City of Abundance

The insignificant interlude soon passed. Once the caravan had finished getting organized, the axles creaked, and the whole procession began to crawl forward like a centipede on its belly.

Renard rode at the rear of the caravan, while the drunk Colliver swayed atop the lead wagon, looking as if he could fall off at any moment.

The caravan moved exceptionally slowly. Renard looked back at Wilderness Manor and was dismayed to see that they had traveled less than two miles.

Perhaps this is what real adventuring life is like, he thought.

It wasn't until the afternoon that the caravan reached Saint Brieuc Fortress. But to avoid the steep tolls, the merchants agreed not to pass through the town.

Renard silently breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the town disappear over the horizon again, a few wistful thoughts stirring within him.

He was leaving just like that, and he had no idea when he would return. Perhaps when he had completed his studies, or when Hamilton was on his deathbed, or perhaps he would die somewhere far from home and never come back.

If he could, then one day, when he was weary, exhausted, and tired of a rootless life, he would return here and spend the rest of his days in peace.

After leaving Saint Brieuc Fortress, the caravan gradually picked up speed. The horses even began to trot. They still weren't moving very fast, but it was a great improvement over before.

There was no smooth stone road, though, and the elderly, women, and children in the wagons nearly vomited up their guts. The smell of sausages, dried fruit, and smoked meat mingled with sweat and vomit, making Renard, riding far away, feel sick to his stomach.

At dusk, the caravan reached an unknown, dilapidated village, sparing everyone from having to sleep out in the wild.

Sleeping out in the wild was extremely dangerous. You never knew when or where a few monsters might suddenly appear and take your life.

The village was desolate. Those who lived there were either old people or children; any young adult with even a little ambition would never choose to spend their life there.

The villagers weren't surprised or alarmed to see the caravan arrive. Some of the women and elderly even brought out things they considered valuable to trade with the merchants.

Renard dismounted and stretched his arms a few times. They ached terribly; this was at least ten times more exhausting than fighting goblins.

The caravan's laborers each went about their duties. Some organized the goods, while others set up pots and cooked. The elderly, women, and children hoping to find a living elsewhere sat around the wagons, gnawing on dry, black rye bread.

The adventurer Colliver brought out dried meat and ale and ate heartily. A few children in the distance, clutching black rye bread and sniffling, stared fixedly at him, nearly drooling onto their feet.

Perhaps uncomfortable with being watched, he pretended to be fierce and tried to scare them. The children buried their faces in their elders' arms, their frail bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Renard shook his head with a quiet laugh, took a few pieces of dried meat from his pack, and tossed them to the children. Then he went back to brushing his warhorse.

Colliver first looked at Renard's warhorse with envy, then scoffed. "The Barren Land doesn't need pity."

Renard raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Pity? Perhaps so!

Colliver hadn't seen what Scum Renard had done in Saint Brieuc Fortress. Otherwise, he would never have said that.

The rest of the journey was extremely dull. Nothing unusual happened along the way, and killing goblins and bandits was no challenge for Renard. Colliver, on the other hand, acted as if he'd accomplished something great, constantly boasting to the merchants and demanding rewards until he drove them to distraction.

On the evening of the sixth day, Renard cut down another dozen or so goblins. By the time the last one fell, he had killed a total of 153 goblins.

"Turn in the quest!" He sheathed his sword and took a deep breath.

"Ding! Kill Quest completed: Kill 100 goblins. Reward: 1 Potential Point. Completion: 153%."

"Ding! Quest completed beyond expectations. Reward: 1 random attribute point."

This was the first quest Renard had completed on his own. It had taken six whole days, and the rewards were only so-so.

He opened the system interface.

"Host Attributes: Strength: 12 (Bonus: 5), Agility: 17, Intelligence: 14, Charisma: 13, Potential: 1, Unassigned Skill Points: 2."

"Host's Strength-type skill levels: Iron Bones: 4, Strong Attack: 4, Precision: 4."

"Host's Agility-type skill levels: Riding Skill: 5, Martial Arts: 6, Control: 6."

"Host's Intelligence-type skill levels: Battle Qi Usage: 0, Eidetic Memory: 14, Tactical Command: 0."

"Host's Charisma-type skill levels: Leadership: 4, Bravery: 4, Near Death: 4."

Clearly, the random attribute point had gone to the most useless attribute, Charisma. Renard could only inwardly lament the waste. He put the Potential Point into Strength and assigned the Skill Points to Iron Bones and Leadership.

"Host Attributes: Strength: 13 (Bonus: 5), Agility: 17, Intelligence: 14, Charisma: 13, Potential: 0, Unassigned Skill Points: 0."

"Host's Strength-type skill levels: Iron Bones: 5, Strong Attack: 4, Precision: 4."

"Host's Agility-type skill levels: Riding Skill: 5, Martial Arts: 6, Control: 6."

"Host's Intelligence-type skill levels: Battle Qi Usage: 0, Eidetic Memory: 14, Tactical Command: 0."

"Host's Charisma-type skill levels: Leadership: 5, Bravery: 4, Near Death: 4."

Afterward, he exited the system and began to search the battlefield.

On the twenty-fourth day after leaving Saint Brieuc Fortress, City of Abundance finally came into view in the distance. They arrived four days later than expected.

On the lead wagon, Colliver spoke at length. "City of Abundance is the third-largest city in the Southern Great Wilderness, with a permanent population of more than 34,000. See those fields around us? Only land this fertile can support so many people."

Just as people called Duke Duncan's Territory the Barren Land, they preferred to call Southern Wilderness County, a region equally lacking in resources, the Southern Great Wilderness.

In truth, during the reign of the Olehols Dynasty, Southern Wilderness County and the Barren Land had always been places where criminals were exiled. Of course, they still were now. It wouldn't be wrong to call them barren wastelands.

Because the Kingdom of Arthur lacked maritime trade, the closer a region was to the center of the continent, the more prosperous it was.

In other words, this region's poverty wasn't an accident. It was an inevitability of history.

Colliver kept talking, leaving the poor folk who had never traveled far utterly stunned.

Renard merely curled his lip in disdain. He had been to a city with thirty million people, so why would this impress him? He said mockingly, "It's not much different from Saint Brieuc Fortress, apart from being a little bigger."

Colliver gave an awkward shrug and launched into another story. "If you could visit the kingdom's capital, you'd know what real prosperity looks like."

"The capital?" Renard rarely showed curiosity. "Have you been there, Mr. Colliver?"

"Of course I have." Colliver immediately perked up, looking decades younger. "I was still young back then..."