The faint gray light of the early morning sun, which was yet to fully squeeze past the horizon, greeted my eyes.
The cold morning air bit into my face, which was the only party of my body peeking below the cover.
'Just five more minutes…'
This was when I suddenly shot up, remembering my busy schedule for today.
The days when I could stay in bed for five more minutes, eventually turning into two hours, felt so fresh in my memory, yet at the same time - so distant.
With a sigh, I quickly dressed up, and picked up my half-empty backpack, before coming downstairs. I wished I could stay for breakfast, but every hour was of the essence today. This would be my first solo mission, albeit only a plant collection one.
I quickly made my way to the town's back entrance, begrudgingly chewing on a piece of jerky.
"Good morning."
"Have a safe hunt."
I nodded, despite the guard misunderstanding the purpose of today's trip. Given my sword, he couldn't be blamed, though.
In fact, I wouldn't mind running into a few goblins - be that for training, or the extra income.
However, my main goal was harvesting, as well as making it back before sunset.
With haste, I began following one of the routes outlined by Julia.
Of course, back when she explained those routes, she also gave me a small map of the nearby area, with the routes marked.
I haven't used this map on the mission due to its redundancy, yet it was undoubtedly useful today.
It would clearly take some time for me to remember those routes well enough to not be slowed down by pathfinding, but this was merely my first run – I still had about two dozen left.
As I was walking, I kept my ears peeled for any signs of danger, and my eyes sharp for any potential harvest.
Thankfully, I caught none of the former, while finding plenty of the latter.
Of course, many of the spots on the map showed signs of recent harvest, with 'recent' being anywhere from a day to a week, by my inexperienced estimation.
There were a few other full-time harvesters, and unlike that route to the goblin nest, those routes were much better known and more often treaded.
However, the farther away I got from the town, the fewer emptied-out spots I found.
As I've been told earlier, most professional harvesters worked alone, and by virtue of their chosen occupation, they were usually quite risk averse, which explained their reluctance to venture too deep into the forest.
By noon, I already had about 8 silver's worth of 100% organic natural loot.
And of course, my return trip wouldn't follow my previous route, giving me a chance to double my current gains.
My first harvesting trip continued without a hitch – by the time I made it back to town, as the sun was still reluctantly hanging over the horizon, I had well over 1 gold's worth of harvest (by my adjusted estimation).
This method made the average 1-silver-per-day occupations look ridiculous, at least at first glance.
However, that was only until one remembered that every trip was a potential encounter with a group of goblins, a wolf pack, a ravenous bear, or one of the many other dangers present in this world.
Moreover, there were a few months, such as mid summer or throughout most of winter, when the potential harvest was small to nonexistent due to weather conditions. Sure, professional harvesters could do something else during those months, but it still made the profession less consistent.
Not wanting to waste any time, I went to Julia directly.
Most of the plants were not part of any requests, and for the ones that were, I could get a certificate from Julia herself - who was the client - and turn them in at the guild to collect a small bonus, roughly 10-20% for each such plant.
In the end, I came out with 1 gold, 4 silver, and a bit over 1 silver in certificates.
I was advised to turn over all such certificates once per month, for convenience. In my case, that would only be once, before my departure.
'Made it in time.'
I was exhausted after 12 hours of mostly walking, with a few short rests in between. However, I couldn't rest just yet – there was still one important matter left to attend to.
I quickly went to the inn and dropped off my backpack, grabbing a quick meal while I was there. Thankfully, my timely return left me with nearly an hour until sunset.
When everything was done, I considered taking a quick bath, too, but that would be cutting it far too close.
Instead, I simply left the inn, making my way to the Sun Shrine.
***
By the time I arrived, the sun had almost set.
There were already a few people beside the shrine.
One of them was Amelia, who, judging by the absence of the old priest, would likely be conducting the ceremony.
Another was, of course, the halfling.
Unsurprisingly, Xin, the one who knew Tim the longest amongst us, was also present.
The surprising person was Hilda, the 4th party member of the Silver Claymore, whom I only met once.
Perhaps she had known Tim from the city? Or maybe they met through Xin, and she simply came to like the kid. Either way, here she was.
…and that was all.
Including me, four people in this town seemed to have known the young man, or, at least, cared enough to commemorate his passing.
