"Okay, so where do we start?" Aletha asked Alai as they hiked across a trail leading through dense pockets of wilderness next to the mountains.
Before them were grass fields bathed in luxuriance. Boars roamed in groups, adventurers wandered about, and the amber sun hung vividly above.
"Well, we were planning on returning to my house," Alai replied as she watched a flock of birds soar into the sunset. "I feel that something is… off about you."
"...Off?" Aletha mumbled with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean by off?"
Alai shot a glowering look at Aletha, her crimson eyes cold and judgmental. She deliberately circled around Aletha, examining her closely from head to toe. Meanwhile, Ubel leaned silently against a nearby tree, observing the interaction with quiet interest.
Alai's gaze paused on Aletha's leggings before she flicked her ponytail aside and snapped her fingers, ready to respond.
"N-Nothing," Alai whistled, cutting the silence. "So, remember my promise about paying for damage if you completed my training?"
"Yeah, but we aren't there yet," Aletha said.
Ubel stepped a few paces away from Aletha and Alai, creating more distance between himself and the conversation. As Alai slowly backed away from Aletha, she tilted her head up to study the blue sea of clouds above.
Alai made a self-deprecating laugh as her mind recollected her promise to Aletha, taking her back to her garden, and how she had expressed with absolute certainty that it would guarantee her payment if she were to complete the training.
Now, seeing Aletha's rapid progress, Alai considered intensifying future training and involving others to support Aletha, aiming to help her reach her potential quickly.
Alai took a breath, ran her hands down the front of her shirt to smooth the fabric, bit her lower lip, and then answered Aletha in a hesitant voice.
"Well… I lied." Alai's voice shook. "I'm actually really broke."
Aletha stepped back, her head snapping away from Alai as she screamed.
"WHAT?!" Aletha screamed, grabbing Ubel's attention.
Ubel frowned, arms crossed. "What's wrong now?"
"Is this a real problem, or just drama? I've had enough of that lately," Ubel grumbled.
"It is a problem! I thought I'd be rewarded for passing Alai's training. I was lied to!" Aletha said.
"Hey! If I hadn't been there when you passed out, you might've been monster food. Ubel and I got you from Gushy Geysers to Linuxinia City, and I helped you fight General Strodhell. Be grateful," Alai said.
Aletha stepped back, reflecting on Alai's past help and weighing her initial reaction.
She remembered Alai saving her, pushing her to keep fighting, and lending a hand in tough times.
Now, Aletha realized her anger at Alai's finances was misplaced.
Stepping in, the silver-haired man squinted at Aletha and raised his voice.
"You still have a shot—win the race and you get a million Gincoins and your locket. Why expect more from Alai?" Ubel said.
He crossed his arms and paused.
"Did you really think she could pay?" Ubel said.
Aletha sighed and facepalmed, admitting her mistake.
"Yeah, you're right," Aletha sighed. "That was dumb. I'll think before reacting next time."
After Aletha admitted her mistake, Alai patted her on the back and laughed, treating the moment lightly as though it were just a harmless joke.
"It's alright, Aletha," Alai said with a smile. "No need to be formal. If it really mattered, you'd know. Let's move on."
"Y…Yeah," Aletha mumbled as Alai and Ubel led her down the hills. She gazed at the ground, surrounded by the sounds of wildlife.
The warmth from Alai's touch tampered with her heart. But as the sun gradually increased in brightness, she eventually returned to her usual attitude, and they happily and calmly wandered the extensive terrain of Linuxinia.
"Oh, Aletha… one more thing…" Alai informed Aletha as they stood along the edge of a cliff, gazing out at the winding rivers that extended from the waterfalls of the highest peaks into the flourishing land below.
"...Although you may have a deadline and a race ahead of you, I am still planning to find ways to train you so that you can be stronger than before." While she paused, Alai looked off into the distance and continued, stroking Aletha's white hair. "I know you're strong already, but I want you to focus more on your legs and endurance. I mean… Come on, look at yourself!"
Aletha turned to face Alai and stared intently at Alai's ruby hair flowing in the wind.
After Alai spoke, Aletha self-consciously glanced down at her own legs—two thin, awkward limbs—and then back at Alai, who beamed encouragingly. Seeing Aletha's uncertain expression, Alai continued in a friendly, lighthearted tone.
"Your legs are twigs!" She said, giggling. "Ha ha! In all seriousness, look, I don't want you to break your knees the first kilometer you start racing. So… I plan to change that."
