Stray

Now the heat of the desert didn’t bother Nemo. Unfortunately, at this moment, he had to remove all his instinctive protection and adjust his physique to the level of ordinary humans so that he could sweat smoothly and not look too abnormal.

The nursing uniforms of the Royal Military Academy of Clementine had been improved, and the men’s uniforms had been revised and cut in several places, making them more comfortable to wear. Nemo rolled up the cuffs of his uniform, wiped the sweat from his forehead, slowed down amid the complaints of the students, and fell to Oliver side, who was wearing a logistics uniform.

Making sure no one was paying attention to them, Nemo coughed twice. “Ice, Ollie. The professor is too close, it’s not convenient for me to use abyssal magic.”

Then he opened his mouth at Oliver and pointed to his mouth.

“In a few more years, it’s estimated that they will be able to clearly perceive the fluctuations in my power.” Oliver quickly stuffed a small ice cube into his lover’s mouth and also threw one in his. “Time flies by so quickly.”

“Yeah, how are you going to explain it this time? The three little Godwins are pretty clever. Olivia can barely be coaxed, and Eddie is already sixteen— He stared at you for a long time last time we had drinks with Godwin.” Nemo bit down and chew on the ice.

“Brother will find a way to explain.”

Oliver pushed off the headache errand with a hearty expression and stuffed another piece of ice into Nemo’s mouth.

“Besides, when we get our graduation diplomas from Clementine Academy, we can use them as proof of identity and legally pretend to be our own… uh, distant relatives? Eddie and the others are still young and using this as evidence is enough to settle them.”

“Having said that, I don’t know if Godwin and Eddie are still in the cold war.” Nemo pressed his tongue against the ice, with a little more worry in his voice.

The angry Godwin Lopez mentioned in the communication crystal a few days ago that his rebellious eldest son had refused to talk to him for three weeks— He was obedient and behaved good during his childhood, and Godwin himself severely lacked the experience of a father and son relationship and had to turn remotely to his cousin to ask for help.

“Hard to say. After all, that boy Eddie is bent on running out and becoming a mercenary straight away. I agree with Godwin on this point, he’s too young, better to study properly at the academy first.”

“You’re sounding more and more like Flint.” Nemo smoothed his sweaty black hair with his hands.

Oliver smiled. It was still a youthful face, but his eyes were deeply matured. “Like? My dad didn’t insist that I go to study in the city back then.”

“Gentlemen, I can understand that you are very tired, but you still have to maintain the formation of the team. We will be at the ruins soon, and we can cook some sandpoint plum soup then.”

Even with the scorching sun, their ancient elven language professor, who was nearly 70 years old, was still very energetic. The old man raised his cane, and its tip was about to poke Nemo’s back, but it was blocked by a hand.

“You can take a break at the end of the team, and I will help you take care of these students.” A slightly low male voice sounded.

“No, no, Professor Wilhelm. This… This is too much trouble for you. Alas, in fact, I protested at the time— I am older, but there is no need for the Chief of Nursing to follow. This is not a dangerous expedition. It’s just to see the desert ruins. Even if something did happen to me, the children would not be in danger.”

“Don’t mind.” The middle-aged professor smiled. “They didn’t force me. I applied by myself. Anyway, there are no urgent tasks recently, so I usually stay in school longer. There’s some earthsea orchids near here and I wanted to get some fresh one to study its medicinal value.”

The old man scratched his face and smiled. He grimaced at the two lazy young people and walked to the end of the team with his cane.

“Long time no see, Nemo.” The middle-aged professor’s gaze softened.

It was different from when the first time they met. He wasn’t sure if it was because of age or his straightened back but Hayden Wilhelm looked a little taller, and the freckles on his face had faded a lot. His hair was still curled up badly, and his somewhat big eyes had long lost their neurotic feelings and looked extremely sharp.

“Hayden.” Nemo patted the other man’s arm.

The introverted young man from nursing had faded from his youthful memory. He even looked a little more solemn and had a majestic aura. He should have heard part of the truth from his wife Delia, but his attitude was as natural as ever.

“The last time I saw you two, it should have been at Delia’s and mine’s wedding?” Hayden said half jokingly. “I went to help support Leonard some time ago and just missed your entrance. Then once school started a bunch of trouble happened, so we haven’t been able to talk properly.”

“…You guys really haven’t changed at all.” His eyes swept up and down the two of them, and Hayden’s voice was a bit more emotional.

“Speaking of this, you have really changed a lot. They say that last year you sentenced 70% of your students to fail. Hayden, you haven’t been like this before… How should I put it, harsh?”

“In the age of peace, students are too impetuous.”

Hearing nursing-related questions, Hayden almost reflexively raised his face and became serious.

“Nursing must be done with utmost care and there can be no slightest omission. It’s not something you can get away with giggling and fooling around. 70% is already my bottom line— They will save people’s lives in the future! I tried to persuade them in the beginning, but it turns out that it was more effective to scare them.”

“Not bad for your roommate.” Oliver elbowed Nemo, “In some ways, you think exactly the same way.”

“I couldn’t imagine you quarreling with Delia before. I just gained the ability to imagine,” Nemo commented solemnly.

“Delia, she… I can understand a little of the despair she has suffered as well as the feeling of being belittle and denied. But, uh, you guys know. There are times when her decisions still lack humanity, and I can’t help but…. quarrel. She at least listens to me, and I can understand some of her difficulties.”

