John looked back at the walls of Lmemore—a mighty barrier standing about five meters tall, enclosing buildings that towered even higher. It had been built back when the Lmemore Empire was still just a kingdom. Now, it had grown into the heart of an empire.
Surrounding it was the outer city, home to most of the commoners. However, the majority of the land around Lmemore was used for farming, primarily wheat and corn. With winter approaching, most of the crops had already been harvested, burned, or fed to animals.
Many carriages and carts could be seen flowing in and out of the city, carrying goods from all over the empire.
"Um… master, where are we going?"
"Brother," John reminded her, correcting their cover.
"B… brother," she repeated awkwardly. It felt strange—she only had a sister back home. "Where are we going?"
"Tumidus, a port city."
They were sitting inside a cart meant for transporting cargo. The wooden frame creaked and rattled every time it hit a bump in the stone road.
"Why are we going there?"
"Doing some business."
"Oh. Okay."
The girl fell back into silence. She hadn't talked much since John had taken her with him. He assumed it was just her nature—timid, reserved, and wary of others. The only time he'd seen her show real confidence was during combat.
Most of the time, John simply walked while she followed. That's how it had been for the past few days. He also noticed she often hesitated before speaking, as if unsure whether her words were worth saying.
"Why did you not speak?"
"Well... m–Brother said not to speak unless spoken to."
"You can speak freely now."
"Okay..." The girl looked around and pointed at a book. "Why is Brother reading Eyrish for Kids?"
"...."
John slowly put the book down.
"How was your sister?"
"She... is kind and courageous. Brave, and never backed down from trouble." A warm smile escaped her lips, but it quickly faded into sadness. "I couldn't even do half of what she did."
"I'm sure you could do it too."
Theia looked at John with confused eyes but said nothing.
Their journey continued for the rest of the day until they arrived at a village. John took note of the goods they sold, then retired for the night.
They traveled for three more days. The last village before Tumidus was just a day's journey away. That evening, they set up camp along the road and pitched their tent. A campfire crackled under the trees in the quiet of the forest.
Along the way, John also learned that this road was rather busy.
Once the sky had darkened, company arrived in the form of a trading cart. From what John could see, there was only one. Three people were traveling—much like him and his companions: a coachman, a swordsman, and an archer. They looked like a small, start-up business.
"Hello! Could we camp here tonight?" the coachman called out.
"Sure!" John replied, not too concerned about the group.
The trio looked pleased and began setting up their camp across from John's. Once they were done, the coachman made his way over and sat on the opposite side of the campfire.
"It's cold out here, eh?" the coachman said, breaking the ice.
His attire consisted of a plain linen shirt, a sturdy pair of pants, and big brown boots—a standard look for a traveling merchant. John had met plenty of these kinds of people along the road.
"Yeah, especially with winter approaching. What are you selling?"
"A good pair of boots—like the ones I'm wearing," the coachman replied enthusiastically, pointing at his feet. "They can take you anywhere and are pretty sturdy. I import them from Guragua. Hoping they'll sell well in Tumidus. By the way, what's your name? I'm Lola, and those are my two guards for the journey—Homis and Robin."
Lola, the coachman, gestured toward his companions. The knight and the archer gave a lazy wave from a distance. They looked exhausted. The knight had already begun retreating to his tent.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Penu, and that's my sister Peru—and our maid, Franca. We're traveling to Tumidus for a new venture," John said, pointing at Theia and Hilda as he introduced them.
"Must be tough, right? Starting your business at your age?"
"There are some road bumps here and there."
"Noble life sure is tough," Lola mused, glancing up at the sky. "At your age, I was still helping my dad chop wood while my sister watched from the window. Good times. So, what are you planning to sell?"
"I only have a rough plan—a new way to transport food. If it works out, I think I could earn some money."
"I hope it works out for you," Lola said, tucking his head down and letting out a huge sigh. "You might've heard this already, but beware of thieves and untrustworthy merchants, okay?"
"Like you?"
"Hahaha!"
Lola let out a hearty, lighthearted laugh. "But seriously—traveling with only your maid and sister is quite dangerous. They say that in these woods, there's a green troll that likes to eat human meat and comes out at night."
"I... Isn't that just a rumor?"
Theia spoke up, her voice trembling at the thought of the monster forming in her imagination. They'd heard a similar story back in the tavern at the last village. Lola turned to her with a teasing smile.
"Maybe? Maybe not. But I've also heard something stranger lately. People have been whispering about a painting that can make people believe in God."
"What?"
Theia leaned forward, her attention caught. She was always interested in things like this—anything close to mysticism or the divine. A painting that could sway the soul sounded right up that alley.
"Yeah," Lola continued. "Apparently, it even chooses who it shows itself to. Some people say they see nothing but a dark, empty canvas. Others claim they see an old man, smiling from ear to ear. They call it The Portrait of God."
Chill ran down Theia spine as he said that.