Bonus chapter for reaching 50 rating milestone on NU!
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Project: Sound of Music (3)
Going to the dwelling place of the Druids and Elves.
When she first heard those words, Rosaria's eyes sparkled as expected.
The only adventure she had embarked on so far was around the Silence Tower, and the farthest she had gone was when she went to the Starfall village with Reed.
For Rosaria, who harbored an adventurer in her heart, it was the most delightful news.
"Phoebe Unni, we're going to see the Elves!"
"Wow, it sounds really fun~."
Rosaria excitedly talked, and Phoebe chimed in.
The conversations between Phoebe and Rosaria mostly went like that.
Rosaria was pure, and Phoebe knew how to protect that purity.
Even though she already knew most of the stories Rosaria shared, Phoebe always listened with interest.
"Did you pack everything you need?"
"Yes!"
A wide-brimmed hat and an easy-to-move-around dress for going out.
And, of course, Lucy, the bear doll, was securely attached to one side of her waist.
She was fully prepared.
"Are you taking Lucy with you?"
"Yes! Lucy will want to see the Elves too."
"Since Lucy can't come alone without Rosaria, you should always take her with you, okay?"
"Yes!"
Rosaria, puffing out her breath with a confident face, entrusted herself to Phoebe.
"Please take good care of Rosaria."
"Just leave it to me. Even if my body breaks, I'll protect her!"
The sense of responsibility on her face was similar to Rosaria's.
Having read the context of the conversation, Rosaria tugged on Reed's sleeve and asked.
"Huh? Papa is not coming?"
"Hm, the timing isn't good."
"Hmm..."
The child who was excited about going on a picnic looked down with a sullen face.
Reed wanted to say he would go with her, but the timing and his abilities weren't in the best shape for that.
"Don't worry. You'll have fun playing with Phoebe."
"But still..."
Although Phoebe smiled and gently touched Rosaria's cheek, Rosaria just looked up at Reed with a regretful expression.
Reed felt uneasy about letting her go like this.
"Let's do this."
Reed squatted down to match Rosaria's eye level.
He straightened her clothes once more and said,
"When you come back, I'll take a vacation right away. You'll tell me everything you saw, everything you ate, okay?"
"Will we also take walks together?"
"Yes, let's do everything you want. So, will you go on this adventure with Phoebe?"
"Yes!"
Her sulky face turned into a big smile.
Rosaria loved adventure stories as much as she loved talking about her own adventures.
Without any more hesitation, Rosaria climbed into the sky carriage.
After seeing off Rosaria and Phoebe, Reed returned to his office and began his work.
- Project: Sound of Music.
It wasn't a simple magic research project, but one that involved people, so the entire tower was bustling with activity.
Kaitlin Ramos was in charge of the overall technology, and the chief magicians were responsible for hiring bards and orchestras.
Reed was in charge of overseeing the entire project, taking responsibility for everything.
Perhaps that's why he felt more pressure and stress than anyone else.
The current time was 2:30 pm.
It had been three hours since Rosaria and Phoebe left, and two hours and forty minutes since he started working.
"Yawn..."
Reed's eyelids felt heavy today, maybe because he hadn't been able to sleep properly for several days.
'I should take a one-hour nap and then get back to work.'
Thinking that forcing himself to stay awake and work might cause more problems, Reed decided to lie down on the office sofa for a short nap.
After closing the blackout curtains in his office and setting a timer, just as he was about to fall asleep.
Weee! Weee!
He was startled by the alarm sound and immediately sat up.
No, it wasn't the alarm sound.
It was even more unpleasant and clear than the one he had set.
"An alert?"
Reed looked around, wondering what it was, and realized that the sound was coming from his desk.
"What's this...?"
Reed pressed the alert button.
The person who issued the alert was the tower master of the Greenwood Tower.
-Silence Tower Master, why are you answering so late? Where's your secretary?
"My secretary is out on a business trip, and I was just checking on some work in the research department. What's going on?"
-It's an emergency! Please come to the conference room immediately!
The call ended without any further explanation.
Reed hurriedly grabbed his clothes and headed to the conference room, unable to even guess what had happened.
***
Meanwhile, Rosaria and Phoebe.
They parked the sky carriage at the entrance of the forest and walked into the woods.
The forest was similar to the one Rosaria often visited, but here, the trees were so densely packed that it was difficult for people to traverse.
"Miss, are you not tired?"
"I'm fine! I'm not tired!"
"Let me know if you're tired. We can take a break."
"Okay!"
Unlike Rosaria, who walked innocently without knowing anything, Phoebe was on high alert.
The place they were going to was the territory of the elves who worshipped the World Tree called 'Yggdrasil'.
Although they were friendly enough to humans to send letters, she remained cautious.
After walking deep into the forest for a while, they finally managed to enter Yggdrasil's territory.
"Stop!"
A man's voice echoed through the forest.
It was impossible to even guess which direction it came from.
Phoebe grabbed Rosaria's shoulder and pulled her closer.
"This is the land of the great World Tree and mother, Yggdrasil, and the domain protected by Yggdrasil's siblings. If you have lost your way, I suggest you turn back, traveler."
In response to that statement, Phoebe answered politely.
"My name is Phoebe Asteria Roton. We sent a letter in advance on behalf of the Silence Tower Master, but as we received no reply, we have committed the rudeness of trespassing into your territory."
After a brief pause, a man skillfully descended from the trees to the ground, stepping on branches.
"You are the human named Phoebe Asteria Roton...?"
"Yes."
"The elder is waiting for you. This way."
The elf sentinel led the way, guiding Phoebe and Rosaria.
Phoebe held Rosaria's hand and followed the sentinel side by side.
Leaving the dense forest behind, they arrived at the elves' village.
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