Drake Helkar's Point of View
Now I understand Dad and Mom, why they focused so much on returning to Clifland, and the hatred in their words when they spoke of Boris.
Reflective after Zoe's brief story, I stayed silent as I stared at the dark wooden ceiling after hearing how Boris had killed Kadian's entire family, and how he had taken over the Kingdom just to be able to kill Kadian.
I–It must have been hard for Kadian to lose almost everything. I kept thinking until Zoe spoke again.
"Drake, I told you all this for several reasons, so you understand our parents' motivations, why they chose to keep you away from conflict and danger, so you grasp the dangers and the importance of the Dragon God Fragment you carry inside you, and most of all, because I trust you, and I know you'll make the best of this information in the future."
Surprised by my sister's words, I remained silent, slightly hiding my gaze behind the sheets for being unable to return that sincerity.
"T–thank you, Zoe, I… I trust you too." I said weakly before turning my back to her, hiding the frustration I began to feel for all the things Zoe had done for me, and how little I had done for her.
After that uncomfortable moment in bed, Zoe felt confused by my behavior and quickly changed the subject, focusing on what we would do during the day.
…
"Are you ready, Drake?" My sister asked after making sure all our things were in our backpacks.
"Yes… more or less." I whispered uncertainly, searching for the fifth time for the ring we had been given on the first day of the trip in the wagon, the one that worked as both a ticket and the key to the room.
Ahh! I can't find it! I thought desperately as I held my head, with Zoe waiting for me at the door to leave the wagon since we had finally arrived at Brumenwent.
Almost an entire month had passed, or 77 days since Zoe had told me about our family's past. During all that time, nothing important happened, except for a few monster attacks that appeared from time to time in different parts of the road, which, in fact, was the most interesting part of the entire trip.
I remember that in those moments I got to see new monsters, aside from the Rocky Bear I had defeated during my Augury. When I saw the new monsters, I got excited wanting to go out and face them, but I always ended up stopping myself when I saw how the adventurers and mercenaries hired by the wagon took them down, reducing everything to a simple visual show for me. That helplessness frustrated me more and more throughout the journey, a frustration that mixed with my indecision to tell Zoe more about myself, especially after she sincerely said she trusted me that night.
Ahh… it's useless, I can't find it anywhere. I thought resignedly after searching the room again.
Leaving the room disheartened, I told Zoe the truth, who ended up scolding me for losing something she repeatedly asked me to take care of.
Heading toward the exit, we met Markus again, who, upon seeing us come down the stairs, caught up with us, joining us to return the rings together.
Just like at the beginning, Markus didn't miss a chance to stick close to us, something that started to annoy and bother me in a certain way, but because of the friendship that had formed with Zoe, I couldn't do much about it.
Among the conversations we had with Markus during the whole trip, we found out that his destination was Burden, the capital of the Kingdom of Flok. Apparently, he was going there to become an adventurer, something that caught my attention a little, especially because of the adventure stories I had in mind thanks to my former life, and the occasional stories Kadian told when we all still lived together.
Arriving at the booth outside the wagon, I noticed that the air felt a bit drier and hotter, but not as much as I had expected for a trip of nearly 120 days.
After paying the 700 Sunaris for the lost ring, we decided to follow Markus, who a week ago had told us that his family had a transporter friend in Brumenwent, who would help make our trip more fun and affordable. I remember that when I heard his proposal, I wanted to reject it immediately, but I was stopped by Zoe, who, speaking privately with me, forcefully convinced me to consider it, because of the limited travel budget we had.
At the Brumenwent terminal, we followed Markus for a few minutes and reached a more central part of the terminal. Entering a wooden structure much larger and more elegant than the booth that received us, Markus mentioned that he would introduce us to Talyn Wayne, who managed the southern branch of one of the most important transport companies on the Continent.
Carefully looking over the waiting area where we were sitting, I was surprised by the slight luxuries the room had, as I had never considered entering such an elegant place during our trip, much less at the beginning of it.
It seems that the person we're about to meet isn't just anyone, because even Markus looks a little nervous despite being of noble blood.
