Chapter 128: Joy Spring (Half-Elf)

Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Joy Spring (Half-Elf)

The shop was filled with many practical items she had never seen in her academy’s Magic textbooks.

As she browsed aimlessly, a pair of silver bracelets in the corner of a shelf caught her eye.

They were a pair of exquisitely hand-polished rings. The surface wasn’t inlaid with gaudy gems, but was simply engraved with a circle of minimalist vine patterns.

This understated design perfectly suited Cecilia’s tastes.

Thanks to her solid knowledge of Alchemy, she could tell at a glance that the bracelets were Alchemy Tools forged from a conductive metal.

However, since the runic circuits on them were deliberately hidden, she couldn’t figure out their specific function right away.

Just as she bent down to study them more closely, a clear, girlish voice came from her side.

"Those are Resonating Bracelets."

Cecilia turned her head to see a girl in a coarse cloth skirt with a few freckles on her face standing beside her.

Judging by the girl’s features, she was probably the shopkeeper’s daughter.

"Standing watch in the wild is a very dangerous job."

The freckled girl pointed at the pair of bracelets and patiently began to explain.

"If the person on watch runs into a dangerous Demon near the camp, or notices something is wrong..."

"...they just need to infuse a tiny bit of Magic Power into the bracelet they’re wearing. Then, their teammate with the matching bracelet will be woken up by an immediate vibration, no matter how deeply they’re sleeping."

"What do you think? Pretty creative, right?"

"A very interesting tool."

Cecilia gave it high praise with a smile.

"Thanks for the compliment!"

Hearing her praise, the girl immediately broke into a radiant smile.

"You’re the first person to ever call the Alchemy Tools my dad makes ’interesting.’"

Just as the two girls were talking quietly, the shopkeeper and Lance finished picking their items and walked over.

Lance’s hearing was sharp; he had overheard every word of the girls’ conversation.

’Cecilia likes this bracelet?’

He walked to the shelf, his gaze lingering on the pair of silver bracelets for a few seconds.

"Shopkeeper, I’ll take a pair of these Resonating Bracelets."

Lance made the decision on the spot.

"This tool is indeed practical."

"When you’re ambushed at night, shouting or casting a Signal Spell can attract concentrated fire from surrounding enemies."

"Using this bracelet would prevent that from happening."

Done with the bracelets, Lance turned back to the shopkeeper to go over his list of supplies.

"And I’ll take all of those basic tools I just mentioned."

"As for camping gear, just give me one of the largest, thickest waterproof tarps and two of your best insulated sleeping pads."

"Huh? Only... a waterproof tarp?"

The girl couldn’t control her surprise and let out a short gasp on the spot.

’This isn’t what I imagined yesterday.’

"Yes. For us, a tent in the forest would limit our sight and hearing."

"Not only is it heavy, but it also makes you completely unaware of surrounding dangers."

"If a Demon gets close, you won’t even have room to fight back," Lance explained patiently.

"With a tarp and some rope, we can quickly build a semi-open shelter. It can block wind and rain without affecting our awareness of the environment."

"In the wild, staying alert is far more important than temporary comfort."

After all, this would be his first time spending the night in the dangerous Copper Creek Forest.

He had to approach it with the utmost caution.

To ensure their absolute safety, he was even prepared to go several nights without sleep, intending to take on all the watch duties himself.

"You got it."

The shopkeeper agreed readily.

"I’ll go pack everything up for you in the back."

The shopkeeper worked quickly, and soon had all the large and small bundles of outdoor gear neatly packed.

Lance walked up and lifted the pack. The weight and size were within a reasonable range and wouldn’t hinder his movement. He figured he could pack it even more compactly later.

He paid the full price in coins.

Carrying the pack with one hand, Lance led the still-dazed girl and slowly walked out.

Next to the market was the clear stream that divided Gray Rock Town in two.

The two of them walked back slowly along the quiet, stream-side path.

It was the beautiful hour of sunset.

An orange-red afterglow painted the entire sky in brilliant colors.

Townsfolk, having finished their day’s work, were strolling by the stream in twos and threes.

A few mischievous children were barefoot in the shallows, splashing each other playfully and letting out peals of crisp laughter.

The whole town was filled with a peaceful, leisurely, and homey atmosphere.

