It was a much smoother journey for Serci and I after getting out of the valley.
Though I say smoother, traveling from grassy fields to dirt roads wasn't easy on me. I'm probably one of the rare few people who have more trouble walking on roads made for easier travel than the hole-filled path of tree branches and exposed roots waiting to trip anyone up.
Thankfully the difference in terrain wasn't different enough to make me lose balance, and with no monster interactions along the way, I could focus my attention on walking between both the barren dirt path with Veda and the floral woods Verei still travels on.
The road Serci and I follow should be going south but the road itself wasn't a straight path. The bunch of twists and turns between here and the capital made me question why the road was created to be like this but I was too focused on not tripping over myself to ask Serci.
A few carts and wagons pass by on the way that lets me know we're on the right track, but it feels like what could've been a few-hour journey has been made into a half-day longer journey for some reason I can't wrap my head around.
But the sight was worth it. The Northern walls are massive, as tall as if not taller than the trees of the Valley, the marble white-like wall spread outwards in each direction that I couldn't see where it ended. And on top of those walls were hundreds of soldiers looking out for possible threats. I can see how this kingdom lasted despite being surrounded by hostile nations on all sides.
When we reach the gate, the Knights recognize Serci and move at attention, putting some kind of fist gesture to their chest. "It's good to see you return safely Keeper of the Word! And who is this standing beside you?"
She makes the same gesture. "A guest that ensured my safe return. I would say more but it is urgent I report to Her Majesty immediately."
The gatekeepers nod as they let us pass without issue thanks to Serci's presence, and what greet us on the other side was amazing to the me who lived away from others for who knows how long.
A bustling main road filled with the sounds of people of various ages actively going about their day. Some come and go about the compact buildings that all appear to have a minimum of a second floor while others move down the pathways in between.
My nose gets invaded by the smell of varying foods from the many stalls that litter this area, many of the buildings on the main road appearing to be restaurants. However, as we get further in, I start to see stores selling more of the same items as the other restaurants we had just passed, a limit on variety becoming apparent.
Despite that, the only thing I personally dislike so far is the feeling of these organized stone slabs I'm now made to get used to. 'New ground, a new pain I need to get used to...'
"Are you going to be alright?" Seci asks.
I'm feeling embarrassed she caught on. "I'm fine. Just haven't been out of the forest much, so this stone ground is... different."
Something seemed to click in her head as she, likely having forgotten again that I lived in a forest my 'entire life'. "Ah right! Then how about leaning on my shoulder?"
I shake my head, "No need. Just give me a few minutes and I'll get used to this ground too before long."
She looked tense as she glanced in the direction of the castle before continuing to match my pace. "Alright, I'll be here if you need help."
I with a smile, I thank her. Though I may be doubling our time by walking as I am, she's not blaming me and is staying by me knowing I don't know anyone else in this city. 'She's really too kind.'
I steadily get used to the pavement, taking this time to observe my surroundings. From the beautiful architecture of these buildings and the vast number of people who are all new to me, not a thing about this place was familiar. 'I must not have been here before despite how close it is to the valley. Did I come from the North? Or maybe East? Was it just a nearby village or did they both come from another land? Maybe it's just Veda who doesn't recognize this place and Verei may be different?'
Unfortunately, I don't see these questions having answers till I bring Verei...
As we got further in, something inside me felt off. My mind is becoming more conscious of my surroundings. I didn't understand what was going on at first till a single thought came to my mind, 'There are... a lot of people.'
Only a few minutes after we arrived and the streets that began with only a few dozen people at a time had doubled, becoming more compact as Serci took my hand, knowing I would've gotten lost in this crowd. I try to push forward but I inevitably grip Serci's shoulder, at the same time Verei putting his head against a tree.
"Mr. Deidura, are you alright?!" Asks the shocked Sapheir.
The group is growing concerned on Verei's side, Serci's face is full of dread. "Don't tell me you're claustrophobic?!"
'I don't know what that word means but I know the reason for this feeling is this large number of people.'
"Just give me a minute..." I answer as Verei.
"This many... people..." I grumble as Veda.
I could barely keep the right words coming out of the right mouth from this nauseous feeling that's overtaking me.
Serci shows panic as she tries to think of something. "J-J-Just hang in there for a little bit longer! There aren't a lot of people in the castle so if we make it there...!"
'I know she wants to reach the castle as soon as possible but we both know I won't make it like this!'
--------
With a nice deep breath, I watch the 'Frozen Sapphire' group clash with a new set of hobgoblins, the third scouting party to block our path. This also makes it the third time I had to sit back and observe since that 'claustrophobic' thing made me need a break.
Thankfully none of the hobgoblin scouting parties were like the group we first fought together against. With so few numbers, Verei could sit back and observe how this party fights from a safe distance.
