Chapter 15 - Setting Off

Ranna slowly started to open her eyes, her head still feeling light. As her vision cleared, she saw Leo standing by the wall, looking intently at the map. "What happened?" she asked, her voice still a bit groggy.

Leo turned to her, concern etched on his face. "You collapsed when I showed you my aura," he explained gently.

Ranna bent her neck from side to side, trying to shake off the lingering dizziness. The memories of the powerful aura and the overwhelming pressure it exerted came flooding back. She sat up, looking at Leo thoughtfully. "Was it you who defeated the Orc Lord?" she asked, already suspecting the answer.

Leo didn't say yes, but the look in his eyes was enough for Ranna to know the truth. She smiled knowingly. "What do you plan to do now?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"I want to move to the capital with Amanda as soon as possible," Leo replied with determination. "I'll register as an adventurer and start from there."

Ranna nodded in agreement but pointed out a practical concern. "You'll need money if you plan to live in the capital."

While she was talking, Leo handed her a small, brown square coin purse. It looked like a holder for a deck of cards. Ranna's eyes widened in awe as she accepted and inspected the purse. She didn't need to open it because the amount was displayed on the outside in an elegant, glowing script: 500,000 gold coins. It was a magic purse, capable of carrying a significant amount of coins based on its quality.

"Five hundred thousand gold coins? This is the maximum amount it can hold!" she exclaimed, still processing the enormity of the sum.

Leo smiled at her reaction. "Consider it an investment in the farmland and my way of thanking you for letting us stay and taking care of us."

Ranna looked at him, still in disbelief. "Where did you get this?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

Leo simply replied, "It was a reward from my system."

She smiled warmly, accepting his explanation. "A merchant will be collecting goods tomorrow to sell in the capital. I can arrange your departure with them if you want."

Leo's face lit up with gratitude. "That would be perfect. Thank you, Ranna."

She stood up, still feeling a bit unsteady but determined. "I'll make the arrangements. You go back to the house and tell Amanda about it."

Leo nodded, feeling a surge of excitement and relief. He left Ranna's office, eager to share the news with Amanda and begin the next chapter of their journey together.

It was already noon when Leo stepped out of Ranna's office. The sun was high in the sky, casting long shadows across the farm. He rushed back to their house and saw Amanda sitting on the stairs in front of the house. She was gazing off into the distance, her face serene but thoughtful. When she noticed someone approaching from the corner of her eye, she turned her head and smiled, waving as she recognized Leo.

"Hey," she greeted, standing up as he reached her. They both walked inside, and the familiar, comforting atmosphere of their home embraced them.

"Where have you been?" Amanda asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"I was talking to Ranna in her office," Leo replied casually.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, already moving towards the kitchen.

"Yes, I am," he answered, his stomach growling in agreement.

There was a moment of comfortable silence as Amanda busied herself with cooking. The clinking of pots and the sizzling of food filled the air. Then, almost simultaneously, they both called out to each other.

"Amanda—"

"Leo—"

They stopped, looked at each other in surprise, and then burst into laughter. The shared moment broke the tension that had been building.

"You go first," Leo said, motioning for her to speak.

Amanda hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "I recalled seeing you half naked this morning."

Leo laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, about that... I was actually at the Orc cave."

Amanda's eyes widened in shock. She rushed to his side, her hands immediately checking his body for injuries. Her fingers traced over his muscular frame, feeling the defined curves of his physique. She marveled at how much he had changed.

"When did you change so much?" she thought to herself.

"Amanda," Leo gently called out, noticing her lingering touch.

Amanda snapped out of her daze, her face turning a deep shade of red as she realized what she was doing. She quickly pulled away and went back to cooking, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Leo smiled at her reaction and decided to continue with his story. "Well, since I wasn't working today, I wanted to look around and happened to see the cave. I went in and got lost because it was too dark. I heard monsters, so I ran and ended up in a giant room. It was still dark, but I saw an adventurer nearby."

Amanda listened intently, occasionally glancing over her shoulder as she cooked.

Leo continued, "I talked to the adventurer, but then a monster appeared. It was huge, like nothing I'd ever seen. The adventurer fought it, and I managed to hide in a corner. The fight was so intense that my shirt was blown off."

Amanda turned to look at him, her eyes wide with concern and disbelief.

"I passed out, and when I came to, the fight was over and the room was destroyed. I also saw a woman who looked like a wizard," Leo concluded.

Amanda remembered what Kurea had told her. "She said she saw a half-naked non-adventurer in the area too," Amanda recounted, looking at Leo with a mixture of amusement and concern. "So that was you."

Leo nodded sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, that was me."

Amanda sighed in relief, her heart finally settling. She didn't fully understand why she wasn't more concerned about what had happened, but she was overwhelmingly thankful that Leo was alright.

Leo hesitated for a moment, then looked at Amanda with determination. "Amanda, I want us to live in the capital."

Amanda's eyes widened in surprise. The thought of moving to the capital had always filled her with a sense of dread, but now, it seemed like the right time. The pain and memories that once haunted her seemed to have lost their grip. She felt a wave of happiness washing over her, making her realize how much she had been longing for this change.

"I... I would love that, Leo," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. But then a thought crossed her mind, and she frowned slightly. "But we don't have enough saved coins."

Leo smiled reassuringly. "I talked to Ranna about it. She lent me 50,000 gold coins, and I promised to pay her back, of course."

Amanda's eyes filled with tears, not of sadness but of overwhelming gratitude and joy. "Ranna did that for us?"

Leo nodded. "She also said she was making arrangements with the merchant coming tomorrow. We can ride with them on their way back to the capital."

Amanda's heart swelled with happiness. She nodded, unable to find the words to express her gratitude. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she turned back to the stove, continuing to cook. "Thank you, Leo," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "After we eat, I'll start preparing our belongings."

Leo watched her, feeling a profound sense of accomplishment and relief. The future that once seemed uncertain and filled with obstacles now looked bright and full of promise. He knew that moving to the capital was just the beginning of their new adventure together.