"My condolences."
As I approached, Amelia stepped to greet me. In her eyes, I could see genuine pity.
"It's… thank you."
Almost instinctively, I wanted to say that it was alright, that I was fine. However, not only would this be disrespectful to the dead, in my heart, I knew it would be an outright lie.
Perhaps that's why I wanted to say it in the first place.
The others acknowledged my arrival as well.
Hilda quietly nodded, Pinpin looked at me with an even expression before averting his eyes, while Xin…
Why was he looking at me like this? In his eyes, which were interlocked with mine, I could see a mix of sorrow and.. blame?
I could feel an invisible hand clenching my chest, yet I refused to look away.
Had I no blame in this outcome? I absolutely did.
There were multiple points where I could have made a tougher decision, but one which would preserve all of our lives.
However, not only was I not the party leader, but I also did my best to set reasonable boundaries against the young man's own desperate drive to chase after the goblins.
If I were to accept blame, it would be from the only other party member who was there – definitely not from someone who wasn't even present.
After a few seconds, it was the half-elf who averted his gaze.
"It's time. Follow me."
We wordlessly walked behind Amelia, who slowly circled the shrine.
On the other side was what appeared to be a large stone bowl, standing atop a small pillar made of similar white stone.
The upper edge of the bowl barely reached Amelia's shoulder.
As everyone stood in front of her, the young priestess took her place directly beside the pillar.
"We have gathered here today to bring rest to a soul – a young man, who had passed on from this world, his soul starting its journey into the Shining Lady's warm embrace…"
The sermon continued for a while.
Halfway through, Amelia knelt in front of the pillar and began reciting a prayer. After a few seconds, faint flickers of light suddenly reflected off the bowl's inner edges, and a moment later, a bright flame was born, reaching upwards into the starry sky.
From the start, I could faintly smell the same oily smell from the bowl which I did from torches. However, without a doubt, the way that oil was lit was a divine miracle.
"..and let this light be the beacon that guides his soul through the darkness of the afterlife, and into Her kingdom."
After the long sermon, Amelia took out what looked like a small patch of hair, and threw it into the flame, eliciting a few sparks.
"Those who wish to say their final farewells - step forward."
I looked at the halfling, who threw me a quick glance before stepping in front of the flame.
"Tim.. I didn't know him for long. We only met three months ago, in the Adventurers Guild in this town. When I first saw him, I couldn't imagine he would be my first companion on the perilous path of adventuring. But when I saw the fire in his eyes, I knew there could be no better c-choice."
The halfling's voice faltered for a moment, but he quickly recomposed before continuing.
"Throughout those last few months, we've gone on many adventures. They might not have been epic quests, the sort that would be immortalized in song for centuries to come; They were mundane tasks of moderate danger – hunting goblins, guarding the lumber yard, and occasionally escorting a lumber wagon. However, with Tim, those missions never felt mundane – and I wouldn't trade them for any other adventure."
The halfling made a gesture with his small hand, bringing his right fist to his chest.
"Goodbye, Timmy. May your soul find its way to a brighter world."
The halfling stood back, but before I could force myself to take his place, the spot in front of the flame was already occupied.
"I.. never wanted Tim to become an adventurer."
Xin's voice was quieter than usual, and his tone held a profound mix of emotions.
"I've told you, time and time again, that this path is a treacherous one – that even in a small, peaceful town, an adventurer could-"
He abruptly stopped, taking a deep breath, but resolved himself to speak again.
"You know, when you arrived, I received a letter from your little sister, delivered with the same caravan. She asked me to take care of you – and, if not, at least to guide you. She wished for your safe return."
The half-elf sighed, his sorrow tangible.
"I really did try.. I taught you as much as I could. I told you how careful you must be. But I guess that wasn't enough.. and now, it won't ever be enough."
The half elf turned his head upwards, his eyes following the edges of the flame that reached towards the skies, only to dissipate in the endless darkness.
"I'm sorry, Tim. May your soul find peace."
Finally, as Xin stepped back, there was no one left to delay my turn – Hilda made no attempt to move.
Feeling my legs fill with lead, I gathered my will, slowly stepping forward.
"I.."
What could I really say?
"Unlike the others, I barely knew you."
