Chapter 6: Aster Myrazel
A man who looked to be in his early thirties nodded at Cedric. "Thank you for giving him a ride, Director."
Then, turning to the young man, he managed a smile despite the obvious worry in his eyes. "Take care of yourself, Aster."
The young man nodded and gave his family a reassuring smile.
Even after the hovercar drove away, they continued watching it with anxious eyes.
Meanwhile, Shani looked at the young man beside her in surprise. "Aster, where are you going?"
"I’m heading to the capital. My uncle owns a shop there. I’m planning to work for him," Aster answered smoothly, as if he had rehearsed the response countless times.
Shani stared at him in disbelief. This had never happened in her previous life.
Or perhaps it had, and she simply never knew because the Ashbournes had already taken her away.
Aster Myrazel was Shani’s only friend her age. His family owned the largest dairy farm in the area and was easily the wealthiest household in this small town.
Even so, they were incredibly kind. They bought milk from Rowan House at the regular market price and never tried to take advantage of the orphanage.
Aside from Cedric’s pension and the irregular donations they received, the income from selling milk was what kept Rowan House running.
Just like his family, Aster was never arrogant.
The two of them had been so close growing up that Aster often declared that once they turned eighteen, he would make Shani his Resonance Partner, regardless of her F-Rank.
Aster himself had E-Rank Beast Energy. He was like any other common beastman, with a lifespan of only forty years.
Thinking back on it now, if the Ashbournes had never appeared in her first life, Aster might really have become her Resonance Partner.
At the very least, she would have advanced one rank. The Ashbournes truly had ruined her life.
In this life, Aster could still become her partner.
But after spending her previous life trapped in isolation, unable to resist anything the Ashbournes did, Shani no longer wanted to rely on anyone.
Besides, she was worried the Ashbournes would eventually come looking for her again.
Who knew if they might accidentally run into each other here someday?
Their paths would probably cross again eventually. But, when that happened, Shani wanted to be strong enough to stand against them.
...
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived in the center of town. Cedric drove his old hovercar to the entrance of Galesend Station.
The clock read 9:30 a.m. There were still thirty minutes before Shani and Aster’s train departed.
Cedric spent the next fifteen minutes giving them advice. Aster listened attentively. While, Shani nearly fell asleep.
For the past several days, every time Cedric saw her, he had repeated the same warnings about life in the capital.
She had memorized them whether she wanted to or not.
A station announcement soon echoed through the terminal, instructing passengers boarding for Anemone City to proceed to the platform.
Without hesitation, Shani grabbed Aster by the wrist and pulled him toward the entrance for facial verification.
"Once you arrive in Lunarion, don’t wander off," Cedric called after them. "Instructor Cole will be there to pick you up."
Shani nodded while waving before disappearing around the corner.
"Shani, let me carry your bag." Aster reached for her duffel bag.
Shani glanced at the his suitcase beside him. He was carrying far more than she was. "No thanks."
"Come on. It’s not as heavy as it looks."
In the end, Shani kept hold of her own bag.
It wasn’t that she thought Aster was weak because he came from a wealthy family. Her luggage simply wasn’t heavy.
In fact, Aster wasn’t much different from her. They were both farm kids who had spent their childhoods running across open fields alongside cattle.
"Aster." Shani looked at him seriously. "Tell me the truth. Why are you really going to the capital?"
As far as she remembered, Aster had always insisted he would stay in Galesend and help his older brother manage the farm.
"I want to work in the capital," Aster answered immediately. But Shani could hear the nervousness in his voice.
She decided not to beat around the bush. "Is it because of me?"
It was as if she’d struck the nail on the head. Aster became even more flustered.
Shani continued staring at him until he finally lowered his head.
Then he nodded. "Mina told me you were leaving. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all night. I couldn’t even sleep."
"I went to the capital once when I was little. It’s... a scary place. I couldn’t let you go there by yourself."
He raised his head again. "Please don’t tell me to go home. I won’t get in your way. I just want to make sure you get into the academy safely."
Shani smiled. "All right. But you have to be careful too. We’ll look out for each other."
She knew Aster wasn’t normally stubborn. But once he made up his mind about something important no one could change it.
She wasn’t going to stop him. Instead, if he ever got into trouble, she would help him.
In this second life, Shani intended to repay the people who had truly cared for her.
Their conversation came to an end as the hovertrain arrived. The two of them boarded together.
Shani chose the window seat. Aster sat beside her on the aisle. They adjusted themselves, trying to get comfortable.
The hovertrain stopped for no more than ten minutes at each station. They would be spending the next eight hours inside.
Aster reached into his backpack and pulled out a neck pillow. "Here, Shani."
She blinked in surprise. She hadn’t even thought about something like that.
Aster was far more thoughtful than she’d realized. "Thanks, Aster."
She accepted it after noticing he had brought two. He had clearly packed one specifically for her.
Besides the neck pillow, he also took out a blanket and an eye mask.
This time, Shani declined. She didn’t actually plan on sleeping. She wanted to enjoy the scenery outside.
The hovertrain began moving. It glided forward without the slightest vibration. The ride was unbelievably smooth.
...