"Oh... are you trying to kill me?!"
The thundering footsteps of a frantic herd chased Rogan without mercy. But a group of travelers was camping nearby, enjoying a meal. They saw Rogan running across the distant grassland, with a horde of wild boars chasing after him. One man, in the middle of eating bread, even dropped it from his hand.
In front of Rogan lay a large boulder in the middle of the open field. He ran for his life, but his face showed no fear. Instead, he laughed.
"Hahaha... they're so cute!"
Meanwhile, Mira and Cael ran as fast as they could behind the stampeding boars to get a better look at the situation from a distance.As he ran, Rogan decided to take off his shoes and gloves, tossing them aside. The wild boars were about to reach him, but the large boulder was right ahead. He sprinted with all his might and clambered onto the tall rock with ease. He hunched over slightly, his hand on his chest, taking a deep breath. Slowly, he stood up and sat down on the boulder, a mischievous smile on his face.
"Come on up, if you dare!" he said with a sly grin, proud of his narrow escape. Cael and Mira stopped running and watched as Rogan survived the chase. After a while, the boars dispersed and went back the way they came.
Rogan slid down from the boulder.
"You're amazing! How did you get up there?" Cael walked closer. Rogan whipped around to look at Cael and Mira.
"I guess I just had to in the nick of time... so I went for it."
"My name is Cael. You said my name already, so I figured I should tell you mine," Cael said with a faint smile, crossing his arms. Mira, standing behind Cael, slowly walked over. She smiled gently. Rogan looked at her with curiosity.
"And I'm Mira Caspian. You can just call me Mira," she said with a small smile.
Rogan's eyes widened as if he were in shock. He slowly walked closer to her. Mira and Cael were briefly taken aback by his sudden action.
"Could you... tell me your name again?" Rogan stood in front of Mira. She was slightly surprised by his behavior.
"My name is Mira."
"...Ms. Mira." Rogan's eyes trembled as if deep down, he had some kind of feeling or memory. But he gave a faint smile.
"I remember you... you were a third-year student. I was a first-year. I'm so happy. I never thought I'd get to meet a third-year senior again after all these years." Rogan's words were filled with deep emotion.
The wind blew, and Mira's hair fluttered.
"Is that really you? It's been three years!" Mira smiled with joy. She held Rogan's hand tightly.
"You still remember me... I'm so happy to see you again."
She held Rogan's hand firmly. They were two people who had once known each other, were forgotten over time, but now met again and remembered one another.
Cael, standing beside them, smiled faintly without saying much.
"Right now, I'm in my third year... I chose to be a part of the Adventurers' Guild. But I still contact and go back to the university often."
Rogan walked and talked cheerfully, happy to have met someone from the same university. Mira walked beside him, smiling, while Cael walked next to her.
"That's amazing," Mira said softly.
"Just like who?" Rogan gave Miraamischievous side-eye, a small smile on his face. Cael, walking next to Mira, asked, "What do you mean when you said you 'chose the Adventurers' Guild'? How can a student be an adventurer and go back to the university whenever they want?"
Rogan walked on cheerfully, his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky. Mira answered for him.
"It's a culture that originated from the Rectas lands. Over there, people aged 15 and up live a free life, finding their own path. It's normal to be something else while being a student at the same time."
Mira explained this in-depth to Cael, making him imagine all sorts of things: a young man in a student uniform digging for ore in a mine, or riding a tiger, or taking a nap in the middle of the day.
The three of them traveled together across the wide grassland. Still, other travelers passed by in the area. It was a land that was fractured but not deserted. They talked about many different things.
The sound of water trickled and softly hit the rocks. Many freshwater fish swam in the stream where the sunlight glistened. Mira dipped her feet into the stream to cool down in the very hot atmosphere. Sweat poured all over her body. The scorching sun shone down. She looked up at the sweltering sky.
"It's so hot..."
On the other side, Cael and Rogan were both sitting next to a large boulder. In front of them was a high plain, and they could see small villages... many small towns below. It was beautiful. Still, below them, there was a vast, open grassland. To the northeast were wooden houses, as far as the eye could see.
"Oh my god... it's so beautiful,"
Rogan looked ahead, his eyes never leaving the view.Cael smiled faintly. The gentle wind made his hair flutter. His eyes were filled with coolness, but deep down, they held some kind of feeling.
"Yeah, it's very beautiful... I like it here."
In the beautiful and pure atmosphere of nature, the young, mischievous, and playful man was now as calm as Cael who sat beside him. All he did was look at the beautiful view in front of him.
"Mr. Cael... you're from a big city, right?"
"Yeah... I'm a new traveler."
Cael looked straight ahead, just as Rogan was doing.
"I could see your true self from the moment we met... even if that sounds crazy..."
Rogan looked down slightly, his eyes on the lush green grass at his feet. Cael glanced at him without saying a word.
"It didn't occur to me at first when Mira mentioned the Rectas lands to you... but you believed her completely."
Rogan held a small, old wooden knight carving tightly in his hand.
The silence was absolute, save for the sound of the wind, the swaying grass, and the breathing of small animals. Cael stood still, looking straight ahead, doing nothing but listening to this young man.
"What kind of girls do you like?"
Rogan asked Cael playfully in the midst of the quiet.
"Me? It doesn't matter... as long as she has a good heart."
Cael smiled faintly.
Rogan looked up at the sky, pondering something. His eyes were filled with deep emotion.
"If you were to let me choose... I'd like a country girl. Yes, even if they aren't well-off, they're still common people. But their determination, their kindness, and their warmth... I really love that."
Cael closed his eyes slightly. He smiled gleefully and glanced at Rogan with a cunning look that held a hint of warmth. He placed his large hand on Rogan's shoulder.
"So this is why... you chose to be an adventurer, even as a student..."
It was as if Rogan was a young man who didn't want the same old, lonely, repetitive life. This young man chose this path and traveled far and wide, just as Cael was doing.
Stay tuned for the next episode....