NOVGO.NET Chapter 170: Weary God
Chapter 170: Weary God
The sound of the mana-powered carriage was the only thing that could be heard.
Cassian was staring out the window, his mind occupied with memories of the past; that time when he used his body and had little control over it, the period that marked his second breaking point. If leaving that village with Xuehua had been the first, what followed had definitely shaped how he would act in the future.
An exhausted sigh filled the carriage.
The woman sitting across from him was silently watching him. Ever since he had come for her, she had decided it was best to remain quiet.
An uncomfortable atmosphere filled the carriage.
His eyes closed, adopting a drowsy and carefree state.
Thalassa shifted uncomfortably as she watched him.
She wanted to ask quite a few things: why Adela hadn’t come with them, or why they were suddenly heading to Azure instead of Pradiles first. She was also surprised they were traveling by carriage, as she had thought he might prefer a more direct method. Or she wanted to ask something simpler, like whether he could breathe underwater—though she figured it was better to avoid that one. He would probably look at her like she was asking something stupid and laugh at her, also it’s not like aura or mana doesn’t help with that, and why would it be different for him?. Either way, she didn’t know where to start.
Cassian was not unaware of the woman’s state in front of him, but he chose to remain silent.
He was already quite drained from flooding every inch of this world searching for any trace Margery might have left, or any clue about her, yet he had found nothing.
Even now, he kept his extended perception active in case he was missing something, but the situation only left him more confused.
Thinking they might be dead was not an option; he would have noticed if that were the case.
But could there be something in this world capable of hiding from him?
That didn’t seem believable either.
Even if he wasn’t at his best, there shouldn’t be anything in this plane capable of limiting his senses.
So what then?
Options kept appearing, but the most likely one only made him frown in annoyance.
And the solutions?
They were even more problematic. Gathering enough power to cast a soul-tracking spell or even modifying the laws of fate to see the flow of the story would require time he couldn’t obtain immediately. Not to mention that the entire universe and all its dimensions were the focus of his search.
He needed to narrow the radius, but he couldn’t waste time going from section to section without a general idea of where to start.
He wanted to believe they should be somewhere near here... but what if they weren’t?
An even louder sigh was heard at that moment. Thalassa jumped in fright and, finally, seemed unable to hold back any longer.
"Can I get some explanations now? Please?"
He frowned and opened his eyes. "We’re heading to Azure. I’m going to help you, and then we’ll go our separate ways. It’s quite simple to understand, Thalassa Serenia."
The woman’s eyes widened slightly in confusion. She had thought he was finally treating her better, but his short, completely emotionless response quickly changed her mind.
"You don’t have to vent to me about whatever happened."
"Maybe... but I don’t really care either."
She let out a snort in response. "Bastard."
"It seems the women in this world really like calling me that, but I remind you that I’m wasting my time here just to help you."
The carriage fell silent again.
The journey to the coast and then to the siren capital was not short. They would not only pass through the known empires but also enter zones or places they had never heard of. From time to time they passed through villages, and sometimes stayed in them. The silence between them remained, and her doubts only grew.
Once, while staying at an inn and feeling he wasn’t as closed off, she gathered the courage to ask again:
"Why didn’t we go straight to Azure with your power? I’ve seen you appear and disappear across great distances like it’s nothing, with people or without them. So I don’t understand why you’re wasting so much time traveling with me if you don’t have it to spare."
"I’m focusing my energy on something else."
"Mmm," the woman nodded, as if she understood what he meant, even though she didn’t. "Can I know what happened? Adela didn’t come with us."
"And she won’t be appearing for a while. She’s grounded, and I’m not going to go get her. Like I said, my energy is on something else."
"And what is that something?" Her soft voice, slightly hesitant with doubt, sounded in the room.
"Finding Margery... and I suppose Cassane too," he whispered the last part somewhat reluctantly.
"Your sister? Isn’t she in Pradiles?"
"That was the case. I should have followed her from the beginning. Anyway, you understand the picture now. Let’s stop talking unless it’s necessary."
She bit her lip, got up from the bed where she had been lying, and approached him. But before she could say anything, he interrupted her with a joke:
"I’m not interested in you comforting me with your body, Thalassa."
The woman immediately frowned in annoyance. "And I wasn’t going to offer that either! I just wanted to thank you for not forgetting your promise despite everything."
He looked at her for a moment, then closed his eyes and gave a brief nod, ending the conversation. But not before murmuring: "What a shame. I’m still curious about what sex is like with your race, though I’ve never seen you with your tail."
Thalassa stood frozen in front of the bed. Her face turned slightly red, and she remained rooted to the spot at those words.
But seeing that he didn’t seem to want to continue talking, and not knowing how to respond, she returned to where she had been. She sat down and kept her gaze fixed on him, thinking. Should I...?