Chapter 11
I placed my hand over the seal.
The parchment immediately began to glow beneath my palm.
I froze.
It was actually working.
A strange warmth spread through my hand and traveled up my arm.
The air around me began to tremble.
"Wait..."
Before I could say anything else, the world around me blurred.
My stomach lurched.
And then-
Everything went dark.
A moment later, my feet touched solid ground. I stumbled forward, barely managing to keep my balance.
"Whoa..."
I looked around.
I was standing in the middle of a small village square.
For a moment, everything was quiet.
Then someone screamed.
"What the-?!" a man's voice rang out.
I froze.
People nearby had stopped what they were doing and were staring at me.
A woman dropped the basket she was carrying.
A few children pointed at me, their eyes wide with amazement.
"She just appeared!"
"Where did she come from?"
"Was that magic?"
"She's so pretty, is she a noble?"
Their voices quickly grew louder as more villagers gathered around.
I glanced down at my dress, then back at the villagers staring at me.
Oh.
Right.
I should have changed into something simpler before teleporting.
My dress was far too elegant for a small village like this. Between the expensive fabric and detailed embroidery, I probably looked like I had stepped straight out of a noble's carriage.
Talk about drawing attention.
I sighed inwardly.
I had been in Zorad for less than a minute, and I was already the center of attention.
I needed to get out of these clothes.
The longer I stood there, the more attention I attracted.
I quickly stepped away from the gathering crowd and looked around the village square.
There had to be a clothing shop somewhere nearby.
After walking for a few minutes, I spotted a small shop with several simple dresses displayed outside.
Perfect.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside. A woman sitting behind the counter looked up.
"Welcome, dear," she said with a smile.
"I'd like to buy some clothes," I said.
The woman glanced at my dress, then back at me.
"Something simpler?" she asked.
I nodded.
"Yes. Something suitable for everyday wear."
She gestured toward a rack filled with plain dresses.
"These should do. They're inexpensive and sturdy enough for daily use."
I looked through them.
They were simple, with no embroidery or elaborate decorations.
Exactly what I needed.
"I'll take these," I said, picking out several dresses.
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow.
"All of them?" she asked, glancing at the dresses in my arms.
"Yes," I replied.
I was going to stay in Zorad, after all. There was no point buying just one dress.
I picked out a few more simple outfits before paying for everything.
The shopkeeper packed them into a cloth bundle for me.
"Thank you," I said.
I took the bundle and glanced down at what I was wearing.
I really needed to change.
After finding a small changing room at the back of the shop, I quickly changed into one of the simple dresses. I folded my old clothes carefully and placed them in my travel bag.
When I looked at myself in the mirror, I hardly looked like Rishima anymore.
No expensive fabric.
No elaborate embroidery.
Just a simple dress that wouldn't make me stand out.
Much better.
I picked up my bag and stepped out of the shop.
This time, I hoped I could walk through the village without everyone staring at me.
I made my way down the quiet street, taking in my surroundings as I searched for somewhere to stay.
A little farther down the road, I spotted a small wooden sign hanging above a simple stone building.
The Silver Stag Inn.
It wasn't much to look at.
The building was small, with only a few windows and a wooden sign that creaked softly whenever the wind passed.
Still, it looked clean enough.
I pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The common room was quiet.
Only two tables were occupied, and the people sitting at them barely glanced in my direction before returning to their meals.
That was probably a good thing.
I approached the wooden counter, where an older woman was sorting through a stack of linens.
She looked up and smiled politely.
"Welcome, dear. Are you looking for a room?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied. "I'd like to stay for a few nights."
She glanced toward the small hallway behind her.
"You're in luck. We have plenty of rooms available," she said.
I almost smiled.
Of course they did.
Zorad wasn't exactly a place overflowing with travelers.
"How much is a room?" I asked.
"Five copper coins a night. Breakfast is included," she answered.
That was surprisingly cheap.
"Then I'll take it," I said.
I reached into my travel bag and handed her the coins.
She accepted them before placing a small key on the counter.
"Room three," she said, pointing toward the hallway. "It's the last door on the right."
"Thank you," I replied, taking the key.
I turned toward the hallway, but then I remembered something.
I stopped and looked back at her.
"Excuse me," I said.
"Yes?" she asked, looking up again.
"I'm looking for someone."
Her eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Someone?" she asked.
I nodded. "A mercenary named Travis."
The woman's expression brightened with recognition.
"Ohhh, Travis?" she said.
My heart lifted slightly.
She knew him.
"Why are you looking for him?" she asked curiously. "Do you perhaps have a job for him?"
"Yes. I want him to teach me how to use a sword," I explained.
"Swordsmanship?" she asked, looking at me in surprise.
"Yes," I replied.
She shook her head with an amused smile.
"That's the first time I've heard of a young lady coming to Zorad looking for someone to teach her swordsmanship."
I smiled awkwardly.
"Is it really that strange?"
"Well, it's certainly unusual," she replied with a chuckle. "Most girls your age aren't exactly interested in swinging swords around."
I glanced down at myself.
"I suppose I'm not like most girls."
The woman laughed softly before her expression became more thoughtful.
"Still, this is good for Travis."
I tilted my head. "Why?"
"Travis has two younger siblings to take care of," she explained. "Their parents passed away some time ago, so he's the one raising them."
Right.
It was one of the things mentioned in the novel.
His father had been a swordsman-the one who first taught Travis how to wield a sword.
He died while fighting a monster that had wandered too close to the village.
His death had devastated Travis's mother.
Unable to cope with the loss, she eventually took her own life.
Travis had been left to shoulder the responsibility of keeping his family together while he was still young himself.
The woman sighed softly.
"Travis works hard, but even though he's an excellent swordsman, what he earns from mercenary work isn't always enough to support the three of them," she continued.
"There are times when the children have to go hungry because he simply doesn't have enough money to buy food."
My eyes widened.
I knew Travis was poor in the novel, but I hadn't expected him to be this poor.
The man who would one day become the captain of the Imperial Knights was now struggling just to keep his family fed.
"But..." I hesitated. "Don't mercenaries earn a decent amount from their jobs?"
The woman gave me a small, knowing smile.
"They do," she replied. "But the mercenary guild takes a portion of every payment they receive."
"A portion?" I repeated.
She nodded.
"The guild handles the jobs and connects mercenaries with clients, so they take a cut from whatever the mercenary earns."
I frowned.
"Then..." I paused, thinking. "Wouldn't it be better if I hired him directly?"
The woman's eyes lit up.
"Exactly," she said. "If you're hiring him to teach you, you don't need to go through the guild. Just speak to Travis directly and arrange the payment with him."
I nodded.
"That way, he gets to keep everything I pay him," I said.
"That's right," she replied with a smile. "It would certainly help him and his siblings."
"Where does he live?" I asked.
She pointed toward the edge of the village.
"It's a small wooden house near the outskirts. There's a little training ground beside it, with a few practice dummies. It's hard to miss-you should be able to see it as soon as you reach the edge of the village," the woman explained.
I thanked the woman and headed to my room.
I placed my travel bag and the bundle of clothes on the bed.
Once I was done, I locked the door behind me and left the inn.
I made my way toward the outskirts of the village, following the innkeeper's directions.
As I walked, the houses gradually became fewer, and the streets quieter.
A few minutes later, I spotted it.
A small wooden house stood near the edge of the village, just as the innkeeper had described.
Beside it was a small training ground, with several wooden practice dummies lined up across the dirt.
I stopped for a moment.
So this was where Travis lived.
And apparently, this was where my swordsmanship training would begin.