Chapter 50: Journey to Alastair and a Familiar Melody

By the time Qing Yu stirred awake from his slumber once more, the first light of dawn was already breaking.

He and Aldoran were seated within the jolting carriage, Qing Yu’s head resting comfortably on Aldoran’s lap. With one hand propped against her cheek and the other gently stroking Qing Yu’s hair, Aldoran gazed out the window with an air of mild boredom.

It was unclear what held her attention.

Still lost in a hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, Qing Yu let out a soft murmur as the moonlight, having silently pierced through the window, fell upon his face. He half-opened his eyes, then propped himself up, using Aldoran’s thigh as a steady support.

‘Aldoran?’ Amidst the carriage’s incessant jostling, Qing Yu, acting on some whim, reached out and gently pinched Aldoran’s adorable cheek. ‘Is that really you, Aldoran?’

Aldoran, whose face had just been playfully squeezed by Qing Yu, turned her head and offered him a nod.

‘Awake already? It’s still dark out. Would you like to sleep a little longer?’

Only then did Qing Yu glance out the window.

The world outside was shrouded in profound darkness, utterly devoid of stars; yet, a distinct green silhouette caught his eye.

‘Wait, a green silhouette?’

Qing Yu rubbed his eyes, then focused his gaze. The figure was none other than Roalsa. She rode a horse, clad in a refined swallowtail coat, her red ribbons fluttering dynamically in the wind, presenting an utterly dashing and heroic sight. She galloped alongside Aldoran’s carriage, maintaining a constant parallel position with the window.

Noticing Qing Yu’s gaze, Roalsa turned her head and waved to him.

‘Good evening, Mister Qing Yu. It appears you’ve had a most restful sleep.’

Qing Yu offered a polite reply, then promptly redirected his attention to Aldoran’s face.

‘Aldoran, where exactly are we? And what happened to the fog?’

Qing Yu distinctly recalled that only a short while ago, their group had been battling monsters within a dense mist. How had they suddenly arrived here?

It seemed Qing Yu had truly been lost in the depths of sleep, even forgetting Aldoran’s heroic rescue.

‘Have you forgotten? I already dispersed the mist. We are now en route to Alastair,’ Aldoran replied.

‘The mist… dispersed?’

Qing Yu slapped his forehead, then remembered. Indeed, when he had been isolated and helpless within the fog, it was Aldoran who had saved him, effortlessly defeating the monster and scattering the mist.

However, after that, Qing Yu had succumbed to exhaustion and passed out, remaining utterly oblivious to subsequent events.

Aldoran, naturally discerning Qing Yu’s thoughts, patted his hand, gesturing for him to sit back down. Then, she gently smoothed his dishevelled clothes and recounted the events that transpired after he had lost consciousness.

‘After that mist was dispelled, the town returned to its normal state, and Roalsa and her companions were likewise rescued. Fortunately, their knight order included a mage proficient in healing magic. After I provided some basic first aid to that mage and imbued her with a portion of my own magic, she quickly recovered. I then entrusted her with casting healing spells on the others. It truly is remarkable how effective healing magic proves to be; those who were gravely wounded were restored to a state of minor injury in no time, thanks to its aid. Following that, Miss Roalsa discovered some residents who had not yet been consumed by the monsters, and she extended her healing to them as well.’

Upon hearing Aldoran’s words, Qing Yu instinctively reached out to touch his back and legs. True enough, his wounds had almost entirely scabbed over, and there was not the slightest sensation of pain when he touched them.

‘Healing magic truly is quite useful, isn’t it?’

As she spoke, Aldoran’s hand, whether intentionally or not, gently brushed the gem on Qing Yu’s collar. For a fleeting moment, a faint blue hawk emblem shimmered in her eyes, and Qing Yu’s past flashed rapidly through her pupils.

Finally, Aldoran remarked with a knowing depth, ‘It is a magic well-suited for you.’

‘Magic suited for me?’

Qing Yu gently rubbed his collar, and a sudden sense of reassurance washed over him.

‘While others valiantly fight on the front lines, I could support them from the rear. The feeling of being appreciated by everyone after a battle might not be so bad, after all?’

‘Oh, by the way, Aldoran, how much time has passed since then?’

However, more than healing magic, Qing Yu was now concerned with what had transpired during his unconsciousness and whether he had missed any significant events.

‘In fact, only about ten hours have passed. After Thrud and the others awoke, we rested briefly before setting off again.’

‘Precisely, Mister Qing Yu! Miss Aldoran felt it was crucial to continue our journey, which is why we departed so promptly,’ Roalsa chimed in from outside the window, having overheard Aldoran’s conversation with Qing Yu.

‘Then why is Roalsa here?’ Qing Yu asked Aldoran, glancing curiously at Roalsa.

‘She needs to lead the knight order to Alastair, where a royal information transmission office is located. She must report the details of this incident to the monarchy, allowing them to determine the subsequent course of action. That is why she is travelling with us.’

Qing Yu clutched the window frame and peered outside. Sure enough, a contingent of fully armed knights followed closely behind their carriage.

‘Yep, yep! That’s why Roalsa is coming with us!’ Liliya suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Grasping the window with both hands, she inverted herself outside, flying upside down as she poked her head into the carriage.

‘Liliya! Are you alright? I thought something terrible had happened to you!’ Qing Yu exclaimed, startled. Liliya’s abrupt appearance had genuinely frightened him, causing him to lose his balance and tumble onto the hard wooden floor of the carriage.