"Cecilia."

Lance, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and called out softly.

"Here."

The girl quickened her pace, moving up close beside Lance.

"Hold out your hand."

Hearing this, Cecilia didn’t hesitate at all, obediently extending a small, fair hand.

Lance freed his right hand and gently placed the silver Resonating Bracelet with the vine pattern, which he had just bought at the general store, into the girl’s soft palm.

"When we enter the forest in a couple of days, if anything unexpected happens, we can use this to alert each other."

"Let’s go."

Lance readjusted his grip on the pack of supplies.

"If we don’t hurry, it’ll be completely dark soon."

With that, he strode forward once more.

But Cecilia remained where she was, staring blankly at the silver bracelet resting quietly in her palm.

’Is this... the first gift he’s ever bought specifically for me since we met?’

’Even though its main function is for wilderness alerts...’

’...it’s still a gift!’

In that instant, the girl’s heart felt as sweet as if it had been filled with honey.

She happily held the bracelet up to the sky, examining it closely in the last rays of the evening glow.

Under the soft twilight, the circle of silver vine patterns shimmered with an exceptionally beautiful, cool light.

"Cecilia, keep up."

Just as she was lost in admiration, Lance’s voice urged her on from ahead.

"Ah? Oh! Coming!"

Startled by the sudden shout, the girl’s wrist twitched instinctively.

The smooth silver bracelet slipped from her fingertips and bounced onto the cobblestone path.

"My bracelet!"

Cecilia panicked. Without looking where she was going, she lunged forward with both hands outstretched, trying to catch the precious gift as it fell.

But as a Mage who had long neglected physical exercise, her terrible coordination was on full display.

She failed to catch the bracelet.

Her left foot tripped over her right, and she lost her balance, tumbling onto the path.

Hearing the commotion, Lance, who was walking ahead, quickly dropped the pack and rushed back.

"Are you okay?"

Lance knelt down, his voice tinged with worry as he looked at the girl sprawled on the ground.

Cecilia slowly lifted her head.

Her once delicate, fair face was smudged with dirt, and her beautiful red eyes were welling up with tears.

"It hurts..."

The girl sniffled, her aggrieved expression making her look incredibly vulnerable.

Lance sighed and helped Cecilia move over to sit on a flat stone step nearby.

Then, Lance knelt down and very gently removed the leather boot from her right foot.

He extended his fingers and pressed gently on her ankle, which was already starting to swell slightly.

"Good, you didn’t break a bone. It’s just a sprained ligament."

Lance let out a sigh of relief as he made his assessment.

"When we get back, remember to apply some of the medicine I put in the side pocket of your backpack."

"You should rest at the manor all day tomorrow. Don’t walk around too much."

Lance said this while helping her put her boot back on.

"With a day of rest, it should be completely healed by the day after tomorrow."

After doing all this...

Lance stood up and gathered all the large and small packages he had dropped on the ground.

He hung all the lighter supplies that had straps across his chest.

Finally, he turned his back to Cecilia and crouched down in front of her.

"Get on."

To Cecilia, Lance’s voice sounded incredibly reliable.

"You can’t put pressure on your foot right now. I’ll carry you back."

"Okay."

Cecilia looked at the broad back in front of her, her cheeks instantly turning fiery hot with embarrassment.

But then she thought about being so close to him.

The desire in her heart immediately overcame her shame.

Cecilia extended her slender arms and slowly wrapped them around Lance’s neck.

Then, she let her soft, light body hang completely on Lance’s sturdy back.

In that very instant...

...the desire to touch him that she’d felt while shopping today was fulfilled.

Cecilia felt an intensely tingling sensation shoot up her spine.

It made her let out an incredibly sweet little hum, and she instinctively tightened her arms around his neck, burying her face completely in his rough cloak.

"What’s wrong? Did I touch your injury?"

Lance felt the girl’s unusual spasm behind him and turned his head to ask, completely confused.

But before Cecilia could even answer...

The next second.

...a notification box popped up unbidden in Lance’s field of vision.

[You have made contact with a Sub-human Half-Elf. Half-Elf Research Progress +5]

[Biological Research Level has increased: Level 2 → Level 3]

[Successfully unlocked special research Trait: Joy Spring (Half-Elf)]