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We both rubbed our full stomachs and sipped our tea.

“It’s still pretty warm, considering we’re in the snow.”

“It is thanks to these clothes…and this jade wind dragon cape.”

“I haven’t heard that one in a minute.”

I chuckled at her smug expression. It had been a while since it was just the two of us camping out like this. And it was very comforting.

Now, we just had to sleep. The barrier tools were doing their job and Presence Detection told me that there were no monsters in the area. It really was true that the icesnow phase meant that monsters were less active. It made traveling easier. Well, if you ignored the snow. I guess it depended on what bothered you more. As for me, I preferred the cold to the heat, so it wasn’t so bad.

“I’ll take the first watch then. It’s been a while, after all.”

“No, I will do it. You can rest, Asagi.”

“Thanks.”

“It is nothing.”

I decided to take her up on the offer. Hmm. I suddenly felt very sleepy. If I let this chance go, the drowsiness would probably escape me for the rest of the night. It would be best to go straight to bed.

“Alright, wake me up when you get tired…good night.”

“Aye, good night, Asagi.”

I waved at Daniela, who was poking the firewood with a stick. And then I entered the tent. There was a thick blanket on the ground that I fell onto and then I tightened my winter clothes around me. Somehow, it felt as if we hadn’t left the empire yet.

I still felt warm and cozy… Hmm… I was too tired to think about that now. And there was no need to, anyway.

“I have no idea what I’m talking about…I’m so tired…”

I mumbled to myself as I closed my eyelids and fell asleep.

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I slept a lot more soundly than I had been expecting. And so it was with bleary eyes that I got out of bed after Daniela woke me, and I started my watch.

“It’s so quiet that it’s disturbing.”

Not even the wind made a sound. There was something about it that was horribly eerie. Still, I suppose it was also a sign of peace. Once we reached the forest, we would probably hear the cries of strange birds and the roars of wild animals.

I looked up dazedly at the night sky. The sky was so dense with stars that I could never do anything but sigh when I gazed at them. It was so beautiful and unreal, that I doubted there was any place on earth that allowed you to see the stars in such a way.

And in the midst of the stars, were the three moons that gently shone down. It was so different from the sunlight. They were soft and mysterious as they created blue shadows over the snow. Only the light of the fire could overwrite those shadows.

“This is at least number two on my list of sights I wish I could see with Daniela…”

Number one was a sunset… Sunsets were my favorite. Once we reached the west island, I hoped we could sit together and watch as the sun descended into the sea.

The next morning, Daniela came out of the tent without oversleeping, and I quickly revived her with some breakfast. When we were ready, I activated Legs of the God Wolf and we continued on our way to Yukka. We took several breaks as we went, so it wasn’t hard, but it did take some time. It was near sundown when we arrived in Yukka.

“I think it took us about four days to travel to the imperial capital from Yukka… And yet it only took us a day and a half to return. Your skill really is useful, Asagi.”

“Well, I got it from Rachel.”

“Still.”

We managed to slide in through the east gates just before they were closed. We then moved through the town, just as people were preparing for dinner. It did not take us long to find a certain light green building. It was the inn we had stayed at last time. It had been on the expensive side, but we were able to afford it. Besides, it was only for one night.

We entered the inn, side by side. Last time, I had been horribly dirty and was nearly thrown out. However, Daniela would have none of that, and then related a number of embarrassing stories about me in order to somehow prove that I was a ‘famous Adventurer.’ It was the worst.

“So, will things go smoothly this time?”

“Don’t you dare share any stories about me like you did before.”

“Well, that depends on how they greet us.”

She looked like she had every intention of revealing things. Damn it…

As we walked to the counter, the clerk noticed us and flashed a smile. But, what kind of smile was it?

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