Chapter 9

The next morning, Mr. Clark arrived at our house before sunrise. With him on board, our carriage set off.

The four-horse carriage, which seemed rather grand, was due to Jeffrey's judgment, who knew the area. He wanted to ensure that if the carriage became unusable, we could each ride a horse.

The carriage was driven by Reed, our stable hand.

"Jeffrey is in quite a good mood," I remarked.

"Well, he's going on a trip with his beloved wife. It's only natural that he's happy," Jeffrey replied.

It's at times like these that I realize I can never return to my past life. During my days as an agent, I never loved anyone, and I didn't mind it back then. However, now that I've experienced the joy of loving and being loved, I can't help but think I can never go back to how I used to live. Perhaps this is what it feels like to fear losing a treasure once you've obtained it.

We are now sitting on a blanket by a stream, resting the horses. I explained the purpose of this trip to Mr. Clark in detail.

"So, Mr. Clark, you deciphered the code hidden in the novel in just a few days?"

"It wasn't really a code, Mr. Clark. It was a simple mechanism that even a ten-year-old could decipher."

"But still—"

"Clark, Victoria was obsessed with adventure novels since childhood and learned various ways to solve codes."

"That's quite impressive. Well done, Mr. Clark."

Because Mr. Clark is here, Jeffrey calls me Victoria.

Mr. Clark calls me 'Mr.' just as he did when I was his language teacher five years ago. He seems to like being called that.

"So, Mr., where are we heading next?"

"According to Elmar's novel, there are several markers leading to the lost crown deep in the Sibyl Forest. It might be a bit of work to find them in the forest, but the markers are described in the code, so we should be able to find them. If we don't, we can just enjoy the trip."

"Mom, are we going to sleep in the forest at night?"

"It seems so. Are you scared?"

"No, not at all. I'm looking forward to it!"

'The first marker is a white stone monument in the forest.'

The location of the forest believed to be Sibyl and the approximate position of the first marker, the white stone monument, were also written down. We would have to search for the next marker once we arrived.

The road is not well-maintained, so the carriage moves slowly. We only travel during daylight, so it will take about a week to reach the Sibyl Forest. Three days after we left, Nonna suddenly said, "If this continues, I'll burst. I'll go 'pop'!"

Yes, I can understand how you feel. You're just full of energy from lack of exercise.

So, the three of us decided to train together.

Mr. Clark knew to some extent that Nonna and I were active, but I was hesitant to show him how much Nonna had grown in Shen.

"Clark, Nonna and Victoria learned martial arts in Shen. They're quite skilled."

Jeffrey said this loudly enough for Reed, the driver, to hear, and glanced at me. I see. He decided it was better to be straightforward about the facts rather than hide them. I wondered if I should spar with Nonna, and Jeffrey nodded with a smile.

From that day on, our family's training sessions were no longer off-limits to Mr. Clark. We asked Reed to take care of the horses and trained in a nearby area.

"Jeffrey, did you foresee this when we agreed not to report on our private lives?"

"Well, I thought Nonna wouldn't be able to stay still for long."

Indeed. Thanks to this, we can all exercise once a day.

Nonna's speed is incredible. She's still light on her feet, moving like a nimble fairy, but if she continues to grow at this rate, most men won't be able to match her.

Reed was initially taken aback, but when Jeffrey explained that his wife and daughter had learned martial arts in Shen, he didn't say anything, though it's unclear how much he believed.

I used a branch I had broken off to spar with Nonna, who attacked with kicks and punches at high speed, her golden braids flying. I was on the defensive to avoid hurting her. While I managed to protect myself from direct hits, it wasn't easy. Nonna had improved that much.

"I feel a bit envious just watching."

On the first day, Mr. Clark was taken aback, but from the second day, he started training with Jeffrey. Jeffrey seemed more like a teacher than a sparring partner. The sound of wooden swords clashing was slow and steady, unlike the sharp, intense sounds when I trained.

"Me too! I want to train with wooden swords too!"

