It took them three days to span the length of the central valley, and by the third day they had fallen into a pleasant pattern.
Early morning saw them eating a quick breakfast and setting off as soon as possible.
For lunch they would stop in the nearest town. The valley was full of so many little towns that they sort of connected to form one large, constant city. Nothing there reached the extravagance of upper Sunheight, these were still workers and simple traders after all, but because it was the center of the kingdom it collected a fascinating assortment of people from all over the continent. Even the very buildings themselves reflected the clash of cultures. A simple Irelian home with thatched roof would stand next to the colorful tents and square brick shops of people from other nations, all huddled together to get close to the road.
It was the colorful, foreign places that caught Reina's eye.
She might have been in a hurry, but Reina also had a weakness for the finer things in life. If there was unique cuisine, she would be there. Marco was fine with that. He loved trying new things. Except for the offensively spicy red peppers the cook from Occiqu mixed with his chicken. It was like eating fire, and he would have been fine never experiencing that.
To make up for their daily food diversions, Reina had them on the road well into the evening and even a little after dark. Since it was a such a densely-populated area, there was no risk of further brigand encounters. Still, they were always settled in an inn before it got too late. After dinner, Marco's training would continue.
It was an exhausting few days, what with the little time the schedule left for sleep, but Marco found it fun. Even Reina seemed to let herself indulge in the rare smile more often.
"You're definitely still nowhere near qualified to call yourself a Hero, but I would say you're at least competent now."
Marco accepted her assessment without complaint. For Reina, that was a compliment.
****
It had been six days since they started their journey, and the final leg was upon them. After switching out horses at the last fortress in the valley, they ascended a hill that lead into the hinterlands.
The scenes of bustling town centers and hurried people were quickly and unceremoniously replaced by trees. Lots and lots of trees. Marco knew it would be this way until they reached their destination.
"Come to think of it," he said on the morning of the sixth day, "I never asked about this place we're going to."
"Connor," Reina replied.
"Who?"
"It's the name."
"Of who?"
"No, it's the name of the village."
"Connor?"
"Yes." She sighed and closed her book. "Connor is a small fishing village, named for its founder. Apparently his descendents are in charge to this day. From what Julia told me, they are quite willing to accept bribes and bring in rare, questionable merchandise to their port. They'll even do it for half the price of a port in a bigger city."
"So they're smugglers," Marco growled.
"Not in the way you're thinking," she replied. "While Connor does do business outside the law at times, they have strict rules to prevent endangering the citizens. That means no weapons, deadly potions, or even exotic animals may be traded in their port."
Marco ruminated on that. His own history with smuggler taught him they they weren't people of principle. It was always about one thing: coin.
"Not that it matters to us either way," Reina's voice broke through his thoughts. "As I reiterated many times, our only goal is to get Julia's package as quickly as possible and leave. The less time we spend in Connor, the better."
She had her usual stern expression, but at the same eyes were glued to Marco warily. It was like she was gauging his reaction more than outright commanding him.
"Works for me," he said with a nod. "If we make good time, we might even be able to go back to that Marovian place again."
Reina clapped her hands. "Oh yes! I would love to try the alambre with the green sauce. They describe it as 'spicier than a dragon's breath.'"
Marco's mouth went dry just from hearing that. "I'll stick to the mild sauce."
****
The benefit of there being so much forest in eastern Irelios is that the kingdom had no shortage of lumber. The problem was that no one really wanted to visit a forest, so there were very few inns. Marco and Reina (and Arnold) found themselves making camp that night.
"It's kind of like our trial," Marco said as he cooked some beans on the fire.
"You talk so nostalgically, like that blasted trial was more than a week ago," Reina said as she bit into some jerky. She chewed it while pouting, giving her a glum but sort of cute look. Clearly she missed the exotic foods of the valley.
He laughed. "You didn't like it?"
"I was forced to fight an invisible lizard and go into a tree with giant rats." She shuddered as she recollected it. " Why would I like it?"
"It makes for a good story."
"I'm not interested in stories, unless a bard is singing them to me while I sit comfortably in the palace," said Reina.
"What about this trip? You seem to be actually enjoying yourself," he said hopefully.
"Would that every quest allowed you to travel in a carriage and sample cuisine from around the land."
She took a dramatic bite into her jerky, both because it required it and because it punctuated her point.
He gave her a cautious glance, hesitating before saying, "They could, you know. We could travel like this, helping people and taking care of small problems like those bandits. It doesn't have to be–"
"And there it is," Reina cut in, stomping her foot. "Every time we come close to some...civility, you make some bold ask of me. Why can't you just be happy with what you have?"
"I am," Marco said, trying not to sound too confrontational.
"Are you?" She didn't care so much. Their eyes locked, and in Reina's he saw the beginnings of an idea. "I have...a suggestion. You and I shall make a deal."
"I'm listening," he said.
"Get us in and out of Connor in one day, with Julia's package safely in hand. Do that, and I will allow you to perform quests. Slay monsters, rescue puppies, as long as you do it out of my way I don't care. But if your actions cause us to be in Connor even a second more than necessary, you must agree to follow my every command without the slightest complaint."
"How do I know you won't just use the 'yield' thing to make me do whatever you say anyway?"
"If I've learned one thing about you," she said with a sigh, "It's that trying to force you into anything is pointless."
"Deal." He stuck out his hand.
She regarded it strangely before realizing what she was meant to do. They shook on it.
"Uh, Sir Marco?" A hesitant voice came from the side. Both of them turned to see Arnold the carriage driver eyeing the pot in Marco's hand. "You're burning the beans…"
The smoke rising from the pot became the ominous sign of a rather unpleasant dinner.