In the hot afternoon sun, I stepped towards the warrior camp. The steps felt light, even though the burden of the task he carried was heavy on his shoulders. He was prepared to complete the task that King Arion had given him.
When I arrived at the warrior camp, I saw Ashely leading some soldiers in training. She looked dashing in her battle clothes.
I strode closer to her. "Ashley," I called as I approached
Arshley, who was busy leading the practice, finally turned his head as I called out his name. His originally serious expression turned warm as she looked at me.
She said, "Ah, Kratia," in a loud yet kind voice. "Since this morning, I have been anticipating your arrival. King Arion told me about your mission."
I nodded, relieved to see Arshley ready to help. "Thank you, Arshley. I am ready to act according to the king's orders."
"And then," she said, bending over and picking up a bulky bag before slapping it at me. "Take it, and get ready for an adventure as well."
When I carry the bag with ease, I was surprised by its weight. "Is this what's inside!?" I pleaded, finding it difficult to bear the weight of a bag that felt incredibly heavy.
Ashley merely grinned and knotted something. "It has everything you will need for your journey. We have no idea what you might discover there.
I nodded, trying to gather my thoughts and get ready for the difficult task at hand.
Before Arshley left me, she gave me a warm smile before turning back. "Kratia, never forget that we need to be ready for anything. Make sure you are adequately prepared."
I understood what she was saying and nodded. "Arshley, I will try my hardest."
Then she yelled at the other training soldiers. "Soldier! Get ready right away for this mission! Assemble everything we will need for the journey, including horses and food. We must be fast and efficient!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The soldiers moved quickly to get everything ready and took action right away.
The warrior camp began to bustle with energy and a strong sense of duty to finish the mission successfully for the good of the realm.
I see that they are quite busy.
I just stood there and observed everyone gathering in silence.
Suddenly, a string of quest windows appeared in front of me, grabbing my attention from the surrounding crowd. For a brief moment, I was in disbelief and curiously observed the text floating in midair.
[Daily Quest]
[Help the genius warrior pack his things.]
[Time: 25 minutes]
[Reward: Become a friend of the Genius]
"Huh...?" surprised at the quest window, I quickly nodded, accepting the challenge. Without hesitation, I placed the bag Arshley gave me under one of the trees and ran towards the place where the 'Genius Warrior' was.
Arshley, who had been busy commanding the soldiers, suddenly twisted her body as I ran away. "By the way, Kratia..." Her voice cut off when she realized I was no longer there. "Where is he!?"
While Arshley was confused and looking for my whereabouts, I had already rushed towards the area where the soldiers were busy packing things.
"Where is he? Genius warrior," I muttered as I looked around, looking for the warrior mentioned in the quest window.
As I searched around, I saw all sorts of soldiers who were busy packing things with varying speed and efficiency.
On the one hand, there are soldiers who seem to have super speed; they move agilely and efficiently when packing things, as if they have practiced the movement repeatedly. Beside them, other soldiers were seen working diligently but at a moderate pace, not too fast but also not too slow. They seem focused on their tasks without much distraction.
However, in another corner, there was a soldier who looked a bit slow and not so efficient in packing things. They look a little confused and often need help or direction from their peers. Meanwhile, some soldiers looked very sluggish, almost moving around like they were confused or hampered by things.
I kept watching him, trying to guess which warrior might be called the "genius warrior" within that quest window.
"Possibility... That genius is fast, isn't it?" Without thinking, I approached the soldier, who had packed super fast at the beginning.
I approached the soldier, who was busy packing quickly. When I was near him, I greeted him kindly.
"Hello, sorry to disturb. My name is Kratia," I said, trying to smile, "I saw you from a distance; you were very, very quick to pack... Are you a genius?"
Although the answer was not as expected, I nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. But I was really amazed by your speed. "
The soldier smiled at me and said, "Ah, Hahaha no, I'm just that it's fast again."
The soldier nodded politely. "Thank you for your compliment, Kratia."
After an awkward exchange of words, I felt the need to fill the silence created between us.
"Sorry, I haven't asked your name yet." I said it with a smile.
The soldier stared at me for a moment before replying, "My name is Reynald, Kratia. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Reynald," I replied kindly.
"That's right, if it's not your fault that you're the one on the battlefield, aren't you?" asked Reynald, his eyes seeking confirmation.
"What? The battlefield?" I asked, a little surprised.
"Yes, when King Gabriel rose again," Reynald explained.
"Ah, were you there?" I asked, trying to remember.
"Yes, I was at the very front, helping you two with Captain Arshley when we faced difficulties," Reynald said proudly.
After hearing Reynald's explanation, I nodded, remembering those tense moments on the battlefield. Although I haven't remembered his face yet, I feel grateful for his contribution to the battle.
