Chapter 518: Towards Demon Territory

The morning sun had barely risen over Myrta when Adam’s group gathered at the city gate. The carriage that would carry them toward the Demon Territory border was ready, pulled by two large horses that waited with practiced patience.

Seraphina’s group had already boarded their own carriage. They would travel together until the crossroads, then split toward Melium.

Selena stood at the gate, flanked by a few of her guards.

Selena looked at him for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Take care of yourselves, Adam."

Adam let out a quiet chuckle. "If I have time, I’ll visit. Don’t let this city fall apart again."

Selena looked at him for a moment, then smiled, a smile more genuine than usual.

"This time, I’ll be the one rebuilding it. And I promise I won’t destroy it."

Adam nodded. "Good. If it falls apart again, it’s not my fault."

"Of course it isn’t," Selena replied lightly. "Because you won’t be here to do it."

They exchanged a brief look, then Adam turned toward the carriage.

Near the carriage, Ignis was hauling several large sacks and shoving them inside with enthusiasm.

"Why don’t we just fly?" she grumbled, wiping sweat from her brow. "Much faster, and we wouldn’t have to sit for hours."

Isolde, already seated inside with calm poise, answered without looking back.

"Because we don’t want to draw attention in a region at war. Flying in open sky is the same as putting a sign on your back that says ’attack me.’"

Alice, already sprawled across one of the carriage benches, raised a lazy hand.

"Sometimes this is nice, though. I can sleep without worrying about falling."

Ignis huffed, but eventually climbed in.

Seraphina approached Selena before boarding. She gave a slight bow, as a genuine gesture of gratitude.

"Thank you for taking care of me and my subordinates, Lady Selena."

Selena gave a short nod.

"I hope you’ll be able to repay your debt someday."

Seraphina smiled faintly, then climbed into her own carriage.

The carriage began to move. The wheels creaked softly against the stone, and Myrta slowly disappeared behind them.

Inside the carriage, the wheels rattled softly against the uneven road. Alice had stretched herself across one of the benches, her head resting comfortably on Lilith’s lap. Her tail curled lazily near her feet, and her eyes were already half-closed.

Lilith, who had been quietly reading a small book, looked down at her with a blank expression.

"If you’re going to sleep, don’t take up so much space."

Alice didn’t open her eyes. She shifted slightly, making herself more comfortable.

"I’m just borrowing your lap for a bit. What’s the problem?"

Lilith’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.

"The problem is that you’re heavy. My legs are going numb. Move."

Alice finally cracked one eye open.

"Usually Adam sleeps on your lap and you don’t say anything. But when I do it, suddenly it’s a problem?"

Here’s the English version:

---

Isolde pressed two fingers against her temple and let out a slow breath.

"Both of you, be quiet. It’s still morning."

Ignis, who had been woken by the argument, blinked sleepily and looked between them. Then she patted her own lap.

"Why don’t you just move over here, Lilith? I can be Alice’s pillow."

Lilith stood up immediately, the motion so sudden that Alice’s head slipped off her lap and thumped against the wooden bench.

"Uhek!"

Lilith smiled down at Ignis.

"That’s a great idea, Ignis. Thank you."

Alice pushed herself up, rubbing the back of her head with a scowl.

"What is wrong with you?!"

Lilith had already crossed the carriage and settled herself beside Isolde. Ignis moved to the spot Lilith had vacated, settling in with a bright, eager expression. She patted her thigh a few times.

"Come on, Alice. It’s ready."

Alice stared at Lilith for a long moment, her expression flat with irritation. Then she let out a breath and lay back down, this time resting her head on Ignis’s lap. Her eyes closed, and her body slowly relaxed.

Ignis beamed. She gently stroked Alice’s hair, her tail swaying happily behind her.

Isolde watched the whole scene unfold, then turned her gaze toward the front of the carriage.

"I should have just sat up front with Adam."

Up front, Adam sat holding the reins, guiding the horses along the uneven road. Azrynn sat beside him, watching him handle the carriage with quiet interest.

"You can drive a carriage," she said, a note of genuine admiration in her voice. "That’s impressive."

Adam shrugged, eyes still on the road.

"Yeah, I couldn’t do it at first either. But Sera taught me, so now I can. Want to try?"

Azrynn’s eyes lit up. She straightened in her seat.

