With the meeting over, we made our way to the outskirts of the city. Passing through the east gate, Lloyd led us off to the side where he had stationed the covered wagon and horses he had prepared in advance. It was already loaded up with everyone’s equipment and supplies. After one last check, we departed.

Johan and Roska sat up front, the former steering the wagon and the latter keeping a lookout.

“You’ve worked with horses before?” I asked Johan.

“Yeah, learned how while on my first job. We were transporting some cargo and were making good time, so my teammates let me have the reigns while they coached me for half a day. Apparently, I’ve got some talent for it,” he commented.

“And you?” he added.

“Well…” I trailed off.

“The first time he tried getting on a horse, it immediately threw him off,” Lloyd said.

Johan and Roska snickered.

“It was startled, ok?! When I cut it loose, it didn’t even flinch. It only gave me a sidelong glance. The stupid horse even went so far as to let me put my foot in the stirrup. It waited for me to sit down before bucking. That bastard,” I grumbled.

“Pfttt,” Johan cackled.

“Yeah,” Lloyd started, “I saw the whole thing. I swear, if a horse could have a shit-eating grin…”

The wagon erupted into laughter. Even Hartwin, reserved and meek as he is, was stifling a laugh. I smiled wryly.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

We encountered a roadblock on the third day of our trip. A literal roadblock. A mudslide had buried a section of the road, forcing us to use an alternate route. Lloyd, that overprepared bookworm, had brought along several maps, one of which depicted very old trade routes between Milon and Battos.

“Just how old are we talking?” I asked.

“About two hundred years or so,” he answered. “Oh, don’t worry, Von, the reason no one uses that route anymore is because it’s just slower, is all.”

“Uh-huh. Just don’t let your guard down.”

“Of course,” said Roska.

While Lloyd and Johan revised our planned route, Hartwin and I brought out the rations for today’s lunch. We finished getting it ready at about the same time as the map group wrapped up their work.

Unfortunately, the detour would cost us half a day, but that was unavoidable. Our revised route would have us pass through a forest that would eventually merge back on to our original path.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

“Oh?” I heard Roska say in a curious voice.

“What?” I asked.

“There’s a stone structure over in that direction,” she pointed off to the side. “I can’t make out any details, but it’s most likely the remains of some fortification or outpost.”

Lloyd unfurled a map. “Hm, there’s nothing like that on the map.”

She shook her head. “Well, now that I think about it, considering its location, it’s probably a remote facility of some sorts, rather than a defensive structure.”

“So?” Lloyd asked.

“So? We should go check it out,” she smiled. “These sorts of places are left over from previous Mithos wars.”

She belatedly added, “Those are large-scale wars that involve at least three different demigods. The last one was… two hundred years ago? I think. Anyways, sometimes you can find useful stuff like weapons or infused gear.”

“Sounds interesting enough. How far is it?” I asked.

“Close enough. Plus, the horses could use a break.”

I nodded. “Then yeah, let’s go.”

We pulled the wagon off to the side of the road. Johan volunteered to stay behind and watch our stuff and take care of the horses.

“Roska, have you investigated places like this before?” Lloyd asked.

“Yeah, plenty. Most of them ‘ve been cleaned out, but sometimes you get lucky and get ahold of something worth taking. Speaking of which,” she pulled off a ring from her finger and tossed it over to me, “That’s something I got quite a few years back. It’s an infused ring that provides a bit of a strengthening effect. Mind you, it’s really only enough to make life just a bit easier, nothing that significant.”

“Huh,” I muttered, turning the ring over in my palm, inspecting it. The band was made of polished silver and had a small amethyst set in it. “Here,” I tossed it back to her.

“So how is stuff infused, anyways?” I asked. “I know that it involves soul-shenanigans, but nothing really beyond that.”

“Dunno.”

“Huh?”

“It’s either a closely guarded secret, or no one really knows how to do it. All the infused stuff I’ve ever seen or heard about is old, nothing newer than several hundred years or so. There’s always rumors that someone figured out infusion, but it’s all bullshit.”

“Ok, but if it’s been that long, how come no one has actually figured it out?” I asked.

“Oh, that. Not many are willing to do the research. You see, messing with the soul is extremely dangerous. One simple mistake and you can shatter your soul or damage it beyond repair. The research issue isn’t helped by the fact that there’s no known way to alter someone else’s soul. So, in short, the only people willing to try are the ones who are ok with the risk that they might end up consigning themselves to oblivion,” Roska told us.

“Shit,” I muttered.

“Working with Anima is completely safe, by the way, since it’s just a byproduct of the soul, rather than the soul itself,” she added.

“You’re surprisingly knowledgeable about this,” Lloyd commented.

“Part of my medical Anima training. They teach you about the body and the soul, what’s known about them, anyways.”

“Looks like we’re here,” Hartwin, who hadn’t spoken a word since we left the wagon, informed us.

Before us was a two-story building of rough stone walls. There were openings that served as windows, the wood shutters in a pitiful state of disrepair.

“I don’t see a door on this side,” I commented.

Roska, who was at the head of the group, came to a stop and turned to look at Lloyd and me. Does she want us to say something? I elbowed Lloyd to get his attention.

“Oh. Right. Roska, can you see if it’s safe to enter? I’d rather not walk straight into the den of some beast or bandit hideout,” he said.

Roska nodded, a glint in her eye. “Yes, sir,” she said before heading off.

I waited a few moments before whispering to Lloyd, “I don’t like having to act all leader-like. At least, not with the team,” I admitted.

“…You’ll have to get used to it. We’re not small-time thieves living in some hole in the wall. There are going to be a lot of people counting on us.”

I remained silent. A thought began germinating in back of my mind.

Roska returned only a handful of minutes later, reporting that there were no signs that anyone’s been inside anytime recently.

With that, Lloyd had Roska lead us to the entrance.