Chapter 81

Leaving the hospital with Clare by my side through a back door, we made our way back home.

I had both my sword and short sword with me as protection, which Chelsie gave back after she found them, which was fortunate. Another fortunate thing was that Alex and everyone luckily found my pouches, one of them being the items I got from the medical center in Base 38, and my pouch that held monster cores.

It was very lucky that they found the pouch with my monster cores because from my fight with Boras, I could use these things as batteries or additional power for my magic, which works almost exactly the same as my Named Aias in my past life.

Additionally, I had my swords sent to Kinwall for maintenance and to give them a coating of mythril because, after experiencing what it’s like to wield a full mythril sword, I wanted something similar. On top of that, I already placed an order for more throwing knives, which are now with Mila for engraving.

But speaking of that, unfortunately, I can’t say for Athrun’s sword, which was destroyed in my fight with Boras. I apologized to him, but he was fine with it since that was just a spare, and he breaks a lot of weapons, since a sword made out of Mythril was, not surprisingly, nothing to him.

And lastly, I had a potion pouch, given to me by Maria, since I lost mine.

All things considered, I could handle myself just fine if my family tried to come after me again. I doubt they have anyone as strong as Boras on their side or willing to work for them after the mess they have committed. Plus, they’ve sent most of their Black Knights to get me, meaning that they severely lack any real manpower to do much of anything. After all, taking a glance at the crowd of people around us, there are people who are ready for that scenario.

To add on more protection, knights from the third knight order, sent from the royal capital, were here to guard me. Compared to the Fourth, the Third Knight Order is meant to guard high-value individuals, like diplomats or people other than royalty.

As for the first and second knight orders, if anyone is wondering, the first is the royal guard, dedicated solely to the royal family, while the second, known as the palace guard, guards the royal palace and supplements the first when additional manpower is needed, since the first only has a total of 30 members.

I’m surprised that the Third Knight Order, despite being the second smallest of the seven knight orders, would come. They number around 100 members, and 5 of them, all of whom were mages, were blending into the crowd somewhere.

I was told beforehand about them by Argena, and I'm really surprised that they are hiding so well in plain sight, something my family’s black knight couldn’t do, since they only hide in the shadows where nobody is looking.

We went through all that, and we went home without any trouble, with the knights from the Third Knight Order beginning to patrol outside our house.

When I went in, I took a deep sigh because it’s been a while since I last came back. A lot has happened, and I wanted to go to my soft bed and sleep on it, even though it was the afternoon, or maybe take a bath first.

It saddens me that tomorrow, Clare and I will be leaving for Farsbarow because it’s not safe here. Even with the protection from the knights from the Third Knight Order, temporarily guarding me, in addition to the knights from the Fourth, they would only stay till they finished cleaning up my family’s mess.

Both of the knight orders have more important things to do than protecting a runaway noble child.

With that in mind, I told Clare to prepare me a bath as I went to my office.

Papers were scattered around on my desk, and books lay beside it as I left it, though the room was spotless, which I presume Clare had cleaned while I was out.

Gathering all the paperwork I had been working on, I sorted it into two stacks, a big one that had the unimportant papers and a small one, around 7 or 8 papers, that held diagrams for the magical circles for my engraved knives.

The reason I’m keeping them is because… placing my hands next to each other again, like when I showed my magical powers to Athrun, my hair glowed black, and my eyes turned blue.

Black electricity sparks between my fingers, and I felt immediately exhausted doing that. At first, I thought it was just me being weakened at the time and I needed bed rest to recover, but it’s not the case.

I tried using normal electricity that was not infused with the nature of my mana, but for some reason, I couldn’t.

I should buy a book on how to control my magical powers when I go to Mila’s shop tomorrow to pick up my engraved knives. It’s weird that I can’t use basic lightning magic, remembering what Boras said. Maybe it’s due to me skipping, like, a lot of steps on how to use my magical powers, since this is similar to, if not exactly like, my aias in my past life, which means I don’t know the basics of how to use my magic.

Lucia won’t really help me since she hasn’t visited me once, including Wendy, which is why I'm going to Mable to get a book about magic.

So thinking that, I'd better prepare everything to leave Acton for Farsbarrow since I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.

