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n?”Howard, shall we go out and have some fun?” Vivia asked, her voice laced with a hint of boredom.

n“Go out?” Howard paused for a moment, noticing the slightly listless expression on Vivia’s face.

n“Where do you want to go? Rodel isn’t exactly bustling with activity.”

n“Let’s just wander outside the city,” Vivia suggested, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she looked at Howard.

n“The wilds outside might be teeming with beasts, but with you by my side, it promises to be far more interesting than anything the city has to offer.”

nHoward shook his head resolutely.

n“Impossible. I won’t take you out there.”

n“Then, I suppose I’ll have to settle for a lesser adventure and just wander around the city,” Vivia suddenly said with a sly grin, her demeanor resembling that of a fox who had successfully pulled off a trick.

nHoward, who had been looking at himself in the mirror, was momentarily taken aback before a smile broke across his face.

nInitially, he had no intention of accompanying Vivia, but her words somehow made it seem as though he had already agreed.

nAfter a brief pause, Howard’s smile faded as he adjusted his hair and straightened the hilt of his blade that rested upon his shoulder.

nHaving made himself presentable, Howard turned to face Vivia.

n“Since you put it that way, let’s do as you wish then.”

n…

nLeaving the inn, Howard and Vivia strolled through the streets of Rodel, meandering without a clear destination.

nDespite having been in Rodel for over a week, neither Howard nor Vivia had actually had the time to properly explore the city.

nHoward’s case was self-explanatory, spending more than half of the time unconscious, while Vivia initially busied herself with completing quests and later stayed by Howard’s bedside in the inn.

nIn reality, although Rodel serves as a frontier city, it still boasts numerous attractions.

nLeading Vivia through bustling streets and quieter lanes, Howard deliberately chose the path less traveled, navigating through the less crowded alleys.

nThe cobblestone pavement, uneven from years of wear, exuded a certain charm.

nRows of small houses with red tile pointed roofs lined both sides, their facades painted in shades of slate gray or white, windows askew.

nTheir journey was accompanied by the occasional calls of vendors.

nAlong the way, Vivia amused herself with cats and dogs, or chased after the calves and lambs belonging to the locals, attracting countless disapproving glances.

nHowever, considering the gleaming straight sword on Howard’s back, no one dared voice their annoyance.

nEventually, Vivia dutifully helped lead the animals back.

nLaughing merrily as they meandered through the alleys, sunlight filtered through narrow gaps above, tickling their faces.

nThe light wasn’t harsh but conveyed a sense of the summer’s arrival.

nAs the breeze swept through the alleyways, Howard squinted and turned back to see Vivia’s smiling face.

nA thought struck him, and suddenly, he began to run.

n“I’ve thought of a great place, follow me!”

n…

nStanding at the edge of the parapet, Howard, with the exceptional balance of a level 3 magus, held his stance with ease, while Vivia had no choice but to sit demurely atop the balustrade.

nYet, this did nothing to diminish the awe stirring within her heart.

nThey were atop the clock tower!

nThe tallest structure in Rodel, a clock tower erected over a century ago.

nThe ground lay dozens of meters below their feet, and as they gazed into the distance, nearly all of Rodel City came into view, with even the outermost walls barely discernible on the horizon.

nBehind them, the sound of massive gears in motion filled the air, intricate and rhythmic.

nTick-tock—tick-tock—tick-tock—

nIt didn’t possess the crispness of a clock sitting in a living room, but it carried a deeper resonance, an echo of time’s sediment.

nWith the wind caressing her face and the century-old, never-ceasing “tick-tock” sound in her ears, Vivia squinted her eyes, which curved into adorable crescents.

n“This feels so wonderful!”

n“Howard, how did you discover this place?” she asked.

nIt wouldn’t occur to most to venture to the top of the clock tower.

nVivia had seen the landmark building before; in fact, it would be odd not to have seen such a defining structure. 𝘳.𝑐ℴ

nYet, she had never thought of climbing to its summit.

nIt wasn’t fear that stopped her but rather the absence of such a thought.

nA clock tower was just that—a clock tower.

nThough rich in history, its primary function was to tell time.

nBut it seemed Howard saw it differently.

n“It just came to me,” he said casually.

nGazing at the distant landscape, where spired rooftops stretched out endlessly, and the streets and alleys below bustled with the constant flow of carts, horses, and people, Howard’s face displayed a rare expression of complete relaxation.

