One Moon, One Moon (3)

Because it’s where Lizardmen live, it’s called Lizard Den.

Lizard Den, the very place where Lizardmen who worship water deities instead of the Celestial Deity have lived for ages.

It was also Yona and Alec’s destination.

“Did you pack everything?”

Just before leaving the mage community, right before exiting the inn.

Yona looked at Alec entering her room with a blank stare.

“…Why?”

“No, baldy, why are you suddenly acting like this?”

“Acting like what?”

“Since when did you start taking care of me like this?”

“Huh.”

Alec couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.

There wasn’t a hint of embarrassment on Yona’s face as she spoke boldly.

Until now, Alec had been taking care of everything for Yona, from her meals to all sorts of things, but since Yona herself didn’t realize it, this is how it turned out.

He wanted to say, “I’ve been taking care of you so much, and you don’t even know that?” but if he did, Yona’s temperament would likely make her vehemently deny it, saying “When did you do that?” and it would just become troublesome.

Indeed, taking care of her so inconspicuously was of no use.

He needed to make it obvious.

So that Yona could know how much he had been taking care of her, that she had been able to survive until now because of Alec.

Alec reaffirmed his determination.

“I’m going to start doing that from now on. Is that okay?”

“Oh my… Alright, I’ve packed everything. Let’s go.”

Yona slung her bag over her shoulder and turned her head to look around the room.

Although they hadn’t stayed for many days, a lot had happened in this room, and it had been quite comfortable to stay in.

Yona took one last look around such a room, patted Alec’s back, and grinned.

When they came down to the first floor, Alevian greeted them.

As always, Yona’s expression hardened as soon as she saw the fairy with that strangely hazy gaze that gave an odd feeling, but that expression didn’t last long.

“Our pretty one, are you leaving now?”

“Yeah. We have to go. If we stay longer, we’ll just end up spending money unnecessarily.”

“I told you I’d give you some when I offered.”

The 120 gold coins that had been scraped from the bottom of Yona’s funds.

After blowing all of that, Yona now had only a handful of silver coins left in her pocket.

Truly, if it weren’t for Alec, Yona would have had to find a job here somehow to earn more money.

That’s why Alevian had offered to give Yona some gold coins.

Of course, Yona had refused.

“It’s fine. I have Alec.”

Yona answered in an indifferent tone while glancing up at Alec.

Alec nodded with a slight smile at that look which seemed to ask, “Right? Am I correct?”

“The baldy has basically employed our pretty one.”

“Hey now, employed? We’re companions, companions.”

“What kind of companions share money? If you’re going to use someone else’s money, that’s an employment relationship.”

“Uh…”

Yona couldn’t respond for a moment to Alevian’s words.

Thinking about it, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk about. I’ll contact Ceres, so stop by on your way back from Lizard Den. By then, we might have a response from Ceres.”

“We’ll do that. Yona, let’s hurry. If we’re any later, we’ll have to camp not far from here.”

Alec interrupted, cutting off Alevian’s words.

As if they really needed to hurry, Alec was holding Yona’s wrist.

“Huh? Oh, okay. Let’s go. Alevian, we’ll be going then. See you later.”

“Alright. Take care.”

Alevian waved, and Yona waved back.

Alec did too, but he only waved briefly before hurriedly moving his feet, firmly holding Yona’s wrist as if they really needed to rush.

*

It was impossible to know what kind of magical processing had been done, but as soon as they turned the corner from the entrance, the mage community once again looked like an ordinary village.

When they completely left and looked back, the huge and tall tower was nowhere to be seen, and they were back in a simple village with just a few two-story buildings.

“It’s really amazing.”

“That’s why it’s magic. Let’s hurry.”

“Hey, hey, why are you in such a rush? My arm’s going to fall off.”

Even so, Yona didn’t shake off Alec, who was now holding her hand—not just her wrist.

It felt like it had happened naturally, somehow.

Yona stared down at Alec’s hand holding hers.

Holding hands should be fine, right?

Honestly, isn’t holding hands really nothing at all?

She had let him fondle her breasts, so compared to that, holding hands is—

Breasts.

That thought made her feel a tickling sensation rising from somewhere in her stomach again.

A feeling like heat was blooming.

“…What are you grinning about?”

“Nothing.”

Alec smiled, showing his teeth.

Yona glared at Alec with a displeased expression before snorting and pouting her lips.

“Let’s just hurry up and go. You said we shouldn’t be late, didn’t you?”

“Right, let’s go.”

The distance to Lizard Den was definitely not close.

It was at least farther than the distance from the Infula Church territory to the mage community, so there was a need to hurry.

“If we walk… wow, this will take over five days.”

Yona spread out the map and measured the distance with her finger.

From the Infula Church territory to the mage community, and then from the mage community to Lizard Den.

Seeing that it’s an even longer distance, they’ll have to walk hard this time too.

“We’ll get there eventually if we keep walking. There are villages in between, so we can rest there. We have plenty of time now anyway.”

“What are you saying? Hey, I need to erase all these tattoos quickly. After hearing that it failed because of the tattoos, what are you talking about?”

Alec smiled at Yona, who was glaring at him with wide eyes.

Of course he knows.

How could he not know that?

