Chapter 82: I hope this is just my overthinking

After leaning against the tree and catching my breath, I finally steadied my breathing.
Meanwhile, the noble squad’s five members finished analyzing and discussing the situation.

They decided to take backroads to the train station.
“Mengmeng! We’ve decided to stick to the backroads on the map to reach the train station. Any thoughts?”

Nico checked on me and asked.
“You guys decide. I’ll follow your lead.”

I blinked, unfamiliar with Blackshine City’s suburbs, and chose to stay quiet and go along with their plan.
“Hm… alright then—but, Mengmeng, was that really a flame burst spell earlier?”

Nico blinked, asking again.
“…No, just a basic fireball spell.”

“Really? That power was way beyond normal!”
“…Is it that surprising? Didn’t you already hear about it from the city guards?”

“We heard, but it’s still beyond imagination!”
Nico grinned, while Carter and the others prepared to move out again.

“Stop chatting, Nico. We need to keep moving.”
Emil waved at her, then turned to me.

“By the way, Miss Su Mengmeng—how many more fireball spells can you cast?”
“…No need for ‘Miss,’ just call me Su Mengmeng.”

I glanced at Emil, answering, “Also, with my current mental energy, I can probably cast five or six more fireballs. If I drink a recovery potion, I can regain enough for one or two more in an hour or two.”
“…Got it. Just to confirm, are they all as powerful as that last one?”

“Yes.”
I nodded.

“Good enough…”
Emil nodded, then glanced at my backpack.

“By the way, we’ve got a long road ahead. I suggest you ditch that big backpack if it’s not essential—it’ll save your stamina.”
“…No way, I’m not dropping this.”

“Alright, your call.”
I firmly rejected Emil’s suggestion, and he nodded, not pressing further.

The backpack didn’t have much in it—just the two egg babies.
Carrying them by hand would not only look weird but be exhausting.
Worse, how would I explain them? Say they’re monster eggs? Or admit they’re my kids?

Neither option sounds right…
I sighed helplessly to myself.

Storage spaces can’t hold living things, so I couldn’t stow the egg babies away.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be lugging this huge backpack around.

“By the way, how long will it take to get to the train station from here?”
I took a deep breath and asked Nico.

“With quick walking, about an hour or so?”
Nico thought for a moment and answered.

“An hour from now, who knows what the situation will be? I just hope the train station hasn’t been overrun by aliens by then.”
After hearing Nico, I couldn’t help but mutter.

The blood clan and dark elves stirring up this much chaos couldn’t just be about breaking a few defensive lines.
They’re likely after all of Blackshine City.

I couldn’t help but worry.
In an hour, who knows how bad things might get around Blackshine City?
Even the heavily guarded train station could descend into chaos.

“I hope I’m just overthinking this—I’ve got to trust the human empire’s forces a bit.”
I took a breath, thinking to myself, then turned and followed Nico and the others along the map’s backroads through the desolate suburbs toward the train station.