Chapter 104 - Small Hurdle And The Time Of Departure
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Ring~!! Ring~!!
I immediately slapped the alarm off and rose up into my bed the time I woke-up from my slumber. I was the type to be too self-conscious so removing something inconvenient caused by mine goes without saying. Anyways, it was currently 4:30 AM, and for me to wake-up in this very early morning was for the reason of getting plenty of time to prepare for our upcoming departure later.
Well, I'll be honest, partially of my reason waking-up early was because of my excitement. Like man, we'll be venturing to a place more or less unbeknownst to us. Despite the potential dangers, you can't ignore the sight and excitement it will bring us.
I left my room and head towards the washroom to wash myself. After cleansing my just-woken-up-face, I was about to head down the kitchen to make a coffee and left the room when the door from the girls' room suddenly opened. I was faced with Luna who was the one the open the door along with the girls behind her who had the face of someone that just woken-up. No, the others haven't even woken-up yet. Come on, girls. We're going on an adventure, you know? Cheer-up, will ya?
"Ah, good morning, Master." Luna greeted with a smile. "You're quite early today, aren't you? We're you also excited for later?"
"You've guessed it," I replied with a grin. "I'm done washing myself. I'll be heading down now, so..."
"Yes. We'll wash then we'll follow after—"
""EHHH?!?!""
""—?!""
What the—?! Both Luna and I was startled when the girls behind us yelp out a screaming surprise. I quickly went inside to see what happened and what came to us was...
"Wha—?! Seia, you..." I was dumbfounded, and so is everyone else present inside the room. No, it really wasn't that alarming, though. Or was it?
Seia, who was on the bed, sitting in a W position with her back facing us, was looking at me in her moist eyes that's about to cry. The reason for that, was because her back, or rather, the lower back, grew a pair of two thick tails besides her original tail. In other words, Seia now had three thick tails on her back.
"Ugh, Sai..." Seia was looking at me in pure anxious and panic. Her fox ears were slumped down that matches well with her emotion. "Something bad is not going to happen, right? We don't need to cancel our plans, right?"
"M-Master..." Luna also looked at me as if telling me to do something.
"Just calm down, Seia." I replied. I had thought her anxiety finally disappeared, but it doesn't seem to be the case. But where did she get those confident when she fought the Turtle? "To start with, do you feel something unusual to your body?"
"Hm..." Seia began to check on herself, looking at her own body left and right. "N-Nothing..."
"Nothing?" I asked. "What about last night? Did you remember feeling some pain or anything?"
"As far as I can remember, nothing." Seia replied.
"Good. If so, then we'll probably won't have any problems." I assured. "The venture will still proceed as planned. Seia, tell me if you feel anything. I'll do something about it."
"Y-Yes!" Seia replied. Her ears had perked-up, along with her now three-tails which was wagging simultaneously. What the hell, that's so cute!
Our preparations come first. We've got only plenty of time left after all....
I-It's not like I want to touch it or anything... Hmph, I'm a diligent guy after all. I-It's cute but there's still something needs to be done. Uh-huh, what a way to deceive myself, huh.
You know, it's three-tails and all, and a very thick one at that. It makes you want to shove your face into it while admiring its fiction-like beauty.
"Sai, you're making a creepy face."
"Uwah! Creepy. Damn, this guy sure is honest to himself, huh..."
I was forced out of my thought when I heard Lily and Astra who was looking at me a bitter look. Eh? What do you mean I'm creepy, did I really that react that way?
"And what do you mean by that, Astra?" I replied, frowning. "It's not like I'm thinking anything inappropriate, you know?"
"It's just as I said." Astra replied, giving me disgusted looks. "Don't bother covering for yourself. We already know what you're thinking."
This woman sure knows how to lash her tongue, huh. Hm, it makes me want to be an advocate of true gender equality. But jokes aside, Am I really that easy to read? Sigh, I'll try checking it later.
With the brief problem that has come to an end, we proceed and prepare ourselves after. The girls we're immediately convince whenever I gave them assurance. To be honest, I don't actually know what I will do if something really did happen to Seia. At any rate, I wonder why that happened. If it's about the increased Mana, then shouldn't that had already happened yesterday? Hm, strange.
* * *
During an hour, we Prepared, armed ourselves of the Equipment that we have in our arsenals. We also did a firm double check in case we missed something. We were trekking on a very dangerous place. As strong as we currently are, we're bound to get ourselves in serious danger the moment we missed something, as mildly as it can be.
It was currently 5:30 in the morning. I was currently waiting outside, sitting as I wait for the girls. I was the first one to finish ahead of the girls. Well, they're girls after all. Being late for a few minutes won't really lose something important to us.
