The dirt road stretched ahead of them, a long brown path cutting through open fields that swayed with the morning breeze.
Bell walked excitedly, hopping with each step as they could see the large towering walls showing ever so clearer.
Kaelis, on the other hand, walked like he always did: relaxed posture and hands loosely at his sides.
He had long since grown past the age to be showing enthusiasm.
They both continued their journey in silence as the only thing that could be heard were birds chirping overhead.
The world felt… surprisingly peaceful.
"Well… at least we won't get lost," Bell murmured.
"Bold of you to assume you'd navigate without me."
Bell puffed his cheeks. "I could figure it out."
"Sure," Kaelis replied flatly. "You didn't even notice last night when you walked in a circle around the fire pit twice."
"That was ONE time—!"
"Uh-huh."
They continued.
After about another hour of walking, the road started to widen—and so they began seeing other individuals and large crowds.
Wagons pulled past them by horses.
Groups of adventurers clanked by in mismatched armor.
Merchants walked alongside their carts, shouting out deals to anyone who'd listen.
The quiet of the countryside faded into a steady hum of voices and footsteps.
Bell's eyes went wide as they began glittering.
He'd seen travelers before—small groups passing through the farmlands—but nothing like this.
This felt like a huge migration.
"Master… they're all going to Orario too?"
Kaelis gave a simple shrug.
"Most likely, yeah. I read that Orario's basically the center of the world's wallet. Merchants, adventurers, people running away from something, people running toward something. It attracts every type."
Bell glanced around, suddenly aware of how out of place he looked.
He was still wearing the outfit Kaelis gave him for his birthday—clean, perfectly fitted, and way too high-quality compared to the rough, travel-stained clothes everyone else had on.
Next to hardened adventurers and dusty merchants, he kind of stood out like a decorative statue someone accidentally dragged onto a dirt road.
And then there was the sword.
The bronze-and-blue finish caught the light just right, drawing curious looks… and a few that lingered a little too long.
The kind that made Kaelis narrow his eyes.
On top of that, Bell's white hair and red eyes weren't exactly subtle.
More than a few travelers glanced back at him, trying not to make it obvious they were staring at the cute kid with the strange features and expensive looking gear.
He hunched his shoulders a little, wishing—just for a moment—that he blended in even a tiny bit.
Bell tugged nervously at the high collar of his suit.
"…Do I look weird?"
"Yes," Kaelis answered without hesitation.
"MASTER!"
"Relax. Being weird is good. Besides, I'm not exactly blending in either."
He wasn't wrong.
Kaelis walked alongside him dressed in what basically looked like royal attire—a black tunic under a dark blue vest embroidered with intricate gold patterns.
White gloves with matching accents, and a posture so straight and confident it practically screamed "important person."
Plus the sword key chain around his neck.
With his already ridiculous good looks and sharp aura, people didn't just glance at him.
They stared.
Some even whispered.
Compared to the rough travelers around them, both student and master looked like they'd wandered off the cover of some noble family portrait.
Honestly? They looked more like a pair of young royals touring the countryside than a teacher and disciple on the road to Orario.
"That doesn't make me feel better!"
Kaelis lifted a shoulder. "Then I won't say the part where some people think you're a runaway noble."
Bell almost tripped. "WHY WOULD THEY—?!"
Kaelis didn't elaborate.
It took another thirty minutes for the walls to come into proper view.
Bell slowed to a stop.
"…Master."
"Yeah?"
"That wall is… huge."
"Accurate."
"I—I mean—I knew Orario was big, but—that's—that's like… like a mountain that got flattened and stretched!"
Kaelis hummed playing with his nonexistent beard. "Poetic."
"I wasn't trying to be poetic!"
Bell continued staring.
The outer wall of Orario was made of thick white stone, reinforced with an unknown metal as it stretched far; it seemed endless when looking directly upwards.
40? No. 50 meters high… Kaelis estimated. And what are those materials?
Even from afar, the walls seemed impenetrable. People flowed in and out through a massive gate like ants from a hive.
It wasn't just the size—it was the whole atmosphere.
Bell swallowed. "This is really happening…"
"Second thoughts?" Kaelis asked lightly.
Bell shook his head. "…No. I want to go."
"Good."
Kaelis resumed walking, and Bell followed, heart pounding with a mix of nerves and awe as they went to join the line.
