* * *
For over a week, High Priest Sihero had spent more than enough time teaching Seo Woohyun the basic knowledge of this place.
Yet, Seo Woohyun’s understanding remained limited, a fact he was well aware of, which is why he had insisted on just observing.
“Of course, there are. In fact, there’s a lone hatchling wandering around nearby—it seems to have run away from home.”
Seo Woohyun blinked rapidly.
A hatchling.
Normally, the term refers to a newborn egg-laying creature, but since it was a dragon, it meant a young dragon.
‘What, there are sword masters and dragons? This is a complete fantasy world. Next thing you know, there’ll be elves and dwarves, too.’
Erdian softly whispered a sweet suggestion to his expectant face.
“It looks like you might meet it in the village soon. When you do, should I tell you who the dragon is? Dragons aren’t particularly harmful to humans, you know.”
“Really?”
“Yes. When we arrive at the village, it might be a good idea to take a walk and look around. Sihero seems to have made the schedule very relaxed, so you can fully focus on your journey. It seems he’s noticed that you’re not very athletic.”
Seo Woohyun pursed his lips at Erdian’s playful smile. He still hadn’t completed the exercise quest Erdian had given him as a joke.
Even when he tried to run outside, the knights followed him, claiming they needed to protect him, making it impossible to run in front of them.
As an alternative, he did push-ups in his bedroom whenever he could, but the quest still wasn’t completed.
Instead of glaring at Erdian for blaming his lack of fitness, Seo Woohyun awkwardly asked about the quest completion requirements.
“…How much exercise do I need to do to complete the quest?”
“Hmm. Until I’m satisfied, I suppose? So, should I tell you if you meet the hatchling?”
“There’s no chance that a dragon’s nature would conflict with divine power and cause danger, right?”
Seo Woohyun asked seriously. Even though he had learned the basics in a crash course, he still didn’t know everything about this place. There was still so much he didn’t know.
Ever since realizing this place wasn’t a dream but reality, he had been determined to adapt and take care of himself.
Since he had requested this observation, he planned to learn as much as possible during this journey.
Instead of staying silent and clumsily fumbling around, it was better to ask many questions and be a nuisance to those around him.
At least until he felt he had learned enough about this place, he was ready to plaster a smile on his face and ask questions constantly.
“With me here, what is there to worry about? No one here will put you in danger.”
“Then I’d like to meet it and say hello, but will we be able to communicate?”
“Of course. Do you think I’d suggest meeting it if you couldn’t communicate? It can act just like a human, so you might not even notice it with your sharp eyes. It’s quite skilled at disguising itself.”
Erdian chuckled and blinked slowly.
As they continued chatting, the atmosphere became more relaxed.
Specifically, after Seo Woohyun became certain that Erdian wouldn’t bring up the drunken incident.
‘Yeah. Now that I think about it, I wasn’t that much of a troublemaker. That’s why Erdian hasn’t mentioned it. Knowing his personality, he would’ve brought it up ten times by now if it had been a big deal.’
As time passed, Seo Woohyun began to justify the situation.
As his mind eased, his stiff posture gradually relaxed.
After a while, he was leaning half against the armrest, gazing out the window.
‘The sky here is really clear.’
Even without opening the window, the vast openness was palpable.
The clear and blue sky replaced the dusty, polluted one he was used to.
In the past, he would have whipped out his phone to take pictures, but now, all he could do was take in the view with his eyes.
‘Traveling here feels… strange.’
The excitement and anxiety from venturing into the unknown left him feeling unsettled.
He tried to calm himself, but it didn’t work, as usual.
The carriage, with just Erdian and Seo Woohyun inside, had a warm and comforting scent that eased his tense nerves.
But the troubling feeling only deepened, as it reminded him of the lonely smells of unfamiliar tourist spots he wandered through during school trips, or the shabby neighborhoods he roamed after leaving the orphanage with a small settlement fund.
