Chapter 294: Pull Yourself Together

In the desolate mountains and wilds, six exceptionally luxurious carriages maintained an impeccably neat single-file snake formation, racing like the wind and kicking up billows of dust.

At Muen’s request, the convoy did not travel along the even, well-paved highway, but—relying on Pink Bear’s familiarity with the terrain and routes—plunged headfirst into extremely remote wasteland forest and mountains.

Although everyone harbored doubts about this, the entire convoy was funded by Muen after all, so naturally no one said anything.

Yet alongside their confusion, everyone couldn’t help clicking their tongues in amazement.

On such rugged, difficult mountain paths, not only was the carriages’ speed no weaker than full speed on flat ground, but the people sitting inside could scarcely feel any jolting.

It seemed those faint golden lines on the carriage bodies were not merely decoration.

So this is the power of money?

Love it, love it.

...

“D-damn it, so what if he’s rich? Does having money mean you can be this arrogant? I—I’ll definitely, one day, be richer than that guy!”

Inside the carriage, Ariel buried her head hard into that big, soft sofa, feeling the comfortable touch of luxurious silk and the steadiness that made it impossible to tell they were sprinting at full speed, and an inexplicable, grief-tinged indignation rose in her heart.

She ground her sharp little canine teeth, grabbed the blanket with both hands, as if what she were manhandling was that hateful guy himself, and instinctively opened her mouth to bite down.

But when she thought that if she bit it and ruined it she absolutely couldn’t afford to pay for it right now... she sheepishly drew her neck back.

“Ariel...”

“Right, cultivation. Since I can’t beat him in money, I can’t lose in other areas. No one’s bothering me right now—this is the best time to train!”

Ariel sat up with a start and pumped her fist with determined eyes.

She was a woman who had set her heart on opening a Crystal Palace—how could she be toppled by such a tiny setback?

“Ariel...”

“...But I just advanced a small stage. Dry, forced cultivation now won’t do much. The best way to solidify strength is still to get some real combat.”

Thinking of this, Ariel deflated again, turned her head, and looked out at the scenery whipping backward outside the window:

“How strange. In a place this barren, how come we haven’t run into any demonic beasts? There are people specially maintaining the highway and driving beasts away—surely there aren’t people doing that out here too.”

“Ariel...”

“Ugh, even if we don’t run into demonic beasts I can still meditate. I need to keep my mind in good shape before we reach the Saint City.”

“Ai! Ri! El!”

The girl slapped the table and sprang to her feet, cheeks puffed up with anger:

“If you keep this up, I won’t talk to you later!”

“Uu...”

Hearing that, Ariel—who had been dodging left and right this whole time—could no longer ignore the girl’s calling. She slowly turned her head, but didn’t dare meet Liya’s eyes. Pinching her fingers together, she said in a low voice:

“S-sorry. I was wrong, Liya.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I—I took the money you gave me and placed a bet, and I lost.”

“So that’s why you’ve been acting so weird this whole way?”

“Mm...”

Ariel hung her head, dug her fingers hard into her thighs, and muttered:

“Really, I’m very sorry...”

“...”

Liya quietly looked at Ariel—whose brows and eyes were no longer flying, whose lips no longer wore that unrestrained smile, but who drooped like a child who’d done something wrong—and she wasn’t angry.

She let out a soft sigh, suddenly leaned over, and pulled Ariel into her arms.

“I already said it—why apologize? Ariel didn’t do anything wrong.”

“B-but... your money...”

“Ariel was actually trying to make money, right? I know. You’ve always been like this. When the probability of something goes over fifty percent, you often choose {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} to gamble. You always won before, but no one wins forever, so losing now is just perfectly normal. How could I blame you?”

“Liya...”

Feeling that warmth and softness, Ariel’s eyes turned a little red. She wrapped her arms around Liya’s slender waist and sniffled:

“You’re so good to me.”

“I’m your childhood friend. If I don’t treat you well, who will?”

“Damn it, if this keeps up, I won’t be able to live without you.”

Breathing in the girl’s enchanting scent, Ariel couldn’t help but nuzzle her harder.

“...That’s not it.”

