Chapter 21 - Ready for Adventure

  Felicia was right—the hospital bed was big enough for two. But despite that, Daniel had hardly any space at all to sleep on. She kept moving over to his side in her sleep, leaning her back right against his.

  He would have fallen off if he hadn’t created a golden barrier to lean against.

  At least she seems to have slept well. But next time I’ll create a barrier between us…

  The golden construct behind him hummed quietly, perfectly smooth and slightly warm against his back. Creating barriers had become second nature—just a thought, and his mana would flow outward, crystallizing into whatever shape he needed.

  Solid light was the basic theory behind it, and it was the most versatile of Artorias’s Sarun Magics by far. It could create basically anything he could imagine from solid light, and even move at his command.

  Still weird how natural this all feels. Like I've been doing it for years instead of days.

  Elizabeth started making noises from her bed as soon as the sun rose. It seemed like a built-in clock that refused to let her oversleep. Good for a maid, but bad for a patient needing rest.

  Daniel shifted, feeling the familiar ache in his shoulders from sleeping in an awkward position. The barrier had kept him from falling, but it hadn't done much for comfort. He glanced over at Felicia, who was still curled up peacefully.

  “...You two seem to have gotten close,” Elizabeth finally said after moving around for a while. Her voice sounded weak, as one would expect.

  Daniel dismissed the golden wall, rolling his feet down the last few inches on his side and standing up, stretching muscles that protested after a night on the narrow bed.

  Then he summoned a new set of clothes from the spatial storage of his index. The clothes materialized around him in layers—socks, pants, shirt, vest, coat, and shoes appearing and settling into place with perfect fit. Another function he had integrated, which would soon be the talk of the town after Rowan reopened his shop.

  “Fillie and I are as close as peas in a pod, didn’t you know?”

  "Fillie?" Elizabeth laughed weakly at the nickname. "I'm glad to hear it."

  "Danny has taken the open position of my older brother," Felicia declared in a sleepy voice, hugging her blanket close to her face. Her hair was a mess of tangles, and there was a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "I had to fire the others."

  “Ah, and what a reliable brother he will be. Dare I ask what happened yesterday?”

  Daniel caught the careful way Elizabeth phrased the question—not demanding, but clearly hungry for information.

  "I think it's best to leave that for when you're feeling better," Daniel replied, running a hand through his hair. "Both of you."

  “I told you I’m fine, Danny.”

  "So you say," Daniel said dismissively as he stretched his arms over his head, feeling the satisfying pop of joints realigning. “We’re planning to leave today, Elizabeth. Soon as we can, really.”

  “I understand.”

  “You will have to get better before coming after us, I’m afraid.”

  The old maid looked hesitant, but then she nodded. “I have no reason not to trust you anymore. Take care of Felicia from now on.”

  “Of course. But you’re still coming after, I assume?”

  “Yes. Just tell me where I can find you.”

  Hmm, good question…

  The original plan had been vague—head south, find the academy, figure things out from there. But Elizabeth would need something more concrete to track them down.

  “Well, somewhere in Novanny. Our first destination is the academy, and you’ll probably be able to talk to the headmaster if you give them my name.”

  “Understood. I’ll be right behind you, then.”

  "Don't leave before you're healthy, okay?" Felicia said from her bed, with genuine concern in her voice. Despite everything she'd been through, she still worried about others first. "Your health comes first. I'll manage a lot of things on my own now that I can see."

  The last part was said with such pride that Daniel had to smile. Felicia was discovering independence for the first time in years, and it showed in every word.

  "...I will listen to the doctors. This time."

  "Thank you."

  Daniel could feel the emotional weight of the goodbye building in the room.

  “If there’s nothing else,” he said after a short silence. “We should leave, Fillie.”

  “Yes, let me just… get dressed.”

  Felicia sat up in bed with careful movements. Daniel noticed how she paused for a moment before reaching for things. She was still adjusting to having sight and learning to trust her eyes over her other senses.

  “...You’ll manage on your own?”

  “Liz can instruct me.”

  “Then I’ll wait outside.”

  “Thank you.”

  Daniel left the two of them in the room, understanding that Felicia wanted some privacy. She would have to get out of the hospital gown, after all.

  I guess we just have to head for the airport, then—or whatever it’s called here. Those airships would get us to the southern part of the continent in… a day, I’m guessing?

  He leaned against the corridor wall, watching the early morning bustle of the hospital through windows that looked out onto the city. Few people had woken up at this hour, and even fewer were out walking the streets.

  The sounds from inside the room were barely audible—Elizabeth's patient instructions, Felicia's occasional grunt of effort, and the rustle of fabric.

  It took a whole ten minutes before Felicia finally opened the door, revealing a modest blue dress that complemented her blonde hair perfectly. Her hair was put up in a simple ponytail, showing signs of someone attempting a braid but giving up halfway. But she was presentable, no doubt.

  She looks… normal. Like any other young noblewoman heading out for the day. Hard to believe she was blind until yesterday.

  “Not bad at all. You did all that by yourself?”

  “Everything but the buttons on the back,” Felicia said, sounding almost unreasonably proud. But since it was the first time she had been able to dress herself in years, it made perfect sense.

