After the battle, Shio returned home. He spotted Gio standing quietly by the lake, staring out across the water.
Shio approached him.
"So, you saw the heroes?" Gio asked without turning.
"Yes," Shio replied.
Gio turned to face him, noticing the wonder still lingering in Shio's eyes.
"Shio, you should go to Sumiko. You're ready for the trials. And before you say anything—I'll be fine here. Don't worry about me."
Gio turned back toward the lake.
As Shio opened his mouth to speak, Gio raised a hand to silence him. Shio nodded and headed back inside to pack for the journey.
Gio leaned against the wall outside, arms crossed.
"Be careful not to travel at night. Don't spend too much money once you're in Sumiko. And when you get there, the Hero Ascension event should be held in a large building—hard to miss."
Shio nodded once more and stepped out, bag in hand. He planned to travel with a caravan of merchants and adventurers headed to Sumiko City.
Gio watched as Shio walked off into the distance, waving one last time before disappearing over the hill.
"He's grown up… and he's getting stronger, too. I just hope he'll be okay without me."
Gio sighed.
Shio arrived at the caravan gathering point. The wagons were lined up, and the merchants were preparing for departure. One merchant stood and addressed the crowd.
"Adventurers! Tell us your reasons for traveling to Sumiko City."
There was a brief silence until one young man stepped forward.
"I want to become a hero. That's why I'm going. My name is Delin—and I'll become one of the best!"
After that, others began speaking up, sharing their names and reasons. But Shio remained quiet.
He found himself seated in the third carriage, alongside several other adventurers. A girl sat beside him, silent. She hadn't shared her name either.
Delin was in the same cart.
"Well, well—what have we here? A pair of lovebirds?" Delin smirked, eyeing the two of them.
"We're not a couple," Shio replied quickly, his face turning slightly red. "We're here for the trials."
The girl gave a curt reply in agreement, glaring briefly at Delin.
"Alright, alright. I'm just teasing," Delin said. "But hey, we should all get to know each other."
"Name's Shio."
"Penelo," the girl added.
"Nice to meet you both," Delin grinned. "Looks like this cart has all the interesting ones."
As the day passed, night fell. The caravan stopped to make camp. Merchants began preparing food while requesting night watch volunteers.
Delin noticed that Penelo hadn't offered to help.
"Not gonna lend a hand, huh?" he asked, amused. "Guess you're the quiet type."
She ignored him.
Delin shrugged and went to help set up.
Shio, meanwhile, helped the merchants build the camp. As he carried supplies, he noticed Penelo sitting in a tree, silently watching.
Later, around the campfire, stories were shared between merchants and adventurers on patrol. Dinner was served—simple soup with vegetables. Shio accepted his plate and ate quietly.
After eating, he chose a bedroll near the fire. But sleep didn't come easily. He lay awake, staring at the starry sky and listening to the soft crackling of the flames.
He noticed one of the adventurers on watch was nodding off.
"I'll take over for a bit," Shio offered.
The tired adventurer thanked him and headed to rest. Shio took a seat near the fire, his thoughts wandering. At one point, a rustle in the bushes caught his attention. He stood up to check but found nothing.
When he returned, he saw Delin awake, gazing at the stars.
"Shio? What're you still doing up?" Delin yawned, sitting beside him.
"Couldn't sleep. So I took over night duty."
"Well, get some rest. I'll take over now."
Shio didn't answer. He still looked exhausted.
Delin turned to him. "So, why do you want to become a hero?"
"I never thought too much about it," Shio said. "I just… want to save people."
"And you?" Shio asked in return.
"I want to be famous," Delin said with a grin. "Strong enough to protect people. A hero everyone knows."
Their conversation settled into a quiet bond. Eventually, Shio drifted off to sleep.
Delin looked over at him.
"Shio… I hope you and I both pass the trial. I think we'd make a great team."
Morning arrived.
"Wake up, sleepyhead," Delin said, nudging Shio. "It's time to get moving."
Shio rubbed his eyes and saw the others were already packed. He quickly gathered his things and cleaned up. Breakfast was served, and after eating, the caravan rolled out once more.
The journey to Sumiko was long, with a few stops along the way—but safe and uneventful.
Finally, the great city came into view.
There it was: Sumiko City.