The moment Alexander's feet touched solid ground, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
Not only had he finished the harrowing climb down the several hundred meters high sheer cliff, but he was now back in familiar territory.
Just around a half dozen kilometers away was a small town that he had passed through on his way here. Even at a leisurely pace, it would only take him a little more than an hour to reach.
"I suppose I shouldn't linger." Alexander muttered.
A part of him wanted to sit down for a long break. Still, he was out of food, and just sitting on the ground would be far from comfortable. If he pushed himself for just a bit longer, he could have a hot meal and a safe place to rest.
Forcing his sore body to continue moving, he walked down the nearby game trail he had originally followed to reach this area.
Thankfully, the woods here were not too densely packed, and it was a relatively easy walk considering he was out in the wilderness untouched by civilization.
Along the way, a few dangerous wild animals came into view, but they all gave Alexnader a wide berth after spotting him. Perhaps their instincts told them that he was dangerous and not to be messed with.
Eventually, he reached the end of the wooded area and found a small dirt road. To the northwest it would take him towards the town of Hwen, and in the opposite direction, it led towards rural farmland.
Naturally, Alexander headed towards the town, and after walking for around twenty more minutes, he spotted the wooden walls that protected the place.
'I almost forgot.'
Now that he was about to enter civilization again, Alexander looked down at his shadow limb.
Hwen's militia would be on him like a swarm of bees whose nest he had disturbed if he waltzed into town with his magically created appendage open for all to see.
Shadow magic was considered taboo in every human nation, and that made Alexander a wanted man simply for existing.
"I'll just have to hobble in."
Moving over to the side of the road for a moment, he dismissed his shadow leg. Then, using his sheathed sword as a crutch, he slowly walked the rest of the way to the town's gate.
The young guard on watch looked to be barely paying attention as Alexander approached.
He had a sleepy look in his eyes and was leaning against his spear to support some of his weight.
Nevertheless, when he saw someone approaching, he stood up at attention.
"Woah, are you okay?!" The man yelled when he noticed Alexander missing the lower part of his left leg.
Without hesitation, the man ran up to Alexander. Showing a level of concern for a fellow human being.
"Well, I'm alive." Alexander answered, his tone more bitter than he had been expecting. With someone else pointing out the loss of his lower limb, the weight of it was hitting him all over again.
The guard recoiled a bit at Alexander's less than friendly demeanor, but quickly put a smile back on his face and offered to help the crippled young man before him into the town.
However, once they reached the threshold of the gate, he remembered that he could not just let people in. Those injured or otherwise.
"Ah, sorry about this, I should have asked you earlier, but do you have enough money to pay the entry toll? It's only a single cooper chip."
Nodding his head, Alexander took out his wallet, which had seen better days. All of the tumbling around the long-abandoned castle had left in a less than pristine state.
Thankfully, he had brought along practically all of the money in his possession as travel funds. It would be more than enough to pay for his entry and lodging in Hwen which was far out in the countryside.
After paying the entry fee, the guard offered to take Alexander to the only inn in town.
At first, he was going to refuse. Yet, as he thought about how much easier it was to get around with the guard's assistance, he decided to accept.
"Thanks. I apologize for snapping at you earlier. My name's Alexander. Thanks again for helping me out."
"It's no problem. Part of the job. By the way, I'm Ollie. Pleased to meet ya."
Once he got one of the other guards up in a nearby by watch tower to take his place, Ollie escorted Alexander to the town's only inn.
Along the way, he awkwardly tried to broach the subject of how Alexander had lost part of his limb.
"A monster bit it off." Alexander replied bluntly. The fact that said monster currently resided within his mind did not help him in his attempt to feign any sense of cordialness.
Receiving this curt answer, Ollie figured that Alexander did not want to talk about his injury and instead took the conversation in another direction.
Of course, Alexander could hardly give any concrete answers about his life and what he did for a living. If word got out that he was a noble and the son of the nearest city's viceroy, it would only cause trouble for him.
"Well, this is the place. If you need anything, just come by the gate or leave a message at the guard post."
Despite Alexander's unfriendly attitude, Ollie still saw him off warmly, and even offered to provide further assistance.
"I really should have tried harder to act more pleasantly. He didn't have to go out of his way to help me." Alexander muttered to himself.
Unfortunately, one's mood was not so easily swayed by simple words, or just trying harder.
Alexander's quest had seen him both gaining and losing a great deal. Right now, though, he was constantly being reminded about what he was now missing. Especially because of the constant stares he was receiving.
"Oh, your back. How long are you looking to stay this tim-"
The owner of the inn, an older woman whose hair was just beginning to turn gray, called out to Alexander as soon as he entered her establishment. When he passed through the town on his way to the castle high in the mountains, he had stayed for a single night.
Except, before the proprietress could finish speaking, she noticed Alexander's leg and froze up.
When he had last been here, he had all of his limbs still intact. Yet after only a few days, he came back missing a part of his left leg.
"My search for riches cost me a bit more than I was expecting. It happens all the time." Alexander replied with a self-deprecating smile.
The inn keeper tried to get more details from him, but Alexander answered evasively, and excused himself by truthfully claiming to be exhausted.
After handing over payment for two nights at the inn, Alexander slowly made his way to his room.
Inside, he found a small bed with an old wooden chest sitting at one end where people could store their possessions.
On one side of the room a plank of wood jutting out of the wall and a small stool sitting under it. A very cheap makeshift desk.
Overall, the room was simple and barebones, but it was a far cry better than sleeping outdoors.
Plopping onto the bed, Alexander lay there for a few minutes. Simply staring up at the ceiling before holding up his arm and looking at the dimensional cache affixed to his wrist.
Inside of it were many invaluable treasures, and he needed to pick one of them to sell.
"I've got what I need to turn things around. Just a bit more work, and I'll be free to do what I want." Alexander mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.