——

Sarin and his passengers left early in the morning. On their way, Sarin still wondered, "Where the hell is Harlin city?" Last night in town, he tried to ask some people about this city, but they hadn't heard of it either. With his eyebrows knitted, Sarin asked, "Is there really a city named Harlin?"

His voice met silence. 'These two are getting on my nerves.' he thought. "There is... It's not well known, so maybe you haven't heard of it," the young girl replied. "Just go west," she added.

"Alright, alright. You guys better pay me up," Sarin said.

Sarin had been suspicious of these two. Whenever he asked them about the city's direction, they would always answer after some time. He also hadn't heard about a city named Harlin, raising his suspicions.

With a sigh, he broke his chain of thoughts.' As long as they pay up, all is good.' he thought, looking forward to their travel to this mysterious city.

.....

The sun had faded into the horizon, leaving the moon to shine as a replacement, casting its gentle light over the land. As Sarin ate his meal, he couldn't help but glance at the two people in front of him. They remained like statues, rarely speaking unless spoken to.

"What are your names, by the way? We've been traveling together, but I didn't get a chance to know the two of you," Sarin said, spooning up his soup.

"My name is Mira, and this guy is Harlin," the young girl replied. Sarin turned to Harlin and asked, "Why are you guys traveling?"

"Home... We want to go home," Harlin said with a sigh.

"I see," Sarin nodded. "We'll find your home then," he added with a smile.

Sarin couldn't shake the feeling that these two were not simply going home but were searching for something more profound. Perhaps in the west lay something important to them. But from their tone, it seemed they were simply lost. He sighed.

"Have you guys known each other for a long time?" he asked, and Mira nodded in reply. "Alright, sleep early, and we'll leave before sunrise," he said, walking towards his carriage. The two followed, but Sarin stayed outside. The carriage could fit four to six people inside if seated, but only two if they were to sleep.

...

On top of the carriage, Sarin lay looking up at the sky. It was beautiful, the celestial canvas shimmering with countless stars. The huge moon hung high above, casting its gentle light over the world below as if bestowing a silent blessing.

'A home...' Sarin thought, his eyes closing slowly as he pondered the meaning of those words.

———

From the moment he entered this world, Sarin had already set his sights on a singular goal: to amass wealth and live a life of contentment. Born into an ordinary household, his parents toiled as farmers in a nameless town that now faded from his memory. Even as a child, Sarin displayed remarkable intelligence and agility, earning him the admiration of the townsfolk who hailed him as a prodigy. By the age of two, he was already running with astonishing balance, constructing sentences, and solving simple mathematical equations.

But it was not the life of a scholar or a laborer that beckoned to Sarin; instead, it was the allure of commerce that captured his imagination. Inspired by an elder sage who imparted invaluable wisdom, Sarin learned that the art of persuasion held the key to success in the world of trade. With the elder's guidance, Sarin embarked on a journey as a merchant, traversing distant lands and peddling wares to anyone willing to listen.

As the years passed, Sarin's fortunes grew, and on his twentieth birthday, he made the decision to return to his hometown. However, what awaited him was not the warm embrace of familiarity but the chilling aftermath of devastation. The once-thriving village now lay in ruins, its buildings maimed and its streets littered with debris. A sense of desolation hung heavy in the air as Sarin surveyed the scene of destruction.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

It was then that he learned of the harrowing ordeal that had befallen his hometown—a horde of ravenous monsters had descended upon the village, leaving death and despair in their wake. The faces of the fallen were etched into wooden signboards displayed in the town square, a poignant reminder of the lives lost to the merciless onslaught. With a heavy heart, Sarin made his way to the chapel, where the bodies of the departed lay in solemn repose.

Moved by compassion and a sense of duty, Sarin lent a helping hand to his grieving neighbors, offering both practical assistance and financial support. Half of his accumulated wealth was donated to aid in the town's recovery, providing a lifeline for those struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. And as the villagers began to set their sights on new horizons, migrating to safer havens in distant cities, Sarin bid farewell to his hometown.

...

Two days had passed since they left the town, and as they journeyed through unfamiliar lands, Sarin found himself feeling secure in the presence of his two strong companions. Along the way, they encountered several more beasts, including a bird as large as their carriage and an armored rhino that fell to Harlin's blade.

Harlin possessed the ability to summon his greatsword, a weapon bound to his soul that was both rare and powerful. Such weapons were not commonly found in markets, as they not only enhanced one's strength but could also repair themselves. Meanwhile, Mira wielded two short swords with agility and finesse, complementing Harlin's brute strength. Together, they had the potential to become formidable "Braves" in the future, Sarin thought.

