Testing My Luck in the New World

Volume 2 - Chapter 6

Her chains may have only been metaphorical, or maybe just magical, but I could imagine how many times that last moment with her parents played back in her mind these last five years.

It wasn't hard. After all, I'll probably never be able to see my own parents again.

"It's close to where we need to go," I said. "Why don't we stop by and say hello?"

"C-Can we, really?"

Yua turned her emerald eyes to me, shining so clearly on the verge of tears that I almost couldn't speak. And as if her gaze wasn't enough to sway my very soul, she then added a bonus, completely forgetting that I already offered to take her.

"If we go, we might be able to get some Cure Poison potions. The village usually keeps a good supply of the essentials. A-And my mother is pretty adept at herbal remedies. Maybe she could help. They live inside the forest, after all!"

"Relax. Relax," I said, throwing up my hands. "You don't need to beg. I'd be happy to take you. You were worried your parents might be thinking you're dead since you haven't come back yet, right? I bet they would be happy to know that you're alright."

"Alex!"

With joyous tears in her eyes, Yua lunged into my arms as fast as she could without building up a running start. She nearly tackled me to the ground as she squeezed the life out of me. Fighting back against the strength she surely didn't mean to put into her arms, I caressed her back, grit my teeth and silently enjoyed her happiness.

Regardless of quests and promises, we now had a pitstop to make that I wouldn't let myself back out of.

"Okay," I started, still rubbing her back as she wiped away her tears. "I get the name, but what about the poisonous animals there. Or the fact that Amoranth was just to the south? Did you not know that either?"

With a smile, she shook her head.

"No, I didn't. I knew there were poisonous animals, but the village kids aren't allowed to enter that part of the forest. Only the Hunters and the warriors that have proved themselves in battle by beating the fifth floor of any dungeon on their own are allowed."

Fifth floor? By themselves? I knew she was participating in some sort of test given by her people, but she almost died on the third floor! What the hell kind of standards are those?! And what kind of animals are we supposed to be worrying about that requires you to be that strong?

We might actually be a bit over leveled for the fifth floor at this point, but her people live right next to such dangers?

"I never knew Amoranth was to the south," she continued, oblivious to my worry. "When leaving the village to train in the dungeons, our parents take us to that spot in the trees, have us close our eyes, face us in a direction of their choosing and then they give us a push. And we just go. We are to train using whichever dungeon we find first in that direction, regardless of how far away it is or how long it takes to get there."

"They make you walk to a city at random? But there are so many. And they're so far apart."

Our teleporting across the Vierre kingdom the night we fled Amoranth took us what I estimated to be at least a few weeks' worth of regular travel time and not once did we spot another city. As was proven by my mostly empty map.

"The distance is part of the test," Yua clarified. "Although, I think my father might have taken it easy on me. He had a really hard time making up his mind on where to send me. He twisted and turned me so many times that I was a little dizzy once I started walking. To think Amoranth was so close. Haha. It felt like it took months to walk there, but this map makes the distance look so small."