The towering kingdom gates before them appeared both magnificent and intimidating.
Philippe drew a deep breath, a sigh of relief escaping him as their winding journey finally reached its destination. Somehow, they had made it.
But soon, that relief gave way to unease. His eyes narrowed, fixed on the two guards in steel armor standing rigidly on either side of the gate, their spear tips gleaming under the harsh sun.
No way an intruder could breach this place, he thought.
He glanced back at the horse-drawn carriage they rode in.
Good thing we have the invitation letter!
Suddenly, a horrifying thought struck him. Cold sweat instantly beaded on his temples.
The carriage. We just took it after the coachman died!
Oh no, from their perspective, we're carriage thieves!
Visions of himself hanging in the town square for an unintended crime flashed in his mind. His heart raced.
No! I don't want to die stupidly like this!
"Next!" barked one of the guards, his heavy voice shattering Philippe's panicked reverie.
Startled, Philippe hurriedly urged the horses forward. The guard stared at him intently, his sharp eyes narrowing, scrutinizing every disheveled detail of his appearance.
Philippe could only respond with a stiff smile, feeling sweat trickle down his forehead.
"Where are you from?" the guard asked, his tone flat and probing.
In that moment, Philippe's world seemed to halt. The most basic question, one he'd never known the answer to. He knew he lived in a village.
But he'd never known its name?
Of course not!
He hadn't learned it yet!
With agonizingly slow movements, he forced a smile and turned back toward the carriage window, his eyes pleading desperately for help.
Emilie, Armand, Madeleine… please!
As if answering his call, the curtain parted. Madeleine appeared with a calming grace.
She first looked at Philippe's panicked face, surprise flickering briefly before a amused smile tugged at her lips.
She then shifted her gaze to the guard.
"Pardon us, Sir Guard," she said softly. She handed over a sealed envelope bearing the royal crest. "His Majesty sent this for us."
The guard took the letter, scanned it quickly, then returned it.
"Let them through," he ordered the other guard.
The heavy iron gates creaked open with a deep groan.
As Philippe prepared to spur the horses, the same guard fixed him with another scrutinizing stare.
Philippe could only nod awkwardly before guiding the horses onward.
Once past the gates, he leaned close to the carriage window and whispered to Madeleine, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Thank you."
Madeleine smiled. "For what?"
Philippe's eyes widened. She loves teasing. He shook his head and refocused ahead.
"It's nothing."
* * *
After stabling the horses and carriage at a bustling inn, they carried their belongings to their respective rooms.
In the room he shared with Armand, Philippe set down his modest bag in the corner.
Meanwhile, Armand enthusiastically unpacked his massive backpack, filling every nook of the room with piles of clothes, cooking gear, and various odd items of dubious origin.
Philippe stared at Armand, who now stood proudly amid the chaos he'd created.
"What?" Armand asked with a cheerful grin.
Philippe's lip twitched. How can he act like this is normal? With a resigned sigh, he turned and left the room, closing the door a bit harder than intended.
Stepping out of the inn, he was greeted by the city's hustle and bustle.
The clamor of vendors hawking wares, the laughter of children darting along the cobblestone streets, and the aroma of freshly baked bread from a nearby shop.
The atmosphere felt so familiar, stirring nostalgia for his life on Earth. Yet, those memories also brought a twinge of pain.
He recalled his monotonous routine: wake up, work, sleep, repeat endlessly.
Why dwell on a life so far away? He shook his head, banishing the thought. What matters now is that I'm alive.
But deep down, a strong longing to return and live a normal life tugged at him.
To distract himself, Philippe decided to wander alone.
Inviting Armand would only sour his mood further. Besides, he'd already ruined it by turning the room into a mess. No way I'm not resenting him for that!
Emilie? The thought of awkwardly asking a girl to join him made his face heat up.
He had no experience inviting the opposite sex!
Madeleine? She was probably busy preparing for the palace.
His steps led him to a bustling fruit stall. His eyes locked on a pile of bright red, moon-shaped fruits. Apples.
It's been so long since I've had one!
"Come on, sir, sweet apples, cheap and cheerful!" the vendor called with a businesslike smile.
Usually, ones like this are expensive, Philippe thought, but the craving for the fruit won out.
"I'll take a few," he said, pulling some coins from his pocket.
After receiving a paper bag of apples, Philippe continued his walk, biting into one. The sweet, crisp flavor filled his mouth.
He paused to savor the moment.
At that instant, a familiar chill gripped him.
His body tensed. But somehow, he was already accustomed to this feeling. Calmly, he scanned the crowd, his eyes sweeping around.
Bingo!
Across the street, hidden in a building's shadow, the cloaked figure stared at him. Its terrifying smile was visible even from afar.
This time, Philippe didn't panic. He met the gaze steadily, then deliberately took another crunchy bite of his apple.
They locked eyes in silence.
Moments later, a portly pedestrian blocked his view. When the person passed, the cloaked figure had vanished.
He saw nothing there anymore.
Philippe kept staring at the empty spot, chewing his apple slowly. That was when a translucent blue screen appeared before him.
A system notification, displaying the same mission from the forest. And below it, a progress bar showing: 1/3.
***
A/N: If you want to read the 7 advanced chapters with a faster update frequency than the webnovel, you can read it on my patreon whose link is below:
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