Taking the large pile of papers that I don’t need, I went downstairs and to the fireplace in the living room.

Putting some of the papers in the fireplace, I also placed some logs in and grabbed a match, which was kind of a rare commodity in this world that came with the house, and lit it.

I threw the lit match in the fireplace, aimed at the stack of paper I used as kindling. I watched it burn brightly, causing it to spread to the logs as well.

The flame burned, and I gradually put the rest of my papers in the fire, watching it all burn and turn to ash. Once I burned all of it, I took a deep sigh and went upstairs to see Clare patiently waiting for me.

“Lady Rita, the bath is ready.”

“Okay, thank you, Clare.”

Clare bowed, and I entered. Stepping in, I closed the door and took off my clothes, throwing them in the hamper for dirty laundry.

I step toward the mirror in the bathroom, to where the washbasin is, and I look at myself in it.

Scars formed around my body, caused by the markings from my fight with Boras.

They cover my body, and I turn my body around to see my back. That Drake drip blood infused with ori energy on my back, and I expected quite an ugly sight, but to my confusion, it was not the case at all.

Expecting my back to look like acid burn scars, different from the scars covering my body that looked like markings, I saw that there was a pair of symmetrical electrical burn scars on my left and right shoulder blades.

It was connected to other scars, caused by the marking, around my body, and most surprisingly, they looked like a pair of folded-up bird wings.

Strange… this just gets weirder by the day. First it was my blue eyes, next was the markings, and finally this. Even if I account for myself using Ori energy working alongside my magical powers, there are a lot of gaps, like how I was able to use Ori energy even though I am not in an Aias, because upon closer inspection, Ori energy was definitely mixed into my mana.

Remembering how it felt, it was similar yet different, where Ori energy is much more intense to use and more draining compared to mana.

Taking a big, tired sigh, this is just too exhausting to think about. I’m already tired today, especially since I used my magic earlier, which was quite a drain on me mentally.

Going straight to the bathtub, I let out another sigh, this time from enjoying taking a bath after a really long time.

The hot water washes away the stress and fatigue that I have accumulated massively over the last twoish weeks.

I was relaxed, and I wanted it to last longer, but I feared I might fall asleep in the tub and drown. So with much reluctance, I begrudgingly got out.

Reaching out for a towel, I dried myself off. With that done, instead of putting on my fresh set of clothes, I went to my belt that held my pouches and swords.

Opening up one of them, which fortunately wasn’t missing or gone, I took out the cream and bandages from Base 38’s medical center.

Twisting the cap off and using it to puncture the seal, I squeezed a clear cream out and began rubbing it on both my arms.

I don’t know if it would work, since the AI told me that it has been a long time since it got to this world, so I’m trying it out to see.

After that was done, I wrapped my arms with bandages, which I knew could work, even with water splashing on them, when water suddenly began flooding the passage I was in.

Looking at myself in the mirror, seeing my arms covered in bandages, I step away and put on a fresh set of clothes.

Leaving the bathroom and going downstairs, I heard Clare was preparing dinner, and she told me that she would be finished in around 15 minutes, so I decided to wait by the fire to dry off my hair fully.

Clare called for me, telling me that she had finished cooking as I was watching the fire, passing the time.

She pulled out a chair and waited for me to be seated. I sat down and saw the food in front of me.

It was an oven-roasted chicken with crispy baked potatoes, freshly baked white bread, and roasted vegetables that were baked with the chicken.

One bite made me know it was delicious; granted, I already knew anything Clare makes tastes good.

Seeing me eat it and knowing what I was thinking since I wasn’t putting up my guard against her, she silently smiled behind me, by my side.

Minding my manners, I devour it while also savoring the taste. With the last bit of food left on my plate, I took the last bite and placed my utensils down, then I dabbed my lips with a napkin and got up.

“It was amazing, Clare; I really like it.”

Still having her slight smile, she smiled a bit more, hearing my compliment.

“Then shall I prepare some tea before you go to bed, my lady?”

“Yes, that sounds lovely.”

Bowing, Clare went to the kitchen to boil some water while I went back to my office upstairs to read a book. I’m not coming back for a while, so I'd better finish up the book I was reading when I was in the hospital, since I’m almost finished with it, which should take about 30 minutes if I’m quick about it.

