Yggdrasil Year 1642, Month 1, Day 22, Town of Lucentyr, East Exit
Mayor Hodges, officials, and townsfolk come to send Reynes off.
"I'm sorry I can't stay longer than this. I have to carry on the journey."
"Oh, no problem, sir. You've done more than enough to help us."
Reynes do a lot of work on the town during and post-festival. Extending the town walls, providing a job for slums, joint patrol at the forest, cleaning the sewers, monster subjugation outside Lucentyr Forest, and many more.
Hodges had already prepared the land for him, so when Reynes established a Legion, he would arrange everything to set up a base of operations.
"You can establish your base here whenever it's available. We always save space for you."
"Tell me if you run into some trouble when I visit here. I'll do what I can to help you out."
"Yeah. Safe journey."
"Good luck!"
"Come back here once in a while!"
Reynes rides on Mophire as they set off from Lucentyr Town. After a kilometer away, she transforms into a human form.
"Mmm…. Their hospitality it's getting better and better."
"Well…. That's because they know who you are, Mophire."
"Fu fu…. I also think the same for Bluphire when I brought her a week ago."
"Heh…. Let's leave it to her."
The first destination is to head to the Crossroad Village, where it serves as a stopping point before reaching one of three towns. To the west is Lucentyr, north is Vostok, and East is Aschtein.
There is a small village that serves as another crossroad, which would lead to the capital Armenia, Vostok, and Aschtein. But, most merchants head through Vostok as merchants have to bring an escort at least one A Rank party if they want to head to the small village due to monsters between Armenia and the small village.
The town of Aschtein is the stopping point before reaching the eastern border town Selestat, which would lead to the border town on the South of Midgard Kingdom, Metis.
"This is your first day's journey outside Lucentyr, Mophire. Tell me if you need something."
"Don't worry about me. I'm a Sacred Beast."
"It's your call, then."
Lucentyr is a Sacred Beast, and each of them have unique abilities. Mophire's ability was enhanced when the full moon was on the rise.
"Speaking of which, why do you refuse to get a carriage? You can get to the next town faster."
"Nah. I would prefer walking since I want to enjoy this journey. Maybe you can volunteer to pull the carriage for me, then?"
"Oh, you."
Mophire pinches Reynes' waist as she grins.
"Ouch! Ouch!"
While they walk together, both sense a large magic power coming their way. It feels like the source is running away from something. Suddenly, the source was either disrupted or vanished by something.
"You sense it?"
"Yes."
"It's three kilometers ahead. Let's go. [Physical Enhancement] [Party Buff Sharing] [Limit Break: Second Awakening, Speed] [Acceleration]."
Mophire can feel the surge of speed as they breeze through to the destination. She's yet to be used for Reynes' style when combining [Limit Break Speed] with [Acceleration]. Furthermore, her legs don't feel any side effects when accelerating, as if his buffs enhance her output.
Near Crossroads Town
"Mmmph!!"
Dawn was captured by a group of mercenaries that had been pursuing her from yesterday. As they loaded her into the carriage, they saw two figures approaching.
"Hey. Is that?"
"Oh. That's a Lucentyr. Boys, capture it! We would get a nice prize if we can bring it back!"
Mophire pounces on one of the group, and Reynes impale another with his sword.
"They're too fast!"
"Quick! Let's get out of here!"
Mophire roars as the horse begin to panic. Reynes quickly cut its reins, allowing the horse to escape, leaving the carriage behind.
"Shit. You!"
Dawn can see the fight between Reynes and the mercenaries, and she can hear a conversation.
"Oho…. I remember you. You're the one that managed to kidnap one of Lucentyr."
"You….! If you hadn't interfered, the noble would be pleased if you let us catch more."
"That won't do. Since I have to protect them, you see. Now, where is the Lucentyr."
"In your dreams! Ha! Now you have to obey me—what!?"
"Did you think you can put this collar on me as easy as that? Well, then."
"N-no! Stop! Aaaahhh!!"
After that, silence arrives, and once the mercenaries are defeated, Reynes checks on the carriage.
"Mmph!!"
Dawn struggles to break free, as she is scared that he may also come for her.
"Take it easy. I'll cut this loose."
Reynes scans it with his magic, and he begins to cut it as soon as he can disarm the magic protective measure that would keep her in a bind. As soon as he frees her, she looks at him.
"Are you from another group that comes to get me?"
"No, we're not. We just happen to detect your magic power and investigate it when suddenly the magic power goes disturbed. Why do they come after you?"
"I-I can't tell you about it…."
"Alright, then. Be careful when you're traveling alone to Lucentyr Town."
