The identity of the group of n who gradually erged from their tents was vague, so Darien didn’t know who they were. However, he could guess. He classified them as a search herd; likely a rogue cult, thieves, or border patrol.
From their well-crafted archetypical weapons, he concluded they were Knights. The scrupulous arrangent of the tents also hinted at orderliness, not to ntion the insignias woven inconspicuously into the fabric.
’I will say I am a trader. But with the weapons I carry with , they won’t think as much.’
Darien thought quickly as the n approached carefully. Even though they were Border Knights tasked with the protection of the city’s walls by the oath they swore, that didn’t an they couldn’t pilfer this young trader and his valuable items, like the Rare weapon.
’Shit! How do I hide these weapons now?!’
Darien almost began fidgeting as he was approached. His mind leaned toward the Skill Points he had left and wondered if he could make a skill that would pull him out of this predicant.
’Yes! I have an idea! System, make this skill!’
[Analyzing concept... Calibrating space... Weighing cost...]
[Ding!]
[Skill fra established]
[Na: Inventory]
[Description: A passive utility skill that grants the user access to a personal spatial storage dinsion. Any non-living item within half a ter radius of the user can be absorbed into the inventory. Stored items beco untouchable by others, and immune to decay or damage. Current capacity: 150 kg]
[Cost: 500 SP]
Darien didn’t even have ti to complain about the SP cost; he just quickly sent the ntal command, and the system finalized the new skill.
[Successfully created new skill]
[Ding!]
[You have acquired new skill: ]
With certainty, the boy sent all his weapons stacked behind him into his new Inventory. He was free, safe, and wouldn’t be labelled as a threat when searched.
"Good morrow."
Darien humbly greeted with a smile on his face, proudly seated upon his steed.
"A fair day to you too!"
One of the knights replied to Darien’s greeting as he discreetly ordered another to search him thoroughly.
"What brings you through the forest? The trade road isn’t far off. Sothing you’re avoiding?"
Darien shook his head calmly and simply told them that he had lost his way. The knight who searched him only ended up discovering a bag of fresh fruits and another pair of clothes. He looked at his fellow group and nodded a ssage of affirmation.
"You’re free to go. Welco to Elderad. Not many choose the forest over the trade road, girl. Be careful next ti and follow a batch, because you’ll have to wait for one before you can enter the city to sell your fruits."
’Girl?’
Darien was stunned at the gendered na that had just left the man’s lips. How could they mistake him for a girl? Just by the clothes alone? Or were these n so surfeited by the wilderness beyond the city that making jokes was all they could do?
"I’m not a girl. I’m a boy."
Darien thought he had just clarified things, but that only earned him laughs from everyone.
"Sounds exactly like sothing a lass would say."
Another round of laughter and chuckles rose from the bearded and beardless n, both young and aged. Darien wore a frown on his face.
"I’m serious. I really am a boy."
"Oh, really? Shall we take a look? Prove it to the watch with your little wiener?"
The entire group of Border Knights burst into louder laughter, so deep and cathartic they seed to forget their worries and duties. Atop Delilah, Darien remained there with an embarrassed expression.
The first knight wiped a tear from his eye before waving with a grin.
"Scurry along. Move around the trap and head toward the fields. You’ll have to wait there for a rchant batch anyway. Let your horse graze. It must be starving, poor thing."
Darien mumbled sothing inaudible and urged his mount forward, doing his best to ignore the lingering chuckles behind him. He also caught low talk that made him grit his teeth.
"She’ll be a fine catch when she’s of age."
"Aye, look at the hips already."
"Silver hair. Soft face, too. So trader’ll be lucky."
Their laughter and words bothered Darien, but the disturbance vanished imdiately the mont golden rays of sunlight began to percolate between the trunks of the trees. He was reaching the manicured end of the forest, and it felt like striding on a horse to the golden gates of heaven.
As the treeline ca to a neat end, his horse stepped into a golden, resplendent field of grasses with pathways for treading. Every blade of grass appeared distinct, shimring under the natural light, and the field stretched so far into the horizon it resembled a paradise.
But far ahead, across the radiance, stood the outer wall of the first dukedom in the Finelands: Elderad. Massive, solemn, and enduring, the wall rose 150 feet into the sky, built of hewn stone blocks so wide it would take five n holding hands to span one.
It had been erected after the Great Primordial Descent, almost a century ago—the very annihilatory event that destroyed this world.