Hearing some footsteps approaching, I stood up beside Zoe to show a bit of respect. But noticing Markus still sitting quietly and looking pensive, I felt a twinge of fear for what might be coming.
Huh!? What's wrong with Markus? He's not usually like this.
"Ohh… If it isn't Markus Fleming. What brings you here, boy?" greeted Talyn Wayne with a smile, after stepping through a damask curtain and looking at the three of us. Judging by the human in front of me, I guessed he was around forty years old. Brown hair and dark skin, which only made me more curious about his connection to Markus.
Upon hearing Talyn's words, Markus remained expressionless. Then suddenly stood up with a jump and gave Talyn a firm handshake and a genuine smile, once again showing the elegance we had first seen in him, which had vanished moments ago.
"I'm glad to see you, Mister Talyn. It's been a while since we last met." Markus replied, prompting Talyn to smile as well.
With things calmer, Talyn invited us into his office. Where he ignored Zoe and me to focus entirely on Markus.
"It's been nearly four years since we met in Birton. You've changed a lot, boy. But tell me… what are you doing in Brumenwent? This isn't exactly common ground for a noble from Birton."
"Ha ha, that's true. But I could say the same about you. I thought you didn't personally involve yourself with any cities other than Skiple."
At Markus's words, Talyn clicked his tongue with a crooked smile. Which gave me a sense of the relationship they had.
"And I didn't. But lately there've been certain… complications. Poor management. Delays. Complaints here in Brumenwent. Nothing an old man like me can't fix with a bit of pressure." He said with a smile that showed no mercy.
"As expected of you. As efficient as ever." Markus replied cheerfully, then turned to glance at us briefly.
"By the way, Mister Talyn, these are my travel companions. Zoe and Drake Helkar."
Turning his gaze toward us, Talyn raised a hand in greeting, prompting us to return the gesture.
"Besides coming to say hello, I've come to ask a favor, Mister Talyn. I'd like you to temporarily hire the three of us as caravan guards. For the ones heading to Skiple and Skipton."
Talyn looked back at Markus, then at us. His eyes scanned us carefully. As if measuring us with a single glance. Making me a bit uncomfortable.
"Guards, huh? Didn't expect that from you, Markus. And less after the issue with your family." He said seriously. "But… if that's what you want, I'll trust you." He finished with a sigh, crossing both arms.
Wait, wait. So his offer was for us to be guards? Well, I have to admit it's tempting. But if we agree to this, we'd have to travel with Markus again. And honestly, I'd rather not. I thought, still uneasy about the feeling Markus gave me.
"By the way, why do you want to go to Skipton? Is it because of the Storm Festival?" Talyn asked Markus, who scratched the back of his neck.
"Well, yeah, actually. My final route is the capital. But as you know, the festival in Skipton is coming up. And I wouldn't want to miss something like that. It only happens every ten years."
Wait, there's a festival in Skipton?How did I not know about this? I wondered while they kept talking.
Seeing me lost in thought, Zoe gently tugged on my clothes. Catching my attention.
"Drake…" she whispered with a concerned expression. I turned my head toward her, still a bit out of it.
"What do you think? Are you okay with this opportunity?" she asked quietly. Just enough for only me to hear.
"…I'm not sure." I replied cautiously. "It seems weird that Talyn didn't ask us anything. He just accepted everything because of Markus."
I stayed silent for a moment, glancing sideways at Talyn. He was still chatting with Markus about things from the past. As if Zoe and I didn't even exist.
"We could say no if you want, but…" Zoe whispered, looking me in the eyes. "Maybe changing the rhythm of the trip wouldn't be so bad."
Torn between traveling with Markus again or having a boring journey, my mind was spinning. Until another tug from Zoe brought me back to reality.
"I–I don't know." I muttered, still unsure. "But I get what you're saying. So… let's proceed with caution for now."
After finishing his conversation with Markus, Talyn finally turned toward us. As if just now realizing we were there. "So, you're on board with this, right?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Joined by Markus's expectant gaze.
