Chapter 12: A Journey’s Call

Only a few short hours after the previous night’s battle, rumors regarding the mysterious intruder at Aldoran’s mansion had already begun to circulate widely across Alampa.

“Aldoran…” Qing Yu murmured, standing beside her as he watched the dwarf artisans deftly mend the damaged mansion with their magic, before hesitantly taking hold of Aldoran’s hand.

The wind blew rather fiercely that day, and holding Aldoran’s hand offered Qing Yu a surprising sliver of warmth.

‘What incredible power,’ he thought.

“Um… you weren’t hurt, were you?”

Qing Yu asked, striving to alleviate his own awkwardness.

“I’m fine.”

Aldoran patted Qing Yu’s hand reassuringly.

“Oh, that’s good then…”

“And what about the attacker?”

“I don’t know where she went.”

Aldoran’s voice remained utterly calm, devoid of even a hint of emotion, as if the attacker held no significance for her whatsoever.

“Um… aren’t you going to send someone to search for her, Aldoran?”

“While it might not sound ideal, if even I couldn’t track her down, sending others to search would be an even more futile endeavor.”

For a moment, Qing Yu found himself at a loss for words.

“So, what are your plans now, Aldoran?”

“Have you ever considered traveling?”

Instead of answering Qing Yu’s query, Aldoran shifted the topic, inquiring about his experience with travel.

“Traveling, you say? I haven’t tried it yet,” Qing Yu mused for a few seconds, scratching his head before answering Aldoran’s question with a blend of expectation and bewilderment.

“Would you like to travel with me then?”

“Eh?! What did you say?!”

The abrupt shift in conversation caught Qing Yu completely off guard; could the matter of the attacker truly be dismissed so easily?!

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to?” Aldoran turned her head, her gaze fixed on Qing Yu.

“No, no, no, of course I’m willing! But are you really not going to pursue the attacker, Aldoran?”

Qing Yu gripped Aldoran’s hand tightly, his tone laced with profound confusion. He simply couldn’t comprehend why she would so readily let go of someone who had sought to harm her.

“I can no longer sense her presence, nor can I track her; her trail has vanished,” Aldoran stated, shaking her head. She understood perfectly that any further pursuit of the attacker would prove utterly fruitless.

‘Anyone capable of evading my pursuit is certainly no simple adversary,’ she mused.

‘And the attacker’s power…’

Thus, rather than dedicating extensive time to searching for the elusive attacker, it seemed more prudent to follow the attacker’s own advice and seek out Mimir, who might offer some crucial clues.

“During last night’s confrontation, she instructed me to seek out Mimir and even suggested I should embark on a journey. I believe there must be a connection between these directives, and honestly, had she fought with her full strength last night, I might not have emerged victorious.”

Observing Qing Yu’s perplexed expression, Aldoran patiently began to elaborate.

“The seal on the Odin Crest has not yet been fully broken, and my current power is still insufficient, allowing me to sustain the Crest’s might for only a few minutes. As for the attacker, I distinctly felt that she wasn’t exerting her full power; all her assaults were merely exploratory.”

“Had she truly unleashed her full power, the outcome would have been far from certain.”

“There’s someone even stronger than Aldoran?!” Qing Yu exclaimed, utterly stunned once more. He had believed that Aldoran, with her Odin Crest, was already supremely powerful, virtually unrivaled.

Yet, Aldoran had just personally admitted to the existence of someone even more formidable than herself.

“At least for now, yes,” Aldoran replied honestly. “The fact that she not only spared me but also urged me to seek Mimir has piqued my interest considerably.”

“Furthermore—”

Aldoran raised her wrist, allowing Qing Yu to clearly see the shimmering gem embedded there. “The Crest itself is telling me the same thing; it also wishes for me to find Mimir.”

“I’m eager to uncover the true reason behind all this. So, what do you say? Will you join me?”

Lowering her hand, Aldoran posed the question to Qing Yu once more.

“Is that how it is…” Qing Yu found himself quite swayed by her words. Was this, then, the beginning of a hero’s adventure, much like those he’d only ever seen in anime?

A mysterious assailant, peculiar guidance, and an uncharted journey.

Even if he wasn’t destined to be the hero, becoming the heroine by the hero’s side didn’t sound too bad either!

‘And who knows, this might even be a perfect opportunity to start my own harem?’

‘What’s more, what if I stumble upon some incredibly powerful artifacts during our travels?!’

“Have you decided?” Aldoran asked, having already discerned his thoughts from the eager expression on his face.

“Yes, yes! Let’s embark on this journey together!”

“Excellent, then—” Aldoran clapped her hands together.

