Volume 01 - Chapter 3: Three's a Curse (Part 07)

Upon waking, we discuss our next plan of action. As Mizuka decided before, we’re to travel to Halivaara’s capital: Dragonwall. Meaning, we need to prepare for at least a two-week-long journey. Food, water, and camping supplies, among other essentials. All of which I cannot afford with my featherweight coin purse.

To the rescue is Caliburn, who has some money saved in her room at the tavern. But before we head to Sparrow’s End, we ask Millie to lead us to the general store where the masked man supposedly awaits her.

As suspected by all but Mizuka, he is not there. In a rage, she grills the shop owner and random customers about him, but they have nothing to tell her. Someone so careful to hide their identity must’ve been keeping tabs on Millie. The second he saw or heard she’d failed, he likely skipped town. A tragedy for Mizuka, but I’m relieved to not have to deal with anyone dangerous. At least not until I learn the way of the sword rather than the shovel.

From there, we head to the tavern to collect Caliburn’s coin as well as allow her to resign and say her farewells. We each apologize to the owner for leaving them short-staffed yesterday. Caliburn doesn’t lie but doesn’t provide a detailed reason as to why she’s leaving, saying she simply wishes to go on a journey. Mizuka insists we keep our quest a secret.

To Caliburn’s surprise, the entire tavern’s staff and several customers break down crying and insist they throw a going-away party.

Food and drink cover every inch of our table, and we eat our fill for free. Me and Millie keep saying we’ve never tasted anything so delicious in our entire lives until Mizuka smacks us both, saying to shut up and eat.

Caliburn chats with each person who comes to say goodbye, a sunny smile on her lips and tears threatening to paint her cheeks at any second. Perhaps she didn’t realize what effect she had on the lives of those around her or how much she’s loved. Would my family have done the same had I not slipped away like a thief in the night?

Gathering her former coworkers together, Caliburn asks them to set aside leftovers for anyone who might need them. She also introduces Millie to each of them as her replacement. Millie is as surprised as them, and says she’s too young, but the tavern owner gives her approval after Caliburn explains Millie’s situation.

This leads to them insisting Millie try on the barmaid uniform. She refuses, hiding behind Caliburn until her eyes land on Mizuka. Sporting an evil grin, she says she’ll try it on if Mizuka joins her. Mizuka, of course, declines, but both are captured by the army of barmaids, who had a little too much drink, and dragged into the changing room.

Faces as rubies, both are paraded around the tavern, men and women alike fawning over them. Much to Mizuka’s annoyance, neither can fill the uniform’s billowy chest section. Yet it proves an adorable sight nonetheless. Millie is sure to blossom into a capital-quality lady one day. If only she’d act more like Caliburn than Mizuka…

After the party ends, Caliburn retrieves her belongings, bringing them out in a small bag. Mizuka asks if that’s all she needs, but Caliburn says it’s all she has. The tavern owner forces us to take a variety of preserved meats and jams, solving part of our food problem. Caliburn tries to return her uniform, but she tells her to keep it as a memento.

Remembering our promise to show Caliburn’s sword to Marigold, we trek back to her end of town. Millie leaves beforehand, saying she needs to check on her siblings, but that she’ll never forgive Caliburn if she doesn’t come to say goodbye.

Questioning where Caliburn keeps her sword doesn’t occur to me until she whispers something and pulls it out of thin air. I ask her what she did, but she has no answer, claiming she just knows. According to Mizuka, the sword can only be maintained in its physical form by myra. Leaving it in an ethereal form and only manifesting it when needed is much less draining.

Marigold is overjoyed to see the sword, examining it for some time before inquiring about the older of the sister swords. Mizuka shrugs, telling her we’re still searching for it. She offers us tea, but we have to decline as we need to collect supplies before all the shops close for the day.

We hit every store in Gamaloth—all three of them—and buy the cheapest supplies we can find. Cooking utensils, a tent, bedding, various tools, and a new map; mine are only good for kindling.

Caliburn uses our running around as an excuse to bid farewell to everyone else she knows in Gamaloth, including Harlan. He cries the most at her departure.

Courtesy of Caliburn’s popularity, we secure plenty of free and discounted supplies. Yet, after collecting everything we think we’ll need, my wallet is empty, and Caliburn’s life savings are half gone.

With our travel preparations complete, we head to Millie’s, where she and Caliburn share a tearful goodbye. Her siblings rush out to thank us for curing their father, some hugging, others climbing me and Mizuka like trees.

From there, we leave Gamaloth, heading north for Dragonwall. Now my journey truly begins. I’ll be going places I’ve never been—into the unknown. With fear and excitement at odds in my heart and a hand clutching the ring on my necklace, I bid adieu to my old life once and for all.