Chapter 6 : Chapter 6
Chapter 6. Following the King's Path (2)
“The first rallying point where we must gather after regressing is Norington, the territory of the Cadmus family.”
Three figures were sitting at a small round table.
A one-eyed elf, a white-haired old man.
“We should do so. Because I will be thirteen at that time so I won't be able to move easily.”
And there was Blanc in his 40s, covered in scars all over his body.
“It’s a mission where life cannot be guaranteed. Perhaps even the soul might be extinguished. Will you still have no regrets?”
The elderly wizard with white hair hanging down to his waist asked Blanc again.
“Isn't it a fate to be devoured by the Void anyway? I might as well try once whether I die this way or that way.”
Even now, comrades would be shedding blood for the survival of humanity on the front lines outside.
When Blanc first heard about the Human Salvation Plan through regression, which might be humanity's last hope, he already felt it was destiny.
Norington, the area where the Void Tree was first discovered.
If the Cadmus family, the rulers of Norington, remained intact, and if their successor knew about the Void through regression.
If only that happened, a perfect initial response to the constantly spreading Void would become possible.
Since it was a situation where only despair was promised anyway, he would bet on even a very slim possibility.
Thus, the three regressors were selected.
It was 5 years ago that the regression spell was discovered in ancient ruins.
It was 2 years ago that the spell was perfectly interpreted, and they had been preparing for 2 years since then until this very moment.
To correct the past and save humanity.
“Currently, it is the 384th year of the Goddess Calendar. We will regress to the year 354. Precisely, I believe we will regress to the 7th month of the year 354.”
“If it goes well.”
The one-eyed elf replied in a cold voice.
Silence settled over the three for a moment.
“The number of people is limited to 3, and going back is limited to 30 years. Time, personnel, and materials to proceed with the spell, this is the limit. We must do it.”
Although hidden by wrinkles, the white-haired old man’s eyes were shining brightly.
“So wait for us. We will come to find you.”
“Blanc with clean skin, that is.”
Although it was a silly joke, the one-eyed elf chuckled as if he found it funny even thinking about it himself.
“I will be waiting.”
If they regressed to the 7th month, there was enough time. A month of time to prevent the extermination of the Cadmus family.
“By the way…….”
“Hm?”
The one-eyed elf asked the white-haired old man as if something was strange.
“Didn't you say the first rallying point earlier? Then does that mean there is a second one too?”
The white-haired old man answered the elf’s question with a hearty laugh.
“Of course. Remember well from now on. If we regress without an inch of error according to our plan, the first rallying point is Norington.”
“And if not?”
“If there is an error and we fail to gather at the first rallying point…….”
***
“Do you intend to go to the capital like this?”
Emilia asked Blanc while walking along the King's Path.
“I guess I should. Since the only object I can rely on right now is my maternal family, the Tolome family.”
Blanc was walking while chewing on a herb leaf he plucked from the roadside.
Emilia thought that appearance looked more like a mercenary who had experienced all sorts of hardships rather than a thirteen-year-old boy, but she decided not to say it out loud.
“I think so too. I heard Lord Tolome Bartomyu cherished Lady Nedrian very much. Surely he will welcome you too, Lord Blanc.”
“If he recognizes me, that is.”
His maternal grandfather and the head of the Tolome family, Tolome Bartomyu.
Blanc had never seen that person.
Precisely, he was scheduled to see him 2 years later, the year he turned fifteen and had his coming-of-age ceremony.
Blanc had visited the Tolome family in his past life too.
The young Blanc of twenty-three years old who barely escaped after 10 years of slave life.
However, the 10 years of hardship had taken away the dignity of a noble from him, and Blanc did not possess any evidence to prove his identity.
He cried out in front of the Tolome family for a month saying he was his grandson, but he was beaten until he was on the verge of death and then kicked out.
Blanc lamenting while clutching his chest at that moment.
‘If only I had Mother’s spirit tablet!’
Taking his mother’s spirit tablet even in that urgent situation in this life wasn't simply because he missed his mother’s traces.
