"What's with this technique… Is it the legendary Art of Mojito? But I haven't heard of anyone mastering it to this level…"
Jackson thought to himself, "I guess I'm still pretty young after all."
"We're very sorry for the kind of welcome you guys received from us," the Special Darkside Knight said calmly. "It was just to test if you were really up to the task ahead of you."
"And what do you mean by that?" Sasaki asked, narrowing his eyes.
"You see," the special darkside knight continued, "I know everything going on with you and your master. Dialo and I just want to help, so we're doing everything we can. After this trial, I can tell you're up to the task. So, I'll be giving you a reward for passing the test—and three fast horses to help with your travels."
"Thanks very much. We'll appreciate that," Sasaki replied politely.
"If the horses are not the reward," Sasaki asked again, "then what could it be?"
The Special Darkside Knight reached into his pocket, took out a small storage ring, and threw it toward Sasaki.
"There it is," he said. "Two million gold coins inside—and some other things that'll come in handy if you know how to search through a storage ring."
Alfie and Jackson froze in shock after hearing the amount.
"Two million gold coins!? That's a lot—lot—lot of money!" Alfie shouted. "Thank you very much! Thank you very much!" he said, standing up and bowing deeply in appreciation.
"Sit down, Alfie," Sasaki said suddenly, his voice cold.
Alfie blinked in confusion and sat back down quietly.
"I'm sorry to say this, Special Darkside Knight," Sasaki said firmly, "but we'll make our own money with our own strength. Please take out the gold coins and give us only the storage ring and the other useful items. We'll appreciate that."
Alfie and Jackson both looked shocked.
"What the hell is wrong with Mister Sasaki…?" Jackson thought silently.
"Well, if that's what you want, I can't force you to take it," the special knight replies.
He caught the storage ring Sasaki had thrown back, removed what was necessary, and placed them into another ring. Then, he tossed it again. Sasaki caught it easily and slipped it onto his middle finger.
"Ohh, Mister Reaper… you just ruined our shortcut to getting rich…" Alfie grumbled in his thoughts.
Two Shinras walked over, leading three black horses toward them.
"That road right there will lead you out of this kingdom—directly toward the Kingdom of Ashura," the special darkside knight said, pointing ahead.
Sasaki nodded in response. The three mounted their horses.
"I'm sincerely grateful for your support. Things would have been harder without your help. Thank you, Special Darkside Knight—and send my regards to Dialo," Sasaki said.
The Special Darkside Knight smiled faintly.
Lukas, the Pro Darkside Knight ,the art of the mojito user who had been silently sipping his drink, looked over and said "
"You're a strong young man. Those kids with you are tough too. But there's one thing you need to know about this country—always expect the unexpected. Things don't always go as planned."
"Expect the unexpected…" Jackson thought. "I think I like this Pro Darkside Knight."
"That's so complicated," Alfie said, frowning. "How do you expect the unexpected when it's....unexpected?"
"You'll understand soon enough, kid," the other Pro Darkside Knight, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
"And you're siding with him on that one!?" Alfie asked.
"It's not taking sides, kid," the same pro darkside knight replied. "It's talking from experience."
"Well, we're off," Sasaki said. "Thanks again for everything—we appreciate it."
The three of them moved toward the direction pointed out to them, following the forest road.
After some time, they reached the border of the Kingdom of Dan. Ahead of them flowed a wide river, crossed by a long wooden bridge.
They slowed their horses and began to cross carefully. The bridge was long—crossing it took nearly an hour.
"How long do you think it took them to build a bridge like this?" Alfie asked.
"I don't really know for sure," Jackson said, glancing at the beams. "But it must have taken years to build something this solid and long using wood. These woods are pretty tough."
"It's not just wood, Jack," Sasaki said. "The pillars are made of concrete and iron. That's the only way it can hold the weight of all these people crossing."
The bridge wasn't too crowded, but merchants and a few traveling Shinras passed by on horseback. A few travelers could also be seen walking on foot.
"What's going through the minds of those guys traveling with their feet?" Jackson wondered aloud.
"Don't act all noble now," Sasaki said lightly. "Don't forget we got to the Kingdom of Dan on foot too. We're not so different from them."
Suddenly, Sasaki sensed something. His eyes sharpened as he turned slightly, glancing behind them. A group of riders was crossing the bridge some distance away.
"What is it, Mister Reaper?" Alfie asked.
"I thought someone was staring at us for a while," Sasaki replied quietly, "but it seems I was wrong…"
"What the hell was that just now…?" Sasaki thought.
They continued to ride, leaving the bridge behind. The wooden bridge marked the border between the Kingdom of Dan and the Kingdom of Xander.