I began reading, and in that time, Clare came up with a silver tray that had a tea kettle and a teacup for some late-night tea.

Not putting my book down, I grabbed the teacup and took a sip. It was light, floral, earthy, and mildly sweet, which I recognized to be Ashfen tea.

Taking my eyes off my book, I saw that the color was almost light blue, which confirmed it. Ashfen tea is brewed from the roots of the Ashfen plant, dull gray in appearance, but when steeped, they release a gentle blue tint into the water.

I’m kind of surprised that Clare was able to find them, since they are usually seasonal items, only gathered in the fall if you want the blue color coming from the roots.

Placing the teacup back on the saucer, I notice Clare looking at me, sensing disapproval from her.

“Ummm… is there something wrong, Clare?”

“Yes, I must ask my lady to refrain from reading in such a dim room; it's bad for your eyes.”

Huh… Hearing that for the first time in this world, I can’t believe even in this world that piece of misinformation is here to annoy me. I guess you learn something new every day.

Not wanting to argue about it because I remembered Scott would always nag us about it in my past life, I said.

“Okay, would it be fine if I just lit up some more candles?”

Hearing my response, Clare answered. “That seems acceptable.”

Going around my office, Clare lit a match and proceeded to light some candles.

After she was done, I looked up to look at her and said. “You can leave now; I’ll go to bed after I’m done. Please finish up whatever you need to for our departure tomorrow.”

Clare nodded, then bowed to leave. I watch her open the door and step out, then I focus back on my book, reading it till I finish.

Turning the last page, I close the book and yawn. I think it’s time to go to bed; we are leaving quite early to do some stuff tomorrow before we leave Acton for a while.

Blowing out the candles, I put away the book I was reading on the bookshelf, went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and went straight to my soft and extremely comfortable bed, which was much better than the hospital bed I had to stay in for a whole week.

I’m going to miss sleeping in this bed because nothing would compare, other than the beds I used to sleep on before I ran away. Those were my last thoughts when I lost consciousness and went to sleep.

Waking up the next morning, Clare had to shake me awake because my bed was too comfortable not to get up, but after much persistence, I finally got up.

Stretching, I went to the bathroom, getting ready for the day. Then I went downstairs to eat breakfast that Clare had made for me.

A plate full of pancakes with fresh fruit and jam, alongside bacon and eggs. Seeing that, I began digging in as Clare brushed my bedhead.

When I was done eating and Clare finished brushing my hair, I went upstairs to finish packing. yesterday.

First, I put in my valuables from the safe in my backpack, which were money and jewelry, followed by my papers, and finally, miscellaneous items that I might need to bring along.

My backpack was stuffed, seeing all the things I crammed in. It was quite heavy, but I moved downstairs to the living room, to the couch, which had other stuff next to it, like a suitcase Clare bought that held my clothes, towels, blankets, and amenities.

Next to the couch was a knapsack with food made by Clare for our journey to Farsbarrow, along with a pot, some bowls, and utensils. And finally, beside it was Clare's suitcase, neatly set down and ready to go.

Sitting on the couch, I waited and watched Clare. From the living room, I saw her finish cleaning the dishes, followed by making her rounds around the house, checking everything before we left for an indefinite amount of time, until it’s safe for us to come back.

Once she was done, she dried her hands with a towel and walked over to me.

“I apologize for the wait. Have you got everything you need, Lady Rita?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Then shall we go now? And no need to worry about the house, my lady; I have already finished preparing the house for our long absence.”

“Good, let’s go, Clare.”

Putting on our cloaks, which Clare had gotten for us, that were black on the outside and grey on the inside, I strap on my backpack and grab the suitcase that holds my clothes and other things, while Clare picks up her own suitcase, along with a knapsack packed with our food and travel supplies.

Opening the door, I held it for Clare, closed it, and reached into my pocket for the key.

I felt resigned while locking the door. This was my first house, and for a short while, I didn’t really have much to worry about. I didn’t have to worry about being a noble when I was back with my family, nor did I have to worry too much about my family finding me in that short time. It was, frankly, one of the most enjoyable times I have experienced in this life. I had people close to me by my side, and I got to fight fun opponents instead of being bored all day in my family manor or having to play mind games with other nobles.

