Chapter 8 - The Journey

Wesley continued his exploration of the backroads with great excitement and anticipation at what he might find. He felt immense appreciation toward Orion for the map he had given him, as these backroads were a giant web of interconnected paths that went one way at first, then immediately turned another. This meant that if you didn’t know the roads well, or didn’t have a map like Wesley, you were certain to get lost.

Most people stayed away from these backroads for many reasons. First, all the major cities of the kingdom were located along the main road, making it pointless to venture into the backroads. Second, the backroads were known as hotbeds for all sorts of bandits and cutthroats, making most people reluctant to travel there.

This made Wesley even happier to be here, as the lack of constant human contact allowed the forests to prosper and the animals to roam freely. Wesley, who had rarely left the confines of the palace, was even more amazed at how beautiful nature truly was. So, Wesley continued his exploration of the treasures in this hidden world for a whole week.

However, despite his fascination with the beauties and wonders hidden in this forgotten place, Wesley was not wandering aimlessly without regard to his destination. In fact, he was slowly but steadily heading toward Blackreach City. Blackreach City was his ultimate destination, but Wesley was in no rush to get there. He marked a few spots on his map to visit along the way.

These places were naturally villages and towns located within the backroads, as not everyone could live in the major cities along the main road. Most of these towns and villages were inhabited by farmers, hunters, or miners.

Naturally, Wesley wasn’t going to miss the chance to visit some of these places. Having lived all his life in Holt Castle, a bustling metropolitan city, he longed to see how life in a small village compared to such large cities. He also wanted to enjoy some more roasted rabbit. Furthermore, he was keen to learn more about these backroads. Although his map was quite helpful, he recognized that it couldn’t show everything, so it only made sense to ask the people who actually lived in the area.

His most immediate destination was a town named Dustine. He noticed on the map that it had two rivers running through it, meaning it was likely either a fishing or farming village. Besides being the closest town to his location, Wesley was also eager to try some fish dishes.

The town was not too far away, around ten miles or so, so Wesley reached it around noon. The entire town was surrounded by a ten-foot-tall wooden barricade, with a few guard towers facing the road. The main gate was also made of wood, but it had iron bracings and spikes protruding from its top. Two guards stood to the sides of the main gate, each holding a long spear.

As Wesley approached the gate, he noticed that both guards were dozing off. This almost made him burst out laughing because, from a distance, one would think they were both dutifully doing their jobs. The fact that they were able to sleep while still managing to look like they were standing at attention meant they were well accustomed to this routine.

Seeing this spectacle made Wesley snicker. His snicker immediately startled one of the guards from his nap. The guard looked around in a daze, but then his gaze fell on Wesley, who was standing no more than five feet away, trying to suppress his laughter. The guard, who appeared to be in his early twenties, felt embarrassed by Wesley’s reaction, and that embarrassment quickly turned into anger. He pointed his spear at Wesley and shouted as loudly as he could:

"Stop right there. Who are you?"

"Haha, Mister Guard, I am just a traveler passing through," Wesley replied.

The guard’s shout woke the other guard. This one appeared to be a little older, around thirty or forty. He looked around in a daze at first, then saw Wesley laughing and the younger guard looking embarrassed. It didn’t take long for the older guard to understand the situation. He started laughing and spoke in a deep, amused voice:

"Haha, traveler, it seems you caught us in an embarrassing position."

This caused both the older guard and Wesley to laugh together.

The younger guard, feeling even more embarrassed and angry, roared:

"Captain, he must be a bandit trying to sneak into our town!"

The captain, still laughing with Wesley, replied:

"Does he really look like a bandit? Also, if he were a bandit, he would have already killed us while we were dozing. Tell me, young traveler, why have you come to our village?"

"Haha, Captain, I needed a place to rest, and I also wanted to taste some fish dishes," Wesley laughed heartily.

"Well, you’re in luck, young traveler. Our town is famous for its fish dishes. My name is Kader, and this hotheaded fellow is my junior, Sern."

"Nice to meet you, Kader and Sern. My name is Wesley," Wesley grinned, his smile widening when he mentioned Sern's name, which only made the younger guard angrier.

"Well, don’t just stand there, little Wesley. Let me take you to the inn so you can try our dishes."

"Ah, yes. Let’s go."

"Stand guard here, Sern. I’ll send someone to keep you company, so try not to fall asleep until then." This made Kader laugh even louder, while Sern’s face turned bright red.

- - - - - - - - - -

As Wesley and Kader walked along the main road, Wesley noticed that most of the shops lining the street were closed. A large number of people sat along the roadside—mostly women and children—each wearing a look of deep despair. Wesley knew these towns, far from the main road, were isolated and poor, but he hadn't expected the situation to be this dire.

The sight of the people scattered across the street, their faces twisted in agony, made Wesley’s stomach churn. He had lived his entire life without worrying about such hardships, and seeing these people sit there, dejected, filled him with a profound sense of guilt. He understood that the world was never fair—that no matter what was done, there would always be someone, somewhere, suffering. But nothing was being done for these people. While nobles and royals like him lived in their grand castles and cities, these people were starving right under their feet.