My armor—the Ancient Damascus Armor is the one I'm currently wearing. But only the chest plate was exposed and is toppled with a red overcoat. The chest plate was designed with a point in the chest with a gray like color akin of a steel material. But more than that, the armor has a pattern of cluster of spiral forming over it. As for the bottom, I hide the armor leggings with a trouser with the exception of greaves which was exposed. Some of the equipment were also present. Like the Dart Scarf, which was beautifully covering my neck, the Mighty Gloves which is the white gloves equipped in my hands and the Magic Pouch, along with my sword that's strapped within my waistline. I also wore a green ring which is one of my weapons—the Serpent's Scale. I'll explain all the details later but for now... Hm, everything's good if I say so myself.
"Man, they're sure we're taking their time, huh." I mused. "Even Lemuen wasn't here yet..."
But just as I was thinking about them, I saw something heading towards the Villa. When I squinted my eyes to see carefully, I saw a green short-haired girl wearing a mage clothes sprinting towards here hugging her Magic Staff. Oh, looks like she's here... But why is she running, though?
"Don't waste your energy so early in the morning." I pointed-out. "We won't leave you behind so calm yourself."
"Huff, huff, Y-Yes...!" Lemuen breathed heavily as she replied.
Lemuen wore white dress toppled with a green robe combined with a white wizard hat that she used in the Tournament. Nh, the clothes fit perfectly into her especially with her unusually beautiful green hair. But I think it could do much better. how do I say this... her clothes were very plain.
Eh? I meddle too much on someone's own style of clothing? No, that's not what mean. Actually, her clothes—or rather, the robe could actually be upgraded. By upgrade means a more detailed design. Not too plain but not too detailed. I guess if I had the chance, I'll have her clothes be upgraded.
"Master!" While I focus on Lemuen's clothes as she heavily pant, someone called me behind my back which I turned with. "We're all done! We can head out anytime now."
"Looks like the timing was just right." I mused.
The girls who were finally done came with us sporting each of their own adventurer's apparel. Man, their fully geared and prepared, aren't they? Sheesh.
Luna came briskly at me, energetic as she can be. She wore the same maid clothes I bought to her in the Capital that's toppled under her armor. Only the gauntlet and greaves of her armor were visually exposed. Her sword—a scimitar with a blue blade was strapped into her waist, making her have the presence of a bona fide warrior—or rather, can I call her a Battle Maid from now on?
"Our bad, Sai. Did you wait long?" Lily asked.
Lily also wore the same getup when we went to the Jungle—a medieval themed dark brown hunter clothes combined with a black Cloak—the Nihilist Cloak. Behind her sported a violet quiver that's strapped into her shoulders. Similar to Luna, the greaves of her armor with the exception of the gauntlet were exposed. Hm, she really was a beauty.
"Not really." I replied. "But man, you guys sure took your time."
"So, what is it then..." Lily raised her eyebrows at me in bewilderment. "Well, were going on a very long trip after all. That's just how it is. Call it a girls thing."
"I see..." I guess, I won't answer any further then...
"Nice getup you got there, Sai." Beside Lily was a red-haired girl with a tomboyish aura—it was Astra. "Man, seeing you guys with those getups is making me excited, dammit."
Astra's apparel, despite the essence of a female warrior had quite the noble feeling into it. She wore a white long sleeve supported by some sort of a black corset, toppled by a leather jacket with fur into its neckline. On her bottom side sported a black leggings and the armor greaves similar to Lily. She had her large broadsword strapped into her waist by a scabbard.
Goddammit! I'm losing my vocabulary here, but I need to describe everything in detail. Man, if only I know how to draw and I would have created a manga instead...
"Eh? I feel like I thought of something strange..." I mused.
"Master, is something wrong?" Luna who saw my confused behavior asked so.
"Ah? Nothing..."
I cease such strange thoughts and turn the two girls who were the last to head outside. One of the girls was Akari who wore a black overcoat and a skirt combined with unusual quantities of belts that added more beauty to Akari. Such cool but gloomy apparel really fits Akari's deadpan look hundred percent.
Last but not the least, was Seia who was fidgeting as she approaches me. The reason was the cause of her tails who somehow had turned into a triad of tails—a three-tailed fox. She also wore the same clothes she wore the time we went into the Jungle. A jacket and a skirt, strapped with a holster into her waist, stored with currently of her guns existing.
"W-Were here..." Seia came at me with her fox ears drooped down. Was her tail bothering her?
But man, a three-tailed fox using a gun feel so strange... If not for her grandma and I would have suggested her to use magic instead.
"Man, you ladies look good in your getups." I complimented.
Luna, Lily, Lemuen beamed, face flushed. Also, with Seia who had turned crimson. Akari on the other hand, just gave me a faint smile with a nod while Astra just responded with a grin.
"Alright, shall we head out then?" I asked which everyone nodded and agreement.
The sun had finally rose into the horizon. And with that, we begun to walk our way towards our destination.
The Artic was located at the northernmost part of the continent. It would have taken us 1-2 weeks to reach there but fortunately for us, we can just use the [Otherworld Portal] and teleport there directly. After those and we can walk our way into the Artic. My team can't wait to go there and so am I. Besides my existing knowledge, I wonder what we'll find there?