I didn't know him since childhood, nor was I a long-time companion. However..
"It would have been nice if I did, though."
Maybe he wasn't cut out for adventuring. However, I liked the kid. Back at home, when I was closer to his age, I could probably become friends with someone like him. Still..
"It's a shame this won't happen anymore. A shame I didn't stop you- stop us from going farther."
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight in my chest – then, feeling it slowly recede.
It did not completely disappear – that would probably take much longer.
But, as the dwarf said, I had to keep moving forward. I had to let go of this piece of the past, so I could focus everything I had on the struggle for my future.
"May you rest in peace."
As I stepped back, silence descended upon the small gathering.
For a few seconds, the only movement was that of the flickering flame, until Amelia moved to stand beside it once more.
"Let the Shining Lady guide those final words to the soul, and guide the soul towards its final light."
Clasping her medallion with both hands, she performed a small bow towards the flame, before throwing another look at us.
It might have been my imagination, but I thought her eyes lingered on me for a few extra moments. Still, Amelia said nothing, silently making her way back to the shrine.
The ceremony was over.
***
I saw Hilda pulling Xin aside, speaking in a consoling tone.
The halfling merely stood at the same spot, still looking at the flame.
My legs, as if moving by themselves, carried me to stand beside him.
"What will you do now?"
I wouldn't mind Pinpin as a temporary companion – at the very least, he could help me fish for better missions in this town, while I could fill the rest of the days with harvesting.
However, by now, I had a concrete feeling he wanted to leave the old party behind. Perhaps teaming up with me brought forth memories that were just too fresh.
"There's a caravan leaving for Silverveil soon. I'll be leaving with it."
"Off to the city? Well, I did hear it had better missions.."
If this town was a low-level area, the city was probably closer to a mid-level one.
Of course, it was relatively peaceful on the surface, but with a much larger number of people and wealth came greater and more numerous dangers – not the least of which were fellow humans. And of course, the city must have attracted greater threats from without, not just within.
This translated into a much higher number of missions compared to this small town, as well as missions of higher difficulties.
Also, being home to the regional rulers, Silverveil was the central city of this province, which also meant many of the larger regional quests were concentrated there.
At least I've heard as much from my occasional short chats with the inn keeper and the smith.
Of course, all of this had little to do with low-level (and Pathless) adventurers. And even less so with the halfling, because..
"No. I've decided to retire from adventuring."
"Oh.. I see."
A few moments of silence passed between us, before the bard spoke.
"I've always sung songs and told tales of great heroes, and epic adventures. Not only those, of course. I would even compose my own songs, of brave soldiers saving a village from a monster wave, or a party of adventurers rescuing fair maidens kidnapped in a goblin raid.."
The halfling sighed.
"At some point, I.. I thought I might be able to have my own verse in some such songs."
His eyes rose to meet mine, reflecting the flickering flame of the nearby brazier.
"It didn't have to be an epic ballad about a mythical bard saving the kingdom alongside legendary heroes. It could be as little as helping a village repel a bandit raid, or aiding a caravan as they suddenly stumble upon a ravenous troll."
He sighed again.
"I thought that, if I worked hard enough, I could at least reach that level.."
The halfling's voice trailed off, before yet another deep sigh escaped his mouth.
"I see it now. Even if I were to reach those heights, the path there would be stained with the blood of those companions I wouldn't be able to save. That is, if my own dead body wouldn't join theirs first."
I wanted to console my former companion, but no words came to mind – anything I'd say would be empty platitudes.
I didn't know much about this world, but from everything I've seen and heard so far, his words sounded more realistic than not.
"So, you will return to performing?"
"Yes. The city does have many more such opportunities. But.. that isn't the main reason."
"?.."
"I gave my word before. To Timmy. That I would take care of his affairs, if something were to happen to him."
With those words, Xin's final farewells came to mind, as well as some of the previous clues.
"His little sister. Is she still in the orphanage?"
"She is fourteen now. She is literate, and even knows basic arithmetic. She has a bright mind – and fourteen is the oldest age one might start attending the civil academy in the city, at least as a junior."
He flashes me a faint smile.
