Closer

*Splash—*

The water rippled, creating layers of ripples and the sound of waves.

Under the clear blue sky that stretched for miles, a vast canal flowed through numerous plains and mountains, extending in all directions across the land.

On the water, a massive wooden ship sailed through the waves, creating intense splashes as it moved forward.

Waves resonated loudly, making the water's sound never-ending.

Before long, on the deck of the ship, a figure slowly walked up to the front, gazing into the distance.

"What a fantastic view..."

Looking at the endless water and the clear blue sky, Riezel expressed rare words of admiration in a somewhat joyful tone.

It had been a day since they left the royal capital, Yeluvia.

Following Yuri's instructions, everyone spent a day on the carriage, arriving in the city of water, Trantia. From there, they boarded a seemingly prepared ship and sailed along the grand canal that flowed through various territories of Jinas, heading toward the Frenzel territory.

They adhered to the principle of not revealing their identities throughout the journey. Thus, no one noticed their arrival in Trantia. The ship's captain and sailors also seemed oblivious to their presence, never engaging in conversation with them.

Riezel didn't understand the reason behind this, but he assumed it was the work of the Frenzel family, so he chose not to dwell on it.

Right now, the ship had officially set sail, and they would reach the Frenzel territory in three days.

Holding a wooden sword, he initially planned to practice on the ship deck but couldn't resist stopping to appreciate the scenery after seeing it.

"How massive is this canal?" Riezel unconsciously mumbled to himself. "I can't even see the shore, it's like entering the sea..."

Although no one answered his question, it prompted a response.

"Hmm~ so you still care about that kind of thing?"

Accompanied by a pleasant voice, Yuri emerged from the cabin, walking to his side and leaning against the railing, looking into the distance.

"Just a casual remark." Riezel responded.

He wasn't surprised by her arrival. He didn't even cast a glance in her direction but continued to gaze at the water's surface with a smile on his face.

"I was thinking about what I would do if you got seasick..." Yuri said casually, as if liberated from something, and laughed lightly. "Jinas isn't a coastal country after all, so people rarely have the chance to take a ship. Many people feel uneasy the first time they board a ship, so I was wondering if you needed a potion for seasickness."

"You're worrying too much..." Riezel smirked. "Unfortunately, I've had experience with ships, so I won't be needing your potion."

In his previous life, he sought thrills and even survived in the wilderness, so how could he not have experienced sailing?

He not only traveled across the sea but also took on the challenge of deep-sea diving. He even dared to surf in a tsunami and had the idea of confronting sharks in the ocean. If it weren't for the intervention of fellow travelers at the time, he might have crossed that line one or two times.

For someone like Riezel, seasickness was out of the question.

Truthfully, this scenery shouldn't have elicited admiration from him. It was just an ordinary canal after all, nothing compared to the wonders of the sea in his previous world, let alone the Water City from the 25th to the 27th Floors in Danmachi's dungeon.

Perhaps it was because his mood wasn't as suppressed as it had been in his previous life, or maybe he didn't need to be constantly on guard against monster attacks as he did in the dungeon, he could now appreciate the current scenery with a lingering sense of peace.

"Why did you come out?" Riezel turned his head to Yuri. "It's quite windy outside. Being a delicate magician, you don't want to catch a cold."

"Talking about me again... Aren't you a magician yourself?" Yuri replied casually without much thought.

"..."

Each of their words left both of them momentarily speechless, especially after Yuri mentioned 'magician'. As a result, the silence hung between the two of them, dispelling the peaceful atmosphere that had prevailed until now.

"Alright, let's go back."

Yuri, as if to break the somewhat awkward atmosphere, spoke in a light tone and prepared to turn away. However, Riezel's sudden question stopped her.

"Aren't you going to ask? Aren't you curious why my 'Gate' is damaged but I can still use magic?" Riezel asked casually with a calm expression.

Upon hearing that, Yuri paused.

"What are you hesitating about, Missy?" Riezel shot her a glance and grinned. "I thought you would ask me this kind of question on our journey, but it seems like you've been avoiding it, making me a bit awkward, y'know."

After saying that, he threw in another remark.

"This doesn't seem like you at all, Yuri."

Indeed, it didn't seem like Yuri.