Looking at Zoe, I nodded. Agreeing to be caravan guards for the trip to Skipton.
"Perfect." Talyn replied with a crooked smile. Almost like he knew we'd say yes from the start. "Since we're all set, leave your things in the guards' wagon. You can get ready and rest there if you want. Because the caravan leaves tomorrow at dawn."
"Understood, Mister Talyn. Thank you very much for your help." Markus said as we left that place behind.
Still feeling off about the whole situation, we reached the wagon Talyn had assigned us. From the outside, it looked very different from the one we arrived in. Made of fine dark wood and polished metal. A clear sign of the luxury Talyn operated with. In addition to the caravan's usual comforts, ours was slightly taller. With a thick glass strip running along the top. Likely to allow a full view of the surroundings.
Each wagon was pulled by two Sleipnir horses. The fastest and strongest known. Thanks to their massive size and eight legs.
Once inside, the space felt smaller than the previous wagon. Something that left me confused. Confusion that Markus quickly noticed.
"This is the smallest one. Since it's exclusive to the caravan's guards." he commented as he walked excitedly through the interior. "And… I remember I always wanted to ride one of these ever since I was a kid."
Leaving Markus's childish enthusiasm aside, I asked him how long the trip to Skipton would take. Which made his mood drop.
"And I also remember why I didn't travel much."
"The trip to Skiple will take around 200 days, and to Skipton about 380 days." He said while setting his things aside.
What!? That long!? I shouted in my mind. AHH!! I miss Mork and Ness so much!
Resigned to the new information, I separated from Markus and Zoe to explore the empty place, surprised that, despite how small this caravan was, it had up to four levels or floors, with the top one reserved for surveillance, and where the rear door was located to quickly exit in case of emergency or attacks.
Going back down the spiral staircase, I explored the two rooms on the second level, finding the perfect room for Zoe and me.
I quickly went down to the first level, and as I did, I noticed Zoe was talking about something with Markus, but they stopped instantly upon hearing me arrive, filling my head with questions. W-what were they talking about?
Pretending nothing had happened, Zoe approached me a bit nervously, asking me about the place to divert attention. Playing along, I told her I'd take our things to our room, promising myself I'd talk to her later.
Still feeling weird about the recent scene, I led her to the room I had chosen. It was bigger and more furnished than the previous one, with a bedroom, bathroom, office, and a small living room, everything necessary for two people to stay calmly for several months.
"D-Dr-Drake… this room…." Zoe said in a low voice, pointing with a shaky voice and hand at the center of the bedroom. "I-it has two beds."
"Eh? That's right. Since we were allowed to choose any room we wanted, I separated from you guys upon entering to look for a room like this, so we wouldn't have the same problem as with the previous caravan."
"What? Problem…?" She commented sadly, confusing me with her strange attitude.
"Wait, don't tell me you wanted to sleep in the same bed with me again?" I asked, slightly turning my head to look for a reaction.
"No no no no, that's not it, it just seemed strange that you insisted on something as unimportant as this." She replied nervously while waving her hands and with a blushing face.
I don't get it.
…
For the rest of the afternoon, we went out to explore a part of the city of Brumenwent, which, like Birton, was gigantic, with around 600 million people.
If I remember correctly, in the Kingdom of Flok, the dominant race is humans, just like in other Kingdoms. But even so, you can see many beastfolk and a few Kenkus, who, like in books, are humanoid beings with slight bird traits.
After buying some things for the trip, we sat in a public park just before nightfall. Seeing Zoe happy to spend time with me, I couldn't help but ask her about the conversation she had with Markus, the one they stopped when I came back to the first level of the caravan.
Upon hearing my words, Zoe got serious, saying it was something silly and not to worry about it. Suspicious, I chose not to insist due to her sudden change in attitude. Walking around the city for a few more hours, we returned near midnight to the caravan, mentally a bit tired from the stroll.
Upon entering the caravan again, we found Markus talking with the other two guards who had already arrived. When they saw us, everyone fell silent for a few seconds, making it clear they weren't expecting us.