Hayden coughed a little embarrassedly and touched the wedding ring with the royal emblem on his ring finger.

“Most of the time, the two of us actually get along pretty well.”

“I take back my words. It’s not called ‘bickering’. It’s closer to ‘intense communication’.” Nemo smiled and shook his head. “How is she doing lately?”

“Pretty good. She just keep talking about wanting to see Ms. Savage. Recently, Ms. Savage and Mr. Salter went on an adventure in the wetland jungle, and it’s not easy to get in touch. How about you guys? I remember that this expedition was signed up voluntarily. The two of you don’t seem to like this lively stuff.”

“There are acquaintances of ours nearby, so we stopped by to see and bring back a couple of earthsea orchids. Olivia has been clamoring to see it for a long time and the variety is so fragile that we have to ask an expert for tips on breeding them.”

Oliver didn’t hide the nostalgia on his face.

“After all, the ruins of the desert is near Caleb Village. The two of us will later…”

“Enemy attack! It’s an intermediate demon!” The combat major in the front row issued a warning, interrupting Oliver’s unfinished words. “Mages prepare! Wait, wait, they’re charging to the back! The logistics team spread out immediately!”

However, the demon that attacked moved faster.

The senior commander of the team leader was in a cold sweat at the time— The young logistics officer who was attacked didn’t resist, and was pounced on by the demon. His whole body was smashed into the hot sand.

The huge white demon just pressed down on the poor logistician’s body, quickly lowered its head and extended its long purple-black tongue belonging to the demon.

Then it licked hard on the face of the young man named “Oliver”.

The thin tail of the arthropod lizard behind the bone shell stretched straight, trembling excitedly. It licked hard, and when it was tired of licking, it rubbed its flat face twice. The scene was a bit weird for a while.

“The arthropod lizard has a gentle personality. With me watching here, it’s not a big deal. Keep going!” Hayden raised his voice and shouted to the front of the team, his tone returning to seriousness.

Seeing only one arthropod lizard, which was used to moving in groups, came running, despite their curiosity, the students continued to move forward honestly under the order of the “Professor Prince”.

The arthropod lizard was still squatting on Oliver, continuing to lick with a posture that showed it wanted to lick off his face. Nemo took a breath and tapped the much larger bone shell with his knuckles.

“White II, right?” he huffed.

White II’s licking stopped instantly.

Then it fell to one side, facing the sky on its back, stretched its legs straight, and pretended to be dead. The tongue that hadn’t had time to withdraw its mouth was still half exposed outside.

Nemo poked the lizard’s abdomen angrily and amused. “This trick never fooled me back then. Do you really think it will work this time?”

The arthropod lizard, which has grown two or three times in size, blinked its four eyes, and its bean-like eyes moistened to the naked eye. The originally straight tail shrank slightly, rolled into a small ball, and shook slightly.

“It seems that the remaining power of our White I is still there.” Oliver got up from the sand and patted off the grains of sand on his body.

“I have controlled my aura this time.” Nemo soothingly touched the turned belly of the arthropod lizard.

“I know, it should remember our smell.” Oliver also stretched out his hand and touched the rough belly of the bone lizard.

Touched by Oliver, White II seemed to have temporarily forgotten its fear. It turned over and landed on all fours. In a little bit of smoke, its figure began to melt and gradually became the appearance of a fuller goat.

Then it began to rub around Oliver again.

“Want to lead the way again?” Oliver patted the fake goat on the head.

White II immediately shook its head.

“In other words, our witch lady is doing well recently.”

The lizard that turned into a goat bleated softly.

“It looks like it wants to follow you.” Hayden touched his chin and circled the goat twice. “It seems that it’s an adult. Since it can act alone, it must have the permission from its pack. Let it follow for now. I didn’t notice malice from it.”

Hearing the somewhat familiar comment, Nemo sighed. Oliver on one side stroked the fake goat with emotion, whispering something.

“I have a hunch that this time, it will continue to follow you… Ollie, do you want to raise it?”

“If it is willing to follow me. ”

“Then we have to make a sandcastle for it in the garden.”

“…That sounds pretty great.”

“But I’m afraid I won’t be able to accompany you to Nadine’s place later, Nemo. Not to mention that in her heart, I am still an ordinary human being, and it is not appropriate to look like this, now I have to wait for you outside the village as someone has to watch White II here.”

“Well, then you have an hour to explain to our White II clearly that I didn’t really want to stew it in soup back then.”

As soon as Nemo’s voice fell, the fuller goat whooshed behind Oliver.

“…I’ll try my best.” Oliver smiled bitterly and patted the “fuller goat” squeezed behind him.

Hayden took a few steps forward knowingly, raising sand and dust. Nemo nodded and drew a rift in the space in front of him…

At the other end of the rift was a hut that was extremely warm. The flowers were still lush, and it could be seen that they were taken care of very carefully. The witch’s courtyard was decorated with an arrangement of colors filled with vibrant life.

Nemo nodded to his lover and walked happily towards the courtyard.

Rolling around was an orange blob. The cat was lying on the steps of the door, licking its tail very seriously. Perceiving the rift that opened and closed in front of it, it sneezed and meowed hoarsely at the black-haired guest in front of it.

This time it didn’t run away.

The author has something to say:

Oliver’s wish finally came true!

White I has no objection to this√