novelraw Chapter 256
Chapter 256
Chapter 256
5. How to Get Back? (4K)
After chatting idly with her for quite a while, the fish basket was still just as empty.
Sheffy Harl put away the fishing rod and carried the black-and-gold rod over her shoulder, exuding a bold air as if even a small figure like hers could shoulder great responsibilities.
Uh, come to think of it, Sheffy had felt a slight sense of incongruity since earlier. After putting away the fishing rod, there was no longer that fear of being mocked by Livra at any moment. Only then did she realize where that strange feeling had come from.
“A nap? You just said the Fire Lizard is taking a nap? Seriously? Didn’t she used to say she would never waste precious time on sleeping? She’s the kind of lunatic who could go to sleep at night, wake up at dawn, then fly into the sky just to wait for the sunrise!”
“Eh, but Miss Shaya, I think waking up early to watch the sunrise is pretty normal sometimes. It’s also a nice way to live.”
“The problem is, she waits there three hours before sunrise.”
“......”
One could only say—respect the Fire Dragon Clan’s way of life.
It was said that nights in the Fire Dragon Clan’s territory were very long, and the days were also very long. Fire Dragon Clan members did not need as much sleep, so it was common for situations like: “when they closed their eyes to nap it was night, after a full sleep it was still night, and even after eating two meals it was still night.”
Miss Timani had wandered alone for many years. It was only natural that she could not fully adapt to a schedule completely different from the environment she grew up in, resulting in a disrupted biological clock.
Livra had wanted to help Sheffy Harl carry her fish basket, but Sheffy’s ahoge perked up, and she hurriedly hid the basket behind her back, refusing to let her see it!
With no way to help, Livra could only stand there and continue talking about Timani.
“I don’t really know much else. I only know that Miss Timani told me not to disturb her unless it’s something important. These days she wants to conserve her energy, get plenty of rest, and train her focus or something... I think it’s probably related to the plans we’ve made next.”
“I think so too. She’s just too nervous.”
When smart people talked, there was no need for excessive explanation. If it were Xiarette, she would definitely ask, “What is Timani nervous about?”
Livra understood very clearly—Miss Timani simply could not determine whether this trip to the Northern Flaming Lands of the Fire Dragon Clan would be fraught with danger or not.
Of course, aside from nervousness—what she felt more was excitement, even if she had hidden it well.
After learning about Teacher Shaya’s strength, the mystery behind her parents’ deaths now had a chance of finally being revealed. For a child who had long carried a blood-deep vendetta yet lacked the power to change anything, who had even struggled to protect herself and drifted from place to place across nations—how could she not feel excited?
“It’s fine, let her sleep.” Tossing both the fish basket and the fishing rod into 【Storage Magic Space】, Sheffy’s mood immediately improved. When she stood with one hand on her hip facing Livra, she looked far more confident!
“Speaking of you, didn’t you say yesterday you were going back to the Kingdom of Aurus? What’s your plan? When are you leaving?”
“Hehe... actually, I was just waiting for you to ask that! I came here specifically to tell you how reliable the route I prepared to return home is!”
“Oh, I see—you came to show off. Then I take back what I said. I’m not asking anymore. I’m going back to continue sleeping, yawn... I’m sleepy again. Xiarette really wore me out... my whole body feels sore and numb.”
“Wore you out...?! Ah—don’t leave! I won’t show off, okay! I’m just explaining—the most ordinary explanation!”
The human princess, who had been proudly patting her chest just a moment ago, immediately began pleading, teary-eyed, as she grabbed the Demon Clan Princess’s arm to stop her from leaving.
Seeing that she was about to leave, Livra actually squatted down and clung to her leg, acting shamelessly!_
“Waaah! Teacher Shaya, you’re too short! Holding your leg like this is so tiring! Please take pity on me and just listen until I finish, okay!”
“You insult me this viciously and still have the nerve to make demands?! Fine, fine, just hurry up.”
Good thing there was no one around.
Otherwise, considering their equal status, if the human princess were seen begging in such a humble posture before the Demon Clan Princess, the people of the Human Alliance would probably think their princess was being horribly bullied. It might even stir up public outrage.
