Chapter 3: The Journey Begins

After walking for quite some time through the cold wind, I finally arrived at a neighboring village not too far away.

It was an easy route—just follow the well-paved road straight ahead—so there was no chance of getting lost.

“Wow…”

I stood at the village entrance, gazing around in awe.

A short stone wall stood along the perimeter, guarded by a lone gatekeeper. Inside, children around my age were helping their parents with various tasks.

“Hey! Who are you? Where are you from?”

Great.

The gatekeeper must have spotted me and called out. I walked up to him and responded.

“I came from the next village.”

“Oh, from Chief Hans’ village? Running an errand?”

“Yes.”

The gatekeeper seemed almost entirely relaxed, without a trace of suspicion. Even though he noticed the sword strapped to my back, he didn’t seem concerned.

After he opened the gate for me, I gave him a polite nod and stepped inside.

It must have been lunchtime, judging by the delicious smells wafting through the air from every direction.

Since I had skipped breakfast and walked for hours, hunger gnawed at me.

I bit into a piece of the tough jerky from my bag and asked the gatekeeper,

“Mister?”

“Yeah?”

“I heard there’s a man with a carriage around here. Do you know where I can find him?”

“A carriage? Go check over there, near the stables in the corner.”

The gatekeeper kindly pointed me toward a large building tucked away in a corner of the village.

I thanked him once more and, without hesitation, hurried toward the place he indicated.

Finding the carriage was easy.

It was parked neatly beside the stable-like building, with piles of cargo stacked in front of it.

Even at that moment, about three men were busy loading the goods.

I had heard from the adults before—there was someone in this village who ferried people and cargo to the capital for a fee.

I had worried I might arrive too late, but it seemed my timing was just right.

I approached the men hauling the heavy bags.

“Excuse me.”

“Hm?”

Despite their tough appearance, the men didn’t seem unfriendly.

One of them set down a heavy bag, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at me.

“What’s up?”

“Do you take passengers to the capital?”

“Hmm…?”

The man tilted his head in confusion.

He looked around as if expecting to see my parents nearby.

They probably hadn’t noticed I’d left home yet.

“I came alone. It’s just an errand.”

“An errand, huh? You don’t seem like a local…”

“I’m from Chief Hans’ village.”

“Oh, that guy?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, what’s your business? Got money with you?”

I rummaged through my pouch and pulled out a silver coin.

The man shook his head—apparently, it wasn’t enough.

Quickly, I took out another silver coin.

“Is this sufficient?”

After a moment’s hesitation, the man gave a nod.

The deal was sealed.

“Give me the money when we leave. We’ll set off right after lunch, so you’d better wait nearby.”

I nodded and made my way to a small wooden chair next to the stable.

The cold weather had frozen the chair, making my seat uncomfortably cold.

The wait was longer than I expected, but I kept my complaints to myself.

When the man returned after finishing his work and meal, two unfamiliar people accompanied him.

One was a woman carrying a large bag, and the other was a man with a long scar running across his face.

It seemed they would be traveling with us.

After that, there wasn’t much conversation.

They hadn’t asked why I was headed to the capital, suggesting the earlier question was just a formality.

As I chatted with Sinel, I struggled to keep a straight face.

The ride was miserable.

The carriage jolted constantly, and I almost bit my tongue a couple of times.

How could Philip and Sinel sit so calmly through this bumpy ride?

With a deep sigh, I nestled into a corner.

I decided to lean against the soft luggage and get some rest.

The carriage came to a stop in the middle of the night, just as the sun had fully set.

The sound of fierce winds echoed all around, and faint snowflakes drifted through the air.

Philip and Ned set about building a fire with practiced ease.

They took firewood from the carriage, wrapped it in oiled paper, and struck a spark with a flint.

I sat a short distance away, quietly watching their every move.

“What’s so interesting?” Ned asked.

“The way you’re starting the fire,” I replied.