Even after training with me in hand-to-hand combat, Nonna started practicing with Jeffrey and Mr. Clark. Her skill with wooden swords was also impressive. I wondered how strong she would become, but I decided not to think too deeply about it. I felt she might really 'pop' if I tried to hold her back.

A week after we set out, we finally approached the Sibyl Forest. I looked at Jeffrey, wondering if he was troubled by the memories of war in this land. He squeezed my hand without turning his head.

"Can we stop here for a moment?"

"Of course."

Jeffrey stopped the carriage and quietly got off. He bowed his silver head towards the grass and prayed. He took a flask from the luggage, poured the alcohol onto the ground, and spoke for the first time.

"To all the men who lost their lives here."

This was the former battlefield. It was just a place with trees and grass, but many lives were lost here, and it was where Jeffrey's fiancée's fate was sealed. I closed my eyes and prayed, "May they rest in peace." The others followed.

"Thank you. I'm fine. The memories of war are old scars that no longer hurt."

"Really? That's good to hear."

I still have old wounds that hurt. I wish Jeffrey didn't feel that pain.

The carriage started again and arrived at the town of Sibyl. Sibyl is a town centered around forestry and related industries, nearly self-sufficient in forestry and agriculture. We took rooms at an inn where wood merchants stay and immediately started gathering information. We first asked the innkeeper.

"A white stone monument in the forest? I've never heard of it."

"It's supposed to be about ten kilometers from here, deep in the Sibyl Forest."

"If it's beyond the plantation area, you might want to ask the Sibyl Forestry Association."

"Thank you."

The Sibyl Forestry Association's building was in the town center. It was crowded with muscular men. The association president attended to us.

"A white stone monument? Ten kilometers from here? I've never heard of it. It's tough to go beyond the plantation area. You can't use a carriage, so you'll have to go on horseback or on foot."

We thanked him and left the building. We bought meat, vegetables, and other supplies in town before setting off in the carriage. The plantation area had relatively well-maintained roads, and we could proceed by carriage. The tall conifers made the forest dim and quiet. The carriage moved through the dark, silent forest where no birds sang.

The problem was what came next. After passing through the dense coniferous forest, we entered a mixed forest where sunlight occasionally filtered through, and the path suddenly disappeared.

"From here, let's go on horseback."

"Jeffrey, are we leaving the carriage here? What if it gets stolen?"

"We'll leave a note. If it gets stolen, we'll deal with it then. Stealing a noble's carriage is a serious crime. The people here all know each other, so they won't do anything rash."

"I love your easygoing nature."

Nonna chuckled at our conversation.

"There you go. Mr. Clark, my parents just love each other so much."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"I guess so."

This time, Jeffrey and I laughed.

Estimating distance by feel is something I practiced extensively during my agent days. Leave it to me. We loaded the horses with our luggage and set off in a single file. I led, followed by Nonna and Reed, then Mr. Clark, and finally Jeffrey.

As we entered the mixed forest, the land's slope became more noticeable. We were climbing a mountain. The Sibyl Mountain, not very high, was deep in the forest. We heard birds singing here and there, unlike in the artificial forest. Nonna and Mr. Clark had become close again during the carriage ride, chatting as they rode side by side.

"Ah! I see something white!"

"Hold on, Nonna."

Nonna urged Reed to hurry, and Mr. Clark hurriedly followed. Jeffrey and I also urged our horses on.

The white stone monument was larger than I expected. It wasn't a stone brought and erected but a white rock that seemed to have been there originally, with words carved into it.

We all dismounted and looked at the monument.

"From here, ten kilometers north."

"Mom, that's it for a marker?"

"It seems so. Isn't it exciting?"

"Did you fly here?"

"Jeffrey, what do you mean by 'flying'?"

"Long ago, when the mountain erupted, this rock was thrown here."

Nonna looked in the direction Jeffrey pointed. The blue Sibyl Mountain was a beautiful, broad-shouldered mountain.

"If it's ten kilometers north, we'll have to climb Sibyl Mountain, right?"

"It seems so, Jeffrey."

Mr. Clark took out his notebook and started writing diligently.