The next day, I woke up at dawn and tidied up the bedding.

I folded the worn leather scraps and as soon as I got up, I lit a fire and boiled a pot. I went to the Village well, drew water, added berries and leaves, and boiled it thoroughly.

Around that time, I wake Dorian. I must never shake him awake. If I do, I’ll have to howl like a dog from morning.

After bringing wooden bowls and eating, the day’s work begins. I first checked the Wild Boar meat I had smoked yesterday.

It was hard to the touch. No bugs were visible. If the smoking hadn’t been done properly, it would have been crawling with bugs. It was a success.

I scraped the meat with a Dagger. I brought the hard Jerky to my mouth. I thought one piece would be fine. Just in case, I gathered the rest and left them in front of the pot.

When I returned to the hut, Dorian was eating and putting on his gear. He was someone who usually didn’t go to the mountains much.

He stretched out his thick hands, put on thick clothes, and tightened his belt. What hung at his waist was a sword scabbard. Only Mercenaries carried such things. I wondered where he suddenly got it from.

“Dorian.”

“What?”

“You used to be a mercenary?”

“I did it for a short time, long ago.”

“Then you must know a lot about the outside world?”

“Not anymore.”

Dorian headed to the back of the counter. A clanking sound accompanied each step he took. There was a rummaging sound, as if he was searching for something.

“Here it is.”

“A crossbow?”

“You can try it.”

“How do I use it?”

“First, just hold it.”

Dorian handed him the crossbow with one hand.

It was heavy. Rael looked at the crossbow with fresh eyes. In the village, it was hard to even see a bow, let alone a crossbow. There was no blacksmith, and even if there were, it would cost money.

“Operating a crossbow is easy. Just try shooting it.”

“What should I shoot?”

“There’s a tree over there; just pick one and shoot it.”

“Yes.”

Shooting was easy. All he had to do was point it in the direction of the target and pull the trigger.

Rael held his breath, stopped his trembling, and fired the crossbow. The bolt embedded itself in the tree. It was a large target, a castle wall, so it would have been hard to miss.

“Well done.”

“Is that all?”

“Now, try reloading it.”

“Reloading?”

“Stand the crossbow upright, step on the stirrup, and pull the string with all your might. But I’m not sure if you have the strength.”

“I can do it.”

“Really? It’s surprisingly hard to pull.”

His tone was dismissive. Rael stood the crossbow upright and stepped on the stirrup. Then, as instructed, he pulled the string vigorously with both hands. It was so stiff that even as he strained until his arms trembled, the string wouldn’t extend.

I felt like Dorian was sneering behind me. That’s probably why I put more strength into it.

Fortunately, the string was fixed in place after being pulled to some extent.

“I did it right, didn’t I?”

“Yes, well done. You lack strength, but with practice, you’ll be fine.”

“This is old, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“So it’s stiff, isn’t it?”

“All crossbows are like this.”

“No way.”

“It’s because you’re still young.”

Rael shut his mouth. He felt like a punch would come flying if he said anything more. Still, he was relieved that he proved he could pull the string.

He thought that if he had failed, Dorian wouldn’t have entrusted him with the crossbow.

“The crossbow is the only tool that allows you to fight from a distance.”

“Yes.”

“Practice it for the future.”

He nodded. However, he wasn’t convinced. Because the protagonist had magic. The old man he saw in his dream broke a tree by throwing a water mass.

Its power was so strong that it was rude to compare it to a bolt shot from a crossbow. He couldn’t do it like the old man now, but he would be able to with practice.

Dorian spoke about the things they needed to pack.

They were mostly things needed for camping. There were many things they didn’t have, and it was Rael’s job to gather them.

He dragged the sack Karil was carrying around the village. Since this trip might be a long one, he had to distribute them in advance.

The villagers seemed worried when he said he was leaving. There were many conveniences thanks to him. Some people didn’t understand.

Curiosity arose, but he kept his mouth shut. He hadn’t packed much, but the luggage on his back weighed him down.

“Did you pack everything?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go now.”

Dorian took the lead. They left the village through the path between the trees. He glanced back. It seemed like he wouldn’t see it again.

“Rael.”

“Yes.”

“How do you feel?”

“I don’t know.”

Rael watched his expression. He couldn’t grasp the intention of the sudden question.

“Don’t you feel any regret?”

“Yes.”

“Still, don’t think too badly of it. It’s a good thing they didn’t harm you. If they really thought you were an outsider, you wouldn’t even be walking around.”

