Three days slipped by in the blink of an eye. Long gone were the comforting sights of the royal capital or the city of Bishmark, but now all around were the greens, oranges, reds, and browns of the mid-fall forests and fields. Unlike their such cities, the frontier held more than just basic supplies. Bounties, criminals, farmers, people. All lived in this unconquered place, many of which stayed behind the comforting walls of the settlement they stayed in, not daring to exit the walls.
Mike preferred this newfound silence. Though traveling such a distance in a carriage was more than tedious as he preferred to have a vehicle from his own world, he someone mitigated his frustration through the countless nights sharing stories amongst his brothers, and the comforting feeling he had from learning more about the kingdom he was just barely in.
Not long ago the group came across several wild and feral animals. With the assistance of Marco, Eugene, and Anne, Richard quickly dispatched the threat posed by such wildlife. The rounds made by Great Sage George were suitable at best. The bullets he had made using black powder provided the amount of energy necessary for the gun to function, yet the "makeshift" bullets had less stopped power, penetration, and overall firepower. Yet it was imperative for the Rangers to conserve the remaining ammunition they had with them. The substitute that was provided was more than capable of taking down anything. A well-placed shot could bring down even the largest of foes.
With his head slamming on the back of the carriage, and a numb feeling spreading throughout his left arm, Mike eye's snapped open. A warm light flooded his vision as he forced himself awake by blinking several times. Gaining his senses, the Sergeant looked around curiously. The carriage was mostly empty, and the crackle of a small fire died out just outside, no doubt caused by the other members of this "expedition". Looking to his left he spotted Princess Lecca. Her silver hair was slumped over he faces, and she rested against his arm while breathing softly. Covering the two of them was the tarp that he had token out three days earlier. His covered hands and arms felt warm as the sun beamed down on the olive-drab cloth.
Removing himself from the tarp and placing the princess on one of his bags, Mike clambered out of the carriage. His helmet was laying on a nearby stump that the other men were sitting on, and his carbine remained strung over his chest. Compared to the cramped and uncomfortable interior of the wooden carriage, he was glad to step into the fresh air.
As he interacted with the three knights, and the Rangers not on patrol, an hour passed before Princess Lecca awoke. As she groggily climbed out of the carriage, it took her a moment to register the men under her command cleaning up the camp they had made for the early morning.
"Ah, Princess!" Knight Marco called out with a small smile on his face. "You just missed breakfast! It was apparently an "omelet" made by Sergeant Malkovich."
With her expression dropping in disappointment, Lecca looked upon the young knight with a distraught expression. "What!?" Unironically her favorite "meal" was blueberry muffins and other pastries. Such items were commonly found during breakfast hours.
"Hey Princess!" Calling out to her PFC Simon walked alongside Patterson and Baker. "We getting ready to go!?"
"We are!" She called back startling the men around the carriage. "Get over here so we may depart!" The sudden shouting she did waked her up.
Hurrying back, it wasn't long before they had departed once more. It would be another half day before they reached the first settlement that was essentially the entrance to the frontier. She was looking forward to taking a bath upon entering the settlement. Over the three days, sweat, grime, and dirt stained her face. Yet despite everything they had travelled, everything had remained relatively intact.
Seconds, minutes, hours passed.
Long ahead two guards waited. Within five minutes the party had arrived. Many citizens inside the settlement stared at the newcomers. The security at the front gate was to be expected, but the segmented groups around the main road unnerved Mike making him want to leave even sooner than anticipated. The driver cleared up a misunderstanding made by the two guards on station, and soon the carriage was parked on the side of the road. With the driver, Malkovich, and Patterson staying behind to secure the gear, the rest wandered the streets.
The frontier was something that he expected to be in shambles. He expected criminals to be on the loose, with western like cowboys running after them guns blazing.
It seemed that he was mistaken.
On the smaller and large dirt roads that were hidden behind the buildings that made up the small town, people walked down through the scattered gates as they returned from gathering food, wood and other miscellaneous items. Their footsteps were painted by the collection of oils in the sky that gave way to the heavenly light of the sun. It beamed down onto the busy, yet quiet and quaint town. Each ray revealed the farmers working since the early hours of the day, and the countless businessmen and adventures that returned from their respective workplaces.
With Lecca, Marco, Eugene, and Anne leading the way, Mike and the other Holy Knights trailed behind. Their first stop was to gather medicinal and food supplies. From warrior to bag carrier, Mike was beginning to sweat under the intense sun, he cursed his luck.