As the cart resumed its slow, steady journey down the road, Leon leaned back, letting the rhythmic sway of the ride lull him into a quiet sort of peace. The occasional bump or rattle wasn't ideal, but it was a small price to pay for getting closer to his destination.
"So, what brings you out this far?" Baro asked over his shoulder.
Leon kept it vague. "Trying to get to Magnolia. Thought it was time for a fresh start."
Baro grunted in understanding. "Ain't that the truth for all of us."
They rode in comfortable silence for a while, Leon could feel the tension in his body easing, not just from the rest, but from the simple company.
Of course, that didn't last long.
A distant rustling broke the calm—followed by a low growl that made the horse pulling the cart snort and shift nervously. Baro slowed the reins, eyes narrowing toward the treeline just off the road.
"You hear that?" he asked, voice hushed but alert.
Leon was already standing. "Yeah. Company."
From the brush, a pair of monsters emerged. Not particularly large or dangerous-looking, but wild and clearly hostile. One was a scrappy beast with tusks and rough brown fur—probably a wild boar corrupted by magic.
The other looked vaguely like a lizard-wolf hybrid with twitchy limbs and glowing eyes. Nothing that screamed "lethal," but enough to ruin someone's day if they weren't ready.
Baro reached under his seat for a rusted old axe. "I can hold 'em off if—"
Leon raised a hand calmly. "No need."
From the shadows beneath the cart, something stirred.
With a ripple of inky blackness, two figures emerged—first Wooly, its red eyes glowing dimly as it stepped forward with a heavy grunt. Then came the smaller, more agile Vulcan, hunched and twitchy, claws flexing as it sized up the approaching threats.
Baro nearly dropped his axe. "What the—"
"They're with me," Leon said simply.
Before Baro could ask anything else, the two shadow creatures lunged forward.
Wooly charged headfirst, tusks crashing into the boar-like creature with a thunderous impact, launching it into a tree with a crack of splintering wood. The Vulcan darted around the other beast, claws slashing in a blur until the monster yelped and fled into the forest, leaving only rustling foliage in its wake.
The entire thing lasted maybe twenty seconds.
Wooly grunted once before returning to his spot beside the cart like a disciplined bodyguard. The Vulcan creature crouched beside him, scanning the treeline in case there was more trouble.
Baro stared, mouth slightly open. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
Leon gave a half-smile. "Noted."
As the cart rolled on, the tension faded like a bad memory, Baro relaxed back into the driver's seat, and Leon silently dismissed his summons, letting Wooly and Vulcan dissolve into the shadows beneath him.
Baro glanced back with a wary kind of curiosity. "Those things you summoned… that was magic, right? Never seen anything like it."
Leon gave a small shrug, casual as ever. "Yeah. Magic."
"Damn. So you're a mage, then," Baro said, glancing back at Leon with a raised brow. His tone was casual, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. "You planning to join Fairy Tail?"
Leon gave a small nod. "Yeah. That's the plan."
Baro whistled low. "Well, I'll be damned. Rowdy bunch, that lot. Caused their fair share of headaches, but they've done a hell of a lot for Magnolia and the towns nearby. Wild as they are, they've got good hearts."
Leon blinked, a little caught off guard. He'd watched the show. He knew Fairy Tail's reputation—chaotic, reckless, sometimes borderline unhinged—but hearing that same sentiment from a local, from someone living in the world, gave it a new weight. It wasn't just exaggerated storytelling anymore. It was real. Tangible.
"Didn't expect to hear that from someone outside the guild," Leon said, his voice thoughtful.
Baro shrugged. "They've saved my hide more than once. Might be loud, but when the world's falling apart, they're the ones who show up swinging."
Leon smiled faintly, the words sticking with him more than he expected. Fairy Tail wasn't just some animated symbol of friendship and explosions anymore. It was a place that made real change.
Maybe... he was headed in the right direction after all.
As the cart rumbled to a stop at the crossroads, Baro slowed the horse to a gentle halt, his hands still gripping the reins but his gaze turned toward Leon.
"Well, kid, this is where I leave you," Baro said, tipping his hat back and stretching his arms above his head. "Magnolia's still a good day's walk from here, but you've got the road ahead of you. Shouldn't be too hard to follow."
Leon glanced at the distant horizon, he could already see the faint silhouette of the town just beyond the next curve, but it was in sight now. He didn't mind. It felt right.,
"Thanks again for the ride," Leon said, nodding gratefully. "Would've been a pain to get this far without you."
Baro gave a gruff chuckle, patting the side of his cart. "Don't mention it. It was a nice change of pace for me. But you take care out there, alright? The road's safe enough, but it can throw a surprise or two."
"I'll be fine," Leon replied, a confident grin tugging at his lips. "I've got my ways."
Baro raised an eyebrow at him, though there was no judgment in his expression. "I'll take your word for it," he said, a bit of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. ""Just don't go destroy anything with that magic of yours."
Leon laughed, a short, light sound. "I'll try not to," he said, before adding, more seriously, "Take care, Baro."
With that, Baro snapped the reins lightly, urging his horse to move forward. As the cart rolled away, Leon watched the man go for a moment before turning his attention back to the road ahead.
It was just him now. No more distractions. No more surprises—at least, not for the moment.
He had a guild to find. A new life to start.