After my talk with the duke, I headed down to the craftsmen district and went to a leather armour shop. There I found a studded chest and leg ensemble for six golds and a few silvers; they were made of orc skin and skill refined iron studs.

Next, I bought myself a sword that was 1/50 parts orichalcum, a great deal in my book. And finally, I found myself a padded iron helmet.

All in all, it came out to nine golds. With this Damien shouldn’t give me anymore shit.

Reporting back to him, I took my dungeon diving bag and bought rations needed for the adventure on the main street.

It had taken me all day. Looking up to the setting sun, it was time to meet up with François. I left town and took a seat below a sycamore tree on the edge of the path leading down the Seine.

#

“Already here?” François asked, somehow his breath was heavy.

That’s when I spotted the giant bag he was hauling on his back. I was going to bring up how he was an hour late but seeing that I didn’t need to ask. “You never adventured, did you?” I got up wondering how he thought he’d ever manage to carry so much so far.

“Huh? What do you mean?” He tilted his head, seemingly truly confused.

I couldn’t help but facepalm. “I’ve never seen someone bring so much on an adventure. Do you know how long we’ll be walking for?”

“Exactly, it’s going to take us a few days to get to Fécamp, so I brought enough for the trip—”

“Wait,” I cut him off. “Do you think we’ll be living in the forest?” To be honest, I’d done that in the past, but it was because we were broke.

“Are we renting a horse then?”

Oh god, for some reason I thought this guy had some common sense. “Of course not! Who even lends horses to adventurers? We’re walking and taking small breaks at the villages on the way.” I tapped my chest where I’d kept my coins. “We’re so loaded we could travel for a month and not sleep in a forest.” A gold and some change went a long way in villages. “Let me see what you have.”

François put down his bag, and I wadded through it. There were pots, pans, dried food, a whole tent, three changes of clothes, and so much more. Honestly, all this stuff was expensive, but not that much, especially if we were getting five golds per month, not to mention he was a knight, so he probably got more. Anyhow, we could leave it here, but it wouldn’t sit well with me. “Take it for now, we’ll sell it… or more like trade it at the first village we get to.” Villagers didn’t easily part with money and haggling with them wasn’t worth the trouble.

And so, we left, following the path that went northwest following the Seine. It took us two hours to get to the first village; however, there were only a few candles still lit and everything was dead silent. If we’d left an hour, the villagers might have still been in the tavern, but oh well. We weren’t going to wake them up just to sell some random goods, so we continued relying on the moonlight to guide us.

#

“How long do you think it’ll take us to find the evil mage?”

What. “I’m sorry, what? Evil mage?” Where did that come from?

“They didn’t tell you!” His voice jumped up.

“No, they didn’t tell me!” What was he on about?

“Um…” He put his finger to his chin. "It’s not in Fécamp, but there’s a nameless village two hours south of it where people have been disappearing. It’s said that those who are to be kidnapped have nightmares a few nights before they disappear.”

“Nightmares? And the villagers can’t stop the kidnappings?” I asked. It couldn’t be just that.

“Yes, before someone gets kidnapped everyone in the village falls asleep, nothing they try helps. It’s been breaking the community, but since it’s contained within the village it’s fine for now, but whomever is doing this may try his hand in a town. It’s probably linked to an illegal human trafficking ring.”

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“But how come I didn’t hear about this.”

François looked down, his eyes dark. “Because this isn’t exactly a mission. As a member of the second knight’s division, we are regularly updated on rogue class holders in the duchy, and it so happens that this is one of them.”

“Then why isn’t the order dispatched?”

“Because the war is more important, but I can’t bear to watch the villagers suffer because of that. And—” François retracted his words. “I understand why the duke is fighting the war, it’s for the best, but…”

“It’s unfair,” I added looking up to the moon. “If stay distant as to not miss the big picture, we become blind to the everyday man.”

“Yes.” He nodded. “Damien and everyone else feels the same way. Even the lord, but it’s the lord’s duty to keep track of that picture. I’m sure that’s why he sent us to Fécamp. So—” He looked up to me. “Will you help?”

