The world felt like it had finally returned to its natural rhythm, as if the chaos that once disturbed the air had slowly faded into the background. The skies were calm, the breeze gentle, and laughter once again echoed in the house. I found myself basking in the comfort of being surrounded by beautiful won, enjoying the rare tranquility—until the mont was abruptly interrupted.
Maya opened the door without warning, her expression unreadable.
"Master, letter for you."
In her hand was a single envelope—plain, slightly crumpled, and worn from travel. She stepped closer and handed it to silently. I blinked, the mood shifting around . I took the letter imdiately, my fingers brushing over its rough paper before I carefully broke the seal and unfolded it.
"Leon. It's . Have you been well? Well, I would hope so. I heard that there was so sort of incident that happened there, so I'm a bit worried about you. But well, considering mails aren't really used that much these days because of that invention called the smartphone, my letter probably took a while to reach you. I'm sorry it took this long to get in touch. Also, if you want to… please co back every once in a while. And well… Alice seed to be mad at you or sothing. I hope you manage to fix things with her. That's all.
—From Lily."
I stared at the paper, the familiar handwriting making sothing stir inside my chest. It was Sister Lily's. That kind, delicate woman who always took care of us. She had written this nearly three months ago, but only now had it found its way into my hands. The delay felt surreal.
So this was the state of things now, huh? The mail system had crumbled into near-obsolescence—replaced entirely by the rise of smartphones and instant ssages. The nostalgia of receiving a handwritten letter was lovely, but the impracticality couldn't be denied.
Wait a second… did I seriously destroy the entire mail industry by popularizing smartphones? That thought hit like a slap to the face. My invention, ant to help, might've singlehandedly made the entire mailing system obsolete. Well… I suppose I couldn't help it. The world had evolved, and so had communication. I'd have to sit down and explain things to Sister Lily—and even Alice.
Alice…
Speaking of Alice… I suppose she still hates after what I did the last ti I visited the orphanage. I guess it can't be helped, considering how I treated her back then. I ssed up, and I had to make ands.
I pushed myself up from the soft cushions I'd been lounging on.
"Leon?" Titania's voice called out softly. She had been dozing beside , her eyes still heavy with sleep as she looked up at .
"I'm going out… I'm going back to my hotown," I said. "Would you like to co along?"
Her eyes widened, the last traces of sleep vanishing in an instant. "Is that truly alright!?"
She sounded almost too excited, her voice rising with anticipation.
"There's no problem with you coming," I replied, watching her face light up with joy.
"Yay!"
She leapt up with a radiant smile, her delight practically bursting out of her. It was like watching a child on her birthday.
"I'm going too!"
" as well…"
Trill and Yr chid in.
And just like that, it was settled. My three girlfriends were all coming with . I didn't know if it was the best idea, but honestly, how could I refuse them? Not with the way they looked at —so beautiful and so alive. Each of them held sothing special in my heart.
So after nearly a year away, I found myself preparing for a return to my roots—accompanied by the three won who had changed my life.
***
"Uuu…"
Yr was fast asleep, her body pressed against my back as we prepared to travel. She used like a human mattress, her petite fra slumped over, cheek squished into my shoulder. Drool glistened at the corner of her mouth, trailing down and soaking into the fabric of my shirt.
It was such a ridiculous scene, but by now, I was completely desensitized to her strange little habits. She always slept like this.
Titania, ever the gentle one, smiled softly as she leaned over and dabbed a towel gently at Yr's mouth, wiping the wet spot off my shoulder. But the mont she finished, another thick strand of drool slid right out and landed on again with a wet splat.
"Jeez…" Titania muttered with a resigned sigh, placing her hands on her hips. But even with her words, her eyes were kind. "She really is a sleepyhead…"
"That's what makes her cute though," Trill said from beside us, her tone light and affectionate.
She was carrying a large box, carefully balanced in her arms.
"What's that, Trill?" I asked, curious.
"It's a souvenir," she said proudly, flashing a dazzling smile. "I want to give it to your family—as your girlfriend."
That caught off guard, but I smiled back. She always had a thoughtful side.
"Ah! I didn't bring anything!" Titania suddenly gasped, her face paling as she stared at Trill's box.
"Don't worry. It's not that serious," I said, trying to calm her down. "Even if you don't bring anything, it's really okay."
"R-Really? Are you absolutely certain?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Well, if you want to bring sothing, maybe just buy so fruits or vegetables. The people at the orphanage love those kinds of things… well, not so much vegetables, but anything that helps them stay healthy."
"Alright then. I'll buy plenty!" she declared, puffing out her chest with determination.
Without wasting another second, she started planning exactly what to buy. That was one thing I admired about Titania—she was always so proactive. Always moving. Always trying. And honestly, I loved that about her.
After quite a bit of ti spent on preparations, making sure everything was in order and everyone was ready, we were finally about to head out. Unlike before—when I could rely entirely on my own speed to travel freely—I now had a group with . Which ant using the usual, mundane ans of transportation was the only realistic option. I couldn't exactly zoom across the landscape while hauling a handful of people.
Traveling together ca with its own limitations, and while I didn't mind it much, there were so logistical problems to consider.
For one, I couldn't really ask Gabrielle to drive us there. I an, seriously—she was pregnant. That wasn't just irresponsible, it was downright stupid. She needed rest, not a steering wheel. But thankfully, I had soone else in mind—soone who might just agree to it.
"Wait… Drive you to where?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow, her tone laced with mild annoyance and disbelief.
She had made herself completely at ho in the Leonamon these days, practically living there like it was her personal residence. Lately, she'd been spending her ti training the Shadows—teaching them proper martial arts while also picking up their techniques in return. It was honestly a fascinating dynamic. I'd even thought it would be kind of badass if she officially joined the Shadows. But apparently, that wasn't sothing she was interested in. Rose didn't really like the idea of fighting for soone else. Especially not under the idea of being soone's bodyguard. Well, not like I need bodyguards to begin with.
"I already told you," I replied calmly, hands in my pockets. "I'm going to my hotown. Flui Village, just beyond the borders of the Holy City."
"That's so far!" she groaned dramatically. "There's no way we're getting there in just a day or two."
"Well, yeah… that's only if we were taking so slow-ass horse-drawn carriage."
"But the Holy City's nowhere near as modernized as the Capital or any of the nearby cities! How the hell do you expect to drive my car through roads like that?!" she shot back, clearly distressed.
I couldn't bla her. Her car wasn't just any car—it was brand new, pristine, and probably her favorite toy at the mont. The latest model to roll off Leonamon's production line. I could practically hear her soul cry at the thought of a single scratch marring its perfect exterior.
But I had an ace up my sleeve.
Sothing very tempting.
"Alright then," I said with a slight smirk. "How about I give you access to the newest design—the one that hasn't even been released yet. Hell, we probably won't release it for quite a while either."
The effect was imdiate. I saw her shoulders jerk in surprise. It wasn't subtle, not in the slightest. Like soone just hit her with a sudden jolt of adrenaline. Her expression twitched, lips parting ever so slightly like she was trying not to show just how much that piqued her interest.
It was so obvious.
"…L-Let see it first," she finally muttered, trying to maintain a sense of calm, but her voice had a slight tremble to it—like soone trying not to scream in excitent.
Yup. She was hooked.
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