"You really have a way to awaken the Ancient Spirit of the Arias family?" Miss Rabbit exclaimed in surprise.
"If you insist, it is an easy task for me. However, it might not be what you expect and may not provide much help to you," Li Yu replied.
"Just witnessing the Ancient Spirit is already the highest honor for an Arias," Ireya said solemnly.
"Alright then."
Li Yu paused before asking, "How much further until we reach your domain, Green Field?"
It was a simple question, but for some reason, Miss Rabbit's face turned red, and she hesitated, "Soon... very soon."
"How soon is 'very soon'? I can't stay in this world for too long, so if you wish for me to accompany you back to Green Field, you'll need to give me an exact date, so I can plan my schedule," he pressed.
"Um, soon means soon... just a little quicker than slow." The young girl's face grew even redder, and it took her great effort to squeeze out an answer as convoluted as 'five rings is one more than four.'
Li Yu immediately suspected something and frowned slightly, "Don't tell me... you're lost, aren't you?"
Before Ireya could answer, her stomach grumbled.
...
Watching Ireya devour the compressed biscuits he had brought, Li Yu even wondered if he had arrived any later, the newly appointed Green Field Master might have indeed met the Ancient Spirit of her family as she had wished.
"What's this... it tastes quite good. Ergh, ergh, ergh..."
The first part of the sentence was Miss Rabbit appreciating a 21st-century military product, and the latter part was her choking due to eating too hastily and talking mid-bite.
Li Yu had no choice but to employ the Heimlich maneuver he had learned from a public account, making Miss Rabbit lean forward, separating her legs, placing his fisted hand above her navel by two horizontal fingers, and quickly pressing upward and backward.
Eventually, he successfully made the young lady eject the compressed biscuit that nearly ended her life.
"It's too... too dry. Is there anything thinner?" she asked.
"Find some creek water to drink; I'm not a 24-hour convenience store stocked with everything," Li Yu said.
"What's a 24-hour convenience store?" Miss Rabbit asked eagerly for knowledge.
"It's a small house filled with food and drinks, always open no matter when you go. You can take whatever you want to eat; these houses are everywhere in my hometown," he explained.
"Everywhere?" The girl was greatly shocked.
What Li Yu described seemed similar to the Divine Artifact of the Earth and Grain God, Julius—the Miracle Jar. Rumor had it that the small clay jar was filled with golden grains that never ran out, providing unlimited food for all the Gods and Heroic Spirits in the Divine Country.
However, the Miracle Jar only provided food, not drinks, and more importantly, there was only one, so it couldn't be everywhere.
By comparison, this Saturday and its Divine Country seemed quite impressive.
No sooner had this thought emerged than Miss Rabbit hastily drove it out of her mind.
She was a devout follower of the Silver Moon Goddess, having spent so much time in the Temple, bathing daily in the goddess's blessings; how could she be swayed by a heathen's words?
Forget it. She must forget it immediately!
Li Yu didn't know what Ireya was thinking at the moment; he was just a bit puzzled.
"How long has it been since you last ate? What about the dried food we brought? I remember we bought some jerky and bread at the market when we left Rock Snow City... and I wasn't here these past few days. Did you eat all of that by yourself?"
Unlike the Floral Dew, that small bag of compressed biscuits was something Li Yu had brought just in case.
After realizing the place he was visiting for work was quite austere, Li Yu had also made some preparations and went shopping at the supermarket, bringing the goods to the office this morning.
However, due to weight restrictions, he couldn't bring everything with him and had to choose some items. The compressed biscuits were a lower priority, yet they turned out to be the first thing he used upon returning.
And as soon as this was mentioned, Ireya's eyes reddened again.
Li Yu hadn't expected that Miss Rabbit would have such a full experience in the ten-odd hours he was away.
After losing her advisor and being harassed by mosquitoes all night, the girl who couldn't get comfortable no matter how she turned due to the rough ground, decided at dawn the next day, as the sun rose, to proceed toward her domain as originally planned.
She walked in the forest of the early morning, on the soft earth and the leaves that rustled underfoot. The sunlight dappled through the gaps in the leaves, landing on her hair and shoulders, and the temperature was just right.
Add to that the unknown wildflowers by the roadside, still wet with morning dew, and the crisp birdsong echoing through the woods—suddenly, Ireya thought the journey might not be so difficult after all.
Yet her good days were soon over.
As she passed by a quagmire, she encountered a wild boar with a vicious temper. Even though she did nothing to provoke it, she was chased for several miles at full tilt.
Her clothes were torn by the bushes as she fled for her life, and that was when she lost her boot as well.
Eventually cornered, Ireya was forced to climb up a small tree. However, the boar stubbornly refused to leave from under the tree, occasionally rubbing its robust body against the trunk.
Miss Rabbit clung to a tree branch, crying out for help.
Just when her strength was about to run out, a miracle occurred.
A Female Hunter hunting nearby heard her cries, came to her rescue, and killed the wild boar, saving the nearly exhausted Ireya.
When she learned that the girl was alone, the Female Hunter offered to accompany her for a part of the journey.
Miss Rabbit happily agreed, and with a guide who was familiar with the forest, Ireya didn't encounter any other dangers until sunset.
Come nightfall, the Female Hunter even found a small cave free of wild beasts for them to sleep in and generously shared half of her Fire tinder with the girl.
"No wonder you were able to make a fire. Where is she now?" asked Li Yu.
"Don't mention it!" The girl gritted her teeth. "Although she gave me Fire tinder, when I woke up the next morning, I found all the money and luggage was gone. That damn thief even stole the cloak that was covering me. If I hadn't kept a dagger close to my body, which she couldn't find an opportunity to take, I would have been completely ruined."
"..."
"Anyway, she didn't take your life, she was only after money, and she did save you before. She also left you something to make a fire with, so you didn't lose out," Li Yu consoled.
"That's easy for you to say," Miss Rabbit's ears drooped, "but if she wanted money, she could have just told me. I wouldn't have refused her. If she were willing to escort me back to Green Field, wouldn't she have gotten much more than by robbing me? Sigh, my mother was right... the outside world is indeed full of bad people."
Hardly had Miss Rabbit finished speaking when a rustling noise came from the bushes not far away.
Then, a large black dog's head poked out from among them.