Sheffy Harl pulled her short leg free from Livra’s grip, then casually sat down on a nearby rock. Resting her cheek on one hand, she waved the other impatiently, signaling Livra to speak.
Unexpectedly, this sometimes foolish, sometimes brilliant princess opened her mouth and delivered a statement that could make her a once-in-a-generation “genius.”
“Actually, at first, I planned to walk all the way back.”
“Are you insane?!”
“Huh? My legs are fine though, look—I can jog.”
“I can sprint too!” Sheffy nearly wanted to demonstrate a hundred-meter dash on the spot. “Is running the issue here? From here back to the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Aurus, wouldn’t walking take two whole months?!”
“That was just my initial plan... because... because I don’t really have any strengths, except that I’m good at running away from the Royal Capital, and I have strong endurance. So I thought I’d try to surpass myself and see if I could actually make it back on foot... Mm, it was quite a great idea.”
“......”
Her words were truly “earth-shattering.”
Sheffy decided not to even bother complaining. She just felt tired.
Surpass yourself? More like you think your legs are too functional and want to ruin them on purpose.
“Alright, forget that. After scrapping that plan, what’s your current one?”
“The answer... is right there! Miss Shaya, look by the lake!”
By the lake?
Following the direction of Livra’s finger, Sheffy glanced over—
—and her heart suddenly trembled.
Not because the scene by the lake was anything special, but because she had developed an inexplicable fear of fingers.
Especially those flexible, ever-changing ones where each finger could move independently in all sorts of fancy ways—simply too flashy.
Ahem! Back to the lake.
“Oh, oh—that’s Xiarette’s family’s horses, right? What, you borrowed them?”
“Yes! I borrowed the Wright Family’s horses from Lady Xiarette~ They know the way and run very fast. It should only take about a day to reach Cormier. Haha, it’s really great that Lady Xiarette was willing to lend them to me.”
“Hey... did you forget you’re the princess of the Kingdom of Aurus? Borrowing a few horses from your kingdom’s Hero—there’s no way she wouldn’t lend them... huh?!”
“Miss Shaya?”
Wait.
What was she seeing?!
From that previous angle, she hadn’t noticed clearly.
Sheffy walked a bit closer toward the two fine horses by the lake, gaining a better view—
—and saw that one of the horses was actually holding a large fish in its mouth!
Hey! Aren’t Aurus horses not supposed to eat fish?! Is this adapting to local customs?!
No, seriously—even she, the one fishing, couldn’t catch a single fish, yet this mere horse managed to grab one in a single bite?!
Right in front of Livra, Sheffy suddenly vanished from where she stood.
In a flash, she appeared out of thin air before the horse that had a fish in its mouth—whether it intended to eat it or not.
The horse was clearly stunned.
Even an animal wouldn’t remain indifferent to something bizarre suddenly appearing right in front of it.
Then, it saw that raised little hand.
—Smack!
Sheffy did not hesitate in the slightest—she raised her hand and slapped the horse right across the face, giving the fine steed a loud smack!
The already bewildered horse became even more confused, but the fish in its mouth had already been knocked loose and sent flying into the air. A glint flashed through Sheffy Harl’s eyes. In one smooth, flowing motion, she struck the fish hard, while swiftly summoning the fish basket, letting the fish fall neatly into it. The entire sequence was seamless, as if it had been practiced a thousand times.
Only then did the horse finally react.
It neighed angrily, raising its front legs to kick this bizarre creature to death—but Sheffy’s figure flickered again, instantly teleporting back to Livra’s side, leaving the enraged horse to strike nothing but air.
This entire process—
had taken only a few seconds.
“Phew... that was close, that was close.”
“Miss Shaya... why are you bullying the horse... and what exactly do you mean by ‘that was close’?”
“I don’t know either, but I just felt like that’s what I should do. Anyway, now I’m confident.”
This time, the fish basket would not be put away again.
Mischievous Sheffy even pushed the basket toward Livra, her eyes sparkling as if she wanted Livra to admire her catch.
Ah...
At this moment, Livra only had one thought.
Teacher Shaya was so cute.
