I washed my face and got a towel from the room, then went outside of the mansion to meet my father by the blacksmith workshop, which was near the shed.
"Father, may I request something?"
"Ohya? This is the first time you're asking for something… Alright, hit me with it."
"Would it be possible for me to skip today's training? I want to explore our march and interact with the people more. I want to buy some things from the shops too, specifically ability scrolls."
"There are no ability scrolls here, but you can go to the Kingdom to acquire some. Sure, why not? You're already strong enough to protect yourself. Just get back before evening, and be sure to keep yourself dry because it will rain soon. Take this, too." My father said as he threw a bag at me. Upon checking, the bag contained 5 Platinum Coin, 10 gold coins, and a lot of silver and copper coins.
[Coins are used in acquiring goods. This is true to all kingdoms, marches, etc. Only some villages are still using the barter system of trading. The ranking of the coins is as follows: Copper > Silver > Gold > Platinum. The monetary value of coins is as follows: 1,000,000 copper coins = 10,000 Silver coins = 100 Gold Coins = 1 Platinum Coin.]
"Thank you very much, father. I shall tell my mothers about this as well, then. I will be back."
"Alright, take care. Oh, and before you leave… Be sure to come straight back home if you ever sense anything out of place. There have been reports of outsiders kidnapping children in our march and Kingdom, offering those children as sacrifices to the monster portal near their villages. Report back to me straight away when someone catches your attention."
"Understood."
I headed towards the kitchen where my mothers were at. I told them about my plans for today and they hesitantly agreed. They made sure to give some buffs to me before I left, which lasts for 4 hours (only minor buffs through food consumption). I saw them preparing a lot of food, packed similarly as rations.
{Come to think of it… Why have my mothers and father been working hard recently? It's like they're preparing for a war or something? I shall ask them that when I get back.}
I left the march as discreetly as I could, afraid that my time outside would be shortened by the people who could recognize me. After leaving through the gates of the march and being saluted by the guards, I went on my way to the Kingdom of Erebonia as fast as I could, using Wind and Lightning magic for speeding me up.
As I reached the Kingdom, I was surprised by the scenery in front of me. The kingdom is surrounded by water; roads connecting to the gates are highly guarded by knights. In order to enter, one has to go through one of the roads connecting to a gate of the kingdom. Otherwise, the knights on the castle walls will shoot to kill. It was indeed larger and taller than our march.
The process in entering the kingdom is similar to the process in entering our march. Most of the people would use an Orb of Identification before entering, paying a toll of 1 silver coin for the procedure and used orb, they were lined up in the right-most side. The others were placing their card-like object onto the pedestal, paying 25-75 copper coins instead, skipping the line. I lined up in the right most side since I am not yet a registered hunter.
{It was stated in the book I have read 5 years ago that those individuals who use those cards in entering are called hunters, who are ranked according to their strength and overall achievements; each rank having a certain discount in entering the kingdom. Therefore, if I want to start earning money and save on money, I better register in the Hunter's Guild to become an actual hunter.}
When it was my turn, the knights were saluting towards me. A man who's wearing the Captain's insignia, of tall stature and buff body, approached me and lead me to their quarters.
"Young man, according to the pin on your clothes, you are related to the Bennett family, yes?"
"…Yes, sir. I am the son of Marquess Alfred von Bennett, Julius von Bennet. It is my pleasure to speak with the captain of the Erebonia's Knights. Thank you for keeping us safe." I said as I bowed elegantly and offered my hand for a hand shake.
"Hahaha! You sure are uptight and formal! No wonder Fred said that his son is more noble than he is."
"You are acquainted with father?"
"Why, of course! Drop the formalities. I go by the name Wilfred Maxmond, 1st Captain of the Erebonian Knights." He said as he shook my outstretched hand. "Your father and I are best friends! My wife and I were in the same mercenary group with your father and mothers, too."
"…! So, you're also a Tier 3 Fighter, then?"
"Yep. My wife is also a Tier 3 Fighter, although a different kind from your father and I."
"If it is okay with you, may I know about the Mercenary Group that my father and you were in?"
"Oh… He hasn't told you about it yet…" Wilfred's face crumpled. He then waved his head and continued speaking.
"…Our group was called [Last Hope]. Basically, there were 2 guys and 4 women in the Mercenary group. Fred's role was the tank. He's so tough, even my wife Linda could only make him bleed after 4 or 5 attacks. He uses a war hammer and a tower shield in fighting. I am the bruiser; I go around our formation and protect the backline from any assassins or projectile attacks. If there are no threats, I will join the frontline with your father. I use gauntlets in fighting. My wife Linda was the assassin. She would go in stealth to infiltrate the enemy backlines and disrupt the casting of casters or kill the marksmen. She is one of the best damage-dealers in Erebonia, too. She uses a curved short sword in fighting close range and throwing knives in mid-range. Your mother Emma was the Toxophilite. She sets traps all around the battlefield and provides cover-support using mid to long-range attacks with the help of her crossbow. Your mother was the Sage. She was always the one who saves us from monster swarms. Her insane magic made it easier for everyone to rest. She's quite versatile, too."
"I see… That's quite the balance team you guys have."
"Well, we used to have a balance team until she died. Our last member was Riza. She was the Saint of the team. Due to her passing, we disbanded the mercenary group as it would be wrong to continue our journey without her."
"…I apologize for making you remember about that."
"Don't be. I have already come into terms with it. Don't ever mention that name near your father. That's all I can say."
"…Understood."
"Alright, then. That's enough chatting for now. Sorry for taking up your time. I hope that your stay in Erebonia would be enjoyable. Just come back here if you have any questions or clarifications."
"Yes, thank you very much, uncle. I shall get going, then."
"Hahaha! Sure, call me uncle then. Just don't forget to call your father Old Man someday, alright?"
"Haha, I will try."
Uncle Wil then guided me outside of the Knights' quarters and gave me a detailed map of Erebonia. From there, we said our farewells and I proceeded to the Hunter's Guild, which was located in the Hunter's District of the Kingdom, right outside the Royal Castle, as said by Uncle Wil.