On the way to Riledo.

Morning has arrived, and it is time to get ready to go. I couldn't sleep at all, thinking about what my mother told me about my father and thinking about what would await me today. However, I don't feel tired.

I got dressed and packed some things that I wanted to take with me. Some things that would be useful to me and others only for their sentimental value, such as the first book my mother bought me, a small bottle which contains the first potion that Amelia made and which she gave me, and a small knife that Oliver gave me.

I took my old sword and left my room, where my mother was already waiting for me.

"Come here, Darx, there is something I want to give you."

I approached my mother, and she held the sword that was at her waist. She looked at the sword for a few seconds and then stretched her hand with the sword in it and gave it to me.

"That's..."

"I want you to have my sword. It is nothing out of this world, but it is better than normal swords."

"I-I can't. You need this sword."

"Don't worry. I had another sword made with Drogan. Also, this sword is too much for the level of monsters that are around here. From now on, it will be more useful to you."

"I don't know what to say."

"You can start by saying thank you and promising me that you will do your best and stay safe."

I'm not someone who cries, but I could feel my eyes go a little wet. I am very grateful to my mother for everything she has done for me. "Thanks, mom. I'll do my best!"

After that, we had a quick breakfast as we didn't have much time remaining before the carriages left. When my mother and I finished eating, we headed towards the village entrance, but halfway there, we met Drogan, who seemed to be waiting for me. My mother also realized it gave us a moment to talk.

"I'll be waiting for you at the entrance. Don't take too long." Mother said.

Since Amelia and Oliver left, I had no more friends in the village. On one occasion, when my sword was damaged, I took it to Drogan, who is the only blacksmith in the village. Drogan was friends with Noah. We started talking about him and like Noah, he seemed to be a lonely person. When he handed me my sword, I was amazed at how good it turned out. I became a little interested in blacksmithing and from time to time, after training, I would go to Drogan who taught me a bit.

"So, you're leaving, kid." Drogan said in his typical tone that makes him sound like he's angry.

"Yes, thanks for everything."

"I don't understand why someone would want to be an adventurer. Putting your life at risk all the time, and if you get a low rank, the pay is horrible."

"Aren't you an adventurer too!? I'm sure you understand well."

"Smartass. Let me give you some advice. It is true that being an adventurer and living in the city can be the dream of many young people and it is well known that they can achieve great things. But Darx, if you receive a low rank, I recommend that you better look for something else to dedicate yourself to. Being a low-rank adventurer in a small guild can be hell. "

"Is it that bad?" I asked.

"Most of the small guilds are not capable of doing the most difficult quests. In order to earn wealth, they fight with the other small guilds for the best quests at their level, but it isn't very easy. Most of the new guilds go bankrupt, or their members die trying to make dungeons above their levels."

Mother had already told me a little about that, but hearing it from Drogan to confirm that it's not going to be easy. It worries me to think that I may be left in these circumstances.

"There is something else you should be careful about. After knowing you for a while, I realized that you trust people very easily. The city is not the same as this village. The capital is like a jungle where the weakest are eaten. Don't make the same mistake as me and trust the wrong people. It could cost you everything. "

"What happened to you?"

"Maybe I'll tell you one day if we meet again." Drogan said as he walked away. "I wish you luck, kid."

I watched Drogan walk away, feeling grateful to him. I don't have much time left. I ran to the entrance of the village where some of the wagons were already leaving. I saw my mother next to the carriage in which I would go. It seems they are just waiting for me. I ran to where my mother was to say goodbye to her.

"Mom!"

She hugged me tightly. "Send me letters whenever you can."

"I will. As soon as I find a place to stay I'll send you one."

"I wish you the best, but if things don't work out, you know you can come back whenever you want."

''Don't worry, I'll be fine. I will visit you as soon as I can."

We hugged one more time and the moment to leave came. I got into the carriage with my things and the wagon began to move away from the village little by little.

"As soon as I finish with the house payments, I'm going to the city. Stay safe until then." Mother said, waving her hand saying goodbye to me.

The wagon continues to advance until I could no longer see my mother or the village in the distance. Looking to the sides, I noticed several places where Amelia, Oliver, and I trained. It gave me a feeling of nostalgia, knowing that those days are behind us. Then we come to this crossroads that is the farthest point I have reached before. Passing this place will be the farthest I've been from the village. Until now, I felt as if all this was not real but crossing this point made me realize that I am really leaving.

It will be a long journey. Only just a few hours have passed and I already started to get bored. So, I took out the letters that Amelia, Oliver, and Mia have sent me and reread them to pass the time.

I started reading the letters that came to me a month after they left.

Hello Darx,

I read the letter you sent me. I'm glad that things are going well and that you are trying hard in your training. At the moment I am in the castle. Do you remember I told you that I was summoned to the castle!? They called all the new A-ranks and some B-ranks like me. We will be here for a month. Since anyone can be an adventurer even without prior training, they want to make sure everyone is competent before joining a guild.

I have received many offers from guilds to join them, even from the three great guilds of Riledo. I'm still unsure which one to join, but I think I will join Dark Dragons as Ilene has told us a lot about that guild.

Besides that, the day I arrived at the castle, we had a brief meeting with the queen and the princess. They are gorgeous! I got very nervous even though they didn't pay much attention to me since everyone was focused on Kase, who, as you should know now, is an S Rank.

