Beyond The System

Chapter 296: Missing Running

I was reminded again of just how far I’d come since arriving in this world.

And at the same time… I started to really miss the couple of days just before this one. The small group Elric, Sia, Thea, and I had made up. The quiet simplicity, and especially the way we’d move together, crossing vast distances without thinking much.

Walking.

Man…

How in the world did I of all people end up hating walking more than running? But yeah. There it was. I missed it.

Running.

The progress I could make at full speed. The way my body could maintain it, almost effortlessly now. The way the world would smear into a blur at the edges.

That feeling of going somewhere.

Instead, we were still here, already nearing evening, and we’d only just finally pushed past the open prairie lands into terrain that was slightly more wooded. The grass thinned out had thinned, and the wind changed. Trees began to gather in loose clusters ahead, shadows stretching long over the dirt path.

Conversation had lulled at some point. Even between Thea and me.

So she’d moved around the group, introducing herself like this was just another normal day. Meanwhile, when I tried… there was a sort of tension.

It wasn’t open hostility, but felt worse than that, at least to me. Something more polite, or rather, careful as if they felt the need to measure every word around me.

Alrid’s constant, fervorous gaze certainly didn’t help, but beyond that… it felt like my little show earlier had separated me from them.

I mean, I got it.

Difference in power and status.

It was natural.

But it still bothered me.

Would my position just keep rising in people’s eyes until no one could look at me normally anymore? Would I become something they respected, but never relaxed around?

I let out a slow sigh, forcing the thought down. If nothing else, I was grateful for the friends I’d made. They already knew me well enough that talking to them didn’t make them feel like they were balancing on glass.

Bristle suddenly nibbled at my swaying hand, snapping my focus back to the present.

“What’s up?” I asked, glancing down at him. “Want to give me company?”

I wondered if he could sense the tension in me, wanting to offer some support.

The little guy had woken up a couple of hours ago acting like nothing had happened, immediately hopping out of my arms and sprinting around like a maniac. It seemed like he was chasing something, except there was nothing.

Probably just pure pent-up energy.

However, the moment I spoke, he huffed sharply through his nose and turned his head toward the forest. The request was clear as day.

The slime sitting on his head lazily shifted too, wobbling as if it agreed.

I stared at them both for a second, then shook my head and dragged a hand down my face, covering my eyes.

“If I say no,” I muttered, voice muffled behind my fingers, “would you stay?”

Bristle let out a low, barely audible bark.

Then he hit me a pitiful little expression of wide eyes, ears tilted back, and body perfectly still.

I tried and failed to keep my eyes from peering through the cracks of my fingers. “…Stay safe,” I commanded, peeking out at him.

He gave a single, confident nod. A heartbeat later, a gust of wind rushed past the line of soldiers in front of me, and vanished into the bushes and trees.

I saw a few of the soldiers flinch, their shoulders tightening as he did. One of them swallowed hard enough that I noticed, and another’s nervous breath came out in a shaky exhale. A bead of sweat slid down someone’s temple and dropped to the dirt, soaking into the path.

They were tired.

They’d all been walking for hours without rest. Some carried large bags, supplies, or bedrolls—everything needed for camping.

So clearly, there had been plans for it.

But so far… nothing.

They kept moving, keeping pace without complaint. I couldn’t help wondering when Alrid planned to finally stop.

I exhaled slowly, then decided to just ask.

“Alrid?” I called out.

His head snapped around so fast I recoiled.

For half a second, I swear he looked like an owl. It was genuinely terrifying the way his neck rolled.

“Yes, Lord Peter?” he responded immediately, eyes bright with a desperate need to please.

“Uh…” I hesitated. “When do you plan to stop?”

He blinked once, confusion flickering across his face, then looked out toward the soldiers. “Yes… they are quite tired now, but—” he turned back to me, expression smoothing out— “you are clearly doing fine, Lord. We will continue until you deem it adequate.”

