Chapter 10: 10. A warm farewell
After they subdued their enemies, the two finally reached the docks. The Lost Pier really suited its name. Mona thought it was a place that was hard to find since it was 'lost', but it was actually an abandoned dock. What was lost was its purpose. Unlike the usual piers where crowds of people and traders are rushing here and there, Mona could see that this one was unused.
Along the way, he asked the Grand Duke what had transpired when she was out. Although she was conscious and had heard all of it, she still did ask him to avoid being suspicious.
Mona learned about the Grand Duke's magic and some of the principles of this world. Even magic has a hierarchy.
The low-level magic is called artificial magic. The mid-level is natural magic, if artificial magic can only be wielded through mediums, natural can be wielded with people possessing active mana on their bodies.
But this magic is diverse, it allows the wielder to use and learn magic spells or potions. There are also rare occasions where a natural magic user can evolve to a high level. This type of magic is the most common among people. And lastly, the high level is elemental magic. A magic that is formed from elements and sub-elements. Elemental magic is way stronger than artificial.
So, Mona could understand how the Grand Duke's ice did not melt on the fire, but instead froze it.
She learned that dark magic falls on the elemental type. As well as divine magic. But those two are considered an independent magic type. Unlike the artificial that can be used by a medium imbued with nature, and natural's ability to evolve to an elemental, the dark and divine cannot be mixed together, nor can be mixed with other magic types.
This is why their existence is rare. Especially the dark one. It is because those who were born with it saw it as a curse. They weren't taken care of until their existence gradually declined. Different from those who were born with divine mana, the holy nation took care of them and made sure they would prosper.
Another thing she kept thinking of was what had happened to her back there. Her vision became completely black and for a moment she thought she had become blind.
But who gets blind after just being tossed?
And she remembered clearly opening her eyes many times, but only darkness was what she could see.
"What are you spacing at for? You need to ride this boat."
The Grand Duke pulled her off her thoughts. He was untying the rope while giving her glances.
"Please tell me." She walked closer to him. "Is the gap between this empire and the holy nation just the size of a river?"
Kyden furrowed his eyebrows. He clearly knows where this conversation is heading. So, he already answered her unasked question.
"I'll make sure to put a spell on the boat so it will take you faster on the other side without rowing."
"Woah. Thanks. But you didn't answer my question." Mona insisted.
"No. It's obviously an ocean apart."
"You'll come with me?"
Silence answered her.
Her heart began to beat faster, out of anxiousness and nervousness at the sudden silence of the Grand Duke. She walked closer and grabbed the ropes instead.
"Hey. You won't come with me?"
The Grand Duke met her eyes.
"The boat will send you there. Besides, the holy nation doesn't allow individuals who don't possess divine mana. Only you will be able to enter."
Mona stared back at the Grand Duke. She was hopelessly waiting for him to pull out a laugh and shout 'It was a prank!', but she knew that was impossible for the Grand Duke.
She quietly let go of the rope and stepped back a few feet.
She thought that he was going to accompany her. But she didn't know the holy nation had such a policy, that's why she agreed to come. Because she thought she wouldn't be alone there at least.
But now...
Mona felt a strange pang in her heart. And felt stupidly embarrassed at the thought that she had become attached to the Grand Duke.
"If it's like that then...I won't go either!" She yelled and ran to where they came from.
Kyden half expected her reaction so he immediately shot an icicle to the road which made it frozen.
Mona wasn't prepared so she ended up slipping. When she thought she'd slam herself on the ground again, a pair of stiff and cold arms enveloped her. Before she knew it, she was hanging upside down again.
"Let me go! I don't want to go!" She kicked her legs in the air continuously but the man is resolute.
"Ah! You bastard!"
But her words just went in on one and out on the other of the Grand Duke's ear.
Mona was restless and started to feel really nervous. The Grand Duke has already stepped inside the boat and dropped her.
Loss of anything she could think to convince him, Mona grabbed the Grand Duke's legs instead. She wrapped both of her arms around his right leg.
Kyden flinched at the sudden action of the woman. Their aggressive movement made the boat rock, but he was able to hold his ground. If he would fall then both of them might fall into the water or worse, caught in an awkward position.
The woman yelled when he looked down to scold her for her actions.
"Don't throw me out!! Father!"
