Chapter 5 - Preparations for Departure

Andric listened from his room as the conversation between his mother and the townspeople unfolded. He stayed put, focusing on every word Alda said. In his heart, he wondered if she had been considering sending him away even before the townspeople brought it up. After all, she had never mentioned it before.

Once the townspeople left, Alda joined her parents in the sitting room to discuss things. After their discussion, she made her way upstairs to Andric’s room. Andric heard her footsteps and sat on his bed, keeping his face expressionless.

“Did you hear what we were talking about?” Alda asked as she peeked through the doorway. She had felt prepared to talk to Andric when she was downstairs, but now that she was standing in his room, she felt uneasy. Asking her son to leave was a huge step, and it made her uncomfortable.

“Yes,” Andric replied, his voice low and serious. He knew this was a delicate situation, and though leaving Einburg wasn’t the end of the world, it marked the end of his peaceful life here. Beyond these walls, he’d have to fend for himself in a world full of martialists.

“We think it would be best if you went to Mahtzig. The capital is big and thriving, and you’ll find a job easily. It’s better than staying in this small town, right?” Alda said, trying to sound positive but only managing a weak smile. She had once been eager to leave Einburg, but her own journey had ended poorly, and she was now grappling with her decision.

The more Alda spoke, the more uncomfortable she seemed. Asking Andric to leave made the idea seem real, and she was frightened at the thought of him leaving her protection. Despite being fifteen, she still saw him as a vulnerable child.

Andric glanced up at her and then looked away at his hands. He had the strength of a second-stage martialist thanks to his work with the Standing Tortoise Manual, but it wasn’t enough to guarantee his safety in the world. He thought about showing Alda his magic to ease her fears, but he had vowed to keep his abilities hidden, even if it meant letting her worry.

Alda sat down beside him on the bed. “If this is what you want, I can accept it,” Andric said quietly. Alda hugged him, and they sat in silence, both lost in their own thoughts, unsure of what to say next.

For Alda, stability was key. She needed to ensure Andric’s safety and also ease the tension with the townspeople. Keeping him in Einburg meant protection from external threats, but the hostility from within was growing. Sending him away would give him a fresh start and help her move on from the past. But she struggled with the harshness of the decision.

Andric, meanwhile, was thinking about how to handle potential threats. In Hochland, dangerous areas included borders, wilderness, and cities. In the wilderness, magic might be safer to use, but in cities, it would be risky. He was focused on how to deal with opponents, never considering that his mother would be concerned about his safety.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Alda eventually stood up and left the room, and Andric’s future was set.

Over the next week, Alda talked to Andric about the world outside Einburg, and her parents worked with the townspeople to gather enough silver coins for his trip. Joining a merchant caravan to Mahtzig would cost between ten and thirty silver, a sum that could be easily collected from families supportive of Andric’s departure.

While Alda’s parents and the townspeople organized his departure, Andric stayed in his room, practicing and memorizing the Standing Tortoise Manual. He decided not to take it with him, feeling it was something he should return once he was done.

The manual was overly wordy, so Andric spent time simplifying it, especially the parts related to the Novice and Apprentice realms. With the manual committed to memory, he sought out Instructor Hubert for clarification on things he didn’t understand. Unfortunately, while Hubert had Spirit Sight, his martial skills were lacking, so many of Andric’s questions went unanswered or were met with guesses.

By the end of the week, Andric learned that the next caravan would arrive in twenty-seven days. This news made his preparations feel somewhat premature. With so much time left, he could continue his training, but he also anticipated that the townspeople’s hostility might escalate.

A group of youths gathered outside Instructor Hubert’s classroom after a lesson, discussing Andric. One of them, a member of Audovacar’s group, said, “If Andric doesn’t know how to fight, how is he going to protect himself?”

“Hagano is right. We should help him out,” Audovacar agreed, as if he had anticipated Hagano’s point.

Around twenty youths surrounded Audovacar and his gang. The crowd included students of various ages, mostly younger than sixteen. The older ones persuaded the younger ones to stay and watch. While the younger youths had mixed feelings about Andric, they were influenced by the town’s general sentiment.

Andric tried to walk past them. “If you want to spar, pick someone your own level,” he said, pointing to a seven-year-old child in the crowd named Alfbern.

Audovacar and his group did not appreciate the comparison to a child. Audovacar responded, “If you can take five moves from me, I’ll agree that you don’t need any pointers.”

Five moves might sound brief, but in martial arts, it was a significant amount of time. Andric had no formal martial techniques, unlike Audovacar, who knew the Ground Plowing Stomp. The advantage was clear.

“What’s the point of your concession if we’re already fighting?” Andric asked, ready for any attack.

The youths of Einburg were predictable. In his previous life, Andric would have let his pride get in the way. In this life, he had more pressing concerns. With less than a month left, he preferred to resolve conflicts peacefully.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” a female voice called out. Andric turned to see Miss Erminhilt scolding the group of youths.

“Ah, Miss Erminhilt, we weren’t doing anything,” a youth said quickly. No one wanted to cross Miss Erminhilt, who was not only beautiful but also highly respected.

“We were just having some fun!” another boy added. Miss Erminhilt’s presence was enough to shift the balance, and most youths would side with her if it meant avoiding trouble.

Miss Erminhilt was admired by every adolescent male in town. In a place where eligible women were scarce, she stood out. Despite being nineteen and still single, she was highly sought after. In another life, she could have been a prominent consort, but here, she remained in Einburg.

To many, Andric’s association with Miss Erminhilt was a major offense. More than his origins, the fact that he was friends with her was seen as his greatest transgression.