Keeping a body in good shape can help you live longer. It's always important to keep your body fit and healthy in order to keep doing your daily routine.
But what if you didn't do that sort of thing? What if, instead of exercising to keep yourself fit and healthy, you just slacked off all day without much of a care in the world?
Naturally, you wouldn't be able to have a pretty stable and functional body. Keeping yourself healthy wouldn't be an easy task if you weren't already doing it.
And most importantly, your body wouldn't be able to keep up with the energy you'd want it to keep up. And that becomes a pretty big hassle.
And since that's what the adventurer has been doing thus far for at least three years, he was already reaching the limit of how much his body can take.
"A week of walking has taken up its toll, I see," Poppy said, sitting on top of the crates the adventurer was pulling.
"Y-Yeah…"
He was entirely exhausted. His feet went numb from all the walking, and he could feel scraping from his hand due to holding and pulling the rope for too long. He was just forcing himself to walk at this point.
They haven't encountered any towns to take a rest. They do set up a temporary camp every night to replenish their energy, but waking up early every single day didn't restore much of it. In fact, it only depleted it more and more.
They've been walking for about a week now.
On the second day, the adventurer started to feel really tired from pulling, but he kept going as it was a part of his quest. On the third day, Poppy also began feeling tired from walking too much, so the adventurer suggested that she ride on top of the crates while he pulled it. Poppy refused, but the adventurer insisted.
And that's basically what's been happening for about a week now. Just kept walking and walking, barely having any time to rest.
And at this point, he's completely exhausted now.
It's been about five hours since they departed. According to Poppy's information few days prior, the next town they'll be taking a quick stop to is called Fortio.
"Just a few more minutes until we get there," Poppy said, looking at a map. At least, that's what the adventurer saw. In actuality, it was indeed a map, but instead of buying one off a store, Poppy created it herself using various trustworthy sources.
Thankfully, the adventurer thought as he kept pulling the crates with Poppy's weight added onto it.
It wasn't heavy for him, but since he's been walking without rest, it was getting clear that he wouldn't be able to take continue if he kept at it.
Using the last bits of his strength, he kept pulling the rope of the crates. The only goal that he needed to do now besides completing the quest is to get to Fortio as soon as possible.
As he traversed to the road that was now visible in front of him, he saw what looks to be a wooden structure. It wasn't far off.
"A carriage is passing through," Poppy said, seeing it more clearly because of her high ground.
Taking a closer look at it, the adventurer indeed saw a carriage that looked like the type to transport goods; except it wasn't. It felt out of place—that was the immediate thing the adventurer felt when he saw it.
It wasn't like it was out of the ordinary—well, it actually was, with different types of weapons hanging out of the carriage seemingly within arms range.
Instead, the adventurer could sense that something about it felt oddly familiar to him. That's why, the moment he saw the entire body of the transport, he was immediately put on guard by instinct.
And if his suspicions were on the spot, the person riding the carriage felt the exact same thing.
As the carriage and the crates both neared each other, the adventurer saw a man who wore a robe that covered most of his body but left their face completely exposed. They were also the only person pulling the carriage.
That's the only thing that the adventurer needed to confirm what was about to happen. And he felt strangely calm about it.
The face appeared old and wrinkled; it was an old man. He had a long black beard mixed in with a bit of white and a long hair of the same color. He looked to be approaching his mid-sixties.
When the crates and the carriage were next to each other, they both kept moving. However, both the old man and the adventurer kept themselves on high alert.
The adventurer stopped moving the crates, because he realized something. The carriage also stopped when the adventurer did.
"…Hm? What's wrong, Adventurer?" Poppy asked.
"…Sorry, but this might take a while."
"Huh? What do you mean by—"
Poppy's words were cut short when the adventurer suddenly jumped up and landed on top of the crates, right next to where she was sitting.
And then, without much hesitation, he shouted towards the carriage.
"Hey, old geezer!" the adventurer shouted. "I know you're the one in that carriage even with concealing magic! Get the heck out there!"
His actions were both erratic and dangerous.
He was a calm, collected, and somewhat slacker of an adventurer, but those points about him were being blown away as he stood there with a huge smile on his face as he waited for the old man to get out.