“Really?”

“You look like you don’t believe me.”

“They used to hit and beat me whenever they were bored.”

“You’re only saying that because you don’t know how harsh the world is yet. If you had been properly stabbed in the back, you wouldn’t even be complaining.”

Rael found it hard to admit. While staying in the Village, he had barely benefited from them. Most importantly, Dorian hadn’t even provided him with proper meals.

At best, when he started pulling his weight, the instances of them raising their fists decreased. It was only when he took on all the herb gathering that the Village people started to pay attention. Before that, they would constantly scold him as an Orphan whenever they saw him. It was a trashy Village.

Dorian looked apologetic. Taking advantage of the moment, Rael asked,

“Why did you leave the Village?”

“To repay a favor.”

“A favor?”

“Your parents once saved my life. So I thought I’d only help you until you could stand on your own. Do you remember what your parents did, by any chance?”

“No.”

“They were Mercenaries. They had a bit of a knack for things, you see. They used to fix Farm Tools and such. Even if you don’t know it, if they were alive, you would have lived comfortably in the Village. It’s good to have a Blacksmith.”

“Why did they die?”

“A Gnoll attacked the Village. They were unlucky.”

“Why…”

“You mean, why didn’t I kick you out?”

“Yes.”

If he was really concerned, he could have just given him some money. There was no need to personally escort him to the City.

“I just told you. Gnolls appear. It’s peaceful now, but until a few years ago, their tracks were still visible. I thought I might encounter them on the way to the City, let alone around the Village. I didn’t want to have nightmares if their child also died to Gnolls, so I meddled a bit.”}]}

The word “lie” was on the tip of Rael’s tongue. He had been unknowingly resentful all this time, and the sudden kind treatment complicated his thoughts.

Looking at Dorian’s expression, it didn’t seem like he was lying. Even if it was a fabricated lie, there was no way to ascertain its truth.

His back was damp, perhaps from the long walk. The surroundings were gradually darkening. It would be troublesome if they didn’t prepare to camp.

“We’ll rest here today.”

Dorian unpacked his bags. While he made a spark with a flint, Rael picked up dry twigs from the ground. He gathered them and built a bonfire.

“Are we resting for a bit?”

“We’ll sleep until dawn. It’s too dangerous to cross the forest in the middle of the night.”

A pot was placed over the bonfire. Dorian tilted his waterskin. Not a single drop of water came out. He had drunk it all.

“Rael.”

“Yes?”

“Is there any water left in your waterskin?”

“A little.”

Dorian clucked his tongue.

“We’ll have to make do with jerky today.”

“What about soup?”

“Not enough water.”

Rael got up. Perhaps he could find water.

“Where are you going?”

“To get water.”

“There won’t be any nearby, will there?”

“I’ve seen a spot.”

“Oh? But you need to come back quickly.”

“Okay.”

Rael left the campsite. He intentionally walked a little further. He only glanced back after he was out of sight of the light.

He took a deep breath. His nerves were on edge in the dark night.

In that state, he chanted a spell. He focused on the mana moving within his stomach. The mana rose smoothly from below. There was a reaction.

The mana that had risen to his chest traveled up his shoulder and reached his fingers. Just then, the spell was complete.

Rael’s lips parted.

“Water Spell.”

Water gathered above his fingers. The magic was successful. Although it only succeeded one out of ten times, he had managed to manifest magic. His heart pounded at the thought.

He couldn’t calm down at the fact that he could truly become a mage if he followed what the dream said. Then, making a living would be no problem at all.

Rael carefully poured the created water into the waterskin. He frowned deeply to avoid losing concentration in the middle.

Shaking the waterskin, it felt heavy. He returned to the campsite, and Dorian welcomed him.

“The water?”

“I brought it.”

“Oh, you really got it.”

Dorian’s expression brightened. He poured the water from the waterskin into a pot. After adding leaves and herbs and cutting in pieces of meat, a fragrant smell arose.

Only after seeing the other person eat did Rael pick up his spoon. As he ate the soup, warmth spread through his chilled body.

Perhaps because the night’s cold was so biting, it tasted even better. He thought it was a good idea to have made water.

After eating, he picked up some nearby branches. Dorian threw firewood into the bonfire and said,

“How should we do the night watch?”

“I’ll go first.”

He said it immediately. He still couldn’t trust Dorian. Perhaps he was trying to reassure him and then sell him as a slave.