Irene woke up with an uncomfortable pressure in her chest and a strange sensation running through her body, as if she had slept poorly… or as if something inside her had been thrown out of balance during the night. She slowly opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling of her room.
Hanami was gone.
The sheets held only a faint trace of her presence: the soft, sweet scent that always surrounded her. Irene slowly sat up and brought a hand to her face.
'It wasn't a dream…'
The memory tried to surge back with force, but she stopped it. She wasn't ready to face it yet. She got out of bed, changed in silence, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her, heavy with uncertainty and worry.
'Don't hesitate today. Do it.'
She turned away from the mirror, sat down at her desk, and wrote a letter. When she finished, she placed it inside an envelope and sealed it with red wax.
She walked back to the bed, making sure the sheets were neatly arranged. Then she left the letter at the foot of the bed and placed her golden tiara on top of the envelope. There was no turning back now.
◇◆◇
The castle was quieter than usual. The wide corridors, bathed in the morning light, seemed to bid her farewell without words. Irene walked with restrained steps, carrying a small bag with only the essentials for the journey.
She didn't run into Hanami.
She didn't look for her.
And, if she were honest with herself, she didn't even know what she would say if she did.
The main courtyard greeted her with the sound of horses and the distant murmur of her two friends, Rynelle and Hanami, as they loaded the cart with travel bags.
Rynelle was the first to notice her.
"Irene," she said with a gentle smile. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes," Irene replied after a brief pause. "I slept… well."
"The cart is ready. We're still in time to—"
"It's fine like this," Irene interrupted politely. "I don't want to delay things any further."
Rynelle nodded slowly.
All three of them were wearing white hooded robes; it was what they would use to try to leave the kingdom without trouble.
Just before climbing aboard, Irene stopped. She looked at the castle one last time—the towers, the walls, the balconies that had been her world for so long. Her home.
She thought of her father. She thought of her mother. She also thought about what lay beneath the castle. And, without realizing it, her thoughts returned to Hanami.
Her hand tightened around the strap of her bag beneath the robe.
'I'm not running away. I just… need to move forward. I'm not leaving out of hatred or resentment toward my new parents, either. I simply don't agree with their secrets as rulers, nor with the laws of this kingdom. For that reason, today I renounce the title of princess. Goodbye, Mother. Goodbye, Father…'
As she climbed onto the cart, the wheels began to move, and with each turn, the castle grew a little more distant. Since Irene was riding in the cargo area, she could watch it slowly fade away. She wished the front were covered by the white tarp as well, not just the sides.
She watched as the landscape gradually changed. The stone road gave way to narrower paths, flanked by trees and rolling hills.
Her heart pounded. It wasn't just fear. Nor was it pure excitement. It was the feeling of crossing an invisible boundary, very different from the first time she had become independent in her previous life.
'From here on… there's no turning back.'
She closed her eyes for a moment and rested her forehead against her knees. Irene Aetheris's adventure had just begun.
At the front of the cart, Rynelle and Hanami were seated. The elf was guiding the horses, while the vampire studied the map.
When Hanami lowered her gaze from the parchment, she took a deep breath and let it out with a sound of pleasure before speaking.
"Ah, the fresh air of a journey is so nice!"
She removed her white hood and lightly shook her gray hair. She looked so happy that a faint blush colored her cheeks. At that moment, they were traveling along a road still surrounded by trees.
Noticing that Rynelle hadn't said anything, Hanami spoke to her with a smile.
"Aren't you excited?"
"I have other things on my mind right now."
"Thinking about that will ruin the mood. Come on, it's just the three inseparable friends traveling the world together! Right, Irene?!"
She turned to look at her carefree. When Irene met her gaze, Hanami remembered everything in a sudden flash and immediately felt uncomfortable, regretting having spoken to her at all. She blushed and quickly looked away.
Irene was confused and frowned slightly.
Hanami scratched her gray hair and changed the subject.
"Our first major stop will be Arcania, the city of the Kitsune, right?"
