A way to go travel

Carfey Lane City

Carfey Lane is one of the six major cities, and it is also known as the city that triumphed in the war that people now refer to as the great calamity that happened 50 years ago. Due to various circumstances, the city's fifth ruler passed away from an unknown illness, and after his death, a man in his 40s named Carjura Vence became the sixth ruler of Carfey Lane.

In the present day, Carfey Lane has become one of the most visited cities by merchants and travelers. It is also well known for its food. Until now, the city had remained peaceful without any major incidents, but recently, two significant incidents took place: a bank robbery and an attack by a wild wolf.

Due to these incidents, the city's security has been doubled, and the screening process for travelers has also been increased. The three robbers—James, Mark, and Bony—were captured by the city's protectors. However, they were unaware that the James they captured was actually Perogoutis in disguise. The real James was hiding somewhere in the city.

Today is the day we set off for the city called Matorix. I was so excited last night that I couldn't even sleep. We'll head to Matorix, and I'll search for a way to return to my original world, which is my ultimate goal.

Right now, Vanniez and I have left the inn in the city and are waiting for Sero at the city gate. I think it's around 5 AM right now.

A merchant cart finally arrived at our location. The person driving the cart got off and greeted us.

"Yo! Am I late?"

Huh? His appearance... Is he a child? He looks smaller than me.

Vanniez responded,

 "It's fine. We're waiting for one more person."

..The way these two are talking, it's like they’re already close friends. Does Vanniez also talk to kids like they’re adults too?

Anyway, I should go greet him too.

"Yo! My name's Yota. Nice to meet you."

I said to the kid, and he responded,

"Yo, a face I haven’t seen before. My name’s Charollo. Nice to meet you, kid."

"Kid?"

Wait… Does this guy think I’m younger than him? Or do people in this world just not care about age?

After a while, Sero finally arrived, carrying her huge backpack.

"Sorry for being late!" she said.

Vanniez and I looked at her massive bag and couldn't help but feel a little exhausted just from the sight of it.

Along with Sero, her younger sister Amy and Historia had also come along. But I didn’t see her grandpa, Jin Rolan. Maybe he was busy or something?

"What did you pack in your bag?" Vanniez asked.

Sero smiled and answered, "Just the essentials I’ll need."

Vanniez and I took a glance into her bag, and most of the stuff seemed unnecessary for the journey.

"Idiot! You can’t carry all of this!" Vanniez exclaimed. 

"And what’s with this huge outfit??"

Sero listened to Vanniez and proudly replied,

 "Ahem, that’s a $120 outfit, you know. Whether it’s raining or snowing, when you wear it, the temperature adjusts to your body. Plus, it's great for combat. If I get hit by anything, it acts as armor to protect me!"

(Though, I’m not sure how well it’ll actually hold up…)

"Armor? You can just do those things with your own magic. This stuff isn’t necessary," 

Vanniez said in a disappointed tone.

"Uh-uh, these items will make me feel like a proper traveler," Sero replied.

Vanniez, refusing to accept that, allowed her to carry just a few of the items. Sero, unable to argue, continued to bicker with Vanniez for a while.

Their argument was interrupted by Historia, who stepped in to speak up.

"Sero… You should listen to Vanniez. Carrying so much gear with such a big bag will make the journey uncomfortable. Plus, it could become a burden to others."

Hearing this, Sero looked a little down. Eventually, she accepted their words and started removing unnecessary items from her bag. 

She still carried the $120 outfit, but Vanniez stopped her and handed the outfit to Historia.

"Ahhh! My $120 outfit!!"

We all looked at Sero and couldn’t help but laugh. Historia walked over to Sero, who seemed a little down, and spoke softly,

"Sero, here… for you."

Historia placed a small, glowing pendant in Sero’s hand.

"This pendant belonged to your mother. She wore it all the time when she was young, and it holds many memories of her. This spirit pendant will keep you safe on your journey."

"At first, your grandpa was supposed to give it to you, but I think he knows you're leaving this city, yet his heart still isn’t ready for it."

Sero heard her words, and a wave of sadness rushed over her. She hugged Historia tightly. Amy also came over to them and joined in.

“'Thank you, sis-Historia. Thanks for all the care you’ve shown us up until today.”

..

"Eh? Are you crying? Wow, that really hit me in the heart."

"What? No! Idiot, who’s crying? I wasn’t crying...," 

Sero said, but we could tell that her eyes were tearing up.

The sun was gradually setting. We said our goodbyes to Historia and Amy and climbed onto the merchant's cart, heading towards the city's final gate.

 Inside our cart, we had many bundles of goods, and we successfully passed through the city's last checkpoint.

 Finally, we had left Carfey Lane behind. Sero gazed at the city, and I could understand her feelings well. Leaving behind the world she had always known and deciding to step into the unknown was not an easy decision.

"What's wrong? Are you already regretting leaving?" 

Sero looked at me and responded.

 "If I say I don't feel any regret, it would be a lie," 

she continued.

 "But there’s nothing that can stop me from reaching my goal. For me, traveling is about creating good memories in my life. Also, I want to see the place my mother always wanted me to visit."