I don't know anything about Mia or the rest of those who came to become adventurers since I am the only one from the village which was called to the castle. And Kase, but I hope he leaves soon.

I miss you so much, and I hope to see you soon. As soon as I can, I'll go see Oliver and Emma so keep sending your letters there.

Amelia

Amelia's second letter arrived two months later, which seemed strange to me since I thought Amelia would write to me more often.

Hi Darx,

Many things have happened since the last time I wrote to you. It's been a month since I left the castle and I have joined Oblivion, which is one of the three great guilds of Riledo.

I saw Oliver and Emma recently. Emma's belly has already grown and now it is easy to tell that she is pregnant. They seem to be doing well. I am happy for them.

There are things I want to tell you, but I think it would be better to tell you in person. Until the moment arrives, I hope you are well.

Amelia

After that short letter, Amelia did not write to me again. I'm a little worried, but she may be busy now that she joined a renowned guild.

Oliver sent me another letter two months after he left the village.

Hey Darx,

Good news, the inn I am working at is getting more customers than it did before. The owners say it’s because of me and the great food I make, but I’m not quite so sure about that. I think it’s more because the dishes I’m offering are something a bit different from what they are used to here in the city.

It all changed when someone from the blue legion came over. Apparently, he was so appreciative of the food here that he went and told all his guild members. Since then, there have been a couple of blue legionnaires dining here every day.

Then there is also Emma. I put in a good word with the pleasant owl owners, and they gave her a chance to be a waitress. I have a feeling a pretty waitress like her also draws some extra attention. The owners were quite pleased with her, and she gets to keep working here. But there is also another thing about Emma.

See, a few days ago, there was this really cold night. Emma was even shivering in bed. Now, I have a habit of not touching her when we’re in bed because I don’t want to take advantage of her having to sleep in the same bed as me. But I felt so bad for her and wanted to keep her warm that I finally got close to her and kept her warm with my body heat. While I was doing so, we looked into each other’s eyes and … I don’t know what came over us, but before I knew it, we were kissing. And from one thing came another and well … yeah, we did it. We’ve also been doing it every day since then. I guess that means Emma and I are a couple now.

Things have not been easy, but I guess I should just be happy that I finally got to be with her.

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on from my end. How has it been going for you?

Oliver.

Reading about Oliver and Emma getting together makes me smile. Oliver deserves her. He is certain to make her happy. I received the second letter from Oliver a few months later.

Hey Darx,

I'm sorry I can't write to you more often; I've been busy at the inn, and Emma's pregnancy has advanced, so I have to be more attentive to her. Lately, she has had bizarre cravings, and at the strangest hours, so I have to run all over the city looking for what she wants to eat.

A pregnancy is more complicated than I thought, but it makes me happy to see Emma more comfortable. Things are going well between us and little by little, I begin to be known for my food at the inn. I still have a lot to learn, but I feel like I'm on the right track.

I recently saw Amelia, but she's a little weird. Has she written to you something about it? It seemed strange that she joined Oblivion as it doesn't have a very good reputation despite being one of the city's best guilds. A client of the inn told me that they are rumored to have ties to guilds that are rumored to be criminals.

I'm a little worried about Amelia, but she says she's okay. I'll make sure to help her if she needs it, so don't worry too much and focus on your training. I hope to see you soon.

Oliver

When I first read Oliver's letter, I was also concerned. One of the reasons I want to get to the city soon is to make sure Amelia is okay. I received more letters from Oliver, but now I will read the first letter Mia sent me.

Hey, Darxie

Darx! Sweetie! I passed the test! I am a legit adventurer now! C class! One rank lower than Amelia, which bites a bit. But still, I’m a real adventurer now! Can you believe it?

But there’s more. Remember how I kept training as a fighter? Well, I didn’t receive the fighter class. I got the spellsword class instead! You know what that means? I can use magic!!! By the gods, if I knew I had magical abilities, I would have asked Alice for some training as well. But now I have a dilemma to deal with. I don't know anything about magic!!

By the way, there were sooo many guilds which wanted to recruit me. But I knew better than to accept the first invitation that came along. You know I’ve got standards.

Eventually, I decided to settle on the Gryphon Knights guild. Not one of the big three, but they have a solid reputation. The other guild members are very friendly, and they have a lot of variation in their classes. So yeah, I guess I’ll just go adventuring with a few of their mages and see how magic works.

I have also met up with my sister and Oliver. On my way to them, I was resolved to be cool and just say hi. But once I saw my little sister, all of that bravado melted, and I couldn’t help but hug her and cry. She and Oliver have found a job at an inn there. I now frequent there every day. With Oliver in the kitchen and Emma as a waitress, I am confident this inn will be a lot more successful now. I just hope Fabe never finds out this is where they are hiding.

About Fabe, I heard he only got a D rank. Hah! The loser totally deserves it! Cal, on the other hand, got a C rank. Yeah, I know. Totally didn’t expect that. At any rate, I haven’t seen Cal or Fabe since the ranking ceremony, and honestly, I hope it stays that way.

Anyway, I hope to see you soon. Think about me a lot and try hard in your training! Chau!!

Mia

PS: I miss you!

Things seem to be going well for Mia. I wanted to read more letters, but it seemed that a storm was approaching. The sky turned dark, and the wind was blowing hard. Supposedly we will arrive one day before the ceremony. I hope the storm doesn't complicate our path.