Chapter 585 Preparation For The Journey
Agatha looked around the table slowly. She could see nobody disagreed. Even though everyone respected Irina’s strength and decisiveness, they all understood Liam’s reasoning. Knowledge was far more important than confidence in an unfamiliar world.
After remaining silent for a moment, Agatha finally nodded.
"...Alright."
"If everyone agrees..."
"I’ll guide us."
Liam smiled.
"That’s much better."
He rested his elbows on the table.
"So."
"You mentioned earlier there’s somewhere we absolutely have to go."
Agatha’s expression immediately became serious again.
"Yes."
"Then when do we leave?"
She took a slow breath before answering.
"The destination is roughly a three-day journey from this town."
Nobody interrupted her.
"It isn’t a safe road."
She looked at each person individually.
"The forests ahead are filled with magical beasts. There are also wandering monsters, abandoned ruins, and regions where powerful creatures have claimed territory. Some of them avoid people."
She paused.
"Some don’t."
The cheerful mood from moments ago slowly faded.
Liam remained calm.
"So..."
"We prepare today."
"And leave tomorrow morning?"
Agatha nodded.
"Exactly."
"We’ll move at first light."
Leonid crossed his arms.
"The earlier we leave, the better."
Gregor sighed.
"I was hoping for at least another day of sleeping."
Tatiana smiled.
"You sleep enough already."
"I call it conserving energy."
Agatha continued explaining.
"We’ll need enough food for three days."
"Fresh water."
"Cold weather clothing."
"Basic camping supplies."
She looked directly at Liam.
"But don’t overpack."
Liam raised an eyebrow.
"Hm?"
"The lighter we travel, the faster we’ll move."
"We can always hunt along the way if necessary."
Liam nodded thoughtfully.
"Fair enough."
His eyes wandered around the table one more time before something suddenly struck him.
"...Wait."
He frowned.
"Where’s Mary?"
Everyone looked around almost instinctively before Gregor answered while tearing off another piece of bread.
"She went to buy horses."
Liam blinked.
"Horses?"
Gregor nodded.
"Yeah."
"We’re not walking three days."
Liam couldn’t hide the surprise on his face.
"We’re actually riding horses?"
Tatiana looked at him curiously.
"...You’ve never ridden one?"
Liam scratched the side of his face.
"No."
"Not even once."
Gregor nearly choked laughing.
"You?"
"The guy who jumps over rooftops?"
"The guy who fights monsters?"
"The guy who punches people through walls?"
"You’ve never ridden a horse?"
Liam shrugged.
"I grew up in the city."
"The closest thing I’ve ridden is a motorcycle."
Agatha couldn’t help smiling softly.
"I’m sure you’ll learn quickly."
Tatiana giggled.
"If you fall off..."
Liam looked at her.
"I’ll drag you down with me."
She laughed even harder.
"I’d like to see you try."
The group gradually stood from the table one after another. Chairs scraped lightly across the wooden floor as everyone stretched after the long meal. Agatha looked around once more before giving one final reminder.
"Remember."
"Buy only what you’ll need."
"Enough supplies for the journey..."
"...but don’t travel heavy."
"We’re aiming to reach our destination as quickly as possible."
Everyone nodded in agreement before preparing to leave in different directions.
Liam had barely taken two steps away from the table when he noticed Tatiana staring at him rather strangely.
She wasn’t speaking.
Instead, she kept making subtle movements with her eyes.
Up.
Then toward him.
Then...
Upstairs.
Liam frowned in complete confusion.
"Huh?"
Tatiana sighed quietly before exaggerating the gesture this time, tilting her head ever so slightly toward the staircase while silently mouthing the word.
"...Upstairs."
Liam blinked twice.
"...Hmm."
Liam followed Tatiana up the narrow wooden staircase, his footsteps slow and unhurried. The inn had grown much quieter now, most of the guests either asleep or speaking in hushed voices downstairs. When they reached their room, Tatiana closed the door behind them with a soft click before leaning back against it for a moment.
The room became unusually quiet.
Outside, the sounds of the bustling town still drifted faintly through the open balcony doors. Merchants continued shouting over one another, horses trotted along the stone streets, and somewhere below someone laughed loudly after winning an argument.
Yet inside...
It felt like they were the only two people in the world.
Liam looked at her curiously.
"...What?"
Tatiana simply stared at him.
There was a softness in her emerald eyes that hadn’t been there a few days ago. Ever since yesterday, she had found herself looking at him differently. Every time he smiled, her own lips followed. Every time he laughed, she wanted to hear it again.
She had never imagined falling this deeply for someone.
Not after everything she’d been through.
Not after convincing herself for years that she would never allow anyone close enough to hurt her again.
Yet here she was.
Looking at him like he was the safest place in the world.
"I want you," she admitted quietly.
Liam blinked.
"...Again?"
She nodded without a trace of hesitation.
"Very much."
A helpless laugh escaped him as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"We literally just got back."
"I know."
"We’ve been running around town all morning."
"Hmm"
"We just finished eating."
"I know."
Liam couldn’t help smiling.
"And after all of that..."
She slowly walked toward him.
"...this is still the first thing on your mind?"
She stopped only when she stood directly in front of him.
"It is."