"Actually, she had already passed the enrollment exams. However, the attendance fees are quite high for a commoner - and nearly unattainable for an orphan. With this last mission, and if I sell the rest of his equipment, Tim has saved just enough to cover the whole fee, as well as the basic necessities such as ink, pens and paper."
The halfling exhaled once more, however, this breath felt less heavy than the last.
"So you're going to give her the money?"
"She is too young to handle it, but I will pay for her tuition, tools, and divide the rest into a monthly allowance."
"You've truly thought this through."
"No.. Tim was the one who said someone else would have to manage the money. Xin also gave some advice regarding the finer details. He and Tim probably talked about this in the past."
"I wish you luck, then. Hope everything works out with your performance."
"Of course it will! I may be a failed adventurer, but my tongue is sharper than my dagger, and my melody is swifter than my bolts! Perhaps the next time you visit Silverveil, every tavern shall recognize the name of Pinpin the Bard!"
The halfling's demeanor abruptly shifted back to his cheerful self.
The shift was so instant, that for a moment, I considered that everything up to this point had been an act. However, from the cave until now, all of his sorrow felt completely genuine.
It could be that he managed to fool me every single time since then, but most likely, this was just how he was.
"I might visit the city in a month or two. So you better start your tour quickly."
"No, wait, that's too soon! Can you stay in this town for a year or two?.."
I chuckled at the bard's pleading voice. Actually, this might have been the first time I smiled in the last two days.
"Goodbye, Pinpin. It was a pleasure adventuring with you, even if it wasn't for long."
"Goodbye, Seb. When you get to the city, I might still be staying in the Rusty Ring Inn in the Southern District. You might consider it, too. Out of the cheaper places, it's definitely the most decent establishment."
"By all means. Thank you, and farewell."
"Farewell!"
With a wave of his hand, the halfling turned away.
"Sebastian."
However, a new voice called out my name.
"Hilda?"
Looking around, I noticed Xin had taken his leave as well.
"The Silver Claymore is leaving for the city soon."
"I see."
I've already heard this from the dwarf, but I had no reason to disclose that.
"Bern wanted me to tell you something. If you happen to be in the city next month, he can offer you a mission."
"What kind of mission?"
"It'd take too long to explain. In short, it's a combination of escort and with few smaller tasks in between."
"I… see."
I didn't distrust Bern, but the way this was presented made it sound a little sketchy.
"Of course, the compensation will be appropriate for this type of mission. Bern said you seemed close enough to reaching your Path, so if you manage to do so by then, the minimal offer would be 100 gold as prepayment, as well as appropriate bonuses per the difficulty of each task - up to 400 gold total."
The moment she got to the first number, my eyes widened. This was a lot of gold!
However, by the time she finished speaking, I had already calmed down.
Yes, this was a lot of gold – I couldn't help but suspect this was much more than the average fresh Path bearer could hope for.
Yet, such sums implied significant danger, and perhaps - a significant time expanse, as well.
"How long is this mission, exactly?"
Hilda raised her thin eyebrow, before the corners of her lips nudged upwards.
"It's a good thing you don't blindly pounce on the gold. If you did, I would be quite disappointed."
Her expression turned serious.
"Don't worry, this is not a scam, nor is this a ploy to trap you for years. The mission will likely last a month, two at most. Everything should take place within the city, although some tasks may take place in its outskirts. If the mission takes over three months, you will be free to cancel your employment, and keep every coin you grained up to that point."
"Why me, though? Even if I manage to reach my Path by then, won't it be cheaper to hire a stronger, more experienced adventurer?"
"It would, and for some of the other tasks - we will. However, Bern also needs people he can trust, even if their abilities are a little lacking."
"And he considers me one of those people?"
"He does. He said you owed him a favor."
That… was true. I did owe him a favor.
"Alright. I will talk to you when I get to the city, although I can't guarantee I'll reach a Path by then."
"That's alright. We will have you either way. Actually, if you're lacking a single skill to reach your Path, Bern might just be able to help you with that."
She gave me a coy look, before finishing up.
"You'll be able to find us in the Silver Trout tavern, in the northern part of the city."
She waved her hand.
"See you soon, Sebastian."
"Goodbye, Hilda."
I turned around, throwing one last glance at the brazier, a small flame still burning within.
It was finally time to leave this ceremony, letting Timmy's memory ascend together with the dancing flames.