The next morning, Ignis woke feeling fully rested, his body refreshed and free of fatigue from the previous day's journey. After freshening up, he changed into a clean set of clothes, then headed downstairs to the inn's front counter.
He ordered breakfast, then returned to his room to prepare for the day ahead. Sitting at the small table near the window, he unrolled a worn leather map and studied the road ahead.
"There's no village for the next eighty miles," he muttered to himself, eyes narrowing. "And I didn't leave at dawn, so my horse won't make that full distance today. Looks like I'll have to camp outside tonight."
Just then, a gentle knock came at the door before it creaked open. The proprietress stepped inside, carrying a tray of food. Ignis quickly folded the map and tucked it into his bag.
"You'll be leaving today, right?" she asked as she set the tray on the table.
"As I mentioned yesterday, I only needed the room for the night," Ignis replied politely. "I'll be on my way after breakfast. Please have my horse brought out front."
She nodded. "Of course. I'll have it ready for you."
With that, she left the room, and Ignis quietly began eating his breakfast.
Not long after, he descended the stairs with all his belongings and placed them near the counter. From his pocket, he pulled out a single silver coin and handed it to the proprietress, who stood behind the counter, waiting.
As she counted out fifty copper coins in change, she finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind since the night before. "Are you… an adventurer?"
Ignis nodded. "Yes, I am."
"But your age…" she began, hesitating.
Ignis smiled faintly. "I know what you're thinking. But I wouldn't be out here if I couldn't protect myself. In this world, strength is what matters. And I have enough of it."
The woman stared at him for a moment, stunned that such words—so composed and resolute—could come from someone who looked no older than fourteen or fifteen. But in the end, she nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words.
"Travel safely," she said quietly.
Ignis nodded back. "Thank you."
With that, he stepped out of the inn, ready to continue his journey into the unknown.
----
After leaving Pinewatch Village behind, Ignis continued on his journey, traveling steadily throughout the day. The sun began its slow descent, painting the horizon in hues of gold and crimson. As the light faded, Ignis kept his eyes on either side of the road, searching for a suitable place to set up camp.
For a long stretch, the landscape offered nothing promising—just dense trees on one side and open grassland on the other. But eventually, he spotted a small clearing off the roadside. The area was flat and spacious, with enough room for both him and his horse. Near the center, a pile of blackened wood lay scattered—charred remains of a previous fire. Clearly, a traveler had camped here before.
"This'll do," Ignis muttered, nodding. "A good place to camp for the night."
He guided his horse into the clearing and tied it securely to a nearby tree. The first order of business was food—for his companion as well as himself. Knowing it would soon be too dark to search properly, he moved quickly, collecting edible leaves and low-hanging branches from nearby shrubs. Once gathered, he placed them before the horse, who began eating without hesitation.
With that done, Ignis turned his attention to securing the perimeter. From one of the saddle bags, he pulled out four small cubes—compact and rune-inscribed, each no larger than a fist. He placed them at the corners of an imaginary square, marking the boundary where he and the horse would rest.
As soon as the last cube touched the ground, all four began to glow faintly. For a brief moment, a translucent red cuboidal barrier shimmered into view, encasing the area in a protective perimeter before vanishing from sight.
This was one of the magical tools his mother had given him—specifically designed for adventurers who needed to camp in the wild. The barrier wasn't meant to stop intruders, but it served a more critical function: the moment anything crossed into it, a sharp chime would sound, alerting the sleeper.
Ignis knew it might interrupt his rest—sometimes even harmless animals could trip the alarm—but in the wilderness, caution always came first.
With the preparations complete, Ignis finally allowed himself a moment to relax. The forest whispered with the sounds of early nightfall, and the soft chewing of his horse gave the place a strangely peaceful air.
But Ignis didn't waste time resting. After checking on his horse once more, he returned to the saddlebag and pulled out a tightly folded bundle of cloth. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than thick canvas, but a small cuboid mechanism embedded in the fabric marked it as something much more—another magical tool, courtesy of his mother.
This was an air-filling tent, designed for ease and efficiency during long journeys. With just a small injection of mana into the mechanism, the tent would automatically expand to its full size. It also had a special enchantment: a scent-isolation barrier, ensuring that any food cooked or materials used inside wouldn't attract attention by leaking their scent outside—a crucial detail when camping in the wild where predators might lurk.
Ignis knelt down and pressed his fingers to the small device, channeling a steady stream of mana into it. The runes etched along its surface began to glow, and with a faint hiss of expanding fabric, the tent unfolded and inflated before his eyes. Within moments, a sturdy, well-structured tent stood in the middle of the clearing—spacious and secure, more than enough for a lone traveler.
He stepped inside and set his things neatly in a corner. From one of his bags, he took out a wrapped parcel of dry food—simple but nourishing, specially prepared by his mother for his journey. He ate quietly, sipping water from his rune-infused bottle, and allowed the fatigue of the day to settle in.
Knowing he had many more miles to cover tomorrow, Ignis decided not to waste any more time. He lay down inside the tent, pulling a light blanket over himself, and let the soothing silence of the forest lull him to sleep.
Tomorrow, the road would call again.
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