In the courtyard of the Count's estate, the search party had just returned, weary and disheartened. The Count and Countess stood before them, their faces etched with worry and frustration. The tension between the couple was palpable as they argued about their missing son.

"How could you let this happen?" the Countess accused the Count, her voice trembling. "You should have been more understanding, more compassionate!"

The Count's expression was cold and stern. "I did what I believed was best for Rio. He needs to learn discipline and responsibility."

The Countess, incensed by his response, lashed out. "Cold and heartless, that's what you are! Is that all you care about, discipline and responsibility? What about love and understanding? Our son is missing, and all you can think about is teaching him a lesson?"

The Count's expression softened for a moment, and he reached out to touch her arm. "I do care about our son, and I promise you, we will find him."

As if on cue, Rio's brother's horse trotted back into the courtyard without a rider, carrying Rio's belongings. Panic shot through the Countess as she recognized the items.

"He was on this horse!" she cried, fear gripping her heart. "Something terrible must have happened to him! We have to find him, we have to!"

The Count, shaken by the sight of the horse, summoned the search party once more. "Double your efforts. Find Rio and bring him back to us safely," he commanded, his voice betraying a hint of concern.

As the search party rode off again, the Countess turned to her husband, her eyes brimming with tears. "We should have tried to understand him, to see things from his perspective," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

The Count remained silent, his eyes focused on the departing search party. He couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and responsibility for his son's disappearance.

Meanwhile, Rio, after spending a night in the forest perched on a tree, was struggling to find his way to Sylvaris. Although Ethan had inherited the memories of the real Rio, his knowledge of horse riding was purely theoretical. This helped him ride away from the county, but the dense forest, uneven ground, and narrow path proved to be too challenging for him. As they progressed deeper into the forest, a sudden sound spooked the horse. Lacking experience, Rio was unable to stay on the horse, and he fell off. The frightened horse bolted away, leaving Rio alone in the middle of the forest.

Feeling scared and vulnerable, Rio was well aware of the dangerous monsters that roamed the forests of this world, thanks to the memories he had inherited. As darkness fell, he decided to climb a tree and sleep there, hoping to stay safe from any wild animals that might be lurking nearby.

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The next day, Rio continued to follow the narrow road, exhausted from the lack of sleep and the fear of encountering dangerous monsters. As he walked, the forest grew denser, and the path became darker.

Suddenly, Rio found himself surrounded by small green anthropomorphic monsters. He recognized them as goblins from Rio's memories. While goblins were much weaker than humans, their strength lay in numbers. As the goblins slowly closed the circle around him, Rio grew increasingly scared, thinking that his end was near.

As the goblins closed in, Rio braced himself for the attack. Just when the first goblin lunged at him, an arrow suddenly pierced through its head, stopping it in its tracks. The goblin fell to the ground, lifeless. The other goblins hesitated, momentarily confused by the sudden turn of events.

From the shadows of the dense forest, two swordsmen, charged at the goblin horde with their blades gleaming. With swift and precise movements, they slashed through the goblin ranks, cutting down several in just a few moments. The goblins, now terrified and disoriented, began to scatter in panic.

The ranger responsible for the well-placed arrow, continued to let loose a barrage of arrows from a distance, expertly taking down any goblin attempting to escape or regroup.

The fierce battle lasted only a few minutes, but it left a significant number of goblins lying lifeless on the ground. The remaining goblins fled into the depths of the forest, no longer posing a threat to Rio or the surrounding area.

Breathing heavily from the adrenaline and shock of the sudden rescue, Rio looked at his saviors with awe and gratitude. The leader of the group, a well-built man with a commanding presence, approached Rio.

"I'm Tavon, the leader of this group," he said with a friendly smile. "This is Elara, our second swordsman, Caelum, our ranger, and Lysandra, our healer. We were on a mission to reduce the goblin population in this forest when we saw you in trouble."

Rio nodded gratefully, "Thank you for saving me. I'm Rio. I lost my horse and was trying to make my way to Sylvaris."

Tavon noticed Rio's tattered yet expensive clothing, indicating that he was likely of noble descent. "We've just finished our job here, and we're heading back to Sylvaris ourselves. The local lord requested our assistance in dealing with the goblin problem. They've been attacking farms and farmland lately, so our job was to hunt them down and collect mana stones as proof of our efforts. You're welcome to join us on our journey back."

Rio, relieved to have found help and protection, gratefully accepted their offer to travel with them to Sylvaris.

Over the course of the next three days, Rio and the group of adventurers journeyed through the dense forest together. As they made their way towards Sylvaris, they exchanged stories and experiences around the warmth of the campfire each night. Rio learned a great deal about the life of adventurers, their various quests, and the camaraderie that bound them together. In turn, he shared his own experiences and knowledge, though he was careful not to reveal too much about his noble background.

As they continued on their journey, the forest gradually began to thin out, and the oppressive darkness gave way to more sunlight. On the morning of the fourth day, the group finally emerged from the forest, and there in the distance, nestled among the rolling hills, lay the city of Sylvaris. Its stone walls and towering spires stood as a testament to the civilization and security that awaited them within.

With a newfound sense of hope and determination, Rio and his newfound companions continued their journey towards the city, eager to uncover the opportunities and challenges that awaited him there.