Wandering some hundred meters from the cave, I found a small stream flowing south toward the lake. Using it as a mirror, I noticed the dirt, grime, and dried blood on my face and armor. A [Clean] spell solved the issue for the clothing, but I had not washed for a couple of days (at least), plus the pretty high temperature made the cold stream very alluring. And while shallow, I found a slightly wider spot where I could lie down. With everything that happened in the last hours, days, or whatever, I decided to relax for some time, not only wash my face as I first planned.

Freeing myself from the armor also allowed me to check on everything with my eyes, not only with [Status Screen]. But as I had found out before, my body healed quickly, so I had no wounds or bruises remaining.

Half an hour later, as I dressed, I confirmed that I did not lose anything from the objects on my belt or inside my pockets. {So, nothing lost but some sanity and the track of time, huh?} A slightly crooked commentary for the first part, but the second part was an issue I had to deal with before anything else.

After using [Life Radar], I located a few people moving half a kilometer to my right. After walking as if to meet them, I ended up on the road leading to the lake. From there, it was just going away from the lake to reach the inn from before. With it being the closest spot I knew, it would be my first stop.

The inn was the perfect spot to confirm how much time had passed. And I could also find out if there were any news related to me or the disappearance of our group.

***

The people moving on the road were simple farmers or town people, and I decided not to approach anyone after noting their glances at my armor and the sword on my belt. Thus, alone as I was, an hour later, I found myself looking at the fence that surrounded the [Lakeroad Inn] yard, with its main stone building and all the utility ones.

The main hall hadn't changed in any way, except for this time, there were hardly any people, just a couple of miner-looking guys at the farthest table, drinking in silence, their dirtied faces showing signs of exhaustion and no desire to be bothered.

"Welcome, welcome. What can I get you?" The young, plump woman from the last time quickly ran to me as I sat down on one of the benches of a free table.

As she took my order, one for a jug of beer, she didn't seem to recognize me. But when she brought it and indicated her to wait so I could pay, she stared at me in surprise.

"Sorry, but weren't you here a few days ago? With the people of the Trade Guild?" She asked, and after I nodded in confirmation, she showed a shocked expression as she lowered herself to me and explained quickly, nearly without breathing, "We heard your group was attacked and went missing. People from the Guild, soldiers of the Baron, and some others came to ask for you!"

That they considered us attacked and missing was better than if we were declared dead, and it also allowed me to go with a simple explanation along the lines of, "Yeah, we were attacked and were separated. I am on my way to report, even if late and with some hardships."

I omitted nearly 99% of the truth, but really there was no reason to share anything, was there?

I would leave the inn some hour later, with the waitress giving me all the information I required, or at least the one she knew, in exchange for a tip of a town copper.

First, three days had passed since the attack. With the sun overhead, it was early noon. I now knew the time and date; 3rd day of the first week, called [Resting Moon], of [Rophedoa].

The second part of the information I needed was who was looking for me, and Karla, the waitress, gave me a pretty good rundown on that part. First came a couple of guards from the Guild, who showed badges and asked about their companions.

After them, a rugged, shaved, heavily scarred man had barged in, asking every possible detail about our trio. There was no need to think who it may be, as except for Aison, no one fit the bill.

Yesterday, a patrol of soldiers from [Old Anear] also asked, although they didn't expect much, judging from the few questions.

What attracted my attention was the fourth ones to ask about me, as I had no idea who they might be. From Karla's words, a group of armed men, young and carrying no badges, ate breakfast in the inn today. And they had asked if I hadn't happened to pass by. {They asked only about me? Who may they be?}

Another bit of information unrelated to me, but which was something I asked, was about [Lake Anear] soldiers. Karla had only seen them once in these three days, and it was also related to the missing knight, nothing else. My question apparently was misleading, her eyes twinkled as if she discovered some secret, so I hastily added, "I ask because I met a woman who mentioned the knight saving her weeks ago, and she was worried if something happened to him."

"Oh, no, they haven't found him or any leads." Karla replied with a shake of her head, and I left our talk at that. Thus, finishing my second jug of beer, I started making my way to Chubu.

***

The [Chubu's Royal Tract] was hardly a good road, but it was far better than the stomped dirt leading to the road, making me appreciate even the poorly maintained pavement. About an hour later, I reached the place where the attack happened.

It was clear that someone had cleared the area. I saw no signs of anything but a few fresh-looking cracks on the stone plates of the tract. Even as I sidetracked to reach the place where the golem's missiles crushed the wagon, there was nothing but faint signs of shifting, as if shoveled.

"I truly hope you survived, Eithne. As for you, Lutrin, there was nothing I could do before, but I will not allow the one who killed you to live easy. I don't know how, but I will do something about him." After muttering it in a low voice, I decided to step up. I had to reach Chubu and act as I had to. {A Primordial Being was forced to tell me to have balls. So how can I not?!}

***

Graver, I restarted my walk toward Chubu. The distance was about nine kilometers, so I should reach it no later than two hours. Should being the key word, as no more than a kilometer from there, a sudden shout made me stop, "Maester Rador!"

Until now, I had barely encountered anyone on the road, but I didn't pay attention either. The possibility of the mage that attacked us keeping an eye on was minimum. And if he did, there was nothing I could do anyway.

As the man who shouted approached, I remembered him. His name was Grol, a member of the [Zlolim] mercenaries, the ones I drank with the day before leaving Chubu.

"Grol?" I only managed to call out his name as he approached.

He started speaking without regaining his breath from the run he had broken into as he saw me. Thus, he ended up interrupting but actually answering my unasked question about what he was doing here alone, without his group.

