The road stretched quietly toward the south.
Wein walked alone along the dirt path, the ruined village slowly fading behind him. The morning sun had risen higher, casting pale light across the fields and forests surrounding the road.
The world looked strangely peaceful. Birds chirped in the distance. Wind moved gently through the tall grass along the roadside.
If someone arrived here now, they would never believe a village had burned during the night.
Wein continued walking without looking back. His pace wasn't fast, but it was steady.
The City of Flower lay somewhere beyond the southern hills. He had heard about it all his life but had never seen it. Few villagers ever traveled that far. Most people were born in the village, lived there their entire lives, and died there. Wein had always assumed the same fate awaited him. Until last night.
He glanced at the faint status interface hovering at the edge of his vision. The same status screen appeared. The information hadn't changed since morning. He's still not sure why he awakened his Bloodline. He only ever heard rumour about it. Some very special people could awaken a Bloodline at a certain age, giving them supernatural abilities.
He had never even once imaniged he will ever be awakened, since he never see himself as someone special.
But the warmth of Spiritual Essence flowed quietly through his body. Also his enhanced strenght and senses, proved that he truly had became an Awakened.
The wound on his throat had already improved slightly. Wein wasn't sure how his wound could heal so fast, but he suspect it was the benefit of becoming an awakened.
Wein touched the scar lightly, It still hurt. But it was no longer life-threatening.
His golden eyes shifted toward the road ahead. The City of Flower. He had heard plenty of stories about cities.
Crowded streets, Markets, Guards, Nobles.
His white hair swayed slightly in the wind. Once he enter the city, he knew what would happen the moment people saw him. Whispers, Suspicious looks, Fear. The same reactions he had faced his entire life.
Wein frowned slightly, then he shrugged. "Why would I care?" His voice was quiet but firm.
"I endured it when I was powerless." His fingers slowly curled into a fist. "And now… I'm awakened."
A faint spark of heat flickered in his palm before fading again.
Two bloodlines. Even now, the realization still felt strange.
He could feel it whenever Spiritual Essence moved through his body. For the first time in his life… He wasn't powerless.
Wein continued walking. The road curved through open farmland before entering a stretch of forest. The trees here were taller and thicker than those surrounding his old village.
Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting shifting shadows across the path. Everything felt new. Wein had never traveled this far from home before. Even as a child, he rarely left the village, there had never been a reason to. But now the world felt larger than he had ever imagined. He found himself looking around more often, Studying the trees, Listening to distant sounds.
His Hunter Instinct quietly sharpened his awareness. He could hear birds moving between branches. The rustling of animals deeper in the forest. The faint sound of wind traveling through leaves.
Wein walked like this for nearly an hour. Then the ground beneath his feet began to vibrate. At first it was subtle. A faint tremor in the road. Then it grew stronger.
Hoofbeats.
Many of them.
Wein stopped walking. His head tilted slightly as his Hunter Instinct reacted immediately.
'People, moving quickly along the road from the south.' he thought.
He stepped to the side of the road and waited. The sound grew louder. Soon dust began rising behind him.
Moments later, riders appeared.
Knights, Dozens of them. Armored figures riding large warhorses thundered along the road in tight formation. Their polished armor gleamed in the sunlight as they moved. There were many of them.
Wein counted quickly. At least fifty.
The front rider raised a hand, and the entire group slowed. Their formation shifted slightly as they approached him.
Wein remained standing quietly at the roadside.
The leading rider guided her horse forward.
A woman.
She wore polished armor like the others, though hers was more decorated. A crimson cloak hung from her shoulders, fluttering behind her horse. Her posture was straight and confident. Clearly the commander.
Her sharp eyes immediately landed on Wein.
White hair.
Golden eyes.
She noticed it instantly. Her horse stopped a few meters in front of him. The rest of the knights halted behind her. Dust slowly settled around them.
The woman studied him carefully before speaking.
"You there," she said calmly. "Boy."
Wein looked up at her.
"Where are you coming from?"
Wein pointed behind him.
"The northern village."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"The one that was attacked during the night? Our border scouts reported that northern savages crossed the border."
"Yes."
A brief silence followed.
The knights behind her shifted uneasily in their saddles.
She examined him more closely now.
His clothes were stained with dried blood.
A healing wound stretched across his throat.
And yet he stood there calmly.
"You survived the raid?"
Wein shrugged.
"Looks like it."
One of the knights muttered quietly behind her.
"Impossible…"
The woman raised a hand, silencing him. Her gaze never left Wein.
"What is your name?"
"Wein."
Another pause.
Her eyes flicked briefly to his hair and eyes again. But noticing the boy has no horn or wings, she quickly abandoned thought of killing the boy. She's confident she could kill a real Devil.
"My name is Elisa," she said.
"Captain of the Emerald Knight"
Wein nodded slightly.
"Nice to meet you."
Elisa continued studying him.
"Are there any survivors in the village?"
Wein shook his head.
"I didn't see any."
The wind shifted, carrying the faint smell of smoke down the road.
Elisa's expression hardened.
"We will confirm that ourselves."
She paused.
"You're heading toward the City of Flower?"
"Yes."
"A boy who just survived a massacre is walking alone toward the southern city?"
Wein shrugged again.
"Seems better than staying there."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Elisa gave a small nod.
"That may be true. Unfortunately, we cannot escort you to the city. Our orders are to investigate the northern borders."
Wein nodded.
He didn't particularly care. He was used to people keeping their distance. If the knights wanted to leave him alone on the road, that was fine with him.
Elisa turned slightly in her saddle. "We continue to the village." She said. Her gaze returned to Wein one last time. "If you reach the city, report what happened here to the gate guards."
Wein nodded. "Alright."
Elisa pulled the reins of her horse. The animal turned smoothly.
With a simple gesture of her hand, the fifty knights began moving again. Their horses thundered past Wein. Within moments, they were gone.
Dust slowly drifted back down onto the road. Wein watched them disappear into the distance. Then he turned his gaze south again.
The City of Flower was still waiting. And for the first time in his life… The road ahead felt wide open.