The wound on his leg, though still tender, had begun to heal after a full day of dragging himself along the roadside.
The regenerative potion did accelerate the natural healing process. However, for severe or life-threatening injuries, the effect was minimal, as it needed ti to act.
Leo sat down on a fallen log by the roadside to rest and change his bandage. The rough bark snagged on his worn trousers.
The wound was still open but noticeably closing. "I think tomorrow it will be fine," Leo said.
He replaced his bandages, wincing as the fabric pulled at the edges of the wound, and applied more of the potion.
After changing the dressings, he took out a small, well-worn calendar to check his return plan.
It was the fifth day of sumr, 189 NE (New Era).
The Humbra calendar had beco peculiar over the ages. It was decided that one year would be divided into four parts according to the seasons, with each season lasting 100 days.
He took a bruised apple from his backpack. Looking at it, he realized that he had nothing to drink.
"Oh shit… nice day to die dry." He grumbled.
His throat felt like sandpaper. He took a bite into the apple, the juice a welco relief.
"It's been over a hundred days since I started this whole thing. Don't I deserve a toast?" He smiled wryly.
He had another bite of the apple.
Leo sighed… "I'll definitely have a toast to celebrate my first mission," he said to himself, picturing a frothy mug of ale.
Leo finished his apple and got up to continue his journey when he heard the sound of an ox cart. The rhythmic creak of the wheels and the soft plod of hooves grew closer.
The ox cart stopped, and a farr looked at Leo and asked, "You lost, kid?" He had a strong country accent.
Leo didn't want to look weak, so he pretended he was fine. He straightened up, ignoring the throbbing protest in his leg, and walked over to the cart.
"Not lost, sir, just tired and need so help," he said.
"What kind of help ya need, kid?" The farr asked, his eyes weathered and kind, crinkling at the corners.
"I need to get back to Gothia, that's all," Leo said.
"Hop in then, kid. Gothia's where I'm headed," the farr said, jerking his head towards the back of the cart.
Leo climbed into the cart and sat down, relieved. "Thanks, mister, I'll pay you back when I can." He settled onto a pile of sacks, the rough fabric scratching against his skin.
"First off, what's your na, sonny? You look like you've wrestled a bear and lost."
"It's Leonard, sir."
"Leonard, huh? No need to fake it; I can see your leg's ssed up."
Leo was surprised. His muscles tensed, and he went alert. His hand slowly and mindlessly moved towards his swords.
"Whoa there, sonny! Don't you worry," the farr said with a hearty laugh. "I ain't gonna hurt ya. Just got an eye for these things."
"How did you know my conditions?" Leo was confused, his voice laced with suspicion.
"Well, I'll be," the man chuckled. "I'm a Neumond myself. You thought only city folk could be gifted? I just protect my crops with my bare hands." He carried himself with pride, patting his chest with a calloused hand.
"But sir, how?" Leo thought the man had so special ability.
"I'm old enough to be your grandfather, boy. Years of experience, that's all. Maybe if I took the test I'd get a gold or platinum rank. Who knows?" He winked.
"By the way, what's your na, sir?"
"Call Clyde," the old man said as he started chewing on a grass stalk.
Clyde's accent was very strong, suggesting he had lived his whole life in the countryside without much education.
Leo had to concentrate to catch every word, the unfamiliar drawl thick as honey.
It was a bit difficult for Leo to fully understand what he was saying, and he even wondered if the man was from a different continent.
Everyone in the continent of Fros spoke the sa language, Nordilic, but there were different accents and dialects across the land. Furthermore, there were other languages from the other continents.
They also had an ancestral language they could use to communicate, but it was only taught in schools.
They conversed as best they could along the way, and Clyde explained that Leo should be careful of all kinds of people in Fros, especially outside the walls.
It wasn't just the monsters. Seemingly normal people could be awakened.
Night was falling, and Leo was fighting off sleep, his eyelids heavy. He saw the long walls of Gothia rising on the horizon with its large spotlights.
The big cities used a mix of technology and magic. Machines developed before the awakening had been remade with magic runes to use mana as fuel, increasing efficiency and performance.
The return trip was relatively uneventful despite Leo's injuries. He protected his collection at all tis.
Though, he wished he had the ti to harvest the ivory tusks from the boar leirion. Those could have been sold for a good price.
Leastwise the weight of the pouch with the flowers felt reassuring against his hip.
Approaching the gate, the guards stopped them to identify them and the cargo.
They were allowed to enter.
Leo jumped off the cart, his leg protesting with a sharp stab of pain.
He needed to go to the Guild House now, so he gave his thanks for the lift, and they parted ways.
"What can I do for you today, Leo?" Silica asked, her brow furrowed with concern as she noticed his limp.
She was actually using his na, a far cry from the formal "Mr. Leonard" she had used before.
"I've co to deliver the items from this mission," Leo said, a touch of pride in his voice. He handed Silica the closed bag and the contract he had signed. "Please don't open the bag in sunlight. The flower becos useless if you do."
"Certainly, Mr. Leonard," she replied. Silica was amazed by Leo's determination.
In her thoughts, he was too weak to complete such missions. "He really did it," she was impressed.
After the verification and paynt for the completed contract, all he wanted was to fall into his bed and pass out.
Arriving at his boarding house, he paid his debts, the two gold coins feeling lighter than expected in his hand.
His sore muscles felt better after a bath in warm water, but his bed still felt hard. Exhausted, he fell asleep anyway, oblivious to any discomfort.
When Leo woke up in the morning, he thought about what had happened and shuddered.
The boar's tusk and the spider's fangs were still fresh in his mind. Only now did he realize how close he had co to dying.
He touched his leg, noticing that his wound had already healed.
He was ready.
He set aside money for als that would last him a while, and the rest would go towards buying armor, even if it was the most basic kind.
Leo browsed the market, assessing various types of ready-made armor, but he wasn't confident about the cost-benefit ratio.
Everything was very expensive and seed like fragile cloth and sensitive tals.
Leo wasn't wrong.
Ready-made armor was expensive because it was readily available.
Leo recalled from the Equalizer starter book. "If you wanted sothing good and cheap, it ant days of gathering materials and working with a blacksmith or tanner."
He only had one gold and three silver coins; there was no way he could buy anything of good quality with that amount.
Leonard was about to leave when an old man waved to him.
"Co here, boy!" shouted the hoarse old man, waving widely.
"What? ?" After a close look Leonard recognized the old man.
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