It was to prove that he was the son of Cadmus Nedrian and a person in whom the blood of the Tolome family flows.
‘It should go well this time…….’
Blanc fingering his mother’s spirit tablet cherished deep in his chest.
In the worst case, even if the Tolome family said they didn't recognize him as Blanc, it didn't matter.
It would be a long detour, but it would be enough to settle down in a suitable place and cultivate his skills by learning the Aura cultivation method.
A safe place and money to live on for a few years. If he had just that, it would be enough to learn the Assinsao family’s Aura cultivation method.
‘I should first go around searching the rallying points. I could also try finding those two directly.’
He already confirmed there was an error of about a month in the regression point. Since he was greatly flustered too, the other 2 regressors would have probably been the same.
Since the first rallying point, the Cadmus family’s Norington, has burned down, the two people would naturally head to the second rallying point.
Blanc was moving forward for the same reason.
The place where his maternal family, the Tolome family, is located, and also the second rallying point for the regressors.
The capital of the Kingdom of Felix.
Towards ‘Baltimere’.
***
In the first city they arrived at, he sold 2 of his mother’s keepsakes.
Emilia cried loud enough for the city to fly away until the last moment the keepsakes were sold, but it couldn't be helped.
It would have been sorrowful for her.
Just as Rakshar’s life was saved by Blanc’s father, Emilia was saved by Blanc’s mother, Nedrian.
It was a time of severe drought. While Nedrian was coming to marry into the Cadmus family, a poor farm family was putting their children out on the roadside and selling them.
If Nedrian hadn't bought young Emilia calling her a dowry item from there, Emilia probably wouldn't have survived that winter.
To Emilia, Nedrian was a savior and master. Perhaps Emilia might be more affectionate towards her than Blanc who traveled back 30 years.
Fortunately, it was fortunate that the clothes Blanc was wearing were valued at a high price. Otherwise, he might have had to sell 3 instead of 2, and then tears wouldn't have stopped from Emilia’s eyes.
With the money obtained like that, he tailored clothes, bought food, bought Rakshar’s arrows, and finally bought 1 small donkey.
Although they just had to walk along the King's Path, it was a journey that would take two months on foot, and there was a risk of encountering monsters or bandits in the meantime, so Blanc wanted to move as safely as possible.
So the group stayed in this city for a week looking for a merchant group heading to Baltimere.
Fortunately, hearing the news that a somewhat famous merchant group was heading straight to Baltimere, they were able to join that merchant group.
“Then we will move our luggage onto this donkey.”
“Please do so.”
Merchants moving their luggage onto the donkey Blanc bought.
This was the reason he bought the donkey.
It was fine to just follow behind the merchant group if he just gave them some money appropriately, but the problem is when an emergency situation occurs.
Because when attacks by monsters or bandits occur, merchants and mercenaries protect their own luggage and employers, but they don't protect people following behind.
Therefore, Blanc intended to naturally secure a safe position by lending their donkey and settling inside the merchant group at the same time.
“How did you even think of this?”
“You know my father lines up tales of heroism from the past whenever he gets drunk? It’s content I heard then.”
Of course, it was a lie.
Since a thirteen-year-old noble boy who couldn't have experience in this area was handling matters so skillfully, Emilia and Rakshar were dumbfounded.
Every time, Blanc glossed over it by bringing up his father’s drunken ramblings.
“B-But Young Master, wouldn't it be……better if we hired mercenaries separately?”
“There’s that method too, but if I were a mercenary, I would kill Rakshar, rape Emilia, and then sell you as a slave along with me?”
“Hiek!”
The breed called mercenaries were no different from bandits if you peel off just one layer.
Since mercenaries are guys who stab you in the back even if you know them well, finding a mercenary who would faithfully escort Blanc’s party who had no connections would be as difficult as finding a pure virgin in Baywood.
And since Blanc clearly recognized that he was still a weak existence, he wanted to eliminate all possible risk factors.
“Then we can’t do that. That won’t do.”
