The carriage's wheels gently creaked as the horses pulled it to the road leading to the capital.

The drifter sat straight with his face focused on the view outside, keeping a lookout for anything. He had a restless look on his visage and appeared to be more alert than ever. His ashen hair, which shone with the help of the serene moonlight and a couple of lanterns placed on the side of the carriage, paced back and forth with the carriage's movements. Aveline, on the other hand, sat with the air of a timid princess trying to mingle with her subjects— it was her sheltered lifestyle coming back to haunt her. There was a quiet atmosphere inside the carriage where the strolling of the carriage served as the ambience, but outside, one could hear the two companions bickering back and forth about the incident earlier.

"They're a nice bunch, aren't they?" Sky asked with a small grin.

Aveline looked at him and reciprocated his smile. "It's one of their good points."

With such a display, one would mistake the two confidants outside to be inexperienced and naïve. Nevertheless, Sky knew that it was the opposite. The way the two moved had proven that they were clearly trained professionals of their own fields. Sky sighed in relief; probably due to the fact that he never had to face them at the same time in their full potential, for they would most likely be able to fatally injure him if that was to happen.

There was a question in Sky's mind after all this traveling with the trio. What made them go to the capital? The path from Sollise to the capital is a very long and tiring one— the distance would help them to cover their tracks against Farheart, but to make such a journey based on that fact alone would be fruitless and unnecessary.

Sollise was one of the kingdoms that prospered due to its good reputation of being a hospitable and welcoming nation to its subjects and all the visitors who passed through, and also for being the "good" and "just" part of the continental politics. However, its status was overshadowed by the capital, which is a much more famous domain due to it being the center of the trading business in the entire continent.

"You know, Aveline..." Sky paused to think if it was alright to ask her about this— it was not a question fitting for small talk; there could likely be trauma associated with this question. Nevertheless, her scarlet eyes had already focused on his, pushing him to ask already. "...Why did you choose to go to the capital, of all places?"

Aveline solemnly cast her head down. "Before the whole thing happened... the king, er, my father... he told us to go here when trouble comes. The kingdom supposedly has connections with the capital— some of our strongest troops are also staying there in case... well, something like this happens."

"I'm sorry for pushing this further, but... why would he just send some of your much needed troops to the capital?" The drifter directed the question in the politest way he could.

There was a heavy, pessimistic feeling coming from her voice. "...Maybe it was to keep the hope of the kingdom alive. After all, a kingdom will never truly die as long as an heir to the throne is still kicking. But to protect me instead of protecting his own kingdom..."

Sky glanced at her. There were visible tears about to fall from her eyes. No matter how he put it, the question he asked was going to hurt. He felt bad for pushing the question and making her relive unpleasant memories.

"Hey," He said, getting her attention.

The princess faced away from him, doing a motion similar to wiping her tears off with her shirt's sleeve. She met his eyes with a small smile that seemed to shout "I'm strong, I can handle it."

"Until we reach the capital, you can keep the coat." Sky remarked, wrapping the weathered brown fur coat around her to keep her warm. There was an awkward air around him, making it apparent that he wasn't the type of person who socializes much. However, her behavior showed that she felt secure with him around.

She laughed and put a grin on her face. "I don't get to keep it after?"

"Er... Well, I mean... I'll need it but..." Sky couldn't keep himself composed.

Aveline patted his right shoulder playfully. "I was kidding, I was kidding."

A small gasp of pain sounded from Sky. He held his breath and endured the agony, which went away after a couple of seconds. He wiped off the beads of sweat that started to form on his forehead, and with a small wave of his hands, he motioned to her that he was okay and that there was no need for alarm.

"... I'm sorry. I'm fine."

The princess panicked and put her hands on her mouth. "I'm... I apologize, Sky. I-I didn't know you were injured."

"I told you, it's no problem." Sky muttered, calming her down with a relaxed face.

He stared back at the view outside, following the swaying of the trees with his eyes. When the occasional light of the moon struck the window, he could see a bit of the reflection; a glimpse of himself.

"It happened a few weeks ago."

"Hm?" She replied, curious about what he said.

"I was staying at a small settlement similar to the one earlier. It was a small peaceful town where smithies and farms were common. I worked at the farm as a helper on weekdays, and helped out at a smithy on other days. The knife I wielded earlier when I fought with Carrot? I crafted it with the help of a blacksmith there. I even engraved it with its own name: 'Nova.' That place was more or less heaven for people like me. People with no permanent place to stay at, people who have to scrape by to survive in this world... I thought I finally had a place where I could belong to."

