"You sure you guy's can't stay longer?" Leyla asks, teary-eyed as she held Sitri's hands. On the other hand, Sitri looked a bit apologetic but she turned Leyla down. "Sorry, but we really have to go."
Brandon and Denis are also having a joyous conversation with Sean. As for me, other than a few times when we ate together, I didn't particularly close to anyone. However, I did catch sight of a teenager with a bandage wrapped around half of his head from the window of the hall.
It looks like he wants to say something, but it's better if he didn't. Turning my back from that window, I made my way to the carriage. The mechanical horses looked amazingly taken care of, evident from the luster they gave off as they reflected the light of the bluish sun.
I skimmed my hand over its silver-colored back as I made my way to the main carriage. Opening the door, I looked back to meet Anna's gaze. "Are you not saying anything to them...?"
"I've said my farewells earlier." As much as I did enjoy our short time together here, I can't simply associate myself closely with everyone I meet. Of course, relationships are a good thing. However, if possible, I would like to make those relationships with those I know I can benefit from.
It's hypocritical of me doing something I hated in my previous world into this one. However, I've already resolved myself for a life of my own. Doing that doesn't necessarily mean I have to leech off of others or so that I can step on them. "I suppose I still have some limits..."
"? Did you say something?" I turned my attention back to Anna, not noticing my murmuring as I indulged in deep thought. "Nope. Nothing at all. Anyways, Sitri told us to go in ahead first."
The reason for Their consideration is because of Anna's leg as well as my weak condition. I don't understand why but, even until now, my body still feels enervated as if nothing changed from yesterday when I woke up.
"... You really do like avoiding talking about yourself, huh." Anna sneered at me but I ignored her as I opened the door and held out my hand to her. On the contrary, who in their right mind would just tell their story to everyone they meet.
"Let's just go inside." I held the door with one hand and assisted her with the other. She limped as she climbed the foothold and inside of the carriage. Observing her, I remembered something I have read when I first came to this world.
"Come to think of it, I heard demons were resistant to magic. What's more, you're a blood attribute, aren't you? How exactly did you get an injury that doesn't heal?" I asked the question, out of curiosity. But I was met with a complicated expression as if she was disgusted but was trying to hold it in.
"...I'm only saying this to you because you're the only one I can trust," saying so, she pulled me by the arm and inside the carriage. Although I made sure to be aware of my surroundings before opening up conversations with her, it seems she's still wary.
"This injury... I got it from a guardian apostle," Drawing in closer to my ear, she made extra precautions as she said so. Well, I guess that's one of the most reasonable things I've heard from her. "Tough luck..."
"What do you mean "tough luck?" This injury came from the guardian apostle of knowledge, you know?!" She exploded on me, lecturing me about things I have no idea about. "The guardian apostle of knowledge...? I'm sorry, but I'm not that familiar with them."
Other than the god of armament, purity, and serenity, I don't have much more information other than that their guardian apostles, as people who hold a portion of power from the gods, are strong beings. Considering that even time travelers aren't even at their level, I could only imagine how strong they are and hope to not come across them.
Anna crossed her arms. We were still both sitting on the floor of the carriage, just at the other side of the carriage's door. I think she forgot about that as she condescendingly schooled me like a smug professor.
"Okay, listen here. There are seven gods with a single guardian apostle. This apostle doesn't necessarily have to be human, and nor do they necessarily have to be someone from this world. You got that?"
"Yes, yes." I would honestly love it if she just continued without those pauses with a smug expression on her face.
"Yeah, okay. Anyways, these seven guardian apostles uphold their god's theosophical abstract. If you forget these theosophical abstracts, just remember that they are the titles of these gods. Purity, Knowledge, Truth, Life, Fate, Armament, and Serenity."
She can certainly explain better than Velxia. No, I suppose this is because this topic is easier to both understand and digest than the literal creation of everything. "Okay, so why exactly is it a big thing that the guardian apostle of knowledge was the one who did that?"
"Well, that's because-!" She was about to explain it to me, but Sophia suddenly opened the door. Since we were both sitting on the carriage floor in front of the door, I suppose it was our mistake to have our conversation here.
