Chapter 67 – Part 2
Maybe I was being too redundant, I thought, as I hammered my point in once again. Lenia’s earlier teary eyes and plaintive expression turned into rough and energetic breathing as she responded.
「I will!」
Does she really understand, will she be okay? I had a small tinge of worry, but nonetheless, we still said our goodbyes, for now at least, here at Golnev’s airship port.
Fatima and Nell, along with all their butlers and maids, had taken good care of us at their villa during our stay here, and as we parted ways with them, they sent us off with lots of souvenirs. Then finally, Selina, Christina and I boarded the ship back to Galois.
At Galois, we lightly exchanged our farewells with Christina as well.
Unlike the time with Lenia, she said goodbye as carefreely as if she were just talking about the weather. It was a true blessing that there wasn’t anything more to tire me out.
Back when we were staying in Golnev, we had entrusted a part of the Horse Golems, Thermal Golems, and Barrier Golems to a merchant that we knew, and he had already gone on to Bern Village ahead of us.
Selina and I left behind the souvenirs from Golnev, and using white wind, we had some extra Horse Golems pull a carriage, and departed from Galois to head toward Bern Village.
Once, we rode in a carriage with Denzel, and we went from Galois to the relay point, Clauze Village, in two days, and then from there to Bern in one day.
But if we take into consideration the speed and endurance of our Horse Golems, and also our own stamina, then we would likely make it to Bern Village in half that time.
In order to not cause any disturbances while on the road, Selina retreated into the baggage holder on the roof, letting only her snake body from the waist down stick out below.
「It looks like there are more people passing through here than usual」
Selina said this in confusion as she looked around in front, behind, and next to us at the various people there. I thought so too, but I had an idea as to why.
「Trade with Ente Forest has been slowly growing more widespread. There is now active exchange going on with the elves, animal people, and insect people living in Ente Forest, and it’s all happening at Bern Village.
People with an eye for profit probably would be visiting frequently. The Village Chief and Grandma Magul are both used to conducting business with merchants, so there’s no need to worry」
「That’s great then. But if there are more people passing through here, then it would be bad if these roads aren’t expanded」
Thanks to the undeveloped land, carriages rattled and shook, and even the people walking on foot were having a hard time too.
If the circulation of humans, goods, and information were to increase even more, then the roads couldn’t be left as they are now.
「If Bern Village wants to work on the roads, they would have to get the permission of the people and the governor of Clauze Village before they can develop the land. It would be good if the Chief could start negotiations with them soon.
If I return here after I graduate from the Magic Academy, I will certainly be put to use for that purpose」
「Fufu, but your face says you’d be happy if you could, Dran-san」
「Oh, is it showing on my face? Fufu, that’s because this is my hometown, and it’s full of my nostalgic memories. If I can work for my hometown, then that would be my greatest joy」
Just how much has my hometown changed during my time at the Magic Academy?, I wondered this as we rode the carriage onward, while we both held anticipation within our hearts.
There turned out to be a lot more people on the road than we had predicted earlier, so we were unable to travel at the speed we wanted, but this unexpected development is one to be happy about.
In the end, it took the same amount of time as it did when we were traveling to the Magic Academy, for us to arrive at Bern Village.
From my spot in the driver’s seat, Bern village eventually came into the end of my line of sight. As it did, I unconsciously let out an awed, 「Oh…」
I hadn’t been away for even half a year, but a feeling of intense nostalgia and homesickness came overflowing out of my heart without ceasing. I knew I was finally home.
I have lived as a human for only 16 years, a time shorter than even a mere blink for my old self, but I could feel that this short time still filled most of my heart.
My parents and siblings, and my friends of the same age as me, and my childhood friends; their faces came up in my mind one by one. There were so many people who I haven’t been able to see since coming to the Magic Academy. I want to see them. I want to talk with them. Such desires were swelling up.
「I’m home」
Sitting beside me, Selina took in my whispered words at face value, and interpreted them as me revealing a more child-like side of me that I usually never showed. She looked at me from the side with soft eyes of adoration, as if she were looking at something very pleasant.
Ah, but, that wasn’t all there was to it. My beloved snake woman.
When I lived as a dragon, there wasn’t a place for me to truly return to. When I felt like I wanted to go home, there wasn’t anywhere I could call home.
My heart from back then, the heart of my old self, was finally being filled with the joy and tranquility of having a home.
Ahh, but she probably couldn’t fully understand my current feelings or deep emotions.
But even so, it’s fine. It’s thanks to everyone thinking and acting normally around me while staying by my side, that I am able to feel these things now.
These feelings were built from Bern Village, the place I can now call my hometown, and the time I spent there with all the people I met.
My father, my mother, my older brother and younger brother, and not to mention Selina, Airi, Leisha, and Mille. For me, these people were all essential components that turned this place into my home.
When my dragon life ended, and I gained my life as a human, I also gained a hometown. To have a hometown, to have a place to return to, is such a blessing.
There is no greater happiness than this. That is what I felt from the bottom of my heart, as my current self.
Standing guard at the gate meant for passage that was built into the southern wall were two men, who I was of course familiar with. Just by seeing their nostalgic faces, joy bounded up in my heart once again.
Are you really that happy? Selina ended up making fun of me as I slipped into my habit of laughing on my own.
When one of the guards at the gate noticed us, they waved their hand at us, and then sprinted off into the village.
Hmm, in any case, the road on the way here wasn’t the only thing that had changed. Bern Village itself had changed as well.
The gate was usually calm and quiet due to lack of activity, but we could see that there were now people coming in from the outside, besides ourselves.
Among them were farmers and freelance labor workers clad in tattered rags, but also people carrying large baggages, and merchants riding in on carriages too.
We passed through the gate that the familiar guard opened for us, and our carriage moved forward along a path that had been carved into the ground by many other carriages that had passed through before us. We moved along until we came to a stop in the plaza at the center of the village.
The entire time during our ride to the plaza, news of our return continued to spread to everyone in the village, and they abandoned their field work or their work at home, to run over and continuously call out to us, sitting atop the luggage rack on the roof of our carriage.
Once we arrived in the plaza, we descended from the roof, and with the help of all the people who had gathered, we unloaded a mountain of souvenirs that we had brought from all over.
Also, out in the open space, merchants that had traveled here from the outside had set up shop with makeshift stands made of wooden poles and planks, and cheap cloth draped over them. I was able to recognize these small changes that had come to the village.
「Hey, Dran, Selina, welcome home!!」
「You look well, Selina, just as always. No one bullied you at Galois, did they?」
「Hey, hey, where’s the souvenirs? What kind of stuff did they have in Galois~?」
A herd of villagers swarmed around us and pressed us with questions and greetings, and while we were being pushed and shoved around, we answered with full smiles on our faces as we brought down our luggage.
Everyone’s faces, their voices, the atmosphere of this village; absolutely everything was so nostalgic. This place was packed full of my memories.
Bern Village, I have returned! Even if we have to go back to Galois right after though!
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
Goodbye Dragon Life, Hello Human Life
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 70 hours
Nice wholesome chapter.