n“I’ve longed for a place like this for a while now, somewhere I could watch the crowds from a distance.”

n“Just now, it occurred to me that the view from atop the clock tower in Breeze City was quite beautiful, so I thought I’d come up here and see for myself.”

n“No matter what the view is like from above, if you haven’t seen it with your own eyes, there’s always this itch inside you, you know?”

nAs he spoke, Howard’s face bore a look of longing and confusion, as if yearning to move forward yet fearfully hesitant to take that step.

n“Moreover, when standing up high, there’s always this sad temptation to jump.”

nHe repeated the sentiment, his expression again a mix of aspiration and uncertainty, the same fear holding him back.

n“But when you really reach the end, it turns out you’re still afraid.”

n“Really, don’t talk about such frightening things,” Vivia chided, shifting closer to Howard.

n“Let’s just enjoy the view. No need to talk about wanting to jump or feeling sad.” .

nHoward paused, then chuckled, “You’re right. I was being melancholy.”

nSaying this, he crossed his legs on the parapet, laid his straight sword across his lap, and sat down back-to-back with Vivia.

nVivia leaned her head against Howard’s shoulder and whispered, “What do you plan to do after completing the three quests?”

n“Find a way back,” Howard mused after a moment.

n“Though there’s nothing particularly wrong with this place, I still yearn to return. My deal with Nula and the others was to exchange three quests for a way back. Even though I don’t know if that method will work, not trying it would leave me restless.”

n“I wish I could follow you,” Vivia thought but didn’t voice out loud.

nThe answer, in truth, had been clear from the start.

nAfter a moment of silence, Howard suddenly laughed.

n“When did the two of us become so sentimental?”

nTaking a deep breath, Howard shifted his shoulders.

n“Up we get, then. Off to the next spot!”

n“No,” Vivia shook her head, raising her hand to point at a figure in the square below.

n“I see Nula down there. Let’s go find her; she still holds your bounty, after all.”

nHoward followed the direction of Vivia’s pointing finger and slapped his forehead.

nThere indeed was Nula, appearing to hold something in her hands.

nHad Vivia not mentioned it, he might well have forgotten all about it.

n“Then let’s go,” he said, carefully standing up and taking a few steps before extending his hand to Vivia.

n“Let’s head down.”

nLooking at Howard’s extended hand, Vivia opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she just smiled.

nThe two descended the clock tower with agility, blending into the crowd as they made their way to the square in search of Nula.

nThey circled the square, and at one point, Howard casually bought a large cotton candy for Vivia.

nAlthough it earned him an eye-roll, she accepted it with a smile nonetheless.

nEating the cotton candy, Howard and Vivia made a complete round of the square but failed to spot Nula.

n“Do you remember which direction you saw Nula?” Howard asked, turning to Vivia.

nShe thought for a moment, then pointed in a direction.

n“It seems like it was near the clothing store. I saw her coming out of there.”

nA clothing store?

nAt a time like this, she’s in the mood for shopping?

nAnd… the clothes here are likely not cheap!

nAnd these aren’t just any clothes; they’re meticulously designed garments!

nHoward’s sense of foreboding grew stronger by the moment.

nThat person wouldn’t be splurging his bounty all over the place, would she?

nWith this thought, Howard couldn’t stay calm any longer.

nHe knew all too well how quickly women could spend money.

nHe genuinely worried whether his bounty would suffice for such a lady’s extravagance.

nGrabbing Vivia’s wrist, Howard started to jog.

nIf Nula was shopping, the clothing store likely wouldn’t be her final stop.

nThough Rodel’s commerce wasn’t highly developed, the presence of nobles—those peculiar beings—meant that it wasn’t unusual to find expensive boutiques selling items of little practical use here.

nAfter all, commoners couldn’t afford such luxuries anywhere, leaving only ubiquitous nobles willing to pay hefty sums for them.

nThe pursuit began at the clothing store.

nWhen Howard and Vivia burst into the store, they found it empty of customers.

nOnly a middle-aged, balding man in his forties, dressed in a gray-white robe, sat behind the counter reading a book.

nWithout any pleasantries, Howard launched into a barrage of questions, straightforwardly slamming his magus badge onto the countertop beforehand.

nThere are times when one must assert their presence to avoid unnecessary trouble.

nUpdated from 𝑖𝘦.𝒸𝘰𝘮

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