Chapter: 14 Departure

[Author’s wishes] – I'm free, now that I have time I can get back and write to my heart’s content. Sorry for the delay and excuses, I hope to work with you all.

 

Kris and Tina are preparing their luggage for the excursion they will be riding through to NEir. A city of golems and is flourishing of outstanding talents, a place where they will be attending.

The Academy, a place where they will be taking school and the place where they will learn more of the mysteries of the world.

But even so, we will be leaving Mama behind alone. This journey will take at least 5 days until arrival to our destination so leaving now before the opening would be of great choice.

But even so, Vivi is hugging us too tightly, as we were going to like vanish or something. I can’t breathe! No, wait... Instead of I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe from happiness!

 She hugged us tightly, hindering our movements.

Well, events like these are of common as it is, there is one time that when we hunted that boar down Vivi got scarred and panicked thinking that we were scared or the like. Like hell, I’ll get scared, although I did get a bit scared while fighting the boar though.

Mmm... Never mind. 

Since the other two are still packing their things, I change clothes as soon as possible with minimal effort. Wearing a slightly longer skirt and a sleeveless shirt, inside my skirt I wore some short pants so that at least when I move no one will see.

I also fix my messy hair by combing it and trying different styles, finishing it off with a cute braid between both on top my ears and tying both of it at the back of my head. Of course, I do this too with my other body. It’s just like me sitting, while I can see what I’m doing on top of my head. What a weird sight, but this will be normal from now on so I can’t do anything about it.

Then I clip the hairpin that Vivi gave to Kris and Me at both different sides.

Then we left outside the house and waited for the other two to finish their preparations. After a while, Vivi came out wide a ponytail and a happy expression, swirling around her light gray skirt in the length of her knees and her cute dress with frills moves alongside her movements too. 

Albert also, just a normie with leather armor and a long sword. Nothing special of the sorts. Is this clothing style is what you would call an adventurer? I haven’t seen one except for my father so I don’t know.

After preparing for the things we need, we left as soon as possible and said our goodbyes from the village. Just us 3, or more like us 4 including my other body are walking through the gravel pathway.  

We walk until sunrise to Sunset, camping at a nearby river. We rested first and done our things after that. Albert goes away, and I, Tina, follow him too. He arrives at an open field surrounded by trees, and then he unsheathes his long sword and swings harshly.

I then sit at a nearby rock formation and rest.

“Hey Kris, what do you think? I'm new to being accustomed to using swords but do you think my current style suits me? “

While he performs several slashes and footwork that mentor Karu thought Albert. He deliberately readies a stance for stabbing with a follow up for evading an attack once it fails.

This style was thought by mentor Karu to Albert, so I don’t know if it suits him or not. Just like him, I am also new to being a swordsman. Exclude the skills I cheatingly acquired, in total, I am also a newbie at this.

Well, that’s done so there's nothing; in particular, I could do about it.

“Hmmm... I am also new to this Albert so don’t ask me of the impossible”

“Even though you brought down a boar which Apple sister fainted from? Yeah I guess so”

“…”

Hey! What was that? Are you retorting to me? This Albert! Since when did he learn to do this huh?  …

“Well, isn’t it fine? If it feels right then suits you right? “

“I don’t think so, I'm not loyal to the style which she teaches so I don’t know, unlike someone like you who is loyal to the swordsmanship style Karu teacher thought, I find that Vexing “

“Is that a retort?”

“Not really, it's just that I admire someone like you who is good at handling the sword even though you just learned it in 2 months”

“…”

“Mah, forget it. So back to my question, am I making progress?”

“Yes”

Is what I could only say as he seriously swings his sword.

“Fufufufu”

“What is it? Tina? “

“Nothing, it’s just that this is the first time I saw you being serious before you were taught by Mentor”

“Is that so? Hahaha “

“Hahaha”

“Do you want to train with me? “

“With pleasure”

I too, unsheathe my thin sword. It’s a double-edged sword, and it’s nothing really special, just your average iron sword.

Albert looked at his long sword that was given by Mentor Karu. This is what you call a Bastard Sword; its thickness is by no means, big.

