"Yo, Hanz. You wouldn't happen to know anything about maps?" Takagi spoke to Hanz as they walked to do their daily routines.
They were walking down another path of Takagi's. He called this one Path 57, which led straight to a certain apple tree that produced the most delicious apples Takagi had ever tasted.
"Um, why do you ask?"
"Just wanted to know if you knew any useful information."
"I am only familiar with my orc country; anything outside is completely out of my range of knowledge…" Just as Hanz was about to continue, Takagi swiftly interrupted him.
"How many times have I told you that you don't need to be so formal with me!" He exclaimed.
"Oh, um… I can draw a rough replica of this country, along with cities and towns."
"That's great! I'll have to make you draw me one, and in return, I will introduce you to an apple that will blow your mind."
"That sounds highly unpleasant… I mean, it doesn't sound good! Why would I want to blow up my mind?"
"It's a metaphor; it'll be the best-tasting apple you have ever seen."
"Look there, it's big, isn't it?"
"Woah, it's huge! I've never seen an apple tree that big!"
Takagi and Hanz made their way through the path and reached a top a small hill where, in the distance below, was a large apple tree. Nothing like either Takagi or Hanz had ever seen before. They collected as much as they could carry and made their way back.
"Takagi."
"Yes?"
"You said you want to see that group of adventurers again, but when will you?"
"Well, they gave me the opportunity to join them after a year, but only if I met their standards. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering because isn't that like 120 or so days from now?"
"…"
"Fuck!" Takagi let out a scream that echoed throughout the whole forest.
"Hanz, listen to me. I need that map to get out of this country! You know! I'm not sure if that is enough time to walk on foot through terrain I don't know. What if I get lost!"
"Um… Takagi, you okay?" Hanz asked after Takagi began to break down and panic.
"I won't ever get to see her again! My angel… no goddess! Why!" Takagi finally let out.
"This guy is weird," Hanz thought.
On the way back, they ate their apples. Takagi wasn't enjoying a single bite; rather, he was stress-eating, while Hanz, on the other hand, was amazed and savoring every bite. Takagi was calm after he nearly felt his heart beat out of his chest when he panicked. He realized that he wouldn't get anywhere panicking. Instead, he chose to be calm and keep a cool head to think of how to successfully make the journey to that meeting place.
"The kingdom of Leotus, have you ever heard of it?" Takagi asked Hanz.
"Mmm mmm mmm" Hanz muttered while chewing his food.
"Swallow your damn food! I thought you were a noble!" Takagi yelled.
"No, I never heard of it. Is that the meeting place?" Hanz asked, to which Takagi replied with a nod.
"I've also never heard of it."
"Well, Leotus sounds human; I'm not sure if that would be from their land," said Hanz.
"You wouldn't happen to know what's the fastest route to get there?"
Hanz thought about it for a bit and grabbed his chin. After a few seconds, he looked back up at Takagi.
"Actually, I do, but it's not a land I recommend crossing. You would have to cross, the … the Blood Planes," Hanz hesitated to finish in fear of saying the name of the plains.
"You see, that place is not livable, just a span of land that not even elves cross to get from Karrow to Minrow or vice versa. It's said that every soldier that has fallen on that battlefield can't cross into the afterlife and becomes undead. There are also unspeakable monsters, beasts, and anything that looks like it shouldn't belong in this world."
"Well, I know about the Blood Plains, but that shouldn't be the only path, right?" Takagi replied. He knew all about the Blood Plains, he designed it down to every bug. He took much pride in making it horrid and the most nasty stretch of land, but now that he is in the very world where that land exists, it doesn't bring the same excitement, rather it's now fear.
"There are other paths, but the day I escaped the bandits, they said the elves had restrictions. They most likely have a tight border patrol," Hanz said.
"Shit, he's right, the only lands that border Rovkre are Minrow, Karrow, and Jute, and only Minrow and Karrow can lead to there," Takagi thought.
"That land where the humans live is called Grokenn, right?"
"Yes."
Takagi looked down, trying to think of a way to avoid crossing the Blood Plains but thought of none. He realized that whatever it was he still didn't know how to reach any land; he was lost without a map like he had on his phone.
"Hey Hanz, let's make a deal," Takagi asked.
"What is it?"
"Could you make me a map, and since you've been around, can you also guide me through a path that can take me to the border of the Blood Plains, and I will help you with your problem?"
"Umm… what do you mean, my problem?"
"Yeah, I'll help you deal with that guy that raided your home," Takagi said with confidence.
"What! You have got to be crazy! That guy aims to become a king; you can only imagine how big an army he has. Not to mention he is probably a very strong guy! There is no way that you will be able to!" Hanz exclaimed.