"Hey, Reynes. Take a look at their emblem."
Mophire examines the corpse. One of them has the emblem of a fist inside the helmet on its clothes.
"Is that Gra Exousia's emblem? What are they doing here?"
"Definitely not good, especially for her."
Looking at the girl, Reynes thinks of something. He sighs a bit as he loots their belongings as Dawn steps out from the carriage.
"You come from Gra Exousia?"
"N-no. They're the ones that come after me."
"Alright, then. Be careful on your journey. They may come to go after you again."
Reynes and Mophire drag the corpses to the plains outside the road. Once they were lined up properly, Reynes leaves them be.
"Enjoy your day."
"P-Please wait!"
"Hm?"
Looking at her, she slowly walks to him.
"Uhhh…. Umm…. Can I go with you?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"T-to Scharlwarltz…."
"It will take a while, though. It could be years to get there."
"I—I don't mind about it."
"Alright. Just remember that you come to join me on this journey."
"I-it's okay."
As she walked close to them, she felt uneasy, but she didn't have much choice.
"I'm Reynes."
"Mophire."
"I—I'm Dawn."
"Well, then, Dawn. I hope we can get along."
Dawn joins the party as Reynes and Mophire resume the journey. The Crossroads Town can be reached by carriage from Lucentyr before night arrives, but since Reynes prefers to walk, he needs to camp out before continuing his travel to Crossroads Town tomorrow.
Night Time, near the river
Reynes set a camp close enough to a river. After setting up a tent, he also set up a campfire for tonight.
Reynes enters his tent to make a dinner, and Dawn looks at Mophire as she transforms into a human while keeping watch on the surrounding.
"Umm… Miss Mophire…."
"Just call me Mophire."
"Mophire. Umm…. How long you've been joining him?"
"Oh, Reynes? Around three months ago. But, I've officially begun my journey today."
"Journey?"
"Uhm. He says that he goes on a journey."
"Does he have a destination?"
"No. That is how his family works. Travels anywhere until decide to settle down."
"What name is his family?"
"The Lexington Family."
"I see…."
Dawn blinked several times while thinking that Reynes had just started his journey. She smelled something good from the tent but felt uneasy as she thought of Reynes cook in a cramped space.
"Is it fine for him to cook inside?"
"It's fine. You can take a look inside."
As Dawn goes inside his tent, she looks surprised as the interior is different from the outside.
"It's huge."
"Oh. Dinner is almost ready."
Dawn hesitates at first, but seeing Reynes arranges everything inside the dining table, she looks at him for a while.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Umm…. Can I stay with you for a while?"
He makes a smiling sigh when Dawn wants to stay with him for a while.
"Of course, you can stay. But, this journey would be a long one. Where's your destination again?"
"Scharlwarltz."
"I can take you there, but it could take years if you don't mind."
"I-it's okay. My mother wants me to go on a journey, after all."
"Alright. Please call Mophire here. Dinner is ready."
Mophire enters the tent as soon as Dawn calls her for dinner. After having dinner, Reynes looks at Mophire.
"Mophire. Can you share your bed with Dawn?"
"I don't mind. I also would like to sleep in a living room with Lucentyr form."
Dawn looks uneasy about it, but for her to have a bed of her own means, she has to keep her guard up.
"I'll take first watch for tonight."
"You don't need to, Reynes. I'll tell you when there's an intruder."
"Alright. I trust your sense."
As they begin to turn themselves in for the night, Luciana, Randgris, and Shina watch them from the Oversee Pond.
Scharlwartlz Palace, Oversee Pond
"It looks like someone knows where we would send her."
Randgris saw how the mercenaries reacted quickly to Dawn's deployment on the ground. Luciana nods as she tells Randgris why she picks the Arminia Kingdom and near Crossroads Village as the destination.
"Some may guess the location since we pick one of the stable countries and on the good weather as well."
Shina looked puzzled as the encounter went too fast, yet Dawn had already decided to tag along with Reynes and Mophire on his journey.
"Tell me, Luciana. Is it a coincidence, or is it fate that brought them together?"
"You've been thinking about that for a while, Shina. Does that prophecy haunts you?"
"Well. It does, Luciana. Either me or maybe the Goddess of Fate already decide it from the beginning. Maybe I'm overthinking it too much."
"Maybe you should go and resume your business, Shina. You may find more information as you can't stay here at all times."
"You'll keep an eye on me, don't you?"
"Don't worry. I'll call you when the situation is necessary."
Dawn encounters Reynes on her second day of the journey, as fate guides them to be together. The historian would later see this site as one of the historical sites where the two begin their journey that would shape the fate of Yggdrasil.