He brandishes the heavy looking sword from the scabbard and swings it, and as I just stay and look at his heavy swings. Gazing over the horizon, staring at the new sight outside that of our village while swinging my sword.

This world of fantasy.

 

 

“Kris ~ can you help me? “

“On what? Vivi?”

“Mom taught me how to cook, so I would like to cook our dinner, but before that! I need my trusty assistant! “

“Yes-yes, I’ll help out. You wouldn’t like to starve anyways and the others are also hungry”

“Hm! Hm! Can you please prepare the fire, please? “

“Ok ok “

Vivi prepares the ingredients and I prepare the utensils needed to cook. I prepare dried sticks of wood that was just scattered around the area we decided to stay and built a bonfire with the wood in it, I lit it with fire magic and I surround it with stones to avoid excess heat radiation.

I also set up the portable tent that was prepared beforehand and I secure the base with hardening magic.  Wrapping it up with two tents, one for females and another for Albert.

Sorry, Albert, I want to sleep with My Vivi.

“Ah sorry, Kris is the fire ready? “

“Yes, I lit up with magic and the fire seems stable too. “

“Thanks, Kris! “

“It’s ok, we're friends after all so this much I could do “

“Muu! I want to hug you! “

No no, I want to hug you. Seriously this Vivi... Ah. Albert is coming back.

Even though what he only did was swing that heavy sword after the other without end. Just how much motivation do you have in that body of yours?

Mysterious... It seems my logic from my world doesn’t apply in this world after all. Forget it, it’s been a long time since I got reincarnated and my memories from my past life are getting hazy at the point that I’m starting to forget important things.

…. Never mind, let’s just talk about the future, not the past.

“Vivi it seems the other two are coming back”

“Hmm? Are they done training? “ 

“Seems so “ 

What he only did was complaining and swings that sword. Is this what you call a muscle brain? Guess so.

Well, I’ve got to hide my circumstances of having two bodies so the memories of being with Albert should only stay with Tina. If I absurdly bring out a conversation that was mentioned by the other body to me, the chances of them learning my secret would only bring troubles so I would to stay secretive.

-----

But unknown to KrisTina, they would never even believe such things as the deep friendship developed is within them.  But even so, the secret would only remain as a mystery to her. 

-----

After waiting for their arrival we prepare our dinner for the first day of the venture. We ate the food cooked by Vivi, which was incredibly good and tasty and talked about what the other two did which I already know because I'm both.  

The food prepared by Vivi is kind of like a broth, it’s just a simple soup with simple and minimal preparations.  

After that we slept inside the tent I prepared with us three, me and Vivi in one tent, while Albert is all alone in his ten, Of course with the fire outside still burning and active to ward off monsters.

Sorry, Albert, priorities come first! Now let me hug Vivi!

And just like this, the first night ended.

 

Early in the morning which the sun wouldn’t show up, around 5 am. I And Kris moves out of the tent and surveys the surroundings. First I looked at Albert’s tent, where he was nowhere to be found.

Next, I cast my Original magic to search the vicinities, and there I found Albert, just at the edges of my Barrier. Training and seemingly swinging his heavy sword in the air.

I walk there silently and observe him from the bushes hiding from his view until it was time to go back. I leave earlier than him to not cause suspicion.

With Kris’s body, I fix the things we need for the journey and arrange myself at that point. With Albert away, I also fix the Tent he was sleeping at and our tent. Also, Vivi woke up when I opened the cover and shone over the sunlight into her, after that, I encourage Vivi to also help me fix our things and prepare to depart again.

Thus the next day has begun. 

 

We sprinted through the gravel road, passing through several carriages as we neglect them and continue sprinting while counting this as training. These trustworthy comrades of mine, they are evenly matching the speed that is of running speed easily.

But well, we also stop midway to rest and take a break.  Vivi was out of breath at that time so we had to stop in a nearby tree then rest the out of breath Vivi there until she regains her stamina back and then we sprint again.

We arrived at a town that is near our destination so we took a detour and arrived there instead of the usual gravel path. We stepped on the stone-paved road instead, inside of the lively city.

