Chapter 1: Prologue — The Beginning of the Journey

In a room of the old orphanage, listening to that person’s stories was what I loved more than anything.

The Deputy Knight.

The benefactor who picked me up and gave me a home.

In contrast to his stern armor-clad appearance, the way he spoke was warm, and it had a charm that drew in anyone who listened.

The Knight told me about the many sights he had seen.

“The royal capital was dazzling beyond belief. It was so full of light that you’d think even the cobblestone streets had gemstones embedded in them. The people walking about were all lively and full of spirit.”

“The giant griffin we encountered deep in the forest was truly magnificent, but since I was with seasoned adventurers, we managed to subdue it safely. Monsters belong to their own world, after all.”

“The ruins I escorted someone to were so quiet it felt as though time itself had stopped. The letters and patterns carved into the walls seemed to hold ancient wisdom. It was a mysterious place that made your skin prickle just by stepping inside.”

“The first time I went on an expedition to a country beyond the sea, everything was different—the smells, the scenery, all of it. It felt like I was in a dream. The scent of spices was overwhelming. The food wasn’t very good, to be honest.”

“And then there was the endless ocean. You could see nothing but the horizon. It was as if the sky and sea had become one, and I felt like I was standing at the very edge of the world.”

While listening to the Knight’s stories, I could forget that I was an orphan and that I had no family.

The world painted in his tales was so vast, so utterly different from the scenery of the orphanage I knew.

Before I realized it, I had begun to think strongly in my childish heart.

Someday, I want to see with my own eyes the entire world the Knight spoke of.

Time passed, and I was no longer a child.

I had spent a considerable amount of time in this regional capital as a guard.

At the workplace the Knight had recommended for me, I lived quietly without any particular complaints, hiding my true abilities.

For someone as lazy as me, it wasn’t a bad life.

However, fate seems to be a fickle thing.

Right now, I was sitting in a small confectionery at a street corner, biting into a freshly baked tart while feeling utterly lost.

The sweet and tangy berry tart tasted as delicious as ever, yet I couldn’t taste a thing.

There was only one reason.

A few days ago, I had been dismissed from my position as a guard.

The reason was simple and clear: “Because you’re an orphan of unknown origin.”

The Deputy Knight who had supported me had passed away from illness.

And the noble who succeeded him had begun reforming the guard unit.

As an orphan the Knight had protected, I was apparently the first to be cast aside.

My colleagues, with whom I had worked for many years, were shaken, and some even raised modest voices of protest.

They knew that, regardless of my actual strength, I had carried out my duties diligently as a guard.

But in the end, it meant nothing.

I lost the guard position I had held for twelve years.

And the benefactor who had found and raised me was no longer in this world.

I had truly become alone.

Well, what now?

What should I do from here on?

“Hey, Ed! How long are you going to sit there sighing in my shop? You’re getting in the way of business!”

The shopkeeper scolded me, and I forced a wry smile as I finished the tart.

I had been frequenting this shop since my days as a guard.

Her scolding was practically a greeting to me now.

“Sorry, ma’am. I was just lost in thought.”

“Lost in thought, huh. Well, I’m sure you’ve got it rough, but drop by once in a while. Oh, and this is for the orphanage, right? I baked a little extra.”

Saying that, she packed baked goods into a paper bag for me.

She knew that I sometimes stopped by the orphanage.

After thanking her, I left the shop.

Instead of my usual guard uniform, I was wearing the light leather armor I used on my days off.

At my waist hung my favorite single-edged sword.

The short sword issued to me as a guard had been returned upon my dismissal.

That had been a bothersome procedure as well.

Carrying the bag of baked goods, I headed toward the orphanage along the familiar road.

On the way, I lit a cigarette and took a drag.

As I watched the purple smoke drift upward, I vaguely thought about the future.

Should I look for a new job?

But I might just be rejected again because of my origins.

Should I leave the regional capital?

When I passed through the orphanage gate, the Sister welcomed me.

When I handed over the baked goods from the shopkeeper, the children’s cheerful voices rang out.

“It’s Ed big brother!”

“Snacks!”

“Hey, Ed big brother! Tell us another interesting story today!”

The place where I had once lived.

Here, I had learned many things from former adventurers and drifters.

Here, I had developed the habit of running away from troublesome matters.

And here, I had been captivated by the Knight’s stories.

Surrounded by the children, I began to speak as they urged me on.

Just a small fragment of the outside world that I knew.

The children listened with shining eyes.

Watching them, I suddenly saw my old self in their faces.

That’s right.

Those scenes I longed for after hearing the Knight’s stories.

The dream I had held as a child.

There’s no reason for me to stay bound to this regional capital.

I have no job.

No family to protect.

No patron.

If I have nothing, then that means I can do anything.

I’ve been freed from troublesome relationships and unnecessary responsibilities.

…Alright, it’s decided.

I’ll set out on a journey.

I’ll go see with my own eyes that vast world the Knight once saw.

Where I go can depend on my mood at the time.

There’s no need to make troublesome plans.

I’ll travel freely, wherever my heart takes me.

I told the children I’d come back someday, just to appease them, and wrapped up the story before leaving the orphanage.

The Sister looked worried, but I reassured her and hurried home.

After a while, I vacated the room I had rented for many years.

I packed only the bare essentials into a large backpack and prepared myself.

Leather armor, a cloak, my beloved single-edged sword.

Perhaps I’ll head first to the southern port town the Knight once spoke of, the one marked on the map I showed the children.

Or maybe it wouldn’t be bad to wander through the northern forest first.

I wrote down every place I wanted to visit in the notebook the Knight had once given me.

As I watched the once-blank pages slowly fill, my heart began to race.

I slung the backpack over my shoulders and fastened my sword at my waist.

As if to confirm the weight, I touched the pommel.

I left the regional capital I had grown accustomed to over the years.

I felt no particular sentimentality.

Only anticipation filled my chest as I set my sights on new lands.