Before this, whenever she spent time with him, she generally seemed very cheerful. It was almost as if she spoke whatever came to her mind and didn't need to consider anything, let alone think about anything.

It felt very relaxing and very enjoyable.

However, during the day before leaving the royal capital, she often seemed to deliberately avoid bringing up this somewhat sensitive topic.

This resulted in Yuri giving Riezel a sense of being cautious and speaking to himself very carefully, which made him feel extremely awkward and uncomfortable.

"Feel free to ask whatever you want..." Riezel said in a calm tone. "No need to be so cautious with me."

Upon hearing that, Yuri stayed silent.

Riezel didn't press her either and simply waited quietly.

After a while, Yuri took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at Riezel's face with a serious expression.

"If I ask you, will you answer?" Yuri questioned.

She stared at him intently, as if trying to read his thoughts and see through his eyes. In response, his demeanor remained calm, even displaying a faint smile.

"You've misunderstood something here..." Riezel looked at her eyes. "If I wanted to hide something, I wouldn't have revealed all of those in front of you from the beginning."

Upon hearing that, Yuri realized he had a point.

Did it make sense?

If he truly wanted to conceal something, he wouldn't have so openly displayed his abilities in front of her.

When ambushed by the Shadow, Riezel indeed showcased his abilities as a swordsman, but one could argue it was due to danger, a necessity for self-defense. However, using tactical-class magic in the Frenzel residence was entirely his own decision, voluntarily displaying it in front of her.

What did this mean? It meant Riezel had no intention of hiding his ability to use magic in the first place.

With this realization, Yuri's tension eased, and she finally let go of the day-long worry.

Riezel's calmness all this time also assured her that it was indeed the case. Whether it was about how he was being severely injured, recovering at her place, or developing a friendship with her, these were all genuine acts, not intentional and driven by any ulterior motives.

Realizing this, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of joy.

"So, what's your story?" Yuri concealed her joyful emotions, pretending indifference. "How did you suddenly regain the ability to use magic?"

"Hmm... it's a bit tricky to explain..." Riezel scratched his head, shrugging. "Just consider it as a stroke of luck, on the night you saved me."

"Luck...?" Yuri murmured while blinking confusedly, feeling somewhat speechless.

"Yeah," Riezel nodded. "The me before that day, the one you knew from the rumors, wasn't wrong. It wasn't until that near-death experience that I decided to change and became the person I am now, realizing my true purpose in life. The powers I have now, whether it's swordsmanship or magic, all came after I met you and recovered from my injuries."

He smiled slightly as he explained.

"So... you don't need to be confused or doubt anything. Just consider it as me finding a pot of gold or something, since nothing has changed."

Despite the bizarreness in his explanation, Yuri could still sense his sincerity. His calm tone and open attitude allowed his words to touch her heart, creating a resonance.

Yuri gazed straight into his eyes, and Riezel returned the gaze.

The two exchanged silent glances for a long time before, almost simultaneously, breaking into a profound and understanding smile.

"Okay, I believe in you..." Yuri nodded, bringing back the ease and joy of the past.

"Thanks." Riezel responded briefly.

At this moment, there was no need for more words.

Needless to say, the distance between them instantly disappeared, and if anything, it seemed even closer than before.

"Oh, by the way..." Riezel seemed to remember something. "Can you teach me magic?"

"Teach you magic?" Yuri raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Can't you already use it?"

"My method of using magic is quite special since my Gate is still damaged after all. For me to use magic, I need to meet some specific conditions and can't use it on my own." Riezel explained. "That's why I want you to teach me how to use your magic. That way, maybe I can try to replicate it."

"Is that so...?" Yuri nodded and lost in thought.

However, her contemplation didn't last long.

"If you want to learn from me, I have no problem teaching you..." Yuri looked at him with a playful smile. "But I can be quite strict, you know?"

"Huh? Pfttt, hahahaha..."

Her playful remark left Riezel momentarily stunned, followed by a burst of laughter.

After laughing for a while, he sighed with relief before gazing into her eyes with a somewhat solemn expression.

"Then... please be strict with me, Teacher!"

"Pfft..."

Riezel's response and behavior prompted Yuri to cover her mouth and giggle—a giggle surprisingly sweet and pure.