I Refused To Be Reincarnated-Chapter 646: Somber Robes and a Sweet Promise

As the other groups left the council room after retrieving their communication devices, Elena gestured for Julius to approach.

She placed three somber robes on the table. "They’re enchanted to block off the mana you naturally release to the acolyte tier. I know you enjoy discovering history and cultures, so take it like homework and avoid conflict, Julius."

She turned to Louise and sighed. "Investigate a method to fix her arm, too. It’s not that I don’t want to help, but I can’t regrow something from nothing. I’ll need someone’s arm and time I can’t spare to adapt its DNA to hers."

A steely glint flashed in Julius’ eyes as he felt Louise’s hand tremble in his. "Even if this town doesn’t have a solution, I’ll definitely heal you."

She tilted her head slightly, her brown hair cascading before her sparkling emerald eyes as a warm smile curled on her lips. "I know I can count on you, Julius. You’re so sweet."

Seeing her beautiful face, he coughed and focused on Elena to hide his embarrassment. "W-Why do we only have three robes for four people?"

"What do you mean, why?" Elena placed a mana-testing crystal on the table with a meaningful frown. "I’m curious to see if you’ll generate three strands instead of two this time."

"Well." He scratched his head before shrugging. "Makes sense." Then, he strapped the communication device to his leather belt and gestured for the others to follow. "Take what you need in your rooms. We leave in five minutes."

Asha took Louise to help her gear up, while Arun left alone.

Meanwhile, he took a minute to inform his mother that he’d leave for a few days. They shared a warm hug as she insisted that safety came first and told him she was proud of him. For a second, he hesitated to talk about Louise before he shook his head, wore a long coat to hide his armor, and went to the deck.

Though he didn’t want to hide anything, it would be cruel to disappoint her if things didn’t work out.

As the breeze ruffled his hair and carried the musty scent of the forest to his nose, Aurelius walked to him with his team.

He cupped his fists with a cheeky grin and spoke in a deep voice mimicking an ancient martial artist. "Nice to see you, master cultivator."

Anya chuckled behind him. "Come on, don’t call him that. You should at least add venerable to sound genuine."

Unlike them, Gwen stomped her leather boots loudly and raised her hand in a military salute. "I hope we’ll have opportunities to cooperate. Find me without delay if you suffer the slightest wound!"

"Since when am I venerable master? Stop teasing me, you two." He chucked, then nodded at Gwen. "Thank you, but please talk casually. It feels weird."

Finally, he gazed at their last member. Morgane crossed her arms over her chest behind them, her misty gray eyes fixed on the horizon. Though she had become an exceptional beauty with her silky red hair and porcelain skin, she had returned to her taciturn self since the catastrophe.

He didn’t know if it was because of her soul affinity or if she was grieving his brother despite their dispute three years ago, but his chest tightened each time she offered him a curt nod without a word. Even now, she barely glanced at him before refocusing on the horizon as if she were in a world of her own.

With a sigh, he refocused on Aurelius. "Don’t fight with anyone you see, muscle head, or I’ll beat you up like I did in college."

"Ha?! That was years ago. I can defeat you with a single hand now!" Aurelius flexed his biceps, the bulging muscle looking more like a chunk of tempered copper than flesh. Yet, his voice lowered in intensity. "I won’t create trouble... Please don’t beat me up."

"Pfft." Anya slapped his back, tears pooling at the side of her curved eyes. "That’s more like it. Anyway, I’ll keep my eyes on this battle maniac, so don’t worry." She waved her hand. "Let’s go!"

As she jumped down the flying ship and turned into a shadow mid-air, Aurelius followed, grumbling. "I’m the team leader, so why do you give me orders?"

Gwen rolled her eyes and followed. "No, you’re not. I’m the official leader, but... Sigh. Whatever."

Before Morgane left, Julius nodded at her. "Good luck, Morgane."

Surprisingly, she gave him a rare answer. "You, too." Then, her body turned half ethereal as she glided down the sky and landed in the forest like a fairy.

Through the verdant canopy, he watched them leave for the distant town before Arun tapped on his shoulder.

Draped in the somber coat, the hood obscuring his face, he grinned. "What’s the plan? Do we sneak in as we did to arrest those pirates last year?"

A chuckle escaped Julius’ lips. "Not this time. I want to experience the legal entry process first."

"Makes sense." Arun fished a handful of gold coins and a green gemstone the size of a thumb from his pouch. "We can pay the entry fee even if they refuse our coin. I just hope they won’t ask for proof of identity."

"We can come up with a story." Asha’s voice echoed as she joined them with Louise. "We’re still young, and the world is dangerous. Why don’t we smear our faces and pass as illiterate refugees but hand the gold to make them question our true origins? I bet they’d believe we’re some noble kids hiding our identities."

"It’s worth trying. We’ll sneak in after sunset if it fails." Julius cradled Louise against his chest and leapt down.

The wind whistled in his ears and whipped his hair as he passed through the dense foliage. Squirrels scrambled with surprised shrieks as branches snapped against his muscles and leaves rustled until he landed in a cloud of flying soil.

But when he tried to put Louise on the ground, he felt her hand tighten on his chest and heard her loud breath. Did she suffer from the tremor? Unlikely. He had imbued his body with earth qi, turning it as solid as a rock.

Meanwhile, she buried her burning face in his chest, her heart drumming in delight. She had dreamed of this for three years. And now she was really in his arms... a little longer—that’s all she wished for.

However, Asha landed a moment later in a burst of flames and pried her fingers open, ending the dream. "You’ll have time to cuddle later. Keep your mind on the mission, sis."

"Sorry." Louise complied, agreeing that the time wasn’t for romance. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"Don’t sweat it. If you feel uncomfortable or tired, let me know. You’re still wounded, so I don’t mind carrying you on my back." Julius offered with a smile.

Louise rushed to the front, hiding her face under her hood. "I-I’m fine. We can’t waste time."

Their steps echoed against the soft soil as they journeyed through the forest at a moderate pace.

An hour later, they emerged on a plain divided into golden and green fields separated by a sneaking dirt road leading to the town.

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