New Era of Xin, Year -21
Northern Countries · Engu Street
A horse-drawn carriage full of passengers rolled leisurely down the road.
Though it was called a "street," aside from the departure point, the destination, and a village along the way, most of Engu Street consisted of dirt paths winding through the mountains.
Naturally, the carriage could not travel very fast on roads like these.
Still, compared to the previous stretches of the journey that had required them to travel on foot through forests and high mountains, this mode of transportation was exceptionally comfortable.
Inside the carriage.
Guter set down the Magic Book in his hands and looked at Himmel across from him, who had been fussing with his hair ever since waking up that morning. He could not help sighing before teasing him.
"Hero Uncle, no matter how fluffy you make your hair, it won't hide the fact that it's thinning."
"That's rather cruel of you to say."
The corner of Hero Himmel's eye twitched. He continued fixing his hair in the mirror as he spoke to Guter.
"Even middle-aged men need to manage their appearance."
"As for thinning hair, once you reach my age, you'll understand the troubles of hair loss."
Seemingly satisfied with his styling at last, Himmel put away his mirror, then instinctively tossed his hair at Guter, repeating the cool pose he used to strike in his youth.
"Uh..."
Guter fell silent. After hesitating for several seconds, he finally spoke.
"Hero Uncle, when you tossed your head like that, the receding hairline you had covered up showed again."
"What?!"
Hearing that, Himmel hurriedly pulled a mirror from his chest and looked at himself.
And just as Guter had said, the thinning hair that had initially been concealed beneath his fluffed-up locks was now fully exposed