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Buena Village is located at the northernmost tip of the Fittoa Region. As an important agricultural area, maintaining the roads for transportation is a yearly tradition.
This is a well-paved, sandy road wide enough for two carriages to travel side by side.
On a good day, riding in a carriage wouldn't feel particularly bumpy.
But now, the heavy rain hadn't stopped and had been pouring for some time.
The road was naturally muddy and treacherous.
The carriage ride was extremely rough.
How rough was it?
White hair swayed back and forth in the carriage, the tips of the strands brushing against Allen's cheeks.
Sylphiette had used earth magic to secure the candle to the table, but the flame still flickered uncontrollably.
Sylphiette was practically sitting on Allen's lap.
And Eris was already sitting on the cat-eared maid, leaning into her embrace with her eyes closed, breathing evenly.
The bumpy carriage felt like a cradle, and the soft embrace carried the scent of the furry beast-girl she loved so much.
She was sleeping soundly.
To avoid looking at the cat-girl's tail swaying with the carriage's movements, Allen kept his gaze fixed on the top of Sylphiette's head, thinking about what was to come.
Sylphiette, feeling Allen's "intense" gaze, tucked her head into her chest like a quail, her eyes fixed on her knees, which kept bumping against Allen's due to the carriage's movements.
Perhaps it was because it was her usual bedtime, but as time passed in the carriage, her mind grew foggier, as if floating on a cloud.
She could easily cast a wind spell to stabilize herself and keep her knees from bumping into Allen's, but for some reason, she couldn't muster the mental focus to channel her magic.
So, she let her knees keep bumping against Allen's… separating and touching again.
'921.'
That was the number of times they had touched.
"Sylphiette, are you feeling unwell? You've been keeping your head down since this afternoon."
'922?'
!!!
Sylphiette jolted upright, immediately straightening her legs and placing them neatly in front of her. The number in her mind froze at 922.
Now that she was sitting properly, her magic returned!
"N-no! I'm fine, Allen!"
Allen had already noticed that Sylphiette had been unusually quiet since crying that afternoon. He looked down at her quail-like posture and her soft white hair, blinking.
"That's good. Do you want to sleep for a bit?"
Sylphiette looked confused.
"Sleep?"
"Yeah, it'll be a few more hours before we reach Roa. You can sleep like Eris for now."
Sylphiette glanced over at Eris.
'Eris is asleep… in the cat-eared sister's arms… If I were to sleep like her, where would I sleep…?'
Her gaze flickered past Allen's chest, and her reddish-brown eyes trembled!
"I-I'm not sleepy!"
Her soft voice quivered!
Eris, awakened by the noise, rubbed her eyes sleepily, shifted her position, and fell back asleep.
The carriage fell silent for a moment before Allen replied,
"Oh, then stay awake. It's good to stay alert."
Only after hearing Allen's calm voice did Sylphiette relax from her stiff posture.
"Okay…"
Her knees started bumping against Allen's again.
But Allen couldn't focus on that.
A gust of wind blew open the carriage curtain, and scattered raindrops drifted before Allen's eyes.
'System, unfinished task progress.'
A haze appeared before him.
[Assessment (1/2), Countdown: 16:49:23. Task Reward: Participation Score: 5 points.]
[Gain the respect a younger sister should have for her elder brother.]
[Task Reward: Divine Strike Magic Slot—Unlocked.]
[Eris: Countdown: 40:41:07. If completed, Divine Strike Magic Slot will be unlocked.]
Allen's eyes skimmed over the task timers.
'The assessment task only has 16 hours left… The system's task timers are never arbitrary. Based on previous verifications…'
'Philip's first assessment for me was about "ability," which the system confirmed. Philip also explicitly mentioned this during our conversation in the rain. He was satisfied with my potential in this area and wanted to personally train me to become a competent "politician," so we could go to the royal capital together and dive back into the power struggle.'
'But it's important to note that before coming here, Philip had no confidence in me, a "kid" known for my swordsmanship at the Water God style dojo. That's why he only set up a few simple variables, throwing me into situations to observe my reactions and judge my "ability." His satisfaction was purely a pleasant surprise…'
'So, based on this information, the main focus of the assessment shouldn't be "ability…"'
Philip's words echoed in Allen's mind.
"Allen… I know how talented you are in swordsmanship. Don't sell yourself short. With your combat skills alone, you'll definitely be a great help."
Allen narrowed his eyes and made a judgment.
'It's about combat prowess, or more specifically, swordsmanship.'
With this in mind, Allen reached out and lifted the carriage curtain, peeking out at the two carriages following behind.
'The fourth carriage feels off… A beast-girl and an empty compartment. While it's said to be for our luggage, it's unnecessary. Luggage doesn't have to be placed inside the carriage… If she were moved to Eris's carriage, the fourth carriage would be completely empty…'
Thinking this, Allen turned to the cat-eared maid across from him and smiled gently.
His voice was equally gentle.
"Excuse me, miss, I have a question for you."
The cat-eared maid's ears twitched, seemingly surprised by Allen's sudden question. Sylphiette, on the other hand, was startled and immediately sat up straight.
Eris, who had been sleeping restlessly and had already shown signs of waking up earlier, rubbed her eyes and muttered, "So noisy…"
At the same time, Allen's question rang out.
"Where's Ghyslaine?"
The cat-eared maid's smile froze.
Hearing Ghyslaine's name, Eris's eyes snapped open.
"Huh? Is Ghyslaine here??"
She sat up abruptly, looking around in the cat-eared maid's arms, but there was no sign of Ghyslaine.
"What are you guys…"
As her voice trailed off, the wind whipped against the carriage curtains.
Allen had already gotten the answer he wanted from the cat-eared maid's expression.
He turned to look out the window at the rainy night. At the same time, from the carriage next to his, Philip's gaze fell upon him.
That familiar sense of being watched.
The perception of the Water God style.
Even through the heavy rain, Allen could feel Philip's "gaze."
He still wore that same squinting expression, looking completely at ease.
As the curtains fluttered, dark shadows loomed ahead in the distance.
That was…
The forest in the rain.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 162 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 130 power stones I will publish the next chapter.