In which Nash makes his debut and attempts to hitch a ride back to Budehuc.

Admittedly a shorter chapter. Nash was never my favorite character initially, but he grew on me.

"Oh, this is such a relief! I never thought I'd see a familiar face all the way out here! And even better, we're headed back the same way!"

"O-Oooo…"

"Kosanji! I'm having a conversation, don't be rude and interrupt!" Cecile gave the dog a good-natured pat on the head before hoisting her bag over her shoulder. "Sir Nash, do you travel this way often?"

"Oh, you know…" the Harmonian shrugged and pulled on a glove. The midday sun overhead was deceptively bright despite the chill in the February air. "I'm all over the place. Part of the job, I suppose. If anyone should be surprised, it'd be me! This is as far from Budehuc as things get. What brings you out here, Cecile?"

She tapped her spear against her shoulder, making a small clinking sound with each step. "I was on a journey, you see—I thought if I traveled out this way by myself, I'd get stronger!"

He chuckled. "And how did that work out for you?"

"Hm...maybe a little stronger. Father used to come out this way all the time on trips for the same purpose, so I figured maybe it'd work for me too!"

Nash cast her a kind smile. "Traveling alone can be pretty special for personal growth. I'm glad to hear you're open-minded. But…" he looked across the rugged mountain trail sprawling ahead of them and rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm thinking it might be time for me to unwind for a while somewhere fun. And if Budehuc is as busy as you say—"

"Oh, it's super busy! We have so many new people! Miss Yun is back, Sir Geddoe and Lady Queen have returned, and then there's Sir Clive and Sir Kinnison, but there are some other names on this list I don't recognize, like Sir Cray and Sir Luca and Sir Tai Ho and—"

"Yun? Didn't she...w-wait," Nash sputtered and looked as though he swallowed a whole furfly, "L-Luca?"

"That's what Master Thomas wrote," she nodded. "And I know because I memorized his letter!"

"Did...he say anything else?"

"Well, he wrote a lovely description of an upcoming party, but unfortunately I don't think we'll make it back in time—"

"No, did he say anything else about Luca."

Cecile shook her head. "Are they someone you know?"

"...Maybe. Could just be the same name," the earlier sparkle in his charismatic smile was nowhere to be seen. Instead the man looked quite pale in the sunlight. Cecile could sense he was anxious by the small, quick clouds of vapor forming from his breath as he exhaled.

"Do… you still want to go back to Budehuc?"

Nash nervously laughed and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Of course. I could be wrong. But if I'm not...well, Thomas is a man now. I trust his judgment. I can't see him allowing someone dangerous to stay."

Wait. What?

"D...dangerous?! Sir Nash, I came out here on my trip to train and get stronger because Yuber is back at Budehuc! You don't mean to tell me there are more dangerous people back home?!"

"I-I didn't say that!"

"This whole time I've been here, and everyone I care about is there, and I'm not keeping them safe!"

"Cecile, calm down!"

Kosanji anxiously trotted at her side, bouncing back and forth between her and Nash's ankles across the rocky terrain. "O-Oooo…"

"P-please stop interrupting me, Kosanji!"

"Cecile—" Nash swung out in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders, stopping her mid-flail. "If this is troubling you that much, why don't you just use the Blinking Mirror?"

"I can't do that, Sir Nash!"

"I know this was a training mission and all, but you've gotten plenty stronger. So if time is of the essence, let's just cut to the chase and teleport back, okay?" Something glimmered in the corner of his eye. Was this the real reason why he was so eager to accompany her back to Budehuc? For a free ride?

"I didn't bring it with me."

"Y-you what?"

"It was a training mission, Sir Nash!"

The Harmonian slumped. "So...we really do have to walk all the way back…"

"But just think, Sir Nash! We'll get even stronger on the way back!"

Nash groaned. "Yeah, stronger...haha…"

If things are really as bad as Sir Nash says, we need all the strength we can get!