Vanniez listened to our conversation, then moved closer to me and whispered,

 “You know… elves live much longer than you. Even if you were to die, they would still be able to go on with their lives as if nothing happened.”

Hearing his words, I couldn't help but think, Ah… that’s true.

Sero, on the other hand, looked at the two of us whispering and seemed confused.

As we traveled, the world around us looked beautiful under the shining sun. Not too far from us, we saw towering trees, vast fields of lush green grass, and breathtaking lakes. These were sights rare to see in my world.

..But seriously… I really don’t like rough roads.

Vanniez and Sero were resting, while Charollo kept driving the merchant wagon, continuing our journey. That kid sure is hardworking.

Meanwhile, my thoughts were drifting elsewhere. Was I feeling homesick? To be honest, what really lingered in my mind was that so-called 'Meteorize' or whatever it was called. In this vast world… would I really be able to find that mysterious stone?

..

Alright, alright… No more negative thoughts. I should only focus on the positive. I will find that stone, no matter what. And once I do, I'll return home.

When I finally get back to my world… I won't do anything crazy anymore. I'll just live quietly and focus on my studies.

After traveling for quite some time, a sound suddenly came from the storage area at the back of our merchant wagon.

All of us heard it, and Charollo immediately stopped the wagon.

Sero and Vanniez were already on high alert, ready to attack as they stared in that direction.

Seriously… What in the world had been following us this whole time?

The shaking cargo finally stopped moving, and then—someone emerged from inside.

"Ahh, we finally made it out of that city. What a relief,"

the person said, stretching.

"For a moment, I seriously thought I was gonna suffocate to death in there, buried under all that stuff.”

That person… he had secretly snuck into our wagon before we even left Carfey Lane.

And not just anyone—he was James Tori, one of the culprits who robbed the Carfey Lane bank!

I recognized him instantly.

This guy… he’s the same person I saw the other day!

Sero also noticed that this guy looked exactly like the one who attacked her in city the day before.

Realizing it at the same time, both of us shouted—

"Vanniez! He’s a criminal!”

"Yota! Vanniez-san! That guy is dangerous!"

James looked at both of us and froze for a moment.

"Huh? What are you guys talking about?"

 he said, blinking in confusion. Then, as if recognizing me, he smirked.

 "Ohh… aren’t you that ‘Four Eyes’ from the other day?"

"Who are you calling Four Eyes?!?" 

I snapped back instantly.

James looked at Sero, raising an eyebrow. 

“And... Who are you, young lady? Do I know you?”

 he asked, his tone full of curiosity.

Sero shot him an intense glare, her eyes full of anger.

 “What, are you pretending to be stupid now?”

 she snapped, her patience clearly wearing thin.

Then, Sero paused for a moment, as if suddenly realizing something, and her expression shifted to one of deep thought. 

(“Wait a minute... Wasn't he sent to prison by Rohan-san that day?”)

 She furrowed her brow.

(“How did he get out of there? And he doesn’t have any injuries from that day…”)

(“The strangest thing is, his spirit is not the same as the person I fought that day... Seriously... What is going on?”)

James looked at her and asked,

 “What are you talking about, young lady? Isn’t this the first time we've met? Hmm, I’ve been in Carfey Lane for about six days, yet I’ve never seen you before... The only thing I’ve done is break into the city's bank with my associates.”

He spoke carelessly, not noticing the dangerous words he had just let slip.

Vanniez heard those words and responded,

 “So, you're one of the three who broke into the bank?”

James seemed taken aback for a moment, trying to come up with an excuse, but before he could, Sero used her ice powers and hurled an icy attack at him.

James, with his ability to foresee his future for 30 seconds, managed to dodge the ice just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack.

James was taken aback by Sero's swift ice powers, his eyes widening in shock.

 “Hey! Are you trying to kill me, girl?!”

Sero locked eyes with him, preparing for another strike. She then spoke coldly, 

“Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. I'll just make you pass out and send you straight back to prison... I, Jin Sero, will personally make sure you're locked up!”

Sero was about to strike James again with her ice powers, but Challro quickly stepped in front of her and stopped her.

”You fools!! Are you trying to destroy my precious wagon?!” he yelled.

Vanniez looked at Sero and told her to stop. Although she was filled with anger, she didn’t want to cause any more trouble for the others, so she halted her attack. Vanniez then walked toward James and said,

 “We won’t put your life in danger, but if you want to come with us, you’ll need to accept our terms. If you refuse, we’ll leave you here in this deserted place.”

James, realizing he had no other option, reluctantly accepted Vanniez's offer.

After some time, we resumed our journey. We allowed James to accompany us, tying him tightly at the corner of the wagon. James sat there, looking disappointed. 

Sero, still filled with anger, sat some distance away from him. I, too, didn’t want to sit next to James, so we all chose to stay away from him.

James looked at both of us and said,

 “You know, I didn’t mean to cause trouble. Look, I know we made a mistake by robbing the bank, and I get it. But–”

 Before James could continue, Sero gave him a dead stare and interrupted,

 “Okay, fine… whatever.”  James stopped talking immediately.

I let out small sighs and continued to stare outside. We traveled on in silence, and ahead of us, dark, stormy clouds greeted us.