Chapter 371: Because of a Promise

"I won’t be returning home today."

There was a short silence.

The coachman, Bram, slowly turned his head from the driver’s seat, while the woman, Orianna, standing beside the carriage simply blinked at Calyra, dumbfounded.

Orianna had served the Arcanis household for many years and had personally taken care of Calyra since she was still a child.

Although she was technically the head servant assigned to accompany her, Calyra had always thought of her as something closer to another mother.

Which was exactly why the gentle smile on Orianna’s face suddenly became somewhat strained.

"Young Lady," she began softly. "Would you mind explaining what you mean by that?"

"I mean I have somewhere else I need to go first."

"Somewhere else?"

"Yes."

Orianna studied her for a moment.

"And was this something you arranged beforehand?"

Calyra hesitated for half a second.

"Not exactly."

Bram glanced toward Orianna, then back toward Calyra.

"That does sound rather sudden, Young Lady."

"Yes, it is a little sudden, urgent in fact."

Orianna gave her a patient smile.

"My Lady, when you say it like that it usually means the rest of us are about to receive a rather large surprise too."

Calyra looked away slightly.

"Sorry, but it is what it is. I only decided recently."

"I see." Orianna sighed. "Then I am afraid I cannot simply pretend I did not hear that and allow you to wander off somewhere on your own."

Calyra had already expected such a response.

Orianna was not trying to control her merely for the sake of it. She had been entrusted with Calyra’s safety for most of her life, and if Calyra suddenly disappeared without returning to the family estate as expected, her parents would undoubtedly become worried.

Which was precisely why she had no intention of disappearing without leaving some kind of explanation.

"You don’t need to come with me."

Orianna’s smile disappeared.

"...Pardon me?"

"I said you don’t need to come with me."

Calyra lightly gestured toward the carriage.

"You and Bram can return home without me."

Bram’s brows rose from the driver’s seat.

"Without you?"

"Yes."

The coachman slowly looked toward Orianna.

"My Lady, if so... I imagine Lord Arcanis may have several questions about that."

Orianna remained silent for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

"My Lady, your parents are expecting their daughter to step out of this carriage when it arrives at the estate. If Bram and I return alone, your mother may very well think something terrible has happened to you."

Calyra smiled aloofly.

"Yes, that’s why you’ll explain it to them properly."

Orianna frowned.

"And what, precisely, would you like me to explain?"

"Simply tell them... I’ll be back in a few days."

Just as Calyra finished speaking, another carriage happened to pass along the road outside the academy gates.

Her attention briefly shifted toward it, and almost instinctively, she activated [Clairvoyant], allowing her vision to pierce through the wooden frame and inspect the interior.

There was no one inside; aside from the coachman seated at the front, the passenger compartment was completely empty.

Calyra’s eyes immediately brightened.

Orianna noticed the subtle change in her expression almost at once.

"My Lady?"

Calyra pretended not to hear the suspicion in her voice.

"And also tell them..." She paused for a moment, watching the passing carriage move farther down the road. "...I wanted to take a short break before coming home."

Orianna’s eyes widened slightly.

"Wait, My Lady, what exactly do you mean by—"

Before she could finish, mana briefly gathered around Calyra — [Blink] — her figure vanished instantly from where she had been standing.

For several long seconds, neither Orianna nor Bram said anything. The two simply stared at the empty space where Calyra had been standing moments earlier.

"Madam Orianna...."

Orianna slowly closed her eyes.

"Yes, Bram?"

"Now then, what exactly are we going to tell Lord and Lady Arcanis?"

Orianna simply sighed in resignation.

"I fear I am asking myself the very same question, Bram. Goodness, that child never makes things easy for me... my poor head."

Then, despite her weary expression, Orianna quietly smiled.

"But still, it is reassuring to see that she is slowly returning to her old self."

*****

And that was how Calyra eventually managed to arrive safely at Ruvian’s house.

Though, technically, she had arrived in Natoris Town the previous evening.

Since it had already grown late and finding Ruvian’s exact home took considerably longer than she had expected, Calyra decided to rent a room at a small wayside inn commonly used by merchants and passing travelers for the night.

After taking a proper bath, eating something warm, and getting some much-needed sleep, she resumed her search the following morning.

Calyra had always been surrounded by servants, escorts, or members of her family whenever she travelled anywhere beyond familiar places. Because of that, wandering around an unfamiliar town entirely on her own gave her an unexpected sense of liberation and independence.

And, much to her own surprise, she was having far more fun than she probably should have.

There was something strangely exciting about having no servant reminding her where to go, no knight following several steps behind her, and no one constantly asking whether she needed anything.

Eventually, after spending most of the morning searching and asking around, she finally managed to locate Ruvian’s house.

Now, beneath the shade of a large tree outside his home, with the gentle afternoon breeze brushing past them, Ruvian sat across from Calyra after finishing lunch and listening to the entire story of how she had suddenly decided not to return home.

By the time she finished explaining everything, Ruvian slowly raised one hand and facepalmed.

’Looks like this is going to be much more troublesome.’

"I’m sorry..."

Calyra muttered as she looked toward the distant sky.

"But you don’t have to worry too much about it. My parents have been much stricter with me ever since that day... but regardless of what they say, I’m still going with the expedition."

She then turned her gaze back toward him, her usually cold eyes carrying a faint trace of resolve.

"You said this had something to do with the promise that I’ve forgotten about, right?" ℯ

Ruvian simply nodded.

"Then I’ll go... regardless."

Honestly, ever since she read the part mentioning that the purpose of the upcoming dungeon expedition had something to do with settling the promise she had forgotten, an inexplicable sense of familiarity and yearning had begun stirring somewhere deep within her.

It felt almost like a distant calling, something buried far beyond the reach of her memories yet still strangely close to her heart.

As though this was something she had always been meant to do. Something tied to her destiny and fate that she had no choice but to fulfill.

It was peculiar, even unsettling, to feel so strongly about something she could not even remember.

Yet that was exactly how she felt.

Ruvian, noticing the contemplative expression that had settled across her face, more or less understood what was going through her mind.

Gradually, Ruvian stood up and dusted off his clothes before extending one hand toward Calyra.

"Well, I know fairly well that you’re stubborn enough to go regardless of what anyone says."

Calyra lifted her gaze toward his face.

"However, it would still be rather irresponsible of me to take a young lady somewhere dangerous without first receiving permission from her parents."

Ruvian smiled reassuringly.

"So, leave the task of convincing your parents to me. I’ll show you how it’s done and that there’s no need to run away from them over this." (+2,000PP)

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[Chapter 371: Because of a Promise]

Plot Points = 297,000