Chapter 30: The Fussy Old Man (1)
Maeve gently tapped the map with her finger. "It needs the ground. It needs the sky. It needs Aether Energy."
Her voice remained soft as she said, "Right now, the sun is simply doing its job. It’s shining its light on the world."
She slowly lifted her head and looked at the clear blue sky above them. The sky was beautiful today, maybe too beautiful for a world that was slowly dying.
"But the one responsible for making sure that light doesn’t hurt us is the sky," she said. "Unfortunately, the sky is sick and this planet is sick too."
"If we want them to protect us again, then we have to find a way to heal them first." Maeve smiled faintly. "Only then can they go back to doing what they’ve always done."
After all, the world had spent countless years protecting the lives living on it, so maybe it was finally time for those lives to protect the world in return.
Cerus looked at her with an expression that was difficult to describe. For several seconds, he didn’t even say anything.
There was something strange about the way Maeve spoke. It felt like that whenever she talked about life, the world, or hope, her words always felt deeper than they should, almost as if she could see things that other people couldn’t.
"Are you sure... you’re not a Goddess?" Cerus asked quietly. "Even though you keep saying you’re not, I... can’t help feeling that you’re one of the heavenly beings."
Maeve let out a soft sigh and looked at him, completely speechless.
Back in her world, when someone said something wise, people called them a motivational speaker. But somehow, in this world, saying a few thoughtful words was enough to make her a Goddess.
"I’m not special," Maeve said, placing a hand over her chest. "Honestly, I think you’re better than me."
"Me? Better than you?" Cerus immediately shook his head. "No way." He laughed softly before continuing, "Whatever you are—Goddess or not—you’re still better than me, and probably better than anyone else here. You saved us. Compared to you, we’re nothing."
Maeve simply let out a sigh in response because she was too tired to say anything else. As long as Cerus didn’t keep calling her Goddess all the time, she wouldn’t complain.
"But thank you," Cerus suddenly said. "Thank you for defending my parents as well. "If they were still here, I know they would have been happy to meet you."
Maeve felt a little awkward hearing that. The truth was, she hadn’t put that much thought into it.
She simply didn’t want to see Cerus blaming his parents or feeling sad because of them. She had only spoken what she felt at the time. But somehow, her words had become much more meaningful to him than she had expected.
Maeve was about to say something, but then she saw Ikarus and Axan finally return. Her eyes immediately landed on the strange object Axan was pushing.
It honestly looked like a cart.
The frame was made of wood, while the wheels were crafted from bent bamboo stalks. Several thick animal pelts had been laid inside, turning it into a surprisingly soft and comfortable bed.
’I thought this place was extremely primitive!’ Maeve shouted in her mind. ’But they’ve even invented wheels here!’
"Maeve, my wife," Ikarus said as soon as they stopped in front of her. "I know walking is difficult for you right now, so you can lie down here instead."
Axan nodded. "We normally use this to carry supplies over long distances, but..." He scratched the back of his neck and pretended to cough once. "I made a few changes so it would be more comfortable for you."
Maeve stared at the cart for a moment. Then she slowly pressed her lips together before asking, a little uncertain, "Have... you been using something like this for a long time?"
"Yes," Axan answered without hesitation. "I’m not sure exactly when we first started using something like this, but even our grandparents used it."
Maeve blinked several times and for a moment, she couldn’t help thinking that if the Azuryn Tribe ever gained access to more advanced technology, they might be able to surpass humanity as well.
[Pinky’s Fun Fact: The Azuryn Tribe chooses to keep living a simple life rather than improve their society at the cost of nature.]
[They’re smart, and not foolish enough to burn down their forests and poison their own drinking water.]
Maeve fell silent after hearing Pinky’s so-called fun fact, which honestly wasn’t fun at all.
She had grown up in a world where people constantly took from nature without thinking about the consequences. Forests disappeared, rivers became polluted, and the planet slowly suffered because of it.
Compared to that, the Azuryn Tribe’s way of life felt incredibly valuable and Maeve had no desire to change it.
After all, the last thing she wanted was to accidentally introduce capitalism into this world.
"Are you ready to go now?" Ikarus asked. His gentle voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "I know you’re tired, but we can’t delay any longer."
Maeve formed a small smile. "I’m fine."
Ikarus observed her for a moment before finally nodding. "Let me carry you."
Before Maeve could protest, Ikarus carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her from the hut to the cart.
The cart itself was a little cramped, but the thick animal pelts spread across the bottom were surprisingly soft. The moment she lay down, she felt some of the tension leave her body.
"Is it still too hard for you?" Axan asked. Even though his voice rarely carried much emotion, Maeve could tell from his eyes that he genuinely cared about her as well.
"It’s enough," Maeve said with a smile. "I’ll let you know if my back starts hurting later."
Axan gave a small nod. "Alright, then."
Honestly, Maeve had actually thought she would only be traveling with Ikarus, but to her surprise, Axan and Cerus were coming too.
It seemed that since all of them were her mates, they also had to enter the tomb with her.
"Leaders!"
Before they could leave the settlement, Elder Vax hurried toward them. His face was even filled with worry.
"I don’t think it’s a good idea for all of you to leave the settlement at the same time!" he said. "What if something attacks while you’re gone?"
