Lapis sat at her desk with surprise.
"...You came back earlier than I expected." [Lapis]
"Me too." [Solace]
"...You're bleeding." [Lapis]
"I am?" [Solace]
I couldn't recall if I had taken any heavy hits. I glanced around, but all I found on myself were minor scratches and bruises.
"Stop moving. We don't want any more blood coming out of the back of your head." [Lapis]
("The back of my head?") [Solace]
I then remembered when Vanport momentarily turned his sword into a rock. It was so trivial that I didn't think it would do much damage.
"Let me heal you." [Lapis]
She searched around her room before picking up a red bottle. Lapis then made her finger move in a circular motion while staring at me.
"Turn around." [Lapis]
"Oh." [Solace]
Heeding her words, I felt a cold splash the moment I showed my back to Lapis.
"There we go." [Lapis]
Though I couldn't look at my back, I knew the liquid had dried.
"Now then, that will cost you quite a bit." [Lapis]
"Huh?!" [Solace]
Lapis laughed.
"I'm joking! Ah, but next time you'll have to pay for it." [Lapis]
"H-Ha… ha… Sure…" [Solace]
I could never get used to her sense of humor.
"Anywho, I'm assuming you came back here to escape from… whatever hit you in the back of the head." [Lapis]
"Pretty much." [Solace]
"Will you be leaving then?" [Lapis]
"Can you give me a ride?" [Solace]
Lapis gave me a smirk.
"Will you be my guinea pig again?" [Lapis]
That was a tough choice. Before answering, I had to know how long I would need to stay a guinea pig.
"How long will it take for you to get to the Haverend territory?" [Solace]
"Haverend? Hm…" [Lapis]
Searching through one of the many shelves in her office, Lapis picked up a map.
"From here, about three months." [Lapis]
"Ah…" [Solace]
That was far too long. Fina would be forced to marry long before I got there.
"Do you have a faster way? Like, maybe a teleporter?" [Solace]
Lapis shook her head.
"I never set up a teleporter near there. Oh, but I do have something that may work." [Lapis]
"Really?!" [Solace]
"Remember, it "may" work. It really depends on you though." [Lapis]
I raised a brow.
"Elaborate." [Solace]
"Follow me." [Lapis]
Wagging a finger at me, I followed her through a teleporter stationed in her office. Next thing I knew, we were on top of the tower.
"Here we are." [Lapis]
I glanced around with curious eyes. I had never set foot atop the tower since Lapis said it was dangerous.
"So, what are we here for?" [Solace]
With the snap of Lapis' fingers, the tower began to shake. Something began to rise out of the ground, revealing what looked to be a cannon.
"...There's no way." [Solace]
Lapis grinned.
"How badly do you need to get to your destination?" [Lapis]
I gritted my teeth.
"You're telling me that I'm going to get launched from that cannon? Do you know how far three months of travel distance is?" [Solace]
Lapis shrugged.
"I did warn you. I can guarantee the power, I just can't guarantee your safety." [Lapis]
("Damn…") [Solace]
As tough as my body was, I wasn't sure if I could handle that amount of force.
"...Quick question. Do you ever use this cannon?" [Solace]
"Actually, I had it made a few days ago." [Lapis]
"A few days ago?" [Solace]
"I thought it'd be funny to launch random objects at high speeds. So… I think you should be honored to be the first to enter it." [Lapis]
She said all this with a terrifying smile.
"Man… Sometimes I feel like you can see into the future." [Solace]
I sighed.
"Okay, let's do it. How do I get up there?" [Solace]
The cannon was massive. If I had to compare, its barrel length was similar to the size of a truck… minimum.
"There's a ladder right there." [Lapis]
Pointing at the cannon, I could see that there indeed was a ladder. However, it led directly into the cannon.
"I really believe you expected me to enter the barrel before this thing was built." [Solace]
"I was going to push you in after using an excuse for you to clean it." [Lapis]
I wore a horrified expression.
("What is the limit to this woman's morals?!") [Solace]
Still a bit hesitant, I entered the barrel. It was very sleek inside and had a lot of room. I can only say that it was somehow comfortable.
"Make sure you slide all the way in." [Lapis]
Heeding her words, I went in far enough that my back touched the bottom of the barrel.
"Are you ready?!" [Lapis]
Hearing her voice echo from outside, I prayed internally.
("I sure hope I don't die.") [Solace]