The waves of the sea are performing a quiet symphony at dawn's peak. As I get off the warg-driven carriage, my eyes catch gaze of the endless sea in front of me. The only sea I saw back in my world was through a TV screen and pictures from magazines, this is the first time I witness a real sea with my own eyes, yet it doesn't feel like the sea of this world is that much different from ours. Maybe it is because of my own lack of experience about the sea to differentiate the two of them.

"Make way, please."

Says Nilrem who is waiting to get off from the carriage because of me standing in her the way.

I don't say anything, I just walk out of her way. Nilrem looks sideways to check whether the other carriage that came along with ours has safely arrived, then she looks back to my side before saying something.

"After all those times and you're still sulking."

"…"

I sulk. I find it hard for me to find reasons NOT to sulk.

"Is it true…that there's nothing else than can be done about me?"

"As I already said, it's more complicated than just getting you new organs to replace. Your whole existence is now tied with Deborah's, both physically and spiritually. You are still alive simply because of the support from Deborah's heart. The moment her heart is removed from your body, you will instantly die."

I know it, I know it already. Nilrem explained about it when I woke up two days ago, when the siege had been over for a week. My body was effectively dead the moment Deborah's punch went through my chest, I was barely alive long enough to be saved thanks to my connection with Deborah as her familiar. Our contract granted me her life force, but it was not enough to save me until Deborah offered her own heart. Nilrem explained my life at that moment was a giant tower supported solely by a single frail stone pillar, the moment that pillar got broken, the whole tower would collapse. What Nilrem did with Deborah's heart wasn't building a better foundation, she simply replaced the stone pillar with a golden one, more sturdy, more tough, but still a lone pillar nonetheless. The moment that golden pillar gets removed, the tower that is my life will crumble to the ground and crash to pieces.

"Still, that applies to Deborah as well. If the heart inside your chest is destroyed, Deborah will die. But well, even without her heart, Deborah will still able to live like normal, and with the removal of her only weak point, Deborah is now effectively immortal and invincible, provide her enemies don't find out about this little secret."

As the carriage that comes behind us arrives, Nilrem starts giving out directives to the few soldiers that come along with the carriage. Unlike the carriage we previously used, which is designed to transport passengers, the one behind us is used to carry luggage and other stuff. The few soldiers here are simply Nilrem's lackeys ordered to do her biddings. Under her order, they bring out a huge coffin-like box out of the carriage and move it to the seashore.

Nilrem follows behind her men. Seeing that I have no reason to stay after the trouble I spent to get here, I decide to follow the headmaster. Eventually, our group get to the seashore, where another small group of soldiers have been waiting for our arrival. They are guarding a small and ordinary boat lying on the sand near the sea. As the soldiers from our group approach the boat, the men guarding it help them move the coffin-like box onto the boat. Despite the size of the coffin, the boat takes it in stride without any difficulty.

"Good job soldiers, you are now dismissed."

The armored soldiers salute Nilrem before getting themselves off the shore, which leaves only Nilrem and I alone in the seemingly endless shore of sand. Nilrem approaches the coffin box and briefly opens the lid. Inside the coffin box lies a peacefully sleeping red haired girl, it's rather easy to look at her like a young girl who got taken away too soon by Death. This whole charade makes it look like we're preparing a funeral for the girl inside the coffin, but make no mistake, Deborah Draconis is well and alive. She's maybe sleeping in a body without a heart, but she's still alive nonetheless, according to what Nilrem said. But even then, I still have my own doubt.

"Will she really wake up?"

I ask as I approach the boat and look at Deborah's sleeping face. A whole week has passed since that incident, and Deborah still shows no signs of waking up. Just knowing I'm standing here because she offered me her heart already makes it hard to look at her sleeping without end like this. That doesn't change the fact she killed me from the start to begin with, but that act of hers alone has already made me forgive that particular sin.

"Eventually. With time, her body will automatically adapt to the loss of her heart and readjust itself to operate as normal. As long as her heart and this world still exists, Deborah will continue to live no matter what."

Says Nilrem.

"That doesn't make sense, none of this makes sense."

I reply, which only prompts an ironically laugh from the witch herself.

"Welcome to my world, I stopped making sense of it a long time ago."

