Order Era, Year 1137.
The sound of rolling wheels grew louder as it approached.
A carriage—or rather, a drake-pulled wagon—raced swiftly along the smooth road.
The drake appeared even more well-groomed than it had been back at the shop, as if it had been eating well under the care of its new master.
Liyana was in charge of feeding it, and the elven woman seemed to have spoiled it with plenty of fine treats.
Xia Lun was handling the reins, as Mo Lini wasn’t suited for the task, and Musen, who was nothing more than a faint shadow, was even less fit for it.
Aina sat primly in his lap.
"Ah, Xia Lun, my dear Xia Lun, my hero..." Aina shamelessly whispered her affections into his ear, occasionally pressing her lips to his.
"Aina, I need to watch the road so the drake doesn’t stray," Xia Lun replied helplessly.
"That thing isn’t stupid enough to go off course," Aina scoffed, casting a glance at the drake ahead.
"Roo~"
The drake, as if sensing a terrifying threat, actually turned its head and let out a pitiful whimper.
"Aina... you should take things seriously and not get distracted," Xia Lun chided, giving her thigh a light pat. "Whether it’s studying, traveling, or anything else."
The moment Xia Lun’s hand landed, Aina instinctively shifted her posture—a habit born of their intimate familiarity. But she quickly remembered they weren’t in bed.
"How cruel, Xia Lun," Aina murmured, her cheeks faintly flushed.
Still, the Demon King settled down, ceasing her teasing of the hero.
Inside the carriage.
"Is that person... still Aina?"
Musen, barely more than a wisp of shadow, whispered to Liyana.
"Hah, she’s changed a lot, hasn’t she?" Liyana chuckled. "I was just as stunned at first. Who’d have thought Aina would turn out like this..."
"Honestly, I used to be too scared to even speak to her," Musen admitted, scratching his head sheepishly. "Well... I’m still a little nervous, but she seems much friendlier now."
"Right? Totally normal—she was a mage noblewoman, after all," Liyana snickered, her grin turning sly. "Just goes to show how well our Captain Xia Lun has trained her, huh?"
"Aren’t you two worried Aina might hear this?" Mo Lini interjected timidly.
"Nah," Liyana waved her off. "There’s a soundproofing array in the carriage. Nothing inside gets out."
"But... wasn’t the array set up by Aina?" Mo Lini pointed out.
Liyana’s expression froze.
Musen shot her a look of sympathy, as if to say, Good luck.
"It’s fine. I can’t hear you," Aina’s voice drifted in from outside.
"See? Aina says she can’t hear us," Liyana exhaled in relief.
Mo Lini’s gaze grew increasingly skeptical.
"Anyway, let’s talk about you, Musen... What’s your situation now?" Liyana eyed the open book on the seat opposite her with fascination. "Never thought you’d last this long too."
"I died long ago—my body was cremated," Musen sighed. "But the Goddess preserved my consciousness within the Pious Codex, turning me into its artifact spirit."
"So that makes this Codex a seriously powerful relic, right?" Liyana mused, stroking her chin as she eyed the book with newfound interest.
Artifacts with sentient spirits—ones capable of normal conversation—were vanishingly rare in the world.
"Quick, tell me—what can you do? Any world-shattering magic?" Liyana’s eyes sparkled.
Musen shook his head. "Nothing that grand... Even manifesting a physical form to punch someone drains me. And I was never a mage to begin with."
After materializing to strike Kalein earlier, his form had grown noticeably fainter.
"So what can you do?" Liyana deflated slightly.
"The abilities the Goddess blessed me with were sealed into the book, so I can still manipulate others’ desires," Musen explained matter-of-factly. "Liyana, as long as you hold me, I can suppress your lust. You’d never have to—"
Liyana hastily waved her hands. "Ew—no thanks! I’m perfectly happy as I am."
She did have a girlfriend now, after all.
Mo Lini studied Musen curiously.
"Do you have any questions, Miss Mo Lini? Don’t hold back," Musen said warmly. "Your ancestor and I were close comrades."
Mo Lini stiffened, like a startled squirrel caught mid-glance.
"Mr. Musen... have you really existed for over a thousand years?"
"Ah, I suppose that’s accurate," Musen admitted, his tone wry. "Though I’ve barely left the altar this whole time—just sat there as a sacred relic."
Mo Lini shrank back slightly.
Another new member... and still not a normal one.
The sheer lack of ordinary humans in this group was stressing her out.
"Weren’t you bored?" Liyana asked. She’d spent the millennium in a daze herself; had she been stuck like Musen, she’d have lost her mind.
Musen sighed. "It wasn’t so bad. Most of the time, I was consolidating my energy... Gathering strength in this form is painstakingly slow. I am just a book, after all."
Liyana pondered. "Want us to rebind you later? Maybe add a sturdier cover?"
"...That might work."
Liyana’s eyes bulged. "Wait, seriously? I was joking! If something goes wrong, I can’t take responsibility."
Musen considered it. "The Codex is just my vessel. The pages aren’t particularly precious... I think they could be replaced. Probably."
Truthfully, even he wasn’t entirely sure of his own nature.
"Liyana, check if there’s a page in the Codex made of a different material," Aina’s voice instructed from outside.
Liyana flipped through the book and gasped. "You’re right, Aina! The last page! There’s an incredibly intricate magic circle drawn on it!"
While the other pages were aged parchment-yellow, the Codex’s final sheet was pitch-black and three times thicker, its surface engraved with a white magical array.
Aina’s voice remained calm. "As long as that page remains intact, Musen will be unharmed. That’s likely where his soul is anchored."
"Perfect! Musen, we’ve got options now!" Liyana’s mind raced with fresh ideas.
"Alright, once we reach the next city, we’ll give you a proper upgrade! First stop: the blacksmith’s..."