Back To The Capital Part 3

Seeing my adventurer card and seeing that my rank had increased once again made me confused with a mixture of happiness, although the dominant feeling was disbelief. At what point did it happen? I had been so preoccupied with various thoughts that I didn't notice it. Previously, my rank level went up at times when my body and mind were pushed to the limit, so I assume it happened when I faced that demon. The memory of that battle was still fresh in my mind. I really thought I would die in that fight.

And this new skill... Is this skill what the goddess was referring to when she said she would help me? Or was it a skill that came along with my rank up? It is strange. However, now that I know I have this skill, the information about what this skill does is in my head. I now possess all the knowledge about the skill and how to use it.

This skill is a game-changer, and I couldn't help but marvel at its power. I-It is incredible! Knowing what this skill does, now I'm sure it was something the goddess gave me directly. Although... for some reason, a strange thought crossed my mind. What if this skill was something that I had possessed all along but never knew how to use it? The idea seemed far-fetched, but there was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that refused to go away.

I-I do not know. I really don't know what to think anymore...

"Darx?" Harris's voice brought me out of my thoughts, "Are you feeling okay? Why do you look like you didn't know your own rank?"

"Yeah, dude... You have a strange look with a strange smile." Craig added.

"Ah!? N-No.. It's just..." I started talking without knowing how to respond.

"We've had a rough few days, so Darx must be tired," Syvis chimed in, "Darx's card is a little unusual, but really, that's all. Isn't that right!?" Syvis finished saying, turning to look at me.

With Syvis's stare, I instantly comprehended the message she wanted to give me. It is not a good idea to be spreading that type of information. At the end of the day, I don't really even understand what's going on with me. If any of the problems I've had should have taught me something, it's to be more cautious with the information I disclose about myself.

"It's like Syvis says. I just have a bit of a headache. I don't know why I react like that. I'm sorry." I said.

"You don't have to apologize. In fact, we are the ones who should apologize since it is rude to see someone else's adventurer card," Shianne said with an apologetic expression, "Also, it can be dangerous if you show your card to the wrong person as they would have critical information about your abilities which is very disadvantageous. Hence, I recommend that you don't do it again."

"My wife is right. I apologize for asking you to show me your card." Harris added.

The carriage jostled along the uneven road, its rhythmic clatter against the ground creating a backdrop to the casual chatter inside. I was sitting beside Syvis, gazing out of the carriage window as the landscape rolled by, a sea of trees stretching out as far as I could see. The journey continued while our group talked about various topics to pass the time. Frank, our cheerful carriage driver, chimed in with anecdotes from his years on the road.

Until suddenly, Harris leaned forward, his eyes sharp and focused on something outside the window, "Hold on!"

We all turned to follow his gaze, but it was impossible to see anything besides trees.

"W-What is it?" Frank asked, stopping the horses, "Bandits?"

Harris's lips curled into a small smile, "A pair of rabbits," He replied, "I reckon they'd make for a good meal."

I marveled at his keen eyesight, impressed by how Harris could spot such small creatures between trees in a moving carriage.

"I'll go get 'em," Harris declared, already reaching for his bow and a few arrows that rested by his side.

Frank brought the carriage to a complete halt, and we watched as Harris, bow in hand, slipped out of the carriage and into the dense underbrush, running swift and stealthy while the rest of us remained inside.

"Harris has excellent eyesight! Is it a skill or something?" Craig asked Shianne, who was sitting calmly as if this were an everyday occurrence.

"You can ask him when he gets back." She responded with a smile.

Just a couple of minutes passed when Harris emerged from the woods, holding up a pair of rabbits, their fur still gleaming with life, as he reentered the carriage.

"Good job, Harris!" Frank chimed in, clapping the hunter on the back, "Thanks to you, we will have meat to eat tonight!"

Shianne received him with a kiss on the lips as Harris settled back into his seat and as the carriage continued on its path. As the conversation continued, we delved into other topics. However, after a while, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier until I finally succumbed to sleep. In those last moments of consciousness, my mind was fixated on one thought: seeing Zaine.

"OHHH, STOP!"

I woke up hearing Frank's voice stopping the horses. I glanced around, seeing the others in the carriage stir as well, all of us sharing expressions of confusion and concern. Looking out of the window, I saw our carriage had come to a stop beside another carriage that had been left destroyed by the roadside. Three armed guards come closer to our carriage, their expressions stern and their weapons at the ready, with an air of authority.

"What's going on?" Frank asked, his voice trembling slightly.

The guards approached us, their eyes watchful, and one of them stepped forward, his tone sharp and businesslike, "Halt! State your business."

"We're just a group on our way to the capital," Frank responded.

One of the guards looked out the window, "Hey, all of you, get out of the carriage."

"Let's do as they say," Harris told us.

One by one, we all got out of the carriage. Two of the guards had their swords drawn while the one who seemed to be in command approached us, "Why are you going to the capital?"

