Early the next morning.
After bidding farewell to the village chief and Latimon, Sakeer finally left Carne Village.
Only then did Latimon feel a weight lift off his chest.
From the moment he first laid eyes on Sakeer, his instincts had screamed danger. He had never heard of anyone capable of taming a monster like a Barghest.
Especially…
Latimon swallowed hard.
That small Barghest, which appeared affectionate toward Sakeer, was, in truth, terrified of him.
Stealing a glance at the visibly relieved village chief beside him, Latimon sighed inwardly.
"He doesn't get it…"
It was clear the village chief hadn't taken his warnings seriously.
"Well… at least that man doesn't seem to have any ill intent toward the village."
Latimon let out a sigh of relief.
Once outside Carne Village, Sakeer no longer suppressed his speed. Grabbing the Barghest, he raced forward.
Along the way, he encountered only a few scattered beasts—no goblins, no monsters.
Seeing this, Sakeer understood why the Adventurers' Guild had dispatched a team to investigate. His relentless hunting of monsters and goblins over the past month had made a far greater impact than expected.
Judging by the absence of adventurers in the jungle near Carne Village, it was likely that the Adventurers' Guild had yet to obtain any useful information.
With no monster threats and his increased strength, his travel time was drastically shortened.
In just two hours, Sakeer could already see E-Rantel in the distance.
Considering it had taken him an entire day to travel from E-Rantel to Carne Village, the difference was staggering.
The Fortress City: E-Rantel
Encircled by three massive walls, E-Rantel's towering structure radiated an overwhelming sense of majesty and power. The sheer fortitude and craftsmanship behind its construction exuded an unspoken pressure, making all who approached feel insignificant in its shadow.
Beneath the colossal gates, a few soldiers stood gathered at the checkpoint, chatting idly, their postures relaxed.
As soldiers stationed in a fortress city, they were typically more disciplined, but the early morning meant their duties were still light.
At this hour, few travelers or caravans would be arriving—most timed their departures carefully to avoid unnecessary risks. Even though monsters and goblins had recently become less of a threat, people's travel habits hadn't changed.
Simply put, this wasn't a busy time.
"Hey, hey, stop slacking—someone's coming." One of the soldiers nudged his companion, spotting a lone figure approaching from the distance.
"Tsk, really? This early?"
The second soldier yawned, stretching lazily before standing up. He squinted at the approaching traveler…
Then, his demeanor shifted instantly.
Gone was the sluggishness—his posture straightened, and his eyes turned sharp and alert.
As Sakeer neared E-Rantel, his gaze swept over the colossal walls.
Though this wasn't his first time seeing them, he still found them awe-inspiring.
A city this immense… without magic, there's no way it could have been built by human hands alone.
"Awo…"
The Barghest trotted closely beside him, its small head swiveling from side to side as it curiously observed the surroundings.
It was clear that everything here was new to it.
Upon reaching the checkpoint, Sakeer barely spared the two gate soldiers a glance before retrieving a handful of copper coins from his pocket. He extended them toward the nearest soldier—his entry fee prepared in advance.
However…
To his surprise, the soldier did not take the coins.
Instead, he studied Sakeer closely, his expression unusually serious.
"Sir… are you an adventurer?" the soldier asked cautiously, his gaze flickering toward the Barghest at Sakeer's side.
There was a hint of unease in his voice.
Sakeer frowned slightly. "Not exactly."
The soldier blinked, clearly caught off guard by the response.
"Is that so…?"
He exchanged a glance with his fellow guard before hesitating, then spoke again, this time more carefully:
"Sir, do you happen to have a permit?"
Permits?
Sakeer's brows furrowed.
He recalled hearing about this from Team Rock.
Aside from the royal capital, most major cities within the aristocratic territories of the Re-Estize Kingdom required travelers to pay tolls upon entering and exiting—a form of walking tax.
Naturally, residents of their own territory enjoyed certain preferential treatment. Some generous nobles even went so far as to waive the toll fee entirely for their people.
However, to qualify for such treatment, one needed a special permit issued to each village within the territory—a substitute for the toll tax.
Sakeer, of course, had no such permit.
The issue, however, was that the soldier should have already known that. A single glance at Sakeer's uncommon black hair was enough to confirm that he wasn't a local.
This led to an uneasy thought—had something happened in E-Rantel?
After all, when he first arrived in the city a month ago, there had been no excessive security measures. Back then, simply paying the toll was enough to come and go freely.
There was no reason for this change to be related to his activities in the Great Forest of Tob.
At least…
Sakeer didn't think that killing a few goblins would have caused such a reaction.
Seeing Sakeer shake his head in response, indicating that he had no permit, the soldier showed no surprise.
If anything, his expression only grew more serious.
"I'm sorry, Your Excellency."
The soldier hesitated before cautiously continuing, his tone laced with unease.
"Would you allow our Magic Casters to inspect your belongings?"
There was a subtle nervousness in his voice.
A man who could casually travel with a monstrous companion was no ordinary individual.
If Sakeer were a registered adventurer, the guards wouldn't have dared to make such an intrusive request.
Upon hearing this, Sakeer's expression remained calm, but his mind was already piecing things together.
Something was definitely happening in E-Rantel.
Instead of agreeing immediately, he met the soldier's gaze and asked in an even, unreadable tone:
"Can you tell me what's going on?"
The soldier's face tightened with discomfort.
"This…" he faltered, clearly reluctant to answer.
"Wait a moment."
Suddenly, another soldier—who had been standing nearby, quietly observing—stepped forward hastily. His eyes flickered with recognition as he studied Sakeer's face.
"Hold on… You're the one who came with Madam Lizzie Bareare last time, aren't you?"
The moment he spoke the name, the first soldier's eyes widened in surprise.
"You mean… Lizzie Bareare the Apothecary?"
Sakeer raised an eyebrow slightly.
He was well aware that Lizzie Bareare, was a renowned apothecary in E-Rantel. The last time they entered the city together, he had already sensed her high status among the townspeople.
But now, it was even clearer—he had still underestimated just how much influence she truly held.
"That's right," he confirmed with a slight nod.
The soldier who had suggested the inspection now looked uncertain, casting an uneasy glance at his companion.
"If that's the case…" he muttered hesitantly.
The first soldier sighed, his voice dropping to a more apologetic tone.
"I'm very sorry, Your Excellency. It's an order from above—we don't know the reason ourselves."
With that, he gave a slight bow, his expression genuinely regretful.
Sakeer waved his hand dismissively, uninterested in pressing the matter further.
Seeing this, the soldier at the checkpoint quickly accepted the copper coins, before stepping aside to let him through.