Chapter 29

The fifth shrine was the furthest one away from the frontlines. It might hold the secret to Elerina’s past, or even the secret regarding the demonic magic that took over the monsters. Since it was the farthest one out, it would take the longest to reach. Angen said that it would maybe take from a couple of days to an entire week to reach.

Hence why we decided to stop in an abandoned town to look for supplies.

“We have more than enough, don't we? I’m surprised they’re still willing to go look for stuff.”

Ever since they were aware of my existence, I’ve been giving them meals. Unfortunately, with how things were, I simply couldn’t cook enough for all four of us, hence we went back to instant meals. Elerina wasn’t happy with that, but she swallowed her complaints. Angen and Memorus, on the other hand, quite enjoyed the stuff they could try.

“We’re all assuming you’re just going to vanish one night.”

Sometimes, I wish Elerina was a little less honest. I understand where she’s coming from, but saying it in such a matter-of-fact way hurts. It feels like I really will abandon them.

“If I did vanish, wouldn’t you have enough for the return trip?”

There was still a lot of stuff in Angen’s carriage. I would be more surprised if that stack of food couldn’t last them a month.

“If you vanish, we wouldn’t be returning immediately. We’re closer to the shrine than the frontlines. We should at least visit it.”

“Wouldn’t that be pointless?”

Elerina reacted with a shrug.

We were exploring an abandoned elven town. It looked similar to Elerina's hometown, with one major difference. Tall mountains are visible in the distance. They made a stunning view, and were among the natural barriers that were supposed to protect the town from the north. Unfortunately, the town grew lax, and when the monsters crossed them easily, the town was overwhelmed.

“There’s still so much food here…” Elerina murmured, looking at the food on the shelves. The people of that world had their own ways to preserve food, primarily with magic spells. That said, we didn’t know the condition of them, so we’re not taking risks. Looking for food is Angen and Memorus’ jobs. We were instead tasked with looking for medicine.

Certain medicine had magical properties that allowed fast healing and quick recovery of mana, important to a mage like Angen, especially since she used her mana constantly to move the carriage. These medicines had a much longer shelf life, lasting four to five years.

“Ah, here it is.” Elerina entered the aisle where the various medicine were displayed. Their bottles had their names and due date written on them. They were written in elven language, so I couldn't read them. That's why Elerina was tasked with looking for medicine, but that's not the only reason.

“Meterokesakuzaya… Here's the one.”

“What does that do?”

“It restores your mana.”

Elerina, despite not being able to use magic, is very knowledgeable when it comes to everything related to magic.

“Now for tokoroze…. Tokorozekeminoupuro.” She grabbed another bottle off the shelf.

“And that's for?”

“Recovery magic.”

She carried as many bottles as she could. It would be too much to carry with just her alone, so she transferred most of it to me. Since there’s a chance that some other adventurer might stumble upon this town and need the medicine, we didn’t empty the shelves. We took the ones with due dates closest to us.

“I feel bad doing this… I hope they're doing well...” she murmured. Indeed, we were like thieves, since we're taking all this without permission. Elerina does have a lot of money, but there's a chance it would be stolen or damaged by the elements before the owner could return. It would be a waste to do so. We clasped our hands together and whispered a silent apology to whoever the owner is, and went back to the carriage.

When we arrived back, I transferred the items back, and Elerina stored it in the carriage.

“So, what’s next?”

Angen and Memorus hadn’t returned yet. They went somewhere further away, looking for food in the nearby farms and fields, as all the food in town was considered dangerous. It had been more than a year since the war began, and magic allowed food to be stored up to a year. There aren’t any fresh ones, and it’s unlikely we found food stored the day the demons invaded. Due to its location as a border town, this town was also among the first to be overrun.

That said, certain farms are built with magic regulation devices. These devices keep the plants fresh, and thus, a much better source of food. It would probably be a while before the two of them returned.

“Should we check out the shopping district?”

“Sure, that’s a good idea.”

The pharmacy we visited, if you can call it that, is located outside the shopping district, near the town’s walls, so we haven’t visited the shopping district itself. The shopping district was located near the center of town.