After that, we travel and sightsee then eat some food while restocking our supply. 

At this moment, my Ability to store things in another space is really helpful.  So then after that, we left at noon. 

Our main destination, NEir.

….

…

.

 

The fourth day

Tomorrow we will arrive at NEir and take the exam there. Thus we prepare early and sleep early. 

“Hey Kris, aren’t you afraid that maybe we won’t pass the exam? “

“Mm... not really... as long as I have Vivi I'm fine whenever you are! “

While I do a thumbs up stances to cheer up Vivi.

“Really? Then let's sleep together okay? “

“Ok”
“how about me? “

“Yes, Tina is fine too”

I ask confirmation with Tina, and then it's settled then. This night I will hug Vivi to my fullest and recover my energy while at it! 

“Goodnight “

“Goodnight”
“Goodnight”

-----

At a night, without them knowing.

The sounds of the nearby surroundings waver. This one time, Albert awoke in the middle of the night without waking up the three.

He collects his sword and wears his equipment as he slowly peeks outside the tent. A pool of shadow is seen, there was no monster or any person, but there is a shadow of a beast and the ground is covered in darkness.

Knowing this, he silently stepped outside the tent where he was resting and brandishes his long sword. 

Unlike, Tina, Albert his self-taught techniques that he often sees when he goes with his grandfather to hunt food. He can exert forces unimaginable that of his body, even so, under normal circumstances exerting such strength at long periods gravely affects his body.

Unsheathing his sword, he walks past the shadow that is currently being cast and points the sword at the front of the tree. A monster, undefined body shape, and a dark aura are what define most monsters.

Luckily for him, he had been training to swing his sword in these past few months and so he wants to test out his hard work at least once. His technique and power, his will to get stronger burns.

“A Shadow type huh. I haven’t seen grandfather defeat these kinds before so this will be a new experience for me “

“Grrrnggg”

“Nasty, suddenly sneaking at the back of the girls. Indecent, but oh well. I, Albert, Aspiring to be a knight shall be your opponent for this night “

The Shadow jumps from the tree and appears behind Albert, which is within the shadow of the monster. Albert anticipated this and countered the Shadow’s attack, knowing this Albert felt happy that his hard work had born fruit.

The Shadow monster attacks Albert within the monster’s domain, in essence, the monster’s dark pool of darkness. Albert’s movements are restricted and he is slowly being pulled by the Darkness below his feet. 

But even so, his skill with the sword is not much and that you would call a newbie or a rookie, but for him, this much is as expected. He aspires to be a knight, a knight that will protect everyone.

His family, his hometown, even His friends and everything. That’s why this moment is a way to test his abilities.

He doesn’t need to rely on Tina, who by far, knows more and skillful in the swords, so that’s why he needs to get powerful. 

“You’re also good at surprising and at moving between my weak spots huh, troublesome “

Albert then swings the sword at the ground, stabbing the shadow beneath him. The pool of darkness disappears and a shiny stone was left beside the corpse of the monster.

“Even so, I'm still weak.”

He whispers this onto himself while looking at the corpse of the monster that is fading little by little.

The monsters of this world, when defeated, they disappear like in games and leaves things like rewards or materials. But even so, the common thing they drop is a kind of shining stone, or to be precise, is what you would call their Magic Core.

He picks up the said core and sheathes his sword back at the scabbard while feeling the accomplishment and pride. He then removes his equipment and slept as it is inside of his tent.

Unknown to KrisTina.

----

That night, under the two beautiful full moons, on top of the highest of the heights. 

A figure inside of a vague temple laughed.  The voice an Adult woman reverberates inside of the room.

Bringing in a cup of wine into her mouth she smiles. Her red lips sip the cup as if nothing and her red eyes shine in the deep night.

“This is interesting “

As she said, and then she disappeared. 

Both the body of KrisTina awoke at the same time while feeling something cold as their spines shiver out of fear.

“Nightmare? No no... Let’s just sleep “

She then drank the water at the water pouch nearby them, while swiping her sweat as they slept once more.