Takagi began to sweat. For some reason, he didn't think about what came out of his mouth. How could he say such nonsense, he thought. "This isn't some manga; I don't have what it takes to hurt anyone, let alone the fighting skill. I'm merely a shut-in who reads and writes for fun. I'm also a heavy gamer, and this is a boss raid I know I can't win. One wouldn't walk into a boss raid being level 1 with no gear or skill. I have to do this if I want to see my goddess once more," Takagi thought.
"Hey, you let me worry about that when the time comes. For now, let's focus on getting out of this forest. Hopefully, after our side mission, we can buy a horse carriage or some means of transportation to get us to the border faster."
"Wait… I don't think I'm ready to leave the forest," Hanz said after stopping in his tracks.
"Hanz, are you scared?" Takagi asked.
"... no, I'm just… just scared of what," he stopped, "yes! I am scared, ever since that day I just, I just can't…" Hanz's words were cut short
by Takagi after he began to shed a tear. Takagi slapped Hanz in the face, leaving his cheek a little red.
"Get a hold of yourself. Tears won't solve anything; if you are scared, face your fears. If the day ever comes when he is face to face with you, you will only break down and cower. You need some backbone and stand up against violence," Takagi exclaimed.
Hanz looked at Takagi and wiped away a second tear. Takagi wasn't sure if what he said was the right thing, but he tried to tell Hanz something that sounded right.
Back at the camp, Hanz ripped apart a piece of his clothing, enough to draw a detailed map to help Takagi. He was determined because he was given the opportunity to face the man that ruined his life. He was relieved that this would happen sooner than expected. He assumed that he would have to face the man after spending many years training; however, from what Hanz saw, Takagi was strong, and he was going to help. He sharpened a piece of charcoal off the end of a carved wooden stick, which is a handmade pencil, and began to plot a really rough map. He knew what a map of Rovkre looked like and sketched from memory; after all, he had a detailed map hanging on his bedroom wall.
Takagi was on his way to collect enough fruits that could help them on their way out of the forest. Takagi regretted the fact that he never chose to leave the forest till he felt he could defeat Buluni, because he had wasted precious time. Takagi had thought of what he would need if he ever was going to leave the forest; the only things he needed were few but the most precious had to get left behind. The log that his goddess, Ameria, sat on. Several fruits and vegetables along with some leftover meat; the only thing left was making a plan to decide on what route to take.
"You sure this is the best you can do, Hanz?" Takagi asked Hanz, trying to be polite.
"What… What do you mean? I think it looks fantastic!"
"It's really amateur at best. I've made plenty of maps of the continent Grinfall. This map of Rovkre is terrible, but I should be grateful he had access to it from memory. I should also keep in mind that this world's mapping is probably not as detailed. As a matter of fact, I don't even have the slightest clue how to begin making a map. Perhaps the person who mapped Rovkre made a flawed version like the one I drew on each of my volumes."
Takagi loved a good map; he had a gigantic replica of every town, city, or even dungeons, hanging over his desk. He loved to be detailed and use that map for references.
"The border and outline is different from the last map I made. I mean, of course, from volume to volume, I would change around the borders of every country after wars and power struggles, but it's amazing to see how this world created its own history in that 1000-year gap. Stuff that I didn't even write about, like the new race of elves. Just how much has this world changed," he thought.
The map gave major towns and cities and even small towns and landmarks. Takagi studied the map and asked Hanz if he could remember what path he took in the forest to the spot that they first met. Takagi knew what spot he found Hanz in but wanted to avoid going straight to the place that Hanz came from. He wanted to pinpoint what town nearby he could head to first to buy gear or anything useful. Training with a sword wasn't one of his favorite things to practice, and he had only done it once or twice a month. He regretted neglecting that because the only weapon he could use was a sword. Magic or hand to hand wasn't in his strengths. He caught a glance of his wooden spear. "Maybe that would work; I use a spear every single day," he thought.
"Are there any small towns that have blacksmiths? We would need to gear up in order to even begin to think about battling someone strong. What route do you think we should take?" Takagi asked Hanz.
Hanz thought thoroughly, then made his choice. "Um, here," he pointed. The place he pointed at was a dot on his so-called map. On the map, he put a star on where he guessed they were currently at. "This whole shaded area below the mountains in Minrow is the bloodstained forest, and we are here. Next to the star, I drew the path I think I took. Just outside the path is the estate and a nearby town in a small dot, next to that small dot is the city. The lines represent roads, the small dots are towns, and the bigger ones are cities. Oh, and the box, where a bunch of lines connect to, is the capital. This town here is our best bet," Hanz finished.
"Pretty shitty map, if I'm being honest, but thank you, Hanz; this will do. By the way, what's that town called?" Takagi asked.
"Grunthree; they have plenty of well-known blacksmiths in the area, and their population is large so we wouldn't stand out. It's also close to becoming a city, but it's somewhat too close to this forest," Hanz stated.
"So we are going in the opposite direction of where we are supposed to find this guy we're after?" Takagi asked.
"It's only because it's easily reachable by crossing this forest, and it's probably our safest bet," Hanz said.