~Close to Mingzhe Dei's North Cape: Forest~
In the silence, all of them but Lea pondered over the words and story that were suddenly thrown into their average like-mind.
"Is this real...?" Uttered Bright in slow motion, looking more surprised than he had expected he would.
Lea simply raised an eyebrow. "I suppose it is."
"No kidding... Dude. This is unbelievable! I never knew my wife was so amazing." He said optimistically which earned him a queer look from Lea. Ignoring her expression, Bright continued "Although I've thought for a long time now how unusual you were... In an interesting way."
"Sorry about your brother." Raize quietly said, gazing at Lea's face.
Her ruby eyes glistened, ember lit within, she simply gave a wry smile to Raize's words. "...Thanks."
Ulla, who has been listening very quietly on the side was suddenly revealed to have been crying. "*Sobs* I'm sorry...." She said in between her repressed sobbing. During Lea's personal revelation, she had suddenly remembered her beloved twin sister, Crystal. Being forced to reminisce over the many good heart-warming memories of them together made her miss her other half desperately.
Understanding this, Lea reluctantly placed her hand on Ulla's shoulder. She was looking rather awkward petting a human, not an animal or beast for a change. "Yea.."
The first to snap out of the depressing mood was Raize who suddenly clapped his hands together. "Okay. Enough of this."
Bright snapped his neck to glare at Raize. "Respect the mood, darling!"
At Bright's ludicrous proclamation, Ulla replaced her sobbing with a soft chuckle.
"That'll do. Now that we know Lea's not really connected to our world transportation, we're back to square one." He said with a placid tone as he glanced to his classmates one by one.
"Why don't we just forget everything and actually start over in this world?" Suggested Bright, rather innocently.
"I agree. We've learnt adequately for us to survive in this world. We may have our memories of the previous world, but it's no use hanging on it for this long." Agreed Ulla, wiping her face off her tears while giving Lea a reassuring glance.
Raize went silent for a few seconds, and said, "Okay. So we'll forget about this being an otome game altogether?"
"We'll use that knowledge when the time comes." Lea quietly said.
"Too carefree. Bright must be rubbing off you, Lea." Said Raize with a small smile for Lea. She glanced at Bright as she rolled her eyes. "I'll be more on guard..."
Bright simply dramatically refused to believe the mocking exchange of Raize and Lea by looking at them with a scandalous expression. This earned another chuckle from Ulla.
"Considering we'll be starting over, it's like gaining a new life huh. We practically have nothing here but ourselves." Raize said offhandedly.
"Have you guys decided where to settle though?" Bright inquired.
"Exploration." Lea said. With her words, her eyes and Raize's met in understanding, letting a small smile escape on both their face. Bright found this suspicious but forgot about it just as fast.
"Seems like a plan." Ulla said, finally completely at peace with herself.
"We continue as we have then?" Queried Bright, making sure he was on track with the others' plan.
To his question, Raize gave a nod. "Yes. Although we know there's war to worry about, there's also the possibility we won't have to be pulled into it."
Although Ulla wasn't sure they wouldn't be forcefully dragged in the oncoming World War, she dismissed the idea to be replaced with a hopeful new beginning.
"I feel like we keep dismissing the important parts...." Bright muttered offhandedly, which earned him a queer look from the others.
"You might actually be right..." Ulla complied.
"Let's just try to hide and avoid anyone in the game from now on?" Raize suggested.
"Agreed." Lea wholeheartedly agreed, remembering the troublesome Oliver in the back of her head.
Unbeknownst to her, one of the important characters in the game has always remained by her side. But that's a story for later.
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"Wakey wakey, wifey and husband~"
Bright has taken it upon himself to wake up the others annoyingly after their life-changing discussion last night. He was too excited to push on with their journey.
With each of their groan filling up the silence in their side of the forest, they slowly opened their eyes to an enchanting view of the forest at dawn.
"This really gives one a feeling of a "new beginning"." Muttered Raize sarcastically, which he ended with a huge yawn.
"Speaking of that. Instead of heading to Chlad, why don't we try the other path?" Ulla said as she got up to arrange her Sinh.
"I would if we had enough clothes to warm ourselves." Answered Raize with his deadpan face.
"Ah! Right.... right..." Simply said by Ulla as she realized one important aspect with travelling into a snowy field. "Now I feel dumb..." She muttered with a small chuckle.
"Naw. You must be feeling giddy like me. I'm not thinking straight either, so let's go already!!" Bright said, intending to comfort Ulla but instead, he received a queer look from the others.