After a few seconds, an old man hopped off from the front of the carriage. The adventurer could tell that the old man did not like the words he shouted at him. But nevertheless, he kept going.
"Hah! Seems like you got shorter the last time I saw you!" the adventurer said.
It was true that the old man was short. And because it was true, the old man couldn't help but feel infuriated.
"You brat… Even after three months of being away, your actions towards big ol' me still ain't changin'. It's 'bout time someone taught ya how to tuck your tail between your legs and run to your mama while cryin'."
The adventurer jumped off the crates.
"…I'd like to see you try, old geezer."
He cracked his knuckles as he approached the old man. The old man did the same as well. They were both preparing to fight.
And with this fight, the adventurer could finally show off towards his teacher.
If we were to decide who's decision would take priority, then what would be the simplest way of settling these types of things?
If we took into account the decision and the person who proposed such a thing, then the matters would be solved quickly. However, that isn't exactly as simple as it sounds, especially if both the decisions and the people have an equal standing.
So what would be the simplest way of solving these?
It was rock-paper-scissors; the game where only the person who has the best counter wins.
"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
And this was the exact game that both the old man and the adventurer has been playing for almost an hour now.
They were just beside the road, sitting down on the ground. Poppy followed a little bit later between their game.
The old man got paper, and the adventurer got rock.
"Why the hell can't I still beat you even after three months?!" the adventurer complained.
"Gahahaha! The passage of time ain't matterin' here, it's the experience that makes you lose so much to good ol' me!"
"Grr…!"
The score was now 242 to 0, the old man's favor.
What exactly was happening right now? Why was the old man and the adventurer having a fight of rock-paper-scissors?
As Poppy tirelessly watched the scene unfold for almost an hour now, this was the exact questions that kept popping up on her head. After all those rough screaming that the adventurer did earlier, this was not the outcome that she had expected.
She was running out of patience and decided to speak with the both of them.
"Um, what are the two of you doing?" Poppy asked.
"We're just playin', li'l fella," the old man said.
"No way in heck we're both doing that," the adventurer said. "This is an all-out battle between the two of us; a fight that will decide once and for all who—not again!"
It seemed like the adventurer yet again lost for the umpteenth time.
"Okay, I got the first answer," Poppy said.
"Hm, I see, I see~" the old man nonchalantly answered as he got another point without even trying.
"Damn it!" the adventurer retaliated as he lost.
They were still in the middle of the road. An hour has already passed, and they still haven't moved from their spot. Somewhere between that hour, Poppy decided to disengage her wind magic to save up some magic power.
As stated earlier, they stopped here because the old man and the adventurer went ahead and played rock-paper-scissors. They've been doing so for the same amount of time they've stopped.
The old man and the adventurer had a pretty fun past together.
Back when the adventurer first became an adventurer, the first man to ever train him was still old man. And he did a great job at that.
As the lessons grew harsher and harsher, their relationship also began to grew closer and closer, much like that of a parent-son kind of relationship.
They also did quite the amount of quests. The old man was quite energetic, so before the day could even end, he'd rack up about twenty or so quests back in Furian. He was well-known around those parts, and was also the reason why the adventurer takes so many quests in a single day.
One day, five years ago, every single adventurer across every single continent were needed for the war. This was the order of the higher-ups back then.
The adventurer wasn't needed at the time though, as he was only just at the age of seventeen. Only those who were above twenty years of age were allowed to get drafted to the war, no questions asked.
However, the same couldn't be said for the old man. One way or another, he ended up being on the frontlines, having the war continue on for about two more years.
Luckily, the old man managed to survive through all of that, but a lot of casualties were done. They still won the war all thanks to the hero, though.
After that, he came back to Furian. That was around the time the adventurer started challenging him to a game of rock-paper-scissors.
For the old man, it was really random, but for the adventurer, this was something much important. He staked almost everything in this tiny little game.
The reason for that, we will discuss another time.
After what seemed to be forever, both the adventurer and the old man finished their game of rock-paper-scissors; the final score being 500 to 0. In the end, the adventurer didn't even get to score a single point, which led to its conclusion.
