I pop back to the cottage, hop on Noah, and teleport into the Great Forest, not far from the town of Carlton.
Noah lets out a loud, unhappy whinny. He really doesn’t like teleporting, poor thing.
“You’ll just have to get used to it,” I tell him, patting his neck until he settles.
I guide Noah out of the Great Forest and onto the road, letting him settle into a steady walk.
We won’t be running. Not that I have the skill for it, anyway.
Besides, my bottom gets awfully sore. I bet proper riders must have leathery posteriors, don’t you think?
He seems much happier out on the open road to Raymond City than he was back in the forest, his ears pricked forward.
Drat. I really should have asked the gatekeeper in Carlton how far it is to Raymond City. This road feels much longer than the one to Lang Village… though maybe that’s just because it’s new to me.
If I dawdle, the city gates will be shut long before I arrive.
Oh, well. I can always finish the journey tomorrow. Yeah, I like that idea.
It’ll be much nicer to arrive in the morning than to find myself wandering a strange city after dusk.
And so, the moment Raymond City’s walls appear on the horizon, I call it a day.
Wow, Raymond City borders the Great Forest, too! It’s a real surprise.
I knew from Selina’s little map that the Great Forest was enormous, but seeing this with my own eyes helps me finally grasp its true scale.
That evening, back at the cottage, I tell Selina my plan to move my base of operations to the Adventurers’ Guild in Raymond City.
“Raymond City, is it?” she says. “You might run into other spellcasters there. Be careful.”
Foolish adventurers are one thing, but now I have to watch out for my own kind, too?
If things get complicated, maybe I should just stick to Carlton. Though, most of the quests there are for logging, which is a bit… well.
It’s not that I mind the logging itself. It’s being stuck with other adventurers that’s so tiresome.
“The Count of Raymond…” Selina muses. “I wonder if the title has passed to the next generation yet. The previous count wasn’t a bad sort, but you should still be on your guard.”
If I run into any trouble, I’ll just move on to another city. My main goal is selling my furs, magic stones, and herbs, not taking on quests anyway.
“Selina! Once I’ve saved up enough money, you have to take me to the royal capital!”
I wonder how many times I’ve asked her that. And, just like every other time, she says no.
“The capital is still too much for you, Zoe. But I suppose I could take you to Alina City near the capital.”
That’s just so you can sell your lumber, isn’t it?
Oh, well. I don’t mind!
“That’s right,” she says. “The city has a port. Which means they might pay a high price for wood to build ships.”
The sea! I’ve never seen the sea before!
“Let’s go to Alina City!” I plead.
But Selina turns me down flat. “Only after we’ve stockpiled more wood.”
She has a point, of course. And besides, I have Raymond City to think about. That was yesterday’s little expedition; today, I need to actually go into town.
But what should I do about Noah? It’s my first time in the city, and I want to be free to wander and explore. I have no idea how safe it is, either. The inns must have stables, but would they board a horse for someone who isn’t staying the night?
“Noah, you’re staying home today.”
His eyes go so sad and droopy. I’ll have to build him a proper paddock. Which means… more logging.
After asking Selina to give Noah some exercise, I teleport back to the Great Forest, not far from Raymond City.
The city is a good ways from the edge of the woods. So much so that there’s been a great deal of logging.
To avoid arousing suspicion, I make sure to appear a little deeper in the forest.
Phew. It’s quite a walk from here. I’m definitely bringing Noah next time.
Once I emerge onto the main road, I join a stream of traffic much busier than the one to Carlton.
There are so many carts and horses! Some of the riders look like adventurers, not nobles at all. Seeing them gives me hope. There’s gotta be somewhere that boards horses somewhere in a city this big.
Right, then. New goals for the day: find the Adventurers’ Guild and find a place to keep my horse!