The morning bell of Reflynne tolled softly as Yoshiya and Omina rose from their beds. They had spent the night at the same inn they'd stayed in during their previous visit—simple timber walls, warm straw mattresses, and a kitchen that smelled of fresh bread. The owner greeted them with a cheerful nod as they came down for breakfast. Each of them paid **two silver and fifty copper** again for the night's stay, meals included, and tucked away the remaining coins for travel expenses.
After eating, they walked to the guild outpost to register for the day's work. A long queue of adventurers stood before the board, but one notice caught Omina's eye immediately: **Merchant Escort to Korvath – Urgent.** The paper bore the seal of a wealthy trader and promised decent pay and steady travel. Yoshiya read aloud the details: departure at noon, arrival by sunset if the roads were clear.
"It's perfect," Omina said, her voice bright. "We were planning to head there anyway."
Yoshiya nodded. "And it'll give us a bit of coin back after the last quest."
They signed the papers and met the merchant at the town's southern gate. The caravan was lined up in a neat column of wagons. Instead of ore and tools, the wagons were stacked with **bundles of cloth, crates of paper, and baskets of vegetables and fruit** wrapped in straw. Mules and oxen strained at their harnesses while a few hired guards inspected their weapons.
Among the guards stood a young man with a dark presence—**Kaito Mugenrei**, a two-star adventurer. His armor was black trimmed with crimson red, and at his hip hung a **short sword of deep red steel streaked with black**. He carried himself like a predator barely restrained, eyes flicking impatiently to the road ahead.
"We'll be trading these for stones and metal in Korvath," the merchant explained with a smile. "Keep the animals calm and the road clear, and we'll have no trouble. Two silver coins to each escort upon arrival."
The group set out just after midday. The road wound through gentle hills and thin patches of forest. With the sun high, Yoshiya and Omina walked alongside the second wagon, keeping their senses open. Kaito strode a few paces ahead of everyone else, rolling his shoulders as if itching for a fight.
The first sign of trouble came an hour later. A pack of lean wolves emerged from the brush, drawn by the smell of produce. Kaito lunged forward with no hesitation, his crimson-edged sword flashing. He swung wide, cleaving into the first wolf so hard the animal's body skidded across the dirt. Without blocking or dodging, he pressed on, hacking at the next with reckless power.
"Kaito, wait—!" Yoshiya called, but the young man didn't slow.
Omina drew her own sword; the blue stone embedded by Bren glowed faintly at its hilt. The blade thrummed as she called up her mana; her strikes were sharper, brighter, lasting longer than before. She moved to flank Kaito, slashing at any wolf that circled around him.
Meanwhile Yoshiya scrambled to keep up, palms glowing with warm mana as he raised shields over both the drivers and Kaito. The barrier spells shimmered like glass, breaking claws and teeth that would have raked Kaito's unguarded side. Yoshiya poured healing energy into cuts before they could deepen, sweat forming on his brow as he tried to protect everyone at once.
"Reckless idiot," he muttered under his breath, shifting another barrier onto Kaito.
By the time the last wolf limped off into the woods, the caravan remained intact and uninjured—but Kaito's armor bore several new scratches. The merchant praised them for their quick work, and the other guards exchanged impressed looks at Omina's precise strikes and Yoshiya's quick shielding.
Kaito wiped blood from his cheek and grinned. "Not bad for a warm-up." He didn't seem to notice how pale Yoshiya looked from the mana drain.
For the rest of the day the road stayed peaceful save for a few swooping carrion birds and the occasional horned boar that wandered too close. Omina's strikes grew more confident with each fight; she was learning how to pace her mana, to let the stone in her sword carry some of the burden. Yoshiya, for his part, practiced spreading his healing spells to cover more than one person at a time, keeping small wounds from slowing the team—even Kaito's self-inflicted ones.
