It didn't take long for Albert and me to emerge from the forest and reach a dirt road. Honestly, we weren't sure which direction to take, but we decided to go left, assuming that if we retraced our steps, the forest we passed through would be on our right.
Albert and I continued down the road, carefully observing everything around us to absorb as much information as possible. Additionally, I must say that Albert proved to be surprisingly skilled when it comes to forest exploration, going beyond what his appearance suggests.
Surprisingly, I found out that Albert was one of the top students in his class during field exploration activities when he was still studying at Solaris Academy. This revelation initially surprised me, but I soon realized it made total sense. It was quite obvious that he and Asia excelled at the academy.
In fact, the two of them graduated much faster than most, thanks to their incredible abilities. When I heard this information, I was surprised, especially considering Asia's behavior when she was with me. It was hard to believe she was so skilled.
After walking for a while, a noise from behind captured both mine and Albert's attention. When we turned around, we saw a horse-drawn carriage, but it was notably different from the carriages we usually saw on our continent. For starters, this carriage had no roof, and its seat accommodated only two passengers.
Albert watched the carriage with discreet curiosity, while I, on the other hand, was more surprised than curious. After all, I recognized that carriage; it was used in ancient China. This led me to consider that this continent was deeply connected to Chinese culture. However, I had no concrete evidence to support this conclusion, so I simply observed.
As the carriage passed us, I carefully observed the people inside, and as I suspected, both were wearing typical ancient Chinese attire. This made me look at myself and Albert. It was clear that our clothes would certainly attract attention. Therefore, the first thing we should do when we arrived in the city was to buy traditional clothes from the region.
"Let's keep moving forward. Besides, we need to buy new clothes if we want to maintain a low profile. It's clear we stand out dressed like this"
It seemed Albert shared the same thought as me. Upon hearing that, I just nodded and watched Albert head in the direction of the carriage. At least for now, we were certain we were heading in the right direction, or at least to a place where we would encounter other people.
As we walked, the sun shining in the sky slowly began to set on the horizon, indicating that night was approaching. However, this didn't bother us, as we could already see the city's entrance ahead. The place was surrounded by walls, and next to the gate, two guards were wearing typical ancient Chinese warrior attire.
As we approached, one of the guards stepped forward and raised his hand, indicating for us to stop. Albert and I remained calm, waiting for the guard's words.
"You two aren't from around here, are you? Your clothes are quite different. Where do you come from?"
Upon hearing the guard's question, Albert and I exchanged quick glances and nodded, silently agreeing. To be honest, seeing the attire of the carriage passengers, I realized it was likely we would face this kind of questioning. So, Albert and I had concocted a backstory for both him and me.
"We both lived on a mountain until recently, seeking enlightenment. We were isolated from society for a long time, so our knowledge is limited. Our master passed away recently due to old age and asked us to go out and explore the world"
I explained to the guard, detailing the story we had fabricated. As I finished recounting, Albert pulled a small silver coin from his pocket and handed it to the guard. Upon receiving the coin, the guard pocketed it and then turned his gaze back to us, considering the explanation we had just provided.
"Our master instructed us to pay to enter the city"
I added, explaining to the guard the instructions given by our mentor. Upon hearing my words, the guard nodded in agreement.
"Although rare, cases like yours sometimes happen... well, I suppose it's alright. You two can enter, just don't cause trouble. If you encounter any difficulties, seek the nearest guard post. Also, I recommend you change your clothes. I have no idea where your master got those garments, but they're quite unusual around here"
Upon hearing this, Albert and I performed a typical Chinese gesture of respect and thanked the guard. Soon enough, we were inside the city. Now, all we needed to do was gather information about the location of the leader patriarch's residence, so we could plan how to request an audience.
In case you're wondering where we got the money, it's quite simple, really. The spies, before they vanished, sent us a relatively decent amount of money. However, of course, this amount is far from sufficient to secure our worry-free future on this continent.
At least it gave us some room to maneuver when we arrived here. I was genuinely mentally thankful to the spies for this, although now I don't know if they are alive or not.
Putting that aside, Albert and I, as soon as we entered the city, sought out a clothing store and swiftly changed so we could blend in. Afterward, we explored the area in search of a place where we could stay.
After asking around, finally, Albert and I found a place where we could stay. While it wasn't very luxurious, it would be enough for the both of us.
After renting a room, we ordered something to eat. While we dined, I discussed with Albert our next steps. We decided to split up the next day to explore the city individually, gathering information about the continent. Additionally, we planned to ask the local residents about the location of the leader patriarch's residence.
After finishing dinner, we went up to the room and lay down on the bed, falling asleep shortly afterward.