[Ren’s POV]
The problem with making plans was that eventually you had to follow through with them.
I’d spent the better part of the previous day enjoying Sera’s company, and now I was expected to return to the considerably less appealing business of travelling. The Dragon Kingdom wasn’t going to come to me, unfortunately, and judging by how long I’d already spent in Haremdale, I was beginning to suspect that my journey was developing a life of its own.
I was in the process of getting dressed when I heard a knock.
"Come in."
Sera entered, closing the door behind her. She was already dressed for the day, looking every bit the composed merchant I’d first met. Her eyes moved briefly over my half-packed belongings before settling on me.
"I see you’ve finally remembered that you have somewhere else to be."
"Believe me, I’ve been trying very hard to forget."
She smiled, although there was a hint of reluctance behind it. "How much longer do you need before you’re ready?"
"Not long. I’ve got a few things to sort out, and then I’ll be on my way."
"Today?"
I nodded. "I think it’s better if I leave sooner rather than later. I’ve already delayed the journey considerably."
Sera walked towards the window, looking out over the estate grounds. "I had hoped you’d stay another day, but I suppose asking you to postpone your journey again would be selfish."
"You’re welcome to ask. I might even consider it."
"That’s precisely what I’m worried about. You have a remarkable talent for making it difficult to get rid of you."
I laughed and finished fastening my shirt. "You say that as though you haven’t been encouraging me to stay."
"I’ve been enjoying your company. That doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten that you have somewhere to go."
She turned towards me, and I noticed that her expression had become more serious.
"Have you thought about what happens while you’re away? The situation with the Thorn Collective isn’t going to resolve itself, and Maren certainly isn’t going to abandon her investigation."
"I imagine she’ll keep digging."
"She will. And Joseph is becoming another complication. I still don’t know enough about him to understand what he’s after, but I don’t intend to let him interfere with my business."
"That’s probably wise."
"I’ll have my people look into him. Quietly, of course. I don’t want to create unnecessary problems with House Vellmore, especially when the initiative is still important to us."
I nodded. "I know you’ve invested a lot in that arrangement. I’m not asking you to jeopardise it because I have personal reasons to dislike the man."
"Good. Because I wouldn’t."
There was no hesitation in her answer. Sera had her own priorities, and I respected that. She wasn’t going to abandon years of work because I’d had an unpleasant encounter with someone. Frankly, I wouldn’t have expected her to.
I crossed the room and stopped in front of her.
"Besides, I trust you to handle things here."
She looked up at me. "That’s a considerable amount of confidence to place in someone you’ve known for such a short time."
"Would you prefer I had no confidence in you?"
"No, but I would prefer you didn’t make it sound as though you’re leaving me with a collection of troublesome people to manage."
"Well, when you put it like that, it does sound rather inconsiderate."
She laughed, and I took her hand.
"I’ll write when I can. I meant what I said yesterday."
"I know." Her fingers tightened around mine. "Just don’t make promises you can’t keep. I’d rather receive an honest letter telling me you’re occupied than spend weeks wondering whether you’ve forgotten about me."
"You’re not that easy to forget, Sera."
"Flattery again. I was hoping you’d come up with something more convincing."
"All right. I’ll send you something expensive."
She gave me an amused look. "And what makes you think I need you to buy my affection?"
"Nothing. I just thought it would be a nice bonus."
She shook her head, but her smile remained.
For a moment, neither of us seemed particularly interested in discussing the journey. I leaned forward and kissed her, and she returned it before resting her forehead against mine.
"Go and finish packing," she murmured. "Before I change my mind and find some reason to keep you here."
"I wouldn’t complain."
"That’s part of the problem."
Clara was waiting downstairs when I arrived.
She was seated in the drawing room with a cup of tea, speaking to one of the servants. Her belongings had been gathered beside the sofa, and she looked considerably more prepared for the journey than I felt.
"You’re finally here," she said when she noticed me. "I was beginning to think Sera had convinced you to stay another day."
"She tried. I showed remarkable restraint."
Clara gave me a doubtful look. "I’m sure you did."
I glanced at her luggage. "Is that everything?"
"Yes. I didn’t bring much with me, and there’s no point carrying things I won’t need."
"Good. Travelling light is always a sensible decision. You’d be surprised how quickly a journey becomes unpleasant when you’re responsible for carrying half a household."
"Is that experience speaking?"
"Unfortunately."
Sera appeared at the doorway a moment later. She greeted Clara before turning her attention to the luggage.
"Your carriage is ready. I’ve arranged for two guards to accompany you as far as the southern road. They’ll make sure you get beyond the city safely."
Clara looked genuinely grateful. "Thank you. You’ve already done more for me than I expected."
"There’s no need to thank me. Ren is a guest of mine, and you’re travelling with him. I wouldn’t send either of you away without making proper arrangements."
I looked at the guards visible through the window. They were waiting beside a carriage, speaking to the driver. Sera had clearly been busy while I’d been upstairs.
"You’re making it difficult for me to leave," I remarked.
"Then perhaps you should stop giving me reasons to look after you."
"That’s a rather dangerous suggestion."
She smiled, then turned to Clara. "I hope the journey treats you well. And if you need anything once you’ve left Haremdale, don’t hesitate to send word."
"I will. Thank you, Sera."
I watched the two women exchange their farewells. They weren’t particularly close, but Sera had been gracious throughout our stay, and Clara seemed to appreciate it.
Once everything was ready, we stepped outside.