The woman in a girl's body takes out a leather envelope from inside her robe. She puts it under the sleeping Deborah's hands for safe keeping. I guess that's something necessary for Deborah's new journey.

"Will she be safe in the continent across this sea?"

The continent of Suntos, a place where the bickering of the Heaven Realm and the Demon Realm is irrelevant, but it's still a very chaotic continent nonetheless according to what Nilrem said to me. That's the location where this boat will be heading, for Deborah to stay away from the internal politics that come after her actions that day, and a chance for her to learn how to control the dragon that dwells within her.

"To tame a beast, you ask the 「Beastmasters」. The friend of mine who will take charge of Deborah's training is trustworthy, I assure you, though I'm more worried for safety of the people of Suntos rather than Deborah's."

I leer at the Headmaster. Seems like she can't stop seeing Deborah as anything but a dangerous dragon, but after what Deborah showed us from the siege, I know Nilrem has a good reason to see her that way. And just because I stopped her from rampaging once doesn't mean I can do it again. Deborah has to learn to control herself, or else…

I reach my chest to feel the heartbeat of Deborah's own heart. The scars have faded away, the hole has been filled, but the pain is still present, albeit faint, as a reminder for what happened when a dragon lost herself to her primal instincts. The only thing I can do right now is hoping that when Deborah returns, people other than me won't see her as someone to be feared anymore.

"The boat is on autopilot, it will protect Deborah from harm on the sea until it reaches the destination. You have nothing to worry about. So, shall we start?"

Says Nilrem. She's awaiting my response, and my reply is simply a nod. I want Deborah to do this for her own future, but a part of me doesn't want to see Deborah departing to another continent without knowing when she'll return.

'Heh, I guess I'm a full-fledged familiar at this point…'

"Before that, you won't going to see Deborah for a while, do you want to say anything to her before she departs for Suntos?"

Nilrem's words make it look like Deborah's going on a one way trip with no return.

"No, whatever I have to say to her, I'll say it straight to her face when she returns."

Deborah may become a different person after this trip, and people may not see her other than a dragon, but to me, Deborah will always be the same stupid girl who loves to do stupid things in my eyes, and when she returns, I'll let her know by telling it straight to her face. I'll patiently wait for that day, there's no need to make a big deal out of this.

This isn't a good bye, this isn't a farewell, so I won't say goodbye, nor will I bid her farewell. But…

"We'll meet again, Deborah."

I can't help but blurb out that line despite my earlier declaration. Nilrem simply smiles as if she finds the irony funny. But no matter, the time has come for her to end this prolonged departure. Nilrem closes the wooden lid, then puts her hand onto the boat as her mouth chants the magic words. A barrier gets erected around the boat to protect the person it's carrying, and the boat starts to drag itself off the sand and onto the sea. Eventually it sets sail toward Suntos despite having no sails to speak of. Magic is awesome, I think…

"And there she goes…"

I mumble as I watch Deborah's boat starting to go further and further to the sea. Suddenly, Nilrem laughs as if there's something funny on my face.

"Ahahaha, look at you, so tense and serious. It's sure is amusing to see you this way."

"W-What's so funny!?"

I yell out loud. I don't know why, but something about this pissed me off.

"I actually put my Ring of Thought Transference inside the envelope I gave to Deborah. Since you are still keeping the other one, you'll be able to contact Deborah through thought transference regardless the distance between the continents. Still, seeing you acting so serious like this makes the trouble hiding it from you certainly worth it."

I look at the ring I wore in my right index finger, the same ring that enabled telepathy between wearers. So that's how it is…

"You could have said it sooner!"

I yell. She sure made a fool out me.

"If I did, I wouldn't be able to watch you acting like that."

The woman is still laughing, until she stops when the joke gets boring. Damn witch…

Still…I look at the ring on my right hand. We are apart from each other, but still connected in one way and another. It's strange to think about it like that, it seems like fate itself doesn't want us to part way despite everything. Well…this is getting a bit awkward…

"Just because I gave you two a pair of rings doesn't mean the two of you are married, you know?"

"W-What are you saying!?"

I find myself flustered like a high school girl in love, then I remind myself I'm a high school boy and it's my job to get mad at things like this.

"There're still vows that needed to be make, you know?"

"Y-You witch!!! Who actually wants to marry that girl!?"

I can already foresee a very tedious journey back to Melas with this woman accompany me…