"What the hell? So now all the guards are kids? I didn't come here to babysit." Commented the older man, who seemed to be around fifty in human years.
"Hahaha, relax Kaito. They're Dragontinos, so don't be fooled by their appearance. They're both over fifty, same as your partner." Markus added.
"Maybe so, but if they're alone, I don't think they're up to a job like this." Kaito replied, not very convincingly.
With a sigh, we entered the caravan after the first impressions of our new travel companion. Once inside, one of the three people assigned as staff for our caravan handed us a plate of food. These three people, not part of the guards, would be in charge of cooking and keeping everything clean during the journey.
As we sat at the table with the others, Markus introduced us to Kaito and Jael. Looking at them more closely, I noticed Kaito was a beastman with snake traits. He had reddish skin with blue patterns, a burly body, and scars on his arms that spoke of his experience in jobs like this.
His partner, Jael, was a pretty Elf of around sixty years old, though she looked our age… well, Zoe's. She had pale yellowish white hair, blue eyes, and ears pointier than those of our race.
Watching her during our whole conversation, I noticed she was rather shy, as she remained silent and actively avoided eye contact with us.
During the hour we spent talking, we shared some things about ourselves, things Markus already knew from previous conversations, like my fake relationship with Zoe, our core rank, our fighting style, and a few other details.
With that information, Kaito stopped treating us like kids, surprised by what we had achieved at our age.
When we asked about him, he told us he was of Legend Rank, higher than Zoe and me.
When we asked Jael the same question, Kaito had to answer for her, since it was hard for her to talk to us. She was of Advanced Rank, which wasn't bad at all.
After finalizing the planning of some details and guard shifts on the fourth level, each of us went to our rooms, ready for the job ahead.
…
We had been traveling for over 30 days, and luckily, the days passed quite quickly thanks to the interactions I had with Kaito, who I started to like more and more with each story from his past that he boasted about in private whenever we were on watch together on the fourth level. Stories that included fleeting romances and adventures with different women he'd had, told with such eloquence that they made me question whether they were true or not.
As for Zoe, she had remained a bit distant ever since I asked her about the conversation she had with Markus, making me worry and imagine the worst.
I need to talk to her, but… it'll be hard if I do it directly. I need something to make it happen, something like… like her help. Of course! Her help with the gift for my Augurium! I concluded in my head as I got ready for an all-night watch with Markus.
With that in mind, I left our room excitedly toward the fourth level, carefully planning how I would talk to Zoe.
As I climbed the stairs, I ran into Jael, who, upon seeing me directly in the eyes for a second, opened her mouth.
"H-hi Drake." She greeted, before nervously heading down to the third level where her room was.
Eh? What just happened? She spoke to me? That's odd. I said in my head, continuing upward with a puzzled look. Well, at least it's progress compared to before.
Once at the top, I found Markus, who had his gaze fixed on the dark landscape.
"Drake, you're here." He said calmly, looking at me for a moment before returning his eyes to the horizon.
I nodded silently, walking to the other side of the watch post without saying a word. For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. Only the sound of the wind against the glass surrounding us could be heard, making the moment uncomfortable.
"The wind's calming down. That means it won't rain tonight." He commented without looking at me.
"Yes." I answered shortly.
"Luckily, there haven't been any monster sightings since I arrived, so tonight will probably be quiet."
"Yes." I replied again.
Silence returned. Only the horses' steps and the creaking of the wheels as they moved broke the stillness.
"Zoe told me that you've… become colder than usual. Now I see what she meant." He said suddenly, making me look at him directly with an annoyed glare.
"And since when does she tell you those things?" I asked seriously.
"Well, it wasn't exactly like that." He corrected. "She just noticed and mentioned it casually. Nothing more."
Hearing that, I clearly began to feel a growing pressure inside my chest.
"Tell me, lately you've been talking a lot with her, haven't you?"
Markus seemed to think before answering, making the feeling of irritation in my chest grow even more.
"Only when the opportunity comes up. It's not like I seek her out or anything."
"Curious." I said as I let the mana flow through my body. "Because it seems like you're always around when I'm not."
