Chapter 6

Good morning. Despite the clear weather, my mood is plummeting.

After parting ways with Lady Nirva and the others yesterday, I stayed at an inn. Surprisingly, Lady Nirva covered the cost. I thought, "Great!" and stayed, but the dinner tasted mediocre. The first floor was a tavern, and it was incredibly noisy until late at night. Even though I had a private room, the walls were thin, and I ended up hearing the intimate sounds from the next room all night. The breakfast was cold.

I should have been more cautious and chosen a cheaper inn. If she was going to treat me, I should have gone for a more expensive one.

Well, I'll take this as a lesson and use it to make better choices for future accommodations.

By the way, Lady Nirva seemed to like the sleeping medicine and asked for some. I politely declined. The two people behind her had a scary look in their eyes. I suggested she buy it from a pharmacy.

In the early morning, I was at the west gate, opposite the east gate where I had entered. The next town's carriage departs from here. Since I saved on the inn, I decided to register as an adventurer in the next town. I don't want to run into my family by chance.

Several carriages were parked there. I wonder which one I should take?

"Hey, kid. Where are you headed?"

While looking around, an uncle called out to me. He had a sturdy build, like a fishmonger, and his voice was nicely raspy.

"Just to register as an adventurer. The next town."

"Hmm. Then you should take this one, the third one to Nolt. This one goes to Nitz."

"Nolt..."

I've heard of Nolt. It's supposed to be a big city with a dungeon... But the uncle recommended Nitz.

Seeing my puzzled look, he showed his teeth in a grin.

"Why? It's your first trip, right? Your clothes are new. Nitz is a two-night, three-day trip, while Nolt is a seven-night, eight-day trip. It might be tough if you're not used to it."

"Oh, I see."

He must have chosen the shorter route because he saw I wasn't used to traveling. Indeed, even a few hours yesterday were tough.

"By the way, can I ask where the other carriages are going?"

There were two more carriages parked.

"One goes to Korda. It's a mining town. The other one, see the different horses? It also goes to Nolt but takes about four days, a high-speed carriage. It's quite expensive, though!"

The uncle made a circle with his thumb and index finger, which means money in this world. So, the fare is ridiculously high.

Looking at it, the horses attached to the carriage were indeed different. Or rather, were they even horses? They looked like sturdy, black horses that a tyrant might ride, with horns.

"That's a magic horse. The driver is a tamer."

"Wow!!"

A tamer! They exist. That's so cool, the ultimate fluffy army. But it's too early for me. I'd like to talk to them while riding, but my funds won't allow it. Maybe someday, when I earn more, I'll give it a try.

"Thank you. I'll take the one to Nitz."

"Sure thing. Get in and wait. We'll leave once everyone is here."

I paid the fare and climbed into the cargo area. It was a typical covered wagon with seats on both sides and space for luggage. The ride wasn't comfortable, but there were cushions, so it was bearable. There were worse things, so this was fine.

After waiting for about half an hour, we set off.

The passengers were a couple, a solo adventurer, two merchants, and me. There were also three adventurers from a guard party, riding separate horses. Maybe you need to ride a horse to be an adventurer.

The carriage moved along smoothly between the guard horses. The ride wasn't great, but there were cushions, so it was tolerable. There were worse things, so this was fine.

"What? You don't know that? In the capital, this is common!"

Since the journey began, this guy has been repeating "In the capital" and showing off non-stop. He's one of the merchants, and he looks a bit older than me. The other one is in his forties and is unusually humble. Every time the brat boasts, the older man shrinks in his seat.

"I have a big store in the capital."

No, it's not your store.

"Of course, you probably don't go there often from such a rural area."

Who's riding in a creaky carriage in this rural area?

"Hehe. I have the 'Business' skill. I'll open a store here for you in the future."

Don't underestimate skills. If having a skill guaranteed success, life would be easy. Skills are about how you use them, and a brat like you won't be able to run a store.

It's not just me who's irritated. The other passengers, who were initially polite, are now pretending to sleep or giving forced smiles to ignore him.

"Hey, are you listening? I'm graciously teaching you what travel is all about!"

I didn't ask for it, so don't bother me.

Maybe he thought I was the youngest and easiest to manipulate, but I have a tolerance for people like you. Like some lord's son or something.

"If you're so great, why don't you travel in your own carriage? Or maybe you don't need to travel at all? Is there some reason? Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Great Merchant. Of course, you usually travel in your own luxurious carriage. That must be tough."

I'll speak up when I'm angry.

The brat stuttered and then puffed out his chest, saying, "Of course, it's obvious." Of course, it's not. His shoes and cloak are dirty, and his hands and face are sunburned. His belongings don't look impressive either. He doesn't seem like a fake merchant, but...

Glancing at the other uncle, he just shrunk his neck.

After being quiet for a while, the brat found the next topic and started boasting as if nothing had happened.

Is this going to last for three days...