Chapter 229 Returning
Aleshia came to her senses and realized that Ren must have done all that hard work to ensure they wouldn't fail any of the quests they should have completed together. Guilt washed over her, but she found comfort in Lucia's words of encouragement and understanding. Aleshia sincerely asked, "Why did you go to all that trouble when we could have accomplished it together as a group?"
"It was no trouble at all," Ren replied, though her voice held a hint of regret. She winced as she rubbed her stomach, which had cramped during her hunt.
Sam seemed to hear her remark and yelled back, "I'm not little; I'm a grownup!" while still lying face up with his arms splayed like a child.
"Yes, yes, you are," Ren cooed, seemingly delighted by the jest.
Em appeared to enjoy the playful banter and atmosphere, lightly smiling as she also lay in the same position.
Aleshia grabbed her bag and opened it for Ren to place the other items inside. Ren dumped all the things that were weighing down her arms into the bag and went to retrieve more items from the bag she had, promptly turning it into Aleshia's bag. "I guess this is the end of our trip since we've completed everything and gathered what we needed," Aleshia said, looking somber.
Ren thoughtfully looked up at the sky. Noticing that it was nearing sundown, she seemed to agree. After a moment of assessing the situation, she spoke. "I agree; it would be best for us to return sooner rather than later. That loud racket we were the center of earlier might have alerted the knights and possibly adventurers, too."
With a decision made, Ren began helping everyone to their feet. Slowly, they all stood up, groaning as they walked, having become too relaxed after their meal. A little later, they began walking at a steady pace back to the wall.
The group was nearing the hole in the wall and was about to move forward when Aleshia cautioned them about the presence of other people nearby. Ren chose to err on the side of caution and told everyone to stay quiet and hide. A few seconds later, a group of people who appeared to be adventurers walked past them, seemingly unaware of their presence. Aleshia noticed the recognition in Ren's eyes and wanted to ask about their identities later. What stood out to her among the party were a strong, muscular man hefting a greataxe over his shoulders and a girl who appeared to be a cleric. Strangely, souls hovered around her, seemingly at her beck and call.