Give children a little self-destruction shock to their worldview.

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Since that's the case... while Xiangyang was still talking to the other guards, Yuga Mayumi quietly crept up to the horse and nimbly climbed onto its back.

Very strange.

Because of the danger, Mayumi Haga had never learned riding before, but her body moved on its own. Without even thinking, she knew how to make the horse move forward.

By the time the others discovered that Mayumi Haga had ridden away on horseback, it was already too late.

The latter demonstrated superb riding skills; with just a slight spur of his flank, the horse beneath him seemed to extend its legs, effortlessly accelerating along the path.

Even if the other guards reacted in time and mounted their horses to give chase, they could not catch up with Mayumi Haga at all.

Soon, Mayumi Haga's figure disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Quickly, hurry and chase after them!"

"Xiangyang pulled over a horse next to him, "Lord Mayumi should have headed towards Twin Mountains!"

"After all, there is only one road leading out of the village. After crossing the two mountain peaks, there is only an endless grassland. Yuga Mayumi will be discovered before she can run very far."

The other guards quickly set off with Xiangyang, leaving only the two men, whose horses had been taken by Xiangyang and Yuga Mayumi respectively, standing facing each other, their eyes wide open beneath their gold-trimmed helmets.

It seems there's really nothing for me to do anymore...

Let's go home for dinner then.

On the other side, Mayumi Haga spurred her horse and galloped away, but she also clearly realized that she could not hide on the grassland while riding a horse.

It's even less likely at the foot of Twin Peaks, where many security personnel are patrolling.

He had to break through the blockade quickly, then abandon the horse and find a place to hide.

Her heart pounded, wondering why she had to do something so shocking.

But she also knew that if she didn't escape at this time, she might never be able to leave for the rest of her life.

confluence

Night fell quickly amidst the tense search. As a few torches lit up the grassland, the villagers searched for Yuga Mayumi, but they did not find a pair of bright golden eyes watching them from behind a mound.

Mayumi Haga abandoned her horse in a distant direction and then found a place to hide.

She could sneak away once the search team left the area.

She originally wanted to find a wild horse to ride on the grassland. Although taming a wild horse is very difficult for ordinary people, and they could easily fall off the horse, Mayumi Haga was not afraid of getting hurt.

After experiencing the natural ease with which she mounted a horse, Mayumi Haga had complete confidence in her abilities.

She seemed even more capable than she had imagined, possessing many skills she had never heard of before, such as stealth and counter-surveillance, orienting herself in the wild, and being able to pinpoint objects clearly even at night.

Although she had fled in such a hurry that she hadn't brought her own food and water, Mayumi Haga was confident that she could survive in the wild.

Whenever she wants to know, a wealth of useful outdoor survival knowledge floods her mind. This knowledge is even accompanied by numerous scenarios, as if she has been surviving alone in the wild for a long time and is already an experienced survival and travel master.

Is this just my own illusion?

Non-existent memories and reality begin to clash. Mayumi Haga doesn't need to distinguish between truth and falsehood; she only needs to know that they are all useful to her.

Whether it was survival knowledge that suddenly appeared out of nowhere or witchcraft knowledge that she had actually mastered, it was all a treasure to her.

But where should I go next after leaving the village?

Mayumi Haga's answer came naturally: Go all over the world.

She wanted to visit the labyrinthine islands to the south and climb the snow-capped mountains to witness the splendor of the wise dragon.

She heard that dark-skinned giants lived in the desert, and melodious songs emanated from the depths of the swamp... r8MIA had many places she wanted to go, partly to satisfy her curiosity, and partly to confirm something.

The next step is to head to the Alamo Plain in the central region, where the humans who live seem to look quite different from themselves and have already formed the concept of a "kingdom".

Just as she was thinking this, she heard a strange movement behind her.

The chilling sounds coming from the bushes immediately put her on alert.

Could someone have discovered me? No, there's no light.

The villagers who were searching for themselves were carrying torches and oil lamps for lighting, and if they found themselves, they would call out to those around them immediately.

Something approaching silently... could it be a wild beast from the grasslands?

The firelight has long since faded, so have the wild animals on this grassland begun to roam again?

Haga Mayumi turned around warily, and the next second, the bushes were parted.

What appeared before her was a girl's face that was both strange and familiar.