'It isn't like I want to stay out of the fight, but I can't fight while my counterpart is wondering about, even worse when my guts feel like pushing something up.'
When thinking about it, while Verei has to stop moving to concentrate on Veda's spells, Verei himself moves on pure instinct from some years of some kind of training to put his body into this condition. So even in this state, I might be a good distraction against some of these hobgoblins.
Thinking on the 'Claustrophobic' incident, I got out of that situation thanks to Serci bringing Veda somewhere inside so we could rest. She isn't happy that we've stopped moving to the castle, but better than moving forward at an agonizingly slow pace while my insides want to come up and out.
Beyond these little setbacks, I think I've made a great amount of progress. Serci is offering to help get Veda to that University while the Frozen Sapphire group seems like the right kind of people to help escort Verei. Maybe if I help them work on their teamwork, they would feel indebted to Verei.
If not, I might be able to just wing it with Verei's ability to dodge lethal attacks like at the beginning of this journey and just make sure Veda always has someone with her for her incantations, cleaning up the aftermath of the drawn-out fight when possible before returning to finishing Verei's fight.
But I'd rather not take those risks. Not every attack can be avoided, you will get hit eventually and too much accumulated damage will weaken my ability to avoid attacks altogether.
As the fight between the Hobgoblins and Frozen Sapphire adventuring party ends in the adventurer's victory, I focus on my first target for improvement. "Hey Sapheir, mind a quick spar?"
He goes completely stiff while the others stare in silence. "I-is something wrong?"
I shake my head, "Not really, I just want to confirm something with you."
I'm a bit worried about whether I was being too direct or not. If I am, it could easily be seen as me insulting his skills...
"Y-Y-YES SIR! I'd be happy to!"
'...It seems I was overthinking things. Well, they see me as the grandson of their idol so why wouldn't they want some tips...'
With his approval, I set down all weapons but one, bringing the second weapon I got my hands on since I first arrived, the Two-Hander. The other two sit back to watch the duel, every so often keeping an eye out in case something shows up.
A distance set between us, I take a good look at the determination on Sapheir's face. Jikani gives the countdown. "On the count of three. 1... 2... 3!"
Ten meters are between us with us both being melee fighters. Taking into account my height and weapon of choice against his, I decide a frontal assault would be best. In a single swift movement, I closed the distance, swinging my sword down on him. And it seems he chose to take this hit using his shield, but he made three mistakes in the single act to block.
As the weapon connects, he's immediately knocked back, a dent put in his shield before getting swept off his feet my leg before jamming the blade into the dirt beside him.
He couldn't even process what happened after he took the strike, unable to look anywhere but the sky as he tried to process what happened in those five, short, seconds.
His party members were just as stunned, seeing it all happen as though it was only one swift movement to end the fight.
"One!" I shout, catching his attention. "Your shield is a buckler, a little bigger than most small shields but still too small a shield to use against something like a claymore. Why block a sword big enough to lop off anything not hidden with a shield that could be called small?"
His body shook as I saw his chest breathing deeply again. I'm relieved to see he's still breathing. For a second there, I thought I hit him so hard he forgot how to breathe.
Extending my hand, I helped him back to his feet before continuing to give him a piece of my mind. "Another mistake you made is choosing an action not suited for your body. You stood still the moment you saw an attack coming for you instead of blocking only when needed. It's especially bad when you're someone light enough on their feet to keep most attacks from hitting altogether. Just because you have a shield doesn't mean you should take every hit the enemy swings your way."
I gave him knowledge I know of about the Buckler, reminding him to take this lesson to heart for the next time they face a group of hobgoblins.
"I-I understand!" Sapheir answers back.
With a nod, I retrieve my gear before we continue forward.
I don't know how I know it but a buckler is meant to parry and deflect what a sword can't block without hindering the lightweight fighter's movements. It's a shield that works for someone like him with a smaller stature, he's just using it the wrong way.
When the time came to see him fight again, I got to witness instant improvement in how he fights. He blocks only the attacks he can't dodge, and swings his sword more often now that he's focused on dodging attacks and staying just out of reach of enemy attacks before striking himself.
Surprisingly, he even deflected a wolf leaping at him. Even if it was accidental, learning tricks yourself can be the best way to learn. Some light guidance truly can be more than enough to break someone out of their misgivings.
Sadly, there is still one last mistake, something he can only overcome through experience. This psychological wall he needs to get over if he wants to fight anything that looks human.
… Something it seems Verei got over himself long ago, making me wonder again what he, or I, have done in the past to not flinch at killing these creatures of two arms and legs.
As for the others, I'll improve them after we reach civilization. I don't remember much about bows and I don't think I should teach a mage how to cast spells as Verei. But I'll think of something.