"Achoo!" A series of sneezes echoed from the kitchen of Cranewold Bar, followed by sniffling and a weak-sounding cough. James, who had just finished his pre-dawn training with Ann and was about to help with the kitchen work as usual, paused when he saw Frey's condition.
The thin young man was leaning against the edge of the stove, his face pale and slightly sweaty. His eyes were red, and a clear mucus ran from his nose, which he tried to wipe away with the back of his hand, though it didn't seem to be helping much.
"What's wrong with you, Frey?" James asked with concern. He noticed Frey wasn't as energetic as usual and seemed to be trembling slightly, despite standing near the fire.
"Cough, cough... I think I caught a chill from the cold wind last night," Frey answered, his voice hoarse. He tried to smile but it turned into another coughing fit. "When I went out to get water last night, the wind was really strong, and the snow started coming down hard. I must not have closed my bedroom window properly."
Elen, who was counting bottles of herbs behind the counter, walked into the kitchen with a steaming cup of warm water. She looked at Frey with worried eyes. "Frey, you don't look well. Why don't you rest for the day? Let James help in the kitchen for now. I'll go get some herbs to brew a tea to drive out the cold." Her voice was full of concern and slightly firm, as if not wanting him to refuse.
"I'm still okay, Lady Elen. Cough… There's still a lot of work to do. I don't want to be a bother…" Frey tried to stand up straight to show he was still strong, but his body swayed a little, and Elen had to quickly step in to help guide him gently to an old wooden chair by the fire.
Just then, Brack strode into the kitchen with his usual stern expression. The smell of burning firewood from the stove and the aroma of smoked meat being prepared for the evening's customers filled the room. "The firewood in the storeroom is running low. The weather's getting colder by the day, and it looks like the snow is going to get heavier. I need someone to deliver a letter to the lumberjack village to the west to order more, urgently."
He looked towards Frey, then frowned when he saw the young man's condition. "What's wrong with you, Frey-lad? You're as pale as a boiled chicken. Aren't you usually the one to run this errand?"
"He's not feeling well, brother," Elen answered for him, gently rubbing Frey's back. "I don't think he should be out in the cold wind today. Besides… the wind today is stronger than usual. It might make him worse."
Brack snorted through his nose in slight irritation, but there was understanding in his eyes. "Then who's going to go? I have to manage the bar all day. Can't just leave the place." His gaze shifted and landed on James, who was standing quietly, observing. "You… James, right?"
James nodded. He could feel Brack's assessing gaze on him.
"Good," Brack said curtly, his voice still holding its characteristic gruffness.
"You go instead of Frey. The lumberjack village isn't far from the west gate. It won't take long to get there. Take this, the order letter." He handed James a small scroll tied with hemp string, then followed it with a small wooden plaque bearing the Cranewold Bar seal.
"And this is a temporary pass. Show it to the guards at the gate, and they'll let you out. Tell them you're on an errand for me to the lumberjack village. Deliver the letter to the village chief, an old-timer named 'Timber,' and wait for a reply token. Don't mess anything up."
James took the letter and the pass. He felt a mixture of surprise and a little excitement at being entrusted with this important task by Brack. It was his first opportunity to face the world outside Cranewold Bar alone and perhaps a chance to prove himself to Brack.
"But… I don't know the way to the village," James said frankly.
"Cough, cough… I'll give you the directions, don't worry," Frey interjected. He sniffled again before starting to explain the route to James in detail. Though his voice was hoarse and interrupted by occasional coughs, he tried to speak as clearly as possible.
"Once you're out of the west gate, just follow the main wagon trail that heads into the pine forest. The path is pretty clear because it's used often," Frey explained, trying to suppress a cough.
"Go straight for about an hour or so and keep an eye on your right. You'll see a small fork in the road. There's an old pile of rocks shaped like an eagle as a landmark. That's the entrance to the village."
He paused to catch his breath before continuing. "Once you turn right at that fork, it's not far to the lumberjack village. It's easy to spot. There's a huge pile of logs in front of the village. When you get there, just ask for Timber's house. Everyone in the village knows him." Frey coughed a few more times before looking at James with a more serious expression.
"Be careful, James. Things aren't very trustworthy these days, especially when you're traveling alone. If anything seems wrong, come back immediately. Don't take any risks."
After speaking, Frey reached into his old cloak and pulled out a short knife that had seen considerable use. The hilt was wrapped in old cloth, but the blade was still sharp. He looked at it for a moment with a complex expression before handing it to James.
