First, five minutes passed…

Then ten…

Slowly, forty minutes ticked by… and Charles started to feel his shoulder go numb, a nagging tingle settling in.

He'd waited patiently for Nora to wake up, but what he hadn't expected…

Was for her to stay asleep for so long!

'Damn it, almost an hour!' he thought, glancing at Nora, who was still leaning on his shoulder, snoring softly.

Was she really fast asleep in a situation like this?

Her eyes were closed, and her face—sharp yet soft, with brown hair falling in loose waves—looked oddly peaceful.

'She looks… kinda cute,' he admitted to himself, quickly shoving the thought aside.

If there was one thing Charles had promised himself, it was not to get attached to anything that would make leaving the clan harder.

But something made him pause.

The absolute silence around them was eerie.

The air barrier Nora had created to block the baby's cry was still active, muting even the chirping of birds or the rustle of leaves.

'Is she faking being asleep?' he thought, frowning. 'Or can she really keep that ability going while she's out?'

The sun was dipping, painting the sky an orange hue that signaled sunset was near.

Charles felt his stomach growl, and his patience was wearing thin.

He was hungry.

It had been a while since he'd eaten in the dining hall with that other girl, so it made sense he'd need to eat again soon.

'This is ridiculous,' he thought, glancing at the blue system arrow still glowing in his vision, pointing toward the Stormy Forest cave.

He couldn't sit here forever.

Or at least… not in such a dumb way.

With a quick motion, Charles leaned back, standing up from the trunk.

Nora's head tilted to the side, and before she could hit the ground, he grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up in one smooth move, carrying her like a princess.

To his surprise, Nora was incredibly light.

'What the hell? She weighs nothing!' he thought, letting out a low laugh.

Though Nora was slim, he'd figured she'd weigh about the same as Lira, given their similar builds.

A vague memory of Lira pinning him down flashed through his mind, but he shook his head to dismiss it.

For a moment, Charles was tempted to make a joke—maybe spin her or shake her to see if she'd wake up—but seeing her eyes still closed and her breathing steady, he hesitated.

'Is she really sleeping through this?' he thought, frowning.

The idea that she was faking it made him nervous, but there was no time to dwell on it.

The blue system arrow started pulsing in his vision as he stood, guiding him northwest.

Charles decided to follow it, still carrying Nora, who seemed completely oblivious to what was happening.

As he walked along the path, he noticed a bird perched on a nearby branch.

Its wings fluttered, and its beak was open, clearly singing, but he couldn't hear a thing.

The silence was total, confirming that Nora's barrier was still active, even as they moved.

'This is insane,' he thought, looking at the girl in his arms. 'How the hell does she do this while sleeping?'

The idea that Nora could maintain such a precise ability while unconscious blew his mind.

The path led to a clearing where, in the distance, he saw the entrance to a cave.

The blue arrow pointed straight at it, but the darkness inside was so thick he could barely make anything out.

'Shit, this doesn't look good,' he thought, a chill running through him.

Walking into a cave without light or preparation was a terrible idea.

Charles was about to sigh, resigned to waiting, when Nora let out a loud yawn, stretching her arms as she nestled against his chest.

Annoyed, Charles stopped holding her, and she dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Ow!" she yelped, her eyes snapping open as she glared at him, a mix of surprise and irritation.

She rubbed her backside as she stood, scowling.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Rian?" she said, indignant. "You dropped me! What kind of gentleman are you?"

Charles crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Gentleman? Seriously?" he said, his tone sarcastic. "I've been sitting here for almost an hour with my shoulder numb because you were snoring like it's nothing. Walk on your own, slacker! I covered for you enough while you were out."

Nora stared at him, still rubbing her backside, then let out a short laugh.

"You're heartless…" she said, shaking her head. "You could've been a bit gentler, you know? It's not every day a Master like me uses you as a pillow."

Her gaze drifted to the cave, and her expression shifted to curiosity.

"Hang on," she said, pointing at the dark entrance. "Is that the cave you were headed to? That's your big destination?"

'Shit, I didn't think about what to tell her,' he thought, realizing he didn't have a good excuse ready.

He'd dropped her because, light as she was, he was tired of carrying her.

And since he couldn't tell her about the system or the artifact…

Charles quickly pivoted to change the subject.

"Uh, not exactly," he said, scratching the back of his neck with a fake casual tone. "I got lost, okay? I was looking for that village you mentioned, but since you blocked all the noise, I couldn't find my way."

Nora raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but she snapped her fingers.

Suddenly, the sounds of the forest flooded back: birds chirping, leaves rustling, and, annoyingly, the distant wail of a baby.

Nora grimaced, covering her ears for a second.

"Ugh, there it is again," she groaned. "The village is that way. Just follow that obnoxious baby's crying. It's not far."

Charles sighed, relieved she didn't press him about the cave.

"Thanks," he said, his tone softer. "But seriously, how do you do that air barrier thing? Can you really keep it up while you sleep?"

Nora grinned, a smug glint in her eyes.

"Told you, it's a simple trick," she said, shrugging. "And yeah, I can keep it going while I sleep. It's like breathing, you know? Once you master it, you don't have to think about it. But don't get too excited—I'm not giving you free lessons."

Charles laughed, shaking his head.

That meant if he paid her with something, she might be willing to teach him a few tricks.

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