Ch.134133. Journey (2)

# 133. Journey (2)

Journey.

Everyone was traveling away from their original homes toward different places.

Some left to see distant family members, some to become stronger, and others to fulfill certain goals.

At the same time as Chris and Eve.

Other people were waiting for the train just like them.

“We’re finally leaving too.”

The person who spoke these words was also embarking on a journey with a purpose.

She was a girl with a plain pair of glasses and a hat, contrasting with her vibrant hair.

The girl spoke to her companion who was carefully examining a guidebook right beside her.

“You don’t need to look at that, you have me.”

“But… why are you dressed like that?”

Reina momentarily admired Rachel’s considerable fashion sense.

Then she wondered about the meaning behind the rather unnatural glasses and hat.

‘It really doesn’t suit her…’

The disharmony was obvious even to Reina, who had no interest in fashion whatsoever.

Of course, there seemed to be a reason behind that fashion choice.

“Well… if I don’t dress like this, everyone will recognize me…”

“Oh… really?”

Certainly, since they were on a train heading to the Orion Kingdom, many people would recognize Rachel, the princess of the Orion Kingdom.

However, that answer didn’t dispel Reina’s doubts.

The reason was…

“But it doesn’t seem very effective.”

Even with the glasses and hat, many people recognized Rachel.

Of course, they weren’t openly approaching her to speak, at most they were just quietly staring at her.

“Eh? Really?”

“Yeah, it seems like everyone recognizes you anyway. But they’re all nice. They don’t come over to bother you.”

“… Is it that obvious?”

Hearing that question, Reina immediately nodded.

It wasn’t just slightly noticeable—it was obvious enough that most people would recognize her.

“Anyone who knows you would recognize you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it might be because of your hair… and actually, that outfit draws more attention.”

It seemed people recognized her because she couldn’t hide her symbolic red eyes and hair.

And ironically, that outfit seemed to attract even more attention from people.

“Should I just take them off?”

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

After that, Rachel, apparently deciding the disguise was meaningless, removed the glasses and hat that had been bothering her so much.

Then, with a more confident expression, she said:

“It definitely feels more comfortable.”

While she had looked somewhat gloomy before, now that she had discarded that outfit, she didn’t anymore.

“Wow… you’re really beautiful.”

As Reina said, Rachel’s beauty, bathed in bright sunlight, was far more stunning than before.

Of course, revealing her appearance also attracted more gazes from others.

“Didn’t you say earlier it was because of that disguise? Somehow it seems even worse now?”

“I wouldn’t know, but what’s wrong with people looking?”

“That’s true.”

Indeed, being already accustomed to others’ gazes, they showed no particular concern about the attention.

Maintaining that confident demeanor, they approached the train that had just arrived.

“It’s here, let’s get on.”

They finally boarded the train, just like the others.

They placed their luggage in the baggage compartment and sat in their assigned seats.

“These seats are nice.”

“Hey, Rachel.”

“Hm? What?”

Rachel held her breath at the sudden call, and Reina asked with quite a serious expression.

“What are we going to do when we get there? We’re not just going for fun, right?”

Instead of immediately giving the correct answer, Rachel posed a question.

And she asked it with the same serious voice as Reina had just used.

“What comes to mind when you think of the Orion Kingdom?”

“The Orion Kingdom?”

There were exactly two images that came to mind regarding the Orion Kingdom.

The fact that it was near the ravine, the nest of S-class monster dragons, and the fact that the Babylon Kingdom was continuously under attack.

Reina thought about these points and answered the question.

“Dragons? War?”

“That’s roughly correct. What we’re going to do is related to those things.”

“Eh? Are we going to hunt dragons or something?”

Although the Orion Kingdom is close to the ravine, dragons don’t frequently appear there.

However, this time was different.

“Something like that.”

“Really!? Like, are we going to charge into the ravine and fight?”

“Not exactly…”

It was true they would be hunting dragons, but not in that manner.

Rachel revealed the truth to Reina, who was making unnecessary speculations.

“It’s not like that, it’s related to the war.”

“The war? But didn’t they say dragons weren’t involved in this war?”

“I thought so too…”

But this time the circumstances were different.

It happened because demon folk were controlling dragons with mind control magic.

However, just to be safe, she couldn’t mention that fact out loud.