The other person looked much more disheveled than her. Perhaps it was because they had been wandering around the grasslands all day without finding the mountain path into Twin Mountains. Their heads were covered in grass clippings, and their faces were smeared with mud. They looked dirty and pitiful.

Tono Hitomi almost burst into tears the moment she saw Haga Mayumi: "Mayumi—" She was about to cry out when Haga Mayumi rushed over in a panic, pinned her down, and covered her mouth tightly.

“Hollow—” Mayumi Haga gestured for her to be quiet.

Others doing this would only frighten Hitomi Tono, but if it were Mayumi Haga, she would just blink and obediently let herself be held down.

Ah, Mayumi's expression seems more varied than usual.

Hitomi Tono keenly noticed Mayumi Haga's unusual behavior.

If it were the Mayumi Haga she knew, even in this situation, she wouldn't show any panic on her face, only calmness and composure.

Speaking of which, although Mayumi's appearance is that of a Guardian, she doesn't seem to give off a very somber feeling.

Compared to her fully evolved form, Mayumi Haga now appears remarkably innocent.

She even gets flustered over the smallest things, so cute!

The pink-haired idiot chuckled to himself.

Mayumi Haga had no idea what Hitomi Tono was implying about her. Having lost most of her memories and left only with her instincts, she pricked up her ears and listened carefully to the sounds in the distance.

After waiting patiently for a while and confirming that no one had noticed the commotion, Mayumi Haga released Hitomi Tono.

"Who are you…

"...?" Mayumi Haga finally had a chance to ask Hitomi Tono in a low voice.

The strangers who appeared on the grassland at this time, and whose clothes did not look like those of a traveler at all, were rather strange.

However, Mayumi Haga couldn't muster any wariness towards Tono, who looked rather silly and had an inexplicably kind face.

Moreover, seeing the other party's disheveled appearance, a sense of worry arose in his heart.

If I abandon the other person now, and wild animals appear on the grassland, the other person may not survive for long on their own.

Tono Hitomi could also tell that Haga Mayumi must have been tampered with by Himha, as her eyes were full of unfamiliarity with her. However, perhaps because she still retained some memories or instincts, she didn't look at her completely like a stranger.

In that case, Mayumi wouldn't be able to abandon herself.

Hitomi Tono made up a random excuse: "I got lost."

"..Lost?" What kind of person would get lost and end up on the grasslands? Mayumi Haga isn't stupid. Even if she has a basic level of affection for Hitomi Tono, she's not going to believe her lies so easily.

And the other person's hair color... who would dye their hair this pink? There are no hair colorists in the village where Mayumi Haga lives, but she has heard that in a certain village that is very fashion-conscious, people dye their hair and clothes in all sorts of colors.

Mayumi Haga herself doesn't like overly bright colors. If someone else had pink hair, she might find it jarring. However, Hitomi Tono's hair color suits her perfectly.

It gives the impression that "this person was born with pink hair".

Not only that, even her eyes are pink... I've never seen anything like it before. Has such advanced dyeing technology developed by now? Come to think of it, that village doesn't seem to be too far from the Far East.

After thinking it over, Mayumi Haga decided to go all the way and be a good Samaritan, so that she could both send Hitomi Tono home and go sightseeing there.

Mayumi Haga, why are you weeping?

Surprisingly, Mayumi Haga did not question Hitomi Tono about where she came from.

This relieved Hitomi Tono, but it also took her by surprise.

After all, based on her memory of Mayumi, who was always wary of strangers, there was absolutely no way she could get permission to travel with her just by showing up like this.

Now, perhaps because of a strange familiarity and fondness for Tono Hitomi, or perhaps simply because Mayumi Haga is currently in an incredibly innocent and pure state, she easily accepts Tono Hitomi.

The trip with Mayumi Haga was not as romantic as Hitomi Tono had imagined.

It wasn't because Mayumi Haga had lost her memories of the time she spent with the children; in fact, through her own probing, Hitomi Tono knew that Mayumi Haga had likely lost most of her memories.

This may be because Shimha brainwashed Mayumi Haga in this world, stripping her of most of her memories and making her believe that she was just a reclusive wizard trainee living in the Far East.

Perhaps because of this, after those heavy and painful memories were erased, Mayumi Haga finally showed a less distressed expression again.