“I-It seems the Young Master’s judgment is correct.”
Like Rakshar’s words, Blanc’s judgment was correct.
By being inside the merchant group for the two months heading to Baltimere, they could arrive safely.
However, the peddlers or ordinary people following behind the merchant group didn't get the same result as Blanc’s group.
“Poor things…….”
“It means we almost ended up like that too. Emilia, don't spare spending money if it’s for safety.”
Although they were in fine attire when departing, at this point reaching the end of the journey, they were people looking no different from vagrants.
Two monster attacks, three bandit appearances.
When monsters appeared, they were prone to target people placed defenselessly in the rear rather than directly targeting the well-defended merchant group.
In the case of bandits, merchants could pass safely by paying a toll, but people at the rear of the procession were often exposed to looting defenselessly.
‘As expected, it’s a world where you can’t survive unless you hold a sword.’
This was also the reason he jumped into the mercenary business in his past life.
A wild world where you can't survive unless you hold a sword, unless you become strong.
The only way to survive in such a place was constant struggle.
And that would be an unchanging truth in this life as well.
“Y-Young Master.”
“Hm?”
Rakshar woke Blanc who was lost in thought for a moment.
“Ah, they are inspecting in front of the city gate ahead.”
“Hmm…….”
Being able to enter and leave as if nothing was possible only in the Free City; in most cities or territories, some degree of identity verification is essentially required.
Moreover, this is Baltimere, the capital of the Kingdom of Felix.
Identity verification was beyond thorough to a strict level, so it was a place where one would be bounced off without even being able to enter if there was no evidence to confirm identity.
Things to prove identity would be identity guarantees guaranteed by each job guild, priest certificates guaranteed by the Goddess Religion, or certificates proving one is a pilgrim, or if not those, territory resident confirmation certificates issued by nobles, but…….
‘What to do from now on.’
Blanc didn't have a single thing to prove his identity because he escaped urgently.
Moreover, since there was even the Half-Werewolf Rakshar behind him, let alone identity verification, it would be a trip to prison if things went slightly wrong.
“Rakshar, sorry but. Fall back moderately. No, it would be better to go into the forest completely. I will call you later.”
“Yes. Young Master.”
The faithful Rakshar went into the forest moderately far from the road following Blanc’s order without a single complaint.
Probably he would be watching Blanc and Emilia from there with his excellent vision.
“Good. Then we.”
“What about us?”
Blanc had led them here with seasoned handling of affairs unlike a boy until now.
So Emilia naturally didn't doubt he would have a way to pass this city gate as well, but.
“There is no way. The only way is to explain the situation and call a person from the Tolome family to request identity guarantee.”
“…….”
“Why? Do you have another way?”
“No…….”
Since Emilia also had no sharp solution, she had no choice but to follow Blanc’s words.
However, no matter how much Blanc experienced various things for 30 years, there are parts he also doesn't know.
A situation like now was exactly such a situation.
“So you are Blanc Cadmus and your maternal grandfather is Count Tolome?”
“Show courtesy. Soldier. Although I am in a shabby appearance now, I am strictly the heir of a baron family.”
“Oh my, scared to death. Got it. Then should I write down Blanc Cadmus 32 or something on this pass?”
Perhaps finding the guard mocking Blanc funny, the soldiers around or people waiting to pass were all laughing out loud.
“What does the 32 behind mean?”
The quick-witted Blanc felt something was going wrong right now.
Although he expected passing the city gate wouldn't be easy, becoming a laughing stock of people like now was unexpected.
“What do you mean what! It means you are the 32nd Blanc Cadmus! Why do all beggar bastards claim they are Blanc Cadmus!”
“What?”
Behind the dumbfounded Blanc, one black-haired boy wearing rags raised his hand in a flash.
“Here comes Blanc Cadmus! Blanc, the maternal grandson of Count Tolome, has come here!”
Seeing that scene, the guard spoke to Blanc indirectly.
“Now that kid is Blanc Cadmus 33. Why don't you go greet each other among Blancs?”