The morning air was cool, and the estate grounds were already busy with servants attending to their duties. I paused beside the carriage and looked back at Sera.
She stood near the entrance, her hands folded in front of her. There was no dramatic farewell, no unnecessary display of affection. She simply watched me, and I understood that she was waiting for me to say something.
"I’ll write," I said.
"You’d better. And don’t assume that a few flattering words will excuse a letter arriving three months late."
"You’re setting rather demanding standards."
"Someone has to."
I smiled, stepped forward and kissed her. She placed a hand against my chest, holding me there for a moment before finally letting me go.
"Take care of yourself, Ren."
"I will. You do the same."
With one last glance, I climbed into the carriage.
Clara settled opposite me, and the driver gave the signal. The carriage began moving, carrying us away from the estate and towards the southern road.
I watched Sera until the entrance disappeared behind the trees.
It was strange how quickly a place could become difficult to leave.
Haremdale was already awake by the time we reached the main streets. Merchants were opening their shops, carts were moving between the market stalls, and pedestrians crowded the pavements. The city had its own rhythm, one that continued regardless of who arrived or departed.
Clara sat quietly opposite me, watching the passing buildings.
"Are you all right?" I asked.
She turned towards me. "Yes. I’m just thinking about Maren."
"You’re worried about leaving her here?"
"A little. We’ve only recently managed to speak properly again, and now I’m leaving. I know she has her own reasons for staying, but I don’t particularly like the idea of us becoming separated again."
I understood that much. Their relationship had been complicated long before Joseph entered the picture, and I wasn’t about to pretend a few conversations had repaired years of distance.
"She’s not alone, Clara. She has her own contacts, and Sera knows what’s happening. Besides, you can still write to each other."
"I know. I just wish things were simpler."
"Well, if you ever find a way to make life simple, I’d appreciate it if you shared the method. I’ve been looking for it myself."
That earned me a faint smile.
She looked out of the window again, then returned her attention to me. "You really are going to the Dragon Kingdom, aren’t you?"
"That’s the plan."
"And you’re certain there’s nothing keeping you here?"
I considered the question. There were several things I could have said, but the most honest answer was that my reasons for remaining in Haremdale had gradually become less important than the things waiting beyond it.
"I’ve enjoyed my time here, but I didn’t come all this way intending to settle down. There’s still a great deal I want to see."
Clara nodded, apparently accepting the answer.
I leaned back and brought up my status window.
The familiar interface appeared before me.
[HERO SYSTEM]
Status: Yamamoto Ren
Class: Chosen Hero
Level: 15
Luck: ∞ (SSS)
Combat: Peak (Tier 3, Enhanced)
Charm: Flawless
Active Quest: The Dragon Kingdom (Main)
Active Quest: Win the Trust of Clara Dale (Side) — Status: Greyed Out
Active Quest: Investigate the Anomaly (Hidden)
There it was again.
The quest to win Clara’s trust remained greyed out.
I’d noticed it before, but the situation hadn’t exactly become less confusing. Clara was sitting directly in front of me, willingly travelling alongside me, and the System still refused to acknowledge any meaningful progress.
I glanced at her.
She was watching the streets, seemingly unaware that the most important person in her current predicament was examining a floating window that existed only in his head.
Seriously, what exactly did this thing want from me?
Clara had agreed to accompany me. We’d spent time together, she’d trusted me with personal matters, and our relationship had developed considerably since we’d first met. Yet the quest remained greyed out, offering neither an explanation nor an indication of what I was supposed to do next.
At this point, I was beginning to suspect the System was deliberately withholding information.
Wonderful.
A quest that refused to explain its own requirements. Excellent game design.
I dismissed the window and returned my attention to the journey.
Whatever the explanation was, I would have to figure it out eventually.
For now, the Dragon Kingdom remained my priority.
The carriage eventually passed through the southern gate, and Haremdale began to recede behind us.
I shifted in my seat, trying to find a comfortable position as the road opened ahead. The journey to the Dragon Kingdom was going to be considerably longer than a trip across the city, and I wasn’t particularly looking forward to spending several days in a carriage.
At least Clara was coming along.
That reminded me of something else.
I opened the quest window again, examining the greyed-out objective. Whatever the System expected from me, I had apparently failed to satisfy it despite everything that had happened. I could only hope it would eventually provide some clarification.
For now, I had a destination, a travelling companion and a reasonably comfortable carriage.
Not the worst situation I’d ever found myself in.
I glanced at Clara. She had finally stopped watching the passing scenery and was looking through the small collection of belongings she’d brought along.
"Do you have everything you need for the journey?" I asked.
"I think so. Sera was kind enough to arrange most of what we needed. I hadn’t realised how much preparation went into travelling somewhere so far away."
"That’s because most people don’t spend their time thinking about the logistics until they’re already on the road. Then they discover they’ve forgotten something important and spend the next three days regretting it."
Clara smiled. "You sound as though you’ve done that before."
"More times than I’d care to admit."
"Somehow, I find that difficult to believe."
"That’s because I have an excellent reputation to maintain."
She laughed, and the carriage continued along the road.
Behind us, Haremdale was gradually disappearing from view. Sera had her responsibilities, Clara had her sister, and I had a kingdom waiting at the other end of the journey.
There were plenty of unresolved matters, and I suspected Joseph wasn’t going to make things any easier for anyone. But I had already spent enough time dealing with the complications surrounding him.
It was time to move forward.
The Dragon Kingdom awaited.
And, judging by the way things had been going lately, I had a feeling the real trouble was only beginning.