Chapter 26: Chapter Twenty-Six: Out into the Wilds

After the little scene on the steps had calmed down and the introductions were over it was time to set off on our quest. Everybody loaded their bags on their backs, picked up the rest of the gear then we set off. Down the steps and through the market, then out of the town through the main gates. For the first part of our journey we had naturally separated into pairs. Lillia and Serin took the front, it seemed that they had a lot to talk about. I walked behind them, this meant I was treated to the very, very nice noble behind that belonged to Serin in her leather trousers. I think being around Altria and Lillia was starting to affect my mentality, or perhaps it was the skill tree. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I had a feeling that Serin would be a tough nut to crack, she was just so noble and seemingly moral…

“I know we are in a fairly safe area, but you still need to mind your surroundings.” Altria suddenly spoke up from next to me.

“I am…” I laughed nervously.

“I can see that.”

“Anyway, how long is it before we reach the first training ground?”

“We’ll reach the first one tomorrow and we have a long walk today before we make camp.”

I could tell as we walked that Lillia had wanted to hang back with me, not that she said anything and she was talking business with Serin, but from time to time she would glance back to me and Altria. Our route first took us past the forest where I had been training and then towards the valley with the long grass. Once we reached the edge of the valley our route took us over the hills and from there I was in new, unknown territory.

It was some way after the first hill that Lillia and Serin finished laying out the plans for what lay ahead. Once they had Serin slowed her pace and ended up walking next me and Altria. Seeing this Altria smiled at me knowingly and sped up to walk with Lillia. I mean I did want to talk to Serin, but it wasn’t like that. I’d only spoken to her briefly at the guild when she kept apologising, maybe Altria was just scarily perceptive.

“Will you tell me a little about your world?” Serin asked as she walked alongside me.

“My world… Um, what would you like to know?”

“All sorts, let’s see why don’t you start with what it looks like?”

“Much like here, with larger cities and more noise, but no magic.”

“Your world has no magic?”

“None.”

“What happens if you get sick?”

“You go and see a doctor.”

“I see…” I don’t think she understood. “What about you, did you come from a good family?”

“Yeah, my family were pretty good, I always thought I was lucky that way.”

“So, you are of noble birth?”

“Oh, you meant like that. No, I’m not. Things like that weren’t as important there now anymore.”

“You have no nobility?”

“Well they do exist, but in many parts of the world the world they’ve lost their importance.”

“Then how are you governed?” She asked looking a little confused.

“Well this isn’t true of everywhere, but where I came from, we lived in a democracy. The leaders were elected by a public vote.”

“You vote for your leaders?”

“Yes.”

“What an enlightened place!”

“In some ways I suppose it is, but it wasn’t perfect and there were still lots of problems.”

“I wish we had a system like that here, then perhaps our leaders wouldn’t commit such terrible acts.”

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“Well that isn’t guaranteed.”

“But here our nobility deserted the people they were supposed to protect. Hiding away in the capital city.”

“I heard a little about this…”

“It’s embarrassing, it’s why I chose to join the adventure’s guild despite my family’s objection. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing while the common people died, and we dragged people from other worlds to fight our battles… It’s the same for Lillia and Altria.”

“They don’t need to be in the adventurer’s guild because of the summoning?”

“No, they are bound to carry out the summoning ritual, but that is it. Most summoners wouldn’t think twice about training their summons. Most are simply left to join the guild and make their own way.”

“I didn’t know that...”

“It isn’t something they talk about much.”

“Then I was lucky that when I was summoned here, I was brought here by Lillia.”

“It’s still a sin, but they do what little they can to atone for it.”

I had a new perspective on Lillia and Altria, I had always thought that they only trained their heroes because they had to, not because they thought it was the right thing to do. I felt bad for thinking that Altria had only being put off summoning again because she was too lazy to want to do the work, but the truth was probably closer to it being too painful for her.

Our trek continued through the day. We had eaten breakfast as we walked and only stopped briefly for lunch. By the time we reached our planned destination the evening was drawing in. It was perhaps only an hour at most until night fell. As soon as we stopped, we all set about putting up the camp for the night. We had brought two tents, one for the girls and a smaller one just for me and arranging somewhere to sleep was our first order of business. It actually turned out to be a fairly painless process, mainly because the girls were experienced with putting them up.

After our sleeping arrangements were all in place it was a case of setting up a fire and cooking dinner. I volunteered myself to make the fire, it was something that I knew I could manage. After collecting firewood from the surrounding area, I piled up the wood ready to burn, then I hit the first snag. How was I going to light it? There was nothing like matches here and definitely no lighters. I was just about to try something like rubbing sticks together when the pile I had carefully laid suddenly burst into flames.

“That was ignition, a basic spell.” Lillia’s voice explained from behind me.

“How long were you sat there, watching me think of how to light it?”

“Oh, just long enough.” She laughed.

With the fire lit it was about time to start cooking dinner. It was a simple affair, a stew of the vegetables we brought along with some salted meat and a little bread. Simple as it was it tasted great to my tired and hungry self. After dinner we shared a flask of wine between us, but it wasn’t going to be a late night. We had a long walk ahead of us again tomorrow. After the wine was gone it was time to organise the watch shifts for the night. Even though this area was relatively safe, there was still the odd monster roaming the area and it was just good sense to make a watch. We drew lots to see who would take which slot. The first went to Lillia, second to Altria, the third to me and Serin would take the final watch. After that was sorted Lillia stayed by the fire and the rest of us climbed into bed for the time being.

I went to bed, I half expected to be woken at some point during the night by either Lillia or Altria, but that never happened, and I quickly fell asleep. I was eventually woken by Altria, but that was only because it was now my turn to take the watch. She gently shook me while I lay asleep.

“Uuhh, Altria. Is it morning already?”

“No, it’s time for you to take watch. Please get up, I’d like to get back to bed.” She said sleepily fighting back a yawn.

“Sure, sorry.”

Now I had realised what was going on I quickly dressed and relieved Altria from her shift. On watch there was little to do, but listen out for noises and keep the fire fed. I quickly got bored and decided to open my skill tree. I still had the five points left to spend and the extra skill to add. I hadn’t checked it since the other night, so I was interested to see what it was. The skill read “disorient” I had to wonder how that one could turn out like the others. Still, it might come in useful, so I added it. I got the usual tada noise and message popping up to tell me it had been acquired. There were two extra skills that were available from when I levelled up, but it seemed that while you had no points to claim them, they were blurred out and unreadable.

I’d been on watch for about an hour when I heard a rustling noise coming from the direction of the tents. I quickly got to my feet, worried that something was approaching our camp and was about to go over and inspect when Serin appeared from the girl’s tent.

“Serin, what are you doing up? It’s still a few hours before your shift. I’ll come and wake you when it’s your turn.”

“I woke and couldn’t fall back asleep. Mind if I sit and talk with you for a bit? I’ll go back to bed in a while.”

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

I sat back by the fire while Serin came and joined me there warming herself near the flames.

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