Mona made her face look pitiful and teary-eyed, but the Grand Duke only raised his eyebrows at her.
"I don't remember giving birth to an adult."
"Men don't give birth." Of course, Mona was just messing with his words. She doesn't understand why, but she seems to always want to annoy the Grand Duke.
"You're supposed to look pitiful, not annoying, lady."
"You'll be with me if I cry?"
Those words of the lady made Kyden silent. He thought how desperate she could be, but then he was reminded of her crying face again.
'She cries so loudly, it'll be annoying...' he thought.
He looked down once again. This woman clinging to her might have been so scared from the beginning but still managed to act stronger and even annoy him sometimes.
He sighed deeply and combed his hair.
"Fine. I'll be with you until the barrier allows me to. But if it shoves me off in the middle of the ocean, swim your way to reach them."
With a very unsympathetic expression on his face, Mona can't help but retort.
"That is so cruel!" She exclaimed, adding, "I don't know how to swim."
"I'm getting off."
The Grand Duke tried to pull off his leg but Mona only held tighter.
"Okay, okay! I'll swim!"
"Let go then."
"You won't run?"
"I'm not like you."
"Tss."
She finally let him go.
Kyden sat across the lady and touched the boat's wooden flooring. He released enough mana to create a magical circle that contained a spell of acceleration and self-activation.
Mona can't help but be amazed. How she wished she could also summon a magic circle and shoot icicles or whatever. But unfortunately, she possesses none whatsoever.
'Hah, even in this world, I'm still useless.' Mona thought.
The boat began to stir and move. Slowly at the beginning, but gradually becoming faster and faster. It moves so fast that Mona grabs the Grand Duke's leg again.
"W-Why is this so fast?!"
She shouted over, the night breeze on the ocean was so cold and the splashing of water created a louder noise.
Kyden noticed the trembling of the woman, but he didn't think it was because of the rapid movement of the boat. He took off his coat and threw it at the lady. Seeing how she immediately let go of his leg and wrapped the coat around her, his thoughts were confirmed.
Perhaps she was only startled at the beginning, but now she felt calm and collected. The movement of the boat doesn't scare her anymore.
Or so Kyden thought. He flinched again when she felt another two pairs of limbs wrapped his one leg.
Mona's feet were wrapped around the Grand Duke's leg. She was afraid of suddenly being thrown out from the speed of the boat, but since she was embracing the coat to herself, she had no choice but to grab him by the foot instead. She immediately bowed her head down and avoided his gaze.
Silence settled on them for a while.
It was the Grand Duke who broke it, which greatly shocked Mona.
"When you get there, there will be a clergyman and some paladins to welcome you. They will escort you to where the Saintess and the second highest priest are." He announced. "The citizens of the Holy Nation are all kind people. No one will harm you there. So, you shouldn't be too nervous."
Mona only nodded and stayed silent. She can't help it. Although she admits she would rather prefer to stay where the Grand Duke is, she can't burden him any longer.
Besides, to the Grand Duke, she was only a subject he needed to send safely to another country.
"First, you need to learn many things about this world. The Holy Nation can provide you with even better information than the Empire. When you think you've finally settled here, then..."
The words were cut off, so Mona lifted her head to glance at the Grand Duke.
She was dumbfounded at the sight of a cold stony face lifting the edge of its lips slightly.
"You can come back to the empire. My horse is looking for a pet."
She glared at his last words.
But moreover, she was grateful to him. For many things.
"I haven't properly thanked you for saving me twice. May I know your name, my lord?" She inquired.
"Kyden."
"Thank you for all this time, Grand Duke Kyden. I owe you." She replied and bowed properly.
In the distance, they can already see a luminescent glass-like sheet that covers the see up to the sky.
The divine barrier.
"The Saintess said that once baptized, a second name will be given. My first name is Mona. I'll tell you my second once we meet again, my lord."
The boat bumped into something. It was a wooden boardwalk outstretched a meter outside the barrier, the end of it wasn't still visible in her eyes. She has still a long way to walk.
Mona stood and stepped up the boardwalk. She looked back and smiled.
"Goodbye, Sir Kyden. Until we meet again."
It took longer before Kyden realized he had watched the back of the lady for an unknown reason.
He maneuvered the boat and imbued magic on it again. He looked back once more. And unconsciously uttered someone's name.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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Book Completion
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