READ NOVEL ONLINE chapter 298
76. Caution
In the early morning, Mu En opened his eyes, only to be dazzled by the sunlight that had already peeked over the mountain, revealing half of its delicate face.
It was a rare late rise.
A faint fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, making it hard to tell whether it came from the grass or from the girl who had already vanished without a trace.
“Is this the benefit of the holy light? Just a little bit that unconsciously diffuses out can even improve sleep quality.”
Mu En stretched lazily.
Although the sky served as a blanket and the ground as a bed, and the early spring weather still held a hint of chill, he felt exceptionally satisfied both physically and mentally after this sleep, thanks to his solid physique.
Mu En suddenly began to envy Ariel; he had only lain beside Liya for a while. If he could sleep with Liya in his arms every day like she would in the future, what a beautiful experience that would be.
“No, no, I can’t have such dangerous thoughts.”
Mu En shook his head and quickly drove the idea out of his mind.
If he really did that, he would probably be beaten to death by Ariel!
He wasn’t some scumbag who flirted with every girl he met.
He was only doing this to strengthen his relationship with Lia, so that she could help him say a few good words in front of Ariel.
As for the thought of dragging Lia out to stargaze to prevent the beautiful girl from spending the night alone—such a hidden scumbag thought—there was absolutely none of that!
“Tsk, scumbag.”
Pink Bear popped up from somewhere, spat out a mouthful of saliva, and looked at Mu En with disdain:
“It’s only been a few days, and you’re already flirting with a little girl.”
“I’m not! I’m not! Don’t say things like that!”
Mu En glared, “Where did you see me flirting with her?”
“Hmph, you’ve even invited her to watch the stars, and you still say you’re not?”
“Ha ha, who said watching the stars is flirting?”
Mu En crossed his arms and chuckled coldly, “That’s a fantasy only a guy who’s never held a girl’s hand in his life would have.”
“C—who are you calling a virgin!”
Pink Bear was furious: “I haven’t been a virgin since I was three! Anyway… you’ve offended me. If you don’t buy me ten boxes of top-quality cigars and a hundred adult books to make amends later, I’ll go tell that little girl Celicia on you!”
“Do you think Celicia would believe you?”
Mu En rolled his eyes, feeling a bit speechless at this bear with a head full of nonsense:
“Let’s not talk about that for now. Are we going to cross the imperial border today?”
“Exactly.”
Pink Bear became slightly more serious, extending a furry paw and pulling out a low-quality cigarette from somewhere, lighting it up. He took a deep puff, and wisps of white smoke wafted out from the eyes and ears of his bear-shaped pouch as he leisurely said:
“Since the journey has been smooth and we’re ahead of schedule, we should reach the border in about two hours.”
“Don’t we need to go through a checkpoint?”
“What are you thinking?”
Pink Bear looked at him with a ‘you’ve got to be kidding’ expression:
“You, the son of a duke, representing one of the most prestigious academies in the empire abroad, are actually thinking about smuggling?”
“It’s safer that way.”
“…”
Pink Bear stared at Mu En for a while, then suddenly sighed:
“Kid, you’re too cautious.”
“Is there?”
“Ha.”
The pink bear grinned, its bear mouth curling into a smile as its gaze flicked over to those gradually rising from the carriage, exchanging pleasantries, laughter, and playful banter, before returning to Mu En.
“These days, everyone treats this as a real journey, except for you.
Providing everyone with carriages, food, and luxuries they might never experience in their lifetime, letting them enjoy the trip to the fullest, yet only you… have never let your guard down.
Patrolling twice a day, surveying the surroundings, and aside from last night, you never sleep soundly, constantly checking in with me about our progress.
Even…
Kid, what exactly are you worried about?”
“…”
Mu En fell silent for a moment, shrugged, and smiled:
“Nothing, just some unfounded premonitions.”
“Is a premonition supposed to be this dramatic?”
“From my past experiences, being cautious never hurts.”
“…”
The pink bear studied Mu En for a while, then suddenly slapped the back of his head, nearly causing him to stumble, and scoffed:
“You little brat, you think too highly of yourself. You’re just the son of a duke, acting like you’re traveling with an emperor. No, even that little emperor doesn’t deserve my personal attention when he goes out.”
“Alright, alright, just consider me paranoid.”
Mu En replied helplessly.
“But…”
Just as Mu En was about to leave, the pink bear suddenly spoke up.
“The governor of the border territory… is a subordinate of your father from the past.”
“…”
Mu En froze for a moment, then looked at the pink bear in surprise for a long while:
“Sorry.”
“Huh?”
“I shouldn’t have secretly thought that your head was filled with nonsense. It turns out that even if most of it is nonsense, there’s still a small part that’s useful.”
“What—”
The pink bear exploded in anger:
“You little brat, are you looking for death?!”
“Wait, wait, wait, don’t hit me, don’t kick me, I was wrong, Uncle!”
“Who the hell is your uncle? Get lost!”
……
……
When Mu En finished washing up and returned to the camp, everyone had already packed up and was ready to set off at any moment.
Unconsciously, their gazes all fell on the returning Mu En.
Seeing this, a ripple stirred in Mu En’s heart, and he smiled slightly, just about to speak, when he suddenly felt the corner of his clothes being gently tugged.
“Um… um.”
Liya had appeared behind Mu En at some point, speaking softly:
“Can we talk about something privately?”
“Uh?”
Mu En showed a hint of confusion, but seeing the urgency in Liya’s brows and eyes, he said nothing more. He just offered an apologetic smile to the oddly expressioned crowd and followed Liya to a secluded spot.
……
“Is Ariel back yet?”
Mu En paused for a moment, looking at the anxious Liya in front of him, and frowned as he asked:
“Have you contacted her with the communication stone?”
“I… I have contacted her, but she didn’t answer.”
Liya tightly gripped the communication stone, which was nearly being crushed in her hand, her eyes filled with unease.
“Don’t worry, let me ask.”
Mu En comforted her and found the Pink Bear.
“Oh? You’re asking about that flat-chested girl?”
The Pink Bear, who was focused on a book with a cover that made Liya blush, looked up and casually said:
“She sneaks out to hunt magical beasts every night these past few days.”
“I know that, but what I want to ask is, since she hasn’t come back yet, is there any danger?”
“Danger? Where would the danger come from?”
The Pink Bear nonchalantly dug at its nose and said, “This is the path I chose for her, where could… ah, I just remembered.”
The Pink Bear suddenly jolted up, slapping its head and said:
“I forgot to tell that girl something last night.”