"Can I? I’d like to try."

Adam pulled the horses to a slower pace and carefully handed her the reins. Azrynn took them with both hands, holding them the way she’d seen him do it, though her grip was a little too tight.

"Like this?"

"Loosen up a bit," Adam said. "If you hold them that tight, the horses will think you’re scared."

Azrynn exhaled and relaxed her fingers. The horses settled, their pace steady.

"Okay... okay, I think I’ve got it."

Adam leaned back, watching her with a faint smile.

"Not bad for your first time."

Azrynn’s lips curved into a small, proud smile. She kept her eyes on the road ahead, the reins steady in her hands.

Adam’s eyes narrowed on the road ahead.

"Watch out! Rocks up ahead."

Azrynn pulled the reins, trying to steer the horses around them, but she was too slow. The wheels hit the stones with a hard jolt. The carriage lurched violently, rocking side to side.

From inside, Alice’s furious shout echoed through the morning air.

"WHAT THE HELL?! I JUST LAY DOWN!"

Adam quickly took the reins back, steadying the horses and bringing the carriage to a slow stop at the side of the road. Azrynn sat frozen, her hands still hovering where the reins had been.

"I’m sorry..."

Adam shook his head.

"It’s fine. It’s your first time. That’s normal."

Behind them, Alice’s complaints continued, muffled but clearly annoyed. Adam chose to ignore them entirely, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

He glanced at Azrynn and held out the reins again.

"Want to try again?"

Azrynn blinked at him, surprised.

"...Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Just keep your eyes on the road this time."

Azrynn hesitated for a moment, then took the reins again, her grip steadier than before.

Adam nodded.

"Better. You’re getting the hang of it."

Azrynn let out a small breath, her shoulders relaxing just a little.

"It’s harder than it looks."

Adam leaned back in his seat.

"It was hard for me at first too. But once you get used to it, it’s actually pretty relaxing."

Azrynn glanced at him briefly, then turned her eyes back to the road. A faint smile touched her lips.

"Relaxing, huh... I’ll take your word for it."

Adam kept his eyes on the road for a moment before glancing at her.

"Do you miss your family?"

Azrynn blinked and turned toward him, caught off guard.

"Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"

Adam shrugged, his gaze returning to the road ahead.

"Just curious. You left your village to come with us. That’s not a small thing."

Azrynn was quiet for a moment. Her hands stayed steady on the reins, but her expression had grown thoughtful.

Azrynn was quiet for a moment. Her hands stayed steady on the reins, but her expression had grown thoughtful.

"I do miss them sometimes," she admitted. "My village, the forest around it, the quiet. It was peaceful there, even if it was trapped inside the Wasteland."

She paused, then added more softly, "But I don’t regret leaving."

Adam glanced at her.

"Why not?"

Azrynn looked at the road ahead. A small smile formed on her lips.

"Because if I had stayed, I would never have known what the world outside looked like. I would never have met all of you." She paused, then added, "And I would never have known how big the sky really is."

Adam was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded.

"That’s a good reason."

Azrynn glanced at him.

"What about you? Do you miss your family?"

Adam didn’t answer right away. The carriage wheels rattled softly against the road, and the morning light stretched long across the fields.

Then he said, "I don’t remember them very well anymore."

His voice was calm, but there was something underneath it that Azrynn couldn’t quite place.

"Sometimes I wonder if that’s a good thing or a bad thing."

Azrynn didn’t press further. She just nodded quietly and turned her eyes back to the road.

The silence between them was comfortable, broken only by the steady rhythm of hooves against the road and the distant creak of the carriage wheels. Azrynn kept her eyes forward, but her mind lingered on his words.

After a while, she spoke again, her voice softer than before.

"Maybe it’s neither. Maybe it’s just... what happened. You can’t change it, and you can’t force yourself to remember something that’s already faded."

Adam glanced at her, a little surprised by the quiet certainty in her tone.

"That’s surprisingly practical."

Azrynn gave a small shrug, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Dark Elves live a long time. We learn early that holding onto everything only makes the years heavier."

Adam turned his eyes back to the road.

"Heavy, huh."

He didn’t say anything else for a while. Azrynn didn’t push. She just kept the reins steady, guiding the horses around a shallow curve, and let the morning pass in comfortable silence.