"You know.... It's not only now that you haven't been thinking properly..." Softly retorted by Ulla, trying to make her words as gentle as possible but failed to sound as just.
With a dramatic hold on his chest, Bright slumped himself on the ground. Covering his eyes with his free hand, while the other supporting his torso by the ground, he faked cry.
At Bright's performance, Raize simply snorted, Lea cracking a small amused smile and Ulla laughing out loud. Then a loud hungry growl engulfed their surroundings.
"Time for breakfast." Raize simply said, glancing briefly in Ulla's direction.
Ulla patted her stomach, and said, "I believe so. My beast seems to be calling for it."
That earned a laugh from the others.
And so Lea hunted for their food as Raize guarded their base. While Ulla was a lookout for Bright's unpredictable behavior. Their usual arrangement put to good use once again with Bright the usual useless baggage, but of course they all know he was just as precious as everyone of them to one another.
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Ever since Lea had started travelling with her classmates, she had made sure Hamsphant followed them quite a few ways away as lookout. Thanks to Lea's previous burst of essence into Hamsphant, it had evolved into that of a flying creature in addition to its land mobility.
Thinking from that point, Lea had thought of testing out the same theory to other beast, but there hadn't been a success as she hunted during their travels. So she held the hypothesis into her notebook for her to think about once again at a later time. Not forgetting to jot down whatever theories she came up with what could have been the reason.
One afternoon, Raize saw Lea with her notebook. He was interested on Lea's notes, so he had asked to look over it and to his surprise, the notebook was almost filled with failed and successful theories. "When do you take the time to write these down?" He asked as he flipped the pages of her notebook.
Lea gave a shrugged and promptly replied, "Whenever it was resting time."
He glanced at Lea before saying, "Can I copy the successful ones?"
"Go ahead."
With their exchange, Bright came forward. "What is this? Continuation to our field trip?"
Ulla perked up and came closer to the two as well. "Essays...?" She said, rather disappointed.
"No. Just notes." Lea simply said for both her and Raize. Raize couldn't answer as he was busy copying from Lea's notebook.
When Bright noticed this, he couldn't help his mouth, "The number 1 in our school is currently copying from the number 2.... Unbelievable!"
Ulla hit Bright's head at this. "There's nothing wrong with that." She barked.
Looking at Ulla with bewildered eyes, Bright softly said, "Just... Why'd you have to hit my precious head...? '^' "
"Because you were being rude to both of them." Ulla promptly stated.
As the two bickered once again, Lea simply shrugged. Oblivious to his surroundings, Raize continued with his task determinedly.
Days such as these continued until they arrived at the North Cape of Mingzhe Dei. To cross to Chlad's continent, Hamsphant was used.
"This is easy as pie!! Woooo~" Bright exclaimed with his hands raised in the air. Like always, he energetically showed his bravery on top of the flying Hamsphant. A foolish bravery.
"One of these days, we really will be too late to save you..." Ulla muttered, looking at Bright with a worried expression.
"He kept almost dying now that you mention it." Raize said blankly.
But Bright missed their exchange and continued to burst Lea's eardrums who was sitting in front of him with his constant cheers. To her dismay, he never stopped for another hour. The fox was long gone into its usual deep slumber.
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Far, far behind Lea and her companions, a lean youth with crimson eyes and wearing a commoner's clothes followed their trace.
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In the open space of the sky, a bright Phoenix could be seen soaring. Its fiery eyes found its prey. Returning to Mingzhe Dei, a youth with black hair and cyan pair of eyes smiled in anticipation. Not long after, he proposed to travel to Chlad using the reason to accompany their newfound beautiful talent. And to his delight, the proposal was agreed upon quite readily.
Departing from the capital with a small group, they headed towards Chlad.
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Inside the palace, a handsome youth who was considered to be a mercenary stirred from his sleep. He had purple hair and a pair of intense magenta eyes. With clenched fist and gritted teeth, he promised to himself that he would find the girl who knocked him out.
Forgetting the name "Dai Wouxie" with the recent incident. A name he once heard from a passing extravagant merchant as he was staying in Chlad. Unbeknownst to him, the aforementioned "Dai Wouxie" was the same person the merchant was referring to.
Everyone in the palace found out he was conscious. The Emperor did not waste anymore time and recruited the young mercenary, with conditions of course. Conditions that could prove favorable for the young mercenary. With a smile so wicked, he easily agreed.