"We don't know yet..."
He just looked at me in silence, after which he said,
"So you're travelling as kids, without an idea of where you want to go?!"
"Yes, someone told us to go west..."
"West...? Sorry, where is that person?" He balled his fists together.
"Uhm... I think it's better not to search for him... he is in Kage."
He just looked at us with a tightened face as an audible gulp escaped his throat,
"Are you kids from Kage...?"
"Yes, we are."
"I doubt whether it's smart to tell people..."
He loosened his fists, and said,
"If you had told me earlier, I'd have kicked you out."
"But the clothes, and sword made me think otherwise."
We need to keep looking like nobles.
But what even makes them different...
"Do you even understand what it means to be from Kage?" He asked, his eyebrows still slightly furrowed.
"No... I just know about a curse or something."
"That's one thing, and you use your sister to understand others, right?"
"Yes, exactly, but she hasn't spoken to a lot of people outside of our family—" I glanced over at her, and back to Karl,
"So I do the talking."
"Okay, okay, I understand it."
"But what are you even doing here? What do you plan to achieve by leaving Kage?"
"I want to live a normal life with her, and become a knight."
He just looked at me before he burst into laughter,
"You dream big, kid—and the west is perfect for it! ....."
While he spoke I turned towards Mim and whispered to her,
"What did he say?"
She unwillingly started translating, saying,
"He said that you're too young to become a knight and it's just for noble families, or you need a recommendation and sponsor. So it should be impossible for you."
I jumped up from my chair, and asked,
"How can I get a recommendation?!"
His eyes shifted away from mine,
"That's impossible... I said it for a reason—no matter how strong you are."
I kept looking him in the eyes, with my body floating above the chair.
"Okay... there is one way I know..."
I turned towards Mim who sighed as she began,
"There is a tournament which is open for everybody—not even the age matters. You can find it in the capital of the independent west—Antoria."
"And the problem is that everybody can join—not even identification is required. So even criminals or whoever can enter—legally."
"So even criminals can enter..." I started to sit back down.
"Yes exactly, and you will surely come up against one—you will be in the commoner bracket after all, before you can even fight the nobles. And you can't even win that because the nobles will send their own guards, squire, or someone like that—people close to knighthood. And they are—"
"Augh!" Mim screamed out as she bit on her tongue.
"Are you alright?!" I asked, removing her hands that covered her mouth.
"It's nothing..."
"He just talks too much!" She whispered to me.
I turned and looked at him, his chin that was held high was lowered as he looked at the table.
He surely heard her...
"So I need to fight some criminals, and a squire?"
"Exactly."
"It's rather impos—"
"That should be easy." I held my sword.
"Are you crazy?" He asked me with his eyes widened.
"No... I just know that my chances should be quite high." I had already fought countless criminals and dangers with my own life on the line.
"Maybe... you can use essence after all... but even then you have a bigger problem."
"The curse right?"
"And how do you even know about essence?"
"I have seen some people use it during my time as a soldier... isn't that the reason you can even heal?"
"Are you also able to use essence!?"
"No, no of course not!"
"I just saw knights use it before." His trembling eyes shifted away from mine.
"I would love to hear more, but I think we should leave." I had noticed that the shadows had already moved a substantial amount.
As we stood up, he screamed,
"Stop! I won't let you go today, it's too late already! You will arrive there at midnight!"
I turned back to him,
"When is the tournament then?"
"The day after tomorrow." Mim said it in a plain voice before I could even ask her.
"And until when can I sign up?"
"Uh... tomorrow morning—probably?" I could hear him this time.
I knew it...
"Okay, Mim—let's go now. We'll be safe."
As I turned back to the door,
"Please stay... I don't want you to die during such a foolish tournament..."
I glanced back and said,
"Hahaha, don't worry, I can't die."
"I give up then..."
"But watch out who you show essence to, Tjer."
"I will, don't worry about it."
"Thank you, your carriage and horse are waiting at the spot you left them at." He walked away to another room,
"And here, my wife has made the sandwiches you wanted," he said as he walked back, holding a cloth wrap filled with ten sandwiches.
"We would have loved to make more, but it would get spoiled before you could eat it."
That wouldn't be a problem for us...
"Thank you this is enough." I said as I took hold of the food.
"And here, the ten seals you paid me, and ..."
"And sorry for swindling you," Mim said as I looked at her.
"Swindle?"
"You heard wrong... now leave otherwise you won't find an inn in time!" He said, almost pushing me outside.
"What do you mean swin—"
"It was nice meeting you—Lusd's hero."
"Wa—" The door had closed in my face before I could even finish.
If I ever meet him again... I grinned as I stared at the door.
I could feel even a stronger stare on me, I turned around to see a stare that spoke a thousand words.
"Mim, let's go to Antoria! Please guide me again..."
"Just continue down the road—until we reach the border," Mim said as she looked at the map in the carriage.
"Please, forgive me, Mim... I'd even give you a piece of my sandwiches..."
"Okay~ I forgive you, hero!"
"Mi—"
"Tjer! Wait!" Karl screamed while running after the carriage with his already older body.
"What's wrong?" I had brought the carriage to a standstill.
"Here, take this with you, it should make it easier to pass the border." He handed a piece of paper with something on it.
"Mim, what does it say?" I gave the piece of paper to Mim who took it.
"Karl... what does it say?" She said, staring at the piece she held.
"Mim, are you alright? You just spoke to him..."
"I even had an entire conversation when you left me behind!" She said, with narrowed eyes.
"Sorry—but I'm really proud of you!" I took her into my arms.
"LET GO OF... ME!" Her face shone red as I held her.
Karl smiled at us and said,
"You are great siblings, take care of each other... and good luck on your travels!"
"But..." Mim said with the paper in her hand.
"It just says that you are there for me, to get some products for the inn."
"Thank you..."
Didn't my dad once tell me something like that?
"I think it's time to leave, we are thankful for your help." I lowered my head slightly to him.
"You're always welcome here, don't forget our small town—even when you become a knight!"
"Of course, we wouldn't dare to—right, Mim!"
"Yeaa!" She nodded while she screamed.
Karl laughed loud enough to drown out my laughter,
"Now go on kids!"
"And to make sure you won't forget us..." He screamed it loud enough for his voice to disappear at the end of the road.
Soon after the townspeople who were already outside waved at us, screaming,
"THANK YOU TJER, AND HIS SISTER!" They ended it in thunderous laughter that even summoned the people inside their houses—as if planned.
While most people outside were adults, Lusd had changed.
Smiles could be seen again in Lusd, I held hope in my heart that it would be alright with them all.
And we continued our travels west.
'I need to ask you about the curse.'