Two days passed. Keira did nothing except roam around the city like a tourist. Well, she is a tourist to a certain degree. As promised by both persons, Keira and Rob rendezvous in front of the city gates just after dawn.
When Keira arrived, Rob was already there sorting his stuff in the carriage with two horses operating upfront. What Keira didn't expect however, awaited in the meeting place was not only Rob with his horses but also another person.
Seeing Keira, Rob approached her and the other guy followed suit. Rob greeted Keira with a friendly smile.
"Good morning! Sorry, I didn't inform you ahead of time but I brought another addition with me."
"No it's fine, I was the one who took you off your time." Keira replied amiably, smiling.
Upon seeing this, Rob got dumbstruck by Keira's radiant smile. The man who tagged along with Rob was peeking behind Rob so he saw Keira's smile. He too was caught off guard by the beauty in front of Rob.
With a cough, Rob broke the trance he and the other man was in. Rob then glanced at his companion. As if acting on cue, the man moved forward and proceeded to introduce himself.
"Good day miss! My name is Fern, a good friend of Rob!" After ending his energetic introduction, Fern took a quick side glance at Rob. He secretly gave a wink and a thumbs up to Rob as though approving the woman in front of him. Rob's ears reddened and he gave a big smack to Fern's head. Keira, who hadn't seen Fern's actions, questionably looked at them.
Rob only gave a forced laugh while Fern also smiled back at Keira, showcasing that he was used to this rough attitude of Rob. What they both didn't know was that Keira's mind was already chaotic.
Keira: [After hearing Fern's voice, isn't this the other man who pursued me before together with Rob? Is fate playing with me Elly?]
System 999: [What do you mean Host?]
Keira then just remembered that her Elly was offline when she was hiding in the alleyway.
Keira: [Ah, nevermind then.]
After their introductions, Rob and Fern continued to ready their things in the carriage and Keira just observed them as she had nothing with her other than a small pouch that contained backup food and her bow. Keira inspected Fern now that she has a good chance to.
Fern looked like he was in his late teens, just about 16 or 17. He emits a very vigorous spirit and it also looks like he contains a straightforward personality. Keira felt that this would be a very fun and enjoyable trip.
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Once everything was ready, Rob sat in the driver's seat while Fern and Keira sat in the back with the empty boxes. The carriage was like a wagon with a canopy that covered the entire top, different from those carriages used to transport nobles. Keira didn't mind it though, as long as she didn't need to walk to her destination, it was in every way better.
The horse tread and the carriage began to move. The carriage was silent before Fern spoke up.
"Miss Mapajoke, are you single?" The carriage trembled as the driver shook. Keira was taken aback by the question that popped out of nowhere. She paused for a moment before displaying a genuine smile and answering fully of deep emotions. "No, I have a boyfriend waiting for me back home."
Fern regretted asking this question because he felt his buddy Rob become solemn. 'Stupid Fern, why do you have just to ask this ridiculous question! Of course a beauty like her already has a boyfriend.' Fern mentally slapped himself.
"Ah, is that so? Hahaha! Sorry for asking such a personal question. I was simply curious."
"It's alright." Keira smiled upon replying.
Fern then remembered what Rob told him the other day. A question popped up on Fern's mind so he decided to ask Keira, "But miss, aren't you a traveler? Does your husband not accompany you? Or do you possibly return from time to time?"
'Oh shit! Completely forgot my alias! I somehow got emotional thinking about him.'
Keira then laughed as she thought of an excuse then answered, "We live very far away from here. I can't return to see him yet due to personal reasons. So I miss him every day." Keira replied with truth mixed in. Fern only responded with an 'ah'. So the carriage fell back to silence once again.
Keira decided to lighten the mood after ruining it. So she asked Fern, "I heard from the inn owner that Rob traveled to Berrick Valley before?" Upon hearing these words, Fern's head perked up and his eyes brimmed.
"Yes! As a matter of fact, we traveled together! Rob was a mercenary before he took in his father's bakery who died due to illness. And he was very insistent on dragging me along to different quests." Fern spoke as he reminisced about his past.
Keira looked at Rob to see if he was feeling uncomfortable. After all, this matter is also regarding his life. Fern even shared how Rob's father died. But seeing that Rob didn't mind, he removed his gaze and drove it back to Fern. Fern continued his storytelling,
"After the final war and the disappearance of the darkness, there was significantly less quest to take and during this time period we decided to go on one last adventure and that was to Berrick Valley. We traveled there 2 times actually. The first was right after the final war concluded, but obviously, it was being monitored by the royal family so we couldn't go near it. Then the next is when they actually let people in Berrick Valley again. We traveled thereafter we were curious as to how the place turned up after a very massive war. That place is truly a historical spectacle! Although it was barren, you can still see traces of the battle that went on in that place, so the trip was still worth it."
Keira listened attentively and nodded after Fern was done talking. Now, Keira was getting excited upon hearing Fern's story and thought to herself, 'So my body not only robbed bread from this man, but also to this man's father?! Wow, the previous owner actually dared to steal bread from two generations of this family.'
After chatting for a while, the carriage fell into a comfortable silence. The carriage continued to move at a steady pace and Keira looked at the scenery outside the carriage. They were still covered in trees and plants but it was tranquil. The sun was up in the sky, signifying that it was already noon. After a brief stop to eat their lunch, they return on their journey again to not waste time.