That morning, sunlight bathed Ashford's main courtyard in a gentle glow. It lit up the simple but sturdy carriage. The sound of dew dripping from the leaves was peaceful. But Laguna's heart was heavy with burdens.
Leon stood in front of the main door with his hands crossed, his eyes fixed on Laguna without any expression. Julia stood beside Laguna. He stared at the carriage, curious and anxious.
"This carriage is enough for your trip," Leon said in a flat tone. "You've got everything you need."
Laguna stared at the carriage with doubt in his eyes. "Is this it?"
"All of your brothers started their journey with the same thing. Even Aaron, your first brother, I sent you to the border town without an escort to face the Demon King's army. 'You're no different,' Leon replied with conviction."
Laguna sighed, feeling treated like an unwanted child. "So this is Dad's way of supporting me?"
Leon smiled with a hint of warmth. "You can stay here, marry Aurora Montclair, and get much better support. After all, you guys have already met, haven't you?"
Laguna shook his head. "No, I'm going to Veredale."
Leon shrugged his shoulders, then motioned to the servants to open the gate. "In that case, your journey begins now."
Laguna and Julia boarded the carriage with steady steps. Sitting inside, Laguna leaned back in his seat, feeling a little relieved. He looked at Julia, then said, "Alright, we'll be leaving soon."
However, several minutes passed. The train still did not move.
Laguna looked out the window, confused. He looked around, looking for signs. Finally, he got out of the carriage. He approached Leon. Leon was standing in front of the house, taking his time.
"Father," said Laguna in a confused tone, "why hasn't the carriage left yet? Is the coachman preparing something?"
Leon looked at him, then smiled with a hint of mockery in his tone. "The coachman? Do you really think I'll give you a coachman?"
Laguna fell silent, his face turning pale. "Wait... so I have to drive it myself?"
Leon nodded. "Of course. If you want to prove yourself, even a small thing like this, you have to handle it yourself."
Laguna patted his forehead in frustration. "Oh my gosh, why didn't I think of this before..."
Julia got out of the carriage, holding back an amused smile. "Master, let me drive it."
Laguna shook his head, feeling his prestige at stake. "No need; I can do it."
He climbed to the front of the carriage, taking the horse bridle with a little awkwardness. Julia sat down next to him. She looked at Laguna. He was trying to look confident but wasn't sure.
"Ready?" asked Julia in a joking tone.
Laguna took a deep breath and then gave a signal to the horse. "Hiyaaa!"
The horses finally moved with hesitation. Behind them, Leon shook his head with a faint smile, then returned to the house.
On the carriage, Julia looked at Laguna with a small smile. "You're quite talented, Master. Not bad for someone who almost forgot how to drive."
Laguna snorted, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his lips. "This is just the beginning. Just wait; this trip will be something extraordinary."
The carriage departed from the Ashford yard. It began their adventure in Veredale.
The dust kicked up by the horse-drawn carriage carrying Laguna faded away in the distance. Leon stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the deserted road. Someone watching from the terrace finally spoke.
"So, you really let him leave?" someone appeared, asking as he took a sip of his wine; his tone was more annoying than serious.
Leon gave a faint smile. "You know me, Ronald. All my children have to learn to face the world on their own. Laguna is no different."
Ronald laughed shortly. "But he rejected my daughter, Aurora. You know it's hard for me, right?"
Leon looked at him with a relaxed gaze. "If you thought Laguna would give up on an arranged marriage, you do not understand his character."
Ronald shrugged his shoulders. "I just hope Aurora doesn't get so angry. She doesn't like to be rejected, especially by someone like Laguna."
Leon offered a faint smile while gazing into the distance. "She's going to forget this, Ronald. That girl has an ego as big as your family's wealth, but I'm sure she can handle it. After all, this is not the end of the world."
Ronald chuckled. "You're right. But don't blame me if he demands something from you again. After all, we agreed to try this, right?"
Leon patted Ronald on the shoulder. "Laguna is more stubborn than you think. But don't worry, he'll get his own experience. Who knows, maybe he even finds something useful in Veredale."
"Or someone," Ronald added, chuckling.
Leon smiled, looking toward the horizon. "We'll see later."
That morning, Laguna and Julia's journey resumed. A light fog on the trail signals the beginning of a new day. Soft sunlight radiates from between the trees, providing a faint warmth.
However, Laguna's mood shifts when he starts to realize that he has lost.
So... which way are we going now?" asked Laguna as he directed his gaze at the two branching paths in front of him.
Julia looked at him with a small smile, then grabbed the shabby map she had brought. "It's good that I brought this," she said, examining the map with great attention to find the right route.
Laguna frowned. "Are you sure that map can get us to Veredale? This path is not visible at all?"
Julia glanced at him. "At least I trust maps more than the intuition of someone who doesn't know the direction."
After several stops to confirm the route, Julia finally found the right direction. Laguna had to admit that Julia was a better navigator.
Five days of travel had passed, and they had not yet reached the village of Veredale. Laguna stared at the food supplies that were starting to run low in the carriage. There was only a little dry bread and a few pouches of water left.
"We have to hunt," Laguna said, making a firm decision.
Julia, who was wiping the stains on her clothes, nodded with a gentle expression. "Okay, but be careful, Master. Don't go too far from the carriage."
Laguna stepped into the forest with a bow and a few arrows on his back. He heard the sound of footsteps among the dry leaves and saw a deer. He lifted his bow with precision and aimed.
However, when he released the bow, the arrow missed, causing the deer to jump and run deeper into the forest.
"Damn!" Laguna grumbled, then chased after the deer.
After running far enough, Laguna found the deer near the trees. With focus, he pulled his bow again, focusing his aim. Before he could release his arrow, a white wolf leaped from the bushes. It attacked and bit the deer's neck with its sharp fangs.
The shock overwhelmed Laguna. The arrow he pulled came off by accident. The arrow shot towards the wolf and pierced its legs. The wolf roared in pain, then turned its gaze to Laguna with full of anger.
Laguna took a step back, preparing to grab the sword at his waist. However, while he felt his waist, he realized something terrible. He had forgotten to bring his weapon!
"Damn... All my weapons are on the carriage," he said, hitting the ground.
Wolves howled, and other roars began to be heard from within the forest, making Laguna tremble.
The sound of footsteps began to be heard approaching. A wolf pack began to arrive. Three wolves emerged from behind the trees, walking around Laguna with sharp eyes. The injured white wolf limped closer, baring its fangs.
Laguna tried to find an opening to escape, but one of the wolves leaped at him. Laguna dodged with quick reflexes. But the wolf's claws grazed his sleeve, leaving a cut.
"Great… now I'm in real trouble," Laguna tries to calm himself down while thinking of a way out of this situation.
He grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it at one of the wolves. The rock struck the wolf in the head, causing it to step back for a brief moment. However, this only made the others more aggressive.
The white wolf leaped at him, and Laguna fell to the ground, trying to block with both hands. Sharp fangs came close to hitting his face before he rolled to the side and jumped to his feet.
Laguna, out of breath, looked around. He had no chance of winning without a weapon. He turned and started running as fast as he could.
Laguna ran, winding through the undergrowth and tree roots. His breath came out ragged, and he felt as if dead weight weighed down his legs. The wolves continued to chase, with their barks getting closer and closer.
But without warning, his steps halted when his foot landed on something. A circle of light appeared beneath him, ancient symbols gleaming in bright blue.
"What is this—" The ground beneath him collapsed, pulling him into darkness.
In the distance, wolves howled. But Laguna had vanished, lost to something more mysterious than the wild forest.