The line stretched far from the gate and it's quite clear from how slow it moved that they would be here for a while.
Bell froze again.
"So many people… Why are there so many people?"
"Because it's morning," Kaelis said. "Peak traffic."
Bell stared blankly. "…Peak… traffic?"
"People entering and leaving."
"Oh."
A pair of dwarves walked past them, one whispering to the other:
"Look at those kids—so graceful. Hope they ain't some noble brat runnin' away."
Bell nearly shriveled on the spot.
Kaelis chuckled under his breath.
Time passed slowly.
Bell's entire attention was consumed by everything happening around him—people shouting in languages he didn't recognize, the clatter of metal armor, the smell of fresh bread from a nearby vendor…
After nearly two hours, they finally reached the front.
Two guards in polished armor and a relatively strong aura stepped forward.
Bell stiffened so hard Kaelis thought he might snap in half.
The guard on the left—a young man with a trimmed beard—nodded to Kaelis.
"Morning. Papers?"
Kaelis produced the land deed and a few traveler's notes with smooth efficiency.
Bell, meanwhile, was sweating profusely.
The guard glanced between the two of them.
"…Is the kid okay?"
"He's fine," Kaelis replied before Bell could open his mouth. "First time in a city."
Bell nodded furiously it made him dizzy.
The guard cracked a small smile. "Relax, kid. We're just checking for contraband. Nothing scary."
The other guard squinted at Bell's sword.
"That weapon yours?"
Bell swallowed. "Y-yes, sir."
"You know how to use it?"
"…A little."
The guard nodded approvingly. "Good. Keep it sheathed inside the city unless someone gives you trouble."
Bell blinked. "People… give trouble?"
"Oh, all the time," the guard said casually. "Adventurers get rowdy. Drunkards fight. Some rookie ends up screaming because he saw a Goblin for the first time and threw his dagger at a wall—"
Kaelis cleared his throat. "Can we go?"
"Ah—right, sorry. You two are clear."
The guard stepped aside.
"Welcome to Orario. Oh and be sure to go to the guild for registration."
"Sure."
Bell exhaled in relief as though he had survived a life-or-death trial.
Kaelis nudged him. "You didn't die."
"I felt like I was going to," Bell muttered.
"So dramatic."
Stepping through the massive stone archway, they have successfully entered Orario.
Bell's eyes widened until they practically shimmered.
Buildings towered over them—shops, inns, smithies with soot-stained windows. Vibrant banners fluttered from balconies. Merchants shouted deals. Adventurers bargained for supplies. Children ran between carts.
The smell of grilled meat mixed with bread, spices, and the faint metallic tang of forges.
His head turned constantly.
"It's so… alive," he whispered.
Kaelis smirked. "Wait until the evening. Then it gets loud."
Bell didn't get a chance to answer.
A small shadow darted past them.
Bell blinked. "Was that—?"
"Thief," Kaelis said calmly.
Bell's hand shot to his hip—
"AH!! MY POUCH—!!"
The thief—a tiny kid barefoot in ragged clothes—was already sprinting away, light on his feet and fast with his hands.
Kaelis didn't even bother turning his head.
His hand simply snapped out and caught the boy by the back of the collar, lifting him off the ground with the casual ease of someone picking up a stray cat.
The kid kicked and flailed in the air, but Kaelis' grip didn't budge an inch.
Bell gawked.
The kid squirmed. "H-Hey! Put me down! I didn't do anything—!"
Kaelis took the pouch from the child's hand.
"Um—Master? Did he…?"
"Yes."
Kaelis answered without missing a beat before tucking the kid under his arm like a sack of flour.
"Let me go! You bastard!"
The child kept swinging his fists and kicking, but it was pointless—Kaelis didn't even react.
"Um… Master?" Bell asked carefully. "Are you… kidnapping him…?"
"No," Kaelis said flatly. "The kid clearly has no family, and if he keeps stealing like this, he's gonna get himself killed. So I'm going to fix that."
Bell blinked. That… didn't exactly answer the question.
"…Are you adopting him?"
"…"
The boy stopped struggling for a second, suddenly very invested in the answer.
Kaelis snorted. "No. I'm bringing him to an orphanage. There should be one or two in Orario, right?"
Chapter 54 end.