He paused, a pained look in his eyes showing for a moment and disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Sky cleared his throat and continued as Aveline listened intently.

"Then one day... one day, he walked into town wearing that famous black mask of his. Told me he was a person who knew me; that he 'knew of my past'. I didn't recognize what he was talking about, but he didn't leave me time to process the things he said in my mind." Sky adjusted his glasses upwards to fully cover his vision with it, holding it with his left hand tightly. He did not notice until a while later that he has been shaking both his feet uncomfortably.

Sky was rushing his words, but at the same time, he spoke in broken sentences. "He... he charged at me, and we... I guess we fought. After he saw an opportunity, he stabbed me in the shoulder and left me for dead... Since then, I... had to leave the town and wander off again somewhere. After being on the run everywhere, there I was; looking at myself in that bar talking to a lady."

Aveline stared at him deeply. "Maybe that's why your eyes look sad all the time," she replied. She took off the fur coat from her body and put it gently on him. "You look like you need it more than me, Sky."

He scoffed at her and took his hand off his glasses. "...Figures. It's written all over my face even if I try to hide it, doesn't it?"

They both laugh lightly as they try to lose the heavy weight from their hearts. For both of them, it was probably the first time in a while where they got to speak openly about their worries.

"Come to think of it, Sky. I never asked about why you wanted to go to the capital."

"I need a place to stay at. A small settlement like earlier would be useless for me, and right now, the nearest place where I could stay is most likely the capital." Sky answers.

"Just for that, then?" She asked.

Sky pushed his glasses up and nodded. "I'm a drifter, you know. I don't stay too long in a single place."

Aveline stayed silent for a moment, and then proposed an idea to Sky. "Why don't you stay with us, then?"

He was shocked by her sudden invitation. Although they were now people of same interests, he was unsure how to proceed. Sure, he did say that they should travel together— but it wasn't an invitation that he was expecting. It left him quite speechless. After all, he was traveling alone all this time.

"I-I'm... well, if you'll have me, then I accept." He said, a grin inching closer towards his ears. Sky felt bad for imposing on them, but it would be bad to just decline her offer. He put his hand forward as a symbol of signing an informal contract with her in the form of a handshake. She replicated the motion, bobbing her head in approval.

Silence replaced the words of the two, and even the duo outside had started to take a break from speaking. The slight noise coming from the wheels of the carriage soon grew louder as moments passed. Sky got lost in his own thoughts as he watched the ever-changing scenery outside. He kept close guard over their surroundings but he couldn't help but think of how quiet the whole place was. The orange hue of the light from the lanterns felt like a beacon against the spreading darkness. It made the drifter feel at peace.

They were hours away from the capital of the continent, Aether. It was a place known for many revolutionary breakthroughs and exploits across many types of fields— and the capital also proved itself worthy of being called as the trading center of the continent. It was the place where all kinds of merchants from different parts of the world travel towards to attempt to do business with other hopefuls. Aether was the hotspot of new innovations around the world— and was often visited by tourists of many kinds.

Even the drifter has found himself there on multiple occasions, but all of those times, he would only pass through or just visit the shops for his necessities, not once stopping to take in the view. Sky was only familiar of the main areas in the capital, which were the Supremiel and the Solumiera districts, and the Marchiere.

The Supremiel, or the upper district, was where the nobles stayed and looked down on the poor from their high-rise buildings and mansions, often adorned with the most expensive decorations around. The Solumiera district, on the other hand, was where the slums were found. Most of the people there stayed in small settlements and houses made from wooden boards and often scraped by doing unpleasant jobs or minimum wage work just to survive. Lastly, the Marchiere, often known as the marketplace, was where most of the merchants gathered, and not a day would pass by when it wouldn't be brimming with people. It was the place where Sky often wandered about when he was in the capital.

However, Aether wasn't safe from all kinds of shady rumors. Even during the drifter's short stays there, he would often overhear some conversations about the bad side of the capital. There were some talks about how the king drinks the blood of his servants to keep his youthful appearance in check, and there are some that talk about how the guards of the whole place was corrupt and would purposely let go of some crimes that were committed by some nobles.

A small thump sounded from outside— a stone had hit the window on Sky's side.

Around these parts, it only meant either of two things: a stray stone was dashed because of some wild animals running about, or some bandits have decided that their carriage was a target. And, seeing as they were going on a brisk pace, the former was out of the question. Bandits weren't rare around areas near the capital— there were some easy pickings such as lost merchants and careless people wandering about, after all.

