Chapter 8
The mere thought of Edgar looking at me with a gaze filled with animosity filled me with dread, like a lost child lost its path. The idea of being hated by someone who had been a part of my world from the moment my memories existed was unbearable to even imagine.
No, I must do something.
‘But how?’
Originally, I had relied on Edgar’s physical strength and hoped that the potion’s effects would naturally wear off over time, but I couldn’t just stand by any longer.
‘I need help.’
Typically, Edgar would have been the first person I turned to in such situations. Objectively speaking, he was an extraordinary wizard. Although I had never met another wizard, my own training under him made this clear. Manipulating complex high-level magical formulas as if they were natural to his being was no small feat.
However, Edgar, under the influence of the potion, was not in a position to help. I needed another ally, someone with adequate abilities and inclined to assist us.
I racked my brain over my limited social connections but could only think of the lady from the bakery I frequently visited at the market, who would often give me an extra cream puff, reminded of her daughter working in the capital.
While her baking skills were unparalleled, they wouldn’t be of much use in this situation.
Then someone flashed in my mind.
‘The Wizard of the Mistwood Forest.’
I had never met them, didn’t even know their gender or what they looked like, but they occasionally corresponded with Edgar. This wizard was highly skilled in magic, so much so that even Edgar, whose standards were exceptionally high, had mentioned that their skills are good.
Such a figure could potentially help us. It seemed a glimmer of a solution to our current situation was beginning to emerge.
However, Mistwood Forest was located on the western fringes of the continent, and from north to west, it was as far as one end of the continent to the other, making communication difficult due to the distance.
My esteemed teacher, Edgar, had been able to visit the Mistwood Forest using movement magic as easily as hopping over a neighbor’s fence, thanks to his powerful magic suitable for such long-distance travel.
But if someone like me tried, I’d probably not make it in one piece.
After a sleepless night filled with worry, I finally made up my mind.
‘If all else fails, I’ll just have to walk there.’
It seemed wiser to use ordinary means of transportation rather than recklessly attempt magic I was not skilled at.
“Did you sleep well, Chloe?”
Edgar, his eyelashes glistening more golden in the morning sunlight, smiled at me.
“You’re still as cute as ever. Do you know how happy and joyful it makes me feel every morning when I can see you right after I wake up?”
“Enough, get up and give me some space.”
“Let’s stay in bed a little longer.”
I pushed Edgar away as he tried to kiss my cheek and got up from the sofa. There was much to do.
His long limbs flailed like parchment in the wind as I left him behind and started moving busily around.
“This should be enough.”
Edgar usually kept a stash of coins and jewels in an old drawer, handing me a few whenever I went to the market. A long journey like this would definitely require substantial funds. I filled my pouch with gold coins, secured it tightly, and tucked it into a lined inner sleeve.
With travel funds secured, next was organizing the cabin.
Although I had frequently visited nearby villages, I had never left the cabin unattended for an extended period of time.
What if a band of monsters coordinated an attack on the cabin while we were gone? What if thieves made their way up the secluded valley and stole the precious potion ingredients or the money from the drawers?
As a precaution, I set traps and infused the golem with a large amount of magical power, but I still felt uneasy.
However, there’s no end to worrying. Seeing the golem raise its hand as if to say to trust in it and wished me a safe journey calmed me somewhat.
“Take care of things, golem.”
Of course, I also had to recreate the love potion that Edgar had impulsively drank. Fortunately, the client who commissioned it had given me a generous deadline, so I wasn’t pressured by time.
However, there was no room to relax.
“Chloe, aren’t you going to take my c-m in your mouth today?”
Edgar’s unimproved condition showed that there was no time to relax a bit.
As I prepared to leave the cabin, carrying my teacher who clung to me as stubborn as a tortoise’s shell, I took one last look around our home of the past decade.
The space, infused with memories of my time with Edgar, made me unexpectedly sentimental.
“Are we going on a honeymoon before getting married? I like that idea.”
His endless chatter left no room for quiet sentimentalities. I sighed, bracing myself to manage the karma I was stuck with.
“Would you please be quiet.”
It was the beginning of a long journey.
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.