The journey that began from the cabin was going smoothly.
“Whitey is moving well.”
“Well, it is a spirit beast. I guess this much is nothing for it.”
There were many reasons for the smooth progress, but the biggest one was undoubtedly Whitey’s endurance.
Whitey wasn’t called a spirit beast for nothing—despite carrying two people, it could run faster and longer than a horse.
In fact, it was Brown who needed breaks along the way, not Whitey. They had to take a few rest stops because Brown was getting tired.
“Is this the place?”
“Yeah, it looks like it.”
By the time the sky, once bright, had turned dark, they finally stopped.
They lit a fire in a clearing in the forest and checked the kingdom’s map.
“Before we cross into the south, it looks like we should stop by this city, right?”
“I’d rather avoid it if possible… but I think we have no choice.”
Avoiding cities would be ideal, but before heading south, they needed to obtain a continent map or at least a map of the Lugar Kingdom.
Such maps wouldn’t be available in a small village, so they had no choice but to visit the last city before crossing the border.
“Hah… Just thinking about crossing the border makes me nervous.”
“But we still have some distance to go, so let’s take it easy.”
Holding the cup that had been placed near the campfire, I took a sip.
The milk was nicely warmed.
“Could you pass me the cocoa powder?”
“Ah, here you go.”
I added the cocoa powder to the warm milk.
A sweet aroma immediately filled the air.
I never thought I’d be drinking cocoa while living like this.
Despite the medieval lifestyle, it felt like there wasn’t much lacking.
Well, cocoa was an early invention, so it’s not entirely out of place.
Not that I could verify it now.
After all, I had been living in this world for over twenty years. Going back to my past life wasn’t even a consideration anymore.
Sip.
As I drank the cocoa, warmth spread through my body.
“You’re feeling cold, aren’t you?”
“A little, yeah.”
“The night air is still pretty chilly.”
We spent some time chatting.
“Should we head in?”
“Yeah, it’s about time to sleep.”
Since we’d be busy again tomorrow, I entered the tent we had set up earlier at a reasonable hour.
“Uh… hmm….”
As soon as we stepped inside, an awkward atmosphere lingered.
There were two of us, but only one tent.
The reason was simple.
First, we needed to keep our luggage light, and carrying two tents would have been excessive.
Second, for safety reasons.
If we were ambushed while sleeping, it would be dangerous.
Since I wake up easily, having Sienna sleep next to me would be relatively safer.
[The third reason is obvious.]
…Of course, there’s absolutely no ulterior motive.
“I’ll sleep on this side.”
“Ah, okay….”
And so, we both lay down inside the single-person tent.
It wasn’t unbearably cramped.
It was just spacious enough for an adult man and woman to lie side by side comfortably.
“Let’s wake up early tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, goodnight.”
Even while lying together, there was no unnecessary contact as I closed my eyes.
And when I opened them again—
I felt something heavy, soft, and warm pressing against me.
“…What?”
A faint scent of skin, combined with the weight covering my entire body, washed over me.
…It seemed like Sienna had hugged me in her sleep.
Was this just a sleeping habit?
I was about to turn my head to check, but I stopped when I felt something against my neck—probably her nose.
“Hoo…”
I pushed away the unnecessary thoughts flooding my mind.
Then, I carefully moved her arm and leg off me before sitting up.
Now that I was up, I could finally take a proper look at Sienna.
She was sleeping as if nothing in the world could wake her.
“Haah.”
With a sigh, I stepped out of the tent.
Near the extinguished campfire, Whitey and Brown were sleeping while sitting.
Looks like I was the first to wake up.
Snap. Crackle.
I struck a match and reignited the campfire, which had died down overnight.
Then, I filled a cup with water and set it to warm while quietly watching the flames.
My plan was to wake Sienna, pack up, and set out once morning arrived.
Rustle.
I heard movement behind me, and soon, Sienna emerged from the tent, rubbing her eyes.
“You’re awake?”
“Ah… yes….”
She let out a small yawn before sitting down beside me.
Since it was still early in the morning, we both sat in silence for a while, staring into the fire.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“Oh, yes. I slept really well. What about you, Rain?”
“I… yeah, I slept fine.”
Judging by her reaction, she had no idea what happened in her sleep.
Good thing I woke up first today.
If Sienna ever wakes up first in a situation like this, that’ll be quite the sight.
[How devious.]
Oh, come on.
Who’s the one who suddenly latched onto someone in their sleep?
“I should get breakfast ready.”
“Yes, I’m starving.”
“Haa… Just wait a bit. I’ll cook something quickly.”
Sienna stretched and got up, heading over to our supplies.
But then—
“Whitey caught a deer.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
It looked like Whitey had gone hunting overnight.
Sienna, who had gone to fetch food, dragged back a small deer—missing one leg.
“The best part is gone.”
“Since he only took one leg, he probably caught something else, too.”
As expected of a spirit beast wolf—his hunting skills were exceptional.
I had let him roam the forest before we slept, and it seemed he made good use of the time.
“Well, thanks to Whitey, we won’t have to worry about food.”
“I guess raising that little rascal was worth it.”
It felt like just yesterday that he was a tiny pup, sniffling all the time.
Now he was already out hunting on his own.
“I did raise him for three years, though.”
…Raising him through his early years was the hardest part, wasn’t it?
