"Are you sure you will be fine with just that? We could do some shopping if you want." The carriage arrived at the eastern gate and Sieg prepared to disembark. The worried Anne made a point of how the equipment he has on him isn't enough for such job.
The thing is he didn't have any equipment at all. He wore normal clothes, normal boots, and a leather coat with a slight cold resistance, in other words a normal coat. As for the weapons he had both his trademark long eastern style swords, called tachi, and nothing else. It's more accurate to say he is on his way to fight a wyvern-class beast in his casual clothes, or rather his pajamas. Anne had a very good reason for feeling anxious.
"Nah, ready-for-sale equipment is pretty much useless, and I don't have a storehouse around these parts." He stretches his arms yawning lazily. This job annoys him, it's a pain in the ass, and he wanted to sleep.
"If things are more than I can handle I will just return with better gear," a long sigh escaped him, "but I doubt I would need to, it's just a wyvern"
A wyvern is a strong enemy, a monstrosity capable of spitting flames. However, it isn't something Sieg hadn't overcome before. He already lost count of how many he has slain in recent years. That's right, a wyvern class might be a fearsome foe, but not for an eternal like Siegfried.
"Be careful. I will be staying in the city for a while so remember to report to me first!"
"Yeah yeah, you don't have to worry." He waved a hand as he walked away.
.....
"Shiiiiiiiiiit..." Sieg's shoulders dropped at the sight before his eyes, "windy fields my ass!" As the name suggests, the Windyfields fortress city is located in the middle of a large flat area that stretches all the way to the mountains. It takes half a day by a carriage to reach the forest at the base, less using a horse. He had none of those, so walking was his only choice.
One hour into the walk, Sieg has already crossed half the distance. He travels on foot most of the time and, as an eternal, his speed is abnormal; that didn't mean he likes it though. Running could end the trip in half what it usually takes, but he's feeling a little extra lazy today. Yawning again and again, the idea of taking a nap caressed his mind. Anemone would definitely find out somehow and he won't hear the end of it, so he shook his head thinking it's better not to. The more he walked the lazier he felt. He wanted to stretch out on the vast fields and sleep under the sun. His motivation is as low as it gets, he had just returned from a different assignment Anemone's father left him with. One that left him too exhausted to care about anything else.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a horde of brown tusk feasting on the green grass like they had no care in the world. They indeed have no care in the world. They are large, covered in brown wool and had really long tusks. Those herbivores are usually raised in farms but looking at how large these are, he could tell they live in the wild.
He stopped for a moment and considered hunting one. The demand for wild meat is always there and their smoked tongue is simply a delicacy. If only he was on his way back. Frowning at the lost opportunity he went back to his path.
Siegfried didn't come to Windyfield too often. It was on his way back, so he decided to stop by and say hello to an old pal, a man named August who became captain of the city guards a few years ago.
Sieg and August knew each other for a lifetime. Ever since the great black ant invasion, a strong bond formed between them after defending the city together. Sieg has watched him grow from a normal foot soldier to become a commander, then guard captain. He attended his wedding, the birth of his daughter, and came by to share a drink whenever he had the chance.
August was one of the few people he could call a friend. That this friend has left the world now, Sieg felt nothing about it. He wasn't about to shed a tear for another life coming to its end thinking, "They all die, eventually. Crying and feeling sad won't bring them back."
The problem now is the daughter he left behind. His wife passed away two years ago which means she has no one to look after her.
"Her task is cooking related if my memories didn't betray me. Maybe I can find a job for her close to the Lionheart residence, that way I can keep an eye on her. Unless something that required me to leave for a long period came up, I should be able to take care of her until she finds a good husband."
"Just in case, I think I will ask Anne to look after her as well," that was the conclusion he came up with. It's the least he could do instead of mourning his lost friend. In a few more minutes he found himself at the forest entrance.