He quickly walked to the east of the village, where Uncle Kaelan's house was located. Uncle Kaelan was an old man in his fifties. He had a boastful nature, but his character was good. When Knight was a child, his own father used to say that Uncle Kaelan had been a soldier for the kingdom, defending the border. Because of this, he had traveled widely, and his boastful nature meant he loved to talk about his many adventures.
One of Knight's favorite childhood stories was Uncle Kaelan's tale of fighting a mage. He didn't know if it was true, but he had enjoyed it immensely.
Knight quickly reached the eastern part of the village, where Uncle Kaelan's house stood. It was similar to the others but was distinguished by an extra fence and more trees around it. In all of Wyrm Village, only Uncle Kaelan had a fenced-in property, a sign of his relative wealth.
Knight walked up to the house and knocked on the door, shouting, "Uncle Kaelan, it's me, Knight! Open the door!"
Due to his knowledge of many mundane and worldly things, Uncle Kaelan was quite popular in the village. As the saying goes, knowledge is power—a truth that holds even in a magical world.
"What's with all the fuss? Just knock, don't shout! I'm not that old yet!" Uncle Kaelan shouted back while opening the door.
As the door opened, Knight saw a robust man in his fifties, whose physique defied his age. "Hey, Uncle," Knight said as he entered the house, "have you had your morning meal?"
Uncle Kaelan was used to Knight entering his home as if it were his own; he had watched the boy grow up and didn't mind in the slightest.
Kaelan sat down in a chair on the lawn. "Yeah, I've eaten. What about you?"
Though Knight acted at home in Kaelan's house, he couldn't bring himself to eat an old man's food. "Yeah, I just had my meal," he replied.
Kaelan, a former soldier with a wealth of experience, saw right through the lie but didn't call him out on it. Instead, he asked, "So, what brings you here? Have you caught another wild boar?"
Knight thought for a moment and then began, "Uncle Kaelan, Lydia and I were thinking of settling in the city. After the birth of my son, I feel the city has more resources to offer. If we could settle there, our son would have a brighter future. I've come to ask for your advice."
Kaelan stared at Knight for a while and then asked, "What about Margate Town? Though it's technically a town, it's one step away from becoming a city. It has a great deal of resources."
Knight thought to himself, 'We need to find a magic guild to see if our son is okay. The guild has to be safe and trustworthy; even if they aren't the most powerful, that's fine. The city itself also has to be safe. We'll need to work and earn a living, so we can't be dealing with constant robberies and thieves.'
'Why don't I just be honest with Uncle Kaelan? He's watched me grow up; he wouldn't lie to me. And even if he had a reason to, it might be for wealth—but I don't have much, and Uncle Kaelan is many times wealthier than I am. Okay, I'll just come out with the truth, but I'll leave out the part about the strange luck.'
Knight finally snapped out of his thoughts and met Uncle Kaelan's gaze. "Uncle Kaelan, you've known me my whole life. You know I'm not the type of person who can lie well. Since you've watched me grow up, I'd be seen through immediately. So, I'm going to be completely clear with you."
Hearing Knight say that, Uncle Kaelan was deeply moved by the trust the young man placed in him.
Knight began by saying, "Uncle Kaelan, you know we've just had our son. And you also know what Lydia suffered in the past. For the sake of her peace of mind, we have to move to a city. She endured a huge trauma coming from a remote village—a place with no magical guild, where kingdom soldiers seldom arrive in time during a crisis.
"Lydia has been having nightmares," Knight continued, his voice softening. "She doesn't tell me, but I know. After all, I am her pillow mate."
Knight thought of the nights sleeping next to her, listening to her whimper and feeling her body shake with terror. His heart ached every time he witnessed her trapped in those nightmares.
He took a breath and continued. "So, I thought of moving to a city. It offers a great deal of security and resources, which would be like being blessed twice over. I'm looking for a city with a trustworthy guild and decent safety. The guild itself doesn't have to be the strongest. I know you've traveled a lot and have great knowledge in this area, so please, help us."
Uncle Kaelan was completely overwhelmed by what he had heard. The sincerity with which Knight had told his story, and his reasons for wanting to move to the city, had deeply moved him.
He thought to himself, 'While I know a lot of things, I simply can't confidently say which guild is trustworthy. I don't know their inner workings or the true nature of their activities. Hmmm... I'll have to contact a few of my old friends and see what they have to say.'
As Knight gazed at Uncle Kaelan, who was lost in thought, the older man finally snapped out of it. He met Knight's eyes and said, "I will be honest with you, Knight. While I do have a certain level of knowledge in many areas, magical guilds are not one of them."
Kaelan paused, letting Knight digest the disappointing news. Seeing the young man's face fall, Kaelan continued, "But, I can contact a few of my mage friends. They ought to know something. So, let's be clear: if even they can't help with what you're asking, then I can't help you in this matter. Don't hold too much hope, but I will try."
As Kaelan finished speaking, Knight sighed with relief. He knew he was asking for a lot. After all, Knight wasn't Kaelan's son; for the old man to do this much was a tremendous favor.
Knight's eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you so much, Uncle Kaelan. This is a really great favor," he said.
He knew he wasn't exaggerating his appreciation. It wasn't that he couldn't find information on magical guilds himself, but he could never get the kind of trusted, insider knowledge that Uncle Kaelan could provide. Even if he spent a huge amount of money on information, he could never be sure if it was reliable.
Uncle Kaelan knew Knight was a good kid; he had watched him grow up and knew the environment he was raised in, so he was sure the young man's gratitude was genuine. He simply waved a hand and said, "Don't hold too much hope in this matter. Just be prepared for the feast, as my friends might be coming."
Hearing this, Knight grew increasingly bashful and began to scratch his head, realizing he had another favor to ask.
Seeing Knight's bashful scratching, Kaelan grew impatient. Who liked seeing a grown man act so sheepish? "What's with the blushes? Are you shy?" he asked.
Knight laughed awkwardly. "Lydia told me she gave you the list of items to be purchased for the feast..."
Hearing it was just about the feast supplies, Kaelan waved his hand dismissively. "Okay, don't worry about it. Just prepare the money and let me know if you need to add anything else. I was just about to go to town and can purchase everything before I return tomorrow."
Hearing this, Knight finally sighed with genuine relief. "Again, thank you so much, Uncle Kaelan."
Kaelan just shooed him away with a wave of his hand. "Just go."
Knight retreated bashfully and finally closed the gate to the fence behind him.
As the gate clicked shut, Knight stood in silence, his thoughts wandering to a new life in the city with Lydia and Amoris. The vision filled him with a newfound hope and a powerful reason to move forward. He couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself, a smile spreading across his face at the thought of his bright future.