Reworked ending for Volume 1 (Patreon)

We land on the main highway heading west and start sprinting. At our level and buffed with [Gale], we’re able to put Earth’s fastest sprinters to shame. We can’t keep the pace up for long, but we gain some precious distance between us and any pursuers.

“With that, I think we’re safe.” I sigh in relief.

I look at Laya and see a wide smile on her face. “Mmm. That was fun. When can we do it again?”

“I seem to have a habit of getting into trouble, so tomorrow maybe?”

Laya blesses my ears with a genuine laugh, and I can’t help but smile as I look at her.

“Hey Laya. Are you sure you want to stay with me? I plan to visit the elves, either way, and Earl Adel was right when he said it’d be dangerous to be by my side, considering who I am.”

“Doesn’t matter. I made my choice already.”

“Well, I certainly won’t argue against it. It’s nice knowing that I have someone I can count on.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll definitely get strong enough to watch your back, Lutz.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

The highway is wide and well-traveled, but because of the turmoil in Silvia, there are relatively few people using it, giving us a mostly solitary moment together as we casually continue westward.

As we crest a small hill, I notice a carriage on the side of the road, facing our direction. At first, I think they just stopped to take a break, but as I grow closer, I notice that it’s tilted at a rather steep angle, with the wheels on its right side sunk deep into the soft dirt that flanks the highway.

“Huh. Are they stuck?”

“Mmm. Ran off the road.”

“I see. Seems they were attacked during their travels.” I look at the monster corpses that are scattered around.

“Avoid?”

“Hmm. The guards are weak, so they’re not really a threat to us. Let’s at least make sure nobody’s injured before we continue on.”

“Okay.”

We approach the carriage, and a short, middle-aged man watches us as we draw near, but since we don’t look very threatening, there’s no wariness in his eyes.

“Hey,” I say to him when we get close. “You guys alright?”

“Oh, yes. Well, nobody was injured during the battle, but…” He looks to the carriage.

Now that I’m standing next to it, I can see that the two right wheels have sunk up to their axles, and the front wheel shattered, the spokes sticking out at odd angles.

“You got a spare?”

“Yes, but we can’t replace it until we get it out of the ditch, and, well, my horse lacks the strength to do so.”

I [Scry] the horse and see that it’s level 8. I don’t know if that’s good or not, but either way, it’s not enough to pull the carriage out of the soft dirt.

The guards are moving about at the back of the carriage, and I notice that they’re beginning to remove the items from inside. From what I can see, this man must be some sort of merchant because there’s a wide assortment of goods in the small pile the guards are making on the highway.

“Well, I guess once you lighten the load, you can pull it out, right?”

“Most certainly. Although, I’m in a bit of a rush to meet my delivery. Hopefully, I can still make it to Silvia before nightfall…”

Hmm. There’s got to be an easier way, right?

“Pardon me for intruding in your affairs, but…”

I release my spell, and an [Earth Wall] appears below the carriage’s two right wheels, growing just tall enough that the carriage levels out. The top of the wall is wide, connecting all the way to the highway and giving them a solid surface to drag it back onto the road.

“S-sir, you’re an Earth mage!?”

“That’s right. I know a few spells.”

“Then that saves us the trouble of unloading and reloading all my goods! Thank you!”

He rushes to the coach and drives the carriage back onto the highway. The broken wheel skids along the top of the [Earth Wall], but there doesn’t seem to be any damage to the axle, so once it’s replaced, they should be able to continue on.

“Well, good luck,” I say as I cancel my spell and turn westward.

“Please wait!” the merchant calls out. “I cannot let you leave without giving you something in return! As thanks for helping me, feel free to browse my items, and if anything meets your fancy, I swear upon my honor that I will strike you a great deal!”

I did just make quite a bit of gold, and maybe I’ll find something useful or interesting.

“Sure. I’ll take you up on that offer.”

As the guards begin replacing the wheel, the three of us step up to the back of the carriage. It’s crowded inside with all the items he’s taking to Silvia, so it’s impossible to see all of his goods since many of them are completely covered by ones stacked atop them. He claims to know each item by heart and tells us that if we don’t see what we’re looking for, we can ask him, and he’ll let us know if he has it in stock.

