Reincarnated Dragon Goes to the Academy!

Chapter 146 : Kind Mr. Liwol (1)

After the tour, the children met the experts Giestio had introduced, exchanged information, and returned with satisfied expressions.

"Thank you so much for today."

"Are you leaving already?"

At Lucas's farewell, Giestio and the children showed disappointed expressions.

"Yes. It's getting late... But if it's okay, may we come again next time?"

"Of course! Of course, you can. I'm truly hurt that you would ask such a question."

"Haha. Thank you for saying so."

Seeing how much his friends were enjoying themselves, Lucas decided that he would definitely come again someday.

'They are only adults on the outside; to me, they are still children.'

Today, watching his companions, Lucas recalled a human parent he had once seen. It was at a city festival. Despite having worked in the fields all day under the scorching sun, they had taken their child's hand and had gone out to see the late festival.

At that time, Lucas had thought. That kind of festival would be held again anytime, so why had they come out with their tired bodies?

But today, Lucas realized.

'I feel like all my fatigue has vanished.'

Truly, today felt like all the tiring things he had experienced so far were forgotten.

"Please come and visit again anytime. Your visit has been a great help to us as well."

Another Siren standing next to Giestio said.

"I'm the one who received much more help."

At that, Nella smiled shyly and answered his words.

"Haha. I have learned and felt so much from Miss Nella. I, too, will start training in spirit arts anew from today."

He was Feras Rubern, who had had a long conversation with Nella about spirit arts.

"Thank you, everyone. Then we will be on our way."

At Lucas's words, the children also exchanged their final goodbyes.

"Then..."

Regret was clearly visible on the faces of the Sirens as they watched the group.

"Don't forget our fish friends!"

At the last words heard just as he was about to cast teleportation, the children all broke into broad smiles.

"Pfft!"

"Hahaha!"

Lucas, who had also let out a small laugh, teleported, leaving behind the waving group.

***

"Hah... hah..."

For Pamela, who had hidden in the forest, every day was a struggle for survival.

"Ugh! Cold!"

She couldn't eat plants or fruits. It was because of the unknown toxicity. Therefore, Pamela survived by digging up tree roots and peeling off and boiling tree bark to eat.

"Hah... if I had known it would be like this, I should have studied a little."

She thought as she gathered dry branches and made a fire.

"I'm hungry..."

It was cunning. She just wanted to live, but her body was so cunningly faithful to its instincts.

"Hah..."

Countless foods came to her mind.

"I should rest for a bit."

It had been several days since she had come here, but she hadn't been able to rest properly. The old hut was a lodging for all sorts of insects and field mice, and it took a full day just to issue them an eviction order.

Fortunately, there was a small stream not far from the hut. Pamela went there and washed and cleaned all the blankets and household items that were left in the hut. That took another full day.

In between, she looked around and tried to find any fruits or plants she knew, but it was no use.

"It's hard."

Pamela's eyes, leaning against a small rock, slowly closed.

"...ey! Hey!"

How much time had passed? Pamela's eyes shot open at the unfamiliar touch shaking her body.

"Are you alright?"

She was about to open her mouth and scream, but a kind voice was one step faster.

"Ah."

A small sigh escaped Pamela's lips.

"Do you remember me?"

The man who had shaken her was none other than the man Pamela had saved a while ago.

"..."

As Pamela's expression hardened, the man took a step back and bowed his head in greeting.

"My name is Liwol Beon. I was unable to express my gratitude last time."

And then the man opened his bundle and handed her a small package.

"You don't look well. First, have this..."

Inside the package was a fresh apple and a bag containing a sandwich.

"...!"

Pamela's hand snatched the bag.

"Ha, haha... you must have been very hungry."

The man scratched his head as if embarrassed, but Pamela had no time to care about such things.

Pamela, who first took a big bite of the apple, closed her eyes and groaned at the sweetness spreading in her mouth.

"Mmm..."

"Please eat slowly."

Pamela, who had devoured the entire apple in a hurry, finally stopped her hand that was opening the sandwich bag, as if she had just realized.

'You're crazy from hunger, Pamela.'

Pamela now felt so ashamed that she wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

"It's alright. I looked at the plants and fruits around here, and there were many that ordinary people wouldn't know. There were also many poisonous ones. It was a wise decision."

"..."

"Don't worry. Everyone has their own circumstances. I was the same that day."

As Liwol smiled kindly, Pamela nodded her head slightly.

"You seem to be in a lot of trouble, so how about you come with me?"

Pamela shook her head at Liwol's words.

'He already knows about my ability.'

Liwol was a person Pamela had unwillingly healed. Moreover, she had brought a person who was on the verge of death back to full health, so she didn't know what thoughts were in the man's mind.

"There will be nothing to worry about. If I had coveted your ability, I wouldn't have come here alone."

But Pamela didn't believe him. In Pamela's world now, there was no one to trust.

Pamela silently looked into the man's eyes without answering.

"Then how about this?"

The man took out a scroll from his bosom.

"This scroll is a scroll to Divanos. And I am from Rieberk."

Judging by the man's accent, his words were not wrong. Rieberk was an island nation not far from Esna in the east.