"Take this with you, James. Consider it a loan. It's not a fine weapon or anything, but it should be enough to defend yourself in a pinch. You can give it back to me when you return."
James looked at the short knife in Frey's hand, then at his kind friend's face. He knew that for Frey, even this old knife might be meaningful or necessary. He took it with sincere gratitude. "Thanks a lot, Frey. I'll take good care of it."
Elen quickly went to get a small cloth bundle she had prepared and handed it to James. "Here's some bread and dried meat for lunch. And this cloak belonged to Grant, he doesn't use it anymore. It should keep you warmer on the way. It's much thicker than the one you're wearing." She looked at him with warm, concerned eyes. "Travel safely. If you see anything suspicious, or if you feel unsafe, come back to the bar immediately. Don't put yourself at risk, understand?"
James accepted the bundle and the thick cloak with deep gratitude. "Thank you, Lady Elen. Thanks, Frey. I'll be careful." He put on the cloak, which was much thicker and warmer than his old one, feeling the care from these people who were not related to him by blood in any way.
After getting ready, putting on the extra cloak, and tucking the letter and pass safely inside his shirt, James said his goodbyes and left Cranewold Bar, heading for the west gate as Frey had instructed.
The cold outside and the snow that had started to fall again made him pull his cloak tighter, but inside, he felt a mix of excitement and determination for his first small adventure in this new world.
He soon reached the city gate. James showed the pass Brack had given him to the guards. They inspected him thoroughly for a moment.
Amidst the increasingly heavy snow, upon seeing the Cranewold Bar seal and James stating he was Brack's messenger, they waved him through without any further questions.
His first journey outside the city thus began smoothly.
The main wagon trail outside the city was covered in an ever-thickening layer of snow. Traces of previous use were faint, but the path was still visible. On both sides were pine forests, their branches now laden with fluffy white snow. The cold wind whistled through the pines, sending flurries of snowflakes swirling.
The atmosphere was silent, with only the sound of James's footsteps crunching in the snow.
James followed Frey's directions carefully, his heightened senses on full alert. He tried to observe everything around him—sounds, smells, and movements that might indicate danger.
The heavy snowfall worsened visibility, but he pressed on. After walking through the snow for about an hour, as Frey had said, he saw the old eagle-shaped pile of rocks. It was almost completely covered in snow, but its outline was still discernible.
James looked to the right of the fork and found a narrow dirt path that led deeper into the seemingly denser pine forest.
He took a deep breath of the cold air before deciding to turn onto the path. The atmosphere around him grew even quieter and darker. The sun barely reached the ground, which was now completely white with snow. Only the sound of his own footsteps, sinking into the ankle-deep snow, broke the silence.
After walking a short distance further, James began to see a faint light ahead and caught the scent of woodsmoke on the wind. He had finally reached the lumberjack village.
It was a small village with a few simply built log cabins scattered about. At the front of the village was a large pile of logs that had been cut and prepared, now completely white with snow.
The village atmosphere was quiet but alive, with smoke rising from the chimneys of each cabin and the distant barking of a dog.
James walked into the village and asked an old man, who was vigorously chopping firewood in front of a cabin, for Timber's house. The old man pointed to the largest cabin in the village, which was located almost in the center. When James arrived, he met Timber.
He was a stout, middle-aged man, his skin tanned and his muscles well-defined from hard work. His dark brown hair and beard were beginning to show streaks of gray. His eyes were sharp but kind.
"My name is James. I'm from Cranewold Bar. Sir Brack sent me to deliver this letter to you," James said, handing over the scroll Brack had given him.
Timber took the letter and unrolled it with a familiar air. He nodded as he read. "Ah… about the extra firewood order. The weather this year got cold really fast, and the snow started falling early. The firewood we prepared is barely enough." He looked at James. "You traveled through the snow all by yourself, lad? You're pretty tough."
"Sir Brack told me to hurry," James replied curtly.
"Good lad," Timber said, walking into his cabin for a moment before coming back out with a small wooden plaque with some kind of symbol carved on it. "Here's the reply token. Give this to Brack. Tell him I'll have my men deliver the first batch of firewood in two days. But if the snow keeps falling this heavily, it might be a bit late, my apologies."
"I'll inform Sir Brack. Thank you very much," James said, taking the wooden plaque and storing it safely.
