Chapter 183: Epilogue
“Alright, let’s go!”
With a Mithril Adventurer’s Certificate hanging around my neck, I stepped out of the Guild in the Imperial Capital. Rio also wore her own Mithril Adventurer’s Certificate, and both Nil and Phonia sported shimmering Mithril tags around their necks.
“Where are we headed?”
“Hmm… Do you two have anywhere you’d like to go, Phonia and Ivan?”
I let Rio’s question slide past me, directing it towards the two of them.
“Well, I don’t really know what’s where, so anywhere is fine by me.”
“I feel the same!”
“Got it. Then next up… how about the mountains?”
“The mountains?”
“Yeah. We’ve enjoyed the bounty of the sea here, so I thought it was time to experience the treasures of the mountains.”
“That sounds great! Let’s go to the mountains!”
As I responded to Ivan’s inquiry, I recalled the map we had seen at the Guild. There was indeed a massive mountain range along the western border between the Empire and the Arclight Kingdom. Additionally, I remembered there was a mountainous region further east, past the Empire and into the commercial nation. Heading closer to the Kingdom was not an option.
“East it is.”
“Right.”
It seemed Rio had no objections. There were other countries beyond the commercial nation, so we decided to head in that direction.
“Well, I don’t mind where we go, but… are we really leaving the Imperial Capital right now?”
Just as we settled on our direction, Ivan frowned, looking uneasy. The sun was beginning to set, and it was generally unthinkable to leave the city at this hour. Normally, that is.
“Of course. I’ll make sure to secure a room at the next town before the sun sets, so don’t worry.”
“Huh?”
“Eh? Really?”
“Ahaha, it’s fine, so just relax. For now, let’s head to the East Gate.”
“Uh… if you say so…”
Though Ivan didn’t seem entirely convinced, he followed along, grumbling under his breath. By the time we reached the East Gate after passing through the affluent district, the sunset was painting the sky in shades of red. It appeared that not many people were out at this hour, and while the gate guards offered a warning, they didn’t stop us.
“…We haven’t done any travel preparations or anything, is that okay?”
“What are you talking about, Ivan-nii? We haven’t carried any luggage from the start!”
Phonia’s retort clearly didn’t reach Ivan. Although we were all dressed in our travel clothes, we could have easily purchased necessary supplies on our way to the East Gate, and that was what Ivan was referring to. In truth, we were all empty-handed.
“Don’t worry; I have supplies on hand.”
“Oh, right… I forgot you were a user of Spatial Magic.”
“Yes, indeed. I even have the Sea Emperor Turtle with me.”
As we stepped onto the road, waiting for our turn to enter the city, I gazed at the southern expanse of grasslands, with the Forest visible in the distance. The northern side was also grassy, but the vegetation was sparse, and the further you looked, the more it turned into wasteland. The road stretched straight eastward across that boundary.
“Hey, we’re not just going to walk the whole way, are we?”
Once the crowd thinned out, Ivan spoke up.
“Of course not. It’s about time we did something.”
“Right. So, here we go…”
With a glance at Rio, she pulled out a simple hut from the Dimensional Box.
“…Iām not surprised by anything anymore.”
“Phonia, let’s shift back to your human form.”
“Eh? Okay, got it!”
Ignoring Ivan’s words, I called out to Phonia, who responded with a cheerful affirmation and began to transform into her human form. Of course, she was completely naked.
“I’ve transformed into my human form!”
She spread her arms and legs wide, proudly announcing her transformation.
“Phonia-chan! We just set up a changing room!”
With Rio’s shout, I turned my gaze elsewhere. I thought it would be fine for her to have some sense of modesty, but then again… if you called her a child, that would be the end of it.
“Maybe I should have explained the building I pulled out first…”
Rio took Phonia with her into the changing room, leaving that side to me.
“So, what do we do from here?”
While keeping my gaze on the building where Phonia was likely changing, Ivan asked for clarification.
“I was thinking you could ride on Nil’s back.”
“Woof-woof!”
Nil let out a disgruntled sound, but it didn’t seem like he was truly opposed.
“…Does that mean Phonia will ride too?”
“That seems to be the case. Well, either I or Rio can carry her if needed.”
Phonia, in her human form, was small enough, so it should be fine. In terms of clinging on, it might be better for us than Nil. With Nil, she would have to grab onto his fluffy fur, and if she slipped, that could be a problem.
“Make sure to hold on tight so you don’t fall.”
Ivan slowly approached Nil, but I began to think that it might not work out as planned. Nil was the size of a large dog, but Ivan was quite big himself.
“…Can you even ride him?”
“Ah, it’ll be fine. Nil, grow a bit larger.”
“Woof-woof!”
As if conveying a sense of reluctance, Nil grew to a size that would comfortably accommodate Ivan. He was now about 150 centimeters tall, a size smaller than Phonia had been just moments ago.
“He got bigger…”
“Nil’s natural size is around seven to eight meters, so he can adjust to that size without issue.”
“Wow…”
Ivan responded with wide eyes, trying to act nonchalant despite his surprise.
“Oh, Nil is getting bigger!”
Just then, Phonia emerged from the changing room, having finished changing. She wore a cute cream-colored dress adorned with frills. The Mithril tag around her neck resembled a choker, fitting in seamlessly. At a glance, she wouldn’t be mistaken for a tamed monster.
“Alright, Phonia, hop on Nil too.”
“Okay!”
With a gleeful expression, she rushed over, and Nil lay down to make it easier for her to climb on. After Ivan mounted first, he took Phonia’s outstretched hand and helped her onto the front.
“Alright, this should allow us to move at a speed similar to before.”
“Yes, as long as Phonia-chan isn’t scared…”
“Ah, well, I think she’ll be fine.”
Watching Phonia giggle with excitement, I let out a statement without any real basis.
“Hehe, let’s get going then.”
“Right. Alright, Nil, let’s move out!”
“Woof-woof!”
“Departure!”
As we soared into the sky, Nil followed suit, rising up and taking to the air.
“Eh, …what? What? What is happening!?”
“Wow! This is amazing!”
Ivan screamed in shock while Phonia squealed with excitement. Yes, it seemed like everything would be just fine.
“Hey, you didn’t tell me about this!”
With our voices echoing above the road, we left the Imperial Capital behind us.
End of Part Three
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