It was still a long way down from the mountains. At a brisk pace, it would take a day and a half to reach the main road at the foot of the mountain, and then another day's journey to reach Koga City. The entire trip would take about two and a half days. Traveling day and night could shorten the time, but there was no need for that—letting the horses rest was better than driving them nonstop.
Sean followed the merchant caravan's wagon all day and only had time to sit down and rest when night fell. Stretching, he felt his bones crackle—his shoulders ached, and his backside hurt too!
"What's wrong, young man? Not used to riding in a wagon?" the old driver saw at a glance that Sean was unaccustomed to long rides.
"A little, yeah."
He didn't deny it. Sitting in the wagon earlier had been genuinely uncomfortable. During the day, he'd even felt like throwing up. Luckily, the old driver kept chatting with him, distracting him—otherwise, the journey would have been unbearable.
"You'll get used to it after a few rides. Once you treat the bumps as a kind of exercise and feel happy about it, the discomfort will go away."
That works? Awesome!
The old driver's words gave Sean a glimpse of the power of an experienced hand.
"Looks like you don't get out much," the old driver said, sitting beside Sean with a bowl of freshly made meat soup.
As night fell, the caravan found a slightly open space to rest. A few tents around several campfires formed a makeshift camp. The merchants were quite at ease with camping out at night, saying that as long as a few people took turns keeping watch to prevent the livestock from wandering off, it was fine. They also claimed the area was safe, with no bandits at all.
Since Sean hadn't revealed his identity, as the youngest in the group, he was assigned to the night watch rotation.
First half of the night.
He'd be relieved when the moon reached its zenith.
And the old driver was paired with Sean for the watch.
"To be precise, I've never left Taylormian Town," Sean replied with a smile.
In the two-plus months since he'd arrived in this world, he truly hadn't stepped outside that place. He'd thought about exploring before, but as the local lord, he couldn't just wander off for no reason. Plus, with the heavy snow, he hadn't felt like moving.
But now spring had come, and plenty had happened in Taylormian Town.
If he kept refusing to connect with the outside world, he might not have even made it through that winter.
Looking back now, he felt luck had played a big part.
"Want some?"
Lost in thought, he noticed the old driver handing him a bowl of hot meat soup.
It was leftovers from the evening meal, just some broth left at the bottom. After eating his fill, it tasted greasy and overly salty.
For Sean, used to refined noble cuisine, it was hard to stomach.
"No thanks, appreciate it."
"Hey, the mountain nights are windy. You need something hot to keep your body warm. Take it." The old driver, acting like an elder without any hesitation, shoved the bowl into Sean's hands.
"Actually, you should travel more when you're young. Nothing wrong with that. When I was your age, I went against my family's wishes and traveled alone to a northern city just to see the steam engines there. Hahaha... That was rough. Halfway there, I realized I didn't have enough money, but I couldn't turn back."
As he spoke of his past, the old driver's eyes seemed to gleam.
"Guess what happened? I went from city to city, finding a tavern to wipe tables and wash dishes. Once I saved enough, I moved on to the next city. I remember making up all sorts of lies to win over the bosses just to stay and work."
Talking about old times, his face was almost all smiles.
"So, did you finally see the steam engine?"
"I did! In Ertinoba City. But it wasn't as impressive as I'd imagined. I left disappointed in the end. It took over a year altogether, but looking back years later, I'm glad I had that experience."
He turned to Sean, looking at him seriously.
The attribute above his head showed [1000/1000, Friendly] and [Lost in Memory!].
"Even if most of the time we go out and achieve nothing, years later, you'll marvel at the courage you had back then. It's a pretty good memory to savor." He patted Sean's shoulder with a broad smile, then went to scoop another bowl of soup from the pot.
Sean glanced at the campfire's remaining burn time—four hours left—and the night's countdown still had over six hours. It was about time to wake the next watch.
………………………………
The next morning, Sean was jolted awake by the wagon's bumping. He lifted his head to check the weather outside. The sun was already up, and the caravan had long since started moving.
"You're awake! You were sleeping so soundly that I didn't wake you when we set off. How do you feel now? Better?"
Sean shook his head to clear his mind.
Back in the town, he used to sleep until he naturally woke up. Later, when he started morning runs, he got up early, but that was because there was nothing to do at night—he'd rest as soon as it got dark. Not like yesterday, when he had to stand watch.
"I'm okay, just a bit dizzy."
"There's some cocktail over there. Take a couple of sips to perk up." The old driver nodded toward a water pouch in the corner of the wagon.
Sean picked up the pouch labeled with the drink and examined it.
Nothing special about its attributes—it just said [Cocktail: Refreshing and Invigorating]. What kind of item was this? Just a daily necessity?
He opened it and sniffed. A sour tang hit his nose.
His mouth watered.
He took a gulp.
Sss—
It felt like drinking lemon water. There was no alcohol taste at all—just a sourness that reached the roots of his teeth. His head felt like a breeze had blown through, and the drowsiness vanished instantly.
"How is it? Works well, right?"
"Not bad. What's it made from?" His energy seemed to return in an instant, and his mind felt much clearer.
"I bought it at a tavern in Koga City. We get drowsy during deliveries too, so we take a couple of sips. If you like it, you can buy some next time. It's effective." The old driver no longer needed to watch the road while driving.
Sean then noticed the road was starting to level out.
He looked back.
The mountain town was no longer visible, and even the mountain path was far in the distance.
"Are we on the main road already?"
"Yeah. Once we pass that fork ahead, we'll officially enter Koga City's territory. In a bit, you'll see carriages from nearby towns and cities. Hope there aren't too many today, or we won't reach the inn until late." the old driver said.