Chapter 28

It was the third month of the earth, the fifth week, a day of the sun.

Around the end of March in the original world.

The day for Mika to set off for the magic academy had finally arrived.

The paper given to her stated that she should lodge at the academy in the marquess's territory by the end of the week.

Despite it being early morning, just after sunrise, many villagers had gathered at the north gate to see her off.

Most of the send-offs were from the vigilante group members, people with whom Mika had interacted a lot during the fall and winter, doing tasks like logging and other work.

"Mika, do your best. If it gets too tough, you can always come back, you know."

"No, that's not okay..."

Unable to help but interject, Mika responded to Loretta's words, which, as always, were too lenient towards her.

Since the harvest festival, Mika had her own bed, but for the past few days, she had been forbidden to sleep alone again.

Perhaps unable to bear the thought of soon parting, Loretta had unusually started being selfish, insisting that Mika should sleep with her every night.

Of course, Amalia couldn't let such a thing go, and retorted that it was unfair to Loretta alone, insisting that Mika should also sleep with her.

Thus, for the past few days, Mika had been sleeping in the bed shared by the two of them, just as before.

Of course, Mika had no intention of accepting such demands.

However, as the day of departure drew near, seeing the two of them gradually lose their spirits day by day made her feel uneasy.

(......Are these two really going to be okay?)

Mika wondered if they would collapse once she left the house.

Reluctantly, she decided to fulfill their last wish, thinking it was the last time.

Amalia seemed to be calm now.

She watched Mika, who was energetically responding to the vigilante group members, with a proud look, perhaps thinking of her grown child.

"Ninetyana, please take care of Mika."

"Don't worry so much. I'll make sure to deliver her safely."

Amalia bowed to Ninetyana.

Ninetyana was to accompany Mika to the magic academy in the marquess's territory.

Ninetyana wore a leather breastplate and gauntlets, along with a leather belt and boots.

Usually, she dressed like the other villagers, so this must be her travel outfit.

It would take three days to travel from Cotontesse to the capital of the marquess's territory, Sabendiel.

Sending a child on a three-day journey alone by shared carriage was not realistic.

Thus, it was decided that an escort was necessary.

However, most of the villagers had never left Rish village.

Even the men were like this.

While some had been to Cotontesse, almost no one had gone beyond that.

The adventurers Diego and Ninetyana, the church-related Kifrodo and Rady, and the non-Rish village natives Horatio and a few others were the exceptions.

Surprisingly, even the village chief had only been to Cotontesse.

After much discussion, they decided to ask Ninetyana.

Since Diego's parents lived in Rish village, they would take care of Dure.

Ninetyana's fellow parents in child-rearing assured her that "a week or so should be fine," and the matter was settled.

Diego, who had been reluctant until the end, was defeated by Ninetyana's cold gaze, "Hmm, is that so?"

Incidentally, the travel expenses to Sabendiel were a collection from the villagers.

Horatio took the lead, asking everyone, "Even a single copper coin would help."

"Everyone, good morning. I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

Horatio arrived on a cart, coming from the factory.

Horatio was to take Mika to Cotontesse by cart.

While it was not a distance that couldn't be walked, considering the long journey ahead, it was better to conserve energy.

Thus, Horatio offered to take Mika to Cotontesse.

Mika's luggage was a single long bag packed with clothes.

Mika greeted and thanked Horatio, then threw the bag onto the cart.

Since the cart was high, Mika had to throw it, but Kifrodo scolded her for it.

"Really, can't you be a bit more composed? From now on, people who don't know you will be watching your every move. Being seen as rude will get you nowhere."

"Ugh... I understand."

During the winter, Mika had been left in the care of the church during the day.

When there were no village tasks, she was rigorously taught by Kifrodo and Rady.

This included manners and etiquette.

Thanks to this, Mika's understanding of the world improved.

...To some extent, at least.

After six months of daily visits, Kifrodo had become a strict grandfather figure.

Rady, on the other hand, was more like a kind older cousin.

Considering her age, "aunt" might be more appropriate, but since she looked young, the term "aunt" felt awkward.

Over these six months, Rady's "smiling mother" image had firmly taken root in Mika's mind, but the angry expression from that time still haunted her.

