There is no time for recklessness. This time, I take the reins myself, urging the horse forward to overtake the convoy.
We burst out of the forest, the port coming clearly into view. At the same time, the convoy from the village road appears beside us.
"Can we pass them?!" Rose asks.
"HAA!" I shout as I crack the whip—WUSH. The horse accelerates, not all at once, but steadily enough. With this pace, we can slip ahead of them.
We draw closer to the port. "I wonder what Olivia meant," Rose murmurs.
At last, we arrive at the port. "Huff," Rose and I exhale at the same time. Their ship is already prepared—just as Olivia said, entry does require a ticket, but not for VVIP.
Only then do we understand her meaning: our carriage, black with yellow patterns, stands out sharply among the other horse-drawn carriages, all of them plain yellow, clearly visible as we approach.
We are allowed through immediately. We board at once and set sail for Nimurelle.
Rose stands beside me at the ship's railing, amazed at how decisive Olivia's help is, watching the other carriages being inspected one by one under strict scrutiny.
Rose smiles in awe. "So that's how it is. There really was no way out without Olivia."
I tilt my head back. "I thought miracles never existed—at least not for me," I murmur.
"Hm?"
—
It is time to depart. The carriage moves away. The port shrinks behind us. The ship pulls farther from the shore.
The sea growls beneath the hull as dawn breaks, a thin blade of light cutting across the horizon.
Two days, two nights.
The first night: long conversations, dinner, gazing at the moon, and one of us falling asleep first.
The next day: breakfast, walking around the ship, talking with the captain, lunch. Nothing special—except the exhaustion clinging to me.
The second night: dinner again. More stories. More laughter. More fatigue.
By the next dawn, exhaustion presses down on me. The sea, the silence, her closeness—everything feels as though it is squeezing the breath from my lungs. I lean against the railing and slowly close my eyes.
Then I see it, the same as last time—at sea.
Land.
The difference is that I see it with my eyes closed. Of course, it is a limited glimpse of the future, something I can use at any time.
And that is a bad sign. The power flowing through my body is already far too great.
—
The ship approaches the shoreline.
"Oliver once said his plan would continue along every coast once we reached Nimurelle," I say to her.
"Losing Uncle affects this journey deeply. Whatever lies ahead… we are going to struggle," she replies, worry clear in her voice.
"It cannot be helped. I have prepared myself to face whatever comes. Even—" My words trail off, my gaze turning empty at the end.
"Even?" Rose asks.
"I think traveling alone would not be so bad after you reunite with your brother or your father, Rose. Otherwise, the cost will be too great. Loss—that is what I mean." I lift my eyes to the sky.
She looks at me—not like someone who is about to ruin my life.
"But you will not be lonely like before if we are together, Hiro."
"I do not know. I am tired of thinking about it. Perhaps the view in Nimurelle will heal it."
I shoulder more of the gear bags. "Bring those here. I will place them directly in the carriage—wait outside," I say, extending my hand. She hands me a few of the lighter ones. We step down from the ship, and I head inside to look for Olivia's carriage.
Inside the outer carriage bay, many carriages are parked neatly, all the same color. None in the front row stands out.
Then—
"Sir?" a guard calls to me.
I am not covering my face with my cloak. I pull it up and turn. Olivia's carriage is parked near the guard.
The guard approaches at once. "Allow me, sir," he says, reaching for the bags on my shoulder. I hand them over, lowering my head.
"Everything is ready, sir," he says, loading the bags into the storage compartment.
I climb into the carriage. The guard stands straight at my side.
"Safe travels, sir," he says, bowing.
"HAA!" I shout, cracking the whip—WUSH. The horse surges forward.
I look for where Rose is standing. Among the crowd of passengers who have just disembarked, far from the bustle at the roadside, I spot her and walk over.
"That was fast. The others have not even brought out their carriages yet," Rose says as I step down from the horse.
"Almost careless—but I think it already happened," I reply.
"Hm? What?" she asks.
"Our faces. We should be hiding them under our cloaks, Rose," I explain.
"Ah, right. I forgot," she says, quickly pulling up her hood.
"So, who is driving?" I ask.
"Of course I am. This is my proof," she says confidently.
I look at her for a moment, say nothing, and step into the carriage.
"Do not repeat the same mistake," I tell her.
"Of course. I know. Relax—this will get us there faster if I drive," she replies. It is not reassuring, but I am tired and need rest.
"Very well. Let us begin. I cannot wait to see the scenery—"
—
The view opens into darkness.
"Huh—" Rose gasps, shocked, never expecting a land where morning feels like the dead of night.
"A view like this… what happened before? Why is it like this?"
Mountains stretch across the horizon, indistinct—though it is morning, the sunlight is swallowed by thick clouds. A river winds like silver, ending in a waterfall spilling from a high cliff, barely visible. The carriage moves slowly along a packed dirt road connecting several small settlements.
Below us, the valley is consumed by dense forest. Everything is dark; farmland cannot be seen. From a small hut, a thin stream of smoke rises, feeding the clouds already heavy enough that only a sliver of sunlight breaks through.
"A land that refuses the light, huh?" I say.
Rose glances back with a look of disgust. "I just traveled this road this morning. With scenery like this… how could I possibly feel comfortable?"