Chapter 49: Journey into the Wasteland: Encounters in Greenfall

As with the day before, I was sparring with Foldrin.

However, unlike yesterday, his movements felt uncoordinated, as if his mind was elsewhere.

The sharpness in his strikes had dulled, and his reactions slowed enough for him to earn a thin cut on his cheek after failing to dodge in time.

“What are you doing? If you don’t focus, you’ll get hurt.”

“I know.”

Nodding at my remark, Foldrin resumed his movements.

But his form and focus only returned briefly before faltering again.

Sparring with him in this state wasn’t going to help me much. It would be more productive to practice alone.

I stepped back with a sigh.

“Let’s call it a day.”

“Hmm…”

As I sheathed my sword and wiped the sweat from my forehead, Foldrin hesitated, his expression torn.

Then, as if he’d resolved himself, he spoke with a serious look.

“Seris.”

“What is it?”

“Could I make a request of you?”

“A request…?”

The suddenness of his words caught me off guard.

Knowing what kind of feelings Foldrin harbored for me, I had assumed he was building up to asking me out for dinner.

Apparently, I was mistaken.

He nodded, continuing, “You must’ve heard when entering this city—about the large-scale monster subjugation force being organized.”

“Ah…”

I nodded. When I first entered this country, a helpful guard had introduced me to potential job opportunities.

Among them was a notice about this subjugation force, which was probably still tucked somewhere in my bag.

“I’ve been enlisted to join them. So…”

“You’re asking me to join too? As an adventurer?”

“Yes. That way, we could train more together and…”

“Do I really need to?”

Foldrin looked visibly flustered by my response, stumbling over his words.

The truth was, I wasn’t sparring with him to improve my general swordsmanship.

I was only interested in learning Elune’s Radiance, the technique he practiced.

“I…I’ll ensure you’re well compensated.”

“I have plenty of money.”

“I’ll make special accommodations for you, unlike the other adventurers…”

It seemed my time with Foldrin was coming to an end.

I had gained all that I needed from him.

What remained was refining what I had learned and training until my body fully internalized it.

Smiling faintly, I stepped back and said, “Sorry, but I don’t think I can join you.”
“T-That can’t be…”

Foldrin’s disappointment was written all over his face.

After a moment of contemplation, he steeled himself, his expression turning resolute.

“Then, would you wait for me?”

“Wait for you?”

“Yes. I’ll complete the monster subjugation mission as quickly as possible and return.”

“Do I have a reason to wait for you?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“Why not say it now?”

“I’m not ready yet. But once I am…”

His eyes burned with a raw intensity, unfiltered and unwavering.

I could already guess what he wanted to confess—it was glaringly obvious.

But when he returned from the monster subjugation mission, I wouldn’t be here.

By then, I would be riding my Nightmare, heading toward the untamed lands of Greenfall.

I narrowed my eyes at him, gauging his determination.

If I outright refused, he’d likely pester me for the rest of the day—and probably longer.

He seemed like the type who wouldn’t give up easily.

Feigning a sweet smile, I replied, “Hmm… Maybe I’ll wait for a bit.”

“Please, I hope you will.”

An unkeepable promise was made.

Crushing a young boy’s innocence didn’t stir a shred of guilt within me—after all, Foldrin was a self-destructive addict who couldn’t even take proper care of himself.

With the day’s work concluded, I was about to head back to the inn when my gaze fell upon a discarded vial lying on the ground.

“If you keep using that, you’ll ruin yourself,” I said flatly.

And that was the end of it.

Without waiting for a reply, I glanced at Foldrin one last time, then turned and walked away toward the inn.

I didn’t see Foldrin again after that. Instead, I spent the next two days in my cramped room, patiently waiting and honing my sword skills alone.

*****

Two days later, the monster subjugation force composed of adventurers and the Holy Knights departed the city.

The grand send-off, held under the cheers of the townsfolk and the blessings of Elune, the moon goddess, was an extravagant affair.

Only after the subjugation force had left the city far behind did I make my move.

Mounting my Nightmare, I rode out of the city without hesitation.

****

“Master… It’s so hot. Even conjuring wind doesn’t help cool me down…”

Walking across the blazing desert, Rain, a young mage, whined to his elderly master.

The two had crossed the sea and arrived in the Karma Empire, where they began tracking my movements.

From the Karma Empire to the Hyland Plateau, from the Hyland Plateau to the Thunderbird Mountains, and now to a desert known as the Sanctuary of Stars, they followed the trail.

The seemingly unending journey made it difficult to discern my purpose.

“Hmm…”

The old mage looked up at the sky, listening to his only pupil’s complaints.

