By Zephyria 
I spent three more days in the crystal cave.
I practiced Breathing and regulating energy in the same way, but naturally, I didn’t achieve the same effect as the first time. That’s how spiritual medicine usually works. When you encounter the same thing at such short intervals, its efficacy is bound to be halved.
However, I wasn’t disappointed. Just by looking at the internal energy in my Dantian, I knew I would reach two cycles soon with just a little more effort. Then, I felt I would be able to wield four cycles’ worth of energy by combining my internal energy and aura.
Having gained something so wonderful even before properly ascending the Yuil Mountains, I was filled with anticipation for the future.
Even more fortunate was something else.
Rubel finally had a Dantian.
The two of them couldn’t draw the energy from the spiritual medicine in the same way I did, but when I pushed my refined internal energy into them, they gulped it down like baby birds accepting food.
It was a very small Dantian, but it was large enough for the Hip-Circlet cultivation method to be applied. Now that they could purify the mana touching their bodies, they would be able to breathe more naturally even when the mana in the air thickened. As their bodies adapted, they would grow further from mana sickness.
Benjamin also managed to increase the size of his small Dantian by a tiny bit. This was a highly encouraging achievement for children encountering this type of spiritual medicine for the first time. Wasn’t it like rolling a snowball? Once it reached a certain size, it would naturally grow larger with less effort. Now, the children’s Dantians would also naturally expand.
Seeing us jumping for joy, Hugh Benson joked that he hadn’t intended to give away so much, but he nodded in satisfaction, pleased that our strength had increased.
With gratitude and affection, I asked him if there was anything else he wanted besides Artifacts. He said he was hungry for gold, so I bought him a few gold ingots. Hugh Benson looked a little disgusted but accepted my gift without refusal.
❖ ❖ ❖
After spending nearly ten days like this, it was May. The time for our first expedition had suddenly drawn near.
The day before we were to depart, Duke Widrow held the promised send-off ceremony.
I had expected this to be another boisterous affair in the main hall, but it wasn’t. In front of the main hall, a massive map of the mountain range was laid out, with the approximate current locations of each company, excluding the 4th Company, marked.
Duke Widrow stood before it and assigned each platoon their responsible areas. The members of each platoon then unfurled their own detailed maps, discussing their intended routes, points of caution, and sharing responsibilities, engaging in lively debate.
There was food, but only a few people were eating while they talked.
I, too, was curious and hovered near the map, busy eavesdropping on the seniors. It wasn’t overly formal, nor was it completely casual; it was a place where occasional shouts and jokes were exchanged, with only the squad leaders getting heated.
The leader of our squad, the 3rd Squad of the 2nd Platoon, was, of course, Hugh Benson.
Seeing me and the three children glued to the map, Hugh explained that these kinds of tactical maps were cumbersome to carry around and could cause significant trouble if lost, so they were kept at the Duchy and not taken outside.
He told us to memorize everything in our heads right then and there, so I diligently did so.
Thanks to Elvin’s help, I quickly learned a few important strongholds, escape routes to take shelter if lost, and several visual and auditory signals to recognize each other when encountering other platoon members.
Hugh Benson was busy arguing with the other 2nd Platoon squad leaders about who should go where. As I listened to them talk about areas with swamps, I casually asked Elvin,
“Do we use emergency signal transmitters here too?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because monsters can see light and hear sound.”
Hugh Benson, having overheard my question, turned from across the way and chuckled. The other squad leaders did the same. I could also hear a voice from a neighboring platoon yelling at the newcomers, demanding they hand over any emergency signal transmitters they might have.
Hugh Benson added with a laugh,
“If you use one of those in the Yuil Mountains, you’ll attract every monster in the world. You can only use those near the capital, in places with mana density below 25 MP. Just don’t lose each other. If you do get separated, return to the designated spot as quickly as possible. That’s all I expect from newcomers, understand?”
“…Yes.”
Just in case, I put down the emergency signal transmitters I had brought to give to the children.
A large knight, one of the stout ones, clapped her hands loudly upon seeing this and then, standing further ahead, spoke in a booming voice as if giving a lecture.
“Let’s have our newcomers check their Artifacts. Take out precious items like emergency flares and leave them here, and let’s check all the ones that don’t work in high mana concentration. It’s no good getting cocky by relying on useless things and then dying, you know.”
Then, the surroundings became noisy.
All thirteen children showed the Artifacts they possessed to the seniors they had befriended.
“Let me see, show me.”
“Is this an Artifact too? Just a gem?”
“Where’s the Mana Stone? Isn’t this formula erased?”
Hugh Benson and Elvin Brooks also examined the Artifacts of our group.