…Yeah. Please. Please let exposure training fix that mindset. Because I definitely didn’t need this level of devotion.

“Look,” I said, keeping my voice steady, “I don’t want anyone collapsing.”

His eyes widened with… something. Realization, I hope.

But I couldn’t shake the worry that this was how Serith felt every time her words got misunderstood by Griffith.

“These people trust you,” I continued. “Don’t let them down.”

For a second, Alrid looked like he’d been struck. Then he straightened, snapped to attention, and turned sharply toward his men and women.

“Head into the forest!” he barked. “We’ll be setting camp!”

Relieved groans rippled through the group immediately. A few even laughed under their breath like they couldn’t believe they’d finally been allowed to stop. The moment the order went out, the march shifted into something looser. People adjusted straps and rubbed at sore shoulders, conversation becoming lively again.

And as the line began breaking into the trees, the forest welcomed us with deeper shade and cooler air.

Soldiers began to fan out the moment we found a clearing, shrugging packs off and tugging supplies free. Bedrolls thumped onto the ground. Straps snapped loose. The little pocket of forest filled with the scrape of gear and the low murmur of people finally breathing easy.

Thea came jogging up to me with a beaming smile, cheeks faintly flushed. Nearby, Alrid stalked off to coordinate whatever task he’d decided the others needed to be doing.

“Having fun?” I asked, letting a light grin match hers.

She bobbed her head excitedly. “Once I got them to stop calling me ‘my lady,’” she admitted, dropping her voice into a huskier, older-man imitation. “‘My laaady.’” She straightened with a satisfied huff. “Anyway, most seem pretty excited to start training.”

I glanced over her shoulder. A good number were already sprawled back in the grass, leaning on their hands, staring up at the canopy. “Still?”

She bobbed again, almost bouncing on her toes.

I stepped forward a little, nudging her shoulder with mine as we walked. “When they get settled, the Grandmaster should start lessons, then.” Another detail from Marcus and Griffith surfaced. “Most of them should have some idea of the basics, right?”

She fell into a slow pace beside me. “Yes, but I’m not certain about their talent. If not all of them can keep up…”

I shrugged. “Then they can’t keep up. It happens.” I kept my tone even. “Just make it clear that with enough practice, their power can grow. I’ll trust you on what to share.” I spotted a decent place to sit—a patch of grass and dried leaves beside a narrow creek, and lowered myself down.

Thea nodded, not lingering on the worry. “Apparently it’ll be another day until we reach the town. Or… the forest outside of town.”

“Ugh,” I groaned, and when she sat next to me, I leaned back against her. “It’s slow.”

Her fingers slid into my hair, combing through it and tugging free a few stubborn curls at the ends. “You should clean it,” she said absentmindedly, ignoring my suffering entirely.

“Rude,” I shot back.

“Mhm,” she mumbled, switching to her own hair like that settled the matter. “Me too, I think…” Then, in a casual note: “If I’m teaching, you’re going to train?”

I nodded. “I’d like to. But we can swap when you need to.”

She hooked her arms around my neck and leaned down close enough that I could feel the warmth of her breath.

“Too close,” I mock-complained, turning my head to the side.

She rolled her eyes. “How’s Purification going?”

“It’s slower, but I’ll be done soon enough,” I said, tossing the question right back. “You?”

She leaned in a fraction more to close the distance, then eased away. “Same as you, I guess. Maybe a few days if I get some good practice time.”

I chuckled and sat up, stretching out my shoulders. “It’d be nice if we could just sit back and do that.”

She pecked my cheek once more without comment, then stood. “You should start.”

She began to walk away, and just before I closed my eyes, I decided to cause her a little trouble… purely for fun.

“Alrid!”

He turned at my voice, just as alert as the last time—far too eager.

Creepy.

“Her title as the instructor—” I called loudly. “It’s the Lightning Grandmaster Princess!”

“YES LORD!”