Heading North

The journey from the Yulan Empire to the O'Brien Empire usually took a month.

Akes wasn't in a hurry.

After leaving the Imperial Capital, he kept his pace slow, traveling only four or five hours a day. The rest of the time, he either stopped to rest in a town or camped out in the wilderness. With his current strength, ordinary magical beasts and bandits posed no threat, so he had nothing to worry about when sleeping outdoors.

Taking his time like this let him see quite a lot.

On the first day, he passed through the agricultural region in the northern part of the Yulan Empire. Vast fields stretched into the distance. The wheat had just been harvested, leaving only rows of stubble behind. Farmers worked in the fields, some turning the soil while others drove ox carts loaded with fertilizer. Villages dotted the roadside, their cooking smoke curling into the sky as the sounds of dogs and chickens carried through the air. As Akes rode past one village, several barefoot children chased after his horse for a while before the adults called them back. He glanced over his shoulder, then continued on his way.

The scene reminded him of his childhood in his previous life. Back then, he had run along field ridges just like these, though those memories had grown so hazy they felt like something from a past life. Well, they were from a past life.

On the second night, he camped at the edge of a forest. He started a fire and roasted a piece of dried food. As he ate, he suddenly heard a noise in the trees. Looking up, he saw a wild rabbit poking its head out of the grass, its ears perked as it studied him. Akes stayed still. After watching him for a while, the rabbit slipped back into the grass and ran off.

On the third day, he entered a hilly region. The farmland grew sparse, replaced by swathes of woods and grassland. He occasionally encountered caravans hauling cargo in loaded wagons, their merchant banners fluttering above them. Some caravans eyed him warily and gripped their weapons when they saw him traveling alone. He didn't mind; he simply kept his distance. The leader of one caravan's guards gave him a few extra glances, probably sensing something about him, but didn't approach.

At dusk on the fourth day, he stopped beside a small river. While his horse drank, he crouched down and washed his face. The water was cold and clear, and he could see fish swimming among the weeds. He watched the surface for a while, then suddenly reached out. The Fallen Heart Flame became an invisible current of heat and burrowed into the water, instantly stunning a fish half a foot long. It floated to the surface belly-up. He scooped it up, scraped off its scales, gutted it, then threaded it onto a branch and roasted it over the fire.

The fish came out crisp on the outside and tender inside. He sprinkled on some salt he'd brought along. It tasted pretty good.

On the fifth day, he passed through a small town and stopped for the night.

The inn there was small, and its owner was a talkative man in his forties who loved to chat. The food he served at dinner was nothing special, but the portions were generous. As Akes ate, he listened to the owner ramble on about local happenings—who'd had a baby, whose elderly relative had died, which merchant had been swindled, and which young man had gotten into a fight and been thrown in jail. Then the owner suddenly lowered his voice. "Things have been unsettled lately. I hear bandits have been spotted to the north. You're traveling alone, so be careful."

Akes nodded. "Thanks for the warning."

"I'm telling you, you'd be better off staying here another couple of days. Wait for a caravan to pass through and travel with them. It'll be safer." The owner was clearly well-meaning.

"No need. I travel slowly, so I'm unlikely to run into bandits." Akes smiled.

The owner seemed ready to say more, but when he saw that Akes had made up his mind, he let it go.

Listening to all this everyday gossip suddenly reminded Akes of his time at the Ernst Institute. George had loved talking about this sort of thing. Whenever he came back from somewhere, he'd drag them into a long conversation about what he'd seen—which noble's daughter was beautiful, which merchant's son had been swindled, and which mercenary group had gotten into trouble in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Akes used to find it annoying, but now it sounded rather comforting.

He wondered what George was up to now. He was probably still at the institute. Knowing him, he was likely chatting someone's ear off.

Early the next morning, Akes set out again.

On the seventh day, he encountered bandits for the first time.

There were five of them, riding horses and carrying swords and knives. They charged out of the woods by the roadside. Their leader, a burly man with a face full of coarse flesh, shouted at Akes to hand over his valuables.

Akes said nothing. He simply raised a hand and sent out a streak of flame.

The fire scorched a black line into the ground in front of them, as thick as an arm and more than ten meters long. Smoke rose from the charred earth, and the air filled with a burnt smell. All five horses stopped in unison, rearing up and nearly throwing their riders. One horse spooked and backed away with a whinny. Its rider clung desperately to the reins, his face gone pale.

