those as those things can't ward off bandits. Merchants would often hire adventurers to protect their carriages from being attacked. Warding of these hazards is the primary job for adventurers. Laurence continued to gaze over to the horizon, excited to see what's beyond.