Are You Going on a Journey Too?

White sails were particularly striking against the vast, endless sea.

On this boundless blue ocean, the only companions for those traveling across the sea, besides the circling gulls, were the silver-winged flying fish that occasionally leaped from the water.

Saisa, wearing her hood, leaned against the ship's railing and smiled slightly as she watched a white seagull engage in a staring contest with her.

"Are you going on a journey too?"

Unlike the solemnity of the veteran crew members, the newcomers who joined every year under various pretexts were full of curiosity, exploration, greed, and bravery, making for a relatively harmonious atmosphere among them.

As Saisa was chatting with the white seagull, it suddenly flapped its wings and took to the sky.

The gentleness on Saisa's face vanished, and she looked behind her with an expressionless gaze.

There, a black-haired knight was walking slowly toward her with confident strides.

As Saisa looked over, the black-haired knight caught a glimpse of the silver eyes hidden beneath the hood, a sight that left him frozen in his tracks.

What beautiful eyes; they were like meticulously carved gemstones!

Saisa's gaze gradually darkened; she disliked being stared at, especially by a total stranger.

Sensing her cooling gaze, the black-haired knight realized his rudeness.

Straightening his appearance, he walked up to Saisa and, meeting her slightly puzzled look, performed a standard knight's salute.

"Hello. My name is Speuler. May I ask how I should address you, beautiful lady?"

...

After a period of sailing, the merchant caravan finally arrived at the Jesup Continent.

Due to frequent travel, a main road leading to White Crystal City had already been established on the shore.

A black-haired knight walked ahead, bowing respectfully to Saisa as she prepared to disembark.

"Beautiful lady, please."

Saisa didn't even give him a pleasant look as she disembarked on her own.

Throughout the journey, Speuler had been enthusiastically chatting away at Saisa, but her responses were always icy.

However, Speuler didn't mind; it was normal for people to have quirks, let alone a beautiful noble lady, so an eccentric personality was even more expected.

Indeed, he had already regarded Saisa as a noble lady who had secretly run away, casting himself in the role of her personal knight protector.

Furthermore, every movement Saisa made revealed an elegance and nobility found only among aristocrats; this wasn't something that could be learned overnight, but required long-term immersion.

Although Saisa was indifferent to his actions and thoughts, Speuler took this indifference as tacit consent.

After the caravan members disembarked, they began to rest; some newcomers who had been seasick felt as if they were experiencing a new life, finally free from that slow and unbearable torment.

However, the thought of having to go through it again on the way back made them regret their impulsiveness.

Meanwhile, more of the newcomers were curious about their surroundings and began to scatter and explore, hoping to find unexpected treasures.

Saisa found a small stone bollard and sat on it, closing her eyes to rest.

Her little tail, Speuler, stood beside her, keeping a serious watch.

But before long, wearing heavy knight's armor and carrying a one-handed sword, he began to sweat profusely in the sweltering weather, his breathing unconsciously becoming heavy.

The internal heat was becoming unbearable, and he desperately wanted to find a shady spot to sit down and rest.

Yet, every time he had such a thought, he would look at the beautiful girl sitting quietly on the stone bollard; seeing her calm and unruffled appearance, he immediately dismissed the idea.

'Is this a joke? She hasn't even mentioned the heat, so how can I, as her personal knight, say it's hot!'

Thus, a comical scene unfolded: the sweat-drenched Speuler stood at attention beside Saisa, his look of extreme endurance making anyone who saw him want to laugh.

But anyone who looked would only receive a fierce glare from Speuler.

After an unknown amount of time, Speuler began to feel a bit lightheaded, his vision blurring in and out, yet he remained standing at attention.

Just then, a sigh was heard.

"Sigh—"

Hearing that pleasant voice, Speuler stood even straighter and looked at Saisa.

"Miss, do you have any instructions?"

A hint of complexity flashed in Saisa's eyes.

"I am not the noble lady you imagine me to be, nor do I have some powerful identity or backing, so there is no need for you to do this."

She thought Speuler would back off, but instead, a strange light flashed in his eyes, and his expression became even more determined.

'Could this be a test from the young lady? I must perform well!'

On the surface, he suppressed his dizziness and performed another knight's salute.

"In response to the lady! I do not protect you because you are a lady; I sincerely wish to guard you! I swear it on my honor as a knight!"

Hearing this, Saisa showed a hint of surprise; from his pale green eyes, she could see absolute determination, with no trace of a lie.

'This human... is somewhat interesting.'

At that thought, without even realizing it herself, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and her gaze softened.

She raised her fair right hand, pulled back her hood, and then gave a light wave toward Speuler.

In the next second, a water-blue magic circle covered Speuler's entire body, and the [Water Healing] magic instantly improved his heatstroke.

That wasn't all; an ice-blue magic circle rose from Speuler's feet and passed through his body, sending a refreshing chill through his limbs and bones, instantly dispelling the heat.

Seeing this, Speuler's jaw dropped completely; his wide-open mouth looked like it could fit a whole ripe apple.

"You... You're actually a lord mage! And you're... a chantless mage!"

Once Speuler snapped out of it, he knelt directly on the ground.

"Greetings... Lord Mage! It was... I who was blind and... caused many offenses, please forgive me!!"

One must know that mages held an extremely high status throughout the human kingdoms; if one accidentally offended one, they had better pray they had a powerful backer, or they wouldn't even know how they died.

Saisa used her mana to gently lift Speuler up and spoke softly under his terrified gaze.

"It is fine. There is no need to fear me so much; after all, I do not belong to any human faction."

Meeting Saisa's gaze, for some reason, Speuler's fearful heart gradually calmed down, like a lake whose ripples were smoothed by a mysterious power.

"I... I understand."

After resting for a few hours, the merchant caravan set off on the road to White Crystal City.