However, I notice Laya staring intently at a particular item that’s clearly visible within the carriage.

Seriously? That’s what you want?

She’s showing an excessive amount of interest in an item that I never expected, considering her recent past.

“If you want it, then go ahead,” I say as she continues to look at it.

“I-it’s just nostalgic is all…”

“Nostalgic? How so?”

“They’re popular in the elven lands, and I’m just surprised to see one this far west.”

The merchant picks up on the item we’re talking about and takes a good look at Laya. “Ah, you’re an elf, little lass? No wonder your eye was drawn to it, then. Please, give it a try. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied with it!”

I watch on with a bit of worry as Laya steps into the carriage and reaches for it. However, to my surprise, there’s no hesitation in her movements, and she steps back out, carrying it with steady hands.

She’s really grown, hasn’t she?

Laya takes a few steps back, putting a bit of distance between us as she readies herself. Then, her arm comes up, holding the chain attached to a sickle. She rotates her wrist, and the sickle blurs as it twirls in a small circle beside her.

The sound of the sickle cutting through the air fills the road as we watch her send it flying around her, as if attacking an invisible enemy. She immediately reels it back in and catches it before falling into a combat stance, holding a sickle in each hand.

“Amazing,” I say after Laya’s martial display with the double chain sickle.

The ten-foot length of chain one large hand sickle attached to one end, along with a smaller one on the other. [Scry] tells me that it’s made of silvered steel, just like the spear I had before. It’s nothing special, and there are far more valuable items within the carriage, but none of that matters. Laya found what she’s looking for.

“How much?” I ask the merchant.

“Don’t worry about it. A weapon like that should be in elven hands, don’t you agree?”

“After seeing that display … yeah. But still…” I hand him a single gold coin, which is half the value of the chain sickle.

“Ah, well, I’ll gladly accept it, then.” He pockets the coin.

We say our goodbyes and begin heading westward once more. After a few minutes of walking, I look back and see the carriage start moving toward Silvia.

“Well, that was a beneficial encounter, eh?”

“Mmm.”

“I didn’t know you could use such an exotic weapon. Do you have some training in it?”

“I told you elves learn to hunt when they turn 20, remember? I was practicing with the chain sickle for that day.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is. Interesting.”

Too bad there’s no chain sickle listed in my Weapon Skills…

“Can I see it for a moment?”

She unwraps the chain which she keeps curled around her waist like a belt and gives me the weapon. I put a bit of distance between us and twirl the sickle. I’m a bit awkward at first, but I get used to the movements quickly, and before I know it, I’m sending it flying out at my own invisible opponents.

I’m not as proficient as Laya, but my spear skill and high Agility let me wield it well enough.

I take a look at my Weapon Skills as I think, and my eyes go wide at what I see.

What!? It’s here! How!?

I stare dumbfounded at the Chain Sickle skill tree that suddenly appeared in my skill list. I have two free skill points, so I toss one in it and activate the Weapon Skill, [Dominion].

The chain sickle glows a faint red and I send the sickle flying. It zips around erratically, tracing a complicated path, changing directions according to my will without the need to reel it back in.

Amazing…! This weapon is so cool…

“Lutz, you can use [Dominion]!?” Laya’s normally cool voice is filled with surprise.

“I can now. I just placed a skill point in it.”

“Skill point?”

“Ah, that reminds me, there are still some things you don’t know about me, huh?”

I never properly explained to her about my Status Screen and exactly how I learn all my spells and skills.

“Hey, Laya. Why did you choose this weapon?”

“I want to get stronger.”

So that’s it, huh? Despite everything she went through, she’s willing to pick up a weapon in order to grow stronger. Sheesh, this girl is something else…

My smile continues to grow, causing her to look at me with confusion. “In that case, I’ll teach you everything I know.”

Laya and I stick close as we walk down the now empty highway, enjoying each other’s company as we take our first steps on what will become a long and extraordinary journey, filled with adventures befitting a hero.