The last week before leaving was a crazy time of getting everything ready and going over lists again. Lylia made sure that everyone went through their packs several times to make sure they didn't forget anything important.

Felix wanted to test all of the emergency supplies, which got him stuck in rope, and Bork had to cut him free. Hammy ate one of Seraphine's notebooks, and it took an hour of careful squeezing to get all the paper back out.

"Why does the slime like to eat paper?" Bork asked as he watched Seraphine pick up the wet pieces of her notes.

"I can't even answer that without thinking of any good logical reason other than their gluttonous behavior," Seraphine said with a sigh. "And we should already know that Hammy eats everything."

"I've written down at least forty different things that the slime has eaten. The process of digestion is fascinating but very annoying."

"At least Hammy looks happy," Elwen said.

The slime was happily bouncing on Greg's shoulder and chirping as if it was proud of having eaten an entire notebook.

Lylia prepared a large farewell dinner on the final night before their departure. Everyone in the village was invited, and the workshop was full of people eating, drinking, and wishing them well on their trip.

Thomas was there with his chickens, which Greg's fence posts had stopped from getting away. The bakery's Agnes brought fresh bread. The village chief, Bernard, even showed up.

Bernard raised his glass and said, "You've done a good job here as always, Greg."

"Your found family and you make Ferndale a better place. We will miss you while you are gone, but we can't wait to hear about your adventures when you get back."

Greg told him, "We'll be back in a month. We hope to return without causing any diplomatic issues between countries."

"That's totally a red flag..." Felix said while taking a sip of his drink.

"Don't think of it like that! I don't want to make any chaos there!"

"Hopefully," Marina said again, but her tone made it clear she wasn't sure.

The party went on until late at night, with music, dancing, and more food than any group of people could eat. Hammy bounced around and made kids laugh.

They loved the friendly slime. Greg was able to relax for the first time in days because he was with people who had become like family to him.

Lylia pulled Greg aside as the party was coming to an end and people were starting to leave. "What's wrong?"

"I just wanted to say something," she said softly. "Thanks for agreeing to do this. And for wanting to help me see Rosalina again. It means more than you know."

Greg said, "You've done so much for us all. This is the least we can do to say thanks."

"I know you don't really like competitions, though. And I know you're worried about how people will react to your things."

"A little, but I'll get used to it." Greg said.

"Just remember," Lylia said, "you're not doing this to show anyone else that you can do it. Tell them what you believe in. Tell them that peace can be strong, and that's all you have to do."

Greg nodded, and some of his worry went away. "I'll give it a shot."

"That's all we can do."

After that, there was a long silence where Lylia started to blush looking at Greg. She thinks that today might be the perfect time to confess about something.

"Hey, Greg."

"Yeah?"

"I..."

"I need to cook something good for tomorrow!" Lylia couldn't even say something that was on her mind that her mouth started to autocorrect it herself.

"Sure, I'll be waiting for that, of course." Greg said that while leaving her alone.

Lylia then does a facepalm. "I really am a fool... hah... maybe next time."

...

The next morning was clear and cold, which was excellent weather for traveling. The carriage was full and ready to go. It looked like a small fortress on wheels, with all of their supplies safely stored and Seraphine's defensive spells glowing faintly in the early light.

The Brotherhood gathered around it to do last-minute checks and make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. Hammy was especially excited, bouncing from person to person and chirping happily about the adventure that was about to happen.

Greg stood next to the driver's seat and asked, "Is everyone ready?"

They all said yes to him. Marina climbed next to him, which is the usual place for the navigator to sit. The rest of the group settled into the roomy inside, finding comfortable spots among their bags and supplies.

Felix looked out one of the windows and said, "This is really happening. We're really going to a festival in a different kingdom!"

"Don't cause any problems with other countries," Seraphine said.

"I never mean to cause diplomatic problems!"

"That's what makes it worse!"

Greg took control and felt the Eternal Engine Core respond to his touch. The carriage started to move smoothly, leaving behind the workshop where they had lived and worked. People had come to say goodbye, waving and shouting well wishes.

"Take care!" Agnes yelled.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Bernard said while waving both his hands.

"Come back safe!" Thomas yelled, and his chickens agreed by clucking.

Greg felt both excited and nervous as they left Ferndale behind and the village got smaller in the distance. This was it. They were really going to a festival across the kingdom, where they would compete against famous craftsmen to win so that Lylia could see her mentor again.

"You're holding the reins too tightly," Marina said when she saw how tense he was. "Take it easy. The carriage almost drives itself."

"I know, I'm just thinking about something."

"About what?"

"About everything that might go wrong."

Marina laughed and put her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry, everything will be okay. And even if things go wrong, we'll still be together."

"That's what counts."

"You're right," Greg said, making himself let go. "Together."

He could hear his found family talking and laughing through the windows of the carriage behind them. Bork was already talking about the mines.

Felix was talking about his game in a way that no one else could understand. Seraphine was writing down what she saw.

Elwen was drawing. Mira and Donetta were playing a hand game that made them laugh a lot.

And Hammy was bouncing around inside, looking into everything and chirping happily whenever something interesting caught his eye.

This was his family. His crazy, silly, and flawless family. No matter what happened at the festival, he would still have them.

The road ahead led to Meridian and whatever adventures lay ahead. Greg took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and smiled.

"Here we go," he said.

"Here we gooooooo~!" Marina said again with a loud voice.

The Brotherhood of Peace set off on their biggest adventure yet, ready to show the world what they could make if they were given the chance. Knowing Greg's luck, they would probably make a mess first and then useful things. But that was just who they were, and Greg wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

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