"I remember those moments," I said, smiling. "Thank you for your help, Reynald. Without the help of you and other soldiers, maybe we wouldn't have gotten through that situation safely."
Reynald smiled proudly. "There is no need to say thank you, Kratia. We are a team, and I am always ready to help the kingdom."
After that brief exchange of words, the atmosphere became more relaxed. However, behind our cheerfulness, I felt a sharp gaze from a distance. When I turned over, I caught a glimpse of the sluggish soldier staring sarcastically, but immediately looked away after I noticed him.
"What's wrong?" asked a confused Reynald as I looked away.
"Ah, no, I just feel."
"Don't think about it; the child was indeed shunned by some members of the camp," Reynald interrupted, explaining.
I was surprised to hear this: "Why is that...?"
Reynald shook his head softly. "He has a bad reputation between us. Slow to act and often a burden in difficult situations. But, of course, that's just our opinion here."
I see. He's the slowest warrior and least liked.
I nodded, digesting the information.
"Then, I'm first." Reynald squirted the laurels away to the others.
I looked back when I saw Reynald leave, then I turned around, looking at the soldier.
"I'm curious about his stats."
Then, looking at his body, that was walking in the other direction, a status window appeared in front of me:
[Stats Window]
[Name: Raven]
[Level: 12]
[Class: Warrior]
[Health: 85/100]
[Strength: 75]
[Agility: 60]
[Resilience: 80]
[Speed: 45]
[Luck: 300]
[Skills:]
Iron Sword Lv. 6
Shield Lv. 5
Resist Punch Level . 4
Combat Tactics Lv. 3
I was fascinated by this long status; even my status was very simple compared to hers.
"Revan ya… I'll remember it."
Instantly, there was a scream from a distance. "Kratia!" was Arshley's voice.
When Arshley suddenly shouted, the atmosphere around became tense. I turned to look at him with a surprised look. "Why did you leave your bag on the tree!? And quickly use the armor I have given!"
"I'm sorry, Arshley," I said in a low voice, feeling guilty for making a mistake that made him angry.
Arshley looked at me fiercely, her face exuding disappointment. "You have to be more careful, Kratia. We must not take such risks, especially on a mission like this."
I nodded, feeling sorry for my negligence. "I'll be more careful, Arshley. This will not happen again."
Arshley sighed; his expression eased a little. "Well, Kratia. But remember, this kind of mistake cannot be repeated. We all depend on each other for our safety."
I understand the seriousness of the situation and promise not to repeat the same mistakes. "I'll fix it, Arshley. Thank you for reminding me."
With a brisk pace, I ran towards the tree where I left the bag. When I got under the tree, I immediately grabbed the bag that I thought was still hanging there. However, as soon as I looked towards the bag, confusion instantly enveloped me. The bag was open, either because I was negligent or maybe because it was open in the first place and I forgot to close it.
While I was examining the bag, Arshley approached at a brisk pace, his expression full of annoyance. "Kratia! What are you doing? Your bag opens, and you just leave it behind. Didn't you realize how important it is to bring full equipment when you come out of the castle?"
I turned my head, my face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Arshley. I was really negligent."
Arshley shook his head with a sullen expression. "We cannot ignore this kind of mistake, Kratia. We are in the midst of preparing for an important mission. This is not the time to make this kind of mistake."
I swallowed, feeling ashamed and sorry for my negligence. "I'm really sorry, Arshley. I will be more careful in the future."
Arshley nodded briefly. "Well, Kratia. But make sure this doesn't happen again. Now, immediately prepare. We should set off immediately."
With a feeling of embarrassment still enveloping me, I nodded and immediately began to fix the equipment scattered in the bag.
***
Step! Step! Step! The pounding sound of the horse's feet.
The two of us, Arshely and I, sat in silence in a steady, pedaling horse-drawn carriage, filled only with consistent horse footsteps.
"Are you sure this is safe, using a horse?" I asked Arshley, a little worried about the safety of our trip.
Arshley turned to look at me with a confident smile. "Don't worry, Kratia. These horses are well trained and can handle any terrain."
I nodded, trying to calm myself down. "Well, if you say so."
"" Arshley stared at my face for a long time
That look made me sober and looked him back in the eye. "What's the matter?"
"No... It's just that it turns out that you are more cranky than before, even though I thought you were the type who rarely talks."
"Was that so?"
Arshley nodded, his face still filled with a smile. "Yes, that's how it is. But don't worry, it's part of your charm."
I smiled slightly, feeling a little embarrassed by Arshley's comment. "Thank you, Arshley. I will try not to trouble you too much."
We continued our journey in comfortable silence, with regular horse footsteps filling the air around us.
< Chapter 28: To Be Continued.