We exchanged uncertain glances, a palpable tension in the air. Syvis stepped forward, her expression stoic as always, "We're just travelers on our way to the capital," She replied evenly, her voice carrying an air of authority, "Adventurers returning from a job."

Craig chimed in, his voice friendly despite the situation, "Yeah, just a bunch of adventurers looking to make a living."

The guards exchanged a look, clearly assessing the situation. They seemed skeptical.

It was then that I decided to speak up, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my pocket watch. I held it up for the guards to see, the emblem of the Midnight Dawn guild clearly visible.

"I'm Darx! A member of the Midnight Dawn guild. We've been on a quest, and we're heading back to the capital."

The guard's eyes flicked to the pocket watch, and his expression shifted from suspicion to surprise. It is notable that even in places as far from the capital as here, the symbols that the three great guilds give to their members are easily recognizable.

The other guards relaxed slightly. One of them gestured toward the abandoned carriage that had seen better days, "We apologize for the inconvenience, but we've had reports of bandit activity along this road. It seems these ruffians are getting bolder by the day."

We turned our attention to the wrecked carriage, where blood stains and a lifeless body bore grim testament to the bandits' brutality.

"They ambushed this poor soul," One of the guards explained, his voice heavy with sorrow, "More of these cases are happening more frequently."

Seeing the amount of blood there is, I can deduce that more than one person died here. Now that I pay attention, there is a body close to the trees—a poor guy who probably couldn't escape in time.

The guards ultimately allowed us to continue on our way, their warning echoing in our ears as we climbed back into the carriage, "Be cautious," one of them called after us, "These bandits are ruthless, and they won't hesitate to attack."

With that, we continued on our way, leaving those 3 guards behind. As the carriage continued its journey along the road, Craig's anger was palpable. His face was flushed, and his fists clenched as he spoke with fervor, "It's absolutely infuriating, you know? Innocent people, just looking for safety, and these damn bandits think they can take advantage of their desperation."

I exchanged a confused look with Syvis, both of us bewildered by the intensity of Craig's emotions, "What do you mean, Craig?" I asked.

Craig blinked, caught off guard by our lack of awareness. He took a deep breath and attempted to explain, "You guys don't know? I thought, being in recognized guilds and all, you'd have a better understanding of what's happening."

Harris, ever the calm and collected one, stepped in to provide clarity, "Allow me to explain," he said, his voice a soothing balm to Craig's frustration, "Since the news of the impending war against the demons broke, the people living on the northern border, near the demons' territory, have been fleeing southward. They're **** to escape the conflict."

The weight of Harris's words hung heavily. Did the Queen admit that information!? The rumor of war was not strange, but if the kingdom made that info public, that means that the war could start at any time.

"For that reason, many bandits have been taking advantage of that to rob and kill people on the roads who are only looking to escape the war," Harris concluded.

"But why haven't the guilds done anything about it? This isn't just some ordinary bandit problem." I asked.

Craig's eyes bore into us, his frustration giving way to a hint of exasperation, "Darx, Syvis, the guilds can't do everything. With the war in the north, the kingdom have pulled their armies there, and since they were enough, the Queen requested aid from the guilds. Adventurers are being sent north to prepare for the fight against the demons. There aren't enough of us to patrol every road."

Harris nodded in agreement, "Exactly. And it's not just the northern border. There's also the worry that the Beast-Kind to the south might seize this opportunity to invade. Now that the army and a lot of the adventurers are concentrating in the north, the southern border is far less protected. For that reason, even more guild members were sent south to protect the southern edge. Right now, guilds are spread thin, and they need every available hand."

Shianne, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, her gaze distant, "War is a terrible thing," She murmured, "When I encouraged my daughters to become adventurers, I never imagined they'd have to face something like this. But they're willing to do whatever it takes to protect their families and our territory," Shianne's voice held a note of resignation as she concluded her thoughts, her eyes briefly flickering with sadness, "You know, one of the reasons Harris and I decided to take this vacation was the looming uncertainty. We understand that retired adventurers like me might soon be called back into action. There simply aren't enough active adventurers to deal with everything. These peaceful moments we're enjoying now may become even rarer."

The gravity of her words settled over us, a somber reminder of the fragility of the world we lived in. In these eight months, things seem to have gotten a lot worse.

Syvis leaned forward slightly, her voice a murmur in the dimly lit carriage, "Are there any more measures being taken to address this situation?" She cast a contemplative gaze toward the others.

Harris, his rugged face etched with concern, spoke up in response, "I've heard rumors," He began, his deep voice carrying the weight of uncertainty, "That Princess Kathleen herself is currently in the territory of the Beast-Kind, attempting to establish a peace pact. If we had the assurance that the Beast-Kind would not attack us while we were stationed in the north, we could use the part of the army and adventurers that are in the south to further strengthen the north and perhaps have enough people to deal with bandits and other things more. However, Princess Kathleen's task is quite difficult."

