A way to go travel

Morning had arrived, and as usual, the morning scenery of Carfey Lane was truly beautiful and refreshing. I woke up from my bed and saw that Vanniez was still fast asleep. Looks like he won’t be waking up early today.

After a while, someone knocked on our room door. That person asked for permission to enter, and assuming they were a room service staff member, I allowed them in.

The person who entered the room wasn’t a room service staff but Jin Sero. I was startled by her sudden entry into my room and was momentarily frozen in surprise.

"S-sero? Why are you here? And how did you find out that we were staying here?"

Sero smiled and said, 

"Who do you think I am? I know every corner of this city. To find out where you guys were staying, I just asked one of my contacts for help. Hehe!"

I felt a bit worried. 

“Was it really okay to ask for help like that? That’s honestly kind of creepy…”

Sero laughed and replied,

"Creepy? No, it’s not like that! Doing things this way is totally fine as long as we have the officials' permission. My grandfather has the authority for this, you know!"

"...So why did you come here? Did you finally decide to travel with us after all?"

..

“Mhm” 

I said those words, but I didn't expect her answer to be an acceptance. I was a bit startled and shocked.

“ Eh? Really? “

Suddenly, Vanniez got up from his bed and also looked surprised. “What??”

..

I looked at Vanniez and asked, 

“Vanniez, since when have you been awake? If you're awake, you should have said something.” 

“..I just said now”

“So, what do you think? Can I join your journey too? I’m stronger than you think—an Elf who has inherited the powers of the Jin family!” 

Sero said proudly. 

Vanniez just sighed, and I lost my words. However, it would be bad if I refused to let her join our journey, so I decided to accept it without thinking. I was expecting Vanniez to look at me with an angry face after I said that, but his reaction was more like agreeing to let Sero join.

Sero was delighted to be accepted into the group. However, after a moment, her expression turned serious, and she said,

 “But… there’s one thing.”

 Sero then told us about her grandfather’s condition.

"What!? We have to fight against a retired hero from Carfey Lane city?!?"

 I was stunned after hearing what she said. Do I really have to fight someone like that? Someone who has no magic power, someone who doesn't have any fighting skills like me?

Vanniez spoke to me from behind, saying, 

"Yota, your voice is too loud." 

After hearing Vanniez, I thought for a moment. Right, Vanniez is with me, and I've seen Vanniez’s combat skills. He’s a strong person, so... maybe I don’t need to fight. Maybe I can just let him handle it?

 Vanniez looked at my face, which seemed to be thinking like that, and seemed a little uneasy,

Sero smiled and said,

 "Don’t worry too much. Even though we have to fight against a retired hero, it's more like a training session. My grandpa definitely won’t be fighting to the death." 

I listened to her and, with full trust, I give her a thumbs up. 

"Don’t worry, we’ll definitely beat him!."

"I told you, you don't need to fight for real."  She said in a low tone.

Vanniez and I got ready and followed Sero behind. After walking for about 10 minutes through Carfey Lane city, we finally reached the training ground. 

We entered the training hall and saw an older elf standing in front of us. His posture suggested that he had been waiting for us, and upon looking closely, it seemed like he was Sero’s grandfather.

 Ah... even though I don’t have the sensory powers like other elves, I could still tell that this person would be quite tough. 

But it's fine... it’s manageable. I have someone to rely on, and that someone is Vanniez.

A voice said, ”Ah, they are the two travelers from the other day.”

Vanniez and I heard the voice from the upper spot of the training hall and looked up. When we did, we saw the elf girl who had taken care of me when I first arrived in Carfey Lane city. If I remember correctly, her name is Historia. 

Then, there was a little elf girl next to her, who seemed to be Sero's younger sister, as she had mentioned the other day.

I smiled at Historia-san and waved my hand. Sero, who was next to us, spoke up,

“This is my older sister, Historia. She’s not from our family, but for various reasons, she has been living with us.”

“The little girl next to her is my younger sister, Jin Amy.”

Standing in front of us, Sero’s grandfather, “Aham” , made a sound, and we turned to look at him. 

He introduced himself,

“My name is Jin Rolan, a retired hero of Carfey Lane. Currently, I own a small shop in the city.”

“The reason I invited you both today is just as Sero mentioned—I want to test your strength. That’s why, as an older person, I, Jin Rolan, invite you to fight alongside me.” 

Vanniez and I listened to what Jin Rolan said, and then Vanniez spoke up,

“My name is Vanniez. Currently, I am a traveler, but I’m strong enough to fight against evil people. And, well... regarding the wild wolf incident that happened the other night, I personally handled it.” 

