--- Meridien Forest ---

We have started moving already, but I'm still thinking about that huge goblin I met before. I thought that it was all just a dream, but, once I check my pocket, I realized that it was real. If I'm not wrong, his name is . . .

"*mumble *mumble Acamar Thocked, was it?"

Well, I don't have any plan to meet him again. But, I already made a promise, huh.

"Hmm? what is it Taka?"

"ah, nothing."

Did I said something out loud? I must be still half-asleep.

"Uncle Taka is weird! Hahaha~"

"well, just tell me if you feel something wrong."

"Will do."

"Ah! Uncle Taka, here!"

Minna took out some potatoes for us to eat.

"Thanks"

"And this one for Cress-san!"

"Thank you"

Potato again, huh? Well, not like I can complain. But, since they stocked potatoes that many, it seems potatoes might be the ordinary food for travelling.

--- Kaine Plain ---

"Woah~ we have reach the plain! A step closer to the City!"

Just after Minna shouted about the plain. I moved my sight and see the plain with my own eyes. It was a vast green plain, even the trees have an obvious distance between one another, this place is literally different from the forest we were at. But, other than trees, and a small amount of big rock . . .

"There isn't enough place to hide."

It's gonna be troublesome to meet monster here.

"Huh? Is uncle planning to play hide-and-seek?"

Huh!? Did I say something out loud again? Am I that exhausted? My mind might not able to follow all things happening at once. There are so many things to remember after all.

"But, father said that if we want to play, we should play in a safe area. So, what about in Kain City?"

"Ah, don't think too much about it. Minna, you should be preparing for the test right?"

"Of course! I have already mastered everything there is to learn!"

"Hey, you two, we are going to take a short break here."

--- Rest Area in Kaine Plain ---

Eh? didn't we already walk past the rest area? . . . Oh, so this place also a rest area. The thing is, there is a similar feature in every rest area, which is a flag, though I don't know what represented by the flag.

Anyway, we do need to take care of the horses, we can't travel as fast with a tired horses. Wait, will Cress go and search for herbs here?

"Cress, do you still need some herbs?"

"What are you talking about.. You already gathered more than enough."

"Heeh~, uncle Taka gathered all of this?"

"Just, take a rest here while I go to look at the horses."

Well, I don't really know anything about horse, heck, these two horses are the first ever horse I see with my own eyes. It seems, I won't be able to help Cress this time.

"I'll take a rest then."

"Ah, wait Cress-san. Minna want to help!"

Then, Cress and Minna feed and brush the horses. While they take care of the horses just like what I imagined, there is something out of ordinary happening, at least for me. When they want to supply some water to drink, Cress took out a water pouch, which has a square-shaped socket, then Cress took out a square-shaped bluish rock and put it into the socket, that rock suddenly glow dimly for a second and water is pouring out of the pouch. While I have learned that there is magic in this world from the book I read, but at that moment I hesitate whether it was real or not, but I finally realize that magic really exist in this world.

--- Kaine Plain ---

"Let's move on."

We really were only taking a short break, and once the horses had their fill, we continue our journey.

When we start moving, I got curious about the test Minna want to take, which is the guild test.

"By the way, Cress. The test which Minna want to take, what is this about?"

"hmm? The test is supposed to be the same in any place you know. And since this is the test to join guild, the test will be more general. But. when we want to get a rank up in any guild, we need to take an exam specific to the guild we are in."

"There are other guilds, other than adventurer?"

"Yes, there are three guilds in total. Adventurer, which focuses in fighting or field work, Merchant, which focuses in trading or showmanship, and Scholar, which focuses in inventing and researching."

"And Minna here, planning to be the best adventurer ever!!"

"What is it Taka? You haven't joined any guild yet?"

"Ah, it's nothing. It just piqued my interest a little, hehe"

Huh? From afar I can see that there are about 2 or 3 people walking on the road right in front of us.

"Isn't that Silver Sky Adventurer Group?"

"Hmm? Where? Where? Whoa, they really are there!"

After confirming the existence of Silver Sky, Minna suddenly shout out and call them.

