Chapter 130 - Leaving for the Taltin Mountains

As the morning sun had barely peeked over the horizon, one person was already wide-awake and in the middle of a training exercise. He was sweating from executing the repeated moveset over and over. The discipline in each swing of his shortsword was impeccable. But today wasn't a day for training.

"Leon! That's more than enough!"

The young swordsman stayed his blade, taking a deep breath as he turned around. "Oliver? How long--"

"Long enough to know you're overworking yourself before we leave for the mountains," Oli commented as he hopped off of a nearby roof. "Given the responsibility we have ahead of us, wouldn't tiring yourself now be detrimental, not helpful?"

"Sorry… This is how I relieve stress…"

"Really? Then you'll make a fine cultivator in time, but that doesn't mean you want to face exhaustion after overtraining on the day of an important mission."

"He's right, Leon." Another voice rang out from the distance, more elderly than both Oliver's and Leon's voices. Hurman approached them and added, "Relax and stay calm. A tense strike isn't flexible, nor will it be able to adjust to the pressures of the real world. You must be calm yet firm, flexible yet immovable. This is a great time to test your mettle and enhance your confidence in true combat."

"Thank you, Patriarch." 

"Leon, call me appropriately when we're alone like this."

"Mhm… Thank you, Grandpa."

Smiling warmly, Hurman patted Leon on the back and redirected him toward the front gate. "Now, shouldn't you two be heading off soon? The others should be waiting at the front gate, including Keldon and the herbalist."

Oli nodded and started for the front gate. "Hurry up, Leon, or you'll get left behind."

"Right!"

Leon gave a full, quick bow to his grandfather before racing off to catch up with Oli, who had sped up the moment Leon took off. The average-sized young man did his best to keep up but found himself incapable of catching up to the broad-shouldered giant of a young man. 

Their race led them to the front gate in no time as a group of people were already there in wait.

"Finally! What took you so long?!"

"Pauller?!" Leon shouted with a loud laugh.

As the younger brother charged into Leon for a final hug before Leon's departure, Sisslia chuckled, "Pauller was one of the first people here. He wanted to make sure that he didn't miss you and Oliver leaving."

"Can we hurry up and get moving."

"Calm down, Johan, I've yet to introduce my nephew," Keldon spoke up nudging a thin, pale-skinned young man forward. "Leon, Oliver, this is Shadur. He's technically a mid-adept and quite advanced for his age, but he's purely a support and will be relying on you two for protection."

Oliver smiled and gave the young man a once-over. He could guess that Shadur was around their age, possibly a bit older, but his frail frame and smaller-than-average stature said otherwise. If anything, Shadur was quite androgynous in appearance.

Looking back at Oliver and intimidated by Oliver's powerful physique and confident gaze, Shadur coughed before bowing his head. With a soft voice that was still masculine, Shadur stated, "Thank you for hiring me. I greatly look forward to working with you, though I'm sorry that I'll be relying on you greatly for the duration of the job."

"Don't sweat it," replied Oliver, glad to see that Shadur wasn't a pushover.

"Since you're all here and have met each other, isn't it about time you leave? If not, you may not return in time." Everyone looked back to see Hurman approaching the crowd.

Jonon nodded, slapping his son on the back, "Jonon, there's no need to be nervous. With Oliver, you'll be fine."

"Who said I'm nervous?!"

"From that tense response, I'd guess you're more than nervous." Realizing that he shared his thought out loud, Shadur bowed again and apologized, "Sorry. It only makes sense to feel a little jittery on your first time outside the city."

"So you've traveled before?"

Nodding back to Oliver, Shadur responded, "Yes, a few times. I've never gathered Living Lilies before, but I have an idea where to find them. Rest assured that I'll be able to support you three and even heal you should any injuries arise."

"Perfect! In that case, there's nothing to worry about," Oliver laughed, stepping forward. "Then let's get going. If we don't make it far enough by sundown, we may have to travel through the night instead of camping."

"Right!" Leon shouted and took in a big, slow breath. Ready to accept the new challenge, Leon followed behind Oliver.

"You coming or not?"

"Oh! Of course, I am!" Johan yelled. He was the last one to step forward but made sure to be the loudest, as if trying to make up for something.

"Be careful of the Tri-horned Deer. This time of year is grazing, and they'll stampede if spooked," Hurman warned.

"Anything to be scared of?"

"For where you're going, there shouldn't be anything you can't handle."

Keldon added, "Keep an eye out for bandits, as was reported by some suppliers. But you should be fine given how confident Hurman is in your abilities."

"Then we'll see you in a few days!" Oliver turned away from the crowd and led his party with a wave backward. While everyone else said their goodbyes to their parents, their uncle, or other relatives, Oli kept his head forward with a keen eye. A lot was on the line for this mission while it was sure to have some unexpectancies take place. Oli wanted to be sure of success, wanting to guarantee a safe return at all costs.

As they left through the town, Oli kept his essence at a minimum. Rather than eliminate his essence signature entirely, Oli wanted to actively scan the area the best he could at all times. Should anyone dare approach them unprepared, Oli wouldn't show mercy. And given his deal with Hurman, Oli wouldn't be entirely afraid of showing a few of the tricks of his sleeves.