"You haven't called me 'Miss' in a long time. By the way, I've told you all about my past, what about you?" Shoyo wiped his eyes. He was actually quite exhausted, but out of goodwill, he continued chatting with Rachel. "As for me... I don't have a father. When I was sensible, it was just my mother and two aunts. I started learning swordsmanship when I was around five. My grandfather passed away shortly after that."
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"What else? I want to know more about you."
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"I don't have friends. As for my childhood..." Shoyo began to recount his own past and learned more about Rachel's hardships in return.
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As a result, on their first holiday, one was in bed, and the other was on the floor, and they talked until dawn.
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"How about it? Are you getting used to our bed?" The sun was already high, and Ayaka had prepared lunch. Rachel, still half asleep, answered, but Shoyo was still sleeping.
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After lunch, the two of them arranged to meet Cloude at the dormitory to prepare for their vacation outings.
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"Don't worry, we won't go to 'Paradise,' it's too dangerous." Cloude explained their itinerary for the day. He had been taken to the outskirts by his master when he was young, so he knew the border environment of 'Paradise' very well.
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Pointing at the map and looking around, Rachel noticed. "Aren't it just the three of us? Who's the companion?"
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"Yeah, she's coming."
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A girl not far away rushed over, slightly out of breath. It was Jennie. Rachel happily embraced her. After exchanging greetings and confirming the route, they registered to leave the city with the city guard.
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On this continent, apart from The Bisect Gable, there were no other huge mountain ranges. It was mainly composed of forests, dirt roads, rivers, and grasslands. 'Paradise' had more caves and lakes. The caves led directly to mineral veins, which were interconnected in a complex network.
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The closer they got to The Bisect Gable, the more dangerous it became. People knew very little about that area, so most villages were clustered around the central lakes and resource-rich places.
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On this day, the four of them were only traveling around the outskirts of Grandecy. Outside the city was a lush grassland, surrounded by forests on both sides. These forests led to the northern Squarein and the southern Compason. A river flowed through the forest, reaching the sea behind Grandecy. At the end of the grassland was another forest, and in the forest, a commercial road was built. Travelers and Shaclaw carriers must pass through this area.
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The road was lined with lush trees, the habitat of the Bonerhino. The Bonerhino was an herbivore, with powerful limbs, and its nasal bones extended backward, connected to the skull and spine until the end of its tail. They used their sturdy foreheads to ram into large trees and feed on fallen fruit.
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Taking advantage of the holiday, the four of them spent time relaxing and enjoying nature. The remaining six days were spent at the academy, constantly pushing their limits.
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And so, they reached their fourth outing. Shoyo had already become accustomed to talking with Jennie, and the relationship between Cloude, Rachel, and Shoyo had deepened.
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"This time, let's go a bit farther. Our target is that big tree on the outskirts of the forest!" Cloude proposed a new idea. Due to its abnormal height, the sunlight was mostly blocked, creating a grassy area under the tree with no other plants. However, leaving the forest meant they were getting closer to 'Paradise,' and the danger also increased.
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"We have no choice..." Although Shoyo was scared, he didn't want to appear weak in front of Jennie, so he marched forward.
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After over a month of training, their physical abilities had improved compared to before, and their courage had grown. The four of them relaxed and had a picnic under the tree. Many other animals gathered to watch. "It feels really good to be close to animals," Jennie said as she petted the soft fur of the Bonerhino.
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In the forest, a few Bonerhino were shyly observing them from a distance. "Should we go over to them?" Rachel took the initiative to approach because Bonerhino were usually gentle and didn't attack humans.
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However, one of the Bonerhino suddenly burst out of the forest, charging at Rachel at high speed. She quickly dodged, but even though she wasn't hit head-on, her legs were injured and she couldn't walk properly.
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The Bonerhino's momentum wasn't exhausted, and it rammed straight into a tree trunk, causing fruit to rain down from the tree's shadow and scaring away the other animals watching.
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"Aren't they supposed to be gentle?" Rachel was extremely anxious, as another Bonerhino was charging out of the forest. Shoyo rushed forward to save her, but they were quite far apart, and at this speed, he wouldn't make it in time.
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