Chapter 164: Leaving Bota Village
Della flinched at Madha’s words, then muttered under her breath without realizing it, "I also want the room next to Master Gara..."
Fian’s sharp ears caught it. He glanced between Della and Madha. Since he’d been thinking the same thing himself. Too bad Madha had beaten him to it.
Gara, oblivious to the quiet competition among the three, turned to the large room his mother had pointed out.
"I’ll take that one. I’ll keep the triplets’ cribs and make space for their play area in there," he said. Then he glanced at the smaller room beside it. "That one... I’ll turn into my laboratory."
Madha’s face fell with disappointment, but he didn’t dare argue.
Meanwhile, Della and Fian laughed to themselves. If they couldn’t have the room next to Gara, then no one else should either.
"Since Della needs her own room, she can take the medium-sized one at the front. The one beside it can be Mom’s. How about that?" Gara asked, glancing at everyone around him.
Wina’s face showed a flicker of worry. She would have preferred a room closer to Gara’s, but the only one nearby was that small room, which really was better suited as a lab given its size.
"I don’t mind," Wina finally said. She turned toward Della, and the young woman nodded as well. There wasn’t much choice.
"I actually don’t need a room here. Once I enter the academy, I’ll have a dorm room anyway," Madha spoke up when he realized the only space left was the large room near the kitchen.
He already guessed he’d end up sharing it with Fian. Honestly, he wasn’t thrilled.
But Gara shot down the idea immediately. "I’ll have a dorm room too, but I still need a place here. You and Fian will take the big room near the kitchen."
Both Madha and Fian forced bitter smiles.
"When we have more time, we’ll add extra rooms to the side for you two. There’s still plenty of empty land next to the house," Gara said, sensing their unease.
That finally eased their expressions.
The room assignments were done, but the work wasn’t.
Belongings still had to be moved into each room, and Madha and Fian still needed to set up partitions in the storage area to turn it into a makeshift freezer.
The two worked quickly and finished before midnight.
That night, everyone slept in their old house one last time, since the dimensional home didn’t have beds yet.
The next morning, they said their farewells to the villagers. Just like in Suruta Village, the people here were reluctant to see Gara and Wina go.
This time, they left openly by carriage from the front of the house. Everyone in the village knew about the triplets, though no one had actually seen the babies except the village chief and even then, only Ava and Aldwin.
The triplets were carried straight into the carriage, with Della looking after them, while Gara, Wina, Fian, and Madha handled the reins and said their goodbyes.
"Will Rima still get to see Healer Brother?" the little girl asked, eyes brimming with tears.
"Of course. When you’re older, come find me in the county." Gara crouched down in front of her and gently patted her head.
Tears streamed down the little girl’s white cheeks. "Rima will grow up fast so she can visit Healer Brother."
Gara didn’t answer, only wishing for her to grow up healthy. If his words gave her motivation, that was more than enough.
One by one, the villagers came forward to thank him. Many owed their lives to Gara’s skillful healing, and all of it had been free of charge.
He was also the person who purified the water, the one who saved their lives and their future.
After that emotional round of farewells, Gara’s carriage finally rolled out of Bota Village.
The triplets, along with Della and Wina, slipped into the dimensional space, leaving Gara and Fian alone in the carriage.
Yesterday, they had discovered something crucial: when Gara entered the dimensional pocket, the druids’ scent from the triplets could still be detected.
His Scentless Unlimited Water ability only worked on his body and anything directly attached to it. But once he entered the pocket, that space no longer counted as ’attached,’ letting the triplets’ scent leak out.
That meant Gara had no choice but to endure five long hours in the carriage, masking their scent himself, just in case the druids found it before it fully dissipated.
He had actually managed to create an anti–motion sickness pill. The problem was, he only took it after climbing into the carriage.
Which left him struggling through waves of nausea, his face pale, head pounding, stomach twisting as though torn apart. He clutched his head and his abdomen, when suddenly, a realization struck him.
Stroking his stomach, he remembered his pregnancy.
Originally, he had planned to reveal it a week after that night. He would make Wina accidentally hold his wrist, and voila, his pregnancy would be exposed.
But fate had other plans. Today, exactly one week later, they were fleeing inside a carriage instead.
He knew if his mother found out now, she would only worry, maybe even forbid him from going to the capital.
So Gara decided to keep it to himself for now. Once they were settled safely in the capital, he would tell her, and Madha too as the father of the child growing inside him.
Eventually, the pill kicked in. Relief spread through his body, and his eyes grew heavy. Gara leaned against Fian’s shoulder and drifted into a deep sleep.
Fian’s shoulder wasn’t as comfortable as Madha’s, but it was better than nothing.
...
A carriage rolled past the gates of Falopo Town without being stopped for inspection or entry fees. The guards recognized the young man holding the reins.
The carriage pulled up in front of an inn, where a woman in a formal dress was waiting.
Barely awake, Gara gave Hilda the briefest of greetings before heading straight into his room and collapsing onto the bed. He needed sleep to shake off the lingering dizziness.
Tomorrow would be a long day.
...