At this point, without realizing it, the tone of my voice had changed, making Markus a bit nervous.
"It's not intentional. We just… talk sometimes."
"And what do you two talk about alone?"
There was a pause, making the atmosphere even more tense due to the mana accumulating in the air.
"My stuff, I guess." He replied. "Just personal topics that came up naturally."
"Eh? And why with her?"
"Because she listens to people, I suppose."
Tired of not hearing the answers I wanted, I stood up, ready to draw Belarus from its sheath.
"You like her, just like Angelica, don't you?"
"What?"
"That you're trying to take Zoe from me just like you tried with Angelica!"
"Drake…" He said nervously.
"Admit it! I'm sick of your dodging."
"Listen, I think you're overreacting."
"I'm asking something simple!" I snapped with restrained anger. "Ever since you joined the group, you're involved in everything we do. You always have a smile, a joke, a private chat with her."
"No, it's not what you think, Drake. It's true that at first I got close to you because of your past with Angelica, but now I only approach to have a good friendship, nothing more. Besides, I talk to Zoe several times without you because she knows something personal about me, something of mine."
"What? What are you talking about?" I asked, confused by his sudden words.
"Ah…" He sighed, then took a breath and looked me in the eyes. "Listen, Drake. I really was talking to her about my past issues, the problems we had in my family. Something very personal… that I told Zoe without thinking."
Intrigued by his words, I calmed down, watching him carefully as I controlled my mana.
"To make you believe me, I guess I'll have to tell you too. I just ask you not to judge me, please.
My family, the Fleming family, is in charge of the Birton region, as you already know. We watch over the well-being of the people and the land. A territory that spans over eighteen million square kilometers." He said quietly, staring at the floor.
"So much land that six years ago, managing it became nearly impossible. Around that time, the economy collapsed suddenly, like a balloon that had been inflating until it burst.
Fixing it would've been easy for someone experienced, someone capable like my father, but… back then, he was already sick with the Green Death." He said, lowering his voice.
"That strange illness that covers the skin with green moss, as if mold were growing from inside. Weeks before the crisis, we thought he had something minor, or that it was just stress from work, since he only had slight discoloration in certain parts of his skin. As days passed, we finally understood what it really was."
Surprised by what he was saying, I stayed silent, feeling how little by little his voice took on a darker tone.
"When he could no longer rule, my older sister took charge. And even though she tried with all her strength, she couldn't do anything against the crisis. For her, it was like being thrown into a den of hungry beasts. The people blamed her, the capital pressured her to fix the disaster, and the threats started to surface. All while watching our father waste away in bed, unable to help him." He spoke with a trembling voice, something that stunned me, because I had never heard him like that before.
"I… back then, didn't give importance to any of it. I was lost in my own world, not trying to understand what was really happening. As the weeks passed, I noticed she became colder, avoided eating with us, and spent entire days locked in her room, yelling for silence now and then.
My older brother came back from the capital, and when he saw her like that, he couldn't stand it. He took over several responsibilities—finding a cure for our father in other regions and looking for investors to pull the Birton Region out of the hole it had fallen into.
One of those investors was Talyn, who poured in a large amount of money, improving the roads so that trade could flow more freely, something that eventually reactivated the economy over the months."
It's true. I remember at the time my parents said Birton was going through some issues, but since it didn't affect us directly, I never really paid attention.
"With the territory stabilizing and the cure my brother had found, I thought everything had turned out fine. But… before my father could fully recover from his illness, my sister—without telling anyone—ended his life, snapping me out of the fantasy world I had been living in."
What?
"When I heard the news, I remember clearly that I blamed her. I blamed her for being so stupid for doing something like that, for being a coward… for going insane… for…" He said with rage in his words as he clenched his fists and tears ran down his face. "For feeling so alone without the help of her family, and especially… her stupid little brother."
Hearing his words, a heavy silence formed in my mind, bringing back the feeling I had just before I died and came to this world.
"I understand. I'm sorry for accusing you of something so stupid." I finally said, watching him struggle not to collapse.
I'm sorry, Markus.