Who Needs Magic in a Fantasy World Anyway?

Chapter 23: Off We Go

Five extra sets of training robes and gloves, three sets of everyday cloths, a formal dress, ten pairs of socks and enough underwear to last a month... Checking over her things again, Koko felt almost as if she were in a dream as she packed her luggage into a medium-sized crate that had been polished and rounded until it looked like an oval suitcase. Thankfully it had wheels and a handle, making it easy for her to lift and carry it as she had no idea just what kind of terrain awaited her at the Adventurers Academy.

"M'lady, the carriage has arrived." Jazzy suddenly knocked on the door, and Koko looked down from her window as everyone waiting for her in the courtyard. A year ago, they had finally had to demolish the previous mansion after a hurricane had destroyed it, though thankfully they had enough money and power now that they could afford to build an actual estate. And that is where she was now, on the middle level of a five-story mansion that overlooked the flourishing town of Wence, which had almost doubled in size ever since they had found the mithril mine. Though, Koko had hardly gotten to see it at all throughout the year, and now it was already time to leave...

"Thanks for everything Jazzy... I'm really going to miss you." Koko stated before walking up to the maid that had been with her ever since she'd been born and hugged the woman, making Jazzy somewhat cry as well as she awkwardly returned the hug.

"I'll miss you as well, M'lady." Jazzy replied. "I'll never forget the years that I was blessed with taking care of you."

"Thank you." Koko repeated, though she didn't let go for another few moments until they finally parted and she started carrying her luggage down the two flights of stairs and eventually to the first floor where the rest of the servants in the estate were lined up for her departure.

"We wish you well on your trip, Lady Koko." The head butler preformed a small bow as he spoke. "We know that you will succeed in your studies."

"I can't thank you all enough for helping me though all of these years." Koko replied with a bright smile. "I'll be sure to come back, and when I do, I'll bring sweets from Goldgate to share with everyone."

"Please be safe, M'lady." Several of the servants seemed to be on the verge of tears as well as she walked between them before walking out of the door to find her parents and siblings waiting for her. David and Teya seemed proud, though Benson and Shell seemed to be having mixed feelings as they smiled the best they could at her. Seeming to be both sad and happy at the same time.

"Koko... I don't think I've ever been so proud of you as I am now..." Benson stated, though it was obvious that it had been forced.

"Shut up." Koko said quietly, dropping her luggage on the ground before running up to her father and hugging him for what would be the last time for at least two years. And soon, she felt both Shell and Teya join in as well while David awkwardly stood at the side of their group.

"Koko-"

"I'll eat right, I'll study hard and I'll make lots of friends..." Koko interrupted Benson. "So you guys don't have to worry about me at all, okay?"

"How could we not? You're our precious daughter." Shell replied for him. "We'll worry about you just like we worried about both David and Teya."

"Your stubborn, reckless and beautiful, so of course we'll worry about you." Benson managed to say truthfully now. "But please just promise your father one thing."

"I promise that I'll stay safe." Koko smiled at him.

"No, not that." Benson suddenly became serious. "No boyfriends."

"What he really ment to say was that we want you to be safe, so please don't train yourself as hard as when you were while you were here." Shell suddenly became scary as she covered Benson's mouth with her hands and he struggled in vain to free himself. "There are a lot of dangerous people in the kingdom, and there are more than a few of them that wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of an unconscious young girl."

"Stay away from perverts. Got it." Koko almost laughed at the phrase, though she already knew that she needed to be more careful as she wouldn't be around people that she trusted anymore.

"This is no fair... I'm only back after a year from becoming a priestess and now you're the one that's leaving." Teya sniffed as she looked at Koko, and this time it was Koko who rushed forward and trapped her sister in a hug. Thankfully, she'd trained enough so that their crushing power was about even now, so the two were able to say their farewells without anyone getting injured in the process.

"I'll send you letters every week." Koko promised.

"Every day." Teya corrected.

"Week. Every day is a little bit to much." She laughed hesitantly before she let go and faced David with both of them looking awkwardly at each other afterward.

"What, no hug for me?" David asked as if hurt.

"I just promised our parents that I would stay away from people like you though..." Koko let her voice trail off.

"Hey! I'm not a-" David was in the process of complaining before Koko really did walk up to him and hug his leg, seeing as he was twice her size.

"I'll miss teasing you." Koko admitted, and David sighed before he reached down and started patting her head. While she hadn't let him do this before, she figured that she would let him have this much at least seeing as this was the last time they would see each other for a while.

"Take care of yourself, alright?" David then knelt down and surprised Koko by hugging her instead, which she found shocking as this was the first time that he'd ever done this. "There's probably going to be a lot of nobles at the Adventurer's Academy, so just tell me if any of them start messing with you. You may just be a second daughter, but they'll think twice before messing with an heir."

"Yeah right, like I'd need to use your status to put them in their place." Koko joked while raising her fists. "If anyone messes with me, that's what these are for."

"And you wonder why we're all so worried about you." David acted concerned before he smiled at her. "Just make sure that, if you punch someone, that they stay down for good."

"Oh? Big brother of the year?" Koko joked before she reached down and picked her luggage back up. "Just make sure that dad doesn't work himself to death while I'm gone."

"Sure thing." David replied as Koko walked the rest of the way to the carriage and handed her suitcase to the coachman before he secured it to the top of the vehicle. And after climbing inside and sitting on the seat, Koko leaned her head out of one of the windows and looked at her family as they gathered just outside.

"Make sure not to ruin the territory until I get back, alright? I'll need to be here for when we find another mithril mine or something." Koko joked, smiling even despite her eyes feeling as if they were getting heavier as tears built up inside of them.

"Goodbye, Koko! Have fun!" Shell called out to her, seeming to be having the same problem that Koko was having before the carriage started moving and her family started growing smaller. For another minute or two, Koko continued leaning outside of the window, waving at them before they finally disappeared from sight behind one of the many hills on the plains outside of Wence. And even after she finally lost sight of them, Koko continued to gaze back at the estate which marked her home as it grew farther and farther away. Though when it finally disappeared behind the many hills as well, Koko climbed back into the carriage, no longer holding back as the tears fell down the sides of her face.