The next morning.
Roxy woke up.
I didn't wake up naturally; I was woken up by noise...
A rhythmic sound came from the next room: the bed creaked, mixed with blush-inducing gasps and moans.
The commotion was enormous...
It didn't stop all night.
Roxy opened her eyes groggily, stared at the ceiling for a while, and then slowly realized what had happened.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she instinctively glanced to the side.
Luo Ge was sitting in a chair by the bed, holding her hand in his, a gentle smile on his face.
"Huh?"
" Luo Ge? Why are you in my room?"
"It's because the teacher got drunk and needs someone to take care of her..."
Hearing Luo Ge's complaints, Roxy blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.
However, she quickly realized what was happening and showed a surprised expression.
"So, Luo Ge... Luo Ge, you've been taking care of me all night? Didn't you get any rest?"
"Compared to the teacher's kindness, what is my little contribution?" Luo Ge said casually, as if it were just a trivial matter.
Despite her words, Roxy kept her head down, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of the blanket. After a few seconds of silence, she whispered, "I'm sorry... I made you take care of me all night."
"Um... I was drunk, I don't think I did anything strange, right?"
"No, the teacher was just drunk and kept hugging me."
Upon hearing this, Roxy visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, she turned her gaze to Luo Ge.
"Did you say anything strange?"
"What do you mean by 'strange'?"
"It's... well, it's... drunken ramblings and stuff like that."
Faced with Roxy's persistent questioning, Luo Ge placed his hand on his chin and shook his head. "No, not really... it's just..."
"What is it?"
Roxy's heart leaped into her throat again, her blue eyes fixed nervously on Luo Ge.
"... I just want to grow up healthy and safe."
Luo Ge's lips curled into a slight smile. "Teacher... you're really worried about me."
"..."
Roxy was stunned.
But she didn't think much of it. After all, she was her disciple, so it was reasonable for her to show concern, right?
Just as the master and Elinalise were talking, a loud voice came from the next room.
This abruptly interrupted the topic they were about to discuss.
Instantly.
How awkward... The air around us seemed to freeze completely.
Neither the master nor the apprentice knew what to say, and for a moment the atmosphere became tense and somewhat strange.
No one spoke, but the noises from next door continued to reach their ears.
"Um... that Miss Elinalise, really, she's always like this..."
Roxy covered her forehead, complaining helplessly with a hint of gritted teeth in her voice.
Luo Ge chuckled awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. After all, it wouldn't be appropriate to criticize Elinalise when he was with Roxy.
You have to understand that Elinalise was willing to sacrifice herself to help them escape.
How could Luo Ge possibly speak ill of such a great woman behind her back?
Fortunately, Roxy only made a few casual remarks before quickly tidying herself up.
First, I combed my hair, which had become a little messy from sleeping, and then I straightened my collar.
After doing all that, she finally looked at Luo Ge beside her.
"Alright!"
" Luo Ge, let's go out too! We shouldn't keep everyone waiting." Luo Ge followed her out of the room.
Meanwhile...
Whether by coincidence or not, the door to the next room was also opened from the inside with a loud bang at almost the same time.
Two people came out.
Elinalise and the Demon King Badigadi.
Elinalise, clinging to Badigadi's thick arm, was practically pressed against him, a satisfied smile on her lips.
Her long, spiraled, brownish-yellow hair cascaded lazily over her shoulders, and her cheeks were flushed, showing no signs of having spent the night training.
As for Badigadi, he was also in high spirits, as if he had only done a warm-up exercise last night, just basic drills.
To be honest, Luo Ge was also shocked by the mental state of the two men.
Damn it!
Is this even human?
wrong!
It seems they really aren't human.
One was Long-Ear Race elf, and the other was a demon.
Racial talent can sometimes be truly illogical.
Even so, Luo Ge was shocked by Elinalise. Honestly... even the Demon King had become her devoted follower?
However... what happened next completely dispelled Luo Ge's idea.
Luo Ge had expected to see the two of them being all lovey-dovey and reluctant to part, but he was surprised to see everyone else around.
After releasing Badigadi's arm, Elinalise said quite naturally, "Your Majesty, this is the price we agreed on beforehand..."
Then he took out a few gold coins from the money pouch at his waist and handed them to Badigadi.
Badigadi accepted it without hesitation, weighed it in his hand, and stuffed it into his pocket with satisfaction, grinning, "Come find me next time you need something, I can give you a discount."
!???
Seeing this, Luo Ge seemed to understand something.
Oh, so it's a fair trade.
His lips twitched, and for a moment he didn't know what to say to the two of them, so he just pretended not to see them.
