Park Noahâs decision to tolerate Adrianâs accompaniment was a double-edged sword; sometimes an excellent choice, other times, the worst. On the brighter side, he had taken care of the assassins in much cleaner and quieter than Kyle Leonard had.
Since his return, Muell never signaled a warning again. Using Adrian was the perfect way to deal with the persistent assassins, Park Noah thought. In that way, she eliminates her enemies without spending an ounce of energy.
Unfortunately, however, it has also caused considerable mental fatigue.
âIf Iâve done a good job, shouldnât you give me the promised pay?â
âThatâs why I called you by your name. Adrian. Adrian. Adrian. Adrian.â
âNot sincere. Is that really what you meant when I could follow you?â
âWhat more do you want?â
âI thought youâd be as sweet as you used to be. For example, Iâm allowed this closeâ¦â
Park Noah didnât budge at the inching Adrian. Instead, it was Muell who pushed his chin away. âGo away. Noah hates it.â
âWhat do you mean no? She didnât complain.â
âNoah gets tired of everything when sheâs over the limit. You are a nuisance to Noah right now.â
As the days went by, the curly-haired child had become more talkative. And Park Noah found it scary that he had grasped her too well.
She descended from the train, leaving it up to the little boy to drive the blond man away. I managed to get to Battuanu.
It was her first time visiting the place. Two years ago, when she traveled to Sorrent, she had taken the train bound Central Edman.
Battuanu is the western part of Laurent and is also the westernmost coastal city on the whole continent. The moment she got off the train, she breathed in the salty smell of the sea. In the distance, shrieks of seagulls could be heard.
Immediately, she checked the trainâs timetable for Tezeba at the train station. The express train to Tezeba departed twice a day: at noon and at six oâclock in the evening. Park Noah decided to go to the hospital first, stop by the Battuanu security forces and contact Kyle Leonard, and then leave tomorrow morning.
âThereâs also a ferry from Battuanu to Tezeba,â Adrian interrupted.
âA ferry?â
Adrian seemed to have noticed that imparting useful information was a better tactic at earning a response from Park Noah than pestering her with endless stares.
âIt takes a long time depending on the weather, but the facilities are no match for trains. The most expensive first-class rooms are more luxurious than most hotels. The accommodation is very good and they serve plenty of food.â He said, pointing at a map plastered on the wall.
âHmmâ¦â
The advantage of trains is their speed. Trains are the fastest of all the transportation modes in the world and can easily cross any rugged mountain range as long as there is a railway.
The downside, however, is the inconvenience, especially on long travels. Passengers could utilize their seats, but it would only be enough for a short nap. Furthermore, the meals served could barely fill an empty stomach. As a result, plenty of passengers would get off the train when it stops at a station, and return only on its departure.
In comparison, ships are definitely a more attractive choice in terms of facilities for their superb accommodations. Although the speed is slower than that of a train, the difference is only a day or two.
After a long thought of weighing the two options, Park Noah made a decision. âNo, but itâs better to take another day off here and then travel by train.â
âWhy?â
âThere would be no escaping if thereâs an attack on the ship. If something happens in the middle of the sea, the post-processing becomes more complicated than on land. And most of allâ¦â
âMost of all?â
âI get seasick.â
ââ¦A perfect irrefutable excuse.â
Truthfully, it was all Park Noah was thinking about. Then, they headed into the city in search of an inn. Adrian followed her all the way to the port, where nearly hundreds of passenger ships, small boats, and fishing boats were anchored in a row.
âIâve been quiet but itâs been annoying me for a while now⦠Can you do something about that ringing sound? Itâs very annoying.â She vented irritably at the loud alarm resounding from Adrianâs pocket.
âItâs because a lot of people are looking for me. They keep calling me and I donât like it.â
âYou must be very popular. Why donât you go to the people who are anxiously looking for you?â
âI donât want to go when Iâm told to come. If I tell you to go, you would want to stay.â
âIâm sorry but I think Iâm past the age of puberty.â What the hell does this man do? I was a fool to have allowed him to follow me. Well, he seemed to be good at handling the assassins of Yulem, but heâs not a master of all sorts after all.
Park Noah looked back and the man who was smiling brightly at her. Since they met, he had never done any harm to her except the first moment of their encounter where she gave him permission to attack her.
Yet, strangely, I donât trust him.