Chapter 30

The sun shone brilliantly in the skies above, marking a new day. If this were on Earth, John would have gone immediately to his bathroom, going for a shower and brushing his teeth. His schedule meant that there was no time to waste, and he couldn’t even check his phone when he woke up. If he woke up late, then checking his phone wouldn’t do him any favors. If he woke up early, he could slow down later.

Life here was much more relaxed. Other than that, he was no longer alone, either. While he wouldn’t call Leyla a great ally, she did help him a bit. John glanced to where she should have been.

“...?”

Normally, Leyla would wake up before him. Sometimes, she would go into town. Other times, she would sit down and observe him. John was a bit surprised to see her still there.

Did something happen?

Outside, he heard the calls from the merchants waking everyone up. They would soon continue their journey. Other times, Leyla would be the one waking him up, so something must have happened.

Maybe she’s tired?

She went on the quest to slay the final boss of floor thirty with Isak. But… in the days following that event, she still woke up earlier than him. Maybe the fatigue only hit her now? If not, why else would she wake up late?

“Hey, Leyla, wake up…” he pushed her cheeks. Her head shook slightly, her eyes fluttering open.

“...” She stared at the tent’s ceiling, not saying a single word.

“Leyla?”

“... Oh…”

“Oh?”

“It’s just a dream,” she said with a disappointed tone.

“What did you dream about?”

She gave him a smile, but her eyes looked empty. “Not your business.”

…?

Why was she smiling when she said that?

“Right. We need to get going.”

They broke down the tent together. While doing this, Leyla’s gaze seemed unfocused. She didn’t look like she cared about the thing she was doing. Instead, she kept staring into the distance, her hands moving on their own.

“... Ouch.” She yelped all of a sudden.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

John saw blood dripping from her right thumb. “That…?”

“I’m fine. Mind your own business.”

“Alright,” John replied. They took a bit longer than usual to break down their tent, but still finished it before the others. They loaded their stuff onto the carriage, and the carriages went on their way. Unlike yesterday, Leyla remained silent.

John wasn’t sure if he should even say anything, but riding in silence was boring. They should arrive in a small village before evening, so they wouldn’t need to sleep in the wilderness this time. They would still need to set up camp, however, as they wouldn’t be sleeping in an inn. This isn’t a tour, after all.

“... Should we take a walk when we arrive?”

“... Huh?”

“You know, we’ve been working hard, after all.”

John wanted to enjoy this world for a bit. They had quite a bit of money, thanks to the reward Ellie gave them. They could afford a day or two.

“Maybe hit up some attractions, go shopping…” John trailed off. What do people in this world do when they travel? Do they go to hot springs and beaches? Do they even travel for fun in the first place? If John were forced to spend a week on a carriage, he wouldn’t be attracted to traveling, either.

“... Sure, I'll go,” she answered rather unenthusiastically.

“Okay.”

John didn’t really know if this village would have anything to offer. It did seem like a small place, based on the merchant’s description. They didn’t have anything to do while they stopped anyway, and they could get a few extra hours of sleep when the carriages continued on. If anything, that sounded appealing, compared to staying up and doing nothing.

“What do you want to do when we arrive over there?”

“... I don’t know.”

“Huh…” That was all John could say.

•••

“This feels like a festival…” Leyla murmured. They had gotten off the carriage and were now wandering across the village. They knew it wasn’t a festival. They had asked one of the stall owners before. This was the local night market. It always had colorful lanterns and a lively atmosphere. It always had the band that played in the background.

“I know, right?” Had John not known, he would have thought they had stumbled upon a different festival. But apparently, the night market had always been a part of this village. The stall owner even said that it had been this way ever since he was born. Lively and colorful.

“Is there anything you want to check out?”

“Not really…”

John scanned his surroundings. He figured if Leyla wouldn’t choose, then he would just go and have fun on his own.

Still… what to do…

There were many food stalls, and no small amount of attractions. If anything, there were too many options. They had arrived late, and the festival would close by midnight, leaving them with not much time. Certainly not enough to visit every stall.

“Are you hungry?”

“No.”

Leyla appeared much more listless compared to usual. She had been like that the entire day.

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing.”

“Something definitely did.”

But they were together the entire day, and John couldn’t point out anything that might be the reason.

“It’s none of your business.”

“I know, but you can’t show me this and expect me not to be curious.”

Not just that, she was also ruining the mood. How could John look around happily if she dragged her feet like that?

Leyla groaned. “I had a bad dream, happy now?”

“That doesn’t really tell me anything.”

“It’s about her. My sister.”

“... Your sister?”

Leyla sat down on one of the available benches, and John sat down next to her.

“It's my last meeting with her.”

John’s breath got caught in his throat. Leyla stared at him. Her eyes conveyed her annoyance at him asking, but she continued anyway. Maybe to show just how heartless he had been.

“I stopped by her world, forgetting that she could get old and sick after turning into a human. I waited for her to come back outside, but after waiting, she never returned. She had a heart attack and died inside.”

“... Sorry.”

“Now you apologize? But whatever, it’s a dream. The event had long passed. There’s nothing I can do about it.” She scoffed.

“Do you miss her?”

“... I don’t even want to answer that.” She stood up, forgetting about the walk, and headed back toward the carriage.