Thankfully it was Sophia otherwise, things might have gone in an unexpected direction. Sophia closed her head to us before whispering in a voice that only the three of us could hear. "You can save this conversation in another place, they're already coming here," Sophia gestured at her back.
She's referring to Sitri and Sean closing in. I quickly got up and thanked Sophia, before grabbing Anna's hand and making our way to my room. However, Sophia stopped me, giving me an unexpected embrace before.
"Sophia? What's wrong?" She embraced me for a few seconds, but I felt a strange warmth that made me feel comfortable. "You're still hot from yesterday. Don't overexert yourself too much, okay?"
"...Okay. Thank you." It's true that my body still feels weak. Unlike wounds that heal over time, this weakness feels like it's coming from the depths of my body but at the same time from every corner of it.
After a few more seconds, Sophia let me go. I cleared my throat before turning my attention back to Anna. "Let's continue this conversation later," I told Anna. She responded by nodding and heading towards the living room of the carriage.
Letting Sophia pass through, I jumped out of the carriage. I didn't really have to, but Brandon and the others seems to be calling for me as they followed Sean and Sitri to the carriage. "Sup, White! We heard you were feeling sick. Are you okay now?"
"I can manage, somehow." To Denis' inquiry, I chuckled slightly before responding. Cyrill smirked and Brandon crossed his arms with a relieved smile on his face.
"White!" Appearing out of nowhere, Leyla's curvaceous body flew to me with her hands wrapped around my slender body. "I'm going to miss you, you smart child." She whimpered slightly, but it kind of felt more of an exaggeration, to be honest.
"It's not like this we'll be our last meeting, though? I'm sure we'll see each other in a few years," I replied courteously, giving her a head pat as I tried to console her. It may not seem much but the short three weeks that we all have shared together must have gotten us closer than I expected.
Of course, as much as I opened my heart to them, there are limits to how much I can lay my bare self to others. Especially as someone who came from another world. No, it would have been fine if my previous world was as peaceful as its past, then I would have been able to open up myself to them without any walls.
If only...
"White? What's wrong?" Sean asks with a worried expression, "You look like you're staring at an abyss or something." I was still in Leyla's embrace as I was thinking, so I didn't notice that I have been staring at the sky while I was engrossed in thoughts.
"It's nothing, I'm fine." Compared to when White's family and friends, these are people I, myself, made relations with. As much as that feels great to think about, it also gives me more unnecessary thoughts, unlike White's associates which I know, for sure, that I can actually open up to.
"Anyways, you guys better get going. Ius Viride isn't going to wait for you guys, you know?" Brandon placed a hand on Sean's shoulder as he said so. Denis was busy dragging the weeping Leyla away from us, he waved at us with a smile before heading back inside the town hall.
Then, Cyrill closed in who, unexpectedly, also wrapped his arms around me. I honestly thought it was strange but he whispered something to my ear that made me understand his reasons for doing so. "This came from Alfen. He asked me to deliver it to you. I didn't take a peek though so don't worry."
He was still as playful as always. Contrary to his weary looks, he's pretty humorous. Well, because of this, he might have caught on to a connection between me and Alfen but I'll trust his personality and hope he can keep a secret if he ever did find that connection.
"Thank you, Cyrill. I hope you guys will still be here when I come back." Out of everyone in here, excluding the noble twins and the plotting demon, I suppose Cyrill was the person I greatly got close to.
"Hmm... I don't know about that since I'm also planning to be an adventurer. If we're going to see each other again, well... I'll leave that to fate I suppose." He shrugged at my reply. I let out a small exasperated sigh as if saying 'fine, whatever.'
Just like that, we left Bellos accordingly. Although the baron also wanted to see us out, he was left with a ton of paperwork after the adventurer's misconduct as well as the defeat of the dungeon. Because of that, Sean insisted it was fine.
Instead, he expressed his gratitude to Sean and Sitri and opened a relationship with them that is not political but purely friendship. Anna also received a sword cane since her sword would be greatly damaged if she continued using it as her crutch.
As for me, I simply asked for the storage ring. I was planning to buy this sometime later as well, but the time just didn't allow for it. Making use of the available time, I went to my room and opened Alfen's letter.