"Yes, but we'll make a stop in the kingdom of Midmidir first. It's on the way, and it'll help ease Irene into things. Even though we still have plenty of supplies and money, it's better for her to start learning what our life will be like in the coming months."
"The ideal adventurer's job."
"Yeah. Knowing her, she'll probably like it."
◇◆◇
By nightfall, they had set up camp inside the forest, about half a kilometer away from the main road.
The campfire at the center was where the three friends gathered, each sitting around it. Their tents were already set up, but Irene stared at her reddened hands.
"Was it too much work for you, Princess?" Rynelle asked sarcastically.
Irene smiled, taking the joke in stride, and replied,
"I'm sure I wouldn't have hurt myself if you'd explained things better. I almost took my own eye out because of you."
"I explained everything perfectly. Even Hanami managed it."
"Yay~," Hanami replied, raising her index and middle fingers while winking.
"Well, clearly I'm the only one who ended up with swollen hands."
"That's because you've never done physical labor in your life, hahaha."
"Of course I have!"
"Oh yeah? When?"
Irene broke her posture and looked at her with an awkward expression. Memories from her previous life were probably not something she would ever share.
Hanami stood up to fill her plate with stew from the fire. Rynelle took the opportunity to tell her,
"I appreciate you taking another serving. It's a compliment to me."
"Don't get so full of yourself. You're the only cook here, elf," Hanami replied.
"Ouch."
"I'm kidding, sweetheart. Your cooking is delicious."
Rynelle smiled with her eyes closed, then asked something more intimate.
"Hana, how are you holding up without blood?"
"I can last about four more days, but after that I'll have to rely on animal blood. It's disgusting, but I don't have a choice. I doubt we'll run into any humans out here. All I can do is wait until Midmidir."
"Hm. You know that in the worst-case scenario—"
"I know. But I'm not comfortable biting my family. Besides, the two of you have unquestionable physical beauty. Your skin is so elegant and clean that I don't want to mark it with my teeth."
Irene cast her a discreet glance from her angle, then returned her gaze to her hands, listening to the crackling of the firewood.
"At this pace, we should reach Midmidir in about a week. My plan is to stay there for at least three days."
Rynelle looked up at the starry sky, pondering what they would do during their stay. Then she set her white glass plate on the ground and crawled into her tent to retrieve a newspaper. Hanami didn't miss the chance to comment.
"Ara~, you've got a really nice ass, elf."
"Don't be rude," Rynelle replied calmly while continuing to search. "Though yes, it's true—I do look amazing."
When Rynelle found what she was looking for, she returned to her seat, holding a newspaper in her hands.
"I bought one from the continent before we left. I wanted to get a sense of the world's current situation."
Irene's curiosity was instantly piqued. She moved closer to Rynelle and sat right up against her shoulder, almost pressing into her.
"Read it out loud," she asked.
Rynelle obliged and began to read it all. Most of it was mundane news about economics, leaders, and new projects opening in various kingdoms; but the topic that made Irene's fluffy ears perk up was when Rynelle read:
"A labyrinth teeming with monsters has been discovered in the kingdom of Azuryth. It is estimated to have been buried underground for roughly twelve hundred years. Queen Luzz has claimed it and invites the entire continent to explore it. It is a virgin dungeon that may contain all kinds of treasures and promises a new economic boom for the kingdom of Azuryth. The queen emphasized her invitation for families to settle within her realm."
Hanami calmly ate her stew. When Rynelle finished reading, she was the first to speak.
"It looks like Azuryth is about to become the ideal kingdom for quite some time."
"It's one of our destinations!" Irene exclaimed.
"Yes, but it's far too distant. We still have many other things to do before reaching it. Maybe in a few years."
"How exciting," Irene murmured, lost in her dreams.
"Since it's a virgin dungeon, the most renowned adventurers will probably claim it first," Hanami commented.
"Yes. Even so, they'll have more than enough capital to sustain all that economic power. A lot of foreigners will probably gather there."