 I looked at Vanniez with a disappointed expressionVanniez, that dude... I didn’t know he was that kind of refined person.

Jin Rolan listened to what Vanniez said and nodded. Then he looked at me and asked,

“What about you, boy?”

I heard this and suddenly became worried, replying, 

“My name is Asa... No, wait... Yota. Currently, I am... a traveler.”

 Ah, I can't speak like Vanniez. I've never fought an enemy like he has. Then, something popped into my head—about the night I met the person who had robbed the city bank, and I said, 

“I made the robber from the other day freak out and run away!”

Well, I didn’t exactly make him run away like that, but at least I did assist that elf officer just a little.

Jin Rolan listened to what I said and nodded. Then he said, 

“So, shall we begin?”

“I, Jin Rolan, will start the training with the boy named Yota.” 

I heard this and suddenly freaked out.

“Eh? No, wait... I think there’s been some misunderstanding... It’s not me who’s fighting, it’s this guy here,” 

I said, pointing at Vanniez. I poked Vanniez with my elbow, and Jin Rolan responded, 

“I will fight that guy, and I will fight you too. I want to see both of your abilities.”

 Vanniez and I were both a little nervous, and I continued,

“Umm, actually... I don’t really have the strength to fight today. After dealing with that robber the other day, I’m not feeling at my best.”

Jin Rolan didn’t listen to my reasons and immediately started the training.

“Get ready, start!”

 Vanniez and Sero quietly stepped away from me and went to watch from a distance, observing our fight. Although Vanniez was worried about me, But he didn’t want to argue with Jin Rolan, so he didn’t say anything. Sero smiled at me and said, “Good luck!” 

At that moment, I thought to myself,

 I'm dead.

..

I know this is just training, but I’ve never fought against someone before, so I felt a bit scared.Even when I was in school, I never had conflicts with my friends. 

Now, I’m supposed to fight someone who’s not only older but also ten times stronger than me, a hero of the city? I am starting to think that accepting Sero into our group was a mistake.

Jin Rolan looked at me for a moment, then suddenly started moving swiftly. He didn’t come directly toward me but was moving around me like a flash, all around me. 

His movements were so fast that I couldn’t keep up, and I kept looking around, wondering if he would come from the left, the right, or from behind. My mind was in chaos.

Suddenly, something intense flew from behind me and struck my back forcefully. Ah—did he just hit me?? No! It’s not that... there’s nothing! He threw something at me. What was it? A stone? No, it was just a blast of wind he hurled at me with his power... Ah... that really hurts…

Jin Rolan continued to move swiftly around me, and I still couldn’t control my fear. This time... where is he coming from?

 No... stay calm... I need to focus and predict where the next attack might come from. Stay calm... This kind of thing... I’ve seen it in TV shows before. A fast enemy would move around the main character and attack, but the main character would unlock their mental focus and then grab the enemy as they approached and defeat them.

 I... maybe I can unlock some kind of mental strength, just like that main character. Stay calm... I closed my eyes and tried to predict where Jin Rolan would strike from, considering where he might attack next.

Historia, Sero, and her younger sister Amy, along with Vanniez, were watching our fight. Vanniez noticed that I had closed my eyes and said,

“What is he trying to do?”

Suddenly, I noticed that the speed of Jin Rolan’s movements had slowed down a bit. I quickly opened my eyes and reached forward. 

”There you are!!”

Unfortunately, even though I reached out to my front, no one was there. Jin Rolan appeared behind me and, using an even stronger force than before, punched me. I was launched into the air for a second and fell to the ground. 

That was the first time in my life that I experienced being punched by someone else.

I blacked out.

Jin Rolan looked at me and seemed disappointed. Sero and Vanniez came down and carried me away.

Part 2

While I was unconscious, the fight between Vanniez and Jin Rolan began. “Don’t disappoint me like that kid,” 

“Show me what you’re capable of.”

Jin Rolan said. 

Vanniez prepared himself for battle, while Historia was treating my injuries. Sero and Amy continued watching the fight between Vanniez and Jin Rolan.Vanniez was the first to strike, flashing toward Jin Rolan and attempting to punch him. However, Jin Rolan didn’t dodge—he took the hit directly. Vanniez was stunned and asked,

“What are you doing? Why didn’t you dodge?” 

Jin Rolan touched the spot on his back where Vanniez had hit him and replied,

 “I wanted to see how strong you are. Based on that punch... you’re done.”

