By the southern gate of the city, there was an open area commonly used as a meeting spot for merchants before heading out of the city. Sol and Amber arrived near the entrance, and Sol began to look around.
“The quest description said to meet here, but I think we’re early. No one is here.”
Sol was looking for a good spot to sit down and wait, but then he heard a voice from behind him.
“Is that you, Sol?”
Sol turned around to see a chubby middle aged man accompanied by four guards driving a wagon to the meeting spot.
“Hughbert? What are you doing here?”
Hughbert was the exotic herbs merchant Sol saved when he was still new to the city. It was all thanks to him that Sol was able to buy his first real weapon, Warhawk’s Talon.
“I'm here to meet two adventurers that will accompany us to the capital. Don’t tell me that's you two, what are the odds?!”
“That’s us. But I thought you already had personal guards. Why are you hiring adventurers now?”
“Ahh, that… After that bandit attack, one of them died and two quit. They quit two days ago when I already had this trip planned so I had no choice but to outsource some muscle from the Adventurers Guild. But boy am I glad I did that, I feel reassured knowing you're coming along.”
Sol laughed, “I’m just glad it’s someone I know. I’ll do my best to protect you.”
“Likewise. And who is our other beautiful companion?”
“That’s Amber. Amber, say hi.”
With her expressionless face, Amber nodded.
“...She’s not much of a talker, but I can guarantee she is an incredibly skilled fighter.”
Hughbert smiled in understanding, “A pleasure to meet you, Amber. Let's get this show on the road then. Are you ready to set off? The sooner we get to the capital, the better.”
“Ready whenever you are.”
“Perfect! Let's go.”
The group left the southern city gates with Hughbert driving the carriage and everyone else walking besides it. As they were walking, Sol made casual conversation with Hughbert.
“Are your kids not coming along this time?”
Hughbert shook his head, “No… after the last trip, they have become scared of traveling. When I asked if they wanted to come, they said they would stay with their mom and tend to the shop. Honestly, I prefer they stay in the city where it's safer, but I also don’t want them to become afraid of the world outside.”
“I don’t have any kids, so take this with a grain of salt, but maybe wait until their leveling ceremony before traveling outside with them again?”
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“That’s what my wife said, but what if neither gets a combat talent like me. I don’t want them to have high expectations in gaining a combat class just to be disappointed. They might become one of those people who never leave the city, and I don’t want that to happen.”
Sol had no advice for the merchant and was racking his brain to figure out a solution. Hughbert could tell what Sol was thinking and laughed.
“Ha, I'm not expecting you to have all the answers. There is no perfect solution to parenting. We can only try our best to hope they turn out alright.”
Time flew as the group traveled to their destination. The route Hughbert planned didn’t stop by any towns or cities to rest as they would continue moving until night came. They encountered no issues on the way aside from the wild monster who was stupid enough to attack them. Needless to say, the monsters didn’t stand a chance, and the group continued on their merry way.
As night approached, Hughbert made the decision to find a good spot to rest for the night. A little off the road, they found a nice area and made camp. Sol unpacked his tent before helping Amber, who was struggling with her tent, to build hers.
For tonight, they decided to use the food they bought in the city before it went bad. Sol wasn’t an expert in cooking, but he knew how to cook meat and prepare vegetables. Before he began to cook, Hughbert offered to have one of his guards cook for everyone as he had a cooking talent. Sol accepted and wasn't disappointed as the guard took out his personal utensils to prepare a great meal for everyone.
During their meal, the group shared stories, and from these interactions, Sol could see how he treated everyone with respect. Even his guards spoke to him semi-casually, and Hughbert didn’t mind, even joking around with them.
“Sol, I’ve been meaning to ask, but what do you plan to achieve at the capital? Are you planning to train in the A-Class dungeon?”
After swallowing a mouthful of food, Sol responded, “Yes, but it's not the main reason. I plan to become a knight.”
Sol had no intention to keep that fact secret as he needed to not only become a knight but one high ranked enough to be able to approach the saintess. If all went according to plan, he will have to make a name for himself in the capital.
“Hoh? Never took you for one loyal to the crown. Why become a knight?”
Hughbert was right; Sol wasn’t really loyal to the crown. He lived most of his life in a small town away from politics and influence, so at most he identified as someone of the same kingdom. Sol couldn’t say he was joining just to chase down his parents, so he made up an excuse on the spot.
“I heard they provide free training and have ample resources to nurture promising people. I think I qualify for that, so why not make use of it?”
“Good luck with that; you’ll need it.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“The process to become a knight is much harder than that of a regular soldier.”
Hughbert could tell Sol knew little of the process, and as someone who had been to the capital many times, he decided to share what he knew.
“To start, the minimum strength needed to apply is C-Rank. I heard that in other kingdoms they also require you to be a noble, but here strength is most important. While you don’t have to be an adventurer before applying, you need to be about as strong as a C-Ranker. To do this, they go through a few tests like checking your status page and a physical test. Though I don’t know what the physical test is as they change it every year.
“You're lucky you decided to join now as I heard the tests begin in less than a month. That should give you time to research more and prepare.”
Sol generally knew the same details but didn’t know they checked your status page. His Deceiver’s Earring should be enough to trick whatever item they use to see one's status. Sol also had plenty of time to train and prepare to figure out how he will stand out in the exams to be given higher priority and jobs.
Sol thanked Hughbert for the information, and the group began to pack up to sleep for the night. Having a lot to think about, Sol didn’t want to sleep just yet and offered to take the first night watch. The guards appreciated the gesture, and all tucked into their tents to sleep.
“Amber, you should also get some sleep.”
She shook her head before sitting down next to him. He wasn’t going to force her to sleep, and so they both stayed up as Sol thought of the future.