Kael left Greenwood before sunrise.
He stood outside the inn with his backpack over one shoulder and his sword at his waist. The village was still quiet, with only a few lights glowing from the houses.
He looked back at the familiar buildings.
It had only been a little over a week.
Yet somehow, Greenwood already felt like a place he would miss.
"You're leaving without saying goodbye?"
Kael turned.
Lyria stood behind him, holding her arms across her chest.
"I was going to."
"When?"
"After breakfast."
"So you were planning to sneak away."
"I wasn't sneaking."
"You were."
Kael smiled.
"Fine. Maybe a little."
Lyria walked toward him.
"Here."
She held out a small package.
Kael took it.
"What is this?"
"Food."
"I already have food."
"More food."
He opened it.
Inside were several pieces of dried meat, bread, and some fruit.
Kael looked at her.
"You packed all this?"
"Yes."
"You didn't have to."
"I know."
She smiled.
"But you're going to Ironbrook. It's a four-day journey."
"I'll be fine."
"I know."
She paused.
"That's not the point."
Kael understood.
He closed the package.
"Thank you."
Lyria nodded.
"You're welcome."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Lyria looked at his bronze adventurer plate.
"So..."
"Bronze Rank."
Kael sighed.
"Don't start."
She laughed.
"I'm just saying goodbye."
"You're teasing me."
"Maybe."
Kael smiled.
"I'll come back."
"You better."
"I mean it."
Lyria looked at him for a moment.
Then she nodded.
"Good."
A carriage suddenly approached from the road.
Serena was sitting beside the driver.
She looked at Kael.
"Are you coming or not?"
Kael picked up his bag.
"Coming."
He turned toward Lyria.
"Take care."
"You too."
Kael climbed into the carriage.
As it started moving, Lyria stood beside the guild entrance and watched him disappear down the road.
---
The carriage wasn't fancy.
It was an ordinary merchant carriage with wooden wheels and enough space for several passengers.
Serena sat across from Kael, looking through a small map.
Kael leaned against the side.
"So..."
Serena looked up.
"What?"
"How long until Ironbrook?"
"Four days if the roads are clear."
"And if they're not?"
"Five."
Kael nodded.
"Have you been there often?"
"I lived there for two years."
"You were an adventurer there?"
"Yes."
"What made you leave?"
Serena folded the map.
"Needed a change."
"That's it?"
"Mostly."
Kael smiled.
"You don't talk much about yourself."
Serena raised an eyebrow.
"Neither do you."
"That's true."
They both laughed.
The awkwardness between them had already disappeared compared to their first meeting.
After a while, Serena asked,
"Why did you become an adventurer?"
Kael looked outside.
"I want to become stronger."
"I know that."
"But why?"
Kael was quiet.
The question reminded him of the orphanage.
Of the aptitude test.
Of Anna and Sophia.
Of Mike laughing.
Of the priest telling him he had no aptitude.
"I don't want to spend my entire life wondering what I'm capable of."
Serena listened.
Kael continued.
"And..."
"I want to find my parents."
Serena's expression softened.
"You really don't know anything about them?"
"Nothing."
"Not even their names?"
Kael shook his head.
"No."
She didn't ask anything else.
Instead, she looked outside.
"I hope you find them."
Kael smiled.
"Thanks."
---
They stopped near a small stream around midday.
The driver wanted to rest the horses.
Kael immediately took his sword and walked a short distance away.
Serena watched him.
"Training?"
"Just a little."
"You trained every day in Greenwood."
"I did."
"You really don't know how to rest."
Kael smiled.
"I rested yesterday."
"You were polishing your sword."
"That's resting."
Serena laughed.
Kael drew his sword.
He began practicing basic movements.
One slash.
Two.
Three.
He repeated the same motion.
His footwork was steady.
His movements weren't flashy.
They were simple.
Years of repetition had made the basic techniques natural.
Serena watched silently.
After several minutes, she spoke.
"Your left foot."
Kael stopped.
"What?"
"You're putting too much weight on it."
Kael looked down.
He adjusted.
"Like this?"
"Better."
He repeated the movement.
Serena nodded.
"You're improving."
Kael smiled.
"I've only known you for a day."
"And you're already correcting me."
"Someone has to."
Kael laughed.
"Fair enough."
They continued training for another twenty minutes.