"Praise the Ten that I found you. Now we will receive the reward." He quickly continued, revealing that while waiting for their task, one that would start in two more days, [Zlolim] received a contract to look for me. Money wasn't something they would refuse, and they had also met me, so they started out, following the tracks of my group, and now were scouring the area.

I couldn't care less how they earned their money, but that someone spent to find me was warming. Probably because of that, I didn't even ask who was behind the contract, considering I would learn it later. That was a mistake, but I had no reason to suspect anything. Thus, I had no reason not to follow Grol away from the road to what he described as a small camp they set up to ease the search.

"Why so far, though?" I asked as we walked for some ten minutes.

"The local soldiers, especially the Baron ones, don't like free swords. We also took the work without the official process, so we're better off avoiding people who can ask questions. Unless we want to answer or, worse, have to share." Grol explained as his left hand, with a small targe strapped on, pointed towards some low-height trees not far from us, "We set up there, as there is water, and we can reach the nearby Blackwater in case we need to spend up the night."

***

My [Danger Sense] chime was absolutely unexpected, as there was no reason for me to fear an assault here, but I reacted quickly, jumping away from the spot. Regretfully, I wasn't swift enough to avoid the attack entirely, "What the fuck!" I cursed as I felt something graze my left arm, just below the shoulder guard.

The masterpiece that was my armor resisted whatever it was, a crossbow bolt as I would see later, but before I could move, shout, ask, or do anything else, [Danger Sense] chimed again.

Grol had been walking next to me, but he also jumped as I did, now about two meters of distance between us.

Another bolt flew past me, this one I dodged perfectly. {Who?!} As I thought, I started calling for [Life Radar] but was interrupted by Grol, who launched at me, his targe held tightly against his body, shortsword in his other hand.

Acting more on instinct than skill, I met the blade aimed at me with my left hand's bracer, hitting it on the side and deflecting it away. My right arm flew forward, and I grabbed Grol's shield, pulling it towards myself.

As soon as his torso opened, I didn't wait a second before kicking him in the gut, using all my power. As he doubled over, I crouched, my left arm grabbing his right wrist, immobilizing the sword arm, "WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE DOING?!"

He didn't answer, only tried to break free, but his doubled-over point was weak, plus my kick had been strong enough to make him nearly vomit. Yet, I needed answers and fast before the shooter moved. Freeing my right hand, I grabbed him by the neck, "Life Radar." I checked on the surroundings by muttering the spell while shifting myself nearly under him.

If I had not an advantage of nearly half over his [Strength], our scuffle would have ended differently, but I had, and so, as I choked him, the only thing he could attempt was to hit me with the targe in his left hand. And he did, but it barely carried any danger for me, he had no space, so the impacts against my right arm and shoulder ended up being harmless.

{Two more, huh?} My spell showed two dots apart from us, one somewhere near the trees, the other moving towards me from the rear. I could spend all the time in the world later thinking about why the fuck I was being attacked. For now, I had to survive. And make sure to repay in kind, don't I?

I felt how Grol's attempts at hitting me died off, his arms growing limp. [Status Screen] indicated he wasn't dead, only unconscious, so now it was time to act, later to ask.

Pushing his body away, I jumped up and started running towards the target to my back. It was slightly shorter, plus the shots had come from the front, so it was probably safer too.

The man was about 200 meters from me, and I recognized him as another of the [Zlolim] guys. One whose name I hadn't caught. During our drinking session, he had not attracted any attention from me, the owner of the same average stats and average looks as most of the others. And now, while he moved to face me, armed with a rather big ax, I confirmed his stats and settled on a strategy, feeling far less concern than during my first battles.

[Danger Sense] briefly chimed again, making me drop down on the ground. Another bolt overflew me, but apparently, it was on its last legs as it fell to the ground, just some meters ahead. Yet, it distracted me from my target enough to give the man a chance to break into a run towards me with his ax prepared to swing down. But, who says I have to lay and wait for him? Who says that I should fight cleanly?

I couldn't be sure what would work, so I prepared two different plans, both of which I started simultaneously.

Summoning a boulder the size of a decent dog, the most sizeable thing I had in my [Inventory], right in front of him was a sure way to make him fall and give me time to finish him. Thought I have to say, that's a ridiculous thing I took from the crystal mine. Well, it was more a leftover from the ones I used to seal the entrance.

And more like a test than a sure-win plan, I concentrated on his paling face (boulders appearing from thin air are scary, huh?) and enunciated the Word of Rest, "Kagbi."

While still on the ground, I observed how he failed to avoid the boulder or to stop himself from tripping on it. I nearly heard the *Crack* sound as his legs connected with it, making me think that maybe I was going a bit overboard. But that thought quickly disappeared, leaving another in its stead, {Hoh, the word works, even if it is absolutely untrained?} I should later experiment and find what the hell 'Weakwilled creature' actually means.

Wounds and Injuries: Left Leg (lower), Broken.

Left Knee, Shattered.

Left Leg, Severe Bruising, Bleeding.

Left Leg, Open Fracture, Bleeding.

Right Leg (upper), Cracked.

Right Knee, Cracked.

Right Leg, Severe Bruising, Bleeding. Afflictions: Sleeping Command, Primordial, In-Effect.

As I stood up, I again used [Life Radar]. The dot near the trees remained on the spot it was before, but enough time for reloading the crossbow had passed, and if I tried to approach openly, I would have to dodge that and the other shots they could take in the meantime. Thus, the question was, how to get there? And without being hit or having to roll on the ground each time?