The next morning, I met my family for breakfast before I left for the Zone. At the table were the usual five: Me, Phiona, Mother, Father, and Grandmother. My older brother was still away, dealing with important matters. At least that's what Father had told me.
"So, how did the week of training go?" Father asked. "I was surprised when I heard you had started training with my mother so soon."
I heard the hint of worry in his voice and gave a soft smile. "Training went well. I believe I made a lot of progress. As for why I started so soon, I just believe I should take advantage of every opportunity I can."
The worry in my parent's eyes subsided a little after my words.
"I'm glad," Mother said. "I'm fortunate to have such a determined son."
"Grandmother didn't go too hard on you, did she?" Phiona asked while side-eyeing Grandmother.
I chuckled. "No, Sister. Grandmother was very kind to me, I learned a lot."
Phiona didn't seem to be convinced but she backed down from the topic.
"Kaiser," Father said, bringing everyone's attention to him. "I'm going to miss you this next month. You've been like a breath of fresh air around here lately." He raised his glass and so did everyone else. "We wish you a good month of training in the Zone, but make sure to return to us safely. To Kaiser!"
""To Kaiser!"" Mother, Phiona, and even Grandmother exclaimed in unison.
They downed the contents of their drinks, which mainly consisted of orange juice and water.
I smiled and raised my own drink. "I'll be sure not to disappoint and return not only safe but stronger as well."
Father and Mother had smiles full of affection.
"We'll be waiting for your return, honey," Mother said.
"I'm sure you'll make us proud!" Father exclaimed.
…
At the gates of the Raijin estate, Grandmother and I were being seen off by Mother and Phiona. Father had to take care of something urgent.
Mother and Phiona both embraced me, wishing me a safe trip. For the first time since I trained with Hageshi, a warm and comfortable feeling spread through my body.
"I'll see you guys in a month, then," I said and turned to follow Grandmother who was waiting outside the gates.
"Bye, Kaiser! Be safe!" Mother said from behind me.
"Don't be late!" Sister said.
I crossed the gates of the Raijin estate. This was the first time I had left since I arrived. I was excited about my new life and what it would bring me.
As I neared Grandmother, she scoffed. "You sure know how to make an exit."
Seeing the confusion on my face, she sighed. "Forget it. We've got a couple of days of traveling ahead of us. We'll travel south to the capital and stay the night. Then, the next morning we'll travel further south to the Zone and reach it by that afternoon. Ready?"
I nodded.
"Let's go!"
We both took off in a sprint down the road through the forest surrounding the Raijin estate. Dust was kicked up behind us as we traveled faster than any horse or carriage could.
We soon emerged from the forest and were greeted by large, hilly grasslands as far as the eye can see.
"Alright, It's just a straight shot from here," Grandmother said.
"Is there a town around here?" I asked.
"To the west, there is a large town. Most of everything up here to the north is just grasslands and farms. The Raijin family has the territory with the smallest population in the country out of the four dukes."
There were four dukes for every cardinal direction. The dukedom of the north was the Raijin family. Ever since the war when the Raijin family was weakened, they have steadily become the weakest duke house among the four.
But that doesn't mean they aren't respected. After the Raijin had sacrificed so much in the war, they earned the respect of the entire kingdom. Now, the Raijin dukedom works to manage agriculture and food supply in the kingdom. This was to give rest to the family after the hardships they went through.
"We won't be stopping until we reach the capital," The woman said.
Grandmother was wearing her usual white blouse and black jeans, but for our travels, she was wearing a sleek, black cloak that went down to her waist.
"Let's go."
We took off again at a faster pace than through the forest. Traveling down the gravel path through the fields and hills brought my mind to peace.
I didn't think about anything and just admired the scenery. The green and golden patches of grass waved in the wind and the breeze as we ran made my hair wave behind me.
Today was the perfect day to begin my journey.
…
After hours of running, the sun reached the horizon to form a beautiful sunset. The sky was a mix of deep blues and warm oranges. We came up a line of taller-than-average hills and climbed to the top.
What I saw over the hills made my jaw drop in awe. Beyond the rolling hills stood an immense city, its expanse divided by a mighty river. Gracefully spanning the divide, an intricate bridge adorned the landscape, uniting the two halves across the river. Across the body of water from where we stood, loomed a hill crowned by an awe-inspiring castle.
"Welcome to Seraphis, the capital of the Silvercrest Empire," Grandmother said. "We'll cross the river into the main city and find somewhere to stay."
We ran down the hill and entered the smaller half of the city on the opposite side of the river from the castle. There were hundreds of people out walking through the roads, entering and leaving different shops. Restaurants, blacksmiths, shops, inns, and houses lined the streets, which were paved for carriages and had sidewalks along the sides.
