“Thank you very much for returning Carl to me!” a girl who seemed to be around ten years old, thanked Chloe with tears in her eyes.
“You’re welcome,” Chloe replied. “Make sure that you do not lose him again, okay?”
“Un!” the girl nodded her head.
The man, who was standing beside his daughter, smiled and handed Chloe a certificate of completion.
He was the one who had sent the commission to Brynhildr Academy so that his daughter could reunite with her beloved pet that had been missing for nearly two weeks.
After bidding their farewells, Chloe walked with a spring in her steps. Clearly, she was in a very good mood, and a sweet smile could be seen on her face.
“I didn’t think that doing a quest like this could make me this happy,” Chloe said as she walked hand in hand with Ethan. “Perhaps, doing this kind of mission isn’t that bad after all.” 𝑶𝚟𝓵xt.𝑪𝔬𝗆
The young lady’s smile was infectious, so Ethan couldn’t help but smile as well.
“Helping others is a good thing,” Ethan replied. “You did well, Chloe.”
The one who found the missing cat was Chloe, and when she found it, the cat was rummaging for food in a garbage bin.
She didn’t have any difficulties catching it because the cat was very docile to humans.
Clearly, it had been spoiled by its owner and didn’t know that humans could pose a danger to it.
Since they were able to finish their mission in a span of two hours, the two decided to take a stroll around the town for the time being.
The return trip to the academy was half a day long, so they decided to wait until morning before they traveled back to the academy.
It wasn’t safe to travel at night because there were many nocturnal magical beasts that hunted during this time.
Also, it was easy to get disoriented due to the darkness, so the two of them agreed that they would stay at an inn and spend the night there.
As they strolled around the town, they didn’t notice that several people were observing them from a safe distance.
The uniforms of Brynhildr Academy automatically marked them as Wizards and Witches, so it was very easy for people to know what faction they belonged to.
After they grew tired of their stroll, the two went to an inn to have dinner and reserve their rooms for the night.
“Good day to the two of you,” the Innkeeper said with a smile. “How many rooms would you like to have?”
“Two,” Ethan replied.
“One,” Chloe answered.
The two then stiffened before looking at each other’s faces.
Chloe’s face turned beet red as she waved her hands in front of her.
“I-It’s not what you think,” Chloe stated. “I just thought that we would be able to save money if we just got one room.”
Ethan smiled and nodded his head.
“Sir, we’ll just take one room,” Ethan said. “Make sure that it has two beds in it, or one big bed that can fit two to three people.”
“Ah, youth! It reminds me of when I was an adventurer.” the Innkeeper smiled. “But I had to retire ever since I took an arrow in the knee, and currently, I’m an innkeeper. Life is filled with surprises, don’t you think?
“Oh, my! Sorry, I got carried away. Here is your key, and your room is the rightmost room on the third floor. Please, enjoy your stay.”
Ethan took the key and nodded his head before grabbing Chloe’s hand, whose face was still as red as a tomato.
However, before he climbed the stairs, he turned back to face the innkeeper and asked for some warm water that they could use to clean their bodies.
The Innkeeper nodded and said that they would send the water after they finished eating dinner in their room.
Unlike the academy, which was brightly lit during the night, Crawford Town was washed over by darkness after the sun had set.
Only some establishments like taverns and inns had lanterns outside of their buildings, which helped illuminate the surroundings.
An hour later, the two enjoyed the simple dinner that the Innkeeper had prepared for them.
“You wash yourself first,” Ethan said before leaving the room. “I’ll stand just outside the door, so call me when you’re finished.”
“Thank you,” Chloe replied. “I’ll try not to make you wait too long.”
Ethan nodded and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
‘Dantalion, any news?’ Ethan asked.
‘There are some suspicious individuals that have been trailing the two of you for quite a while,’ Dantalion replied. ‘Even now, they are hiding in the shadows, observing this inn. Nightshade and I are paying close attention to their movements.’
‘Do you think they will attack us during the night?’ Ethan inquired. ‘Are they perhaps those Human Traffickers that we were warned about in the academy?’
‘The possibility exists,’ Dantalion answered. ‘So make sure to stay inside your room and lock it properly. We will alert you if they decide to make their move tonight.’
Ethan sighed before thanking his Guide, who had accompanied him on his mission.
A day before the Mission Hall opened, Professor Rinehart made a speech and reminded everyone to be wary of the people who always waited for this time of the year to capture Wizards and Witches while they were completing their Field Missions.
Naturally, the Academy has prepared a countermeasure to these illegal activities, and had already tortured and imprisoned countless individuals over the past several decades.
The Magistratus has also sent their Elite Members, who have managed to exterminate entire organizations who target the First and Second Years of the academy, to protect the younger students.
Because of this, very few individuals dare to target the Wizards and Witches of Brynhildr Academy. After all, the possibility of having the tables turned against them was high.
Half an hour later, Chloe opened the door and allowed Ethan to come in.
Her hair was still wet, and she was wearing a white nightgown that failed to hide the curves of her body.
Ethan pretended to be calm and proceeded to the corner of the room, where a tub of clean, warm water was waiting for him.
“The water is no longer warm, so I summoned Kon to heat it up for you,” Chloe said as she continued to wipe her hair dry with a towel.
“Thanks, Chloe,” Ethan said as he took off his robes, leaving only his underwear.
The young lady had her back turned on him, so Ethan no longer hesitated to wipe his body with a wet towel in order to wash away the dirt that had accumulated during their travel.
Chloe had volunteered to stay outside the room while he cleaned himself up, but Ethan rejected her proposal.
He told her about Dantalion’s observation and insisted that she not leave the room. Right now, they shouldn’t separate no matter what in order to prepare for any contingencies.
As the sound of water echoed within the walls of the room, Chloe used a bit of her Fire Magic to create hot air in order to dry her hair.
When she was done, she used a comb so that it wouldn’t be too tangled when she woke up the next day.
It didn’t take long for Ethan to finish bathing and put on his pajamas.
Chloe volunteered to help him dry his hair, which Ethan didn’t reject.
“Your hair has grown a bit long,” Chloe commented as she wiped Ethan’s hair with a towel. “You should have it cut when we return to the academy.”
“Really?” Ethan asked back. “I didn’t notice.”
“You should pay more attention to your looks… no scratch that. Don’t make yourself too handsome, okay? The girls in my manor are getting annoying and always gossiping about you!”
“What’s this? Are you getting jealous?”
Chloe didn’t answer and simply pulled Ethan’s hair, making the latter chuckle despite the pain.
After drying his hair with magic, the two laid down on the bed, with Chloe resting her head on Ethan’s chest.
The young man had his arms wrapped around her, holding her in place.
“You smell like a flower. It’s good,” Ethan commented. “What kind of soap are you using?”
“Rose Passion. I bought it in Terra Manor,” Chloe replied. “Do you like it?”
“I like it very much.”
“Good. It was worth reserving it in advance.”
Ethan closed his eyes, and enjoyed the comfort of Chloe’s warmth and softness that was sticking to his skin.
He wasn’t dense and fully understood what she felt for him just as she knew what he felt for her.
Chloe then raised her head to kiss his cheek before waving her wand at the candle beside their bed, extinguishing it.
Ethan kissed her forehead, and hugged her tight.
The two cuddled under the blanket until both of them fell asleep.
As the night deepened, the people that were observing them from the streets retreated back into the shadows, unaware that two loyal Ravens were watching their every move.
—————
Author Notes: Sorry, still not feeling better. Will resume regular updates when I recover.