Chapter 46

### Year 3012, July 2nd, Trias Calendar.

A refreshing early summer breeze blew through the hills.

Today, I am leaving my hometown, Rasmoor Village.

My destination is the academic city of Doctus, where the magic academy is located.

Doctus is about 370 kilometers away from here.

The three people traveling with me are my childhood friend Sharon Jakes, our magic teacher Lydianne Dupre, and Sharon's father, Guy Jakes.

Sharon is going to the Tria Magic Academy in Doctus with me, but Lydianne, or Lyd as she is called, is coming along just to be with me.

After finishing breakfast, I began preparing for the journey.

I put on a leather jacket, long pants, gloves, and boots. It gets quite stuffy during the hot summer, but for me, who doesn't have any armor, this serves as a substitute.

I fastened a belt for throwing daggers, a gift from my squire Hector Marlon, around my waist, and slung a bastard sword, forged by the blacksmith Bertram, on my back.

The belt has five throwing daggers, each about 15 cm long, and a small pouch attached. These throwing daggers were also made by Bertram.

They are double-edged with thick blades and a circular pommel, modeled after the "kunai" from a ninja comic I read in the past. They are excellent multi-purpose tools, useful for digging holes and climbing walls, but I've never used them in actual combat.

I haven't had a situation where I needed to use them, and magic is more reliable for attacks, but I believe the form is important. It's a sentiment I've had since childhood.

With a leather helmet and a hooded cloak in hand, my preparations were complete. Incidentally, I didn't have any armor made because, during my growth period, the cost of adjusting the armor would be too high. It would be wasteful to remake it every time I grow.

With my preparations complete, I bid farewell to my family and the squires.

As I said goodbye to the squires and their families, I reflected on the seven years since my memories returned.

(Seven years since I recovered my memories at the age of three. A lot has happened. Sword training, magic studies, village reforms, battles in the forest... It's been a fulfilling life, far from the gray existence I had in Japan...)

I stood before Walt Vassal, the head squire, his wife Molly, the archer Hector, and Nicholas Garland, who was deeply involved in the village's internal affairs.

I suddenly bowed to Nicholas and said, "Please take care of the village and my father."

Nicholas, flustered, took my hand and said, "Please stand up."

I took his hand and said,

"Things are likely to get more difficult from now on. As the population grows and the village prospers, the villagers' minds will change. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but these changes might alter the village's way of life. If that happens, the Lockhart family will have to change as well..."

Nicholas looked worried and said, "Master Zacharias..."

But I continued,

"But I trust you, Nicholas. With you here, I can go to Doctus with peace of mind. So, please have confidence and make the village a better place."

I believe the village will change. As the population grows and prosperity increases, so will knowledge through education. Young people will want to go to the city, and adults will seek entertainment.

There are no shops in the village yet, but I'm sure fixed shops will appear within a few years. There is only one tavern, Black Pool Inn, but a new one will likely open soon.

Currently, we only sell a small amount of "Scotch," but it still generates an annual income of several million C (tens of millions of yen). The distillery is directly managed by the Lockhart family, but we buy the raw materials, such as barley and grapes, in cash in addition to taxes, so the villagers are starting to hold more cash.

It's good that the villagers are becoming prosperous. That's why I implemented the reforms.

However, if the changes happen too quickly, there will be distortions.

I fear these distortions.

And then there's the village's safety.

The children who will grow up won't know the dangerous conditions of the past. As the older generation passes, more young people will dislike training, and the vigilante group's strength will decline. If that happens, this prosperous village might become a target for bandits.

The same applies to the Lockhart family.

My grandfather and the head squire Walt are over fifty. Nicholas and Hector are in their mid-forties. They still seem to be in their prime, but their strength is declining.

The younger generation, like Einos Vassal, who is around my father's age, and Will Keegan, who is a bit younger, are less experienced in actual combat compared to the older generation.

I don't know how to protect this village.

Currently, the vigilante group is almost like a conscription system. In the future, we might need to form a professional guard force with volunteers or mercenaries.