"Why can't I beat you…?" the adventurer grumbled.
The old man just let out a chuckle.
"But still, it certainly is surprisin' to see you outside of Furian. Did you and Natalia have a disagreement?"
Natalia is a nickname the old man gave to Talia.
"She won't even look at me anymore, so that possibility is at all-time low. If anything, I'd like that to be the reason why I left Furian."
"Hm, I see, I see~"
It's been a habit for the old man to say something like that so unemotionally.
"What about you, though?" the adventurer asked. "Last time I saw you, you said you were going to see some people from your hometown."
The adventurer's hostility to the old man back when they just met after three months was suddenly nowhere to be found. It's only really apparent when the adventurer wants to challenge the old man to a game of rock-paper-scissors. Or basically anything that can be made as a challenge.
The old man sighed.
"Long story short, after the war ended, the person I'm tryin' to find in Portigon moved, so now they ain't there."
Portigon was a small village located near Cogitatio. The old man hasn't been using any transportation and instead just kept walking, so it was about three months if you went from Furian to Cogitatio and back again.
The old man would've arrived earlier, but because of the carriage he's pulling everywhere he goes, that's already a lost cause.
"Seems like you're with someone," the old man said. He was talking about Poppy. "What's this, ya got a lover so that's why you're leavin' Furian now?"
"Oh, she's an employer. I'm currently on a quest."
He didn't even got fazed by the old man's assumption.
"Ain't that so?" He focused his gaze to Poppy. "Mind tellin' be your name, li'l fella?"
Almost on instinct, Poppy immediately began introducing herself.
"My name is Poppy Abel. I'm currently on an expedition between the borders of Salis and Cogitatio, and am a former Royal Scientist from the kingdom of Vastum, the capital from the southeast continent Eldoria," she said as she gave the old man a polite bow.
"That kind of feels similar…," the adventurer muttered under his breath.
And he was right about that. Every single word that she said to the old man was almost an exact replica of what she said to the adventurer back when they first met. The only thing she omitted was her age.
"Poppy Abel, huh. Good ol' me has been to Vastum a couple of times, but I haven't heard of anyone who has an Abel for a surname. And let me tell ya, I know almost every single noble family around there. Especially if their daughter is a part the Royal Scientists."
"Former."
"Meh, still the same."
The adventurer didn't doubt him one bit. He's been an adventurer his whole life, so there were probably a couple of chances where he'd be able to enter Vastum.
"You could say we're inconspicuous," Poppy said with a light smile.
"Hahaha! Guess so!"
"I mean, if you're going as far as laughing at that, then I guess I'll go with your explanation," the adventurer said.
He hasn't been in Vastum yet, so he didn't know much about that place and the people around there. He trusted the old man, though.
"What are you planning on doing now, though?" the adventurer asked. "I'm pretty sure it's already something pretty grand ever since you left your hometown."
"Nah, I ain't doin' that this time. I'm thinkin' of takin' a nice, long rest this time on everythin' the moment good ol' me arrives at Furian. After doin' that, I'll be searchin' for the one I'm findin'."
"Do you even know where to go by that point on?"
"Hm, just think of it as a little expedition good ol' me's goin' to be through. In other words, nope, ain't got no leads yet."
"You could've just said that."
The old man stood up from where he was standing. Even though he did, the adventurer barely looked up at him because of his height.
"Well, I best be off. Good ol' me needs to head back to Furian to take care of some businesses before settin' off to my adventure again."
He started walking towards his carriage, leaving the two of them behind.
In the end, both the old man and the adventurer never got to enjoy the rest of their time more together. That was fine for the adventurer though.
"…Quite the relationship the both of you have, Adventurer" Poppy said after a few seconds.
"It's a long story. Well, I still got a quest to get done, so we should also be heading our own—"
Something felt strange.
The moment the adventurer stood up, something felt strange. It was coming from below him, getting closer and closer. It was approaching him, and it was a fast one at that. So much so that the adventurer probably wouldn't be able to react on time.
But he didn't feel alarmed, and that was strange for him. That's because there was nothing to worry about.
"Ugh—!"
After he stood up, he immediately went back down on the ground, his back touching it.