“You’ve never seen someone light a fire before?”

“No.”

Though I understood the process in theory, witnessing it firsthand was fascinating.

Everything in this world was new and intriguing to me, from the fire to the two large horses pulling the carriage.

“Did you bring food?” Ned asked.

“I have some jerky in my bag.”

He sighed at my answer and fetched a large pot from the carriage.

He filled it with water and dried vegetables, then added a yellow powder.

Soon, the water began to boil, releasing a rich aroma.

“Come sit by the fire.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

I scrambled over to sit beside him.

He ladled some of the thick soup into a small bowl and handed it to me.

I wasn’t sure what kind of soup it was, but it looked hearty.

There were no spoons.

Ned and Philip used large ladles to drink directly from their bowls, so I followed their example.

“Phew… phew…” I blew on the hot soup and took a sip.

It tasted salty—too salty, with no other flavor to speak of.

Disappointed, but not wanting to complain, I quickly drank it down.

As I gulped the last of the soup, I felt a strange gaze on me and looked up.

It was Philip.

He was staring at the sword strapped to my back.

“Did you learn how to use that?” he asked.

Philip’s sudden question caught me off guard.

I nodded and answered, “A little, just for self-defense.”

“Self-defense?”

“Yes, there was a retired knight in the village.”

Philip’s interest sparked at my response.

He stood up and turned to Ned. “Do we still have a wooden sword in there?”

“Yeah… the one I used is still around. Why?”

Philip gave a slight nod and headed into the carriage.

Curious, I tilted my head and asked Ned, “Are you two friends?”

“Something like that,” Ned answered vaguely.

“Friends are friends. What do you mean, ‘something like that’?”

Ned chuckled. “He’s always wanted to be a knight. Hearing you learned swordsmanship from one must’ve piqued his interest.”

“Oh…”

I nodded absentmindedly.

Philip soon returned, holding two wooden swords. Without hesitation, he handed one to me.

“Here, take it.”

I accepted the wooden sword, glancing at Ned for approval. He sighed but gave a small nod.

For a moment, I hesitated. It was true that I’d learned from a self-proclaimed retired knight, but I wasn’t a knight myself.

I worried I might disappoint Philip. Surely, he knew that.

So, what was he hoping to see?

“I’m not going to attack. Just show me what you’ve got,” Philip reassured me when I hesitated.

Sighing, I nodded. Since they gave me food, I supposed I could at least grant this small request.

Philip stood ready, his wooden sword aimed at me.

I set down my iron sword and heavy leather coat, getting into position.

With my legs spread shoulder-width apart, I angled my body and pointed the wooden sword forward.

My breathing steadied, and my stance lowered slightly.

When I was ready, I launched forward, kicking off the ground.

The knight had first taught me a downward slash, modeled after the motion of chopping wood.

Imagining the moonlight slicing through the night sky, I swung the wooden sword.

Clack!

The swords collided with a sharp sound.

I wasn’t surprised. This was the outcome I’d expected.

Maintaining contact, I twisted my wrist, but Philip immediately disengaged.

In terms of pure strength, I knew I couldn’t win.

Gritting my teeth, I charged into his space, using my smaller frame to my advantage.

Philip reacted quickly, shifting the path of his sword to guard against my approach.

I knew my attack would be blocked, but I couldn’t just stop. I didn’t have the strength to alter my sword’s trajectory, nor the speed to slip past his defense.

So, I planted my feet and twisted my waist to add momentum.

Smack!

My wooden sword was stopped effortlessly by Philip’s.

I took a step back, panting.

“Want to go again?” I asked between breaths.

Philip let out a small hum, as if considering.

Satisfied, perhaps?

He shook his head and extended his hand toward me.

“Thanks.”

A handshake?

I stared at his large, calloused hand but quickly decided I didn’t want to shake it.

Instead, I tucked my hands behind my back, avoiding his grasp.