On the Road

The team had only just left the garrison and entered the depths of the forest when Captain John, usually so carefree, strictly followed the marching manual and sent two scouts ahead to reconnoiter.

The rest split into several groups, keeping some distance between one another as they advanced along the cleared path, occasionally removing obstructions from the road.

Most of them were weeds and shrubs. If they were not cleared away in time, within half a year this crude road, wide enough for a four-wheeled carriage, would be swallowed by the bushes and weeds. Every team did this whenever they went out.

The mages, physicians, and blacksmiths remained in the center of the formation, protected by seven or eight soldiers, including the captain, to prevent these important personnel from being harmed by Magical Beasts that might suddenly appear.

Although Jialan had said more than once that he did not need such meticulous protection from the soldiers, under John's insistence, even a noble mage could not oppose his decision.

Jialan kept the spell Mental Revelation active at all times. Although patrol squads passed through here every half month, that did not guarantee safety.

Even with two scouts ahead, there were certain high-level beings they would be unable to detect. Fortunately, Mental Revelation did not consume much mana, so Jialan was not overly strained by maintaining it for long periods.

At noon, everyone stopped to rest. The soldiers cleared a large open space for the mages and physicians, then began making a fire and preparing food.

The food was white bread brought from the garrison, lightly toasted and served with stew made from several deer the soldiers had hunted. It actually tasted quite good.

Because time was tight, there had been no elaborate cooking. The mages were given only a small amount of roasted venison and some wild vegetables gathered along the way.

Though these wild vegetables tasted somewhat bitter, their texture was excellent and everyone loved them. Merchants in the town also bought them in large quantities, and mercenaries and adventurers occasionally came to gather them, so there were not many left in the wilderness now. Jialan ate with great satisfaction and thanked the soldier specifically responsible for preparing the food.

After a brief rest following the meal, they set out again. Birds in the trees were startled into flight from time to time, and occasionally some unlucky person was hit by droppings falling from the sky.

The atmosphere was somewhat dull. Only whenever the physician Jack spotted medicinal herbs and shouted as he rushed over did things become livelier, but before long, the mood would sink again.

As night approached, they arrived at the first campsite.

The legion had built many campsites along the road based on the soldiers' marching pace. Unless something unexpected happened on the way, they usually spent the night at one of these campsites. After years of maintenance by the troops, this place had become relatively safe compared to other parts of the forest.

Captain John gave the small stone house at the center of the camp to Jialan and the physician Jack. Some of the others set up tents around it, while others began making dinner. He also arranged for five men to scout and patrol the surrounding area.

Dragging his exhausted body, Jialan carried a bag of magic powder around the campsite as he set up a magic array. It was only the lowest-grade warning array. As long as a large creature approached the camp, it would let out a piercing shriek to assist the soldiers keeping watch at night.

After dinner, Jialan returned to the small stone house. A full day of walking had left him utterly exhausted. Most spellcasters were physically frail, and Jialan was already considered one of the healthier ones.

After taking off his shoes and socks, he found that his ankles were badly red and swollen. Just as he was about to cast a Water Element Soothing Rain Spell to ease the soreness, the physician Jack came in. Before entering, Captain John had pulled him aside and reminded him that spellcasters still needed to work and meditate at night, hoping he would remain quiet.

Jack entered uneasily. It was his first time seeing a mage without a hood, and he discovered that Jialan was so young, perhaps even younger than himself. He was extraordinarily handsome, completely lacking the gloominess he usually seemed to have while hiding beneath his oversized robe.

"You should soak your feet in herbal medicine, or you won't be able to walk tomorrow," Jack blurted out. The moment he said it, he regretted it somewhat and nervously rubbed his hands together.

Jialan wanted to ease the other man's tension. After all, unless something unexpected happened, the two of them would be staying in the same house for more than ten days. So he asked, "Do you have any recommendations?"

"Reed Bud Grass works very well. Would you like to try it? I can go boil it right now," Jack asked excitedly.

"Then I'll have to trouble you," Jialan said with a smile.

"It's no trouble, no trouble," Jack shouted as he rushed out of the small stone house to boil foot-soaking water for Jialan.

After soaking his feet in the Reed Bud Grass water Jack recommended, Jialan's feet indeed felt much better, and the swelling disappeared. Jack even applied a medicinal plaster to each of his legs, saying that would keep them from aching while walking the next day. After this incident, the two grew much closer.

"You're saying that the current Koso Federation was formed after the Ancient Austine Empire split apart following a Beast Tide four hundred years ago?" Jack asked, his eyes wide.

"At least, that is what the books record." Jialan patted the books on the table before him. As he recorded everything he had seen that day as data, he answered Jack's questions. Once they returned, this data would be handed over to the garrison, where specialized clerks would compile it into archives for studying the changes along the border in recent years.

"A Beast Tide is too terrifying. It actually destroyed an empire..." Jack murmured, looking utterly incredulous.

"That was the greatest Beast Tide of the past thousand years. Smaller Beast Tides actually occur about once every century. The most recent one in our empire happened eighty years ago. Fortunately, Archmage Douglas happened to be nearby at the time and used the Forbidden Spell Meteor Fire Rain to repel the Beast Tide. Even so, more than a hundred thousand people were killed or injured, and over a dozen towns were reduced to ruins."

Jack had far too many questions. Jialan somewhat regretted trying to get close to him. It was much less troublesome to keep pretending to be gloomy. The small stone house did not finally grow quiet until late at night, when Jialan used meditation and cultivation as an excuse.

After five or six days of travel, Jialan's team had pushed deep into Misty Forest, reaching an area where even mercenaries rarely ventured. There were far more ordinary beasts and Magical Beasts here, and they encountered several battles. However, none required Jialan to act. Only a few people suffered minor injuries, all of which Jack easily treated. Along the way, Jialan also found several spellcasting materials, an unexpected gain.

Another two or three days passed, and Jialan and Captain John stood together with grave expressions. Something was not right. There were simply too many Magical Beasts along the way, even if none of them were Advanced Magical Beasts.

Especially during the past day, they had faced a battle nearly every hour. Several people had already been injured, and the physician Jack was running himself ragged. He had not disturbed Jialan in quite some time.