The burly leader froze for an instant, eyes wide as he stared at the scorch mark for a couple of seconds. Then, without a word, he turned his horse and fled. The other four ran even faster than he did. One of them didn't even dare retrieve the sword he'd dropped.

Akes lowered his hand and continued on his way.

On the twelfth day, he entered a wasteland.

The wind blew so hard that it was almost impossible to keep his eyes open. The grass underfoot was short and stiff, rustling as he walked. Now and then, he spotted wild animals roaming in the distance. As soon as they saw him, they turned and ran. A few vultures circled overhead, apparently mistaking him for some dying prey.

At dusk, he found an abandoned herder's hut and decided to spend the night there.

The hut was in poor shape, with several holes in the roof, but at least it blocked the wind. Its walls were made of stone. Some sections had partly collapsed, but the rest was still fairly sturdy. He tied his horse up outside. It snorted and lowered its head to nibble at the dead grass. Akes went in, started a fire, and sat down against the wall.

The wind howled outside, while firelight flickered within.

He took the map from his pocket and studied it by the firelight. He'd bought it in the Imperial Capital before setting out. It was detailed, with mountains, rivers, towns, and villages all clearly marked. At his current pace, he'd reach the O'Brien Empire in another ten days or so. Once across the border, he'd have only a short distance left to travel before reaching Northwest Province.

Northwest Province. Its provincial capital, Basil.

He put away the map and tossed a few dry branches onto the fire. They crackled, sending sparks flying.

Firelight played across his face, brightening and dimming.

He closed his eyes and began to cultivate. The Fallen Heart Flame circulated slowly within him, tempering his meridians bit by bit. The cultivation was slow, but steady. With enough time, he would make progress.

The next day, he continued on his way.

On the thirteenth day, the wasteland gradually turned green, and sparse shrubs began to appear. Occasionally, he saw herders driving flocks of sheep past. The sheep were plump, their coats gleaming. When the herders spotted him from afar, they waved, and he waved back.

On the fourteenth day, he finally saw signs of human habitation. A small village sat at the foot of a mountain, with a dozen or so households and vegetables growing around their homes. As he passed the outskirts, he saw several women washing clothes by a stream, chatting and laughing. An old man sat outside his house, basking in the sun. He squinted at Akes as he approached, then suddenly called out, "Young man, traveling alone?"

Akes reined in his horse. "Yes."

"Where are you headed?"

"The O'Brien Empire."

The old man nodded. "That's a long way. Be careful on the road. Things haven't been peaceful around here lately."

Akes felt a flicker of alarm but kept his expression neutral. "Thank you for the warning, sir."

The old man waved a hand and went back to basking in the sun.

On the fifteenth day, Akes finally crossed into the O'Brien Empire.

There was a checkpoint at the border, where several soldiers stood guard. It was built from thick logs—simple, but sturdy—and a watchtower stood beside it, with an archer posted above. Akes showed them his identification from the Yulan Empire. After checking it, the soldiers let him through. One of the younger soldiers looked him over curiously, probably finding it strange that a young man traveling alone had come so far.

"Hey," the young soldier suddenly called after him. "You're alone?"

Akes nodded.

"Not bad. You've got guts." The young soldier grinned. "Be careful on the road."

"Thanks." Akes urged his horse forward and continued on his way.

Past the checkpoint, the scenery was noticeably different from the Yulan Empire.

The Yulan Empire was flat, with broad farmland and densely clustered villages. The terrain in the O'Brien Empire was more rugged, with more mountains and forests, and greater distances between towns. He encountered more caravans on the road, but fewer travelers. Most were mercenaries or merchants traveling in groups. It was unusual to see someone on their own like him.

On the sixteenth day, he encountered a magical beast in the mountains.

It was an Iron-Back Wolf, a little larger than an ordinary wolf. Its fur was bluish gray, and a strip of stiff black hair ran down its spine. It emerged from the woods and blocked the road, its green eyes fixed on Akes as it let out a low growl.

Akes glanced at it, and the Fallen Heart Flame turned slightly within him.

The Iron-Back Wolf seemed to sense something. Its growl cut off abruptly. It flattened its ears, tucked its tail between its legs, and darted into the woods, vanishing from sight.

On the seventeenth day, he passed through a small city. He rested there for the night and stocked up on dried food and water. As he was leaving the next day, he came upon a caravan under attack by bandits.

