The verdant trees and road made visible by pure strike of light is now replaced by the color of sunset. In the horizon the sun is slowly going down, taking all the remaining light with it. Thankfully, just before the darkness ate all the light, Yuuto and Alice arrived at the front gates of the town. There they are greeted by a guard, he wears simple armor and a spear with his right hand. Yuuto looks at him scanning the state of the guard's garments. If you look at it enough you can see scratches and chipped around his armor. On the other hand his spear was also chipped on the sides but still usable. 'Maybe he was an adventurer before he became a guard. I need to ask later how his equipment became like that.' he thought. Considering the size of the town, equipping the guard with high-end armor will be overkill.

"Do you have any identification or permit to enter the town?" the guard asked.

Alice brings out her adventurer card out of her pocket, the area being dim Yuuto didn't have any chance to look at it properly. Meanwhile, due to the fact that Yuuto doesn't have any card he is compensated to pay one silver to enter a town. He sighs at losing another piece of money 'I really need to get a card' he contemplated.

***

Afterward, Yuuto and Alice went to one of the Inns of the town. Thinking that the inn doesn't have any vacant rooms left, he can't avoid feeling nervous. Thankfully, there is still a vacant room, though there is one problem.

"Welcome, how can I help you? " the receptionist asked. She wore simple clothes but she stands prim and proper ready to accept any customer. Meanwhile in her back is a board with keys hanging on it.

"Is there any room left? " Yuuto ask, slightly feeling nervous

"Ah yes, there is still a room available but, " she trailed off, looking at Alice "That room has only one bed"

He looks at Alice, looking for permission. Noticing her gaze Alice answer the receptionist "It's ok"

"We will take the room"

The receptionist got the key and gave it to them "Thank you for taking our Inn" she said with a smile.

Before they entered the room, Alice gave him a questioning look. Her face practically says 'what are you going to do now'. Noticing her gaze, Yuuto began to talk.

"What are you looking at? " he asked.

"Nothing, I thought you will be like 'oh no, we can't sleep in the same room' or like you will be flustered that you will have a chance to sleep in a room with a girl in it. "

He chuckled at her, he was not sure if she heard it or not but Alice looked at him harder. "It's not like I am not flustered or not. I am distracting myself thinking about that thoughts with what I should supposed to do." he said, his face having small tint of red in his cheeks

"I see… " she added "I will take the bed, you're on the floor" she said while pointing at where he should go.

He is too tired to complain and instead he just lets out a small groan. He grabs one of the sleeping bags in his bag and just lets the fatigue take him to sleep.

***

Time passes like a blink in time . Now Yuuto and Alice are in front of the person they're supposed to give the letter to. He didn't know why Alice pressured him to let her join him as she can just stay in the Inn or explore the town. Beside giving the letter is tak given to him by his teacher and nowhere related to her. He just let her come though.

"Do you have any idea where we suppose to deliver that letter" she said

"Nope" he shook his head.

Yuuto did not have a slight clue or any idea who they were going to give the letter to, his teacher just said 'follow the address'. It was pretty reckless of his own opinion but considering his teacher's personality, it was no surprise. Another surprise is that when they arrive at the supposed address, they are welcome with the sight of the forge of a blacksmith. Yes, he should have expected this but what Yuuto is expecting is a shop or some merchant.

"Hello, is there someone inside" he knocked at the door.

Few seconds later, the door opens revealing a scrawny man. That they could only assume as blacksmith. He has bags under his eyes looking like he had just fought a hundred monsters and not even had a wink of sleep. Despite his visible disgruntled mood, he greeted them with polite manners.

"What do you want?"

"I am supposed to give you this letter," he said, popping out the letter.

He squinted his eyes and let out a sigh "give me that, " he grabbed the letter "Come here later and I will tell you what are you supposed to do" he then closed the door.

"Well that was something" she said looking at him.

"I guess you are right"

It's not like he was disappointed or something but Yuuto is just sad because once he was in stand still or to simply say a sitting duck. He expects that once he delivers the letter, the recipient of the letter will give him orders and he will be free to find mentors to learn smithing to help him forge new weapons. Now he is once again waiting.

"Since we still need to come back later, I will go to one of the shops here" Alice said, casually leaving Yuuto behind.

"Wait for me! " he ran trying to catch up to her.

***

After taking a stroll for a few minutes or to what Yuuto could only refer to as 'hours' they finally settled and entered one of the shops. Upon entering he was shot by nostalgia, the architecture reminded him of the unusual shop his teacher has minus the 'homey' feeling.

'I have been away from there just for one day and I' m feeling nostalgic. That place really rubbed on me'

Since he is there, it will not be bad if he shops for supplies besides he has money. The shop offers health potion, mana potion, and general stuff like herbal medicines, clothes, strings, bat wings, and lizard tail? The more his eyes scan the place the more question fills his mind 'just what is this place,' he sweatdropped 'Just look for potions or else you will just question everything' he thought . Yuuto didn't have time to read the sign outside before they entered but now he is questioning what kind of place they entered at.

"Since my mana is so low(he really doesn't want to admit it) and I don't use spells, I think I will just settle with health potion" he grabbed five bottles of red potion in the stand and went to Alice.

"What did you buy?" she ask

"I got five health potions and no mana potions, on the obvious reason that I really have no real way to use my mana"

Alice snorts at his statement, since she knows the Yuuto have low mana reserves. She can't help herself from laughing because they say that reserves will go with age, his mana reserves are a mystery since they are too low. But she prevented herself from laughing loudly.

"Hey! I know you are laughing"

She didn't reply, instead just went out of the door.

Not long after, Alice suggested that they go first to check if what they assume blacksmith has a reply already before they took lunch.

***

"Did you think that he will have answer by now" she said while standing in front of the door

"I just hope so, I am getting hungry" he knocks at the door.

He was replied by silence no matter how loud he knocks or shouts no answer will come. Just as he was about to shout again, he was called out at being loud. Both he and Alice turned their heads, there on the side of the building they found the person they were looking for, rubbing his eyes. The reason they can't call him out is that he was outside, maybe Yuuto needs to listen to Alice more.

"Come with me" he said with a voice similar to a kidnapper, turning his back.

'That was suspicious! ' they both thought. Nevertheless, they followed him since they needed his reply about the letter.

A tall tree was standing in the back of the building. Stones encircle around its base and a few centimeters there were statues of what he could only assume as foxes or breeds of it.

Alice lean at him 'be careful'

The recipient of the letter blacksmith walked straight at the tree, never taking his attention even though it would seem that he will hit the trunk. Since he was sleep deprived, Yuuto thought that he may not notice the giant tree in front of him. Before he could call out to him and open his mouth, the sleep-deprived man just casually phased through the tree.

They both look at each other, confuse at what they witness

"Be careful with it" she said gripping her staff, ready for any attack

"Yeah" he said, while stepping inside.

He opened his eyes and what he saw was a group of people just casually strolling around? No, they are not simple people, they are elves. Elves that are supposed to not casually talk to humans. At his side, Alice was agape at what she saw. If they could see their own face they would probably laugh at each other on how schock each other.

Their seemingly simple to ask for the reply on the letter they deliver brought them in a small town of elves.