The following day proved to be more challenging as heavy rains made travel difficult, softening the road and causing the carriage wheels to become stuck in the mud. They decided to set up a temporary camp beside the road, seeking shelter under the canopy of towering trees. The rain continued unabated until the next day.

The journey remained arduous as the muddy road made for a bumpy ride. Sarin couldn't help but lament the state of his once-pristine carriage, now stained with mud. He also realized that it had been a while since he had taken a bath.

Fortunately, they came across a river before sunset, where they were able to clean up and set up a campfire as night fell.

Early in the morning, they readied themselves for departure. Sarin cleaned up the campsite, removing any traces of the campfire to ensure that other travelers wouldn't mistakenly assume it was safe to camp there. Meanwhile, Mira refilled their water supply. Once everything was packed up, they set off to continue their long journey.

As they ventured further west, Mira offered to take the reins and drive the carriage, giving Sarin the opportunity to inspect the products he intended to sell. He called out his inventory and arranged the materials inside the carriage.

Harlin couldn't help but be amazed, not just by the quantity of materials, but also by the dark blob Sarin had summoned.

"What is that?" Harlin asked, his eyes wide with shock.

Sarin grinned in response. "Oh, this? It's an artifact," he explained.

Harlin's amazement only grew. Artifact items were notoriously rare, and bound weapons or items fell under that classification.

Sarin chuckled. "Compared to yours, this artifact isn't that valuable," he admitted. Still, an artifact capable of storing items was a rarity indeed, even more so than bound weapons or items.

Listening to their conversation from inside the carriage, Mira was also surprised. Just how wealthy was this merchant, she wondered. A storage artifact could fetch upwards of 100 pis, even if it could only store five items.

After organizing his products to his satisfaction, Sarin nodded contentedly. "This is good," he mused to himself. Based on his calculations, the materials they had gathered could sell for more than 2 pis. He smiled happily, looking forward to the end of their journey. "Maybe I'll have about 100 pis' worth of materials. No, maybe more," he whispered, a small laugh escaping his lips. With that, he would not only recoup the money he had spent on this journey but also cover the cost of purchasing his beautiful carriage.

...

Mira , while driving the carriage also is guarding for the monster outside. The air in this part of the forest has become thick. It would be dangerous for a merchant to stay outside as he wouldn't be able to protect himself. She thought.

Although they have been traveling with Sarin for a while they haven't know him except, that he's crazy for money and can't stop asking one question after another. For them, Sarin is just a merchant. With a long dark red hair, about 6'2 ft male. Who loves money. Nothing more nothing less.

They ventured through this unfamiliar forest. The trees are swaying along the cold breeze. Cawing sounds of the birds echoes through the surroundings. The trees here have noticingly become small than the previous one.

....

Mira, while driving the carriage, also kept watch for any monsters lurking outside. The air in this part of the forest had grown thick, making it dangerous for a merchant to remain unprotected. She thought about the importance of vigilance in such unfamiliar territory.

Despite traveling with Sarin for a while, they hadn't gotten to know him well. To them, he was just a merchant—a man with long, dark red hair, standing about 6'2 feet tall, who seemed obsessed with money and couldn't stop asking questions. Nothing more, nothing less.

As they ventured through the unfamiliar forest, the trees swayed in the cold breeze, and the cawing of birds echoed through the surroundings. The trees here were noticeably smaller than those they had passed earlier.

Inside the carriage, Sarin twitched as he met Harlin's eyes. 'He noticed it too... the smell,' he thought, glancing at the huge man who seemed on guard.

Meanwhile, Mira had already been on high alert, as the wind carried a strong smell of iron—blood. They all recognized that smell, though this blood had a different scent from that of monsters. With their experience traveling and fighting monsters, and with Sarin having encountered various types of creatures, this smell wasn't new to them. But it was unsettling, as it was of humans blood.

.....

Mira, Harlin, and Sarin pretended not to notice the scent, acting as though everything were normal. It could be a trap set by bandits, and if they reacted too hastily, they might find themselves surrounded. Though they were strong, they knew that being outnumbered could put their lives at risk. So they waited.

...And waited.

Inside the carriage, Sarin remained on high alert. If the bandits outnumbered them, Mira and Harlin might not be able to protect him. Suddenly, the carriage came to a stop, and the strong scent of iron filled the air.

'Is it the bandits?' Sarin thought anxiously. 'How is Mira?'

His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Harlin leaving the carriage, followed by Mira.

Something horrific lay before them in the middle of the road rarely used by many, a young man's body covered in crimson blood. The trail of blood continued into the forest, indicating that the man had crawled there to escape. His body was riddled with small cuts and wounds.

Mira checked the man's breathing and then turned back to the others.

" ....He's alive," she reported.