The next morning began as every morning, the caravan quickly getting ready, a bite of breakfast, some sort of porridge and dried meat. Then with quick efficiency the caravan was heading off back down the road. Yin, once more walking down the road with Leif who was back to his quiet self, the tall Captain keeping a sharp eye out.

  Truthfully, Yin was happy for the quiet walk after the festivities of last night that left him sporting bruises, nothing so serious that the captain gave him another pill. Yet, even aching he felt more light than he had over the last few weeks. It wasn’t just because he had won against Gāng; he had also shown himself that he could grow without the system.

  A smile had settled onto his face as he walked, and just enjoyed the walk down the long road. With the breeze coming across the still flat lands of this area and the sun not feeling as harsh as it usually did, he could just enjoy the beauty. The city was still just out of sight but maybe they would get close enough to see it as they got closer.

  The caravan was also beginning to run into more travelers going down the side of the road and farmers who lived in the area moving their wagons. Civilization was becoming more and more dense around the city.

  “Captain Leif?”

  The man looked at him curiously at Yin as the silence was broken. “Yeah?”

  “Valecroft. I’ve never been and I spent most of my time in Myra, but both Valecroft and Myra both fall under the Cyranth Vale kingdom right?”

  This really should be something he knew, seeing as he had left and traveled through this world once. However the system had its own ways of getting him places and the city of Valecroft wasn’t on its list of plans. He knew much more about the neighboring regions that even what should be considered his own homelands.

  “You guys were really locked away from the outside world weren’t you?”

  Yin could only shrug with a sheepish smile to the man. “The only time we saw anyone from the Kingdom was when the governor of the prefecture would come by for taxes and share of crops. Which, impressively, he forgot to do more than once because the area was small enough we didn’t really mean much.”

  That earned a look from Leif who looked shocked and almost like he wanted to break out laughing at any point.

  “Amazing kid. I have never heard of a government official forgetting to get his tax for the kingdom because it wasn’t worth it. That’s almost unbelievable and yet, I believe you. What a world.”

  He snickered for a moment, before regaining his composure.

  “So anyway. Yeah, you’re right the lands of Myra is a prefecture for the Kingdom of Cyranth Vale and Valecroft is the capital city of the Kingdom. It’s the reason why sect tryouts are done in this city. Every other region is the same. When it’s time for sect tryouts they go to the capital city of that kingdom.”

  Nodding along, Yin seemed to get the gist of it before humming some as another question dawned on him.

  “Each major sect is dominant in a region and usually somewhat loosely tied to the kingdom that is there. So why let other sects come to grab talent? Wouldn’t they just want all the people for themselves? The kingdoms should want to keep their own people right?”

  Leif sighed at the question and laughed. “Probably. However, there is someone who sits at the top even sects and kingdoms don’t go against them. They imposed the structure we have now with all the sects and Kingdoms agreeing to it. Though…”

  Yin knew exactly what he was thinking. The Zenith of this world had just been deposed and a new one had taken over. He had been the one to do it…or well the System had. While nothing had changed yet, it could and he didn’t have any clue what the system was going to do.

  “Well, it doesn’t matter for people like us. We sit too far down in the bottom to really worry about such things. Right now, everything is still running like it used to so let’s just enjoy that while it happens.”

  It was easy to agree with that. One day he was going to have to worry about that, but for right now he was just looking at the path forward.

  “You know, you’ve had a month to ask these questions? Why didn’t you think of this sooner?” Leif asked before pulling out his water skin and taking a gulp of it.

  “That…is a very good question.” Yin said with a small wince as he had no good answer, well except one. “Because, I was half dead from all the training and didn’t have much time to think?”

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  Leif nearly snorted at that and shook his head. “Don’t blame me. Well, I can’t tell you much else. There will be major noble families that attend from the kingdom putting their precious sons and daughters in for sect tryouts. Oh and the Verdant Pavilion is the major sect tied to this region. So if you decide to want to stay around here, try to get recruited by them or one of the minor sects in this area.”

  Well that answered another question before he asked it. It did give him plenty to chew on, he wondered what the sects would be like. Last time the system led him to a hidden expert who gave him all he needed, and now all of that sat in the system's body.

  He sighed and shook his head clearing the thoughts away, not really wishing to dwell on that any longer. So back to walking and kicking stray rocks every once in a while and watching them bounce.

