Soon, the group gathered around the campfire.
“It’s…
good,” Elvan said after taking a sip.
Hearing this, Kai leaned the spatula on his shoulder.
“What else did you expect, boss?”
Kai said while glancing toward Ren.
His gaze locked onto the brooch on Ren’s neck.
“Hey, did you buy that brooch?”
“No…
it was inside the gift box.”
Ren replied while taking a sip of stew from his bowl.
“You mean that she devil’s gift?”
Ren chewed on the meat for a while before replying.
“…Yeah.”
Kai shrugged.
“Didn’t know she could be this thoughtful.”
“…You two don’t seem to get along.”
Ren asked as he took another sip.
Kai spread his hands beside him.
“It’s just how we are…
can’t change it.”
Beside them, Elvan didn’t ask any questions regarding Kai and Celesia’s relationship.
He was well aware of this playful trio—Ren, Kai, and Ren’s little follower, Celesia.
The orphanage kids and the Director didn’t have much of a source of entertainment except these three.
He had heard about them from his earlier shifts as a supplier and had been specifically instructed by the Director that things could get lively during the departure.
And to make his belief even stronger, he had also witnessed this trio’s banter yesterday.
Celesia and Ren were like siblings, while Kai and Celesia…
Well, siblings with rivalry.
To put it bluntly, Celesia and Kai were like the eldest and youngest siblings fighting over the attention of the middle one.
Elvan couldn’t help but remember his days back then.
Travelling, watching children play, buying candies for them.
Their innocent smiles as they waited for Elvan to unwrap the candies for them.
Simple yet fulfilling.
No legacy, no family, yet…
…b~o~s.
Satisfying days.
“Boss,” Kai shouted while waving his hand in front of Elvan.
Hearing Kai call him, Elvan came back to reality.
“Where did your thoughts wander off to, boss?”
“…Nothing.
Kai stared at Elvan.
“Hey, boss…”
“What?”
“Do you think I am an idiot?”
Elvan gave a light chuckle.
“Can I get another bowl?”
With that, he extended his bowl toward Kai.
“…Sure.”
Kai took the bowl from his hand while opening the pot’s lid with the other.
“Man, adults…
these days.”
After filling the bowl, Kai handed it to Elvan.
“Here you go.”
“Ren, want more?”
“…Yeah.”
Kai finished filling another two bowls—one for Ren and the other probably for himself.
Then the group continued eating.
Occasionally, Elvan would share stories of his travelling experiences.
“Hey, do you guys know about the Kraken of the Northern Ocean?”
“Kraken?” Kai repeated.
Elvan nodded.
Then, as if to prove his point, Elvan began saying,
“Why do you think people avoid travelling from the Northern Ocean toward Orun?”
“It would have been easier and time-saving.”
“Yet people insist on travelling from Setsuna to Aristia rather than toward Orun.”
“It is because they are scared…”
“Scared of this ancient existence under the ocean.”
Kai looked at the cart owner, then toward Ren, who was calmly listening as if he understood everything—or at least was genuinely trying to understand.
For a moment, he was at a loss for what to say.
If it were before, then this top student would have just stated simple facts that would have broken all of these hypothetical delusions.
But this amnesiac version of Ren…
It’s like a newborn teenager.
Every piece of information is new to him, and he’s connecting them together.
If Kai allowed it to continue any longer…
Then who knows how much brainwashing this boss would do to Ren.
While Kai was thinking all this,
Even when he saw Kai’s expression change, he continued listening.
It seemed like Ren knew that most of this information was just baseless rumor, yet he still listened.
Information is useful…
even if it is fake.
“Cough!
Cough…”
Kai interrupted.
“That route problem…”
“Didn’t the official notice say that it was because of high tide?”
“The Northern Oceanic region experiences high or low tides unevenly throughout the year.
That’s why people avoid travelling through that region.”
“Well…
I didn’t say it was true.
I’m just recounting what I heard while travelling.”
Ren glanced at Kai.
Kai simply shook his head.
“Okay, next story then.”
“Boss, it’s already late.”
With that, Kai stood.
“We still have to continue travelling tomorrow.”
Sigh~
“Alright.”
With that, Elvan left toward his cart while Kai and Ren walked toward their respective camps.
Before entering his camp, Ren asked,
“Where do we head tomorrow?”
Kai paused.
Behind him, the orange glow from the campfire stretched his shadow long as it loomed over his tent.
“We’re taking a train from Alren to Cail, then a ship from the port of Setsuna to Aristia.”
“Elvan will probably leave tomorrow after we board the train.”
“Got it.”
Ren said as he unzipped his tent and went inside.
Kai stayed outside.
His gaze eventually drifted toward the cart, then toward the horse lying beside it.
For a moment, Kai found himself sinking into this moment.
As an orphan, he hadn’t wished for much from life.
Just a stable income, supporting his orphanage, and…
Kai smirked as he looked at Ren’s tent.
“…Managing this brat’s children if he ever got married.”
Kai gently shook his head before entering his camp.