  She turned back to Elizabeth, bowing graciously in her direction. “Thank you, Liz. We’ll see you in Novanny soon?”

  “I’ll be there. Just give me one more hug before you go.”

  Felicia smiled and moved over to the bed, carefully embracing her most trusted ally one final time before leaving. “Don’t worry about me, Liz. I might be the safest person in the world right now.”

  That's probably true, actually. Anyone who wants to hurt her has to go through me first, and that's not going to end well for them.

  “Oh, if you can be that certain, there must be quite a story behind what happened yesterday.”

  Daniel felt his jaw tighten. Elizabeth was fishing again, trying to extract information. It was understandable for her to be curious, but she needed to relax. The truth would make her anything but, especially considering she was the personal maid of Felicia’s mother in the past.

  “You can ask Father before leaving. But rest first, okay?”

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

  “Yes, yes. Rest first,” Elizabeth promised, smiling even wider than before. “Then I’ll head after you.”

  “I look forward to it. See you then!”

  Felicia released her embrace, moving back to the door with steady steps. The adjustment was happening faster than he'd expected.

  Daniel waved at the old maid as Felicia closed the door. Then she turned, facing forward, chest out, and hands on her waist. “Now! I’m ready for adventure!”

  “That’s the spirit! I’m quite looking forward to it myself.”

  It was true. Despite the complications and dangers, the idea of traveling this world—his world—with someone who appreciated it was genuinely exciting. And Felicia's enthusiasm was infectious.

  Felicia grabbed his hand. “You’ll have to lead the way. I can’t see beyond four meters if I want to save my mana.”

  "Good call,” Daniel said, leading her over to the elevator. The hospital didn’t seem to have opened properly yet, so there were far fewer people about than yesterday. “Shall we go find ourselves an airship?”

  The moment the words left his mouth, he felt Felicia's posture change beside him. Her grip on his hand tightened. "...We can't take a normal boat?"

  “That would take ages, wouldn’t it?”

  “Yeah… I just don’t… like flying.”

  “Oh, right.”

  Shit. Of course.

  It was how she had lost her mother. On the exact same trip to Novanny, even.

  “...It’s fine, though. I understand we’re in a hurry.”

  The way she said it—trying to be brave while clearly terrified—made Daniel's heart ache.

  What else could work?

  “Well… Are there any spatial mages in the city?”

  “Not that I know of,” she replied, shaking her head weakly. “Besides, it’s eight hundred kilometers from here. You would need an archmage.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right...”

  Damn. Daniel had intentionally made travel difficult through magic when he created this world. They had solved that since then through airships, but when removing that option… Not much remained.

  “It’s fine,” Felicia said, more to convince herself than Daniel, it seemed. “I’ll manage. Let’s head to the skydock.”

  He squeezed her hand lightly, trying to sound comforting. “I’ll be with you every step of the way, Fillie. And I’ll teach you so many things you won’t have time to think about the flight.”

  Now that you can see, I have so much to teach you!

  The skydock was not at all like what Daniel had imagined.

  He paused at the entrance, taking in the sprawling chaos before him. It was far more like an actual port than any airport he had ever been to.

  Airships could be seen standing ready for flight, lined up on a long stretch of open cobblestone road that stretched into the distance. Some were elegant vessels with polished brass fittings and pristine white sails, while others looked like they'd been cobbled together from spare parts and desperate hope.

  Skydock. A dock for the sky. How… original.

  This seemed like bad worldbuilding by whoever had decided how things would develop after his novel ended. There was no reason to think anyone had made that decision, but his writer’s brain couldn’t quite stop itself from analyzing.

  Though… I guess airport isn’t much better, if I really think about it.

  There were no tickets for entry or anything like that; instead, each ship had its own shouter who would try to attract customers. The competing voices filled the air like a marketplace symphony.

  "Heading to Barger, safety guaranteed! Great seats, experienced chefs cooking onboard, and a viewing deck to see the sights!"

  "Overnight trip to Novanny! Private rooms, dirt cheap!"

  Daniel winced as another voice joined the chorus, this one particularly grating. He glanced at Felicia, who was walking close beside him, her hand resting lightly on his arm for guidance. Her fingers tightened slightly with each new shout, and he could feel the tension radiating from her small frame.

  She's trying so hard to look composed, he realized, watching the careful way she held her shoulders straight despite the overwhelming noise. But this has to be sensory hell for someone who relies on hearing as much as she does.

  Large holographic advertisements were spinning around them, conjured by formations spread out on the ground. Quite a clever creation, though he feared they would one day dominate entire cities, like the billboards of Earth.

  "You want a dirt-cheap private room, Fillie?" Daniel leaned over and asked, pitching his voice just loud enough to be heard over the din.

  She tilted her head toward him with a slight curve of her lips—not quite a smile, but close. "Not particularly. Though you're the one paying."

  “Well, there are dozens of ships here, so maybe we'll find a better one.”

  She pointed further down the line of ships. “I heard someone else say Novanny down there. They have decorated chefs.”