But that place had a strong culture of its own, so it was not easy for others to settle there. Therefore, Rieberk was an open but closed, contradictory island nation.

"As you know, Divanos is a tourist destination that is kind to everyone. But the problem is that it is a tourist destination. If you go there, you may be comfortable for now, but you will always have to live holding your breath."

"...?"

"But as I said, it will be comfortable for now. I will give this to you. If you think I'm up to no good, you can tear it and go anytime."

The man held out the scroll.

"But if you come with me, I can also drop you off at a decent uninhabited island I know."

At that, Pamela looked back and forth between the scroll and Liwol.

"At least there, you won't have to live by gnawing on tree roots like this."

Liwol looked at the tree roots scattered messily around.

"If you go a little north from here, there is a small port. My boat is there. In any case, if you stay here, you will starve to death in three or four days."

Pamela's eyes shook violently.

'I can't die. But...'

She couldn't trust this man who was showing her kindness. He had clearly seen Pamela's ability.

"The choice is yours. I just want to express my gratitude to you."

The man placed the scroll in Pamela's hand.

'As that man said, if I go to Divanos, I might be okay for now.'

Pamela's eyes, fiddling with the scroll, shook violently.

'And this scroll is indeed for Divanos.'

Looking at the seal on the scroll, it was a scroll made by Gold Nine. Below it, it was clearly written 'Divanos'.

The scrolls of the Gold Nine merchant guild were trustworthy. Their seal could not be forged, so there was no way it was a fake.

"Is there... really an uninhabited island?"

In any case, it was the same whether she died like this or that way.

"Of course. On the way, I will also prepare a book about the medicinal herbs and fruits that grow there. And I will also try to prepare the necessary supplies as much as possible."

Pamela got up from her seat, hesitating.

"Can I really have this scroll?"

"Of course. And it's less than a day's walk to the port, so don't worry."

A smile of joy bloomed on the man's face.

"I'm so glad I can repay you."

***

In the end, Pamela followed the man.

"But... how did you know where I was and find me?"

"Haha! I didn't come looking for you on purpose. The place you were at is a path I always pass by. And you were there."

As the man laughed heartily, Pamela nodded her head.

'It was a coincidence.'

"And the sandwich and apple I gave you earlier were my lunch."

"I-I'm sorry."

As Pamela apologized hastily, the man waved his hands and smiled brightly.

"No! Not at all. I didn't say that to make you feel sorry, I just wanted to say that it wasn't something prepared for you, but just something that was in my backpack. Because you seemed suspicious..."

As the man, on the contrary, fumbled and scratched his head, Pamela let go of some of her suspicion.

'Right. He must have just come to thank me.'

The two of them talked from time to time on their way to the port.

Liwol tried hard not to ask what Pamela's circumstances were, and Pamela found the man's consideration quite nice.

'He's a considerate person.'

He chose his words so as not to be awkward even when starting a conversation, so as not to ask for Pamela's name.

"Ah, do you know this? They say there used to be a village here."

"Ah."

"Yes. They say people who fled from the Esna Kingdom lived here."

As if it were a path he always passed, the man consistently explained the things he knew at every turn.

"Do you see this here? You should be careful of most things with spots like this. And of course, those with flashy colors and patterns too."

Liwol would often point to the fruits on the way and the plants on the ground and explain.

'He's kind.'

He was being considerate, lest Pamela be bored or nervous.

"The place you see up ahead is the port. Here, it's stranger if you cover your face... so... may I be excused for a moment?"

"...?"

As Pamela looked at Liwol silently and nodded her head, he hesitated as if embarrassed and took Pamela's arm and placed it on his own.

"If we link arms like this, they will think we are a married couple."

"...Ah."

It was awkward and uncomfortable, but it couldn't be helped.

"Ahem. Shall we go then?"

Pamela nodded her head.

As they entered the port with their arms linked, people really paid them no attention.

"See?"

Pamela was grateful that she had been diligent even while starving in the hut.

'If my clothes were dirty, I would have been suspected.'

As Liwol grinned, Pamela also responded with a small smile.

"Wait here for a moment... no, let's go together."

Liwol, who was about to go and find his boat, leaving Pamela behind, took back his words and led Pamela's hand again.

"This is my boat."

Liwol's boat was small but looked sturdy.

"Now, carefully..."

Liwol took Pamela's hand as she boarded the boat.

'He's kind.'

Pamela, who took his hand, jumped onto the boat.

"Please wait here for a moment. I will go and buy the book I mentioned earlier."

Liwol set up a small tent in the middle of the boat.

"Don't complain too much if it smells like a man, and even if it's uncomfortable, please stay here for a moment. When the sun is hot, there's nothing like this. Ah, and also when we dock at an uninhabited island for a while."

As he, as if embarrassed, spewed out words he hadn't been asked, Pamela let out a small laugh.

"Haha. Well, it's small, but it's enough for two people to sit! The sun is hot, so please stay inside. I'll be back soon."

As Liwol said, the tent was small, but it was enough to block the sunlight. In fact, it was more like a few pieces of cloth tied together and fixed to the boat than a tent.

'He's kind and considerate.'

Pamela thought as she sat in the tent.

[End of Chapter]