Chrome Shelled Regios

Volume 5, Prologue

The sound of the whiteboard markers hitting the whiteboard pulled Leerin back to reality. She was now in the classroom. The teacher was using the marker as he explained the content written on the whiteboard. Flustered, Leerin quickly jotted down the information in her notebook.

Recently, she felt an illusory weight on her back. That weight belonged to that wooden box that her adopted father wanted her to give to Layfon. Within that box was a Dite representing the fact that Derek had taught him every Psyharden technique. This Dite should already be in Layfon's hands, but Derek didn't get to hand it to his apprentice due to the circumstances.

"Mail it or deliver it to him personally. It's all fine."

Derek had said.

It had been a month since he made that request. Leerin had written a letter during that month. A letter about her happily studying, something like that.

(All rubbish.)

The content of the letter involved some truth and also something about hoping for such a future, but Layfon probably wouldn't realize.

(Because he's really slow.)

A light sigh that the teacher and other students in the room would fail to detect escaped from Leerin's lips. She bit the top of her pen. One month had passed without her making any decision. The box was still in her room.

(Mail it? Or go there myself?)

That was how she felt now. But she had to take leave from school if she was to go to Zuellni. From Grendan to Zuellni…… Half a year ago, Layfon took one month to get to Zuellni, but what about now? Both cities were moving. Somebody said that the speed of a roaming bus was slower than normal, which meant it was possible for the journey to take three months. If she went to Zuellni and came back to Grendan, she would have to repeat a year before she could move up one grade. Wasting an entire year would be a problem for Leerin, and she couldn't neglect the extra financial burden of repeating her study.

And also, to use the money Layfon earned from the underground matches…

Derek had said in simple terms that he still wanted to leave the city.

Leerin had noticed the reason behind the change in Layfon. Either way, she had been living with him for a long time. The cause was the shortage of food before Layfon became a Heaven's Blade successor. An unknown disease had spread throughout Grendan's farms, cutting down food production. Every city fed itself. It was impossible to transport food from another city, so a city that couldn't feed itself could only die. Because of that, it was difficult to respond to such a situation. One could even say it was impossible to respond.

A lot of people died from starvation during the time of the disease. Grendan had implemented a system to apportion food to the population. Military Artists were prioritized as they had the duty to protect the city, creating an imbalance in the distribution of food. As a result, riots had appeared in several areas. Derek had already retired from the front lines, so he wasn't given much food. As for the children at the orphanage? Not enough. Even so, they managed to survive in that half a year. Things had returned to normal when Layfon became the Heaven's Blade successor.

But the price of food increased drastically when the food distribution system was abolished. The events back then did plant something in Layfon's heart. He had received more food than other children, being a Military Artist.

(His personality. He probably couldn't stand it.)

That was why she was so concerned with anything related to him……

(Aah, I can't decide.)

She knew she wanted to see him. She very much wanted to see him.

(But……)

To waste a year?

(And I'll be using Layfon's money too.)

But………

(What will Layfon think if I do this?)

That was the one thing she was really concerned with.