  “Well, now that looks interesting.” Leif said after a few hours of walking, making Yin blink and look around squinting his eyes. He then noticed somewhat in the distance what appeared to be a bridge going over a large stretch of water.

  As the caravan moved closer he could see what appeared to be a carriage having stopped in front of the bridge and then he could see why. There was a group of men standing in front of it.

  “Looks like we are going to have some interesting action today after all. Erik slow the caravan guards spears ready!”

  His voice boomed and everyone snapped to work, all the guards around the caravans quickly getting their spears up forming a perimeter as the caravan slowed down. Leif then looked at Yin and motioned him to follow.

  “Come on with me. I’ll show you how to negotiate. The guards can handle any bandits in this area if they have an ambush.”

  Then Leif was moving forward and so Yin went with him, the two of them running forward and quickly got closer to the bridge and the carriage stopped. The carriage was fully enclosed and looked rather ornate. The driver was still in his seat and there was another man out speaking to the man guarding the bridge.

  Guarding was a strong term, the badly dressed and badly washed men were clearly bandits trying to extract a toll off the bridge. They had a few rusty looking axes strapped to their side. None of them looked really all that imposing.

  “I must ask you to move.We need to head to Valecroft.”

  Came the sound of the man talking. With Yin getting closer he could get a better look of the man. He was dressed in all black robes, long black hair with gray tinging the sides down his back.

  “Well then, you’re gonna pay us and we will let you right across. If you don't, we'll gladly take our money from you.” One of the men said threateningly before looking past the man catching sight of Leif and Yin as they started coming up.

  The man hissed at the sight, clearly not wanting to deal with more than a few people with his rag tag group. The man looked back as well, even with the greys showing on his side he still looked barely a few years older than Yin. Yin was certain this man had internal energy.

  “We don’t mean to interrupt. But our caravan is coming through, so I am hoping to save us all some trouble. I don’t think your group has enough to stop my guards. So if you would just move and let us all through, maybe an easier catch will come your way.”

  The leader or at least the man who was doing the talking spit on the ground. “Fucking northern scum.” He cursed as he looked between them all gripping the handle of his axe. The others in his group looked to the leader waiting to see what he was going to do.

  “Fuck…Move out of the way.” The man snapped to his group and to their credit they listened. The man in the black robes turned and moved away back towards the carriage.

  “I must thank you. I wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed while getting to Valecroft.”

  Leif nodded. “Same. We’ve had a good trip so far, rather not ruin it. Since I’m transporting this one to the Sect tryouts figured he would see enough at those.”

  Leif gave Yin a slap on his back knocking the air out of his lungs, the other man looking him over with a small nod.

  “Then I am sure I will see him there as I take a Lady of the house I serve there as well. My name is Ji, I wish you both luck on your travels.”

  The man bowed and then smoothly climbed into the carriage, the curtains obscuring any view of the passenger inside and off it went. Yin watched it go before looking to Leif as they headed back to the slowly catching up carriage.

  “That man was going to kill all of those bandits if you didn’t step in wasn’t he? Honestly I’m surprised you negotiated with them, they couldn’t have stopped you.”

  That made Leif sigh and shake his head. “Well you are right, that man would have killed them without thinking. He has a charge and if he is a retainer for one of the noble houses then he is duty bound. As for me, I’m no judge or executioner. I protect my people and this caravan. Maybe those men kill someone because I didn’t kill them or someone else kills them. That’s not my priority and truthfully, it isn’t something I dwell on.””

  That left Yin a little quiet, he wasn’t sure what he would do in Leif’s position. Or how would feel and if he would have left them alive or free. That made him think, and once again he found himself wondering who he was going to be.

  “But hey. Maybe the lady in the carriage is a real beauty and you can win her heart at the Sect Tryouts. Wouldn’t that be something huh? Ah young love.”

  Leif grinned down at Yin who was shocked at that type of comment. Then blushed some, he hadn’t even thought about romance in so long! He shook his head with a groan.

  “Enough! I need to focus on the tryouts, not a noble girl who I didn’t even see!”

  Leif laughed out loud and ruffled Yin’s hair who shot him a look that could kill which only made Leif laugh even more. As they got back to the Caravan everything was fine and continued on as normal.

  By the time the sun set, Valecroft had started to appear on the horizon, the Capital city that held his destiny sat right there waiting for him. Yin could barely sleep that night.