"Are you really sure about leaving it with me?" Sean asked again.
This was the Cain Tablet, after all—an object countless wizards vied for. It was precisely because of this thing that Lucille had willingly thrown herself into the pit of wizardry. And now, something so important was being entrusted to him?
Back then, she'd handed it over because she was prepared to fight to the death, wanting him to escape with the secret. But now that everything was resolved, why keep it with him? It felt like a hot potato—stashing it at home? What if a servant stumbled upon it while tidying up? Carrying it around all the time risked someone noticing... It seemed like no place was safe.
"Mm, I feel more at ease leaving it with you."
She was at ease, sure. But that just dumped the responsibility on him. And on top of that, he was just a minor local baron. High favor really did make people act irrationally sometimes.
"And how will you explain it to Prince Philip?"
"I'll tell him it was destroyed by the enemy in Tacoma City. The Cain Tablet is something very peculiar—even I find it a bit frightening now... Maybe what Wizard Ashur always said was true. Don't delve into the secrets of magical origins, or you'll end up with a result opposite to the truth." Freya said with a grave expression.
Ancient gods.
That term must have struck a chord with her.
It wasn't that there was no worship of deities in this world. In some cities, priests existed, and a few people did know healing spells to help the injured, while most relied on medical knowledge to make a living. Of course, word had it that larger churches even lent money at interest to merchant guilds for profit. Anyway, all of this fell within the realm of normal life. So-called faith was just something to give people a sense of belonging, not representing true gods. But the emergence of ancient gods might be what truly upended people's understanding...
The so-called gods probably never considered humans worth a second thought.
"Mm, I understand." Sean agreed with Freya's view. At the very least, it was best to minimize contact until they fully understood those beings.
…………………………
The summer rainy season had passed, and there hadn't been a drop of rain these past few days.
On the airship Sean and Freya were riding, besides the two of them, there was a merchant couple with two children. They were among the survivors of Tacoma City. After waking from the chaos, the couple had sold off all their assets and were heading to relatives in Cogar City, hoping to start over in a new place...
Sean rarely spoke with the merchant couple—at most, they exchanged greetings each morning, and then they'd stay at the same inn at night.
They kept to themselves...
Because during this time, anyone who said they were from Tacoma City would get bombarded with questions, and the couple, likely carrying money, didn't want any contact with outsiders.
That was fine by Sean—it kept things quiet.
Every morning, he'd get up, eat something, then board the airship to continue the journey. After a full day of the machine's rumbling, they'd land at some rest stop by evening... Freya did the same, occasionally inviting Sean in the evening to stroll through the rest stop's streets and buy a few things.
Sean's usual clothes were still the ones he'd brought from Taylor Mian Town. Wind and sun had worn the leather until it was frayed, so Freya bought him a new set.
As long as it wasn't too hot, especially in the mornings, the two would watch the sunrise on the ship's deck.
Watching the sunrise at high altitude gave a different feeling from anywhere else—you could see the entire sky change completely. From a certain angle, it was quite romantic. Though the merchant couple wasn't keen on chatting with them, their two children, around six or seven, often ran over to Sean and Freya.
A boy and a girl, both very cute...
Sometimes they'd share snacks, other times they'd ask all sorts of whimsical questions.
Sean couldn't answer most of them, so Freya was the one who often joked around with the kids. Over time, the little ones kept coming over frequently.
For five or six days straight, this was probably the most relaxed they'd been in a while—no outside pressure, no tedious tasks or demands. No one around knew them, and along the way, they'd often chat about interesting things happening in different places.
It was fun.
At least in Sean's view, after a period of stress, taking a trip like this to unwind was enjoyable. Traveling from the southeast back to the south passed through many places, each with its own unique customs. Seeing these fresh sights lifted his spirits.
This journey lasted until the eighth day...
Because the merchant couple had to get off the airship at a rest stop before Cogar City, the two kids reluctantly said goodbye to Sean and Freya, even giving Freya a flower folded from special leaves.
Sean had seen those leaves before—they were from a small town they'd passed a few days earlier. It seemed the kids had been preparing their farewell gift for a long time!
They also showered the two with blessings before finally leaving...
"Those two siblings are adorable," Freya said, looking at the leaf-woven flower in her hand.
"Yeah, anyone who made it out of Tacoma is worth celebrating."
"Don't say things like that at a time like this!"
"What's wrong with what I said..."
Freya actually shot him a glare, then muttered.
"You're such a killjoy~"
They arrived in Cogar City the next morning, but to Sean's surprise, Freya chose not to stay overnight—she'd take the afternoon airship back to Rietis.
"Just one or two days, it's not like we're in that much of a rush after all these days."
Last time they'd come, they barely knew each other. There were plenty of places to explore, especially the taverns on Brucan Avenue. Lots of good food!
"No need, I've already delayed long enough. Ashur probably went back to Rietis without hearing from me. After this, we'll likely have lengthy negotiations and reports with the Royal Wizard Corps—it's going to be a busy stretch," Freya said.
Sean initially thought that if she was so busy, why bother seeing him off...
But he figured this wasn't the kind of clever banter to bring up, so he just said a few words of farewell and reminded her of some daily life stuff.
In the end, he didn't say much else.
"Well... see you next time."
"See you next time!"
They parted ways not far from the city gate. Freya headed back toward the airship, while Sean walked toward Brucan Avenue.