‘Why do you make it sound as if you wished me dead? Aldoran, you truly ought to rein in your husband! Such casual curses are hardly endearing!’ Liliya stuck out her tongue at Qing Yu, and before he could retort, she released her grip and soared back into the sky.

‘Aldoran!’ Qing Yu complained to Aldoran, his voice laced with exasperation.

Aldoran said nothing, merely gently pressing Qing Yu’s hand.

‘Aldoran, what exactly shall we do once we arrive in Alastair?’ Seeing that Aldoran offered no immediate reply, Qing Yu suddenly asked with a hint of bashfulness, his eyes shining as he fixed his gaze upon her.

Now that the events in the town had concluded, Qing Yu promptly cast them from his mind, no longer dwelling on them. Instead, his thoughts turned with longing to the prospects of Alastair.

In Aldoran’s estimation, this was indeed one of Qing Yu’s virtues.

‘Of course, I know,’ Aldoran replied with a soft smile, pressing a gentle kiss upon Qing Yu’s forehead.

Qing Yu yearned to undertake a bounty mission in Alastair, and Aldoran had always kept this aspiration close to her heart as a matter of great importance.

As the consort chosen by fate for Aldoran, Qing Yu was entitled to all of Aldoran’s affection.

Fate, after all, could not be defied.

‘Truly, Aldoran?’ Qing Yu was so exhilarated he nearly leapt up. Were it not for the carriage’s low ceiling, he surely would have bounced sky-high.

‘Of course,’ Aldoran affirmed earnestly. ‘You may accept any bounty quest you desire; I shall accompany you.’

‘Ah, what an enviable romance! Like a snow lotus blooming atop the highest peak, so pure and utterly admirable!’ Roalsa could no longer contain herself, and from outside the window, she began to voice her heartfelt sentiments.

‘When will I ever encounter my own true love?’

‘Miss Roalsa! Don’t you already have a fiancé?’ Qing Yu recalled the restaurant landlady in town mentioning that Roalsa was already betrothed.

‘No, I do not,’ Roalsa chuckled, ‘Those are merely misconceptions spread by the townspeople. The ‘fiancé’ they speak of is simply the director of the orphanage I frequently assist.’

‘Eh?!’

‘In truth, I have yet to meet my true love!’ Roalsa laughed, picking up speed. ‘Oh, that’s precisely why I envy Miss Aldoran so much, to have such an adorable wife as you!’

Laughing and exclaiming, Roalsa cracked her whip, and her horse swiftly galloped into the distance.

****

‘They are now ready to depart for Alastair.’ Within the Spire of Heaven, Vidofnir remained sprawled on the windowsill. Ratatoskr had departed, undoubtedly heading to that detestable dragon once more to stir up trouble.

‘Indeed, that is correct,’ the Young Woman replied with a smile, her eyes closed. She sat cradling a somewhat worn pocket harp in a corner of the room, as sunlight streamed through the tall tower, illuminating her face and highlighting her exquisite beauty.

The fragrant scent of flowers wafted gently through the air.

‘Are you not going to assist them?’ Vidofnir tilted his head. He suddenly found himself wishing for Ratatoskr’s swift return; despite its foul mouth, the creature was, after all, a decent source of amusement.

Unlike this deity, who possessed no feminine grace, proving both dull and verbose.

More irksome, even, than the garrulous old men of Midgard.

‘Someone will aid them there. A timid and ineffectual person such as myself can only cheer her on from the sidelines,’ the Young Woman said, plucking the harp strings. The ethereal, clear notes of the instrument resonated through the small room.

Vidofnir cast a sidelong glance at the Young Woman, his eyes reflecting an unreadable blend of emotions.

‘Sorrow? Pity? Anger? Or perhaps all of them combined?’

‘Your artistry has advanced once more.’

Finally, Vidofnir merely turned his gaze back to the dazzling sunlight and spoke in a faint tone.

The Young Woman offered no reply, merely plucking the harp strings once again.

‘You truly are someone who can endure such profound solitude.’

Vidofnir gently closed his eyes as a soft breeze swept through, rustling his hair. ‘Are you truly never lonely?’

‘Never… lonely?’

Throughout countless ages, the Young Woman had long since forgotten the taste of solitude.

‘No, not at all. Because Vidofnir and Ratatoskr are here, I don’t feel lonely in the slightest.’ Finally, the Young Woman smiled, her expression clean and pure, more beautiful even than the cerulean sky above her.

‘What a dull individual,’ Vidofnir murmured, seemingly displeased. He let his hand drop, swinging it idly. As the Young Woman lowered her head, a faint smile touched Vidofnir’s lips, so subtle that even he did not notice it.

‘Did you smile, Vidofnir?’ the Young Woman, her head still bowed, inquired. She resumed plucking her harp strings, weaving a melody from a distant era.

The tune was winding and melodious, imbued with a nostalgic quality that evoked the sensation of standing on an endless prairie, surrounded by flocks of sheep. Elderly shepherds sang cheerful ballads, while soaring eagles gazed down upon children laughing and playing without a care. The azure sky was clear, the grasslands verdant, and a cherry-haired Young Woman laughed and ran beneath a towering tree, as the beauty of summer rippled through the green waves.

‘I did not,’ Vidofnir replied, still smiling faintly, and began to hum, matching the rhythm of the melody…