"Hm? What's the matter?" Poppy asked.
"…I don't think I can move anymore."
"Excuse me?"
Just as he heard Poppy's response, his vision also started blackening. His body felt heavy, his eyelids felt heavy, and his arms felt heavy. Everything about him was basically just the words heavy; he couldn't lift himself up.
This wasn't unusual for him.
Whenever he expended too much energy, yet still kept going despite all that, he won't feel the energy draining from him after a bit. This makes it so he can keep going without feeling tired.
However, the moment he takes a seat and then stands up, this exact thing happens to him. Or if he just lays down.
All the missing energy come straight to him, and the price he has to pay is just rest. Not just any ordinary rest, either. Depending on how much time he spent on going on despite having no energy, it could take him days.
"I'll…be with you…soon…," the adventurer said. He did so with all of his strength, which was none.
After that, the adventurer body fell straight into the ground.
"H-Huh?"
Poppy, confused of what he was doing, just confusedly stared at him. She was completely baffled, and her reasoning for that is pretty much justified.
When they both met the old man just now, the adventurer was pretty much an enthusiastic person, very different from what he was currently doing right now. After all, he was able to continue playing rock-paper-scissors with the old man for an hour straight only to lose to him.
On the other hand, it was also not that unusual for him to fall like that because he was almost at his wit's end just when they were about to approach the next town.
But because of this, she was very much confused at what was happening right in front of her.
She crouched down and reached out to rotate the body of the adventurer whose face was plunged to the ground. When she looked at him, all she was a person who was taking a little nap from an adventure.
"U-Um, hello? Adventurer?" Poppy called out to the adventurer. To no one's surprise, she didn't get any response from him.
"What's happenin'?"
When Poppy looked to the direction of where the voice came from, she saw the old man who had just left a few seconds ago on the other side of the adventurer, standing. Seeing the carriage parked close to their crates, she thought he must've turned back to take a look at them. She didn't hear the carriage approaching, though.
"I-I don't know," Poppy said. "When we were just about to leave, the adventurer suddenly fell to the ground. He said he'll be with me soon, though."
"Sure is surprisin' how well you're takin' in the stuff. Kinda odd, not gonna lie."
It wasn't just the old man who found it odd either. Poppy also felt the same as him, and she didn't know. After his response, she just fell silent.
"He fell asleep?" Poppy asked.
"Ya heard that right, li'l fella," the old man said.
Poppy was sitting on the passenger's seat of the carriage while the adventurer laid down. The crates were once again engaged with wind magic and then tied to the carriage the old man was pulling. His load was double now. Seeing as it was dangerous to leave his carriage all alone in the middle of nowhere, he decided to bring it along with him.
"The brat's been an odd one ever since he was a child. He always had so much energy to expend, so much so that it made even good ol' me unable to keep up with him sometimes."
Poppy just patiently listened to the old man.
They both shared a fun past together, back when the adventurer was just a little kid. At this point, their relationship can be considered as that of a father and a son.
"I'm curious, though. What exactly is this quest of yours that's even made him leave the only town he's ever lived on?"
"I don't know," Poppy answered. "Perhaps he just wanted an adventure?"
"Nah, that ain't possible. He said to me himself that he'd be protecting that small town forever, so leavin' is pretty much out of the question for the brat."
It was around the time the adventurer arrived at Furian when his parents abandoned him. He said it to both the old man and to Talia that he'll be doing so until his last breath. Even now, both the adventurer and the old man still haven't forgotten about that. He was unsure of Talia, though.
"Is that so… I remember him saying that he didn't want to waste any of his days just 'giving up on life'. I think that's the reason he took my quest."
"'Givin' up on life', huh. Seems like you said somethin' impactful that it made him walk his own path once again."
"I don't think I did… All I really said was that I hated his idea of 'giving up on life'. If he truly did give up on life, then he shouldn't be alive right now."
"Hahaha! Well let me tell ya, your idea of that is pretty messed up!"
"I know, and that's why I'm not sure why he did take it…"
The old man was laughing at her previous statement, but seeing her look so down despite his amusement, he set his tone down to be polite. He coughed once.