The scorching sun was undeniably oppressive, even for him.

With a simple gesture, the old mage raised his hand toward the heavens.

Though the motion appeared trivial, its impact was anything but.

Following his will, a vast amount of mana began to stir, sending ripples through the surrounding atmosphere.

While the mage’s expression remained composed, the mana he summoned was anything but ordinary.

A massive surge of energy coalesced above, transforming into a dense cloud that expanded rapidly.

The cloud stretched across the sky, soon covering a portion of the desert and blocking out the relentless sun.

“Wow…”

Rain gaped at the spectacle.

A grand magic spell, the kind typically reserved for alleviating severe droughts or altering the tide of wars, was used for something as mundane as escaping the heat.

No other mage would employ large-scale climate manipulation magic for such a purpose—but then again, no other mage was like his master.

Swallowing hard, Rain looked at the older man, marveling at the simplicity and effectiveness of his solution.

“Let’s move.”

The two continued walking through the now-shaded desert, their pace steady.

****

“This is it…!”

“Yes, this is the place.

Where Emily is.”

Meanwhile, in the port of the Karma Empire, twins Soo and Shu disembarked, their eyes darting around in search of their destination.

The reason for their journey to the Karma Empire was simple—to find their friend Emily.

The two had spent countless days searching after her abrupt disappearance, and now, a clue had finally reached them from this faraway land.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes…”

The twins bolted toward the adventurers’ guild, each carrying a sword strapped to their back.

****

As I rode deeper into the wild lands on my Nightmare, the environment around me began to shift rapidly.

The lush green grass gradually disappeared, and the tall trees that had once swayed gently in the breeze were nowhere to be seen.

In their place lay a barren, reddish expanse of cracked, parched earth, with plumes of dust rising into the air.

The desolate surroundings made it painfully clear how harsh and unforgiving this region truly was.

As I unfolded the map, it seemed I had entered the Greenfall region—known as the Land of Orcs.

However, the scenery before me was vastly different from the lush greenery depicted on the map.

Snort.

Guiding my Nightmare, I approached a major crossroads.

In this barren expanse of reddish plains, a crossroads might seem meaningless, yet a worn signpost planted in the ground marked this place as such.

The sign bore incomprehensible symbols, with the common script of humans written underneath.

Clearly, the orcish language was different from ours.

After confirming the direction to Greenfall, I veered right.

Each strike of the Nightmare’s sturdy hooves against the ground sent puffs of dust billowing into the air.

This wasn’t a scorching desert, yet not a single tree could be found.

Was it possible that a severe drought had struck this land?

Puzzled, I glanced around as I continued riding.

Despite the desolation, monsters seemed to inhabit the area.

Along the way to Greenfall, I encountered various creatures—and the orcs hunting them.

The orcs were wary at my arrival but didn’t display overt hostility.

Their caution appeared to be directed more toward my Nightmare than me.

They were an intimidating sight: jutting lower jaws with upward-curved tusks, and their grayish skin stretched over muscular bodies that looked as solid as stone.

“Hello?” I greeted tentatively.

“Kon Cata Tsu,” one of them responded in orcish.

I didn’t understand the words, but the friendly wave accompanying them suggested it was a greeting.

The orcs nodded briefly in acknowledgment before collecting the corpses of the monsters they had slain and moving on.

I watched their retreating figures.

Contrary to my expectations of a savage, primitive people, the orcs were armed no differently than humans.

Their appearance wasn’t particularly monstrous, either.

Snort.

My Nightmare, however, seemed to have taken a disliking to them.

The beast huffed loudly, its breath harsh as it stared after the departing orcs.

“Let’s go,” I said, tugging the reins to spur it forward.

****

After riding for another full day, I finally arrived before a massive fortress.

“Wow…”

The castle, built upon the barren earth, was an awe-inspiring sight.

Its immense presence loomed over the desolate landscape, with the giant, mysterious monster skull adorning the main gate enhancing its ominous aura.

“What kind of monster is that…?” I muttered, staring at the enormous skull.

“It is the skull of a dragon,” a voice answered from nearby.

The words were spoken in a rough accent, with pauses as if the speaker were struggling to form them.

“An adventurer?”

The speaker was an orc clad in full plate armor.

A colossal great sword hung across his back—so large that I initially mistook it for something other than a weapon.

“Ah, yes. You speak the human language?” I replied, startled but curious.

“You have come at a bad time,” the orc said, his tone grim.

“A bad time? What do you mean?”

The orc didn’t answer.

He hesitated, his lips moving as though debating whether to speak further, then sighed, a weary expression crossing his face as he walked away.

I watched him go, then urged my Nightmare forward to follow alongside him.