There were street lights every 10 meters along the sidewalks, lighting up the street as the sky turned to dusk. Grandmother and I walked down the street, heading toward the bridge.
Along the way, a street vendor selling meat and vegetable kebabs called us. Grandmother was about to refuse but when she saw the hunger in my eyes, she agreed.
We walked down the road, nibbling on our kebabs. I held two in my hands from the hunger that had accumulated from running all day.
On the bridge, I stopped and took in the view of the capital. From where I was standing, the hill that held the castle and surrounding buildings was magnificent. The spires rose up into the sky, reaching for the heavens.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Grandmother asked.
We both gazed at the cityscape in the middle of the bridge.
"Yes, it's amazing," I said, truthfully.
We continued down the bridge and into the main part of the capital. The scenery was the same as the other half, just on a bigger scale.
Near the south side of the city, we came upon an inn with a large picture of a man chugging a beer on a sign above the front door. The sign read 'Hildur's Hostel'.
"We're staying here for the night. I'll get us some rooms, just wait in the main dining area."
We walked in through the doors and were greeted by a jovial room full of men and women drinking together at tables spread across the hostel.
Grandmother walked up to the bar to get the rooms and I waited near the front.
"*Hiccup* Well you're a handsome young man, aren't you?"
A womanly voice came from my left. I looked over to the source of the voice and was surprised to find a table full of women. All of them were quite attractive and were wearing formal dresses. They also had very red cheeks from the glasses in their hands.
"Thank you for the compliment," I said, trying to be polite.
Another woman with long, dark red hair had a surprised look on her face. "Oh? He's polite too!"
I smiled in response and averted eye contact as I looked around the room again. But I heard the sounds of footsteps nearing me from my left and inwardly sighed.
A soft sensation covered my arm and I looked over with a deadpan expression. The original woman who had called to me was now enveloping my arm in her chest. She had short, blonde hair and bright green eyes that were glazed over from having too much to drink.
"Care to join us for a drink, young man?" She asked. "We've been pretty lonely tonight."
I tried to separate myself from her but she was pretty adamant and refused to let go of me.
"I'm sorry but I'm just here to get a room for the night," I said while still resisting her grasp.
Surprisingly, I could feel her grip tighten in a superhuman way.
'Mana?'
Due to my Strength upgrade, I didn't need mana to resist but I was still quite surprised.
She pulled me toward the table despite my refusal but suddenly stopped as a voice rang out in front of us.
"Seems like you've already found a room to stay in tonight."
With an awkward smile, I slowly turned my gaze to face the slightly raspy and womanly voice. Standing there with her arms crossed and tapping her arm with her finger was my Grandmother. She had two keys in her other hand and was looking at me with annoyance.
I used my strength to escape the blonde's grip, leaving her surprised, and walked to the white-haired woman.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," I said in apology.
The woman scoffed. "I take my eyes off you for a minute and you're already making yourself at home."
The table I left behind was bummed that I escaped but continued on with their night.
Grandmother and I walked upstairs to the halls of rooms available. She gave me a key and pointed to the room that was mine.
"I'll wake you up early tomorrow morning, so get some rest. I want to get to the Zone by tomorrow afternoon, understand?"
I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"See you tomorrow, then."
We parted ways and I entered my room for the night. Inside was a simple bed and a desk, along with a small bathroom with a toilet and bath. There was a window that faced the front of the inn and the big street with many people walking down it.
I quickly went into the bathroom and took off all of my clothes. The tub was small but big enough for me to cramp myself in. The water was lukewarm and I relaxed inside, letting my compiled stress from earlier dissipate.
After my bath, I only put on my undershirt and boxers and climbed into my bed, under the sheets. Closing my eyes, I could make out the sounds from beneath the floor in the dining area and the crowds outside.
Down in the tavern, I could make out a particular conversation that wasn't very appealing.
"Too bad… I could have used some relief tonight."
It was the voice of the woman who had taken hold of me earlier.
"Yeah, he was a great catch. Did you see his back? I almost drooled when I could make out his triceps," Another woman from the table said.
"I wonder what he was like down there?"
I plugged my ears with my hands and mumbled something to block out the noise. I stayed like that until I began to feel sleepy and submerged into dreamland.
…
The next morning, Grandmother paid the fee for the rooms and we left Hildur's Hostel. It was early in the morning, so not many people were out on the streets yet.
The sun had barely risen from the horizon and the sky was full of pinks and yellows. We continued until we reached the edge of the city.
"Ready?" Grandmother asked me.
I nodded and we took off in a sprint towards the south.