Turning to face the streets above, the knights from the third knight order reveal themselves to me, not directly, but instead they unmask their presence within the crowd, where I could sense their stares for a moment.

So with that, we made our way to Mila’s bookstore, which didn’t take too long to get to.

When we got there, I was surprised to see a piece of paper stuck on the door and a closed sign hanging up.

Getting close to the door, I saw that the piece of paper was written for me. Immediately, I grew suspicious, as did Clare, who could tell what I was feeling, and the knights from the third knight order, where one of them approached us closely, just enough for me to make eye contact with him.

Taking the note off the door, I open it and read it, and I sigh in relief that something didn’t happen to Mila after reading it because this was her handwriting, granted, it looked a bit sloppy and rushed, with some words being misspelled or crossed out.

Glancing over the letter, the rundown was that Mila had to go somewhere and had to leave fast because she had to travel somewhere but forgot what day it was, which I could see was something she would do. Due to that, she quickly had to leave her store and quickly wrote this note for me.

Unfortunately, she said she would mail in my engraved knives for me, which was bad timing because we were also leaving Acton, meaning I couldn’t really pick them up.

That is honestly a shame… sighing in disappointment, which Clare could only tell.

“Clare, Mila has left Acton, something about traveling somewhere, but she didn’t say where. Judging by her handwriting, I think she was in a rush. Apparently, she just forgot she was supposed to leave and only remembered a couple of days later.”

“I see, then, how about your knives, young master?”

With her question, I sighed again, resignedly. “I guess we would have to pick them up when we come back in the future or when it’s safe.”

Really disappointed that I couldn't pick up my knives or buy a book about how to use magic, we made our way to the hospital, to Lieutenant Argena's office.

In her office, she greeted us, and I told her that we were leaving while giving the knights in the room our luggage.

They already made a plan to get us out of Acton without being spotted, which was to basically slip out of Acton in a normal carriage with a diversionary carriage from the Fourth Knight Order that was supposed to mislead people that I was going straight to the capital without stopping, followed by a band of knights, to their headquarters.

With that plan set in motion, I watched outside the window, seeing a carriage with black tinted windows park on the side, where you couldn’t see what was inside.

Seeing that and hearing the doors opening, I hear three people walking in.

It was Alice wearing similar clothes to me, and another person with similar clothes to Clare, followed by only Alex.

Alice was supposed to be me going into the carriage, since we were about the same height, and she needed to go there instead of me, which was why the other person, a woman also around the same height as Clare, who was a knight from the fourth knight order, was accompanying Alice.

“Hi, I guess we are taking our leave today?”

“Yeah, we just came to say goodbye to you two.”

Hearing that, a bit depressed, I ask Alex.

“Oh, I see, but where is everyone?”

“Oh, that… Unfortunately, I’m the only person who is allowed to come up to see you with Alice, and they chose me to come see you off.”

“I see, that is a shame. Could you say goodbye to everyone for me?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Turning to Alice, I ask her, “Are you ready? It’s going to be a nonstop ride.”

Alice nodded and responded. “It shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“That is good to know, and thanks for helping me out.”

“It’s not really a problem; this is also to my benefit, so you don't have to worry.”

Alice smiled and put on her hood, which was the same as mine, and we said our goodbyes. I watched them leave, knights carrying our luggage, which would be transferred to the carriage we’d actually be riding in.

Next, after they left, I took off my cloak and inverted it; the same goes for Clare. Our black cloaks were now inverted to be grey, and we were escorted out of the building, through the main entrance, where a lot of people were coming and going.

We didn’t experience any trouble going to the gate, where our wagon was.

It was crowded, way more crowded than it usually was, because the carriage of the fourth knight order was taking priority over the other wagons and carriages.

This was to our benefit because many people crowded the big road, filled with wagons and carriages.

We made our way through the people and heavy traffic to the carriage, which was part of a caravan that was going to a neighboring country, with Farsbarow on the way.

Getting to the wagon, Clare took out two tickets to show to the coachmen, and we boarded. Inside, I saw our league, thankfully, inside with other people.

However, as I saw the inside of the carriage, my eyes locked with another's. Immediately, before she could speak a word, I covered her mouth with my hand, shushing her.

Mila? What is she doing here?