Following two flashes of light, two winged, expressionless maids materialized out of thin air beside Aldoran.

“What are these?!” Qing Yu exclaimed, startled by the sudden appearance of the two maids.

‘They’re so… tall!’

‘In contrast, Aldoran seems even flatter.’

“Perhaps you haven’t encountered them before, so allow me to introduce them. These two are my emissaries, residing within the gems. The one with white hair is named Saulte, and the one with golden hair is Bishus.”

Aldoran, however, remained perfectly composed, completely oblivious to Qing Yu’s inner musings, and introduced the two maids to him with an unwavering, expressionless demeanor.

“Greetings, Lord Frigga,” the two maids intoned, bowing slightly in acknowledgment of Qing Yu.

“Oh, hello there, hello!” Qing Yu returned the bow, adding, “A pleasure to meet you.”

“They serve as my emissaries, primarily tasked with conveying my messages.”

“Mm-hmm,” Qing Yu affirmed, nodding earnestly as he regarded the two towering maids.

‘It seems Aldoran is the one who’ll be starting a harem now…’

‘That is, assuming she has an interest in the same s*x.’

“During my absence, I will depend on them to assist with official duties. They are exceptionally adept at handling such matters, and with the additional support of the other maids, there will be no need to worry about public order or any other concerns.”

“Yes, Master,” the two maids responded, bowing once more.

“How truly impressive—” Qing Yu exclaimed with genuine admiration. For him, simply seeing the dense text on an exam paper back on Earth would induce a headache, let alone managing official documents.

‘If he were the one tasked with handling those documents, Aldoran’s territory would undoubtedly erupt in riots within three days.’

“As for today, you should rest thoroughly. We’ll set off bright and early tomorrow morning,” Aldoran declared, instantly finalizing their departure time.

“Um, shouldn’t we make some preparations?” Qing Yu prompted, reminding her that Aldoran’s sudden decision to depart tomorrow left virtually no time for readying themselves.

“Rest assured, Bishus and Saulte are perfectly capable of handling all documents and administrative tasks; they’ve assisted me countless times before. As for luggage, the maids can pack it for me, and I possess some rudimentary storage magic myself, so there’s truly nothing to worry about.”

“So, there’s nothing else to attend to here at home? What about the upcoming celebration you’re scheduled to attend?”

“I will arrange for the maids to handle all of those matters too, so put your mind at ease. They are exceptionally responsible and execute their tasks flawlessly.”

As Aldoran spoke, she suddenly scooped Qing Yu into a princess carry.

“For someone who was utterly exhausted from last night’s events, what you need most right now is rest, not worry. Trust me, I will take care of everything.”

“Al… Aldoran…”

Held so intimately by Aldoran, Qing Yu couldn’t help but feel a blush creeping across his cheeks.

****

Meanwhile, in a temporary inn, Lance was diligently packing her own luggage.

“Lance, are you truly certain you don’t require any escorts?” Arell inquired, standing beside Lance and observing her as she packed her belongings.

“Don’t worry, Mother, I’ll be perfectly fine!” Lance declared, patting her chest and revealing the glowing red gem embedded there.

“The gem tells me so! Perhaps this is the guidance of fate!”

“The guidance of fate, you say…” Arell mused, gazing at the gem, seemingly lost in thought.

Just that morning, Lance had suddenly announced that the gem instructed her to travel and seek out Mimir.

This gem had consistently provided Lance with strange and often illogical directives, such as pranking others or engaging in mischievous acts, making it quite suspicious.

However, because the gem had been a part of Lance since her birth, Arell found herself unable to object too strongly.

“So, do you need anything else?”

“No, Mother, I don’t,” Lance replied, waving a dismissive hand. “Travel is much more exciting with a few unexpected turns! And with my magical abilities, I’m unlikely to encounter any real trouble!”

“Mm…” Arell hummed in response. If this truly was the guidance of fate, then she knew she couldn’t stand in its way.

“Oh, by the way, I heard that our in-law, Aldoran, was attacked last night?” Lance suddenly asked.

“That’s correct. Should we go check on Lady Aldoran?”

“No, no, there’s no need. Since I’m leaving soon, please extend my regards to both Aldoran and Qing Yu, Mother!” Lance flashed a wide smile.

“The gem keeps urging me to move forward quickly!”

“Then do take extra care… The carriage is already prepared downstairs,” Arell advised, secretly resolving to dispatch people to protect Lance from a distance.

“Alright, then I’ll be off!” Lance swiftly used magic to store all her luggage within the gem, waving to Arell. “Remember to give my best to Qing Yu and Aldoran!”

“Yes, have a safe journey.”