Liya lowered her head to look at Ariel, stroking her hair, her gaze flickering slightly, then murmured in an extremely, extremely soft voice:

“Ariel is so strong—she’ll be fine no matter who she leaves. It’s the useless me who can’t do anything without Ariel.”

“Hm? Liya, what did you say?”

“...Nothing.”

...

“Alright.”

After a brief embrace, Liya pushed Ariel up, then widened her cute big eyes and stared at her, nervous:

“Now can you tell me how much you actually put in?”

“...It’s not that much. Just... everything...” Ariel stammered.

“Everything?”

“No, no, no, I don’t mean everything you gave me before. I didn’t touch the money that was originally meant to buy supplies for you.”

Ariel bowed her head again and buzzed like a mosquito:

“What I mean is, everything I’d planned for buying materials, maintaining my weapons, and... eating.”

These past days, Liya had lent her quite a bit of money on and off, but Ariel hadn’t spent all of it.

Instead she had split that portion into two parts, because Ariel knew the Sanctification Rite was approaching, and Liya would definitely need to buy some supplies just in case.

But with her personality, she would surely take out all the money on her to support Ariel.

So Ariel had temporarily saved that money. She had even thought that if she won this time, she could give Liya a bit more, but she hadn’t expected...

“Liya, don’t worry. This money is definitely enough for you!”

Ariel hurriedly pulled out all the money she had left and laid it out in front of Liya.

Scattered bills, some crumpled, looking like they’d been counted many times, yet added together they were still no small amount.

But Liya didn’t take it. She merely glanced at it in silence, then lifted her head and stared straight at Ariel:

“This money is definitely enough for me. But... what about you, Ariel?”

“Me? I’ll be fine. The places I needed to spend the most have already been bridged. I won’t need much going forward.”

“Liar. You just said you don’t even have money to maintain your weapons. Aren’t you the one who treasures that sword of yours most?”

“...”

Ariel bowed her head again and said nothing.

“Take this money and use it.”

Liya gently pushed the money back:

“Hasn’t Ariel always needed money more than I do?”

“But...”

Ariel lifted her head, just about to say something, when she suddenly froze.

Because she discovered that the money Liya pushed back had somehow grown by quite a lot.

“Th-this money... Liya, where did you get it?”

“Hmph, don’t underestimate the private stash of a future Saintess.”

Liya blinked playfully.

“I already guessed you’re a big spender, Ariel, and that this day would come, so I saved some long ago. Moments like this are exactly when it should come out, aren’t they?”

“Liya...”

Hearing this, Ariel’s eyes once again turned red with emotion.

Little liar.

What private stash? Even if you really had something like that, it was probably cleaned out during my previous money crises, right?

This must be money Liya has earned recently through her own effort, with hard work!

The moment she thought of the money Liya had earned with so much effort being so easily squandered by herself, Ariel felt as if she’d become a little pretty boy kept by the girl.

No. Not okay. How can this be? If I keep losing face like this, how am I supposed to completely win Liya’s heart?

“Liya!”

Ariel grasped Liya’s hands, speaking with unwavering resolve:

“I will definitely make you the Saintess. Believe me—definitely!”

“Mm. Me too.”

Liya reflexively clasped Ariel’s hands back and nodded hard. On her cute, pretty face was full determination:

“I’ve always believed in Ariel. That’s why I’ve always supported you unconditionally. Please don’t mind something like this too much, okay? If you weren’t so stubborn, I wouldn’t even consider this a loan. And it’s only some money—how could it compare to the deep bond between us?”

“Liya...”

Gazing into Liya’s crystal-clear eyes untainted by a speck of impurity and listening to her sincere words, Ariel’s heart once again grew incomparably warm, and those anxieties and irritations gradually calmed.

That’s right—the deep feelings and solid bond between them, how could such a trivial matter shake it?

She had only slipped once because of a careless step. As long as she kept working hard, she would surely ride a seven-colored auspicious cloud and capture Liya’s heart!

“But...”

Just as Ariel’s hand was about to touch the bills on the table, she suddenly hesitated again and asked worriedly:

“If you give all this to me, what will you do?”

“...”

Liya was silent for a few seconds, then tilted her little head slightly and showed a smile that filled one with boundless reassurance:

“Don’t worry. I have a way.”