With Yuri entering the front door, Agnes scuttered away like a cockroach, cursing the man for ruining their ‘intimate’ moment together.

Tibaut himself got up and walked towards him.

(“Hmm, I wonder if Yuri would be part of the secret police? It'd probably be best if sh-”)

“Come on Tibaut, I have no interest in that woman. She may have a mind that needs thorough thorough cleaning but I can tell she hasn't done anything wrong when we spoke to her. I'd personally like for her to serve some punishment for her time working with them but with how most nations are handling it will be some time before she could get a fair judgement.”

“...”

“Did I get it wrong? (I'm such an idiot, I thought I'd look cool if I-)” Yuri asked.

“Thank you, Yuri.”

“(Phew I was right. And although I don't like her, I can tell there is a hint of something genuine when she looks at you.) Don't thank me, we're the ones who need level heads when everyone else doesn't. And Elizabeth is still sleeping?”

“Yeah.”

“(When that letter reaches the Head Bishop of Anglia, I can imagine I'll get a call from the homeland.) I'll have to travel with you alone then. Do you know where she placed the map of the dungeon? We'll have to go through it quicker than I'd like.”

“I think she and Ruby mapped it out when we were last there, so I guess we can ask her.”

“Oh, her.” His shoulders slumped when he thought back to her. “She said she was heading back to her cabin. Dang, if I knew I'd have stopped her. Any idea where she lives?” The Saint asked.

“Why are you two going about this in such a roundabout manner?” A voice at the top of the stairs asked. “If you need me just wake me up.”

Standing there was Elizabeth with a hand held against her head. She didn't look 100% but the bags and dark circles around her eyes were nearly gone.

(“Honestly you looked like you needed the rest.”) Tibaut thought.

(“Princess, there's no way I'd force you with anything after what you went through this month.”) Yuri thought.

She saw the concern in their eyes and glared at them in annoyance, especially Tibaut.

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(“I know why the Saint is hesitant but why are you so concerned, you muppet? As far you know I'm an immortal being, does such a person like that need your concern?”)

After noticing her face both men did their best to break eye contact.

“Give me a moment, I'll go for it.” She said before turning around and heading up the stairs.

----------------------------------------

“Are you sure we aren't gonna need anything?” Tibaut asked. They both stood outside in a change of clothes. Given his propensity for the cold, he wore a thicker-than-usual (white) shirt and denim pants. Elizabeth wore a thick undershirt beneath a thick jacket, hiding any femininity on her chest, along with a pair of thick boots and (unbeknownst to Tibaut) two pairs of pants, both made of wool with the thicker one on top.

(“I didn't even know this world had jeans.”) He thought to himself.

Neither of them had their armour on and neither had their weapons either. They had no supplies packed nor did they stop for so much as a final meal before the long voyage.

“Believe me, the journey will be substantially less time-consuming than our earlier one.” She said as she rubbed her glove-covered hands together.

It was beginning to snow which didn't exactly inspire in Tibaut. He remembered in his travels, harshly learning that snow meant serious business. It'd turn the distance you could travel in a day into three days travel.

“Do you travel in snow much?” He asked.

“Have you travelled on one of those horses before?” She asked. “If not, then reserve your judgement for the ride. I have no time for your ignorance.”

Before Tibaut could clap back, their ride arrived.

(“God, it's even bigger standing up! What the hell do you even feed that thing?”)

The horse walked up to them and easily dwarfed Tibaut.

“You guys ready? Milky isn't in perfect condition but this girl can easily take us to that dungeon.”

Elizabeth jumped up and sat behind Yuri. She glared at Tibaut before he got the memo to go up there as well.

(“That horse Albus had was nothing compared to this guy. But isn't a larger size gonna make him tire out quicker? No, disregard that knowledge. That might apply to my home world’s biology but if magic is involved, it might not even need to eat.”)

“Hey, Tibaut, feel free to grab onto her fur as hard as possible,” Yuri stated. “If you're not used to her you might go flying off.”

“Okay. (Flying off? I mean this thing is big but… well this is supposed to be faster than the Saint so maybe twice his speed? Even that seems kinda unrealistic compared to-)”

They shot off and Tibaut held on for dear as the horse tore up the ground beneath. His face was pushed back by the extreme forces acting on his face, with the skin on his face manipulated like clay.

Only ten seconds had passed but the mansion was no longer visible when he looked behind.

His face adjusted to the forces acting on it but he could now see clearly Elizabeth’s arm holding on to him. His arms gave up the moment the horse moved.

It looked like it grew 50% thicker as she held onto him.

(“I should have known he'd be too weak in his current state. But there's no time to wait for his strength to come back.”)

She gritted her teeth and held onto him as the horse speeded through the forest.