Chapter 48.1: The Journey
Armored Dragon Calendar Year 418 – Claude, Age 13
[Narrator]
The Holy Sword Highway stretched before them like a miracle frozen in time.
Legend claimed Saint Milis himself had created this road centuries ago. Channeling divine power through his blade to carve a perfectly straight path through the verdant chaos of the Great Forest. The ancient magic still resonated in the stone beneath their wheels.
Potent enough that nature itself bowed in reverence.
Though seasonal floods submerged the surrounding forest floor, the highway remained mysteriously dry. No monster dared approach this sanctified path.
An invisible barrier kept predators at bay, as if the saint's will still guarded travelers after all these centuries.
The Dedoldia tribe had been extraordinarily generous in their preparations. They provided everything necessary for the long journey: a sturdy carriage pulled by two robust horses, travel expenses totaling five Milis Gold Coins and five Milis Silver Coins, and consumable goods enough to last the entire trip.
With such provisions, they could bypass Saint Port entirely and travel directly to the Milis capital.
"Alright, let's depart," Ruijerd announced.
Just as the group prepared to leave, a familiar figure appeared, sauntering toward them with an easy gait. His simian features contorted into what could only be described as an opportunistic grin.
"Weell~, I just thought it was about time I return to Milis." The newcomer drawled. "It was just in time. Take me along as well."
Geese hopped onto the carriage without waiting for permission.
"Oh, if it isn't Geese..." Rudeus remarked.
"You're following along as well..." Eris added, seemingly unbothered.
Curiously, neither voiced any objection to his presence.
Claude, however, fixed the monkey-faced man with a penetrating stare. His jaw set.
Inside him, something stirred with conflicting assessments.
Something methodical catalogued patterns. Information broker. Human God apostle. Unpredictable variable. Multiple timeline outcomes diverged from this point.
Something sharper pushed for immediate action. Threat. Every moment of hesitation increased risk.
Something older, weighted with experience, read it differently. He had cultivated relationships with everyone. Removing him changed nothing—another apostle would simply take his place. Better the variable you could observe.
In fractured memories spanning a thousand timelines, this man played many roles. Sometimes an ally, more often a dangerous catalyst whose complications rippled outward with devastating consequences.
The dissonance between these conflicting memories made Claude's temple throb.
"Alright, then let's depart!" Ruijerd called out with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.
The carriage lurched forward, wooden wheels crunching against the mystically preserved road surface.
As they began to pull away, emotional farewells played out in stark contrast.
Eris turned back toward the gathering of beast people, tears streaming down her face as she gazed at Minitona and the others. The usually temperamental girl displaying genuine emotion, a testament to how much she had grown during their stay.
The blacksmith apprentices trained by Claude presented a markedly different scene. These grown men sobbed uncontrollably.
Biting their handkerchiefs like wives left behind by seafaring husbands. Several dropped dramatically to their knees, arms outstretched toward the departing carriage, wailing Claude's name with theatrical despair.
Rudeus couldn't suppress a knowing smirk as he glanced at Claude, who could only hold his forehead in embarrassment.
[Claude POV]
The carriage moved at surprising speed along the enchanted highway.
I sat with my back against the wooden side, watching the flooded forest pass by through gaps in the canvas covering.
Water stretched as far as I could see between the massive trees, turning the Great Forest into a vast shallow lake. Yet the road beneath us remained perfectly dry, as if the water couldn't touch Saint Milis's creation.
Geese lounged across from me, that perpetual grin firmly in place. Rudeus sat beside him, expression troubled.
Eris was up front with Ruijerd, guiding the horses.
The monkey-faced man radiated calculated charm. Every movement designed to put others at ease.
I had watched him work during our time in the Dedoldia village,weaving connections with practiced skill, building a network of goodwill that served him now.
Inside me, something continued its analysis.
Something tense remained on edge. Human God's influence ran deep. Every word calculated, every gesture serving a purpose.
Something cooler tracked behaviors, cataloguing micro-expressions. He was gathering information even now. Extremely competent at his role.
Something older pushed back. Fear was controlling the response. Geese was dangerous—but not today. Not on this road. Save the energy for actual threats.
I forced my shoulders to relax, my breathing to steady. We needed to reach Milishion. Geese knew these routes better than anyone, and his presence, however uncomfortable, served our immediate goals.
"Hey-hey, senpai. Don't glare at me like that."
Rudeus blinked, apparently unaware his discontent had been visible. I kept my expression neutral, but continued observing.
Geese leaned close to Rudeus's ear, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that carried anyway in the confined space.
"The one who gave a hand towards senpai's love was me, you know..."
Rudeus's face went through several expressions in rapid succession. Confusion, realization, horror.
"Helper in love, what do you mean..." he demanded.
"I helped you meet with Lord Holy Beast, didn't I..."
"Holy beast..."
The conversation unfolded exactly as memory fragments had suggested. Rudeus processing, comprehension dawning, anger rising.
"Ah." Rudeus's voice went flat.
"It was this man! This man was the criminal!"
"Ho-how did you manage to lead Lord Holy Beast out!"
