Chapter 2: Her Name is Fayrouz
The rickety cart continued its journey toward Petita Village, its wheels churning clouds of fine dust as they rolled over the uneven road. Inside, the young man with messy black hair was doing his best to keep his stomach in check, silently praying he wouldn't end up vomiting on the girl across from him. The trip took another agonizing 45 minutes before the cart finally reached the village gates—a sturdy barrier of sun-bleached timber bound with iron, looking both weathered and resilient. As the old driver brought the horses to a halt, he climbed down from his seat, stretching his back with a soft groan.
"We made it before 1:00 PM. Good timing, don't you think?" he said, his voice cheerful despite the long journey.
The young man jumped down from the cart, his boots hitting the packed earth with a thud. He glanced up at the clear blue sky, shielding his eyes from the blazing sun. "We left at 9:30 AM. I'm surprised you're this optimistic," he replied, his tone a mix of exhaustion and mild irritation.
The old man chuckled, patting one of the horses on its sweat-slicked neck. "Aren't you going to wake your friend?" he asked, nodding toward the cart.
The young man turned to look through the wooden frame of the cart's opening. To his surprise, the girl with the long black hair and blue blindfold was still lying there, completely motionless. "I don't know her," he admitted.
"Really? I thought you two knew each other since you boarded the cart together."
The young man shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Coincidences happen, don't they? Anyway, thanks for the ride." As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal coin, handing it to the old man. "When I said you should replace your horses, I meant you should buy two new foals for work. That doesn't mean you have to get rid of these two. I think it's time they retired and enjoyed the rest of their years grazing in the fields around your home."
The old man looked surprised for a moment, then a warm, genuine smile spread across his face. "Thank you. You're a kind young man after all." His smile faded slightly as he added in a quieter tone, "By the way, I'm just curious… why did you come to this village specifically?"
The young man didn't hesitate. "I was told this is the closest route to the Kingdom of Saita. I'm aiming to take the entrance exam for Ragandarok Academy."
The old man's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected that his rickety cart might have carried a future student of the prestigious Ragandarok Academy. But before he could respond, one of the guards at the village gate, who had overheard the conversation, stepped in.
"Who told you this was the right route?" the guard asked, his tone skeptical. He was a tall man, leaning with practiced ease against the right side of the gate, his uniform dusty from the road.
The young man, unaware of the guard's intentions, answered simply, "Some merchants."
The guard stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Merchants, huh? I doubt they'd mislead you on purpose, but they might not have known better. It's true this road leads to the Kingdom of Saita, but there's a band of nine highway robbers along the way. Petita Village is safe, but once you leave and try to continue toward the kingdom, no merchant or cart driver will take you. And honestly, can you blame them? No one wants their cart stolen." His words left the young man puzzled, while the old man seemed unsurprised, as if he already knew about the danger.
"What about the knights?" the young man asked. "Isn't that their job?"
The guard gestured with a thumb toward the village sign, its painted letters spelling "Petita Village" peeling slightly from the sun and age. "We've already sent a request to the knights, but it's been 40 days and we haven't heard back. I didn't expect them to delay this long… Your only option is to turn back and take the main road, but that'll take a lot of time. I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think you'll make it to Ragandarok Academy in time. The entrance exam is the day after tomorrow, right? You still need to register tomorrow. It's going to be tough."
The young man remained silent, his gaze fixed on the worn village sign. Suddenly, a voice interrupted from behind, calm but carrying an air of authority.
"Lazy guard, it's better if you stop trying to blame the knights."
Everyone turned to see the girl with the long black hair and blue blindfold walking toward them. "Do you see that badge on the left side of your chest? It says you're a recognized guard of the Kingdom of Saita. And, coincidentally, that's also where your heart is. Didn't they tell you that means you're supposed to sacrifice your life to protect this village?"
The guard straightened up, looking slightly uncomfortable, but quickly retorted, "Our duty is to protect the village, not the road. Before you blame me, you should know the law better."
The girl stopped walking when she reached the young man with the black hair. In the same calm tone, she said, "The knights are needed everywhere in the world every day. If they haven't arrived here yet, it's because they're overwhelmed with work. And since I hate hearing you talk about them like that, I'll take care of this band of robbers myself."
Despite her quiet demeanor, she radiated a confidence that was almost tangible. At that moment, the only question in the young man's mind was whether she could actually see through that blue blindfold.
After her final words, she began walking toward the gate. The old man, however, called out to her in a gentle tone, "Excuse me, young lady…"
He held out his hand, expecting payment for the ride. In a somewhat comical gesture, the girl pulled out a small piece of paper with the words "Fayrouz; the future strongest knight in the world" written on it in messy handwriting. She placed the crumpled paper in the old man's hand.
The scene was almost laughable, but the girl's serious expression made it clear she wasn't joking. The old man, confused, asked, "What… is this?"
"It's my signature," she replied confidently. "In three years, I'll become the strongest knight. When I return, I'll grant you a special service."
The guard couldn't hold back a chuckle at the girl's unexpected behavior. Before the old man could react, the young man stepped forward and placed a metal coin on top of the paper, its silvery glint catching the sun. "Again, thank you for the ride," he said.
The girl, Fayrouz, turned to look at the young man for a few seconds. Then, in an odd move, she took the paper back from the old man and handed it to him instead. "I'm Fayrouz, a future knight and will be the strongest knight in the world," she declared.
The young man blinked, caught off guard. "I'm… Fulan," he said. "Wait, that's not what I meant to say. What's the point of this paper anyway?"
"It simply means I owe you," she replied.
"Are you planning to travel through villages with just this paper? You should carry some coins. That's the law of life."
As Fulan finished speaking, he noticed Fayrouz was already walking toward the village gate. He hurried after her, his voice rising with exasperation. "Hey! I didn't say I accepted this piece of paper!"