Chapter 10 - Journey Begins

Andric woke up long before the sun peeked over the horizon. He cast a spell on himself to fill his body with energy and sighed softly. With his departure imminent, a bit of hesitation crept in. Since his reincarnation, he hadn’t ventured beyond Einburg. Over the years, he’d grown attached to the place.

He gathered his things: two extra sets of clothes, an extra pair of shoes, and a winter coat. He also wore a large straw hat, typically used by field workers to shield from the sun. Even though he’d never worked in the fields, he thought the hat might help him blend in during his journey.

Alda hadn’t slept a wink. When Andric descended to the first floor, he found her in the sitting room, nursing a cup of tea.

“I’m leaving,” Andric said, pausing at the door.

“Be safe,” Alda replied, struggling to hold back tears. Her thoughts had been a whirlwind through the night, growing more anxious by the hour.

Andric gave her a reassuring look, then threw a few practiced punches in the air to activate his spirit energy. He put on a tough facade. “I’ll be fine!” he said confidently before stepping outside.

The town was eerily quiet. A few early farmers were starting their day, most seasoned enough to get their work done before sunrise. A handful of tired guards kept watch, while the merchant caravan, though active, was more subdued. Many guards were busy keeping an eye on the wagons, preventing any nighttime thievery.

Andric made his way slowly to the caravan, his left hand gripping the rope that secured his bundle of clothes. He faced only a few stern looks from the guards as he approached.

The merchants were still preparing to leave, with some of them still asleep from a night of local wine. Andric quietly found his wagon and settled in nearby.

People were strewn out on the ground near the wagons, some with blankets. Andric realized he didn’t have one and worried about how he’d manage without a bed. If he didn’t sleep well, he wouldn’t be able to use magic to recharge like he did that morning. The thought made him frown.

As the sun began to rise, roosters crowed and stirred both townspeople and merchants. The caravan got busier, with horses being hitched to wagons and goods being loaded. Andric observed from the sidelines.

At dawn, a horn blared, signaling the start of departure preparations. People in his wagon groggily began to stir, rolling up blankets and organizing their gear. Once the first passenger climbed in, Andric followed, taking a spot inside. The wagon was nearly full, with just a bit of room left if people didn’t have too much luggage.

Andric settled in with his bundle of clothes and hat. The wagon cover didn’t fully close, allowing his hat some breathing room. Traveling by wagon felt primitive compared to his old life, where he could have flown to his destination in hours. But those days were long gone.

Before the wagons set off, the driver climbed into his seat and called out, “Everyone here?” He scanned the passengers, recognizing Andric from the previous night.

“Yeah,” a traveler replied, and the driver turned his attention back to the road.

Andric observed the other passengers—two families and several solo travelers. The parents were trying to keep their sleepy children upright, though everyone was clearly tired. Merchants who had been on the road for years could wake up on command, but newer travelers struggled, and the children were especially restless.

A few minutes after departure, sunlight bathed the wagons. Andric tilted his hat to shield his eyes as over a hundred horses trotted across the grasslands, their noise a constant hum. Gradually, Andric adapted to the new environment.

Miss Erminhilt’s travel estimates were mostly accurate. Towns were about ten days apart, with the caravan covering roughly twenty miles a day. Hochland was in its rainy season, so the caravan slowed whenever storms hit. Andric had to take off his hat on rainy days, and the humidity made things uncomfortable. Without the ability to dry his clothes properly or find decent bedding, he had to improvise with sticks and a fire.

The horses were the worst part of the journey. Used to interacting with just one horse at a time, Andric now had to deal with over a hundred. Their stench on hot days was unbearable, and their constant neighing was a relentless distraction. The guards’ horses, the loudest of all, added to the chaos.

About thirteen days after leaving Einburg, the caravan slowed near a wooded section of the road. The wagons bunched up, causing frustration among the travelers. Guards quickly formed a protective circle around the caravan.

The captain stood atop his wagon, scanning the surrounding forest. Across the road lay a line of bodies. Horses, naturally wary, would not step over the dead. While two Novice realm martialists cleared the road, the rest of the guards braced for an ambush.

Sure enough, a horde of bandits emerged from the trees, armed with swords, axes, and crossbows, and numbering in the hundreds. Unlike the caravan’s guards, the bandits weren’t mounted but moved swiftly among the stalled wagons. Many were late-stage Human realm martialists, easily maneuvering through the chaos.

Andric kept his head down, unable to use magic without revealing his identity. If he had to defend himself, he would do so, but he preferred to stay unnoticed.

Most of the merchants and travelers were either low-stage Human realm martialists or non-martialists. In Andric’s wagon, the families were powerless, and the lone travelers were indifferent. One mid-stage Novice realm martialist in the wagon lazily dealt with a bandit by launching a beam of light from his palm, sending the attacker flying.

The caravan guards, though outnumbered, had superior skills and equipment. They used their mounts to fend off the bandits outside the wagon cluster but struggled once the fight moved inside. Novice realm martialists leaped across wagons, cutting down bandits as they went.

After a tense few minutes, the bandits retreated, covered by crossbow fire and the Novice realm martialists. They vanished into the forest, leaving the caravan guards to secure the area.

That night, the captain took a casualty report. No Novice realm guards had been lost, nor did any merchants or travelers die. A few Human realm guards had fallen, and some cargo and valuables were stolen, but the situation was manageable.

The attack left Andric worried but unscathed. He was grateful to the Novice realm martialist who had protected them and expressed his thanks along with several others. The martialist remained indifferent, observing the surroundings with a casual air.