With the matters settled, all that was left was to try and enjoy the small reprieve of the bath. It was easy enough to let himself relax within the comfort of the hot water, combined with the soft touch of the silver-haired maid.
Nearly an hour spent with what felt like a full spa resort, he withdrew himself, getting dressed in preparation to sleep.
Phoenix stretched after getting his trousers on and drying off, "Man, that hit the spot! If that's part of the package of working for you, I'll be your number one guy!"
"I'm starting to think you wanted to be hired just for this," Leon mumbled, stepping past the doors of the bathing chamber.
The adventurer followed him with a laugh, "Well, truthfully, I wanted to work for you because you're the one who saved Newfard. You did something I couldn't."
"Well, I'm sure after some time, you'll be able to handle something like One-Eye," Leon assured him with a smile while walking down the hallway, using a towel to dry his hair.
"Hah, I hope so—I mean, we're going to be facing those bandits…" Phoenix said with a bit of worry before slapping his own chest to bolster himself. "I'll handle them, no sweat!"
"I respect the confidence," Leon laughed.
Some walking brought both to their neighboring rooms, finally allowing the concept of a night's rest to present itself.
"See ya in the morning, Boss," Phoenix yawned, opening the door to his bedroom.
"Yeah, see ya," Leon said in return, entering his room.
Settling into his bed large enough to fit a dozen people, he sank into the fluffy, velvet sheets with a sigh. Like a cloud of dough, his entire body eased into the bed as he stared up at the roof of the canopy.
'The life I'm leading now…It's hard not to feel so fulfilled and grateful for everything I've been given. An opportunity like this, this sort of life–I won't waste it. But, I can't sit idly either; I have to make the most of it, or else what was the point?' He thought, allowing himself to soon drift off into the wondrous realm of dreams.
The following morning came with his usual preparations, though sliding on a black, gold-laced coat for the travels ahead. As the sun rose to its peak, casting its orange rays upon the perfect garden of the estate, he stepped into the courtyard as Phoenix followed beside him with a yawn.
"Did you get enough rest?" Leon asked, looking over at the adventurer.
The fiery-haired man nodded, putting his arms behind his head, "Oh, yeah—never slept in a bed that soft before. I'm at one-hundred percent!"
"Good," Leon smiled.
Waiting on the cobblestone lot in front of the manor was a carriage with a familiar, plump man beside it.
"Frederick," Leon called out, stopping in front of the merchant. "Thanks for coming on short notice. You're actually pretty reliable."
"You say that with such surprise—! Though, of course, Lord Schoeller!" Frederick laughed, tipping his leather hat. "I have completely pledged my services to you! As such, I will get you to the Haul Domain to the swiftest of my ability!"
"Thanks. You'll be compensated well, so don't worry," Leon promised with a wink, stepping into the carriage's interior.
From behind him, the short merchant laughed, "Now, that I like to hear!"
Before he immersed himself into the coach, he turned back, finding the servants of his estate watching him take his leave.
"Keep a watch over things while I'm gone, alright?" Leon said.
It was the eldest of the servants that spoke for the rest, bowing as the others followed, "You can leave the care of the estate to us, Master." Thorgul claimed.
Leon could see the worry imprinted on the faces of some, much more so on Ruby and Iris, the more inexperienced of the bunch.
"If I need your assistance out there, I'll summon you to my side–oh, it's a new spell I picked up," Leon explained, reassuring them.
Ruby lifted her head and nodded energetically, "Alright!"
As he settled himself into the cushioned seat in the carriage, sat right where the coach was to lead the horses, he watched as the scarlet-armored adventurer sat himself across. The moment they both settled in, the trots of the steed led the carriage out of the bounds of his estate.
"Onto the Haul Domain!" Frederick's voice called out from the other side of the wall.
It was a journey some ways further than Newfard, taking a road between twin mountains. Only a couple hours in, both men unpackaged the lunches made for them.
A small note was left with the bundle of sandwiches:
["Enjoy and best of luck on your mission, Lord Schoeller. —Vander]
'That guy is basically a wizard with food,' Leon thought.
"This is great! Better than any restaurant I've been to!" Phoenix claimed happily after swallowing a mouthful of the sandwich.
"Yeah, he gets paid a whole lot for that," Leon mumbled, taking a bite from his.
The farther he got from his home, the closer towards the Haul Domain, the more he considered what he was heading to.
While he handled "One-Eye" handily, it wasn't a flawless victory, he recalled.
'If I slipped up for a moment, that guy could've killed me. I've improved, but if these bandits are that much stronger—no, I just have to take caution here,' he thought.
While he rubbed his chin to ponder, the adventurer across from him stuffed the remnants of the sandwich down his throat. It was questionable if there was any thought in Phoenix's head besides "tasty."
"You're pretty carefree, aren't you?" Leon asked, watching the adventurer.
Phoenix brushed the crumbs from his gloves, wiping the sauce from the corner of his mouth, "The way I see it, best not to get worked up before the action happens."
Seeing as there were hours to wait before their arrival, he curiously picked the mind of his companion, "You've been an adventurer for a while, right?"
"About seven years now, yeah," Phoenix answered, letting his scabbard rest on his chest.
"What's the strongest monster you've slain?" Leon asked, leaning forward.
The fiery swordsman tapped the back of his head against the wooden interior, humming to himself in thought, "Good question…Y'know, I've almost died more times than I could count. It's a good thing Newfard has a lot of great healers, or I'd probably be an amputee by now!"
Though the man laughed, Leon didn't find the topic quite as comical as he added in, "That's a bit dark…"
"Well, in terms of "strongest"…I did slay a dragon," Phoenix recalled.
"A dragon—?" Leon said in surprise, seeing the adventurer in a different light.
"Ahh, well, the thing is…It was a raid with like thirty of us there—if I'm being honest, I just got the final hit," Phoenix admitted with a wry chuckle, shrugging his shoulders.
All of that sudden respect fizzled out as the young lord exhaled, "Oh, it's like that."
"Hey, hey, don't sound so disappointed!" Phoenix pleaded. "I was a huge part of putting that dragon down!"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Leon half-heartedly assured.
"Hey, I'm serious!" Phoenix pleaded his case.
As the hours rolled on like tumbleweeds through dry lands, he peered out of the carriage window. The sight of mountains coated in azure grass filled his vision, finding tall trees with leaves of the same, peculiar shade.
While it was somewhat odd, in a world of magic, he felt it was the least surprising concept to question. Some time through the mountains, a forest of cobalt trees stretched through before the carriage came to a stop.
The wooden window was opened as Frederick stuck his face through, "We're almost within the Haul Domain…I'd like to take you further but—"
"No, this is fine," Leon said, standing himself up before hopping out of the carriage.
There was a conflicted expression on the merchant's face, though the round man could only sigh with a shake of his head, "Any further and who knows what is waiting ahead. I'd only be a liability for you."
"Yeah, just wait closeby, alright? Stay safe," Leon said.
Frederick tipped his hat, "May fortune rest with you two."