Chapter 405: Returning Home

Now that Domer, a third-level wizard, was involved, the small dimensional rift was no longer a major issue.

Since the rift had only recently formed, there was still time to repair it.

After leaving Domer’s wizard tower, Helag followed the directions Irina had given him to find David.

David had been treated and was now resting in a local inn.

Helag checked the address on his communication stone, hailed a carriage, and gave the driver the location.

As the carriage rolled through the streets, Helag observed the surroundings. It was his first time in Crystal City.

The city’s structure was similar to Silvermoon City, but the style was slightly different.

Buildings along the streets were embedded with various crystals, which not only served as decorations but also had the subtle effect of gathering free-floating energy particles.

Crystal City was built on a massive crystal mine, hence its name.

When Helag arrived at the inn, he glanced up at the sign: Desert Wind.

The wooden sign was adorned with crystals, fitting the local aesthetic.

As soon as he stepped inside, a skinny young man approached with a smile. “Looking for a room, sir?”

“I’m here to see someone. His name is David,” Helag replied.

“Oh, you must be here for the guest Lady Irina arranged. He’s on the second floor. Follow me,” the young man said, leading the way.

They reached a room in the corner of the second floor, and the young man knocked on the door. A woman with a gentle face opened it.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Miss Layla, this gentleman is here to see Mr. David,” the young man explained.

Layla stepped out, looking at Helag. “Are you Mr. Helag?”

“That’s me,” Helag nodded, though he didn’t know who Layla was or why she was here.

“I was assigned by Lady Irina to ensure Mr. David’s safety. Now that you’re here, I’ll take my leave,” Layla said.

“Thank you for taking care of him, Miss Layla,” Helag said politely.

Layla smiled shyly and walked away, her high heels clicking as she descended the stairs.

After watching her leave, Helag entered the room and saw David lying on the bed.

David’s arms and legs were wrapped in bandages, and the room smelled faintly of medicinal herbs, indicating that ointments had been applied to his wounds.

Helag noticed that the bandages were neatly and carefully wrapped, showing that whoever had tended to David had been thorough.

David was asleep but stirred at the sound of Helag’s footsteps, slowly waking up.

When he saw Helag, he gave a sheepish smile and glanced around the room.

“She’s gone,” Helag said with a chuckle.

David looked disappointed. “Miss Layla left?”

“Do you want her to stay? I can ask Irina to send her back,” Helag teased, pretending to reach for his communication stone.

“No, no, no!” David stammered, suddenly flustered. If he weren’t bedridden, he would’ve jumped up.

Helag laughed and put the stone away, fully understanding the situation.

“Did you get Miss Layla’s communication stone number?” Helag asked.

David scratched his head awkwardly. “I… I didn’t have the nerve to ask.”

“I’ll ask for you,” Helag said, pulling out his communication stone and sending a message to Irina.

A moment later, Irina replied, “Oh? You’ve got your eye on Layla?”

Helag rolled his eyes and replied, “It’s not me, it’s David.”

“Who’s David?” Irina asked.

“My follower, the one you assigned Layla to take care of,” Helag explained.

“Oh, right. I didn’t really pay attention to him. Here’s Layla’s communication stone number,” Irina responded, sending the number.

Clearly, Irina hadn’t given David much thought, her focus having been on Helag the entire time.

Helag passed the number to David. “Here, add her when you’re feeling better.”

David hesitated. “I… I wouldn’t know what to say even if I added her. Maybe I shouldn’t.”

“What do you mean? Just ask her out for a meal,” Helag suggested.

“What? I… I don’t want to bother her,” David said, still nervous.

“She took care of you. It’s only polite to thank her with a meal,” Helag pointed out.

David thought about it and nodded. “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

***

Three days later, Helag and David boarded an airship back to Silvermoon City.

Although David’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, he was now able to move around on his own.

There was still no news from Irina, indicating that repairing the dimensional rift would take some time.

David had initially planned to return to the Eastern Source Trading Company and resume work after a few days.

But Helag convinced him to return to Silvermoon City and rest for a month. After all, it had been a while since David had been home.

David was reluctant at first, feeling embarrassed that he hadn’t accomplished much during his time away.

Helag simply patted him on the shoulder. “No one at home cares about that. What matters is that you’re safe.”

David nodded silently, no longer insisting on returning to the trading company.

When they arrived in Silvermoon City and returned to King Street, standing outside the familiar courtyard, David looked around at the unchanged surroundings. It was as if he had never left.

Reese, seeing that Helag had safely brought David back, breathed a sigh of relief.

Wearing an apron and holding a spatula crafted by a local blacksmith at Helag’s request, she smiled and said, “I’ll cook. You two rest.”

“You can cook now?” David asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

“I’ve learned a lot while you were away,” Reese said proudly.

That evening, the three of them ate together, just like old times.

The only difference was that this time, all the food had been prepared by Reese.

David’s room was still as it had been, unchanged since he left. He would stay there to recover.

After years of constant travel and hard work, returning home felt like a dream to David, as if everything he had experienced was just a distant memory.

***

Outside Crystal City, in the polluted zone.

At the site of the dimensional rift, Domer, Irina, Master Mort from the Wizard Array Association, and four other wizards stood in a circle.

All seven were at least second-level wizards, with Domer being a third-level wizard.

The dimensional rift had been sealed, and the black vortex was gone.

But despite the successful repair, Domer and the others remained serious.

Domer spoke in a low voice, “The rift may be closed, but I can’t shake the feeling that something has already happened.”

Domer had a nagging sense that this dimensional rift might have caused unforeseen consequences that no one could predict.