Lyra and Altair began their journey together — what would they encounter?
Friends? Enemies? Or something magical?
Let's find out.
Altair (cheerful, feeling free):
"The wind feels really nice today. The sky is bright, and it's not too hot either."
Lyra (smiling):
"Yeah. It's usually much hotter. Since we're walking anyway, where should we go first?"
Altair:
"North. It feels like the closest direction right now. And I also found a map in the wreckage of a vehicle a few days ago."
Lyra:
"North, huh? Alright. Oh, and our food and water supplies — are they okay?"
Altair:
"Everything's fine. I'm just a little worried though… I've never fought in my life. I hope we don't run into any strong monsters."
Lyra (laughing softly):
"Don't worry. I'm here, remember? Let's not think about that for now. We'll just explore the northern area first. I don't think we should enter any dungeons yet. I want you to learn more about this world first — it'll be better that way."
Altair:
"You're right. Please take care of me."
Lyra:
"Leave it to me."
They walked north for several hours, until Altair noticed some flowers near the edge of the forest.
Altair:
"Hey, look at this. Aren't these flowers beautiful?"
Lyra:
"Be careful, Altair. Some flowers in this world are poisonous. Not always fatal, but still dangerous."
Altair:
"Oh, right. Do you think these are poisonous?"
Altair held the flower out to Lyra.
Lyra:
"This! This is a great find, Altair. This flower is called Lushly. Even though many new adventurers think it's useless, it can heal wounds and restore a little mana. And it sells for a decent price too. Let's collect as many as we can."
Altair:
"Wow, that's amazing. Let's pick them!"
As they gathered the flowers, Lyra watched Altair quietly. Seeing how happy he looked made her heart ache in a gentle way — she wanted to protect him, to stand beside him when things became difficult.
Lyra (glancing over, smiling):
"Are you done, Altair?"
Altair:
"Yup! How many did we find?"
Lyra counted.
"About ten. For something this rare, that's a lot."
Altair:
"Nice! It's getting late. Let's rest here until morning. How about near that tree? It looks comfortable and gives us some privacy."
Lyra:
"Alright. We'll continue our journey tomorrow morning. And don't worry — I won't cling to you while sleeping, hehe."
Altair (laughing):
"Sleep wherever you want. I don't mind. Let's rest — tomorrow will be a long walk."
Lyra:
"Good night, Altair."
Altair:
"Good night, Lyra."
After resting for several hours, morning arrived and they prepared to continue their journey.
Altair:
"Good morning, Miss Lyra. Morning has come — are you ready?"
Lyra:
"Yes, I'm ready. But don't ever call me 'Miss' again."
Altair (laughing):
"Alright, alright. Let's go."
Lyra:
"Let's."
They walked north for several more hours — until they heard something.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
Altair:
"What's that sound?"
Lyra:
"That's the sound of sword training… but the nearest training grounds are far from here. It's strange to hear it here."
Altair (running toward the sound):
"Come on! Someone might be in danger!"
Lyra:
"Altair! Wait!"
Altair arrived at the scene.
….. (inner thoughts):
"Is this… the end of my life?"
They tried to hold on, even though they could no longer stand.
Swoosh!
Clang!
Altair blocked a sword strike with the blade given to him by Caelis.
Altair:
"Are you alright?"
…..:
"W-who are you…? Urgh—"
They coughed up blood and collapsed.
Bandit:
"Damn it! Why do you have to interfere? Take this!"
The bandit's anger surged.
Swoosh! Boom!
The bandit was struck by a low-grade fireball.
Lyra:
"Altair! Are you okay?"
Bandit:
"Damn it!"
The bandit fled the scene.
Altair:
"I'm fine… but this person is badly injured. They were coughing up blood…"
Lyra immediately began healing them with magic.
After ten minutes of healing, the person slowly opened their eyes.
Altair:
"Are you alright?"
….. (half-conscious):
"W-who… are you…?"
Altair:
"We just saved you from bandits. Your injuries were pretty severe."
…..:
"A-ah… I see… Thank you so much…"
Altair let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Only now did he notice how fast his heart was beating.
Altair:
"I… I can't believe I actually raised my sword."
Lyra looked at him gently.
Lyra:
"And you did it to protect someone. That's enough."
The person slowly tried to sit up, still weak.
…..:
"My name is—"