‘I can’t back out now, especially after I was the one who insisted on this observation. There’s no turning back.’
Seo Woohyun steeled himself. Since he had decided to live here, this was something he would have to face sooner or later.
And with the ever-kind Erdian by his side, he felt like he could manage somehow.
“But Erdian, sir.”
“Yes?”
“If it really ran away from home, wouldn’t it be a little dangerous? What if it’s a dragon with a bad temper?”
The only dragons Seo Woohyun knew were fictional creations by authors, with varying personalities and appearances depending on whether they were from Eastern or Western stories.
Living in a world without dragons, he was curious about what real dragons looked like.
But he wasn’t keen on meeting one if it meant risking his life.
He valued his life, especially after dying once from overwork.
“Well, it’s still young, so it probably just wanted to experience running away.”
“There might be a reason why someone had no choice but to run away from home. What does running away have to do with personality?”
Erdian responded indifferently while lying across the sofa.
Although he often made inscrutable remarks, he now clearly seemed to be defending the unknown runaway, indicating that there was no relation between running away and a twisted personality.
His usual enigmatic smile had faded, and he looked slightly displeased.
“Oh, is Lord Erdian also the deity of runaways?”
Erdian was known as the god of war and abundance, peace and silence.
In addition, he was also a deity of abstract and ambiguous concepts like wealth, beauty, wisdom, and anger. It wouldn’t be strange if he were also called the god of runaways.
“I was just asking out of curiosity. I wasn’t assuming a connection between running away and personality.”
“Who said anything? It seems like we’re arriving at another territory soon.”
“Oh, already?”
It seemed like they hadn’t traveled far yet.
Seo Woohyun looked out the window and saw a low castle wall beyond the seemingly endless forest.
It was the territory of Davnen, the closest to the Holy City, marked by its stone walls.
“Are you not sore? It must be your first time riding in a carriage like this.”
“…Actually, it’s a bit uncomfortable. The ride is a bit bumpy too.”
Seo Woohyun wasn’t used to the jolting carriage. He missed the smooth ride of a taxi but didn’t show it.
After all, it was a world he could never return to.
“Well then, let’s take a short break from the carriage. We still have quite a distance to cover to the next village.”
“Is that alright?”
“Didn’t I say? Shiharo arranged the schedule very leisurely. If you’re feeling unwell, you can stay overnight.”
“We’ve only been traveling for a short time. Staying overnight is unnecessary. I’d like to get out for a bit and look around before we set off again.”
“Alright. Tell Raullet. We’ll arrive soon, so try to hold on.”
“Yes.”
As Seo Woohyun blinked at the faint sound of birds chirping, the sound of hoofbeats approached, and the face of a knight from the Temple Knights Order appeared beyond the window.
“We’re about to arrive at the gates of Davnen territory.”
He was a sturdy man with a prominent jaw. Justin Jamal, a knight from the Temple Knights Order’s special operations division, looked at the two men sitting comfortably in the carriage.
Despite their identical hair color and eyes, their impressions were completely opposite.
“Yes, understood.”
The saint responded with a sociable smile, though he appeared somewhat sensitive, he seemed far from finicky upon closer observation.
He looked like a somewhat bumbling assistant priest, prompting a desire to look after him.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“…No.”
Justin nodded and immediately pulled on the reins. He struggled to endure the divine gaze that seemed to demand faster movement.
As they began to move away from the carriage, the faint sound of the saint and the deity bickering could be heard.
“You really smile so easily.”
“…What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”
“No, it’s nice to see you smiling so often. Keep smiling.”
“Now?”
The saint’s confused response faded as they distanced themselves.
‘If Lord Erdian and the saint have a good relationship, that’s truly a blessing from the Order. Yes, indeed.’
Justin gathered his wavering faith as he saw the approaching low castle gate.
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Lmao, Imagine your followers’ faith wavering cus your flirting with your future wife 😂
Cosita linda
Ahaha 😌