Homeward Bound

Heavy snow was still falling outside the dungeon.

Many adventurers still lingered around, setting up stalls right outside the entrance to sell supplies and items salvaged from the dungeon. The entrance was looking more and more like a bustling marketplace.

The four of them didn't linger and headed back along the path they had come.

The snow ahead grew thicker, and the temperature outside the dungeon was extremely low.

As a chilly gust of wind blew past, Louise instinctively squinted and pulled her thin black robe tighter around herself.

Chen Mian glanced at her, took off his coat, and handed it over. “Put this on. Your body hasn't fully recovered yet, so don't catch a cold.”

Looking at the dark gray coat stuffed into her hands, Louise looked up at Chen Mian with her violet-gold eyes. “Aren't you cold? I don't want you to freeze either.”

“I'm not cold,” Chen Mian said with a slight pause and a smile.

Louise looked down at the coat in her hands, which still held his body warmth, and slowly put it on.

The sleeves of the coat were very long, so Louise rolled them up twice. Tucking her fingers inside the cuffs, she wrapped herself tightly in the coat.

“I'm not cold anymore,” she said, her voice muffled by the collar. “Walk a bit closer. The more layers we have together, the warmer we'll be.”

Walking on Chen Mian's right, Flora quietly glanced at the figure wrapped in the coat. A smile played on her lips; on the day they went to the Fluorescent Forest, Mr. Chen Mian had wrapped his coat around her in the exact same way.

Hearing Louise's words, Loviki's gaze shifted back and forth between Louise and Chen Mian. She lowered her head, pulled her scarf up a bit higher, and nudged slightly closer to Chen Mian.

The four of them continued forward along the footprints stamped into the snow by other adventurers.

Chen Mian walked at the very front, blocking most of the oncoming freezing wind.

For someone of his current strength, this bit of wind and snow indeed had no effect on him.

Louise followed behind him, her nose buried in the collar of the coat, leaving only her violet-gold eyes exposed as she curiously observed the vast, white snowscape.

After walking for a while, she suddenly took a half-step forward and gently tugged on the hem of Chen Mian's coat from behind.

Chen Mian turned his head slightly. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” Louise's voice came from inside the collar. “I just want to hold on.”

Chen Mian looked back at her with a hint of surprise. “Then hold on tight.”

“Okay~”

Watching Louise's fingers tightly clutching the hem of his coat, the corners of Flora's mouth curved upward. She naturally stepped closer to Chen Mian's other side, bringing the four of them even closer together.

Loviki walked on the outermost side. Occasionally, she would look up at the blurry silhouette of Wigtan City in the distance through the falling snow, and then her gaze would fall on the unhurried steps of the three beside her.

...

The streets of Wigtan were not as bustling as when they had arrived, but many adventurers carrying backpacks could still be seen.

The four of them walked along the cobblestone streets of Wigtan's Old District toward the harbor.

“Louise, did you also make that container that can hold fish?” Loviki asked, looking at Louise walking beside Chen Mian.

“Yes. Once I saw it, I remembered how to make it. I just had to combine life magic with storage space, though it can only hold weak creatures.” Louise pulled out a small, square wooden box and handed it to Loviki.

Although the wooden box looked small, the space inside was massive. Even after putting in the plants and fish from the hidden area, there was still plenty of room left. This was the first time she had ever seen a magic tool capable of carrying living creatures... well, not exactly the first time. Chen Mian probably had one too, since the Moonlight Cow in the apartment's ranch seemed to have been released from his storage space.

The four of them soon arrived near the harbor. As they passed by the grilled fish stall, Louise's steps visibly slowed down, and her gaze involuntarily fell upon the frost-patterned salmon sizzling on the iron grill.

“This smell is so familiar.”

“Do you want to eat it?”

“Yes,” Louise nodded straightforwardly, a hint of curiosity in her violet-gold eyes.

Chen Mian walked up to the stall, paid a few copper coins, and took the grilled fish wrapped in oilpaper.

Louise took the grilled fish and took a small bite. “It's delicious!”

Standing nearby, Loviki opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and finally cautioned, “The fat in this fish is hard to digest. Don't eat too much, or you might get diarrhea.”

“I won't, Loviki,” Louise said, shaking her head with a smile. “I've never had an upset stomach.”

Loviki glanced at her and said nothing more. She simply pulled her scarf up higher and turned to look at the ship masts faintly visible in the harbor ahead.

Chen Mian knew Louise wasn't lying. Back when he and Betts had suffered, she had been completely unaffected.

By the time the four of them reached the pier, the sails of the passenger ship were already slowly being hoisted.

The sailors on the deck were preparing to untie the mooring ropes.

“Just in time.” Chen Mian bought the tickets, and the group stepped onto the gangway.

As the passenger ship sailed away from Wigtan Port, Louise stood on the deck, still holding the oilpaper wrapper of the grilled fish, her silver-gray hair fluttering gently in the sea breeze.

She watched the shrinking silhouette of Wigtan City, then looked down at the coat she was wearing, which was clearly a few sizes too big. After a moment of silence, she asked softly, “What kind of place is the apartment?”

Leaning against the railing, Chen Mian looked at the expectant Louise and said, “It's just a three-story house. Behind it is a vegetable garden and an orchard, and next to it is a small ranch and a little village. We grow some vegetables and raise some chickens, sheep, and a cow.”

Louise blinked. “It sounds very ordinary.”

“It is a very ordinary place,” Chen Mian said, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “It might not be as interesting as your dungeon.”

“No, Louise, the apartment is actually very lively. There's Mr. Chen Mian, Loviki, Luolin, Miya, and the villagers in the demi-human village. During the day, everyone helps harvest and sell vegetables,” Flora said with a smile from the side. “And after dinner, we can soak in the hot springs and chat. If you ever get bored, there are game consoles in Mr. Chen Mian's room to play with.”

Louise turned around, her eyes filled with clear curiosity. “Game consoles?”

“Yes, Mr. Chen Mian made them,” Flora said, a distinct smile on her face. “They're very interesting, just like your experiments.”

Louise nodded. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Will I be able to see you guys every day?”

“Of course,” Flora replied, nodding at her. “You can see us whenever you want.”

“Anytime?”

“Yes!”

“Okay,” Louise replied quickly, a touch of lightheartedness in her voice that she hadn't even noticed herself.

Loviki walked out of the cabin holding a mug of ale and came over to them. “I just heard some bad news in the cabin.”

“What news?” Flora asked, her expression turning much more serious as she looked at Loviki.

“Lately, the Forest of Death area has been very strange. A lot of magical beasts are migrating to the outer regions, putting immense pressure on the defenses of the cities near the border,” Loviki said solemnly. “Something must have happened inside the Forest of Death.”

“Then what about Luolin and the others...”

“Don't worry, my barrier hasn't been triggered,” Chen Mian said calmly.

“Mhm!”