  Daniel followed her finger, spotting a luxurious-looking airship shining in black and gold. The vessel was easily twice the size of most others.

  "Yes, that one seems to be more your style," he said, already calculating the likely cost. The ship practically screamed luxury—even its shouter was dressed better than most ship captains. "Though I wonder what the price might be."

  Felicia's expression shifted slightly. “It looks expensive?”

  “Yes. But I’ve got plenty, probably.”

  Daniel started moving toward the expensive-looking ship, gently guiding Felicia with a hand at her elbow.

  “...How did you get money?” she asked, understandably curious. He had only been in the city for a day before meeting her again, and had already acquired a substantial amount.

  "I did not rob a bank," he said, trying to lighten her mood. "A very generous index maker begged me to take his money after I helped him improve some designs. I'm sure he'll make them back in no time, but it still felt strange."

  “Wow… You’re a real genius.”

  There was genuine admiration in her voice, but also a note of self-deprecation he didn’t like. She was comparing herself to him, and finding herself lacking.

  “While I am quite amazing, I haven’t created any new branches of magic—Miss Prodigy.”

  She chuckled at that, a real laugh that transformed her face. "It's a long way to go."

  They approached the luxury ship's shouter, who straightened immediately upon seeing them. Daniel noted the man's quick assessment, taking in Daniel's well-made clothes, Felicia's noble bearing despite her simple dress, and most importantly, the confident way they approached an expensive vessel.

  He's already calculating his commission.

  "Welcome!" the shouter said with a professional smile. "May I interest you in a flight on the most beautiful airship in Javos?"

  “You may,” Daniel replied, taking another look at the ship. He believed what the man said, despite only having seen a few dozen ships in his life. “What’s the price for a good room?”

  "Oh, all the rooms are good, I'd say. A standard room for one trip to Novanny is three thousand slivers, sir. The view from the deck makes it all worth it, I swear."

  Three thousand slivers. Daniel tried to place that in context with what he knew of the local economy. Enough for a month in the hotel they had stayed in. Pricy, but not too much.

  “Are the beds large enough for two? Or are there rooms with two separate beds?”

  He felt Felicia's fingers tighten on his arm, just slightly. Not distress, exactly, but sudden attention to the conversation.

  “Mmh, we can arrange for two separate beds if that is your wish.”

  “Great! When are you planning to leave?”

  “I expect in about an hour, sir.”

  Perfect timing. Long enough to get settled, not so long that they'd be standing around waiting.

  "Sounds good, then we'll take one room."

  "Excellent! Please step aboard, and the steward will help you from there. He'll take your payment as well."

  "Appreciated," Daniel said, walking past the man toward a set of stairs that extended from the ship like a formal invitation.

  Even the gangway was a piece of engineering, designed to handle the shifting weight and movement of an airship at dock.

  No expense spared. This really is the luxury option.

  Felicia walked up behind him, but Daniel noticed the way her steps slowed as they approached the stairs. Her hand found the railing, gripping it with white knuckles, and her breathing shifted to something more controlled.

  She bit her lips, clearly fighting some internal battle. Then she reached out and grabbed his robe, holding him back with suddenly desperate fingers. "I don't… could you…"

  Daniel turned around to face her, seeing the vulnerability written across her features. Her mask of composure had cracked, revealing the scared girl underneath.

  “How can I help?” he asked simply.

  The question seemed to steady her. She took a shaky breath, gathering herself.

  “...Carry me up?”

  “I can do that. Princess or piggy?”

  The ridiculous question worked exactly as intended, startling a laugh out of her and breaking some of the tension.

  “Well, when you put it like that, princess.”

  "Good choice. Then put your arm over here." he bent down slightly to lift her up in his arms while she hung onto his neck. "There we go."

  She was lighter than expected, even without any physical enhancement.

  He walked up the final steps, taking note of Felicia's expression as he did. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing very deliberately—in through the nose, out through the mouth. A calming technique, probably something she'd learned to manage panic.

  “You know, even if the ship suddenly fell out of the sky, I’d be able to save it, right?”

  The words came out more serious than he'd intended, but it was important that she understood. He was a force of nature.

  “...Are you sure?”

  “One hundred percent. And even if I somehow couldn’t, I’d still keep you safe.”

  That was the important part. Not just that he was powerful, but that he would use that power to protect her, no matter what.

  She studied his expression for another moment, then nodded slowly. "I guess that's true. And there's no way you would be hurt."

  "Not at all. You won't lose anyone you care about."

  “...Thanks. That helped, actually.”

  Her voice was stronger now. She still held onto him tightly, but it felt less like desperate clinging and more like simple trust.

  “I’m glad.”

  They reached the ship's deck, and Daniel set her down gently, making sure she had her footing before letting go.

  The steward welcomed them to the airship, only casting a few curious glances at the way Daniel had been carrying Felicia. His expression remained professionally neutral.

  Daniel looked around, taking in their surroundings with appreciation. It was every bit as luxurious as it looked from the outside—polished wood, gleaming brass fittings, and formations carved with artistic flair into every surface.

  This should keep us safe until we reach the great city of Novanny… The City of Magic.