There are three horse-drawn carriages going hand in hand through the forest area. Their journey appears to be uneventful, not only because they are safe from bandits but also because the roads they travel on are flat and made of a material similar to stone but not actually stone. These roads are not the bumpy ground typically found in remote areas.
Because this region is still relatively close to the Zeitgeist imperial capital, all of the roads that lead to the city that is located nearby are kept in good condition and are guaranteed to be safe.
There was only one way out of this region for anyone who broke the rules, and that was to die a horrible death in its entirety.
Two people can be seen riding in the majestic carriage in the middle. Their identities are Hadrian Von Kaiser and his younger sister, Alice Von Kaiser.
"Hey brother, what's up with this trip?" Alice inquired eagerly, unsure how often she had already asked the question.
I, who was feeling idle at the time, responded by pinching her cheek and saying, "I intend to sacrifice you to the witch on the mountain in exchange for a new little sister."
"You just can't put up with my charm, can you? have you given up?" Alice remarked with a grin on her face, as per usual, that she was a very upbeat and joyful child.
When I heard that, I couldn't help but crack a small smile as I looked out the window at the rapidly altering landscape outside.
Suddenly, my mind wandered back to the past.
Alice was too young at the time of the tragedy that took the lives of several members of my family, including my father, to shed tears for the passing of individuals whom she did not know very well.
While this was happening, Emila matured into a responsible and diligent individual. She never stopped honing her sword skills and did so daily until she became widely recognized as the strongest among the youth.
If Emilia were to face 'the Fiery Furnace' who trained Alice this morning, I'm willing to bet Emilia could defeat her with fewer than ten sword moves.
That should give you an idea of how powerful she is, Emilia Von Kaiser.
Because of this, Alice spent more time with me, and our relationship deepened as a result. In the meantime, my mother became very busy after she succeeded my father as new Emperor.
Suddenly, I felt someone leaning on my shoulder, and when I looked, it was Alice, who was fast asleep. It seemed as though she had been practicing since early this morning, so she was likely exhausted.
As more time passes, the sun has already reached its zenith, and the occasional gust of wind that causes the leaves to fall contributes to creating a reviving impression.
Because the carriage was coated with magic, the passengers inside did not feel the heat of the sun or the winding road, and as a result, they were able to travel in comfort and safety the entire journey.
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, two horse-drawn carriages are also passing through. However, these carriages have a shabby appearance.
It is obvious that this horse-drawn carriage is not maintained because the roof is merely covered with dull brown cloth, and the back is wide open.
And if you look inside, the front is crammed with people of all ages, from the elderly to children. They are all dressed in tattered garments and are pressed up against one another.
The back, on the other hand, is filled with a variety of things, Including things like agricultural goods, clothing, food, and other essential necessities.
Two people were seen sitting in front of the horse carriage, managing the horse's path. They wore light iron uniforms with a symbol of a scale emblazoned on their chests, and both of them were armed with a long sword at their waists.
Meanwhile, the carriage in the back has four people who look exactly like the ones in the front, ensuring the security of the goods they are transporting.
They are members of the Merchant Union, an organization responsible for regulating trade throughout the continent. In general, they are dispersed throughout each empire and kingdom, but nobles are responsible for managing them in each of their respective territories.
Village Youth Pov
A few days have passed since I decided to leave the village, and for the past few days, my younger sister and I have been sleeping and finding shelter in the carriage belonging to this Merchant Union.
One could say that my sister and I were extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to the nation's capital. But, of course, the trip did not come without a cost, which is why I was left feeling helpless.
They ask for 1 silver coin from each individual, which is the price they charge, but considering that I'm just a teenager living in the village and I'm only 17 years old, that's obviously not something I can get my hands on.
From the sale of the meat of the small animals that I hunt in the forest, I only make three copper coins per day, and it took me months just to collect one hundred copper coins because one silver coin is equivalent to one hundred copper coins.
