CH 153

Episode 153 – The Start of a Long Journey

About two hours had passed since leaving Grezesta. The tears had stopped completely, leaving me feeling refreshed enough to enjoy the scenery as we went by. Since we were neither walking in the direction of Mount Cornello nor in that of Nava Forest, we were already in a location that was unknown to me. I did buy a map, but because it was way too large and detailed, I left the navigation to Edward and didn’t use it at all.

“….How is it? Are you feeling a little better now?” (Edward)

“Yes. I cried it all out to my heart’s content, so I’m feeling much better now.” (Lewin)

“I see, I see. That’s good. I’m glad I was there to witness your first departure, so we can think back on these good times together some day,” Edward said with a soft, warm smile. I felt a little embarrassed when I saw his expression.

“Umm… err… Is it alright if I leave the directions to you?” (Lewin)

Feeling a bit shy, I forcefully changed the topic.

“Hm? Of course. As the one who accepted this request, I‘ll make sure you properly get to Landaust.” (Edward)

What a reliable person.

He had a mild temperament, and he was both experienced and capable. Our journey only started about two hours ago, but I could already see why he was adored by so many people.

I continued to talk with Edward as we walked along the public road. When the sun began to set, I saw a place that looked like a village. When I had seen that it was starting to get dark out, the idea of sleeping outdoors had begun to flash alarmingly in my mind, so I immediately felt relieved when I caught sight of the village in the distance. It had been a long journey for just the two of us, and I hadn’t brought a tent. I wasn’t enthusiastic about sleeping outdoors, so I was really glad to have made it to the village.

“We arrived a little later than planned, but that village is where we’ll be staying for today.” (Edward)

“I didn’t say it out loud, but I was worrying to myself that we’d end up having to sleep outside. I’m really glad we made it to the village.” (Lewin)

“Excuse me, may I have a word? We’re traveling through these parts, and we’d like to spend the night in this village… would it be alright to let us in?” (Edward)

“Huh, it’s rare for a traveler to come to this village. Well… you seem harmless, so it’s fine. There’s not much in this village, so feel free to proceed at your own pace,” the gatekeeper spoke in a thick accent, giving us permission to enter. I thought for sure that the gatekeeper would confirm our identities, but there didn’t seem to be anything of the sort, and he simply allowed us into the village.

Compared to Grezesta, the guards seemed way too lenient, which was a bit worrying. But after thinking back a bit, I realized that my hometown, Dono, didn’t even have a gatekeeper at all.

“They let us through so easily, didn’t they?” (Lewin)

“It’s only us two, an old man and a child, so there’s no way they would be too vigilant towards the two of us. More importantly, we need to find a place for us to stay. There won’t be any inns after all.” (Edward)

Just as Edward said, there were no inns in the village. After negotiating with the villagers, we were allowed to stay at the village chief’s house.

The village chief was kind enough to not only give us a room but also treat us to dinner and even a bath.

“It’s a good thing the village chief is so kind. On the very first day, it seems I’ll be able to go to sleep with a clean body and a full stomach.” (Lewin)

“Indeed. But this village chief really is exceptionally kind. Usually, the best you can do is rent a room, so you shouldn’t expect too much.” (Edward)

“Yes, I won’t take it for granted. I’m very grateful that we were allowed to stay in this room.” (Lewin)

Edward nodded approvingly with a smile.

After that, when I finished getting ready for tomorrow, I took a seat at the table across from Edward, who wanted to discuss our course of action from here on.

“I’d like to hurry up and get some rest, so this won’t take too long.” (Edward)

“It’s totally fine. As for our future course of action, did you want to confirm the route we plan on taking?” (Lewin)

“Nope, I’ve already decided on the route to Landaust, and I don’t intend to pick up the pace either. It’s about something else.” (Edward)

“….? Then what did you want to talk about?” (Lewin)

“In short, it’s about whether you want to accept my teachings or not. As an escort, I think it’s normal for me to defeat all the monsters. But if you so desire, I’m willing to make plans to teach you.” (Edward)

Actually, I was planning to ask Edward to teach me when we ran into a monster, so I was grateful for Edward’s suggestion. There was no need to think about it any further; at this point, all I needed to do was ask.

“I’d love that! In fact, I was already planning to ask you to teach me, so, if it’s not too much trouble for you, I’d appreciate it a lot, Edward-san!” (Lewin)

“Hohoho. I see, I see. That’s great… It’s been a while since I’ve been itching to put my skills to use.” (Edward)

The smile on Edward’s face gave me a slight chill, but… perhaps it was just my imagination. I was very lucky to have Edward, who was famous for teaching young adventurers, as my escort. On our journey tomorrow, I was looking forward to being attacked by a monster.