Not too long after, some lights from a nearby patch of trees revealed themselves. The swaying of the lights signified that it was put around some horses— and those lights were uncomfortably becoming closer and closer as each second passed.

"Hyah!" Carrot's muffled voice could be heard from outside. He planned to make the horses draw the carriage much faster and escape whatever threat it was.

However, after only a couple of seconds, the carriage went to a complete stop— making both Sky and Aveline lose their balance and almost fall towards the carriage's flooring. Sky made a "quiet" gesture to Aveline, who nodded and held her mouth with her hands. "Stay here, and don't make a move." He went and wore the fur coat around his shoulders.

As the drifter slowly opened the carriage door, he could see two things:

One, was that the road got blocked by five men who rode mean-looking horses, and the second, was that they were surrounded— the lights from earlier revealed three more men who looked to be of the same party as those blocking their way.

A loud voice echoed throughout the entire area. "Drop everything you have— and the women! Don't even try to resist! We'll take all of it either way!" The large man in the center who had a greatsword in his back shouted. Soon after, a couple of other voices laughed in unison, but each remarking different things.

"We'll get a nice party tonight!"

"Riches! Women!"

"Tonight's gonna be fun!"

The leader of the bunch pointed towards Charlotte with a roguish look on his face. "This one looks young and feisty. Mind if we take her first?"

Carrot went down the carriage and drew his sword. For a moment, Sky could've sworn he saw an unfamiliar bloodlust in the boy's eyes. After fixing himself on the same stance that he showed earlier on his fight with Sky, words came out of the boy's mouth.

"Sorry, I couldn't hear you clearly because of all the bickering of your pets here. Mind repeating it for me?"

Carrot's response made one of the bandits step down from his horse and draw his own weapon: a large mace that is more than capable of flattening anyone who gets hit with its blunt end. "Looks like we got a brave one over here. Do you know what happens to those who try to fight back against us?"

"Couldn't care less. You're all going to perish here anyway." The boy dashed towards the bandit and struck him with a quick slash— separating the enemy's hand from the rest of his body in the blink of an eye.

As the man screamed in pain and held the place where his hand used to be, Carrot used the momentum from his last hit to bounce the edge of his sword back into the bandit's torso, making him fall down with a clean cut as large amounts of crimson fluid flowed.

"B-Bastard!" The leader yelled, gesturing towards his other companions to give the boy a beating.

Sky felt a different aura from Carrot from when he was fighting him. It looked like he was about to burst a nerve— but he was in a trance-like focus. The drifter knew this was the boy's potential showing itself.

The three men who were chasing the carriage earlier surrounded Carrot and drew their knives and swords. Nevertheless, he didn't falter and proceeded to slash his way towards the three of them in quick succession. He tiredly snickered as the third one fell down towards the ground. "...Is this it?"

But, one of the bandits who formed the roadblock with the leader was about to unleash a surprise attack— an arrow on his torso.

—Blam!

An earsplitting sound of gunfire rebounded through the entire road.

The bandit targeting Carrot collapsed, grasping the gunshot wound that came from his front.

"Charlotte, go and keep Aveline safe for me." Sky muttered to the maiden with a smile. He held a revolver, the one that he always kept in his side holster, in his hand— smoke still escaping the gun's barrel. "And there I was earlier, saying that I don't want any more trouble around this area..." He thought.

"Carrot, mind if I join in?" The drifter pointed his gun towards the leader.

The boy stepped towards Sky's side, trying his best to breathe without giving in to the stamina loss. "...Eh, I guess... I'll trust you for now. Well... thanks for earlier."

"More people doesn't mean you win! Get 'em!" The leader barked, sweat falling from his forehead. It was clear that there was now fear in his eyes, as though he regretted trying to steal from the carriage.

There were two remaining bandits aside from the leader— all three of them rushed Sky and Carrot using their horses and tried to run them over. Sky unloaded three shots on the one dashing towards him, bringing him down and leaving his horse panicked. As it charged Sky, he dived towards the ground and swiftly pulled the trigger two times on the one rushing Carrot, killing the assailant and giving the boy enough time to prepare for the boss's attack.

Carrot, however, did not expect the massive force from the strike of the leader's greatsword which was caused by the fast galloping of the horse, leading to great momentum. The hit broke his sword in half and made him fall towards the ground in agony. The leader led his horse to a U-turn and readied for another blow.