Her honesty caught him completely off guard.
There wasn’t even a hint of embarrassment in that answer.
Only sincerity.
Liam looked into her eyes for a few quiet seconds before chuckling under his breath.
"You’ve changed."
Tatiana tilted her head.
"Have I?"
"Mhm."
"You’ve become..."
He searched for the right word.
"...bolder."
A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
"Only with you."
She reached out carefully and took both of his hands into hers.
Her fingers intertwined with his naturally now, as though they had always belonged there.
"You know..."
"I spent almost the entire walk back thinking."
"About what?"
She smiled sheepishly.
"Whether you’d laugh at me if I came upstairs after you."
"I probably did laugh."
"I know."
She rolled her eyes playfully.
"You laugh too much."
"You make it easy."
Tatiana stepped even closer until only a small breath separated them.
"I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing you laugh."
Liam’s expression softened.
"You’ve become really honest too."
"I decided there’s no point hiding things anymore."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
She nodded.
"I wasted years being afraid."
"I don’t want to waste another day."
Her words lingered between them.
Liam found himself unable to answer immediately.
Instead...
He gently brushed a loose strand of crimson hair behind her ear.
"You’ve been thinking a lot."
"I have."
"What else did you think about?"
Tatiana laughed quietly.
"A lot of embarrassing things."
"Like?"
She looked away.
"I’m not telling you."
"Why not?"
"You’ll tease me."
"I absolutely will."
"Exactly."
Liam grinned.
She sighed dramatically.
"I knew it."
Without saying another word, she rested her forehead lightly against his shoulder.
Neither of them moved.
The silence wasn’t awkward.
It was comfortable.
The kind of silence that only existed between two people who no longer felt the need to fill every moment with conversation.
Liam slowly wrapped an arm around her.
She immediately leaned into him.
"...Comfortable?"
He asked.
"Mhm."
"Very."
She closed her eyes.
"I like this."
"What?"
"This."
She squeezed him just a little tighter.
"Being able to stand this close without worrying."
Liam smiled.
"You worried before?"
"All the time."
"I thought you’d reject me."
"I thought I’d make things awkward."
"I thought..."
She laughed quietly.
"...about a thousand different terrible possibilities."
"And yet here we are."
"And yet..."
She looked up at him with a smile bright enough to rival the afternoon sun filtering through the balcony doors.
"...here we are."
Liam reached up and gently cupped her cheek.
She instinctively leaned into the warmth of his hand.
"You know..."
He said softly.
"I still can’t believe the terrifying woman who scared an entire guild yesterday is the same one standing in front of me now."
Tatiana gasped dramatically.
"I was never terrifying."
"You nearly started a riot."
"They deserved it."
"You threatened half the room."
"They deserved that too."
He laughed.
"I don’t think diplomacy is your strongest skill."
"It isn’t."
"But protecting you is."
Liam blinked.
Those words had come so naturally that she didn’t even seem to realize what she’d said.
She noticed his expression and smiled sheepishly.
"...Was that too much?"
"No."
"Not enough?"
He laughed again.
"It was perfect."
Her heart fluttered.
"I like making you smile."
"You do it a lot."
"Good."
She lifted herself slightly onto her toes before pressing a gentle kiss against his cheek.
When she pulled back, she looked incredibly pleased with herself.
"There."
"What was that for?"
"I felt like it."
"That’s your reason?"
"Mhm."
"You’ll need a better excuse."
"I don’t."
She smiled mischievously.
"I can do that whenever I want now."
"Oh?"
"Mhm."
She leaned in again, brushing another quick kiss against the other cheek before retreating just enough to admire his reaction.
"There."
"Again?"
"I told you."
Liam shook his head with a laugh.
"I’ve created a monster."
"No."
She corrected proudly.
"You created your girlfriend."
He paused.
"...Girlfriend?"
She suddenly looked nervous.
"...Can I call myself that?"
Liam answered by gently taking both of her hands again.
"I’d be disappointed if you didn’t."
Her smile became so bright it almost hurt to look at.
She laughed—a genuine, carefree laugh that filled the room with warmth.
For someone who had spent years carrying the weight of her past, that laugh sounded almost unbelievable.
Liam found himself staring.
"What?"
She asked.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
"You have a beautiful smile."
She immediately covered her face.
"...Don’t suddenly say things like that."
"Why?"
"My heart can’t handle it."
He chuckled.
"I thought you were the bold one."
"I was."
"You lost it already?"
"You started complimenting me."
"So?"
"So it’s unfair."
Liam gently lowered her hands away from her face.
"I mean it."
"I know."
Her voice softened.
"...That’s why it’s unfair."
Their eyes met once more.
This time neither of them looked away.
The distance between them disappeared naturally.
Their lips met in a slow, tender kiss.
It wasn’t rushed.
There was no urgency.
Only warmth.
Only affection.
Only two people quietly enjoying the simple fact that they had finally found each other.
When they finally separated, Tatiana rested her forehead against his once again, smiling with her eyes closed.
"I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this."
Liam smiled back.
"I don’t think I will either."
Outside, the town continued its busy afternoon as though nothing had changed.
Inside the room...
Time itself seemed content to slow down, leaving them to enjoy a quiet moment that belonged only to the two of them.