Nova raised his head up and noticed that indeed there was a trail of smoke floating away in the sky, probably coming from somewhere far ahead.
There was probably a village or settlement nearby. It couldn't have been much different.
The pair shared glances and nodded. They quickened their pace to approach the source of the smoke as fast as possible.
There was no telling what dangers or obstacles were waiting for them in the unknown land they were visiting for the first time, but hopefully, it won't be as bad as their last experience in the goblin cave.
Either way, Nova vowed to protect Alicia no matter what, and that would never change even if a god himself told him otherwise!
With renewed determination, Nova and Alicia marched onward towards their destination.
Soon, they found a path that seemed to be traveled by some kind of wagon or carriage of sorts, judging by the deep ruts carved into it.
They followed this trail of beaten dirt until it led them to a village with tall wooden walls surrounding it, protecting its inhabitants from wild beasts that lurked in the forest surrounding it.
There was one entrance in the form of large double doors built into a gate that guarded the road leading to the village.
However, that gate seemed to be closed, as it blocked the path they needed to take.
A couple of villagers stood watch outside of the entrance, equipped with spears and wearing crude armor made from leather and iron, or similar material.
They also carried round shields, which appeared to be their most vital gear.
They didn't look anything different from normal humans of Earth, though.
They had neither horns nor any strange physical features, which they feared might give them away as outsiders of this world, for example.
"It looks like we've arrived, Nova." Alicia stated with a smile. "Let's go speak with those people and hope they will have a place for us to rest tonight."
Nova nodded his head, agreeing with her suggestion.
"Yes. It would be best to ask for more information about the local situation or things that are considered common knowledge here. Of course, we shouldn't act as if we come from another world or anything. Otherwise, who knows what trouble might fall upon us?"
The pair approached the two men guarding the gate, who immediately turned their attention towards them.
One of them raised his hand as a sign for the couple to stop.
"Halt there, strangers. Who are you? What is your purpose in coming here?"
Nova made a polite bow and introduced himself in a friendly manner.
"Hello. My name is Nova, and this is my wife, Alicia. We came from a faraway land, and we wish to stay overnight at your village if possible. We'll pay for food and shelter as well."
The two guards glanced at each other with surprise written all over their faces.
Then, they turned back to Nova, inspecting him from head to toe as if assessing whether he was a threat or not.
"Well... you do not look like troublemakers, that's for sure." One of the men said with a chuckle before looking over at Alicia. "And your woman is very beautiful indeed. It would be bad if such beauty fell to bandits or other types of scum that wander around these days. Follow me. I will bring you to the village chief."
Nova smiled, thankful for being accepted so easily. "Thank you for your generosity!"
The guard motioned them to follow behind him as he began leading them into the village.
They passed through the entrance of the gates, entering inside the walls built around the settlement itself.
It looked similar to any other village of medieval times from the shows or movies Nova watched, albeit being smaller than what he expected.
There were various wooden buildings all over the place, along with many people milling about.
A couple of wagons filled with merchandise sat to the side, being unloaded by some villagers who worked as merchants.
Nova saw a smith hammering away at a piece of metal at his anvil.
He also spotted a bakery where many customers lined up waiting for their orders to be filled.
There were children running around, laughing while playing games.
Women were carrying baskets filled with fruit, vegetables, or other goods that they sold to others.
All in all, it seemed like a nice place without any signs of suffering or poverty.
This was more than Nova could expect when he first arrived in the new world, especially after all those encounters with goblins.
'Maybe we were unlucky or in the wrong place.' Nova thought while observing the place with curiosity. 'Well, whatever! Let's find a place to rest now!'
While they followed the guards leading them, several pairs of eyes focused in Nova and Alicia's direction.
More specifically, most men who saw Alicia couldn't help but stare with interest at her beautiful appearance.
She had an attractive figure with firm breasts and curvy hips that swayed with every step she took, which made her tight leather dress hugging her body stand out even more.
Not to mention how good it looked on her, emphasizing her long legs and ass.
Many men swallowed heavily, admiring the woman while fantasizing about what she might be like in bed.
However, their expressions changed when their wives noticed their gazes and jabbed them in their ribs in jealousy or anger, which made them return their attention back onto whatever task they were doing beforehand.
However, some of them kept ogling at Alicia secretly.
Nova didn't care about others lusting after his wife, as he knew what kind of effect she had on men and even women.
After walking through the main street, Nova and Alicia arrived at the village chief's house.
It was a medium-sized house with two floors built from stone instead of wood, which made it look more luxurious than other homes in the village.
A guard knocked on the door before announcing his presence to whoever was inside.
"Chief? Are you there? We have visitors, and they said they need to stay at the village for some time!"
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