"Carrot! Watch out!" Sky pointed his gun at the leader and clicked— but was met only with the noise of an empty chamber. He clicked his tongue in his disappointment and ran towards the boy to protect him from the incoming attack, pulling out his knife. He knew it wouldn't be wise to guard an attack from a large sword, but he had no other choice.

The leader laughed victoriously as he looked at the helpless duo, making his horse rear. "What now?! Cower in fear! Regret that you messed with all of us!"

However, what the leader wasn't expecting was the presence of a third enemy— who launched an arrow in his forearm and made him drop his massive weapon, the leader dropping to the ground with a large thud. The cheerful voice of a girl from inside the carriage shouted loudly.

"Y-Yes! I hit him!"

Charlotte looked as though she was about to squawk in glee after hitting the target; her excitement couldn't be contained by her continuously stomping feet.

Sky showed the girl a thumbs-up and pulled the boy up. "Now's our chance."

The two ran towards the collapsed leader, who breathed in quick puffs and groans. There was a sting of anguish in his voice as he held the torn muscles and pierced skin of his arms which bled quite profusely. Whatever toughness he had earlier was gone, and was replaced with a pathetic display of begging.

"D-Don't do it. There's no point in killing me... If you kill me, there are others who'll just take my place."

Carrot crouched to face the leader evenly. "Someone will definitely replace you, but I can at least hope that they won't be as stupid as you were. I just have a question—" He thought for a bit and pointed the end of his blade at the man. "Why did your group come for us?"

"We thought you were... easy. Rich nobles and all that." The man winced as he tried to let the words out of his mouth. "Nothing more."

"Well, he's a bad judge of character..." He faced the drifter and stood up. "What do we do? Do we dig a grave for him?"

"That won't be necessary, Carrot." Sky kept the revolver in his holster and smiled at the man. "We can let him off and make him regret the loss of his allies. Maybe next time he'll think twice before doing this."

The sunrise-colored hair of the boy shook up and down as he nodded and slid his sword in its scabbard. "I guess so. But if he comes after you, don't blame me."

"Point taken. That'll be my problem, though— are you... actually worried for me?" Sky jokingly remarked.

Carrot jumped in response. "H-Hell no. I'm just thinking how bad it would be if you caused more trouble for us. I still don't trust you, you know. Let's just get back to the carriage."

"Good point," Sky agreed. "Let's let Charlotte stay inside the carriage. I'll exchange with her."

The two walked over the carriage as they turned their backs on the helpless bandit leader. Sky loaded his pistol with bullets— just in case they get into a confrontation again. Part of him wanted to finish the job and kill the leader to entirely stop the conflict, but he knew he was better than killing people in cold blood. He wanted the bandit to recognize the error of his ways. A wistful look found itself in his face as Carrot tried to stare at and read his emotions.

They reached the carriage and got back to Aveline trying her very best to listen to the excited bickering of Charlotte, who was still not over her masterful archery. The princess greeted them with a somewhat forced smile.

"And so, I still can't believe I pulled the bowstring and- and... then, pow! I hit his arm, even though I was kind of panicking and it was very risky for me if I missed, and he might've just hit me if I did, but he didn't because—!" It was Sky's first time seeing somebody get smothered by words. Charlotte just kept going and going.

"We get it, Ms. Heroine! Jeez, you can get pretty talkative yourself... who knew that the usually calm and composed guardian of the princess get excited by her own archery." Carrot scratched his head in annoyance and climbed up the driver's seat of the carriage.

Sky smiled at the excited maiden. "That was a good save. Thank you, Charlotte. You should stay with Aveline for now. I'll be with Carrot."

The girl nodded and closed the door to the carriage with a beaming expression. Aveline bowed slightly with a small grin towards Sky and Carrot, which was probably her own way of saying "Thank you for making her stop!"

Carrot helped Sky climb up the front hesitantly. He had some thoughts on his mind, but he wasn't the type of person to just speak what he thinks. Sky noticed his uneasiness and asked. "What's the matter, Carrot?"

"...I'm, my name is Clariens Pierra. You can call me that instead of Carrot. And... well," Carrot stopped and fixed the reins of the horses, calming them. "...Thanks for earlier, I guess."

Sky held his hand towards Clariens. "Don't worry about it. You can save the thanks until you can trust me a bit more. I'll wait."

Clariens sighed and met the drifter's hand with his and did a handshake. "I guess so."

"Well then, let's continue to the capital." Sky remarked and pointed forward.

"We're almost there, after all."