"The security of the town still needs him to handle, so he can't leave." Sean had planned to travel alone this time anyway; bringing others would only add too many restrictions.
Because so far, neither Luke nor Danti knew that he could use magic.
"But that would be too dangerous for you, my lord," Luke insisted from outside the door.
After packing the essentials, Sean also pulled a special item from the wardrobe.
A palm-sized golden badge, with two lion heads facing each other on the front, and the words "Baron Weigel" engraved on the back.
This was the item used in the Basharan Empire to prove noble status. It seemed to be made of some metallic material, quite heavy, and the whole shape exuded a colorful luster—likely a product of high craftsmanship.
Probably something only national-level artisans could forge, to prevent impostors from posing as nobles.
"My lord... I think..."
Opening the door, Luke was still standing there, trying to persuade him.
"It's settled. No more fussing. I'm just going to Koga City, not some dangerous place. Don't you trust the city's guards?" Sean said.
"It's not that, my lord. I'm just worried you'll run into trouble alone."
Seeing the status [Worried!] appear above Luke's head, Sean knew he was genuinely concerned. Currently, only Luke and Danti had reached the "Respect" level of favorability toward him. Even if he couldn't trust anyone else, he could trust them.
Partners were easy to find, but loyal servants were rare...
"I know what you're worried about. The merchant caravans will leave the town together and head straight to Koga City. They travel between the town and the city all the time—there won't be any problems." He had to find a reason to put Luke at ease.
Seeing that Sean was insistent, Luke didn't argue further. He reluctantly pulled a special box from his pouch and handed it to Sean.
"What's this?"
"If you insist on going to Koga City, my lord, please take this with you."
Sean took it and opened it...
Inside the compact box was a quill pen. It was very distinctive, with the tip near the nib looking brand new, as if it had never been used. Luke was originally a scholar and the only educated person in town, so carrying a pen was normal. But why give him this quill before he left?!
"This was a gift from a fellow student I studied with. They live in Koga City... If you need help in the city, my lord, you can try to find them."
Luke looked thoughtful.
And Sean saw, for the first time, the statuses [Lost in Memory!] and [Sadness!] appear above Luke's head.
Staring at the quill in his hand...
Could this "them" be a girl?
His mind drifted back to the guards' usual teasing in winter—talk about a girl in the city and such.
So it wasn't baseless after all. There really was a story here!
"Alright, I'll take it. But where does she live? You have to tell me at least," Sean asked.
"Mm. She lives on the busiest street in Koga City, at Skov's Shop on Brucan Avenue."
The name was a bit long, but after living in this world for a while, Sean had gotten used to these hard-to-pronounce names. Once you heard them enough, they were actually easy to remember.
"Got it. If I run into trouble, I'll look her up..."
"Um..."
"Something else?" Sean noticed Luke hesitating.
He had never seen his capable assistant wear such a complicated expression before, and the statuses above his head were changing rapidly, showing he was thinking about many things.
"No... nothing. Just be careful out there alone, my lord." Luke smiled stiffly, and Sean saw the final status appear: [Dejected!].
"Mm."
Sean nodded and didn't ask further.
Thinking back, Luke had made that same expression when the others were teasing him before. It was certainly intriguing.
What kind of girl could have captivated this learned scholar for so many years!
…………………………
Early the next morning, Sean arrived in town, disguised himself, and prepared to leave with the merchants traveling to and from the town.
He didn't call Luke or Danti to see him off. In fact, aside from his household, no one outside knew he was leaving. On one hand, it was for his own safety; on the other, it was to avoid the hassle. If the people of Taylemian knew their lord was departing, a crowd would likely gather, making it even harder to leave.
But mainly, Sean wanted some time alone.
Lately, he had been constantly surrounded and attended to, which felt stifling. Every word he said in town had to be weighed for its impact.
Only by shedding the lord's identity did he feel reborn, full of vitality...
Especially as he followed the caravan out of town, a sense of freedom washed over him.
Even the air tasted sweet!
He looked back at his town...
It really was a village hidden in the mountains. After just a few turns, it was almost out of sight.
The road out of the mountains was carved along the mountainside. Looking down, he could see the valley below—it didn't seem far, but he heard the journey would take a long time.
This was his first real trip away from home!
He looked up.
In the sky above, the display read: [Daytime: Clear: 11:30:25].
Spring days felt longer than the nights, lasting over ten hours...
Sean was traveling with the merchant caravan from the market. There were five wagons in total, and he had to pay some silver coins for them to give him a ride.
"Young man, are you from the town?"
The long journey gave the driver occasional chances to chat. He wasn't a merchant, just a driver with the caravan—essentially a delivery man. He looked to be in his forties or fifties.
He used to travel between other towns, but after the trade route between Koga City and Taylemian opened, he switched to this one.
The reason? Fewer wagons here, and not much idle time.
"Yeah, I was born and raised in the town," Sean replied.
"Oh, a Taylemian native. Rare to see those before. People used to say this town wasn't welcoming to outsiders and was very closed off, so few came by," the driver said.
"Just rumors, really. Now that you've been here yourself, Uncle, what do you think of the townsfolk?"
"They're fine—much better than the rumors said. Guess you can't trust hearsay, huh? Hahaha!" The driver laughed heartily.
These days, merchant caravans often came to Taylemian, especially with the mercenary guild delivering goods...
The only downside was the rough road—the wagon jolted quite a bit as it traveled.