Hera Kingdom, a country lane
This little road was a dirt track. It was fairly passable in ordinary times, but whenever it rained, it turned into a stretch of mud. When the weather was bright and sunny, the earth dried out, and walking too quickly easily stirred up dust. If a fast horse galloped past, it was absolutely a disaster for the other travelers.
Normally, people passing along this road consciously lightened their steps. Even if they were not being considerate of others, they would still take care for the sake of breathing more easily themselves.
That morning brought another bright, sunny day. Quite a few people were traveling along the country lane. By noon, the sun would show its vicious side, so people preferred to set out before midday.
Laughing and chatting, or simply talking, were all ways to relieve the boredom of the road.
Just then, a burst of urgent hoofbeats suddenly came from the other end of the road. Several fast horses rushed closer from afar, nearly brushing past the bodies of the travelers as they thundered by. Because they were in a hurry, the horses raced at tremendous speed, startling many passersby badly while kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
"Achoo! Achoo! What kind of way are these people traveling?"
"Pah! So much dirt! Why are they racing around like that for no reason?"
"Cough, cough, cough..."
As dust filled the air, quite a few people suffered from it.
This was the stretch of road between two villages and towns. At this hour of the morning, many travelers were walking along it, so no small number were choked by the dust.
"Pah! What rotten luck! Who are these people?" A traveler choked by the dust spat onto the ground and grumbled.
"Shh! Keep your voice