Despite trying to keep his presence to a minimum, Luo Ge was still noticed by the opposing team, Badigadi and Elinalise.
Elinalise was the first to smile at Luo Ge; it was a pure and beautiful smile.
Good morning, Luo Ge. You and Roxy...
However, before Elinalise could reply, Roxy, as if guarding against a thief, stepped aside and blocked Luo Ge's path.
She greeted him expressionlessly on Luo Ge's behalf, "Good morning, Miss Elinalise."
"Oh! Roxy is here too."
Elinalise looked at her with a smile, her eyes full of meaning.
Roxy didn't reply, but just glanced back at Luo Ge, her eyes clearly saying something.
In short, from now on, you must stay away from her, understand?
Luo Ge blinked innocently, thinking to himself, "I haven't done anything! Can't I even say a word to Elinalise?"
If that's the case, isn't Teacher Roxy being a bit too nosy?
However, Luo Ge didn't pay attention to these details. He quickly called everyone to his room and briefly explained the return flight plan.
Roxy was the first to stand up and agree, and Elinalise and Talhand naturally had no other objections.
After all, if they could take a shortcut, they wouldn't bother going around the Demon Continent and then returning the same way.
So, everyone went back to their rooms to pack their luggage and agreed that... once Nanahoshi woke up, they would all set off together for the nearby seaside port.
Around noon.
The golden sun hung high in the sky above the Demon Continent, scorching hot.
After leaving the tavern, the group, including Nanahoshi, set off in a grand procession towards the port.
Krasma is a small seaside town, where the air is filled with the salty scent of the sea.
After walking for about twenty minutes, the group heard the sound of waves crashing against the shore, and the salty smell grew stronger.
The group arrived at the port, where a wide-open view suddenly appeared.
The azure sea shimmered in the sunlight, stretching all the way to the horizon.
Seagulls circled and cried overhead, and several fishing boats were leaving the harbor in the distance.
A large ship was moored in front of them.
This ship was completely different from human ships; it was wider and lower, with several thick reins extending from the front and hanging down into the sea.
Luo Ge looked down along the reins and could vaguely see a huge black shadow slowly moving beneath the surface of the sea.
"This is... a ship towed by monsters?" Luo Ge narrowed his eyes slightly.
He discovered that there was more than one monster.
There were at least four or five dark shadows swimming beneath the surface of the sea, each larger than a person, lined up neatly in front of the ship, clearly specially trained.
"Hahaha! That's right!"
Badigadi laughed and patted Luo Ge on the shoulder, "This is how the sea creatures of the Demon Continent sail! These domesticated monsters pull the ships, which is much more reliable than sails!"
Just then, a figure walked over from the dock.
That was... a humanoid creature.
It has human-like arms and legs, can walk on land, and wears a loose, dark blue robe.
At first glance, they look almost identical to humans, but upon closer inspection, clues become apparent.
Its skin is pale bluish-gray, smooth and glossy.
There are three slender gill slits on each side of the neck, which open and close slightly with each breath.
The ears are fin-shaped, semi-transparent, and have fine patterns along the edges.
Although the webbing at the fingertips had shrunk, the marks were still clearly visible.
The forearm was covered with a layer of fine scales that shimmered with a faint silver light in the sunlight.
"This is a diplomat from the Seafolk, responsible for guarding this area."
Badigadi explained to the crowd, "Haha... Don't let his scary appearance fool you, he's actually a very nice person."
The sea-human diplomat bowed slightly and said in somewhat broken human language, "Welcome... His Majesty the Demon King has already informed you in advance. Please board the ship."
His voice was unique, as if it came from deep within his throat, with a texture like bubbles churning underwater.
After a brief exchange with Badigadi and the presentation of some documents, the group was quickly allowed to pass.
The group walked onto the large ship via a wooden plank bridge.
The boat is very stable; there is almost no wobbling when you step on it.
The deck was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate all six of them.
There are also rooms in the ship's cabins for people to rest; although they are simple, they are clean.
"Raise the sails—set sail!"
At the command of the sea creature crew, the ship shuddered slightly, the reins were tightened, and the monsters beneath the surface exerted their strength, propelling the massive vessel slowly away from the port.
Luo Ge stood on the deck, his hands gripping the gunwale, watching the town of Krasma recede into the distance.
The sea breeze ruffled his hair, carrying a salty taste.
A journey across the Demon Continent.
It's finally coming to a perfect end.
Ahead lies the Millis Continent, where his family awaits his return in Milision... What follows is a new story, a new beginning...