"Travel safe on your way back, lad. It doesn't look like the snow is going to stop anytime soon, and the sky is starting to look darker," Timber said with a hint of concern, looking up at the sky where dark gray clouds were moving in.
His errand completed, James said goodbye to Timber. He felt relieved that his first mission had been a success. But looking at the still-darkening sky and the unrelenting snow, he couldn't help but feel a little worried.
For this reason, he immediately started his journey back to Felnia, hoping to reach the city's outskirts before the path became too difficult to travel due to the snow.
On his way back, as he was making his way through the silent, snow-covered pine forest, a fair distance from the lumberjack village and approaching the main wagon trail again, James, still on high alert, used his sharpened senses to carefully observe his surroundings. The silence of the forest during such a heavy snowfall made even the smallest sounds seem particularly clear.
Suddenly, his keen hearing caught something. It was a very faint sound… like someone struggling, and the sound of low, muffled voices, the words indistinct, coming from a thicket of bushes up ahead.
It seemed to be a small path branching off from the main trail, leading deeper into the forest.
James crouched down, moving as slowly and silently as possible, weaving through the dense pine trees, using the shadows of the trees and the continuously falling snow as cover, his eyes fixed in the direction of the sound.
When he got close enough to see clearly through a gap between the snow-covered pine branches, the scene before him sent a chill colder than the surrounding air down his spine.
A young girl! About fifteen years old. Her reddish-brown hair was tied in a neat ponytail, though it was now slightly disheveled. Her large, golden-brown eyes were wide with terror as she struggled with all her might.
She was being dragged deeper into the forest by two burly men in shabby cloaks. Her clothes looked expensive and well-made. Though stained with dirt and snow from her struggle, it was still possible to see that she was definitely not an ordinary villager from this area.
Even in her state of panic and with her stained clothes, the girl's large, golden-brown eyes still shone with a determination and intelligence that couldn't be hidden. Her fine, fair skin might have a few scratches, but her well-defined features, complemented by her reddish-brown ponytail, still made her stand out and strikingly beautiful. Even in this terrible situation, James couldn't help but feel that this girl possessed a rare beauty.
"Let me go! Who are you! What do you want!" Liana's voice was trembling, but she still tried to sound resolute.
One of the men holding her arm laughed hoarsely. "Shut up, little missy, if you don't want to get hurt more than you already are." His voice was coarse and filled with ill intent.
The other man, who was keeping watch nearby, turned and said in a hurried tone, "Hurry up, get her away from here before someone sees us."
Neither of the two men seemed to be a clear leader or subordinate; they were just operatives who seemed eager to get the job done.
As the man holding Liana was forcefully dragging her, James's Void-Born Apex Bloodline displayed his information:
[Bloodline Detected]
Name: HumanBloodline Sequence: Special Bloodline (Tier 4) – Barbarian Warrior Bloodline
Awakening Level: 1 – Fused
Strengths: Moderate strength, High endurance
Weaknesses: Low speed, Slow reaction
Evolution Potential: Low
::
As for the other man keeping watch, James saw no information appear. Perhaps it was because he hadn't yet shown any power or moved in a way that would trigger the perception of his bloodline.
Seeing information for only one of them forced James to assess the situation even more carefully.
James stood motionless behind the pine tree, his heart pounding as if it would leap out of his chest. Numerous thoughts swirled in his head.
What should he do?
Flee, as Frey and Elen had advised?
Or run back to inform the guards at the Felnia city gate?
But that might be too late. The girl could be taken too far to be followed, or she might already have been harmed.
The image of the help he had just received from the Felhart family when he was at his weakest flashed clearly in his mind. Ann's words still echoed in his ears…
"My father always said, 'Help those weaker than yourself, if you have the strength to do so.'"
Although his "strength" right now was minimal, and helping might mean risking his own life again, could he really ignore the injustice happening right before him?
The image of Liana's terrified yet defiant golden-brown eyes was etched deep in his mind.
He might not be able to save her completely, but he wouldn't just stand by and watch. At the very least, he had to try to do what he could! Just try!
James bit his lip tightly. He was well aware of how weak he was. A direct confrontation would be suicide. But if he did nothing… what would happen to that girl?
His eyes, now better adjusted to the dim light under the trees and the falling snow, scanned his surroundings for any opening or opportunity. Ideas began to race through his mind.
He tried to find the best way… or at least the least risky way… to intervene in the fate of this strange girl.