Chapter Nine

"Do you really have to leave?"

I was hugging a crying Yunyun who was clinging to my neck and sniffeling uncontrollably.

While consoling a sad Megumin with one arm patting her head.

"Sorry, Yunyun, Megumin, but unfortunately, we do. We have been planning this for years now."

I continued to rub my sister's back as I spoke. I looked at my father, who was looking at me and Ethan with a sad look, but the old man smiled when he noticed that I was looking at him.

Around him were the other adults and children about the age of the ones that were currently clinging to me, looking at us in wonder while the adults looked proud.

Yunyun unclung herself from he and extended his hands to Ethan and though he looked resigned, he still took the girl off me and hugged her tightly.

Turning to Megumin, I extended a hand and a small book appeared on it.

She looked confused as I handed her the leather-bound papers.

"These are some of the more effective spells I use, and how I use them, as my protege, I trust you to use them responsibly when you learn them."

Megumin grabbed the book eagerly and nodded seriously, like a soldier who was entrusted with defending civilians with his life.

I chuckled, straightening up and looking at my brother who was still being hugged to death by our sister.

Honestly, this girl.

Walking closer, I waited for her to calm down before I gave her a pendant that I enchanted. Its main function was to inform me if the barrier around her activated whenever she perceived something that was a danger to her.

Finally, after saying our final goodbyes, we left the village behind and entered a carriage that would take us to Arcanletia, where we could take the direct road to Axel where we would earn money, and after that, we would leave for the Capital and join the front lines.

Basically, free experience waiting to be gathered.

I would miss them, really, I would, I could come to see them any time I wanted. Leaning back on my seat, I looked at my brother who had one leg over the other and was reading a book.

The trip would take a few days, and with us having nothing to do, it would be very mentally draining with nothing to do.

I looked up at the roof of the carriage, mulling over what to do in the meantime. Sighing, I Held up a gloved hand and created a magic circle.

I guess passing time the usual way was the best option I had at my disposal.

___

"You know-"

I started, taking out two plates of food from my pocket dimension and handing one to Ethan.

"- I miss the internet."

He sighed and nodded, taking a bite of his food.

Seriously, If we didn't have something to distract ourselves in the village, we would have gone crazy. But now that we were traveling and training or making new spells could cause devastating damage, there was nothing to do.

"I know right? It used to be so simple, whip out a phone, and distract yourself with short videos until you reached your destination."

Ethan's remark made me remember the time when I had to travel for three hours to another city once a month to visit my family. Sometimes, I wondered how they were doing, but other times, I couldn't help but resent them for forcing me to go to a university when I didn't know what I wanted after finishing school.

But all of that was in the past now, I was free. But what now?

I didn't know what to do with my life now that I could do whatever I wanted.

"Hey, dude-"

Ethan looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What now?"

He frowned, probably wondering what I was talking about. Sighing, I leaned forward, looking at the food in my hand that I had yet to take a bite of.

"I mean, now that we left the village and after we finish our thing at the front lines, what then? What are you planning to do after that?"

He leaned back, staring into the fire that illuminated his face for a moment before shrugging.

"I dunno, man, we don't know much about the world, so I guess I'll travel?"

That sounded more like a question, but that was better than what I currently had in mind.

I had no idea myself. I looked up at the stars in thought.

"I think I'm going through a burnout."

At my... observation, Ethan just chuckled.

"No shit, dumbass, you have been distracting yourself from your own sad existence with magic, it was going to catch up to you eventually."

He wasn't wrong, I took something I was good at and milked it for all it was worth too fast, and too soon.

I slumped my shoulders, returned the plate to my inventory, and stood up. I've lost my appetite.

Shoving my hands in my pockets I walked back to the carriage, erected two earth walls, and placed two elimination circles on the walls. Smoothing the floor over, I took out my sleeping back and laid down on it, not even bothering to cover myself.

With the heat-regulating enchantments and the cleaning enchantments, I was the cleanest I could be right now.