Chapter 32 - Our Return

"Alisha, is that you?" I asked as plenty of information appeared in my mind with one of them being the most important.

The information that was the most important among them was a passive skill that was called Active Illness Cure which is a passive skill that will not allow a specific person to acquire any illness such as blindness.

So, this is what she said, wait who was she?!

"Are you okay, Althea?" Alisha asks as she hugged me tightly before Iris and the mysterious man arrived.

"Mmm, I am okay." I said as Iris and the mysterious man smiled.

"Excuse me, but thank you for saving us!" I said as I stood up and bowed down to the mysterious man who I suspect was the one who brought all those magical equipment while also teaching Iris.

"It's no problem, I am more thankful for making sure my niece wasn't that much injured from that Operami." The man said.

Wait, did he just say, niece?

"Ah–I forgot to introduce myself, I am Stanium Alverost, head of the King's Knights." He said as he elegantly bowed down.

No, wait a minute here, shouldn't the head of the King's Knight be watching over the King?!

"Well, my uncle was in town because of an order by the king, father apparently also took the opportunity to ask him to catch up to us as he felt something was about to go so wrong." Iris explained which made sense to me, if a Guild Master couldn't sense danger then he shouldn't be qualified to be one.

"Is that so, what about the mecha?" I asked as I looked around.

"Well, that mecha or rather, Operami was the toughest enemy I fought in awhile, I would have lost if it wasn't swallowed by some kind of golden light." He said.

A golden light, that is weird, what could possibly swallow something as strong as that mecha, I thought as I nodded.

"Althea won't look at me, hmph." Alisha who was beside me suddenly pouted, oh wait I forgot about her!

"Fine, I know I am not important in Althea's heart." She said as she pouted, wait isn't she more direct this time?

"Is it just me or Alisha has changed all of a sudden?" I asked before Iris nodded in surprise.

"I did not change at all!" Alisha said as her hands formed an X, strange.

"Oh well, how about we get out of this ruin for now since I have a feeling it will collapse." Iris' uncle said before the whole place shook violently.

"Let's go!" He said before running to the other side which had some kind of portal before disappearing.

We soon followed and dived inside the portal before suddenly arriving outside of the ruin which was now full of cracks.

A second later, as we stood up, the ruin fell apart as he said.

"Iris, can you take out your carriage, I left mine at the castle." Iris' uncle asked before Iris nodded and took out the storage crystal and crushed it into pieces before sprinkling it on the ground as a larger carriage appeared, it was even more luxurious than the one we rode on the way here.

"It's the Hanabi Carriage huh, I haven't seen this one in a while." He said as he entered the carriage from the back.

We soon followed with Alisha hugging me more directly than before, I really feel like something within her changed, it feels like her aura was even more calming and how do I say this, lovable.

"Well, what are your plans once we arrive in the town?" Iris' uncle asked before Alisha who would usually be quiet, rose her hand.

"Dates with Althea!" She said which surprised me and Iris as she would never say something like this.

Suddenly, I remembered about the mysterious woman that I can't seem to remember the face and names, the only thing I could remember was about the seals and the grimoire talk but the other stuff especially her words at the end is not something I can remember for some reason.

"Does she have anything to do with this change?" I muttered while smiling, this change within Alisha is pretty much what I wanted, I wanted a happy and cheerful Alisha who was more open than the previously quiet and closed personality of her.

"Is something wrong, Althea?" Alisha asks as she poked my cheeks, well Alisha will always be Alisha anyways.

"Nothing is wrong, I was just thinking about where we could go." I said as I smiled at her.

"I have plenty of plans, don't worry!" She said with excitement as she smiled brightly while tightly hugging my shoulders.

 "Okay, okay, how about we have dinner for now!" Iris said as she took out a table with several cups, plates, and something that looks like a thermos.

"What is for dinner, my little niece?" Iris' uncle asked before Iris took out five cans and opened them with a smug.

"It is the very expensive canned tuna!" Iris said as her uncle showed a surprised face.

Wait a minute here, I thought this place was near as advanced as my previous world?! Why is canned tuna more expensive here?!

"I haven't had this for a long time, all that stupid castle had was some steak every time!" Iris' uncle said as he took out rice from a container that Iris took out and started eating.

"Thanks for the meal." Alisha suddenly said which surprised me as she started eating in an elegant manner compared to her messy eating back then, what is this change, it is almost like someone took over her body but the feel is still Alisha though.

I shook my head before I did the same and ate the dish, soon after we finished eating, all of us had short talks with Alisha suddenly openly talking about talks about me like the meeting in the forest and etc before falling asleep as the carriage kept moving.