[System stability is dropping... Core protocols are shifting...!]
[Estimated Time Until Upgrade: 6 Days]
[Please stay safe until the process completes! I'll do my best to protect you! (╥﹏╥)]
[Root cause trace in progress... Origin linked to the Mark of Fa—]
"…" Orion looked at the prompts for a few seconds before softly turning his head back, looking out of the window. 'Finally, I can enjoy the scenery in peace.'
[System emergency ignored. Emotional damage +1. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻]
[EHHHHH!? Master?! You're just going to ignore that?!? Щ(゜ロ゜щ)]
'…The fuck, I thought you went offline.' He said speechlessly.
[Nuuuu!! Master doesn't care about me! (ಥ﹏ಥ)]
[System going offlin–]
'Haa… looks like it's due to my Mark of Fate. Is something going to happen during this journey to the capital? Or after I arrive at the capital?' he wondered while looking out the window.
Selene looked toward him, tilting her head in confusion as she had felt something inexplicable from him. But deciding to ignore that, she closed her eyes to rest.
Fiora and Rina looked at each other before following his gaze.
Fiora quickly looked away, not wanting him to notice her staring.
Rina felt the urge to tease him, but with Eldric and Selene present, she simply closed her eyes too.
Orion chuckled to himself. 'How can they escape my gaze… when they're sitting right beside me?'
After a while of seeing the different scenery outside, he also closed his eyes and started taking a rest.
After a long while, Lucan stopped the carriage as the sky began to darken, while the sun cast a red hue on the terrain.
"Master, we should rest here for the night. We can continue traveling in the morning."
Eldric nodded approvingly, slowly rising from his seat. "Good. Everyone, let's descend and stretch our legs."
Orion stepped down first, extending his hand to help Rina and Fiora down from the carriage.
Selene elegantly descended on her own, scanning their surroundings for anything amiss. She nodded toward Edgar and Helena as their carriage arrived shortly after, stopping just behind Lucan's.
"Edgar, Helena, please set up the tents. Lucan, assist them. I'll establish a protective barrier to ensure our safety through the night," Selene instructed calmly, moving to stand at the edge of their chosen campsite.
"Yes, Mistress," Edgar and Helena responded simultaneously, quickly taking action, which seemed to have been performed countless times already. Lucan followed close behind, helping unload and arrange the equipment.
Orion observed Selene with curiosity as she gracefully moved her fingers, tracing intricate patterns in the air. Threads of mana flowed from her fingertips, intertwining to form a glowing dome-like barrier encompassing their campsite.
"This will keep most unwanted guests at bay," Selene explained, smiling softly toward Orion. "Though the official Kingdom roads are generally safe, beasts might still venture close during the night, especially if they're particularly bold or hungry."
Eldric nodded in agreement. "Indeed, though the chances are slim, it's always better to be cautious. Especially at night."
Soon, several tents were set up neatly around a clear space at the center. Edgar arranged a few logs and branches, preparing a campfire, while Helena took out cooking utensils.
Orion watched intently as Eldric raised his hand, a faint glow emanating from a ring he wore. Food items, spices, and ingredients appeared seamlessly in his grasp.
Intrigued, Orion moved closer, his gaze fixed on Eldric's ring. "Grandpa, what's that ring on your hand? How does it work?"
Eldric raised an eyebrow, chuckling at Orion's curiosity. "Ah, you noticed, lad."
'Well no shit when you take out items like that,' he inwardly rolled his eyes at his words but continued to listen intently.
"This is a spatial storage ring, quite a useful artifact. It works similarly to an inventory, storing items within a small personal space."
"Spatial storage ring?" Orion repeated, thinking back to the many times he read about it in novels. "How exactly does it function? Do you just think about an item, and it appears? And do you have to learn Space Spells to make it work?"
Selene interjected gently, seeing Eldric's thoughtful expression. "It's slightly more complex. The ring has a tiny spatial pocket created through advanced runic formations on top of a Spatial Stone. You infuse a trace of mana and focus on the item you want to retrieve or store, and the ring responds accordingly."
"Spatial Stone?" He looked at Selene and asked—this was the first time he'd heard about Spatial Stones in this world.
"Yes, Spatial Stone. It is an extremely rare material which can be found around rifts or portals to different planes. It is quite expensive as well," Selene gently explained.
Eldric chuckled again, handing Orion a small apple freshly taken from the ring and a Spatial Ring. "Here, try it yourself. Just infuse a bit of mana and mentally picture placing or retrieving something."
Orion took the apple, carefully examining it before infusing a small stream of mana, trying to imagine placing it back inside. Nothing happened, causing Orion's brow to furrow slightly.
"It takes practice," Eldric encouraged warmly. "Focus clearly, imagine a space within the ring, and gently place the item there with your intent."
Taking a deep breath, Orion closed his eyes, visualizing a small pocket dimension within the ring. With a clearer intention this time, he felt a faint tug, and the apple vanished from his hand, seamlessly placed inside the ring.
"Ah, it worked!" Orion exclaimed, eyes bright with excitement. 'It's like my inventory, but I can probably upgrade my inventory—un. And the space is also quite small.'
Selene smiled knowingly, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Did you like that Spatial Ring, dear? You can keep that one. Later, when we reach the capital, I will buy you a bigger one."
Eldric shook his head. "You spoil him too much."
"Didn't ask." Selene ignored him and pulled Orion's hand, making him sit down with her nearby where Edgar was making the campfire.
Edgar placed dry wood in order inside a circle of stones before utilizing a spell to light up a small flame on a branch and threw it inside.
Helena skillfully began cutting vegetables and meat before cooking it atop the campfire. Rina and Fiora helped her with that.
After a while, Rina and Fiora came to sit at one side of Orion as Helena presented food to all of them.
"Thanks, Aunt Helena, for the food," Orion smilingly said and picked up the plate filled with food.
Helena smiled and picked up her own plate to eat.
Eldric and Selene were already used to eating with Helena and Edgar from traveling all over the place with them. They wanted to see how Orion would react to eating together with servants.
But they worried too much—he wasn't like the noble kids who couldn't stand sitting at the same level as maids and servants.
This also made them pleased as they ate their food while laughing and chatting.
"Grandpa, when can I enter the Thunderhall Academy after arriving at the capital?" he asked while drinking some soup.
"Hmm, you can enter whenever you want. I know the dean of the academy, so you won't have trouble." He stroked his beard while smiling.
'…Didn't he say something about admission before?' he thought speechlessly.