If that happens, the relationship between the Lockhart family and the squires will change significantly. It might become more of an employment relationship rather than a family-like bond.

I like the current relationship, but if the Lockhart family grows, it will have to change, regardless of my preferences.

As I was thinking about these things, Nicholas spoke to me with a smile.

"I can't say I'll handle everything perfectly, but I'll do my best to protect this village that Master Zacharias loves."

I didn't say anything, just held his hand firmly.

I saw Melissa Marlon and Dan Jakes, who looked like they were about to cry, among the squires.

I took Dan's arm and patted his shoulder, saying, "Take care of Mel."

Dan, blushing, nodded strongly and said, "Yes, I will."

Then, I stood before Mel.

She was trying to look cheerful, but her eyes were red and her nose was a bit red. She must have been crying until the morning. But for my departure, she was forcing a smile.

I felt a surge of affection for her and hugged her without thinking.

Mel let out a small cry of surprise but then said in a nasal voice, "Stay well, Master Zack..." and started sniffing.

"Stay well, Mel."

As I said this, Mel started sobbing and whispered, "Master Zack..."

I said, "You don't have to force it. I understand," and hugged her tightly again.

While hugging her, I whispered, "I'll definitely come back," and slowly let her go.

She showed a teary smile and said,

"Please come back. I'll be waiting..."

I tried to smile, holding back my own tears. From the outside, I probably looked like a teary smile, just like Mel.

After that, I patted the heads of my younger brother Theophilus and sister Seraphina, who were also crying, and stood before my grandfather, father, and mother, forcing a smile and saying, "I'm off."

My grandfather nodded with a stern face, as if in training, and my father placed his hand on my shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't overdo it. The village is in good hands."

My mother hugged me and said with tears in her eyes, "I know you'll be fine, but if anything happens, come back anytime. This is your home."

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I couldn't speak without crying, so I just said, "Yes," and stepped away from her.

Then, I said loudly, "I'm off," and mounted my horse.

I smiled at my family one last time, holding back my tears, and left my home.

Behind me, I could hear the squires and their families saying, "Have a safe trip," and the cries of Theo and Sera.

At the gate of the manor, Lyd, Guy, and Sharon were waiting to leave with me.

I didn't want them to see my crying face, so I took the lead and rode my horse forward.

This was my first departure like this.

I had experienced farewells in Japan, like when I was sent off by my mother when I started my job, but this was the first time I was being sincerely seen off by so many people.

The people who brought me to this world are the gods of this world.

I was grateful to the gods for this happiness.

And I vowed to do my best to fulfill the mission given to me by the gods.

I descended the hill and rode through the village, where the afterglow of yesterday's summer solstice festival still lingered.

The villagers, lazily preparing for their farm work, waved at us when they noticed us. I burned the beautiful village scenery into my memory as we crossed the bridge over the Fin River.

I stopped my horse and looked back.

There, against the backdrop of the majestic peaks of the Aquila Mountains, was the beautiful landscape of the five hills.

(This is my hometown. I'm going to Doctus to protect this place. I'll burn this scenery into my memory to keep my purpose clear...)

I burned the scenery into my memory through my tear-filled eyes and continued riding.

Lyd was behind me, but she didn't say anything, letting me do as I pleased.

After that, I never looked back.

The distance from Rasmoor Village to Doctus is about 370 kilometers. Since I and Sharon are not used to traveling, we planned to cover about 25 to 30 kilometers per day.

I, a ten-year-old child, along with the beautiful Lyd and the adorable Sharon, have only Guy as our guard. We were afraid of being targeted by bandits and planned to travel with a caravan.

In reality, Lyd is a fourth-level adventurer who can use both a bow and magic, making her a top-notch warrior, but to the outside world, she looks like a young and beautiful woman.

Because of this, my father offered to send Hector or Nicholas as additional guards, but I declined, thinking it would be unfair to tie up two excellent squires for nearly two months.

Today, we plan to reach the town of Kilnarek, which is 25 kilometers away.

