Journey to the Moon Whisper Estate
Chapter 9: Journey to the Moon Whisper Estate
The journey to the Moon Whisper Estate had finally begun.
The road ahead was long—a full ten days of travel across multiple cities, forests, and vast plains.
Each day, Yuji and Lyra traveled by carriage, stopping in various towns along the way. The journey itself was uneventful, except for a few moments that stood out.
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The First Night: Staying at an Inn
As night fell, Lyra took charge of finding them a place to stay.
Yuji still didn't understand the customs of this world, so he let her handle everything.
The inn they found was cozy—lit by glowing lanterns, with the scent of roasted meat and ale filling the air.
Lyra walked up to the innkeeper, a middle-aged woman with a mischievous smile.
"One room for the night," Lyra said, placing a few coins on the counter.
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow, glancing between Yuji and Lyra with amusement.
"Just one room, huh?" she smirked before handing over a small bottle. "Here, young man. A gift from the house. Enjoy your night."
Yuji blinked in confusion.
He looked at the bottle—it was some kind of drink.
"Uh… thanks?" he muttered.
Lyra grabbed the key and led him upstairs to their room.
The moment they stepped inside, Yuji glanced around.
There was only one bed.
His confusion deepened.
"…Wait," he turned to Lyra. "Where's my room?"
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Which room? I only booked one."
Yuji's face twitched.
"What?! You mean we're staying in the same room?!"
Lyra walked over to the bed, casually adjusting herself as she sat down.
She gave him a deadpan look. "We literally lived together in the forest for over a month—sleeping side by side on the ground. If you wanted to do something, you had plenty of chances back then."
Yuji felt both flustered and complimented.
"Well… thanks for the trust, I guess," he muttered, scratching his head. "But there's only one bed."
Lyra shrugged. "So what? I'll sleep on the bed, and you sleep on the floor."
Yuji frowned. "Why? I want to sleep on the bed too."
Lyra smirked. "Aren't you men always going on about being superior to women? That it's a man's duty to protect and respect women?"
She dramatically sighed. "So be a man, Yuji. Sacrifice yourself for this weak, helpless lady."
Yuji stared at her flatly.
"Weak, helpless lady? You're literally the Witch of Fire."
Lyra laughed. "Then consider this my first act of weakness."
Yuji sighed, lying down on the floor. "Fine. I'll sacrifice my comfort for a woman."
For a few moments, there was silence.
Then—
Lyra burst out laughing uncontrollably.
"Hey, Yuji, are you an idiot?" she said between laughs. "Sleep on the bed! I was just messing with you!"
Yuji's eye twitched.
"…You were messing with me?"
Lyra grinned. "Yep. Did you really think I'd let you sleep on the floor after everything?"
Do you really can sacrifice anything for me?
Yuji sighed, said isn't I already almost sacrifice my life for you.
Lyra smirked. "Well, you did almost die for me. So please don't sacrifice a single thing for me again, we'll take turns. One night I sleep on the bed, the next night you do."
And just like that, their first night passed.
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The Journey Continues
Over the next ten days, they traveled through multiple towns and forests.
Most of the journey was peaceful, except for one encounter.
While passing through a dense forest, they ran into a massive wyrm—a serpent-like creature, even stronger than the orc they had fought before.
Yuji had no idea how they would handle it.
But Lyra?
She killed it instantly.
With just a wave of her hand, flames engulfed the creature, reducing it to ashes in seconds.
Yuji just stared at her.
"…You really are terrifying."
Lyra smirked. "I did tell you I was strong."
After that, their journey continued without any other dangers.
And finally—
After ten long days…
They reached the Moon Whisper Estate.
---
The Moon Whisper Estate
Yuji expected an ordinary noble estate.
But when he saw it—
His breath caught.
It wasn't just an estate.
It was an entire city.
From even the outskirts, they could see the Moon Whisper Mansion, standing tall and majestic in the distance.
However—there was a problem.
Lyra's identity.
She couldn't enter directly.
So back in the previous city, she had prepared two fake citizen cards for them.
And thanks to that, they entered without issue.
The moment Yuji stepped inside, he immediately noticed something—
This city was far more developed than any they had seen before.
The buildings were grand, the streets were clean, and the people…
They all lived like nobles.
This was not a struggling land.
This was wealth and prosperity.
Yet—
As Yuji glanced at Lyra, he noticed something.
Her expression had darkened.
She looked… sad.
Yuji knew why.
She gazed at the estate, her voice quiet.
"For the last three decades, the Moon Whisper family ruled this state," she said softly. "We had legends in our bloodline. The people expected the same from us."
She stopped talking.
Yuji understood.
She blamed herself.
She thought she had failed.
Yuji sighed.
He placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair slightly.
She looked at him in surprise.
"It's not your fault," he said firmly. "It's not anyone's fault. It's the damn system's fault."
She lowered her gaze. "I know… but still—"
Yuji smirked.
"Hey, Lyra. Take me somewhere to eat. I'm starving."
Lyra blinked, then hesitated. "…Food?"
"Yeah. Lots of food."
She stared at him for a moment—then, suddenly, her mood shifted.
"…Okay," she nodded, a small smile forming. "I know lots of places. I'll take you everywhere."
Yuji chuckled. "That's more like it. Sadness doesn't suit your face."
Lyra's eyes widened.
She looked at Yuji, surprised—almost touched.
But Yuji just grinned at her.
And for the rest of the day, they visited every food stall they could find.
And when night came—
As usual, they booked one room for the night.
For Yuji, it was just another night.
But for Lyra…
Something was on her mind.
Something she wasn't telling him.
As Yuji drifted to sleep, his mind went blank.
But Lyra?
Only she knew what she was thinking.