“I will.” I now had the power to make a difference. I wouldn’t ignore them, not for this world. That is how I’d help the ambitions of the duke.

#

We continued on the path down the Seine until the morning sun shinned gold. On the horizon, the early birds took flight while others chirped morning hymns.

Not long after we stumbled upon a wooden board nailed to the ground reading to Lillebonne this was the village where we needed to change course and head north. It was also the halfway point of our journey.

“Let’s sleep here tonight,” I said. A thud resounded. Turning back, François had collapsed to the ground. His bag was thrown to the side.

“Not here!” I pulled him up by his collar. “I told you the bag was too heavy.”

“You said it was too heavy, but that we’d sell the things off at the first village. This is the sixth or seventh!” He whined.

“First village where we could sell it. Do you think a mayor you woke up at two in the morning would want to buy anything!” Taking his bag, I threw it back to him.

Stumbling back, he barely managed to catch his balance and heave the bag back on his back.

“Aren’t you level thirteen or something? How are you so weak?”

“What do you mean? I’m a sorcerer, all my points are in mana, the most I ever use my strength for is when I’m walking up stairs.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter, we’re there. Just hang on for five.”

Not long after, we spotted the villagers heading off to the fields. They didn’t look too surprised to see wanderers, it must be common since they were just off the Seine.

Entering the village, we headed to the biggest house right next to the local church. Knocking thrice, a man in his forties greeted us. “Oh! Travellers.” He glanced over to François. “You must be from far away, where about?”

François grinned ashamed.

“No, we’re from Rouen, this guy is just new to adventuring. We just need a place to stay for the night.”

“Oh! Is that so, well all can be learned in time? But unfortunately, we don’t have any rooms left… Since another group from Paris decided to take up residence here for three nights.”

I noticed François’s stare. It didn’t take much to understand that it was odd for a group of adventurers from Paris to come all the way here. Perhaps it was because we were already on our way to subjugate an evil mage under the guise of being adventurers, but this was odd.

“Could we talk to them and see if we could share the space?” I asked. “As adventurers we’re used to making do so it should be fine.” I smiled.

“Didn’t you just say that guy is new?” He frowned. “Look, are you also here to head for Fécamp?” He asked frankly.

“Yes and?” The mood had definitely shifted. I could sense his hostility, perhaps he had affairs with the bad elements.

“Nothing more than bad omens, that’s what I say.” He threw his arms in the air and walked into his house. “Come in, I suppose you are class holders or something.”

I didn’t answer but entered his home. He continued to speak.

“I have a cellar, it is cold, but it is this or nothing. And I rather not have you arguing with the adventurers from Paris so leave before dawn.”

“Dawn? We are here to sleep the night—”

“No! I will not deal with this. Either sleep here or go, I will not have it any other way.” To think a peasant could talk this way to a class holder, I respected his pride. “Very well, then we’ll sleep right now, but we just need one more thing.” I took the bag off of François’s shoulder. “We need to sell or trade some of this. Keep it, we just want a hot meal, the rest is the fee for staying here.”

“Hm. Very well, what’s in it?”

“Here.” I took out all the camping gear, keeping only the food and elixirs.

The mayor’s brows jumped up for a split second before settling back down. “I’ll make more stew tonight, take some as you leave.” He left soon after and came back with sleeping stuff.

“Do you think you can sleep right now?” I asked François once the mayor left.

“Shut up…” He was already lying down on the cold floor. “I haven’t slept in a day and a half, and I’ve been hauling that bag all night, what creature wouldn’t sleep. Now close the cellar door and let me sleep."

I suppose I was the crazy one. Well, it worked out fine, and honestly, I could have kept going to Fécamp. I suppose all these years spent adventuring had increased some stats that classes and levelling up didn’t influence.

“Good night.” I pulled down the hatch, and I tried my best to fall asleep. François soon snored away his exhaustion, but I couldn’t fall asleep. Something was gnawing on my mind. Why would the duke keep a mission like this quiet because of its lack of importance, but adventurers from Paris were also on their way there?

I had to ask questions.