When beasts poured out from the Primordial World, the Holands was the first province to fall, swallowed by the calamity. What remained of the Holands was now called the Primordial Forest—the truly dangerous forest to the north, unlike what Darien had just travelled through from the west.
The wall faced both the Primordial Forest and the Waterlands, serving as a final barrier and safeguard, for the Waterlands was most likely to fall soon if care wasn’t taken.
Darien gulped at the sight of the massive wall before hopping off his horse and guiding it toward the clearing where the grass grew tall and thick. The beast lowered its head and began to graze in peace.
Darien’s gaze shifted now and then toward the distant trade road, watching for signs of approaching caravans. With ti to spare, he reached into his inventory and pulled out the one item that still felt too grand for his hands.
(Item Na: Heatbringer)
(Type: Weapon/ Sword)
(Rank: Rare)
(LV. 1)
(Description: A magical sword that radiates intense warmth and fla. Deals adequate damage. Deals burning damage when activated)
(Skills: Blazing Edge)
’So, until I have fire affinity, I wouldn’t be able to make the shaft burn?’
Darien tried swinging the sword, but he was dragged off balance every ti. His arms would jerk downward as if the blade had turned to stone, and his grip was weak for it.
[Required Strength to wield: 20]
[Current Strength: 11]
’What the—’
There was no lanting here; it was actually reasonable. How could a Rank 0 being just easily wield a Rare weapon that once belonged to a Rank 2 Mage?
"That doesn’t an I’m selling you,"
Darien told the sword before putting it back into his inventory.
His head turned when he heard the rumble of wheels and hooves approaching from far away. At one of the curves of the glamorous field, dust was rising, and the shapes of wagons, riders, and beasts of burden began to form. The traders were here.
Without wasting a second, Darien scrambled up from the grass and ran for his horse. He ceased the creature’s al and leapt onto it, urging it to move with haste.
The horse heeded, and they galloped across the field in elegance and royal glory. The breeze pulled Darien’s silvery hair until he caught up with the caravan and rged with them to face the six gates of the wall.
The traders didn’t even say a word when he joined them. They just gave his white hair a curious glance and quickly returned to minding their business, letting him ride in quiet anonymity among them, until a sharp voice called out:
"Halt!"
The front of the line slowed, and Darien lifted his head to see the massive stone gates ahead being pushed open from within. n in dark, uniford attire braced their shoulders against the weight, groaning as the great doors widened enough for wagons and beasts to pass through.
One by one, the caravan moved forward.
Darien was so eager to sell his goods and begin a fresh life in this outstanding civilization of the Finelands, but when he saw another gate guarded by n, a frown ford on his face.
He couldn’t believe there was another wall after the main wall—maybe two-thirds of its height, but still big and tall. It was even reinforced with what looked like steel, smoother! And the soldiers that guarded it watched everything and everyone with attention.
It turned out that Elderad had sothing they called the Capital Market, and it sat directly after the first wall.
The Capital Market was designed specifically for traders, travelers, and those who didn’t carry the crest or clearance to enter the heart of the city. It was a vast comrcial zone filled with rchant booths, cargo stations, customs offices, stables, and rest houses—a place built for buying, selling, and shipping, but definitely not for settling.
Elderad’s true city lay beyond the second gate!
’Shit!’
Darien thought of a plan as he sold his goods to get so money. He could see a few guards walking in and out of a pedestrian gate, and sotis what looked like normal civilians who had just cleared their entrance from the offices nearby.
’With Stealth, I could sneak through when soone is entering.’
Darien sold his bag of fruits for 9 copper pieces because the fruits were no longer fresh, and also because he wasn’t part of a rchant guild like the others. But the trader buyer said "she" was polite, so that was an addition.
"I’m a boy, ma’am."
"No, no. Don’t be so tense. Embrace it! You’re very pretty!"
And sadly, Darien sold the horse. Since he was going to sneak in, there was no need to carry the horse, so their journey ended here. He sold her for 15 silver pieces. That was 9 copper pieces and 15 silver pieces in total at the end. It also equalled 1 gold, 5 silver pieces, and 9 copper pieces.
At the end of his trade, he lingered around but made sure not to attract attention, which was difficult because of his appearance. But once he activated , the stares suddenly reduced to nothing.
With that, Darien planned his breach.
He glued himself to the side of a man that was heading into the city. The guards let the innocent civilian in, and the unnoticed boy followed through.
"What was that?"
One guard asked the other.
The other shrugged.
"Must’ve been the wind."
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