“Oh, by the way, I bought this.”

I transferred over a hoverboard to Elerina. The hoverboard is only a bit larger than a backpack when folded, so it went to her world no problem.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a vehicle that allows you to move quickly over short distances. It may need some getting used to.”

Admittedly, it wasn’t the easiest vehicle to move around in, but I couldn’t transfer over large objects. I thought about giving her a foldable scooter instead, but the scooter’s small wheels might struggle when faced with uneven terrain.

“How do you use this?”

“First, put it on the ground, then step on it.”

Elerina bent down, then put her right food on the board.

“Whoah, whoah!” Her foot wobbled back and forth. She stepped away and looked at me with genuine concern on her face. “Is this thing safe?”

It’s quite hilarious seeing someone who had top physical condition be intimidated by a small, half meter board.

“Of course… actually, you should use a helmet when wearing it.”

Elerina’s armor should protect her from a fall… probably.

Despite still looking scared of the board, she brought her feet back onto it.

“Just get a feel for it, without turning it on. Try to balance yourself. Dont’t be too worried, I’m here to catch you if you fall.”

I’m quite proud of my new fit body after I endured Elerina’s harsh training routine. I’m confident I could hold her up if she lost her balance.

“You’ll need to be confident when using this.”

“This thing can smell my fear? Just what is this!?”

Well… I wouldn’t go that far…

“No, but it does sense your foot’s movement. If you push your foot forward, it’ll move forward, if you move it backward, it’ll go backward.”

After Elerina tried getting on and off it a couple of times, I figured she’s ready to use it. I guided her to press the silver button on its front. The hoverboard let out a beep, and lights appeared on both the front and back of the board. I extended my hand, letting her hold it as she got on it for the first time.

“Woah!”

She lost her footing and stumbled. I quickly caught her before she could fall. Luckily for me, the hoverboard didn’t appear in the middle dimension, so it didn’t hit me when she fell. I could transfer it no problem, so I assume it counts as a vehicle when she’s riding it, so despite its small size, it didn’t appear underneath her feet. I have no way of actually telling, though, and at this point, that’s not important.

“Be careful.”

“Sorry…”

“Let’s try that again. Take a deep breath, and calmly climb to the board. Remember to keep your foot flat on the surface. That way, the board wouldn't move.”

Elerina looked at the board with fear, but there’s a glow in her eyes. It seemed that she had a strong intent on conquering the board.

She tried once again. She wobbled again, but this time, she didn’t lost her balance, and managed to bring both her legs above the hoverboard.

“Nice one.”

“Don’t let me go! Don’t let me go!” she shouted with tears in her eyes. Looking at her made me want to let go, just to see her reaction, but she’ll probably be very pissed if I did that.

“I don’t like that expression…” she murmured. I let out a tiny laugh and gripped her hand tight.

“Now, move the tip of your feet forward. Gently, slowly.”

Elerina did as I told, and despite her body not moving from my point of view, the camera footage captured by the action cam showed her gliding through the streets. At a much slower pace when compared to walking, but she’s just getting used to it, so it’s fine.

“If you want to go faster, lean your foot forward even further.”

Elerina began to accelerate.

“Now, to stop, bring your heels down and flatten the board’s surface.”

Elerina did as I said and pulled to a stop.

“If you want to turn right, push your right foot forward and your left backward. If you want to turn the other way, do the opposite.”

Elerina began spinning in place.

“So, how was it?”

“Scary,” she answered.

“You’ll get used to it. Let’s use it to get to the shopping district.”

Elerina nodded meekly and began moving forward. I decided to continue holding her hand for now, waiting for a time to let go. It felt like teaching a child how to ride a bicycle for the first time. You just stand there behind them, waiting for the right moment to let go. I wonder if we’ll be teaching our child how to ride a hoverboard one day…

Ah…

I accidentally let go.

Elerina seemed focused on riding it so much that she didn’t realize our hands are no longer connected. Oh well, she’ll be fine-

She fell to the ground immediately after that.