22 Friend IV

"Agh. At least tell me why."

"Why …." Ruvian sighed for a moment. There are two matters that currently burdened his mind.

Adelle closed the map and sat next to Ruvian. It was cozy thanks to the fire that he lit for her. But seeing Ruvian made a concerned face worried her.

"Well, for now, it would be better the further away we are from Lefazio. That old geez shouldn't be underestimated."

"I can tell you that Gramps is not the major concern. It's the people that he knew in many places," she added.

"Yeah, I thought so. Being a Grandmagus should have connected him with a wide network of people."

He added, "secondly, there's something about the Crystal that I need to find ou—"

"Atchoo!"

"Uh, sorry. Just a normal sneeze," told her quickly. Either from the post hypothermia effect or somebody talked about her, she could just wipe her nose gently.

Ruvian let out a relieved sigh. "It's late anyway and I'm kinda tired, too. We can save it for tomorrow."

Seeing Ruvian moved and leaned into a tree. "Alright, good night," she replied. The answer she got from him was just a hum since Ruvian is already trying to sleep. His eyes had been closed for the whole time anyway.

Adelle made her resting spot right where she sat, taking out a plain cloth from her bag to use as a sleeping mattress. Though not very thick, it was enough to protect her from the dirt and coldness of the ground. Thankfully, she had prepared for this journey.

Right before she closed her eyes, she spewed some Vis of Ardor to the fire from her hand, making the bonfire burn a bit brighter and would last longer.

Adelle lay down, her eyes tracing the constellations above her. The satisfaction of finally gaining Ruvian's acceptance made her heart glow with warmth. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to bask in the moment of contentment.

As the night wore on, the world was still and quiet, with only the sound crackling bonfire filling the air. It wasn't until the morning light began to filter through the trees that Adelle finally stirred from her restful slumber.

The chirping of birds greeted her as she sat up, stretching out her limbs. She couldn't help but smile at the tranquility of the moment, feeling grateful for the chance to enjoy such a serene morning.

The second thing she decided to look for is her new companion, who is still sleeping by leaning on a tree. She could not help it, but felt happy that her plan of getting out of Lefazio's clutch succeeded.

She sat upright and drank water that was getting colder. The sky was still blue-ish dim, but she could see Ruvian's sleeping face clearly.

The more she looked at him, the more her heart throbbed. A settling, warm feeling filled her.

'Undeniably, I had a crush on him.'

She laughed silently. Thinking funny about herself.

'Girl, it's not even a week.'

Despite that admittance, something else was holding back her mind. She had known others like Ron or Luke in Rumabel. But they aren't just her type. Even though Ron has been trying to get close to her ever since she came to the town.

The one that held her mind was Luso, looking younger than Ruvian. But contrary to him, Luso was always eager to smile.

As she thought about Luso, Adelle couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in her chest. She longed to see him again, to hear his voice and witness his warming smile

Sending him a letter in hopes to ease her longing and asking about his well-being and hometown was futile. Deep down, she knew there was no way for such a letter to reach him, not in this world. Even her Gramps knew that it was impossible.

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she gazed up at the sky. The vast expanse of blue above her seemed to offer no solace, no answer to her silent plea. She knew that seeing Luso again was near impossible, and it made her heart ache with longing.

"Huh, you've been awake already? You sure are a morning person." Ruvian's abrupt voice broke through Adelle's drifting mind. He yawned.

Hurriedly, she put her hands on eyes and forced a smile. "Nah, old habits die hard."

Ruvian noticed that Adelle appeared to be unwell, although he could only see her expression through Sensus. However, he assumed that she had already regained her composure and didn't pay much attention to it.

'Must be a nightmare. Trivial things.'

"Alright, if you don't mind morning strolls."

Adelle remained silent and simply shook her head. Ruvian noticed that she seemed to be lost in thought, perhaps troubled by something. But he decided not to pry.

Ruvian got up and waited for Adelle to do the same. Unbeknownst to him, that girl was waiting for him to reach out his hand. So she stayed still.

"Get up. What are you waiting for? Come on." He thought that she just needed some more time due to her nightmare. So he let his word take the action by turning around and started walking.

Seeing him not taking that hint, Adelle finally got up with a smirk of disappointment.

"Heh, alright, alright."

Lifting up her bag, she dashed until she caught up beside him.

"So, what did you want to talk about Crystal last night?"

The air in this forest was so fresh that Ruvian let her questions unanswered for a moment of breather.

"Let's see where I should start it ...."

"How do you know my full name?" He recalled the moment when Lefazio held him on the cottage floor with chains made of Vis.

"From a book."

"Book? What kind of book?"

"It's a ... journal of Alesta. Quite famous among the literate adventurers which is also kinda uncommon."

Adelle couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's bewildered expression upon hearing the name. She found it amusing that even though Ruvian was blind and always had his eyes closed, he had still managed to convey his shock through his expression.

"What? Do you know about Alesta?" asked Adelle.

"She's my martial art teacher ...."

Adelle was amazed, but ended in slight laughter. "Wow, you sure are her favorite student then, hahaha."

"Tell me about it. What did she say about me?"

Adelle stretched her arms and put it behind her head. "Many, many, things. It is almost like a diary about the last recent war. So it was very popular. The popular part was about the journey she had with Alliance's special team that included you. I must say it's a touching story."

She added, "but it includes not all details in the published version."

"Huh, like what details?"

"The published version said Ruvian Lucentin is indeed the Elementalist who sacrificed himself so that the Alliance could win the war. But it didn't include that your power was split. Gramps told me about that."