The next morning, Adam left Carne Village, seen off by the chief and Latimon.
Only then did Latimon exhale in relief.
From the moment he saw Adam, his instincts screamed danger. He'd never heard of anyone taming a Invisible Hound.
Especially unsettling was the cub's behavior.
Latimon's throat tightened.
The cub's apparent affection toward Adam was rooted in fear.
Glancing at the chief's relaxed demeanor, Latimon knew his warnings hadn't sunk in.
"Sigh." He muttered.
At least the man bore no ill will toward the village.
After leaving Carne, Adam no longer restrained his speed. Scooping up the Invisible Hound cub, he moved swiftly.
Along the way, only scattered wild animals appeared, no goblins or monsters.
Realizing the impact of his month-long hunt in the Great Forest of Tob, Adam understood why the Adventurer's Guild had sent teams to investigate. His actions had caused a bigger stir than expected.
From the lack of adventurer encounters in the forest and Carne's reports, the Guild likely hadn't found useful leads.
Unhindered by monsters and bolstered by his improved strength, Adam reached the distant E-Rantel in just two hours.
His first trip from E-Rantel to Carne had taken a full day.
Three towering walls encircled the city, their rugged grandeur exuding an oppressive weight that daunted any who approached.
At the gate's checkpoint, a few soldiers lounged, chatting casually.
As fortress city guards, such laxity was unusual, but the early hour excused it.
In this border region, travelers and caravans chose safer times to move. Nearby villages avoided this hour too.
Even with fewer marauding monsters and goblins lately, travel habits hadn't shifted.
It wasn't a busy time.
"Hey, stop messing around. Someone's coming." A soldier said, spotting a figure in the distance.
"Ugh, this early?" Another grumbled, yawning as he stood and peered out.
Their laziness vanished, eyes sharpening with focus.
As Adam neared E-Rantel, the fortress city's massive walls left him quietly awed.
Though not his first time seeing them, such a colossal city, without magic, could never have been built by human hands alone.
"Woof."
The Invisible Hound cub trotted behind, head swiveling, curiosity piqued by the surroundings.
At the gate, Adam glanced at the two checkpoint soldiers, reaching into his pocket for the prepared copper coins.
Unexpectedly, the soldier didn't take them, instead studying Adam closely.
"Sir, are you an adventurer?" The soldier asked cautiously, eyeing the cub.
"No." Adam replied, his brow furrowing slightly.
"I see." The soldier said, briefly taken aback by the answer. Exchanging a glance with his partner, he spoke carefully. "Sir, could you present a travel permit?"
Travel permit?
Adam recalled the Rocks team mentioning it.
In the Re-Estize Kingdom, outside the capital, cities in noble domains required a passage fee, or "walking tax." for entry.
Residents of a lord's domain often received discounts, and some generous nobles waived the fee entirely.
A travel permit, issued to village residents, served as an exemption from this tax.
Adam had no such permit.
The soldier likely knew this. Adam's black hair marked him as an outsider, not a local resident.
His first thought: Has something happened in E-Rantel?
A month ago, entry had been straightforward, pay the fee, and you were in. No such scrutiny.
It probably wasn't tied to his forest activities.
Killing goblins wouldn't cause this level of alertness.
Seeing Adam shake his head, the soldier showed no surprise. A permit would've been suspicious.
"My apologies, sir." The soldier said nervously. "Could our magic caster inspect your belongings?"
Accompanied by a monster, this man was no ordinary traveler.
If he were an adventurer, they wouldn't risk offending him with such checks.
Adam's suspicion grew. Something had indeed happened in E-Rantel.
"Could you tell me what's going on?" He asked, his face expressionless, withholding consent.
"Well…" The soldier hesitated, looking troubled.
"Wait." Another soldier, who'd been watching, stepped forward, recognition dawning. "You're the one who came with Madame Bareare last time?"
Black hair was rare, and though a month had passed, the memory stuck.
At the name, the first soldier's eyes widened. "The apothecary, Lizzie Bareare?"
Adam's eyebrow twitched.
He knew Lizzie's potion workshop was renowned in E-Rantel, a fact clear from their last visit.
But this time, he realized he'd underestimated her influence in the city.
"Correct." Adam nodded.
"Is that so?" The soldier who'd requested the check wavered, exchanging glances with his partner.
"Our deepest apologies, sir." He said quietly, his face full of regret. "It's orders from above. We don't know why."
Adam waved it off dismissively. The other soldier took his copper coins, and he was waved through.
***
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