'Ah, It's nice to be on the road again!' I wondered, basking in the bright sunshine of the early spring morning as I strolled through the familiar countryside of the Frontier toward the unknown.
I knew that I still had over half a year before I would turn fifteen and could enroll in the Grand Tower, so there was no reason to hurry. That's why I walked rather slowly, enjoying the beautiful sights all around me.
The fresh scent of blooming wildflowers filled the air, and the gentle breeze carried a sense of anticipation.
As I traveled further away from the Frontier, its vast open fields that stretched as far as the eye could see were slowly being replaced by the narrow valleys and steep ravines of the now more than familiar Jagged Rocks.
The winding valleys and treacherous ravines ought to pose a significant challenge, but I didn't complain. By now, I knew this place quite well, so finding the right path through the abundant rocky outcrops proved relatively easy for me.
Not to mention, I traveled fairly lightly, carrying only my most valuable possessions alongside a one-week worth of food.
Apart from water, which I could simply conjure with magic, I reasoned that since it was already spring, I could hunt or bargain for food during my travels.
That's why nothing was slowing me down, making the journey that much easier.
As the sun began its descent over the horizon, coloring the sky in hues of pink and orange, I found a nice secluded alcove nestled between two towering cliffs where I decided to make camp for the night before resuming my journey in the morning.
While still in Ereneth's territory, I carefully avoided any human settlements, worried someone might recognize me despite my beast hunter disguise.
That's why, for the night, I usually settled in the crown of a tall tree, or if there was none, I dug a hole into the rock slope with the help of my earth magic.
Like that, I soldiered on continuously heading south whilst the spirit of adventure propelled me forward.
***
'Finally...' I thought. It was the fourth day after I set out on my grand journey, and I had, at last, arrived at the Ereneth's southern border.
Before me stood the river that formed the natural boundary between Ereneth and the neighboring region.
Similar to when I traveled to Ostengard before, there was a lone bridge with a guard post stationed beside it.
Come to think of it, the vast majority of this world's borders seem to form either around rivers or mountain ranges, this being no exception.
If I remember correctly, this would also be the last region before I would arrive at the Kingdom's border, after which I had no information about what awaited me, making me both curious and a little apprehensive at the same time.
From my previous investigation, I knew that the Grand Tower was located in the middle of a vast desert, and getting there was quite a challenging proposition requiring a lot of supplies and preparation.
Nevertheless, I wasn't deterred in the least, and I welcomed the challenge. However, it was a bridge I would cross when I got there.
For now, my mind was solely occupied by how to cross the bridge right in front of me. So, I stopped thinking about the distant future and focused on the task at hand.
'This looks like a perfect opportunity...' Not wanting to once again have to resort to swimming across the icy water, I carefully observed the guard post and noticed that there seemed to be some commotion going on.
The traffic on the bridge appeared to be stuck as two merchant caravans from opposite directions came here at the same time.
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Right now, at the guard post stood two stubby merchants arguing about who should cross the bridge first whilst a lone guard with an exasperated expression stood between them, fruitlessly trying to sort out their dispute.
Thus, while this was going on, I crept forward, seamlessly mingling between the various carriages of the nearer caravan coming from Ereneth's side of the bridge, pretending I was one of the many beast hunters hired for its protection.
This seemed to work as everyone focused on what was happening at the guard post and did not pay me any attention.
'Great! Now for the hard part...' After approaching the guard post itself, I gathered my courage and began confidently walking across the bridge.
As I was passing the flustered-looking guards, I simply flashed my beast hunter badge at them, not saying anything. To my utmost relief, nobody stopped me, not even bothering to cast a look in my direction.
'Squabbling merchants for the win!' I grinned happily after I came safely across the bridge.
Afterward, I immediately jumped off the road, heading for the nearby bushes so the guards couldn't spot me in the unlikely case they decided to change their minds and come after me.
I then continued to run some more before stopping at a small clearing a fair distance from the bridge.
'This should be enough...' I thought, pleased with the notion that I couldn't detect anyone anymore with my magic sense. Thus, I decided to take a break here while planning my next move.
Having safely left Ereneth behind, I could now relax my guard a little. If I stay clear of any big cities, there shouldn't be any checkpoints all the way to the Kingdom's border.
So, I guess the next order of business would be to figure out a way to leave the Kingdom safely.
I knew that peasants were forbidden to cross the Kingdom's border without an explicit permit from their liege lord, and the security there was apparently quite strict.
Technically, I was no longer a peasant, but I would have to disclose my real identity to prove that.
I still had with me the letter the Ereneth's Court wizard issued me, proving I was an Aspirant of the Arcane Arts, but actually using it could prove troublesome on its own.
I had no idea what the Count did in the wake of my escape and whether or not I would be apprehended by the border guards if I tried to cross the border.
Perhaps I was being too paranoid, but I reasoned it would be better not to take any unnecessary risks and to bypass the checkpoints altogether through the wilderness.
I knew from my own experience of living on the Frontier that the wilderness was vast and untamed. There was no way the Kingdom had enough troops to patrol the entirety of the border.
However, I also knew that they didn't actually have to. Outside the main roads and cities, the wilderness was teeming with monsters, especially at the border, where the inhabited areas were much scarcer than in the inland.
I would have to tread the needle carefully between avoiding the major settlements and not attracting too many monsters by my presence.
Still, I smiled at the notion, as I could deal with monsters just fine. That's why, after a quick lunch, I eagerly resumed my journey, now with a solid plan in mind.
***
The further south I traveled, the greener the surrounding countryside became. Here, spring was already in full swing.
The fragrance of blooming flowers filled the air, and the cheerful tweeting of birds joined in. I felt the sun's warmth on my skin while a soft breeze gently caressed my hair.
Not familiar with the local landscape, I simply followed the road, reasoning it was the safest bet as a road had to lead somewhere. As long as I continue to strive south with purposeful steps, all will be good.
That was until I arrived at an entrance into a small valley about two days after crossing the region's border.
There, some distance below me, I could see a wagon with a broken wheel being surrounded by a pack of hungry-looking wolves.
The wagon's sole occupant's panicked shouts mingled with the wolves' growls as they circled his wagon, their eyes gleaming.
'He must have quite the bad day...' I chuckled, watching the situation unfold as I wondered whether or not I should get involved.
If Ram were here, he would be already charging at them, shield at the ready. But I wasn't anywhere like my stalwart yet hot-headed friend.
Instead, I carefully weighed the pros and cons while listening to the man's desperate pleas as he tried his best to keep the wolves at bay with a makeshift spear.
By the look of his clothes, he appeared too poor, so I wouldn't be able to squeeze any significant reward out of him.
Plus, I would have to dirty my hands and fight the wolves with the sword, as I couldn't risk the man seeing me cast magic. All in all, too much trouble and very little to gain for it.
However, despite all the downsides, I slowly began making my way down the steep incline towards the struggling man with a resigned sigh. 'So, in the end, it all boils down to duty, huh...'
As long as I was posing as a beast hunter, carrying the Guild's symbol on my neck, I couldn't simply walk by a damsel in distress... ehm, a poor peasant in distress and do nothing about it.