After that, it was relatively easy.
Anyway.
After properly butchering the deer, we cooked breakfast.
Once we finished eating, we packed up the tent, put out the fire, and got back on Whitey’s back.
“How far are we going today?”
“Let’s try to reach Count Reichen’s territory.”
Since we were covering long distances each day, our progress was pretty fast.
I planned to continue heading south like this.
“Alright, Whitey, let’s go.”
With that, we pressed forward, moving swiftly through the roads and forests.
Before we knew it, morning had passed, and afternoon had arrived.
“We should be close to the eastern region by now.”
“We made good time.”
We had crossed the northern region and arrived at what could be called the eastern region.
But the first thing we saw—
“…What happened here?”
A village marked on the map had been reduced to ashes.
“Could this be the work of devil worshippers?”
“Most likely… There are signs of battle everywhere.”
The aftermath of whatever happened was clear.
The houses were all burned down, and the ground was hardened from the remnants of intense combat.
“Let’s keep moving.”
“Ah, y-yeah…”
The traces left behind were unsettling, but we had to pass through here to reach the south.
From this point onward, we ran without letting our guard down.
As I followed the road, thankful for Whitey’s stamina—
“There….”
“…Soldiers.”
Up ahead, a unit of soldiers was gathered in a well-organized formation.
“Should we avoid them?”
“No, they’ve already seen us.”
Between the soldiers, my gaze landed on a man in full plate armor.
He was likely their commanding knight.
Since we had already been noticed, avoiding them would only seem suspicious.
So, I slowed down and approached them openly.
“Halt. Stop right there.”
One of the soldiers stepped forward and spoke.
“Let’s get down.”
“Got it.”
Following their instructions, Sienna and I dismounted from Whitey.
“…State your identity and affiliation.”
The soldiers were tense.
Their wary gazes weren’t directed at us, but rather at Whitey and Brown.
…Well, they do look intimidating.
“Ah, I’m a wandering beast trainer from the Adel Kingdom.”
I stepped forward calmly and showed the trainer’s badge Sienna had given me.
“A beast trainer? Ah… I’ve heard of that profession.”
“Yes, I’m currently heading south to sell monsters.”
I gestured toward Brown as I spoke.
‘…Rain?’
I could feel Sienna’s gaze from under her hood when I pointed at Brown as a sale item.
Well, I had to say something, didn’t I?
Besides, Brown had the perfect appearance to be sold as a tamed monster.
“A Forest Bear, huh… So you even train monsters?”
“Yes, isn’t he in great condition? My wife takes excellent care of them.”
Casually continuing the conversation, I pointed at Sienna next.
She gave a small bow.
We had already agreed on a cover story as a beast trainer couple, so she played along without hesitation.
Perhaps because of our confident attitude, the soldier relaxed slightly before speaking again.
“I see… But this road ahead is dangerous.”
“Oh? For what reason exactly?”
The entire eastern region seemed dangerous, but they were specifically warning about this area?
I asked for clarification.
The soldier’s expression grew serious as he pointed behind him.
“Devil worshippers have set up a base ahead.”
“…That’s serious.”
“Yes, so if you’re heading south, I’d recommend taking the route through the capital.”
“…Understood.”
I really didn’t want to go through the capital.
But pushing through recklessly would seem strange, so I gave a polite response before turning away.
At least we learned something useful.
If I introduce myself as a beast trainer, people won’t suspect much.
I should use that more confidently in the future.
Just as I was about to leave—
“Halt.”
Click.
The knight who had been silently watching finally spoke.
“…What is it?”
“You seem quite strong. Are you really just a beast trainer?”
I turned my head and saw the knight lifting the visor of his helmet.
A sharp blue gaze locked onto me.
“…Training monsters is a dangerous job, so I had to train myself as well.”
“You say that, but your body looks weak.”
Step. Step.
The knight took slow, deliberate steps toward me.
Then, as he reached me—
Click.
He stopped and carefully examined me.
“…Something doesn’t add up.”
Does this guy have a sharp sense?
Among Aura users, there were those who could instinctively gauge the strength of others.
I was one of them.
Having it turned on me for once felt strange.
“You’re an Aura user, aren’t you? But your body… why is it like this?”
He must have noticed the discrepancy between my weakened physical state and my Aura.
Still, I had a believable excuse.
“…I was bedridden for a long time due to an illness. Unfortunately, I lost all my muscle.”
“And yet you’re already traveling? Must be in desperate need of money.”
…Why is this guy so persistent?
It seemed I had run into a knight with a strong sense of suspicion.
Should I just knock him out and escape?
Just as I was considering it—
“Sir Knight!”
A soldier on horseback rushed toward us in a panic.
“What is it?”
“D-Devil worshippers have abandoned their camp!”
“What? Damn it.”
…I was just about to punch the knight and make a run for it.
But it seemed fate was on my side.
“Then I’ll be on my way, soldier.”
“Ah, yes… You may go.”
Taking advantage of the distracted knight, I quickly got permission from the soldier who no longer suspected me.
“Let’s go.”
“Are you sure we can just leave?”
“The soldier gave us permission. Why would it matter?”
‘No way we’re coming back here anyway’, I thought, swallowing the last part of my sentence.
Without hesitation, we hurriedly left the area.