Then Serena drew her own sword.
"Fight me."
Kael blinked.
"Now?"
"Yes."
"You said I need more experience."
"You do."
"Then..."
She raised her sword.
"Come."
Kael took his stance.
He moved first.
His sword came toward her shoulder.
Serena blocked.
Kael immediately changed direction.
Their swords collided.
Kael stepped back.
Serena followed.
He blocked her attack.
Then another.
Then another.
Kael's arms began to hurt.
*"She's faster than the hobgoblin."*
He waited for an opening.
Serena suddenly feinted toward his left.
Kael reacted.
Wrong choice.
Her sword stopped against his shoulder.
"Dead."
Kael sighed.
"I fell for that."
"Yes."
She lowered her sword.
"You react well."
"But you're still thinking about the weapon instead of the person holding it."
Kael nodded.
"I'll work on it."
Serena smiled.
"That's why I wanted to train with you."
Kael looked at her.
"You could have just said that."
"I did."
"After hitting me."
"Better lesson."
Kael laughed.
---
The second day passed without trouble.
The third day was different.
The road became rougher as they approached the mountains.
The driver slowed the carriage.
Serena looked ahead.
"What happened?"
The driver frowned.
"Tree."
A large tree had fallen across the road.
Kael stepped down.
"We can move it."
The driver shook his head.
"Too heavy."
Serena looked around.
"I don't like this."
Kael immediately understood.
"Why?"
"No birds."
Again.
The same silence from Mistwood.
Kael's hand moved toward his sword.
Then—
An arrow flew from the trees.
"Down!"
Kael pulled Serena down.
The arrow passed above them.
"Bandits!" the driver shouted.
Several men stepped out from the forest.
There were six.
All armed.
One of them laughed.
"Leave the carriage."
"The horses too."
Kael stood slowly.
Serena drew her sword.
One bandit looked at Kael.
"What's this?"
"A kid?"
Another laughed.
"Don't worry about him."
Kael didn't answer.
The leader pointed his sword toward Serena.
"Put your weapon down."
She smiled.
"No."
The man's face darkened.
"Then we'll take it from you."
Three bandits charged.
Serena moved first.
Her sword struck the first man's weapon aside.
Kael faced another.
The bandit swung.
Kael blocked.
The impact pushed him backward.
He quickly regained his balance.
The bandit grinned.
"Not bad."
He attacked again.
Kael stepped aside.
The sword passed his chest.
Kael struck the man's wrist.
The bandit dropped his weapon.
Before Kael could finish the fight, another bandit attacked from behind.
Serena intercepted him.
"Watch your back!"
Kael nodded.
"Thanks."
The battle became chaotic.
Kael wasn't strong enough to simply overpower the bandits.
He had to move.
Block.
Step back.
Wait.
Counter.
One bandit swung toward his head.
Kael ducked.
He struck the man's knee.
The bandit fell.
Kael kicked the sword away.
Two down.
He looked toward Serena.
She had already defeated three.
The final bandit stared at them.
Then he turned and ran.
Kael started after him.
Serena shouted,
"Don't chase!"
Kael stopped.
The bandit disappeared into the forest.
Kael looked back.
"Why?"
"Could be a trap."
Kael nodded.
"Right."
The driver stared at them.
"You two..."
He looked at the defeated bandits.
"...Are adventurers, right?"
Serena smiled.
"Something like that."
Kael sheathed his sword.
"We should move before more arrive."
They cleared the road and continued their journey.
That evening, they stopped at a small roadside camp.
Kael sat near the fire.
Serena handed him a cup of water.
"You did well."
Kael looked at her.
"I made mistakes."
"Everyone does."
"I almost chased that guy."
"But you stopped."
Kael nodded.
"Because you told me to."
Serena smiled.
"Then you're learning."
Kael looked toward the distant mountains.
Tomorrow they'd reach Ironbrook.
A new town.
New people.
New quests.
And perhaps...
Somewhere within that larger city, another piece of his past might be waiting.
Kael touched the bronze plate at his belt.
His journey had only just begun.
He didn't know that Ironbrook would be the first place where the strange power sleeping inside him would finally begin to stir.
And neither Kael nor Serena knew that someone had already arrived in the city ahead of them.
Someone wearing a black hood.
Someone carrying the same strange symbol Kael had seen in Mistwood.