"That's a trade secret." Geese waved dismissively.
"Well, the guards are idiots, after all. If you cause a bit of a distraction, then bringing him out can be done."
He spoke with such casual confidence, as if nearly causing a diplomatic incident was merely a clever prank.
"Wh-why did you do something as dangerous as that..." Rudeus pressed.
"After all, you like dogs, right..."
"I told you that was a false charge."
"Was that the case... Well, isn't it fine..."
I watched Rudeus's jaw clench, saw his hand move toward his staff. The anger was justified.
Because of Geese's "prank," Rudeus had endured suspicion and hostility from the beast people.
"Ruijerd-san," Rudeus called out suddenly. "Turn around the carriage."
"Why..." came the stoic response from up front.
"We have to turn over the criminal who let out Lord Holy Beast."
"Wha... Wait-wait!"
Genuine panic flashed across Geese's features, the first crack in his calculated demeanor. He lunged forward, attempting to clamp a hand over Rudeus's mouth.
"It's alright, newbie," Rudeus said with cold calm. "I'll properly explain things to you."
"They might throw you into prison nude and hurl cold water at you. But you can endure that much."
"Hey, wait for a second! Are you serious..."
Geese's voice pitched higher.
"Listen well, the one who prepared the carriage was me. Those guys don't have the culture that apologizes for things with objects."
"That's why forgive me!"
The desperation was palpable. I remained silent, watching the dynamic play out.
"Rudeus." Ruijerd's voice cut through the argument.
"What, Ruijerd-san..."
"Forgive him."
"Danna! As expected of Danna!"
Geese exclaimed, relief flooding his features. "Weell~, I've always thought since before that Danna is quite the handsome man!"
Rudeus sighed. "Ruijerd-san."
"Is it fine... This guy is one of those villains you really hate..."
"He probably did it because he thought he was doing it for your sake," Ruijerd replied.
The basis for Ruijerd's judgment puzzled Rudeus, but I understood. Geese had been building toward this moment during all those conversations in the village.
The stories he told Ruijerd, the camaraderie he cultivated, all of it paying dividends now.
"That's right, it was like that, Danna!" Geese seized the opening.
"I did it for senpai's sake! I couldn't have imagined that it would become a serious issue."
"Then I went a bit overboard with it. But I absolutely didn't do it to try and cause problems for anyone!"
Rudeus wavered. During their imprisonment, Geese had offered him a vest without hesitation,a small kindness that left an impression.
I continued my silent observation, mind processing the scene through multiple lenses.
Memory fragments surfaced unbidden:
One timeline: Geese standing over Rudeus's broken body, speaking words never uttered in this reality: "It was never personal, kid. Just following orders."
Another shard: Geese saving Rudeus from certain death, sacrificing himself in the process, final words lost to the roar of collapsing stone.
A third fragment: Geese and Rudeus as allies, fighting back-to-back against overwhelming odds, neither betraying the other.
The contradictions made my head pound. Human God had many apostles across many timelines.
Eliminating Geese now would only hasten another's arrival, potentially accelerating events down darker paths.
So I held back, forcing tense muscles to relax.
"It's fine if you come along," Rudeus finally conceded, "but newbie, aren't you afraid of the Superd race..."
"That can't be." Geese's tone shifted to unexpected seriousness.
"Of course, I'm scared since I'm also of a demon race. The fear of the Superd race starts from the time you're a child. They say they'll eat you."
"I see," Rudeus nodded. "Incidentally, even though Ruijerd looks that way, he's a Superd."
Geese's eyes narrowed, lines deepening with genuine emotion.
"Danna is different. Since he's my life's savior after all."
Ruijerd shook his head slightly,no recollection.
"As expected, you don't remember," Geese continued. "It was 30 years prior, after all."
What followed was a tale so embellished it bordered on parody. Geese recounted their supposed meeting with the cadence of a practiced bard,describing himself as a handsome adventurer departing on a journey, pursued by the pleas of a hundred women.
He spoke of mysterious beauties encountered on the road, of daring escapes and heroic last stands.
The essence, stripped of flourishes, was simple: as a novice adventurer, he had been attacked by a monster and faced certain death until Ruijerd intervened.
"Well, it was something that happened 30 years ago," Geese concluded with a shrug. "There's no reason to especially feel a debt."
He grinned broadly. "The Superd race is scary, but Danna is different."
Ruijerd's expression softened—perpetual blankness giving way to warmth.
"Well. I'm asking to at least join you for a bit...."
"As previous comrades..."
And thus, the monkey-faced man attached himself to our group,not as an official member, but as a self-invited companion until the next town, at least.
I had no intention of making it official. According to superstition, forming a party of four brought misfortune.
More practically, I planned to part ways upon meeting Mike in Milishion,a strategic choice to better manage rescue operations.
As the carriage rolled on, the enchanted highway glittering faintly beneath us, I gazed out at the submerged forest.
Behind my eyes, a storm of fragmented memories competed for dominance,each showing a different outcome for our journey along this road, each whispering contradictory warnings about what awaited ahead.