Although she still appeared somewhat serious and usually had a faint expression, she was noticeably much gentler.

She appeared to be just a quiet, reserved girl who lacked experience in interpersonal relationships and didn't know how to get along with others.

Logically speaking, traveling in this small world with someone like Mayumi Haga, someone with a love-struck mind like Hitomi Tono, should leave behind many wonderful memories.

Although the trip was indeed wonderful, it wasn't about the two of them developing feelings for each other, but rather about Mayumi Haga becoming completely absorbed in the journey, her eyes gradually brightening.

Previously, because Mayumi Haga had no interest in traveling the world with her children, Hitomi Tono vaguely knew from Mayumi Haga's memories that she had a different kind of obsession with travel, but this was like something written in the setting.

Before it was truly demonstrated, Hitomi Tono just felt that this should be a common hobby, and probably not that important to Mayumi Haga.

When Tono Hitomi finally saw Mayumi Haga on her journey, all her previous confusion vanished.

Mayumi Haga really loves traveling.

It is a heartfelt love for the process of measuring the land with one's own feet. For Mayumi Haga, everything she encounters on her journey is a cleansing of the soul.

Mayumi Haga was not happy most of the time.

Her emotional energy is the same as that of ordinary people; she is not always in a state of excitement, but rather maintains a level that is sufficient to cope with daily life.

Only when you encounter something you truly love will you display a state of intense passion.

This is what Mayumi Haga saw when Hitomi Tono accompanied her on her journey through this small world.

It's like a piece of pitch-black charcoal being gradually ignited, turning red-hot from the inside out.

At first, Hitomi Tono would chatter on and on with Mayumi Haga, but later she would just stand quietly by her side, observing Mayumi Haga and keeping her company.

When riding across the grasslands at full speed, Mayumi Haga's heart beats faster and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turn up slightly.

Mayumi Haga has never been afraid to climb high peaks, and when she sees towering mountains reaching into the clouds, she even feels a little eager to try.

Mayumi Haga tried playing with a leaf picked from the roadside. During the time the two walked slowly along the path in the forest, she improved rapidly and was eventually able to play a light and complex melody with just a small leaf.

She would also pick wild fruits for Hitomi Tono, climbing up to pick the heavy fruits from the trees and letting Hitomi catch them below, while stuffing her own pockets full.

Grasslands, mountains, rivers, lakes, deserts... no matter the location, Mayumi Haga can face any challenge with great enthusiasm.

It's as if she had always lived here and is now simply returning home.

Strangely, despite the fact that there were many villagers searching for them in the Far East, they haven't seen a single one on this journey.

Having traveled to so many places, I haven't seen many decent buildings, nor have I seen a post station like the one in Mayumi Haga's dream world.

They spent the night entirely in the wild, but didn't encounter many other wild animals.

Actually, Mayumi Haga must have realized that something was wrong.

Although Hitomi Tono is generally oblivious, she can still be quite perceptive at certain times.

Although they seemed to have traveled to many places, upon closer reflection, it didn't take much time.

In this world, the distance underfoot seems to be shortened considerably; even a casual stroll can lead to the next destination.

The inability to reach the Far East before might simply be that this world was rejecting Hitomi Tono's entry.

Now that Mayumi Haga is in charge, the two can travel smoothly across the land.

However, the more Mayumi Haga traveled, the more silent she became.

She was still very enthusiastic.

But gradually, the amazement and curiosity in her eyes when she saw new things and sights turned into nostalgia and a bittersweet feeling that Tono Hitomi could not understand.

For Mayumi Haga, all of this could truly be described as a beautiful dream.

The final stop on the journey is a mountain peak where you can see the sunrise over the distant snow-capped mountains.

Mayumi Haga climbed up the tree at the top of the mountain first, while Hitomi Tono stood below, waiting for her to pull her up as well.

The white-haired, golden-eyed guardian first regained his balance on the tree, firmly planted on the thick branches, one hand supporting himself on the side, and casually turned his head to look into the distance.

The wind was a bit rough, carrying a hint of cold as it brushed against her cheek.

The pitch-black night was silently pierced by the sharp sunlight, casting a golden glow on the distant mountains. The endless ridges of the snow-capped mountains, at first glance, looked somewhat like the mythical creatures called dragons that once lived there.

Mayumi Haga did not immediately pull Hitomi Tono up as well.