But Alec knew a truth that he couldn’t bring himself to tell Yona.

That time was on his side.

Even if Yona didn’t know that, it was a fact that only Alec knew.

*

The road to Lizard Den wasn’t very complicated.

If you keep walking along the shore of Lake Cantasia, you’ll come to a small village called Cantatien, and after passing through Cantatien, you’ll reach it.

“But we shouldn’t go straight to Lizard Den marked on the map.”

While walking along the path by the lakeshore, Yona spoke to Alec who was walking ahead.

She remembered.

Kaiyak had clearly said that his tribe was near the North Cantasia River, and looking at the map, Lizard Den was on the South Cantasia River, so there would probably be a difference.

“It’s still better to go to Lizard Den.”

“Why?”

Alec had a different opinion.

Even though Kaiyak had said that, Alec thought it was better to go to Lizard Den, which conflicted with Yona’s opinion.

“Lake Cantasia is this big, so how small could the North Cantasia River be? What if we go there and can’t find it? Even though he said it was Kaiyak’s tribe, we don’t know how big it is. It would be a big problem if we went blindly and couldn’t find it, right?”

“Hmm… I guess that’s true?”

“It’s better to go to Lizard Den and say we came looking for Kaiyak. Kaiyak said they wouldn’t mistreat us if we mentioned his name, right?”

“That’s true.”

Yona nodded while tearing off a piece of jerky she was holding.

Alec’s words did make sense.

Since it’s named Lizard Den, many Lizardmen must be living there, so if we go there and say we’re looking for Kaiyak, they might guide us.

It might be better than blindly searching around the unfamiliar North Cantasia River.

Lake Cantasia, which she suddenly looked back at, was beautiful.

Lake Cantasia, so vast that it was hard to take in at a single glance despite being a lake,

It’s large enough to embrace villages like Cantatien, the mage community, Nordmunt, and Finple around the lake.

The water was piercingly blue, and so deep that you couldn’t see the bottom, making it seem like a sea at first glance, it was such a huge lake.

The water’s surface constantly sparkled in the sunlight that had just started to move westward.

The sunlight, starting to take on a hint of sunset color, embroidered the water’s surface with a light as fine as silk, and the fish that occasionally jumped up sometimes became good meals for water birds.

The unnamed grasses that densely filled the lakeshore swayed like waves with every gust of wind, despite their tall stalks that reached up to the waist.

The place where the wind rushes.

The place where wind and lake meet and blend.

A lake so beautiful it seemed to touch the sky.

Yona and Alec were walking along that lakeshore.

Even as she walked, Yona kept looking around at Lake Cantasia.

Wouldn’t it have been nice if they had come for sightseeing?

Not like this, always risking their lives, but what if they had a leisurely life where they could really travel around here and there, enjoying the scenery?

‘What would it have been like? It would have been nice.’

That’s what impossible imaginations are like.

The emotion of wanting to enjoy through imagination because you know it can’t be real.

That’s why it’s fleeting.

“It would be nice if we could come here together next time for fun.”

Yona was startled by those words.

She hadn’t thought about “together”— but since Alec said something similar, she couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Why are you so surprised?”

To Alec, who was peering at her face, Yona shook her head as if it was nothing.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

The road was smooth and also quiet.

*

You really did it spectacularly.

“Yes. Because I have no intention of letting things go your way.”

Alevian was glaring at Ceres, the silver-haired beauty smirking beyond the crystal ball.

Whether she knew Alevian’s feelings or not, Ceres didn’t stop her sneering expression.

Did you think I wouldn’t know your plan? Anyway, you’re still the same as ever, not thinking deeply.

“That’s my line, Ceres. I already know your plan too. I know that Berbaria has taken root. Although some modifications might be necessary, Yona will eventually go according to my will.”

Is that so? That remains to be seen, doesn’t it? Whether your plan will work out, or my plan will. No one knows that. Besides, won’t that beastkin nation start moving soon too?

“…It’s none of my business.”

It’s not that it’s none of your business, but rather that you can’t respond even if you know about it, right?

Alevian suppressed the urge to throw the crystal ball.

There’s nothing good about antagonizing Ceres right now.

She didn’t know Ceres had spread such an intricate web.

Although she doesn’t know how Yona ended up doing such a thing, now that the milk is spilled, there’s no choice but to proceed with modifying the plan somehow.

Do what you can. I don’t know how much you can interfere, but I won’t just sit back and watch either. Rather, Yona will end up relying on me more. No, I think she’s already relying on me more. Don’t you think?

Alevian couldn’t say it wasn’t true.

If only she wasn’t bound here, she could have done something, but it’s also true that even she has no other answer when the situation isn’t favorable.

“…Should I send Yona, or would it be better if you come?”

Well, I’m busy because of Semec too. It would be difficult for me to go directly, so why don’t we meet in Infula? It would be nice to see your face after a long time too.

“Alright. Let’s do that then.”

Okay. I’ll head to Infula soon too. Then, see you later.

Alevian clenched her fist tightly.

As a result, the star-shaped magic circle spinning on her palm shattered with a crash, and at the same time, the image of Ceres floating in the crystal ball flickered out.

“…Damn that bitch.”

Alevian cursed under her breath.

It was a rare occurrence.