"Well… our small village is south of the capital city, Rhine, about 1,500 miles away," Nancy thought for a moment and said. "If you want to go from here to Rhine, it would take about two months. First, you need to spend over a month covering the first half of the journey, heading north to a larger intermediate city. The remaining 700 miles will be much easier, and you can reach the capital in about twenty days."
"That's really far," Bryce couldn't help but exclaim.
He remembered Kinsley once said they reached the grasslands within a few days. What kind of speed was that? Clearly, their means of transportation were not just the few fast horses they had when they caught up with them.
"This distance is nothing compared to your journey from the Western Grasslands to here," Nancy smiled. "Besides, the capital is extremely prosperous. Even if it takes a year's journey, people would flock there if given the chance."
"Then why don't you go?" Bryce raised an eyebrow.
"Ahem, it's not like I haven't been there. I've been to many places, but now I think the village is more peaceful and free," Nancy's expression was a bit unnatural.
She then hummed and knocked, "Let me remind you, you can't go anywhere until you clear your debts."
"I wouldn't dare," Bryce laughed. He actually planned to stay here for a while. The constant traveling had exhausted him, and the environment here was pleasant, the life leisurely, and the landlady friendly. It was a good place to stay temporarily.
It was already past two in the afternoon, the sun at its peak. But the flat cart had entered a sparse forest, with oak trees on both sides of the grassy path standing like guards, responsibly spreading shadows to protect them. The dense leaves and vibrant sunlight were fiercely debating.
John, riding ahead on horseback, seemed distracted, lost in thought.
Only when he heard that Bryce came from the distant Western Grasslands did John curiously turn to look at Bryce before turning back.
The landlady noticed John's distraction and silence.
She softly said, "John, don't worry too much," as if knowing what was on John's mind. She continued to comfort him, "William will be fine. Maybe he's just lost…"
Thinking about it, Nancy found her reason a bit far-fetched, "Or maybe he found some unexplored place and has been exploring for a few days." She couldn't think of any other reason. William was experienced in survival, with a higher chance of surviving the night than Bryce having money in his pocket.
"Sigh… I hope so," John sighed deeply. His voice was loud, but now it was tinged with gloom.
"Um… may I ask what happened?" Bryce cautiously inquired, "If there's anything I can help with."
"Thank you for your concern. Actually, our trip today is partly because of this," Nancy said softly. "John's brother, William, went out to chop wood a few days ago and hasn't returned. Today is the third day. So we're going to the oak forest where William often goes to see if we can find anything."
"On the other hand, our stock of logs does need replenishing, so we'll need your help with that," Nancy added.
"No problem," Bryce readily agreed.
"My brother usually returns the same night he goes out to chop wood. In rare cases, he comes back the next morning. But now it's the fourth day, and I… really hope nothing bad has happened," John said, his tone revealing his worry.
"Don't think too much, John," Nancy comforted. "This forest is very safe, and he's familiar with the area. William took enough torches and knows how to survive the night. He'll be fine."
The atmosphere was a bit heavy. No one spoke on the cart, and only the sound of horse hooves and rustling leaves could be heard.
Silence stretched time like a black hole.
Finally, they reached a clearing in the middle of the oak forest, where they saw a simple oak cabin resembling a matchbox.
In front of the cabin was an open space with a few stacks of wood, almost depleted. The clearing connected to several paths, one of which was the route they had taken, while the other two led deeper into the forest.
"This cabin is where William usually rests," John pointed out.
They tied up the horses and approached the cabin.
The door was closed but not locked. Usually, no one but the villagers came here.
John pushed the door open. The room was simple, with a bed, a table, a stool, a chest, and a workbench.
'The chest probably only has a few loaves of bread or something,'Bryce thought reflexively, a habit from his game scavenging.
"Everything looks normal," Nancy said. "William probably hasn't been back here."
"Let's go out and look around," Bryce suggested, though it wasn't very constructive.
"Let's do this," Nancy decided. "There are two other paths leading into the forest. We'll split into two groups. John and I will take one path, and Bryce, you take the other. We'll meet back here in two hours, at five o'clock, and then return to the village."
Nancy looked confidently at Bryce, "How about it? Can you handle it alone? It's very safe here during the day. Just remember to come back on time, and you won't encounter any monsters. And… I trust that gun in your pocket isn't just for show."
"No problem!" Bryce patted his chest solemnly.
…
The sun was setting.
Bryce walked deeper into the forest, where the oak trees grew denser, and the light dimmed.
'There were several stacks of logs in the clearing earlier. I really want them,' Bryce felt a bit itchy. He had a portable workbench but couldn't openly take others' materials. He was quite envious.
His portable workbench could directly process materials for crafting. With logs, he could turn them into planks and sticks, then craft basic tools like wooden pickaxes, swords, and axes.
"This axe is good, but I have to return it," he weighed the iron axe in his hand, planning to chop a few trees for logs if he had time.
The path was overgrown with weeds but showed signs of human activity, likely cleared by William while exploring the forest for resources. Some wet soil had faint footprints, suggesting William had been here recently.
But this didn't mean much. Chopping wood was William's job, and he came to the forest almost daily. He might have walked this path the day he disappeared three days ago.
Bryce finally reached the end of the path.
"Wow, what a big tree," Bryce's limited vocabulary was exposed. The other oak trees in the forest were about ten meters tall, but this giant oak was thirty meters high. Its trunk was so thick that it would take several Bryces to hug it.
'Nothing special besides its size,' Bryce, well-traveled, wasn't surprised. 'If you put a giant spruce from Minecraft here, it would be over a hundred meters tall.'
Bryce checked the time.
'The path ends here, and it's getting late. I've walked for about an hour, so there's no time to chop trees. I'll head back now and meet Nancy at five. I hope they find something.'
Bryce glanced behind the giant tree. There was no more path, indicating William had only come this far.
A gentle forest breeze brushed by, and something at waist height on the back of the tree caught Bryce's eye, gently swaying.
'Huh? What's this?' Bryce curiously walked over and saw an arrow embedded in the back of the tree, its brown feathers fluttering in the wind.