Late in the afternoon the road crested a ridge, and there it was—**Korvath**, city of stone and smoke. Towers of gray granite rose like jagged teeth from the valley, and great plumes of steam drifted from forges along the river. The setting sun turned everything orange, catching on steel rails and iron-bound carts. Yoshiya and Omina both slowed, staring at the skyline.
"It's even bigger than I imagined," Omina whispered.
Yoshiya smiled faintly. "And louder, I bet."
Kaito simply tightened his grip on his sword, eyes gleaming. "Looks like a place to test yourself."
The caravan descended into the city and wound through a gate carved with runes of trade and protection. Once inside, the merchant dismissed them with a grateful handshake and **counted out two silver coins for each escort**—Yoshiya, Omina, Kaito, and the other guards.
"Thank you all," the merchant said. "Without you, the wares might never have reached the forges."
Yoshiya slipped the coins into his pouch and exhaled slowly. They had travel money again.
"Blacksmith first?" Omina asked as soon as the wagons disappeared into a side street.
They wandered through Korvath's bustling market district where rows of smithies clanged like drums. Sparks flew from chimneys, and the smell of hot iron and oil filled the air. Every shop offered something different—massive warhammers, intricate daggers, enchanted shields. But as Omina tried the weight of one sword after another, her brow furrowed.
"Too heavy," she muttered at one. "Too flashy." Another she held up, frowned, and set down again. "This one's got a weak edge."
Yoshiya chuckled softly. "We'll find the right one eventually. Or maybe Bren's still the only one who knows what suits you."
By twilight they had checked half a dozen shops without making a purchase. The city's noise grew louder as workers ended their shifts at the forges and filled the streets.
"Maybe we should focus on skills first," Yoshiya suggested. "Gear can wait."
That led them to Korvath's **grand library**, a towering building of stone columns and carved archways. Inside, the smell of parchment and candlewax replaced the stench of iron. Shelves stretched floor to ceiling, each lined with manuals, scrolls, and books whose covers glowed faintly with enchantments.
Omina drifted toward the weapons section while Yoshiya explored the aisles of support and healing. Minutes later she returned clutching a **red-bound book titled *The Way of the Sword***. The pages showed diagrams of stances and breath control, exercises for channeling mana through steel more efficiently.
"This one," she said, eyes shining. "It even has a section on techniques leading to Sword Mastery and Battle Cry."
Yoshiya raised his own find: a **white-bound tome titled *The Art of Healing***, full of diagrams of energy flow, protective circles, and incantations. "This will teach me Blessing and Protect. We'll both be stronger."
They paid **three silver coins each** at the counter and left the library as the sun dipped fully below the horizon.
Hungry and tired, they began looking for an **inn with good food**, finally settling on a stone-walled tavern recommended by a caravan guard. The sign promised soft beds and hot meals for **three silver per person per night**. They handed over the coins and took a table by the fire while the innkeeper brought stew, fresh bread, and spiced cider.
As they ate, they talked about how far they had come. From their first shaky quest to now—traveling between cities, wielding upgraded weapons, and studying advanced skills. Yoshiya watched the firelight flicker on Omina's face as she described the forms she planned to master. Kaito sat at a neighboring table, polishing his sword with a reckless grin, already planning his next fight.
Upstairs in their room, Yoshiya and Omina pushed the beds aside to make space. Omina unsheathed her sword and opened *The Way of the Sword*. She practiced the stances and breathing exercises described on the first pages, slow deliberate swings that left faint trails of light in the air. The blue stone glowed steadily, holding more mana without draining her as fast as before.
Across from her, Yoshiya knelt with *The Art of Healing* spread open. He traced sigils of light on the floor, forming faint shimmering shields over a chair. The spells flickered at first, but with each attempt grew steadier, brighter.
For nearly an hour they worked in silence, the only sounds the swish of steel and the soft hum of mana. Finally they both collapsed onto their beds, exhausted but exhilarated.
"We're getting closer," Omina murmured, eyes closing.
"Step by step," Yoshiya agreed.
Outside, the forge-bells of Korvath rang into the night, promising new challenges and stronger futures for the two adventurers.