Hugh Benson, looking at the pile of Artifacts laid out, glanced at the ceiling, then at the bundle of Artifacts, and let out an exasperated curse.
Was something wrong?
Most of these were gifts from Rubel or items I had bought and distributed to the children based on Marianne’s advice. Puzzled, I stared at Hugh Benson, who let out a hearty laugh and waved his hand dismissively.
“These are all top-tier. You could buy a third of Duke Widrow’s Duchy with this. Be careful of your wrists when you sleep. Someone might steal them. They’re all functioning perfectly.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
Marianne showed me the rings she had received as gifts and asked worriedly,
“Are these all working properly too?”
“If you wear just those five, you could survive in molten steel in a furnace. What kind of temperature control magic is this… Who gave them to you?”
“Mikael.”
“If you have any spares later, I’d like some too.”
I nodded with a smile.
“Yes. I will. If you need them, I can buy more for you now…”
“Hey, you can’t get those in the Duchy. Want to run to the capital right now?”
“…No.”
I had given the gifts I received from family elders to Marianne because I didn’t need them. Feeling a renewed sense of gratitude, I simply brushed my cheek, feeling embarrassed.
After all the final checks were completed, a full day had passed.
There was a reason they had set out food and made us look at maps. We ate lunch and dinner standing up, memorizing future plans and talking, getting to know each other’s faces.
The joke that they did this a day in advance because no one trusted anyone else’s memory was amusing. It was hard to tell if it was a joke or the truth.
After enduring what felt like both a send-off ceremony and a strategy meeting, as the sun began to set, the seniors told us to go get some rest for our early departure tomorrow and ushered us toward our lodging.
All the way, Marianne stretched her arms high above her head, swaying them left and right, then suddenly extended both hands forward with a deep breath. Not understanding the meaning of her playful gesture, I just looked at her curiously. Marianne stretched again and said,
“Ah, I can’t help it. I’m too nervous. I’ll go in first and meditate, then sleep early.”
“Then I’ll head in as well.”
Benjamin immediately stuck close to Marianne.
However, while I couldn’t watch over Marianne’s meditation, I could watch over Benjamin’s internal energy training.
“If you intend to practice the Hip-Circlet cultivation method, I can watch over you.”
“Ah, no. I just don’t want to intrude between the two of you.”
“…Ah. Um.”
Feeling awkward about insisting, I let Benjamin go and remained in the hallway with Rubel and myself. After all, there were quite a few things Rubel and I needed to discuss. Even just standing there in silence would make time fly by.
Looking up at Ruben, who stood quietly, I smiled warmly.
“Would you like to take a walk?”
“Yes.”
The one who had been waiting quietly, without a word, nodded with a bright smile. If he had a tail, he would have been wagging it furiously.
Seeing him smile like that made me feel good too. Because he so openly showed his affection and concern for me, weren’t all the others seeing our relationship… that way?
He asked me to hold his hand again as we walked, so I readily offered mine. I knew well that I was being very lenient with Ruben.
…Suddenly, I worried that the child had experienced the embrace of a man too early.
It was wrong of me not to hesitate to hold his hand, embrace him, and comfort him when I first… didn’t consciously think of him in that way. But even now, it shouldn’t be like this, yet when he pouted with disappointment every time I refused, I ended up offering my hand and my embrace.
The customs of the Central Plains and Sierren were very different, so I told myself that this much was fine, that this far was still acceptable. But there was a limit to how much I could console myself. My heart pounded. The hand I held tightly was warm.
We walked slowly, engaging in casual conversation.
“Aren’t you scared?”
“No. I learned how to get there, the path is already known, and there are seniors, aren’t there?”
“But.”
“No, I can do it. I’ve recovered from feeling dizzy now.”
I stopped for a moment and looked up at Ruben. The tip of his nose was directly in my line of sight.
Even though his frame was slightly larger than mine now, why did he still seem so delicate and precious? I gazed at his beautiful face for a moment, then looked at the hand I was holding.
It had become a little rough. The calluses on his hand were distinct, which was both lovely and regrettable.
“The other day, in front of a senior.”
“Yes, me?”
“No. Not Rubel, but in front of senior Hugh Benson.”
“…Ah. Ah, yes. In front of that senior…?”
“You spoke as if we were lovers.”
“…”
Ruben stiffened. The child’s tension was easily read.
I gently stroked the back of his hand as if to comfort him, saying it was okay. I looked up again to meet his gaze. I waited for a moment until Ruben looked directly into my eyes. Ruben acted as if he had forgotten how to make eye contact. My gaze flickered, and I unconsciously licked my dry lips with the tip of my tongue.