The village chief grandma, already clad in her thick cotton clothes, could hardly contain her amusement.
"Since this is the case, I understand. You've completed all your recent study tasks, and continuing to study in the short term won't yield any significant results."
Whether it's the Martial Monk's skills or new magic, the Hero has mastered them all and, with the help of her Familiar, even achieved an advanced Transformation.
Grandfather looked into the Hero's eyes and nodded.
[Is it snowing outside?]
Having made the decision to head to the Border and prepared accordingly, the Hero soon faced the day of departure.
Flurries of snow drifted down.
The Hero, carrying a large backpack, said farewell to Grandfather and the village chief grandma in front of her house.
It felt like recently, it had become a matter of course that the village chief grandma was in her own home...
She hoped her deceased grandmother wouldn't be angry.
"...She'd only be happy, I guess."
Seeing the elderly woman beside him brought back memories of the person who, in his obstinacy, had always stayed by his side, and Grandfather couldn't help but feel guilty and nostalgic with a sigh.
Unaware of Grandfather's inner turmoil, the Hero adjusted her backpack.
She wore a furry hat with her long hair coiled up by the snake-shaped hairpin, and was also dressed in a thick, costly down coat.
Although the Hero's constitution was extraordinary, one should never underestimate nature, as Grandfather always said.
Even Legendary Strongmen could be swallowed by the might of nature.
The Gleaming Scale Serpent also followed at the Hero's feet, its pitch-black Scale Armor standing out starkly against the white snow.
While most snakes hibernated during this season, it was also a formidable Magic Creature.
Feeling a bit drowsy but determined, it followed the steps of its Queen.
"Hiss hiss hiss—" Watching the departing duo, Grandfather suddenly made an unusual sound.
'Remember to take good care of yourselves.'
Having heard so many conversations between the Hero and the Gleaming Scale Serpent at home, Grandfather had practically learned a new language.
Both the Hero and the Gleaming Scale Serpent momentarily paused, then nodded vigorously.
It was time to leave.
Waving to them both, the Hero turned and walked towards the village's station.
Her figure slowly disappeared into the snow, leaving only footprints and sliding marks on the snowy ground.
[Grandfather has obtained the item: 14-year-old Hero's Thick Life Record]
[Hero has obtained the item: Old and Blank Notebook]
[Old and Blank Notebook LV3]
The written text can be edited or erased within a day, an essential item for a traveling writer.
Once, a young man dreamt of traveling the world, filling his notebook with strange folktales.
But his journey halted before it began, his steps forever stayed.
The notebook was left to gather dust in a corner, perpetually blank and aging.
But now, it has a new master.
The last owner's message: "Go forth, be it a diary or stories, venture out, go document your life."
[Next stop: Border City]
[The Hero will head to the Border of the Kingdom]
1. Ride a bird on my own
2. Charter a bird carriage ♛
At the village station, the Chocobo Cart specially arranged by Grandfather awaited its passenger.
Traveling far in the winter requires more than just a traveler's courage.
In the perilous wilderness, travelers not only face the tests of nature but also potential unexpected Assaults.
Magic Creatures still active and craving warm food due to the cold; criminals coveting lone travelers under the cover of dusk; and all sorts of unimaginable phenomena caused by the winter's Magic Power...
Even though the Border has set up defenses to hold back the chaotic Magic Element and with the Church Court and army's year-round purges, there have been no occurrences of an Arcane Surge within the Kingdom for many years.
Nevertheless, the wilderness in winter is far from peaceful.
Therefore, the Chocobo Cart projecting in front of the Hero not only equipped protective and heating Arrays but was also reinforced in material, immune to common Attacks, and once the sturdy windows were closed, even the outside noise could not be heard.
Even the two Chocobos pulling the cart were wrapped in non-restrictive Cotton Armor and wore goggles.
Coupled with the brawny coachman, it was clear that this was an expensively priced journey.
If Grandfather hadn't chartered this Bird Carriage, the Hero herself wasn't sure if she'd be willing to spend the money.
Although she didn't inquire in detail, it was surely no small sum.
After confirming the route with the coachman, the Hero boarded the dearly missed carriage.
The coachman helped the Hero stow her luggage, then called out to the two Chocobos.
The two large birds shook the accumulated snow off their feathers and crowed in response, ready to set off.
"Miss, you've seen the weather; therefore, we can only travel during daylight. If we can't make it to the next station, we'll have to find a sheltered spot in advance and rest in the wilderness at night. Is that alright?"
The coachman turned his head for the final confirmation from the Hero.
Not her first long journey, the Hero nodded with an air of nonchalance.
Receiving the Hero's confirmation, the coachman closed the front door of the carriage, Isolating the cold wind outside, and the carriage began to move smoothly.
The heating Magic Array in the corner of the carriage also emitted a soft Light, gradually warming up the interiors.
In the warm, gently swaying carriage, the Hero unknowingly drifted off into slumber...