"Just let the brat be," he said. "I told ya from the start, he's an odd one. Applies in many things 'bout him, y'know."
Fighting, learning, adventuring; the adventurer was passionate about all those things despite not showing it on the outside. Ever since he entered Furian, this was the things that he and the old man saw in himself.
Once he's assigned a task, he never leaves it unfinished. Whether it'd be in an effective or a nonethical way, one way or another, he'll finish it.
He was a persistent person; or, just like what the old man's been talking about him, "an odd one".
"…I suppose that would be the best way of doing things for now," Poppy said.
"Do be careful, though. He does tend to push himself a bit too much, so until this quest of yours for him is done, just make sure to keep a close eye on him. You don't want this type of thing to happen while both of ya are in the middle of nowhere."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Not more than a few minutes of pulling later, and they soon reached the entrance to Fortio, the neighbor of the adventuring town Furian.
What have I been doing in my life so far?
This thought once came to the adventurer's head. Actually, it's been in his head a couple of times now. Even while he's sleeping, he tends to ask this question without even knowing about it.
So what has he been doing in his life?
Was being abandoned as a child a part of it? Was being an adventurer also a part of it? Was meeting the friends he currently had a part of it?
Or was it something else?
Because he didn't know the answer, he just kept on asking it over and over to himself. In the end, since he hasn't been doing much things that were noteworthy, it was hard for him to say.
If he didn't slack off that much, he probably would've had an answer.
It was a bit too late for that, though.
The adventurer woke up to the sound of a wooden window slamming towards the wall. It should've surprised him, but he didn't get that impression from it. He just felt strangely calm and serene.
Today was a rainy day. Somewhere between his sleep, the rain suddenly got into Fortio, which made him wake up.
He was in an unfamiliar environment. The bed he was sleeping on felt softer than the ground he was used to, the room felt strangely large, and there was a flower vase in the table just beside the bed. He never took care of plants, so it was strange. He also wore some sleeping clothes which he'd never owned before.
There was also another bed, but even then, it didn't make the room any less cramped. When he checked to see who was there, he saw no one. There were some belongings beside it, but he couldn't see much of it.
Seeing as there was no point in staying in the room he was currently in, he decided to head out of there. Luckily, there were some spare clothes for him to wear beside the flower vase in the table. He changed out of the sleeping clothes and into his new ones.
Once he headed outside, he saw more doors and a place heading downstairs in the far end of the hall.
"Must be some kind of inn," he assumed as he made his way towards the stairs.
Descending the stairs, he could see what looked to be a resemblance of a tavern he was used to going to. The were scattered all around the place, most of them filled to the brim with people; humans and monsters.
Now that he's taken a closer look at the place, the resemblance was far too similar to ignore. It's like he's gone back from where he came, back when he accepted Poppy's quest. Like his progress has just been reset.
But he remembered the fact that he's been pulling crates for no more than a week now, so that wasn't possible.
And indeed it was.
He saw someone whom he assumed have left on his way to Furian. That person was idly eating what looked to be breakfast along with another individual who was incredibly familiar to him. They were both at a table of their own.
He approached them, to which the other two immediately noticed.
"Finally!" the old man said first.
"You seemed to have woken up, Adventurer," Poppy said afterwards.
The adventurer stayed silent for a bit. He sat down beside Poppy because that was the nearest table in his direction. Afterwards, he started talking.
"…What are you still doing here?" the adventurer asked the old man. "I thought you in Furian by now?"
"By now? Do you even know how much you've been asleep for?"
"I think I was just out for a few minutes, I guess."
The old man sighed. The adventurer was wrong about that.
"Come on, li'l fella. Tell this brat how long he's been bedridden for," the old man said as he gulped down the beer he was served.
"It's been five days," Poppy said as she took a bite from her bread.
"…Seriously?"
The adventurer knew himself that after he passed out on an unexpected note, he'd stay in bed for about a day or two. He didn't expect it to extend at almost the same time he's been doing this quest of Poppy's.
But if he thought about it, it should've been obvious right from the start.
Back when he was pulling the crates on the seventh day, he himself knew that if he kept pushing himself forward up to the point he couldn't feel his energy would mean that he'd pass out, which meant that the quest would get put on hold.