"How?" Aletha asked, looking at her legs.
"You'll see!" Alai answered Aletha with a blooming laugh, legs spread wide confidently, lifting her heels and rising slightly to emphasize her words.
* * * * * * *
After that brief discussion, Aletha and her friends continued further into the wild, surrounded by tall, colorful mountains beneath a sky streaked with vibrant sunset hues.
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting light and shadows onto pines and flowers around the plain.
Herds of wild sheep trekked distant hills, vultures circled peaks, and Aletha and Alai caught frogs hopping by waterways near waterfalls.
It was a distinctive sight compared to the crowded, bustling city of buildings in Linuxinia.
While walking, Aletha suddenly remembered something. She glanced down to notice a brown bag quietly dangling beside her hips, its presence subtly prompting her to use it.
Although it may have taken a day or two to be recognized, it would finally be acknowledged today as Aletha and her friends approached a steep decline, leaning down to a stream winding inward through the lush hills.
"Oh, Aletha… What's that next to your hip?" Alai asked as she took in the sight.
"It's the bag you gave me!" Aletha enthusiastically replied as she tossed it up into the air in a confident manner. "Ubel gave it to me a few days ago! What? Have you forgotten that you gave it to Ubel?!"
In reaction, Alai hid her hands in her pockets and stumbled on her words.
"U-Um, no. Not at all!" She replied as she pushed her ponytail to the side for times that couldn't be counted. "I'm actually happy that you have it! Have you put it to good use?"
Quickly, the prideful tone grappling with Aletha gave way to one of insecurity. "N… No, I haven't." Aletha said with a nervous sweat sliding down her uneasy face. "I… just remembered that I have it now. I don't actually have anything inside of it. Maybe later…"
With that, Alai replied, giving Aletha a wink.
"Okay. As long as you use it!"
Not long after, Aletha and Alai walked up to Ubel. He held a large map in both his palms. The fleecy fabric of it was of decent condition, with a considerable illustration of the terrain of Linuxinia extending to all four corners of the map.
He used the sunset's dying rays to illuminate the map, holding it up strangely and trying to make out the details.
"Hmm, so it seems we are currently residing in Alpine Glitterfly Range," Ubel mumbled as his eyes repeatedly moved from the map to the terrain. "If we continue further, we can travel to Alai's place before dark. The sun sets in around half an hour, giving us enough time to reach Alai's place since it isn't too far from us. We may get lost if we don't make it in time."
"Lost?!" Aletha and Alai screamed in confusion, their voices echoing in unison.
"Indeed," Ubel said as a gusty breeze blew through him.
After a few seconds, he progressed deeper into the declining terrain, holding and constantly anchoring his eyes on the map as he ambled. He said.
"If we get lost, we may come at the risk of encountering deadly monsters lurking in the depths of the wilderness. Since magic is useless anymore, we three may have to rely on our physical strength to defend ourselves."
Nevertheless, as his gaze shifted to the trees and then to Aletha, remembering what had happened to Nealon, Ubel changed his tone and shrugged it off.
"But I don't think it would be a big deal." He said. "We have plenty of time to reach Alai's place. And besides, if we encounter monsters, Alai and I would handle it."
Reassured, Alai and Aletha continued into the Alpine Glitterfly Range, watching the orange sun descend into the horizon.
. . .
Nonetheless, as they continued further into the land, Aletha secretly deviated from the path as she caught something amusing around a circle of trees in the corner of her eye.
At first, it sparked, but as Aletha approached it, the object was a drab and dull crystal shard buried halfway through the soil. This, in return, caused Aletha to make a sour expression and a closed posture.
"Aww, are you serious?" Aletha drearily said, stomping on the ground. "A stupid crystal? I thought it was a gem. This is useless."
Although it had been only a few moments after her discussion with Alai, Aletha had already put a few seeds, flower petals, and rocks inside her brown bag.
So, with the concern of overflowing the storage, Aletha tossed the crystal and stepped away, frustrated and disbelieving of her even thinking of grabbing it.
However, as she parted from the useless object, a faint, colorful glow momentarily sparked on the object's surface. (Whoa? What was that? Was that the crystal I picked up?) She thought as she caught the glow from the corner of her eye.
Capturing her attention, Aletha hurriedly sprinted back and grabbed the crystal, keeping her eyes on it, expecting another spark.
"Come on… SPARK!" Aletha screamed at the strange, sharp rock impatiently. "I know you have done it before!"