The clock tower chimed and Abby jumped, realizing her lunch break was over. She hastily gathered her half-eaten sandwich made from slightly softer bread than the kind that went with the soup and bits of cheese Abella made from the cow's milk to sell.
Her face heated as she realized how long she had been rambling. "I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time."
Blaise shook his head. "Listening to you has been my honor. I hope we meet again soon."
He gave her that same weird salute Hugo had on their first meeting, which was apparently a greeting and a goodbye here, and grabbed his own things before walking away. Abby had never met a person quite like him.
Was his personality normal for this country or what? Hugo didn't act like that but he was a total brat. Between the two of them, she probably preferred Blaise's personality. At least he was polite.
===
After that Blaise sought her out frequently. Or at least it seemed like that to Abby because he always took his lunch break in the same general area she did and waited for her to wave him over.
Why did he always wait for her to approach him first? Was it considered rude here for a man to approach a woman? She didn't get out in society enough to understand all the nuances of this culture.
Working behind the scenes, as a silent helper, or even running a cash register were different than holding a casual conversation. She had discovered early on that running the cash register required the same general skills in both worlds.
It was a good thing she had worked in a fast food joint in college. That taught her everything she ever needed to know (and then some) about customer service. At least some things were consistent no matter what.
Blaise preferred listening to talking and she didn't quite understand him but Abby was forced to admit that he was the closest thing she had to a friend here. She might actually miss him a tiny bit when she went off to Annalaias.
She would be stuck on a ship for a very long time. With no one to talk to, she might lose her mind a little.
Three days before the ship was meant to depart, Abby thanked her hosts fervently for letting her stay with them so long. She promised to send a letter once she found her sister so they would know she was alright.
Hugo had passed his exam with flying colors so he was able to send her off with an officially stamped reference letter. He refused to travel as far as the port with her because it was a day and a half by wagon each way.
Abby couldn't truly begrudge him that. They had never managed to become friendly the whole time she was here. He was too acerbic and resented her presence from the start.
But she did owe him for saving her life when she first arrived here so she was sure to thank him specifically. He brushed it off but turned away so she wouldn't see how he was blushing.
She set off in a public mail coach with a few other passengers heading to the sea and waved goodbye to the first people she had met in Shibatsu. She had already said her goodbyes to Blaise on her last day working in town but she felt a little hollow knowing she wouldn't see him again.
So when he happened to appear on the ship she was meant to set sail on she was more than a little surprised. "Blaise! What on earth are you doing here?!"
He cleared his throat and wouldn't meet her eyes. "It is a Warrior's duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Forgive me Miss Abby…but I believe you would benefit from having someone to protect you on your journey. Please allow me to accompany you to the mountains."
Her jaw dropped. He was worried enough about her well-being that he was dropping everything to help her out?! Hugo hadn't been willing to do that and she had understood perfectly. So why was he?
"Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to waste your time. What about furthering your training?" she asked.
Blaise shrugged. It was the first time she ever saw him do something so casual. "Warriors can be hired by individuals as well. Consider this a test run of my ability to be a bodyguard. I can report it to my superior as such when I return."
Abby had no rebuttal for that. It was definitely weird that this silent mountain of a man had decided to travel so far for her sake…but it was possible he was using it as an excuse to travel period. He had expressed interest in the Kanta region before.
"Okay then. Welcome aboard, bodyguard. Nice to have you along," she said with a smile.
He blinked at her rapidly for a moment before regaining his composure. What was that about?
No matter. She couldn't worry about trivial things right now. The salty sea air, the sound of the seagulls, and the knowledge that she was heading in the right direction had her in an excellent mood.
She and Katie had always loved the beach. They used to dig giant holes in the sand for one of them to be buried in and switched off whose turn it was to get all sandy and gross each time.
The captain told them that if the winds were good, they would make it to Annalaias in six to eight weeks. If they weren't, it would take more like three or four months. Abby couldn't imagine being stuck on a boat for that long, especially since there weren't proper bathrooms here.
Katie had been lucky enough to have proper plumbing because she had been a noble. Abby on the other hand had been forced to use outhouses most of the time because very few buildings had proper toilets.
When she saw that the only toilet there was on the ship was a bucket meant to be dumped overboard she nearly threw up. 'The things I do for you, Katie,' she thought bitterly. 'There better be proper toilets in the mountains or I'll revolt.'
A modern girl like her sister should force innovations like that in her new home…right? Blaise had told her that the young new leader of the Kanta had been changing things quite a bit to make life more convenient for his people without knowing that her sister was his wife.
Abby was certain it was Katie's doing. She had been clever since they were very little. And she knew a lot about politics because of her degree.
If anyone was going to end up in the middle of a politically charged novel plot, it was a good thing it was her. Those sorts of situations were practically made for her. She had truly enjoyed a good chunk of her coursework in college even though she struggled with class attendance and completing all of her assignments on time because of her poor health.