There were more than twenty bandits, while the caravan had only seven or eight guards, and more than half of them were already dead or wounded. Four or five bodies lay on the ground, some bandits, others guards. The remaining guards had formed a circle around a few wagons and were barely holding on. Several arrows had pierced the banner on one of the wagons, but it was still recognizable as the flag of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce: a golden bear embroidered on a deep blue background.

Akes sighed and stepped in.

The Fallen Heart Flame became more than a dozen arrows of fire and instantly shot down several bandits at the front. The arrows pierced their bodies. They fell from their horses before they could even scream. The remaining bandits froze, then scattered, fleeing faster than rabbits.

The caravan leader was a middle-aged man covered in blood. He had a deep but not serious gash on his left arm. He hurried over to thank Akes and asked his name. Akes didn't answer. He only pointed to the banner and said, "The young master of your chamber of commerce is a friend of mine."

The leader froze, then bowed repeatedly. "So you're the young master's friend! Thank you for saving our lives, benefactor! What's your name? I'll be sure to report this to the young master!"

"Don't bother." Akes waved a hand and prepared to leave.

The leader grew anxious and insisted on pressing a bag of gold coins on him. Akes refused, mounted his horse, and rode away. Even after he was far off, he could still hear the leader shouting behind him. "Benefactor! At least tell us your name!"

He didn't look back.

On the twenty-third day, he entered Northwest Province.

The terrain here was even more rugged, with mountain after mountain and roads winding through valleys. Steep slopes rose on either side, covered in shrubs and wild grass. Now and then, sheer cliffs came into view, their bare rock exposed. He encountered fewer caravans on the road, but more hurried mercenaries and adventurers, all fully armed and watchful.

On the twenty-eighth day, he arrived at a small town.

The town wasn't large. It had only one main street, with a sparse handful of shops on either side—a blacksmith's, a general store, an inn, and a stall selling food. There weren't many people on the street. A few children chased each other around, an old man hawked his wares from a shoulder pole, and several dogs lay sunning themselves in a corner.

By the time Akes rode into town, it was nearly dark. He planned to spend the night there and continue on his way the next day.

He found an inn, handed his horse over to the stablehand, and went inside to ask for a room.

The inn was small, with a dining area downstairs and guest rooms upstairs. Its owner was a plump, middle-aged woman with a booming voice, but she was friendly enough. After taking his money, she led him upstairs to see his room. It wasn't large, but it was clean, and the bed was soft.

He ate dinner downstairs, sitting in a corner. He ordered a jug of wine and two dishes: a plate of braised beef and a plate of stir-fried greens. The wine was ordinary ale, mild but thirst-quenching. The beef was thickly sliced and well seasoned, while the greens were crisp and cooked just right.

There weren't many people in the inn. Aside from him, only a few tables were occupied. At one sat a group of men dressed like mercenaries, talking loudly. They wore leather armor and had weapons beside them. They looked like men who'd spent years living by the sword.

"...Have you heard? Something happened on the road outside town," said a bearded mercenary.

"What happened?" asked another, who looked younger.

"Yesterday afternoon, some people got into a fight in the valley over that way. It was loud enough to be heard from miles away. Some say they saw a dragon, others say it was a monster. Whatever it was, the story's gotten pretty wild."

"Pah, it's probably just another tall tale," said a third mercenary dismissively. "There are all kinds of rumors these days."

"Believe it or not, I'm not taking that road today. I'd rather go the long way around." The bearded mercenary took a gulp of wine. "A fellow who saw it with his own eyes told me it really was something. Half the sky turned red, and there was a huge roar. Didn't sound like any ordinary magical beast."

"Then what was it?"

"Who knows? Better safe than sorry."

Akes held his wine cup and listened quietly.

Half the sky turned red... A huge roar...

He put down his cup, paid his bill, and went upstairs to rest.

Lying in bed, he thought about what the mercenaries had said. If some high-level magical beast or powerful figure was nearby, he would indeed need to be careful. But with his current strength, he should be able to protect himself as long as he didn't run into someone at the Saint-level.

In the middle of the night, he suddenly opened his eyes.

A powerful surge of energy came from far away. It was so intense that he could feel it even from this distance.

He sat up and sensed it for a moment.

Akes put on his outer robe, pushed open the window, and leaped out.

Under the cover of night, he sped toward the source of the energy.