[Rudeus POV]
The days blurred together on the Holy Sword Highway.
We maintained good speed despite the carriage's weight. Covering ground that would have taken weeks on foot in mere days.
The enchanted road's protection meant we never had to worry about monster attacks. A luxury I'd learned not to take for granted.
Geese spent most of the journey talking.
He had stories for every occasion. Tales of distant lands and strange customs that kept Eris entertained for hours.
He taught her card games popular in the Milis Federation, demonstrated sleight-of-hand tricks that made coins disappear and reappear, and generally made himself useful in the way only an experienced traveler could.
I had to admit, despite my lingering irritation over the Holy Beast incident, Geese was good company.
Claude remained reserved, speaking little and watching much. He spent hours sitting with his back against the carriage side, eyes half-closed, expression distant.
That look meant he was processing—sorting through memory fragments, possibilities, probabilities.
On the fourth day, we passed a monument.
It stood at a crossroads where another ancient road intersected the Holy Sword Highway. A massive stone pillar, easily three times my height, with text carved in multiple languages around its circumference.
"The Seven World Powers marker," Geese announced as Ruijerd slowed the horses. "Built after Laplace's defeat to commemorate the alliance."
We stopped to examine it. The primary inscription was in Common language, but I could see Human, Beast God, and Demon God scripts as well.
Here stood united: Dragon God, Technique God, North God, Sword God, Water God, Death God, Fighting God.
*Together they sealed the Demon God. Together they ended the war.
May future generations remember: unity triumphs where division brings ruin.*
Claude approached the pillar, fingers trailing across the weathered stone. His expression was unreadable.
The Blue Dragon Mountain range appeared on the horizon on the seventh day.
Massive peaks that pierced the clouds. Their slopes covered in eternal snow despite the tropical heat of the Great Forest.
The highway curved around the mountains' base, following natural contours while maintaining its mystical straightness.
"Blue dragons nest in those peaks," Geese explained. "They return every decade to lay eggs, then leave for ten years."
"Lucky for us, it's year three,no dragons to worry about."
"Have you seen one..." Eris asked, leaning forward with interest.
"Once, from a distance. Magnificent creatures."
"Terrifying, but magnificent." Geese's expression turned nostalgic.
"I was part of an expedition that tried to climb the northern face. Lost half our party to the cold before we even reached the nesting grounds."
"The survivors decided discretion was the better part of valor and turned back."
"Why would anyone try to climb into dragon territory..." I asked.
"Blue dragon eggs sell for fortunes. One egg could set you up for life,buy a mansion, hire servants, never work again."
He shrugged. "Course, you have to survive getting one first."
We passed through a valley town at the mountain's base. Small, maybe a hundred residents, built around hot springs that bubbled up from volcanic vents.
The residents were mostly dwarves, with a few beast people and humans mixed in.
We stopped long enough to resupply and let the horses rest.
Claude disappeared shortly after we arrived, returning an hour later with an ornate wooden box under his arm.
When I asked about it, he simply said "supplies" and refused to elaborate.
That night, camped beside the hot springs, Geese told another story.
"You know why I'm good at cooking?" he asked, stirring a pot of stew over our fire.
"I assumed you picked it up traveling," I said.
"Partially. But the real reason involves a woman and a disbanded party."
His grin turned self-deprecating. "I was young, stupid, and in love."
"Met a girl in Milis, beautiful, intelligent, completely out of my league. I tried everything to impress her. Money, gifts, stories of adventure. Nothing worked."
He added spices to the pot, movements practiced and efficient.
"Then one day I learned she loved good food. Not fancy restaurant meals, but home cooking. The kind made with care and attention." He smiled. "So I found the best cook I knew, a retired adventurer who ran a tavern, and begged him to teach me."
"Did it work..." Eris asked.
"For a while. She agreed to court me after I cooked her a proper meal."
"We were together for two years." His expression sobered.
"Then my party disbanded. Politics, personal conflicts, the usual reasons groups fall apart."
"I had to choose between staying in Milis with her or continuing to adventure. I chose adventure."
The stew bubbled, fragrant and rich.
"Regret it..." I asked.
"Every day." He ladled portions into bowls, handing them out.
"But that's life, isn't it... We make choices, live with consequences, and hope the good memories outweigh the bad."
The stew was excellent. Rich, perfectly seasoned, clearly the work of someone who had dedicated real time to mastering the craft.
We ate in comfortable silence. Watching stars appear in the darkening sky above the mountains.
Claude sat apart from the group, that ornate box open beside him. I caught glimpses of parchment covered in complex diagrams,magic circles within circles, geometric patterns that hurt to look at too long.
"What's he working on..." Eris whispered.
"Enchantment work, I think." I watched Claude's fingers trace invisible patterns in the air above the parchment.
"He's been at it since we left the Dedoldia village."
"For what..."
"I don't know. He doesn't always explain his projects."
I took another spoonful of stew. "But knowing Claude, it's probably important."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ AUTHOR'S NOTE ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
Want to read ahead? We have 10+ advance chapters available at eternal-lib com!
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