"Why would that be difficult? The Beast-Kind should understand that if humans fall, they would be next." I said.

Outside the carriage, Frank answered me, "Well, lad, historically, Humans and Beast-Kind don't exactly share a friendly history. There's been a deep-seated resentment between our races for as long as anyone can remember. Something like that is hard to forget and even harder to forgive."

The weight of the conversation hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over the carriage's occupants. The sadness brought on by the grim news was palpable, and for a time, nobody dared to break the silence.

It was Frank who eventually broke through the melancholy, his voice carrying a spark of optimism, "But you know, not everything is lost. Thanks to adventurers like our friend Craig here, who never seems to rest and dedicates his time to taking care of travelers, I can keep doing what I love—transporting people safely."

Craig, a modest grin on his face, nodded in acknowledgment of Frank's words.

I, intrigued, couldn't help but voice my curiosity, "So, you two know each other from your travels?"

Craig leaned back, "Yeah," He replied, his voice filled with respect for the older man, "Frank helps a lot of people, so I decided to accompany him on several round trips. It's been a way to help people trying to escape the war, and I've learned a lot from him about this area."

Frank chuckled, "Young Craig here has been a lifesaver, I'll tell you that much. With his help, we've managed to transport many folks who just want a chance at safety to several areas in the south."

Now everything makes sense. Now I understand why there were so many people in the coastal village, unlike when we arrived nine months ago.

The carriage rolled on through the dark forest as the conversation shifted toward more positive aspects. We kept moving until the sky turned red, and we decided to stop to prepare to spend the night camping in the forest. As the carriage came to a stop, the group began to disembark, each member taking on their designated tasks for the evening.

Syvis and I ventured into the looming forest together. Our mission: gather enough wood to fuel a fire. Meanwhile, Craig ventured off alone into the forest. He sought the herbs needed to flavor our evening meal. Having come to this area several times, he knows where to look. Back at the carriage, Harris and Shianne set to work, the married couple working together with a seamless synergy that spoke of years of shared experience. Harris expertly cleaned and prepared the two rabbits he had caught earlier while Shianne helped and waited for Syvis and me to return with the wood to prepare the food. Meanwhile, Frank tended to the horses. He needed to feed them and ensure they were settled comfortably for the night.

While walking in the forest, I couldn't help but steal a sidelong glance at Syvis as we moved deeper into the woods. Her distant demeanor seemed more pronounced in the dimming light. I had grown accustomed to her stoicism, but lately, there was something else, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was as if a shadow had fallen across her heart, and I longed to understand what troubled her so.

"Do you think Princess Kathleen will achieve her goal? With the little I knew her, she seemed like a shy girl who just wanted to be an adventurer, so I find it amazing that she is on such an important assignment on her own."

Syvis answered me without stopping her step and without turning to see me, "The princess has ****. Circumstances have **** her hand. Many lives hang in the balance, depending on her ability to negotiate that peace treaty with the Beast-Kind." Syvis paused for a moment before continuing, "Besides, the princess is not as timid as you might think."

I arched an eyebrow in curiosity, "What do you mean? As far as I know, she hardly made a move without her mother's approval."

Syvis hesitated for a moment, a fleeting internal struggle evident on her face, before she finally spoke, "Well, while I was secretly teaching her magic with the help of Harold, I happened to witness her making an advance toward Zhoron."

"A-advance toward Zhoron? L-Like a s-sexual advance?" I stammered, trying to make sense of what she just said, "But that's... Zhoron? The S-Rank Queen's bodyguard? I thought the rumor was that he was having some secret relationship with the Queen?"

Syvis nodded somberly, "Yes, that's the gist of it. I can't say for certain if there's a love triangle involving the Queen, the princess, and Zhoron, or whatever, but for your sake, Darx, I'd advise you not to mention what I just told you to anyone." Her eyes bore into mine.

Syvis spent more time with the princess than I did, so she must know her better. Even so, I didn't expect something like that. I guess appearances can be deceiving.

"O-Of course..." I reply, "Still, I'm wondering if the princess could achieve her goal. Do you think there is a way?"

"The most viable way is with a marriage," Syvis replied.

"M-Marriage? Do you think the princess will agree with that?" I asked.

"I already mentioned it to you before. Many lives will depend on the princess achieving her goal, and her responsibility as the future Queen is to do everything in her power to protect the kingdom," After saying that, Syvis remained silent, looking at the ground, "Maybe I'm in the same position, and I'm just evading my responsibility."

"Syvis?" I asked, confused by her reaction.

Syvis looked back at me, looking directly into my eyes, "After listening to what Harris and the others said, I'm thinking that I, too, am a princess even though I don't like being one, and I have a responsibility just like Princess Kathleen. If I really want to help humans and any living being in general from the danger of demons, maybe it's time for me to accept that fact and do my part."

"S-Syvis? What are you trying to tell me?"