The receptionist reminded,
"We only take on passenger transport, not doubling as guards or nannies."
The hero was momentarily speechless, but not unable to understand their perspective.
The kingdom's wilderness was fraught with danger, and many people would never leave their city or village in a lifetime.
As a child, the hero also returned to the countryside with parents.
For ordinary people, a safer mode of travel is to follow a large merchant caravan, hire adventurers, or have their own guards; however, those with the means usually don't come to the coach station.
Although the kingdom has Floating Ship routes, they only go to established Air Ports and can't reach remote rural areas, and for some reason, it is said that the Floating Ship service has been suspended for a long time.
Outside the city walls, the official roads are regularly patrolled by the cavalry from various cities, and magic creatures rarely approach, but if a magic creature daring enough to invade human territories does appear, it's not something a coachman can handle.
Therefore, the only service a coachman can offer to passengers is basic care; anything else clearly falls outside their job scope.
Their so-called certain level of capability is usually meant for escaping danger themselves.
Thus, in the Kingdom, those who dare to travel alone on long journeys are those confident in their own abilities, though that could also be blind confidence.
However, the receptionist couldn't see even that kind of confidence in the hero.
"If you have any safety concerns, it'd be best to request an escort mission from the Adventurer Guild first."
"Thank you, but I'll be fine on my own," the hero shook their head.
Having their suggestions politely declined, the receptionist subtly shook their head and refrained from further persuasion.
"Alright then, this way, miss."
Just in time, a coach was about to depart. The hero registered their information, honestly paid half of the fare, and was then led to a six-seater carriage.
[The six-seater coach has [ ] passengers]
The rest of the fare would be calculated based on the actual distance and time taken, to be collected at the destination. Naturally, if a passenger failed to make it alive, there would be no need to pay.
Two yellow-feathered Chocobos with large feet stood shaking their heads in front of the coach, already saddled and occasionally ruffling their feathers.
"May you have a pleasant journey."
And with that, the hero boarded the Bird Carriage.
"Is everyone seated? Then off we go!"
Seeing the passengers settled, the coachman gave a shout, cracked the reins, and the Chocobos let out joyful cries, setting out in unison.
[The five fellow passengers are—]
1. A family returning home
2. An Adventurer team
4. Followers of the Evil God
5. A Druid and his companions
6. A group of scholars
7. Nobility and their Guards♛
8. There's no one else on the carriage (Ghostly riders don't count for the Haunted Coach LV D10+20)
9. Elves, Dracotaurs, Dwarves, Clerics, Helmet Man(?)
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
The Bird Carriage left the station, rushing beneath the autumn breeze, increasingly distancing from the hero's hometown.
With a touch of reluctance, the hero watched as the familiar city gradually vanished, replaced by the fragrance of Earth and the azure sky.
The Chocobo's pace didn't slow down just because of the hero's melancholy.
Soon, the city's silhouette completely disappeared behind the horizon.
The hero had so easily left the city where they were born and raised, far from the joy and sorrow that had unfolded there.
In this moment, more than melancholy, the hero's heart was filled with a sense of wonder and an indescribable feeling.
With everything familiar now gone, it was as though they had become someone entirely new, someone even they did not recognize.
Not dwelling too long on this feeling, they sat back down and discreetly glanced at the other five passengers.
After all, they would be traveling together for many days, possibly even camping out in the wilderness.
The carriage seats were aligned in two rows, and as the last passenger to board, the hero took the seat at the end.
Another passenger, dressed distinctly and with a certain Temperament, sat diagonally across in the farthest corner.
The other four, clad in Armor and equipped with Longswords, dressed uniformly, and were clearly identifiable as guards, forming a formidable shield around their protected dignitary inside.
[Nobility (1-50 male, 51-100 female♛, assigned to young♛, younger, younger adult, adult, elderly based on the numbers)]
[The first day of the journey]
[Hero's Luck (3+ nothing happens, 5- Loneliness Legend)]