“ Do you really think you can defeat an enemy with such a weak attack?” 

Then, with a smirk, he added,

 “Because of Sero, I’ll give you one more chance. Try again—this time, make me feel it!”

Vanniez smirked at Jin Rolan’s words.

”So, you’re underestimating me.” 

He let out a deep breath, preparing himself for another attack. Clenching his fist tightly, he flashed forward with incredible speed, aiming straight for Jin Rolan’s stomach.

However, just as his punch was about to land, Jin Rolan reacted in an instant—grabbing Vanniez’s wrist mid-strike. Before Vanniez could process what had happened, Jin Rolan used his strength to slam him into the ground with force, leaving a shockwave in the air.

Vanniez felt the impact of being slammed into the ground. Everything had happened too fast—so fast that he couldn't even process what just occurred. For a moment, his mind was blank.

 He pushed himself off the ground and stood up straight, locking eyes with Jin Rolan.

“What was that for?’ Vanniez demanded. ‘Didn’t you just say you wanted to feel pain? Then why the hell did you suddenly attack without saying anything?”

Jin Rolan looked at him and said, 

“You’re too trusting. You might be the only one who would trust the enemy in battle.”

Vanniez got a little mad at his words and said, 

“This isn’t a real fight! It’s just training!”

Jin Rolan listened, then gave a slight nod. 

“‘That’s true. This is just training. But if all you focus on is raw strength, you’ll never truly win. You need to think, strategize, and understand how to dominate your opponent.”

Vanniez opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, Jin Rolan cut him off.

“‘That being said… you pass, Vanniez. And because of that, I’ll allow Sero to join your group.” 

Sero heard that her grandfather had finally given his permission, and she became overjoyed. Then she said,

 "Grandpa, you can't take back the words you just said, okay?"

Vanniez, feeling a bit confused, couldn’t understand how he had succeeded in the training.

Historia walked over to Vanniez and said, 

“Congratulations, green-haired boy.”

Vanniez looked at Historia and said, 

“Thank you,” but in his heart, he was still dissatisfied.

After a while, Vanniez carried me—still half-conscious—from the training hall, trying not to disturb me further. He was about to leave, but before he did, he looked at Sero and said, 

“Tomorrow, at 6:00 AM, we’ll be leaving from here. Make sure to be on time.”

Saying that, Vanniez carried me out of the training hall.

Sero was overjoyed and excited, and she returned home with her sister, Amy. Meanwhile, Historia, who remained in the training hall, looked at Jin Rolan and asked, 

"Was it because of Sero that he won, or did he really win because he’s strong?"

Jin Rolan looked at the entrance of the training hall and replied,

 "Historia… When that boy tried to strike a second time, I felt a dangerous sense of awareness in my instincts. It was something that almost threatened my senses."

Jin Rolan looked at Historia and continued,

 "His power is similar to the kind of person we encountered in a battle 50 years ago. And that scared me."

Historia, hearing Jin Rolan's words, asked anxiously,

 "Did you really give Sero permission to travel with someone like that, a person with such dangerous power?"

Jin Rolan responded,

 "That kid's spirit doesn't feel like one with dangerous intent. If we're lucky, Sero could become stronger with his help."

..

Vanniez, who was carrying me to the lodging while I was still unconscious, felt a bit confused in his mind. 

He pushed those thoughts aside, focusing only on the journey ahead for tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, as I slowly started to wake up from my sleep, I could feel the sensation of being carried from Vanniez's back. 

"Vanniez? What happened to me?" 

I asked, still feeling groggy.

"You finally woke up, huh? You fought with that elf, Jin Rolan, and blacked out for an hour."

 I started to remember the fight between Jin Rolan and me.

 "Right... I lost that training battle. Ugh... Vanniez, please teach me some magical powers to fight!!"

I started moving around as Vanniez carried me.

 "Idiot, stop!" He said.

 I stopped, chuckling.

 "What about you, Vanniez? How did you do in training?”

“ What?? You won?!? Haha, I knew you would! Now Sero is going to join our group, huh? It's going to be fun!"

"So, where are we going next? Matorix, right? MATORIX, RIGHT??"

Vanniez let out a deep sigh and replied, 

"Yes, Matorix City."

I took a moment to process that and then smiled, feeling happy. Afterward, I moved again, and Vanniez, clearly annoyed, said,

 "Dude, I said keep it down!"

Vanniez and I enjoyed the beautiful sunset of Carfey Lane city as we walked back to the lodging.