Rady was at the top of Mika's "people who must never be angered" list.

"Let's pray for the safety of your journey. And for Mika's healthy growth, I will pray every day. Stay strong, Mika."

"Thank you, Sister Rady. Please take care of yourself, Sister."

Mika greeted and said goodbye to everyone who had come to see her off.

"Village chief, Diego, thank you for everything. Please take care of the village."

"Study hard at the academy."

"Yeah. You don't need to be told that. Take care of yourself, not just the village."

"Nanzaro, Mehiterte, take care of yourselves."

"Yes, Mika, you too."

"Mika, I'll never forget the help you gave me. Stay strong."

Nanzaro and Mehiterte were close, a touching sight.

Despite the challenges, it was good that Mika had managed to save them during the fire.

After greeting everyone and saying goodbye, only two people were left.

"Big sister."

"......Mika..."

Loretta's face was a mess of tears.

Her beautiful face, usually so well-kept, was ruined.

"I'm going now. Take care. From now on, take care of yourself more than me. You're too kind."

When Mika opened her arms, Loretta hugged her, sobbing uncontrollably.

"......I don't want to, I don't want to leave you..."

Loretta's words, whispered in Mika's ear, pierced her heart.

This family had been torn apart, and it was probably Mika's fault.

If he hadn't switched places with Mika nine months ago, he wouldn't have nearly died, and they wouldn't be parting today.

They could have lived a small, happy life in Rish village, as Amalia had wished.

But saying that wouldn't change anything.

Mika hadn't chosen to come to this world.

He hadn't chosen to tear this family apart.

This was his "now," after living in a world he had been suddenly thrown into.

Mika patted Loretta's back and smiled wryly at her clinging.

Reluctantly, he then called out to Amalia.

"I'm off, Mom."

"Mika... take care. Work hard."

Amalia was trying to be strong.

She was trying to smile and see Mika off, but tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Take care, Mom."

Mika forced a smile.

But suddenly, a tear rolled down his cheek.

"......I'm always causing trouble, I'm sorry."

When he closed his eyes, the memories of the past nine months flashed through his mind.

"Always, always causing trouble, I'm sorry."

He had been disobedient and broken promises.

"But... I'll do better!"

He looked straight at Amalia.

Amalia, unable to hold back, was crying.

She covered her mouth, trying to suppress her sobs.

"I'll be more responsible from now on!"

He shouted it as if to the sky.

Tears overflowed from Mika's eyes as well.

"So please... don't worry so much."

After hugging Loretta tightly, he slowly let go.

Then, he hugged Amalia, who had broken down in tears.

"I'm okay now..."

Feeling the warmth of Amalia, he reluctantly stood up.

"......I'm off."

Mika wiped away his tears and walked towards the cart.

Ninetyana was already on the cart, and Horatio was standing beside it.

"Are you ready?"

Horatio seemed to be crying along with Mika.

He wiped his eyes, which were red from crying.

It seemed he wasn't the only one, as sobbing could be heard from various places.

"Yes, please."

When Mika answered, Horatio lifted him onto the driver's seat.

He then climbed up himself and called out to Ninetyana behind him.

"Let's go."

"I'm ready whenever."

Ninetyana responded casually.

She stretched out her legs and relaxed on the cart.

"Take care."

"Work hard."

Kifrodo and Rady, who had come to the side of the driver's seat, called out to him.

"I'm off. Please take care of them."

Kifrodo nodded firmly, and Rady responded, "Leave it to us."

When Horatio signaled with the reins, the cart slowly started moving.

"......He's gone."

Rady muttered softly.

The cart slowly moved down the straight road, gradually disappearing from sight.

A boy who had suddenly been granted special powers by the gods.

His immense power had suddenly caused turmoil in the peaceful village.

"For Mika, the hard part is just beginning. Well, with his current state, there's no need to worry. ...But I'm a bit concerned."

Mika's actions, due to his immense power, were too reckless.

Over the past six months, Kifrodo had tried to instill "common sense" and "manners" to curb such behavior.

The problem was that Mika understood these concepts well.

He would break them when he deemed it necessary.

"If you understand, don't break them!"