"Hey! Silver Sky!"

And once we got closer. . .

"Good afternoon Dan-san, Graim-san, and Dia-san! Huh!? Gareth-san is not here?"

"Ah, there is a reason for that."

Huh? They seems tired, what did happen to them?

"Anyway, you guys are going to Kain City, right? Why don't you three board the cart with us? It's fine, right, Cress?"

"If there is a space, there should be no problem."

"You heard him."

Once they board the cart, Minna once again ask about Gareth.

"That's right! is Gareth-san in some mission?"

"ah - - actually, captain is - "

"Oi, Minna. You should let them rest for now. They all looks exhausted from walking. Here, some water and potatoes."

"*hmph"

"Dan, Graim, Dia, you guys should take a rest here. it might be a little cramped with all of us here, but still, I can assure you that you guys are safe here. And Minna, don't bother them, you hear me?"

"alright, alright!"

. . . . .

They just boarded the cart, but Dan and Dia are already fast asleep. They must be really tired from whatever they did before. On the other hand, Graim's left-arm, it looks painful.

"Hey, Graim, what happened to your arm?"

"Hmm? Ah, this. An enemy got the best of me."

"Can you move it?"

"It's hurt and I barely able to feel it, but, it should get better once I got it treated later in the city."

If I'm not wrong, this aswhagandha herb is used for restorative purpose, then it might be able to help reduce some pain to Graim's arm.

"Cress, do you have any unused cloth?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I have some in the utility crate."

There is a stack of cloth in the crate, about 15 of them, and each of them is about 30 cm x 50 cm wide.

"Can I have 3 of them?"

"Huh? Well, go take them."

"Thanks"

After that, I prepared a glass of water and make one cloth half-wet, then took out some ashwagandha leaves, and put the leaves into one other cloth and crushed them and put them into the glass.

"Graim, can I see your left-arm?"

"Hmm? Here"

"It might hurt a little."

First, I use the water to rinse off Graim's left-arm, then I use the half-wet cloth to clean it. Once it already cleaned, I took the wet cloth with crushed leaves in it and put them onto Graim's arm, and use the other cloth to wrap it, so the crushed leaves can't fall. Well, I don't know whether this is useful or not, but, it might be better than nothing.

"Don't unwrap it until you got into the city."

"Huh? Well, if you say so"

"Uncle, uncle. What did you do?"

"Ah, it's a first aid."

Shortly after the treatment, Graim slowly fall asleep. I hope it works just fine.

--- Night in front of Kain City ---

"Whoa~ we finally reach Kain City!"

From the looks of it, Minna is excited to see the city, well, I'm also excited about it too.

"Well, we will go into the city first. Thanks for the ride. And about Dan, can you guys bring him in with you? It seems, he is the most exhausted in our last assignment."

Just, when we can see the city, Graim and Dia already prepared to go into the city first.

"Will do."

I want to say let's go together, but, Cress suddenly said 'Will do', which means we should get in separately. Then, there is nothing for me to say.

"Then, take care Graim, Dia."

"See you later, Graim-san, Dia-san."

After Graim and Dia leaves, Cress tell me why we go separately. It because Cress has Merchant pass, it's a special pass for those in merchant guild, and it let them go in and out from any place with discounted tax. But still, there is a line for merchant pass, we might even need some time before we reach the gate.

*hngh

While we still waiting for our turn, Dan finally wakes up.

"Oh, you finally wake up. Graim and DIa is waiting for you in front of the Detection Post."

"Ah, right, thank you for the ride."

Just when Dan about to leave, he come back and ask . .

"Hey, you guys not coming to the Detection Post?"

But, Cress answer it right away.

"We are going in through the gate, I have a merchant pass after all"

"Oh, then, thanks for the ride"

--- Kain City's Gate ---

The gate also have similar thing like in the detection post, that thing which shows any crime by the wearer. Well, there is nothing wrong with the three of us, so they let us in. But, they do inspect our belonging before letting us in, it might be because it's a city that it has stricter inspection. As for the tax, Cress paid for the three of us.

--- Kain City ---

Finally, we reached Kain City at last.