However, that immediately went out of the window the moment he saw the carriage of the old man. He was too excited for that rock-paper-scissors game of his that the energy he had didn't even matter.
That's how much he wanted to beat the old man.
"But why are you still here though?" the adventurer asked the old man for the second time. He was incredibly confused and curious.
"Good ol' me's already been to Furian," he responded after he burped from drinking the beer.
"For five days?"
"Could've arrived in three, but Natalia kind of not wanted me to leave too soon."
That hit the adventurer quite a bit. The old man and the adventurer have known Talia for a very long time. The adventurer has known her ever since he got to be an adventurer, and Talia even taught him a few things. For the old man, he's known Talia ever since she became an adventurer up until she became a guild manager.
While the differences were quite far off from each other, it nevertheless made the adventurer sad that the old man was getting a different treatment from Talia. Not like he'd want her to treat the old man the same as him.
"Well, okay. But why though?"
The old man didn't answer—partly because he didn't want to entertain the idea that he was once again going away from Furian, and partly because he had food stuffed into his mouth.
He was just left in the gutter by the old man, so Poppy decided to take the lead.
"We both had a word back when you were asleep," she said. "It seems that, although an adventurer, like you would crumble to moment you're not being observed. That's what I got from him, at least."
She was talking about the old man.
"Why are you spreading misinformation?" the adventurer asked.
"Hey, I ain't doin' none of that."
"While it is okay for us to keep going," Poppy interjected. "I would also like it if you didn't push yourself too much for the sake of completing the quest."
"I'm not, though."
"Lies!" the old man said, gulping down more beer.
That was true, and the adventurer couldn't bring himself to deny it.
While it is true that the adventurer pushes himself too far, it's only because he doesn't realize it himself. He always wants the job to be done sooner rather than later, so he keeps on moving forward without realizing it.
"That's why we need a helping hand to switch with you sometimes," Poppy said.
"A helping hand?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Where will we find someone like that? I don't think anyone would want to walk a trip that would take almost six months to complete."
The adventurer suddenly felt a light flick from his forehead. Something dropped from that area, and when he caught it, it looked to be a piece of bread. It seems like this piece of bread was flicked specifically for the adventurer.
"The li'l fella meant good ol' me, you brat," the old man said. "I'll be the one pullin' the crates the moment I see you runnin' out of breath."
"…That's what you came here for?"
"Hey, don't go mixin' both those things up. I just figured that I could help the both of y'all as I also head for my own objective. I'm basically just a passerby."
"So in other words…?"
"I'll be helpin' the both of ya while I search for the one I'm lookin' for. That make it easier for ya to understand?"
"I guess."
The old man's attention was already conveyed. It basically means that the old man is going back to that town called Portigon—his hometown—to try and find some leads of where that person is. So while he's at it, he decided to help the both of them on the way, which was convenient.
It was a win-win situation for both Poppy and the adventurer. Poppy was able to find a substitute for the adventurer, and the adventurer would also be able to take some breaks so something like what happened earlier didn't happen again.
"…Sorry about that," the adventurer said so that Poppy was the only person who could hear him.
"What for?"
"I accepted this quest, but I don't think I'm doing that much of a good job. I just figured that I should apologize, especially since I somewhat abandoned it for almost a week."
He felt bad about it.
After giving Poppy a talk about changing himself, he needed to prove himself that he'd be doing just that. That's why he wanted to finish this quest. He wanted to get past the hurdles that was presented before him alone.
And yet what he just showed to Poppy was something that contradicted that.
That's why he felt the need to apologize. After all, he was the one who stubbornly accepted Poppy's request.
"There's no need to worry about it," Poppy said. "You haven't been doing much since I came to Furian, so I assume your body isn't that compatible with long-term quests such as this. I'm completely fine with that."
"But I'll be holding you back from your research…"
"Your body is still adjusting to its situation. Once you adapt to it, I'm sure that you'll become more useful in the future. For now, we just need to continue on with our expedition."
"…You're right. Thanks."
Poppy ordered some food for the adventurer with the old man paying for him.
They all ate food together.