Kilnarek is a provincial town with a population of about 3,000, but it is a thriving post town on the Ars Highway, which connects the Kingdom of Kaum and Periclitus.

I finally calmed down about five kilometers from the village, as we reached the highway.

To shake off the melancholy atmosphere, I spoke to Lyd in a cheerful voice.

"By the way, this is my first time on the highway. Is the road quite wide?"

Lyd tilted her head slightly and said,

"It's wider than this road, but just wide enough for wagons to pass each other. In the forest, there are more places where they can't pass each other..."

The road from Rasmoor Village to the Ars Highway is a narrow path that can barely accommodate wagons, about two meters wide.

Even so, the number of wagons has increased compared to a few years ago, making the road wider, but it's still a rough path, barely more than a trail.

(To develop the village, road improvements are necessary. If there were wider and better-maintained roads, more wagons would come...)

We rode through the forest, where sunlight filtered through the trees. After about an hour, we reached the main highway, the Ars Highway.

This part of the Ars Highway is in the forest.

The road to Rasmoor Village is hidden by trees, and it's hard to see where it branches off at first glance. There is a small sign, but it's overgrown with grass, so first-time visitors might not notice it.

The Ars Highway is wider than the road to Rasmoor Village, about three to five meters wide. It's not paved and is quite bumpy. Tree roots protrude in places, and the ride in a wagon without suspension must be quite uncomfortable.

The horses are also careful not to get their feet caught, making it difficult to transport fragile items.

(Alcohol must be transported in barrels. It would be great if the water transport on the Fathas River were developed, but it's said that the river has many rapids and is unusable.)

The Ars Highway follows the Fathas River, a large river that winds through the mountains. The Fathas River has rocky sections and waterfalls, making it unsuitable for water transport. Additionally, there are aquatic monsters, making it more dangerous than the highway.

When it rains heavily, water flows toward the Fathas River, quickly turning the road into mud.

Especially between Kilnarek and the southern Bogwood, which is 35 kilometers, the speed of wagons drops significantly after rain. In winter, it's often impossible to reach the destination before dark, making it one of the difficult sections.

However, there are no caravans that stop at Rasmoor Village, which is five kilometers away, and they often camp in this area. This is because the land is quite safe, and camping is not a problem.

In fact, there is a camping area near the Black River, which flows from Rasmoor Village, with remnants of campfires.

I was considering whether a post town could be built here.

I heard that this area used to be the border between the Kingdom of Kaum and the Empire of Kaerl, which is why no town was built. Now that it's part of the Lockhart territory, if we don't develop it, a town will never be built.

I was thinking about this as I rode my horse.

We continued north on the Ars Highway, taking breaks along the way.

As we rode, the density of the forest gradually decreased, and the sun's rays, which had been filtered through the trees, became blinding.

Looking around, I saw a few scattered farmhouses and grazing sheep and cattle in the meadows.

We stopped at a village along the way to eat the lunch box made by the head maid, Molly, and then continued riding.

Around 2:00 PM, after crossing the relatively large Sireen River, we saw a walled city.

Guy pointed and said, "That's the city of Kilnarek."

Sharon and I, seeing the city for the first time, leaned forward in excitement.

I couldn't help but say, "I want to see the city soon... This is my first time seeing a city in this world."

Lyd, hearing my words, chuckled and spoke to Guy.

"Guy, Zack is looking at the city with sparkling eyes. Take him on a tour later... Hehehe."

I pouted slightly and said, "Alright. I'll go with Sharon and Guy. You stay at the inn, Lyd."

Lyd pouted in earnest.

"Stop being mean. I'm going too."

"Just kidding. Let's all go together. If Guy has no other business, that is."

Guy, hearing our conversation, said,

"It's fine. I'll visit the guilds, but it won't take long..."

Guy and Lyd were trying to be more cheerful than usual, thinking I was feeling down.

I knew this very well.

(Both of them are being considerate. Sharon must be sad too, but I must move forward. I can't look back. I have to get stronger and return...)

And so, I left my hometown, Rasmoor Village, on this journey.