**Sophia's POV**
My blurred vision of the familiar surroundings made me blink several times to confirm that what I was seeing wasn't a dream. It seemed I had fainted after using too much Mana...
"Sophia! Sophia...!"
Ahhh... that voice... it sounded faintly in my ears. My vision was still blurry, but I could make out the face of the person calling me.
...Eizan...
"COUGH! COUGH!"
I opened my eyes again, seeing the tall trees and hanging plants that filled my view as I lay on my back. This time, the overwhelming pain welcomed me, telling me that I wasn't dreaming.
"Where am I?"
"How am I alive?"
I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't listen. The only thing I could do was turn my head, and even that caused a series of sharp pains in my neck.
Looking to my right, I saw my backpack. Slowly, I turned my head to the left, gritting my teeth through the pain.
My eyes widened at the sight, and I had to stifle the urge to vomit. To my left lay what was left of a Mage, lifeless. A pool of blood surrounded the body, which had more broken bones than intact ones. I could see the white bones of his ribs jutting out from a concave chest cavity with a pile of entrails beside it. His limbs lay at unnatural angles, and the back of his skull was shattered, with some brain matter seeping out with the blood.
His face was frozen in an expression of shock and disbelief, except for his eyes, which were completely red from the dried blood still visible in the sockets. I couldn't turn my head away fast enough. With my already weakened body assaulted by the horrific sight and the repugnant smell, I retched until nothing was left in my stomach, and I was dry-heaving.
I finally managed to turn away from the gruesome remains of the Mage.
The day had turned to night... The sky was adorned with the beautiful specks of light known as stars. I saw someone making a fire with the wood they had gathered from the forest.
...Eizan...
He looked towards me as I called out, his face showing a mix of surprise and relief as he saw me awake again.
"Sophia!" He hurriedly stood up, abandoning the fire he had yet to light.
"Thank goodness you're awake... I've been waiting for you to wake up for five hours since noon." Eizan lifted my head and placed it on his lap for support.
"What... happened, Eizan?" I was still confused about what had happened and how we survived the attack from twenty bandits at once... Who killed all those remaining bandits?
"It's okay now, Sophia. Everything is safe... I took care of all the bandits." So it was Eizan who had dealt with the bodies I had seen earlier.
I couldn't help but wonder what happened while I was unconscious. Clearly, the Mage had lived up to the point of landing... so what had happened to me?
I should have looked very much like that corpse now, maybe even worse, but not only was I okay, I didn't have a single broken bone.
I pondered his explanation, maybe until I was distracted by a loud grumble from my stomach.
Eizan heard the grumbling and laughed heartily. I turned away from him, unable to hide my embarrassment.
"Here, I've cooked some fish from the provisions we brought from the village," he said, handing me a skewer of fish. I didn't think twice as I sat up and started eating the fish he gave me with relish. "Hey... slow down, will you? Hahaha," he teased.
This boy never misses a chance to make fun of me.
After finishing the meal Eizan had given me, I realized I was quite filthy. My face and neck smelled unpleasant, and my clothes were torn and dirty. I spotted a river nearby and quickly ran towards it, scrubbing my face and body with fervor. I undressed, ensuring no one was around to see me, and placed my clothes on a nearby rock to dry. After a refreshing wash, I walked back to my still-damp clothes.
Just as I was about to put them on, Eizan appeared. "Kiyakkkkk!!" I screamed as loud as I could, both startled and embarrassed to be seen without any clothes.
Reflexively, I used my clothes to cover myself.
Eizan looked just as shocked. "Huaaa... So-Sophia, what are you doing here?"
"Can't you see with your eyes that I was cleaning myself and about to put on my clothes... and why are you looking at me with that perverted stare!" I scolded him. This boy didn't even think to cover his eyes when he saw me like this. Such a pervert!
"Aww... don't pout. I'm sorry," he said, trying to hold back his laughter.
"Alright, I'm really sorry," he said as he left the river area.
'Kukuku… Lucky to see you like that before we officially marry, Sophia, Kukuku.'
Calm down, Sophia. A lady must remain composed…
Once I had put on my clothes, the perverted voice seemed to quiet down. Not that I cared much.
After dressing, I hurried back to our resting spot. Eizan had already cleaned up all the bodies somehow. Everything looked clean, with no bloodstains around.
Eizan glanced at me, and I returned his look with a sharp stare, still annoyed by what had just happened. I walked over and pulled on his right ear. "Don't you have anything to say after seeing me like that earlier?"
"Ouch! Ouch... Hehe," he said, seemingly enjoying it.
"Hah, is that all you have to say?" I added a bit more force to my grip on his ear.
"M-My apologies. It was a blessing," he smiled.
"What did you say?" I increased the pressure on his ear.
"I mean, I apologize again for seeing that. It was an accident."
"Is that so?" I was still a bit skeptical.
"Yes," he confirmed. But, oh well, I let go of his ear and looked around.
Still, if he cleaned up all the bodies here, there should be some blood on the ground... But how did he do it so cleanly? There must be something else he used to clean it.
"Sophia, hurry and get on the wagon. We're continuing our journey tonight," he said. Despite my current condition, he was more concerned with the journey than with me.
"Don't worry, you're alright now. Trust me, I transferred some of my mana to you," he explained. So that's why I could stand and regain consciousness—it was all thanks to him.
A thin smile formed on my face, knowing this.
"Alright then," I said, climbing into the wagon. This time, I didn't sit next to Eizan but stayed inside the wagon covered with a tarp, given my still-recovering state.
Eizan rode the horse calmly in the front. Thankfully, there were no more attacks, and everything seemed smooth and normal along the way.
**Eizan's POV**
Luckily, I managed to eliminate all the bandits at the foot of the Aleci Mountains while Sophia was unconscious. I took them out one by one at their camp in this forest to ensure our journey wouldn't be hindered by those damned bandits. Besides, Alex must be waiting for us there.
I also sent a message to him via a bird I used as a courier, informing him that we might be late to reach the city area. The bird must have reached Alex by now, considering our journey should conclude by tomorrow morning.
As we traveled, I saw many small villages along the way, seemingly at the city's outskirts. They looked so beautiful, perfect for those tired of urban life. The roadside was also lined with trees whose leaves were pink, different from the ones I usually saw in the forests.
It was a delightful experience, traveling under the moonlight, with pink leaves falling around us. It made the journey feel magical. 'Huff, if only our journey had been like this from the start, we wouldn't have had to use our powers along the way,' I sighed in relief after what we had endured in the past two days.
Perhaps because I was too engrossed in the scenery or time passed quickly, I now saw the walls surrounding an area, probably the city's boundary.
And sure enough, it didn't take long for us to reach the massive gate of the city walls. The roads here were different from those in the villages, paved with neatly arranged stones. The houses inside the city were large, multi-story, and felt incredibly luxurious compared to the simple village life I was used to.
It might sound exaggerated, but seeing houses made of stone with wooden accents at the top felt truly magnificent to me. This is what living in the city feels like.
We arrived just as the sun began to rise.