She cooperated and looked into the basket with her, admiring the pitiful fish—though in truth, her attention was entirely on Sheffy.
Who would have thought—
Sheffy Harl suddenly wagged her finger and brought the topic back.
“Riding back, forget that plan too. Livra, sometimes you really lack self-awareness. Do you even know who you are?”
“I’m Livra.”
“Get lost. I mean your identity.”
“I’m Teacher Shaya’s disciple.”
“Keep getting lost. Fine, I’ll tell you myself. You’re at least the princess of the Kingdom of Aurus. Quite a lot of people know of your existence. You and your king father have given speeches in the Royal Capital, and many people have seen what you look like. Even if they haven’t, you’re beautiful, and your every movement clearly shows you’re a child of great nobility. Your temperament is fundamentally different from ordinary people.”
“Um... th-thank you, Teacher Shaya... why are you suddenly praising me... I’m not that great...”
“Indeed.”
“Huh?!”
Why are you blushing all of a sudden?
Yes, I am praising you.
But that praise is just a setup!
“That’s why every time you sneak out of your Royal Castle, the Knight Order rushes to find you—it’s not without reason. There are many good people in this world, but there are even more bad ones.”
At this point—
Livra finally understood.
Teacher Shaya was saying that it was unsafe for her to return home alone.
This was not Sheffy’s subjective guess, but an objective fact.
Wasn’t the first time Sheffy and Livra met when Livra had been surrounded by bandits and nearly killed?
If Sheffy had arrived even a little later back then, there might no longer have been a Livra in this world.
Livra did possess magical talent, but her magic leaned toward strategic significance. When it came to self-defense, however, it was ridiculously weak—she barely had any combat ability at all. Word Spirit Magic itself was highly unstable; in unexpected situations, one could not guarantee how it would be used under pressure. It was completely different from conventional magic.
The journey back home required crossing many desolate regions, and the more desolate a place was, the more likely it was for criminals to appear.
Hearing this, Livra did have some self-awareness.
“I... I know. Even if I’m still not capable on my own... don’t I still have the black feathers you gave me, Teacher Shaya? They protected me before, and after this as well...”
“That’s for defending against large-scale magic. If someone just wants to stab you to death with a knife, that thing is basically useless.”
“!”
Amid her surprise, Livra naturally showed a hint of stubborn defiance.
After all, she already had Third-Rank strength—it wasn’t like she needed protection everywhere she went... she didn’t want to be a canary locked in a cage.
But...
Within that slight unwillingness—there was also a gentle warmth.
From Teacher Shaya’s tone, it was clear that, more or less, she was worried about her...
That tiny detail caused a faint curve to form at the corner of Livra’s lips. It felt sweet.
If anyone else had said these things, Livra would have snorted and turned away immediately—the title of “rebellious Emerald Princess” was not for nothing.
But—
only when facing her did even someone rebellious become unexpectedly obedient.
“Y-yes... maybe it’s a bit unsafe for me alone... but scaring me like this won’t help! I still have to face things on my own! Becoming independent starts today! Ow—!”
“Not today. Move it to the day after tomorrow. You idiot who still can’t stand on your own yet—face reality.”
Sheffy stood on tiptoe, closed her left eye, and knocked Livra on the head with a hand chop, not bothering to argue further.
Tch, weren’t you just trying to lead me into saying this?
Fine, fine. Anyway, she also had some things to ask that old king of Aurus. Making a trip there along the way wasn’t a bad idea.
“I’ll take you back.”
“Oh, that’s so embarrassing... hehe...”
“Wipe that smug grin off your face. Let’s be clear—I’m taking you to save time. Walking back and forth would take too long. We can’t have that Fire Lizard staying nervous for half a month. Otherwise, I could just arrange a guard unit to escort you back.”
“No guard unit, no guard unit! I understand—Teacher Shaya is definitely not personally escorting me out of friendship, and definitely not because you’d feel a little bad letting me go back alone. I understand all of that!”
“......”
Sometimes Sheffy felt that...
there might be a bit of scheming hidden in Livra’s personality.
“But, Miss Shaya, how are we going? You said we’re saving time... don’t tell me we’re flying again?!”