Why do I say it's impossible? Because my savings keep going down to help relieve some of the financial strain on my parents and to pay for my little sister's medical expenses.
But how did I, in the end, come to be in possession of the money? all thanks to the doctor...
"Hey kid, where are your parents?"
I was surprised to hear a male voice because I had kept my head down more often during this trip because I didn't want to see the gloomy atmosphere in this carriage, so I was surprised when someone tried to talk to me.
I slowly lifted my head to see where the voice came from.
I believe the person who spoke just now is the middle-aged man sitting in front of me and looking directly at my younger sister and me.
"They work in the village," I said curtly.
"So, what exactly do you plan to accomplish by coming all the way here?" When the middle-aged man tried to strike up another conversation with me once more, I was understandably cautious about what he might have in mind.
This middle-aged man gave off an aura that made me get goosebumps for some reason, and the fact that he joined the carriage in the middle of the ride added to the fact that I had a bad feeling about him.
I exhaled deeply and then said, "I want to go treat my little sister's illness."
"You traveled all the way to the state capital to get treatment for your little sister's illness which... must be an extremely unusual condition."
As soon as I heard the comments that came out of the mouth of the middle-aged man, I immediately became even more depressed because what he said was so spot on.
In the beginning, my younger sister's illness was not as severe as it is now. In fact, the care she received from the physician in the village was sufficient for a time. However, her condition deteriorated after a while, and she was forced to seek treatment in the city.
When I asked the doctor about my sister's condition, he told me that it was exceptionally rare and that he could not treat it. He also said that even if I went to another treatment facility, no one there would be able to treat it either.
My family was on the verge of giving up when the doctor offered the last glimmer of hope by suggesting that we bring my younger sister to the nation's capital, also referred to as the city of the time.
He told me that everything I wanted was there, which meant that the illness of my younger sister could also be cured there.
Who hasn't heard of the city of Zeit, the center of the Zeitgeist empire? A traveling merchant often stops in my village. From there, I frequently hear about the miracles that can be found in the capital.
I would venture to say that this is the expectation of the vast majority of the village youths located throughout the Zeitgeist empire. As a result, the village youths are ecstatic about the prospect of changing their fate in the city of Zeit.
"Because my parents have to continue working in the village, they are unable to travel."
The truth is that my parents have given up, and they don't even want to try to take her to the capital like the doctor suggested they do.
"Because of this, I made the decision to accompany my younger sister,"
Seeing her in pain daily broke my heart, and I decided that I had to get away from that situation.
The middle-aged man in front of me, whose facial expression I couldn't anticipate, suddenly laughed. I have no idea what he was laughing about, but I didn't care, so I kept quiet about it.
After the middle-aged man finished laughing, he asked again, but this time I could see the sly grin he was attempting to cover up on his face.
"So, do you have money?"
This time, I simply avoided answering the question. Obviously, I did not have the financial means to take care of my younger sister in the capital.
However, the doctor who provided me with the funds necessary to ride the carriage advised me that I could ask his friend in the capital for assistance. According to the doctor, his friend in the capital would be pleased with the gift that he had brought.
Even though I had no idea what the doctor meant by gift, hearing him say it gave me a sense of relief. If I'm being completely honest, I also have no idea what I would have done after arriving in the capital city if it weren't for the doctor's assistance.
The man had something to say, but suddenly he turned his head towards the horse carriage behind. At that precise moment, there was a loud sound, followed by the neighing of a horse.
The carriage they were traveling came to a startling halt, waking up the passengers who had been sleeping.
"Don't you realize that the choices you've made will eventually lead to your demise?" Someone could be heard yelling from the outside, and this was immediately followed by the terrified shrieks of the guards from the merchant union.
If you go outside and take a good look around, you'll notice that there are a few different people standing off in the distance. They hide their faces by covering them with a dark cloth.
In addition, they each held weapons in their hands and wore light iron armor, some parts of which had a rusted appearance.