“There’s something going on. I’ll tell you later.”

“But is that really true…?”

Reina was still doubting that fact.

Of course, that was normal, and even Rachel, who had directly mentioned it, wasn’t completely certain yet.

“Well… I’m not entirely sure either. It’s what the Imperial Princess told me.”

“The Imperial Princess? Then it must be true. Wow… but does that mean we’re heading to a battlefield now?”

“That’s right.”

Reina, who had been thinking of a peaceful and beautiful journey, couldn’t help but be shocked.

Feeling a great sense of betrayal, Reina spoke with a trembling voice.

“You… you knew and still invited me?”

“You already knew roughly that we wouldn’t just be relaxing comfortably.”

“I only knew that much… but this… this is risking our lives…”

It seemed Reina had thought they would catch two birds with one stone—training and sightseeing.

However, reality was different, and Reina, blocked by the high wall of reality, was considerably shocked.

But Rachel seemed to have already prepared herself.

“You don’t have to do it if you’re scared.”

“No… it’s not that I’m scared…”

“You don’t have to. You can stay at the palace and just enjoy yourself.”

While it might appear to be a sweet temptation on the surface, it wasn’t so inside.

She was saying Reina could rest, but there was a persuasive meaning hidden within—come with me.

“But you’re going…”

“That’s right.”

“Then how can I not go!”

Rachel seemed taken aback by the suddenly raised voice, and Reina looked at her with burning eyes and said:

“I’ll just do it, okay?”

“Good decision.”

“But you… you’re really reckless…”

“You’re no different.”

Indeed, both the persuader and the persuaded were cut from the same cloth.

“If I die because of this recklessness, it’s your fault. Take responsibility.”

“Look at you talking about responsibility. If you die, it means nothing… And who says you’re going to die?”

They spent a long time chatting about various topics, eating, and sleeping.

The two passed the time doing things they could do on the train.

Until they reached their destination after a long, long time.

After a full three days on the magic train—it took that long three-day journey to finally arrive at their destination.

“It really takes a long time…”

“But three days isn’t too bad.”

Thinking such thoughts, they got off the train.

They informed the group chat that they had arrived.

-We’ve arrived!-

Soon after, another chat message appeared.

-So have we.-

-You just arrived?-

-Yeah, just arrived. Like 1 second ago.-

Two groups that had arrived at almost miraculously the same time.

Rachel, curious, typed a message.

-Where did you guys go?-

-Look behind you.-

-?-

The two girls immediately turned around after seeing that message.

They couldn’t help but be surprised at the sight before them.

“What!? Why are you guys here?”

The people who appeared before the two girls were Chris and Eve, the owners of those chat messages and members of the same party.

“It just happened that way.”

“Don’t tell me the Knight Commanders are coming too?”

“That’s why we’re here.”

It seemed that the Knight Commanders Ray and Light had been dispatched here because of the upcoming battle, and thanks to that, Chris and Eve had also come here.

“But why didn’t you tell us? We could have come together.”

“I just found out myself.”

“And he overslept.”

“So I was in a rush, but… we arrived on time anyway.”

Eve sighed deeply and continued.

“I never said I was late.”

“Anyway… so we couldn’t contact you in time.”

“Then you’ll be participating too?”

“That’s right.”

Rachel seemed relieved at that fact.

However, Reina showed a somewhat different reaction.

“In the end, it turned out just as he wanted…”

“He?”

Reina pointed at her phone and said:

“The person who just sent that chat.”

Hearing that, we immediately checked the group chat.

There was one message in the group chat:

-It’s not arrival, but just the beginning. By the way, we’re just starting too.-

***

About three days.

After that long three-day journey, we finally left the Kainis Empire and arrived at that forest.

The Forest of Mia.

It got that nickname because few people who entered that forest ever came out.

We were just about to enter that massive forest.

“Now it begins…”

Just before entering the forest, I recalled the explanation Gloria had given us in the car.

-The moment you enter that forest, you’ll be transported somewhere. Just think of it as a huge dungeon, it’s easier that way.-

There was tension, but it was okay since I had experienced such places several times before.

I spoke to Erin, who seemed quite frightened, unlike me.

“Think of it as a dungeon. You’ve cleared many before, right? This is just another one.”