The scene in front of Wesley saddened him deeply. His smile faded instantly, replaced by a deep frown as he watched the children and women with their heads bowed or hidden between their knees. Kader noticed the change in Wesley’s expression and frowned as well. He patted Wesley's shoulder, speaking gently:

"Don’t be like that, little Wesley. This is the state of all minor towns in the Kingdom."

"Why?" Wesley spoke without even looking at Kader, his voice rough, as though he could barely force the words out.

"It’s because we’re far from the main road," Kader explained. "No merchants come through here. We manage to sustain ourselves with farming and fishing, but it’s only enough to survive."

Wesley’s voice grew sharp with anger. "What about the lord of this town? Why isn’t he doing anything?"

Kader hesitated for a moment before responding, careful not to say anything rash in front of the traveler. He sighed before speaking again.

"The lord is currently residing in Sater Castle. This town has nothing to offer him." Kader's voice was laced with frustration, though he spoke with restraint.

Wesley was left speechless. The lord of the town was enjoying his life in another place while his people starved and suffered. It was beyond comprehension. A fierce anger surged within Wesley, and his eyes flashed with a cold light as he imagined what such a person truly deserved.

Kader, sensing Wesley’s reaction, felt anger rise within him as well. What made him even angrier was that this young child—who appeared to be no older than ten—understood their suffering, while their own lord ignored them. But there was nothing they could do about it, so Kader shook his head and tried to lighten the mood.

"Come, little Wesley. You haven’t tasted our fish delicacies yet." Kader’s voice was tinged with pity, and a half-smile formed on his face as he pulled Wesley toward the inn.

Upon entering the inn, they found it nearly empty except for a few guards. Kader led Wesley to a table occupied by two of them. As Kader approached, the guards immediately stood at attention. He smiled and said:

"Mel, Set, go relieve Sern at the main gate. He looks like he’s about to fall asleep."

The two guards saluted and quickly left the inn. Kader sat down at the table and motioned for Wesley to join him.

"Mark, two of your best fish dishes, please."

The man named Mark, who was standing behind the counter, simply nodded and disappeared into the back. Kader then turned to Wesley, his expression softening.

"Tell me, little Wesley, where are you headed?"

Wesley, who seemed lost in thought, looked up at Kader.

"Uh... Blackreach City."

"Oh, Blackreach City. Now that’s a place to visit. I’ve heard they have every kind of delicacy there. What takes you there?"

"I’m planning on attending school there, though it’s a bit of a hassle."

Kader paused, considering Wesley’s words. Going to school was impressive enough, but traveling all the way to Blackreach City for it was even more remarkable, especially given how expensive everything there could be. For a moment, Kader wondered if Wesley might be the son of some noble, but he quickly dismissed the thought. No noble’s child would be traveling alone in such ragged, dirty clothes.

Kader kept talking, sharing stories of his time in the army, his little son, how he met his wife, and even the time he was chased by a bear. His conversation flowed so easily that Wesley felt as though he had known him for years. Wesley listened intently, sharing a bit about his own family—though he refrained from mentioning that he was the second prince.

After hours of eating and chatting with Kader, Wesley decided it was time to continue his journey. The sun was still a few hours from setting, but Wesley preferred to keep moving. Most travelers would stay in the town overnight, but Wesley needed to refine his skills in solitude, far from others. Kader didn’t understand why Wesley was leaving so late and tried to persuade him to stay.

"Little Wesley, are you sure you need to leave now?"

"Haha, old man Kader, Blackreach City is still far. I can’t stay in one place too long or I’ll miss my examination."

"But you might run into bandits. They often roam these parts," Kader said, hoping to scare Wesley into staying.

"Old man Kader, I made it here on my own, didn’t I? If I couldn’t avoid bandits, I would have died days ago."

"I see." Kader sighed, feeling helpless. "Well, I won’t keep you then. Just... be careful."

"I will. Thank you, old man Kader. I’ll make sure to visit again, and when I do, you’ll treat me to more of your fish. Hahaha!"

"Haha, of course. Now go."

"Goodbye then."

- - - - - - - - -

Wesley continued his journey for two more weeks. During this time, he visited around four towns after Dustine, and at every village, he saw the same scenes he had witnessed in Dustine. A multitude of people sat aimlessly on the streets while the lords of these towns, absent, enjoyed the comforts of their wealth.

This sight made his heart clench, and his opinion of the Ject Kingdom and its nobles sank to an all-time low. In fact, he felt tremendous disgust at the thought of being in any way related to these lowly beings called nobles.

While Wesley was consumed by extreme rage and anger, a few bandit groups attempted to rob him, only to find themselves minus a head. Of course, killing a few bandits wasn’t enough to settle the raging emotions in Wesley’s heart, so he would keep one bandit alive and torture him until he revealed the location of their lair. He would then proceed to wipe out any bandits he found at the site.

Fortunately, Wesley eventually reached Blackreach City.

Its giant, thirty-foot-tall walls, which seemed to shine under the sun, and its bustling streets filled with all sorts of counters and shops, were not enough to distract him.

In fact, Wesley felt that his entire outlook on life had been altered forever. He had believed that he couldn’t do anything for everyone, but that only made him more and more depressed. The fact that he, who had enough power to kill a hundred men, lacked the power to help all those children, seemed almost like a cruel joke.