Kifrodo had repeatedly drilled this into Mika's head.

He was too honest with his emotions and curiosity, lacking any sense of restraint.

A dangerous balance of deep adult thought and childlike recklessness.

This was Kifrodo's conclusion after spending six months with Mika.

Kifrodo turned to look at Amalia.

The pain of seeing her beloved child leave was immeasurable.

Yet, she was trying to be strong, encouraging Loretta and showing resilience.

"Amalia has become stronger."

"......Yes."

"Well, it might be lonely for a while, but I'm sure Amalia and Loretta will be fine."

"......Yes."

Rady, still looking down the road, responded.

"......I still haven't forgiven what happened that day."

Rady muttered softly.

Kifrodo, hearing this, was startled and looked at Rady.

He immediately understood what she was referring to.

The words he had said to Amalia, who was devastated by the news of Mika's departure to the magic academy, were a test of the family's bond, something Rady found unforgivable.

"That was for the family's sake—"

"I understand, but I can't forgive it."

"Hey, Rady!?"

Rady turned and smiled.

"I'll take Amalia and Loretta home. I might have a talk with them, so I might be late getting back."

With that, Rady walked over to Amalia.

Kifrodo watched her go, sighing deeply.

"......Mika is a lot easier to handle than Rady. What a headache..."

Rady was loyal to the teachings of the church.

Too loyal, to the point of refusing to accept anything that contradicted them.

This could be a significant issue.

Not everyone can live like Rady.

Kifrodo, scratching his head, returned to the church.

The journey from Rish village to the magic academy in Sabendiel was long.

Rish village was in the Linperle barony, and the magic academy was in the Levtain marquess's territory, which bordered each other north and south.

The marquess's territory was to the north, and the barony to the south.

However, there was a deep forest at the border, through which no road passed.

Strong monsters lived there, and attempting to develop the area would only cause more problems.

Thus, one had to go to Yaunson, the capital of the Allcosa viscount's territory to the west.

From there, one would head north to the Levtain marquess's territory.

The plan was—

First, Horatio would take Mika to Cotontesse.

In Cotontesse, they would board a shared carriage to Yaunson.

This would take one day by carriage.

Upon arriving in Yaunson, they would board another shared carriage to Sabendiel.

This would take two days by carriage.

In broad terms, that was the plan.

"It's been a while for me. I might visit some familiar shops."

"After you've safely delivered Mika, feel free to. But if you're too late, Diego might—"

Thirty minutes after leaving the village, the cotton fields on both sides of the road stretched out.

However, it was still early in the season, and no seeds had been planted yet.

The bare earth extended as far as the eye could see.

The sky was clear, with hardly any clouds, and although it was chilly in the early morning, it was expected to warm up during the day.

For a while after leaving the village, Mika had been looking down.

After a while, seeing Mika calm down, Ninetyana and Horatio started chatting.

"In Sabendiel, there's a great skewer stand in the square. They marinate them in a slightly spicy sauce, which goes well with drinks."

"Ah, could it be the bald guy's stand? The one with a huge scar on his right shoulder?"

"Ooh? You know it? I used to go there a lot. I wonder if it's still there."

The two seemed to be getting excited about local cuisine.

"Mika, once you've settled in, you should definitely check it out. The square has various stands every day. It's cheap, and before you know it, you'll be full."

"And tipsy, too."

It seemed they were giving Mika a guide to street food and drinking.

"......Meals are provided at the dorm, so I probably won't buy much street food. It's a waste of money, too."

While food and lodging were provided, he would have to manage with five silver coins a month for other expenses.

He needed to save up for emergencies.

At the magic academy, he wouldn't have his family, Kifrodo, or Rady to rely on.

"Well, it's good to have that mindset at first. When you have free time, you should go out. Are you going to stay cooped up in the dorm all the time?"

"What do you mean, 'at first'?"

Mika protested, but he thought he would probably be buying street food regularly in a few months.

However, that would be after he had figured out his finances.

Relying solely on five silver coins a month was risky.

He had no idea how much money he would need for his life there, but he planned to look for a part-time job once he settled in.

Of course, this was assuming he could find a job that didn't interfere with his studies