Chapter 29: The Road to Eldrin

The battlefield fell into silence.

The bones of the magic dire wolf clattered to the ground—nothing more than cleanly stripped remains, still faintly warm from the wind that had carved it apart.

Zane stood there, expression calm, wind ruffling his coat.

He looked down at the skeletal remains, lips twitching in amusement.

“What did you expect?” he muttered again, as if addressing the bones.

Then, he turned.

The boy—injured and kneeling, eyes wide with disbelief—was still frozen in place, cradling the unconscious girl. Blood dripped from his arm, his body trembling, but not from pain. From awe. From fear. From confusion.

Zane crouched beside him. “Easy there,” he said, voice low. “Let me patch you up.”

Zane was just about to place his hand on the wounded boy’s shoulder when he paused.

Hmm… no. I shouldn’t use any of the Laws to heal them. Their bodies aren’t strong enough to handle that kind of energy. Even a fraction might rupture their cores—or worse. Besides… their condition isn’t that critical.

He exhaled softly.

Let’s keep it simple.

With just a thought, gentle rings of light began to form around his hand—no chanting, no gestures. The air shimmered as small magic circles spun into existence on their own, glowing in hues of light green and soft gold.

The injured boy’s eyes widened.

What kind of magic circle is that? he thought. He didn’t even move…

Zane snapped his fingers.

A soft wave of light swept across the area.

Wounds vanished. Skin mended. Muscles realigned. Bruises faded. Even the rattled hearts of those nearby slowed, calmed by the warmth in the air.

The boy looked down at his healed arm… then at the girl resting against him. Her breath had evened out. She was stable.

He looked up at Zane again. “W-Who… even are you?”

The others—all silent—turned their eyes toward him too.

Zane simply smiled. Not smirking. Just… composed.

“I already told you,” he said. “I’m Zane Creed. A traveller.”

Then he turned and walked back toward the cart, coat brushing softly behind him. He stepped up, casually sat on the cart’s edge, and rested back against the railing like nothing had happened.

He glanced over his shoulder. “Let’s go. We’ve got a city to reach.”

“…E-Eldrin. Eldrin Town,” the driver stammered, almost forgetting the reins before snapping them hastily.

The horses trotted forward, wheels rolling back onto the road that cut through moonlit plains.

Zane leaned back, one leg lazily swinging, eyes turned to the stars above.

Behind him, not a single soul on the cart could shake the image of him standing there—calm, unfazed, and utterly beyond anything they had ever seen.

The name Zane Creed would echo in their memories for a long time to come.

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The cart rattled along the dirt road, its wheels creaking softly as an awkward silence settled over the group.

Everyone—except the unconscious girl—was sneaking glances at Zane.

He noticed, of course. Even with his eyes seemingly closed, hidden beneath a subtle illusion spell, his gaze swept across them one by one. In reality, his eyes were half-lidded and observant.

’Well… that’s creepy,’ he thought. ’The stares, the silence. You’d think I sprouted wings.’

But his mind wasn’t on their glances. Not really.

His thoughts lingered on the two cloaked teens—the boy and the girl. There had been something odd when the dire wolf attacked. A strange force had subtly pushed at him… like fate nudging his hand. Telling him to protect her, not the boy.

He’d ignored it, of course. But he wasn’t letting it go.

’Something’s up with them,’ he thought, eyes opening behind the illusion. ’Time to check.’

A soft glow flickered across his irises as they turned deep blue with golden flecks—Law of Luck and Destiny. The world shifted subtly as strings of fate unveiled themselves.

Around the unconscious girl, a sliver-hued aura pulsed gently—pure luck. Strong, but passive.

The boy’s was golden, tinged with black spots. Dark fragments coiling ever so slowly within his fate—growing.

“Hmph… definitely not normal,” Zane murmured silently. “Interesting.”

Then, as if on cue, the girl stirred.

“Lia…?” the boy whispered, brushing her hair back as her eyes fluttered open.

Zane perked up at that. ’So, her name is Lia.’

“Ron…? What happened?” she asked groggily.

“You’re okay!” the boy—Ron—exhaled, relief pouring out. “You were unconscious. That dire wolf almost… But that guy—Zane—he saved us. Killed the beast in one breath.”

Lia blinked, her expression shifting into something unreadable. Not gratitude… not completely.

Complex, Zane thought. Suspicion, maybe?

A soft beep sounded from his wrist, and Zane finally “woke up,” stretching casually.

“Oh—hey. Everyone doing alright now?”

Their reaction was swift—relieved voices, smiles, thankful nods. Even the previously quiet ones joined in. William woke up, his mother tells her the whole story then just after hearing the story he immediately jumped to his feet.

“Whoa!! Mister Zane!! That was awesome!! You’re sooo strong! Do you know magic?? How did you get that strong?!”

Zane smiled, chuckling softly. “I trained.”

He didn’t say more. But as he glanced at Lia again, he felt it—her eyes, calm yet sharp, were watching him.

’Yeah,’ he thought. ’She doesn’t believe a word of it. This one’s going to be annoying.’

The rest of the journey passed more easily, conversation finally flowing. The forest thinned, and a town came into view—its gates flanked by guards, stone walls basked in evening light.

As they stopped, Zane handed over a small fragment of the mana stone—just 1/5th, as agreed. Aaron tried to refuse, insisting it was too much, that they owed him their lives—but eventually gave in. In return, he offered a few silver coins.

Ron and Lia paid their fare and hopped off the cart.

As Zane passed Ron, he leaned slightly and said, “Kid, your illusion spell’s running out. Better refill it before someone notices.”

Ron stiffened in place, stunned. Lia turned, puzzled.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Zane didn’t stop to answer. He was already walking toward the gates, hands in his coat pockets.

’Medieval city, huh?’ he mused. ’What else was I expecting?’

At the gate, a guard stepped forward.

“Identification?”

Zane smiled. “Traveler. First time here.”

They asked for a traveler pass and directed him to place his hand on a crystal orb—standard protocol. It glowed softly as they asked a few morality-based questions.

Zane examined the orb in passing.

’Senses mana signature, reads surface emotion and soul-tension. Auto-judges morality score. Huh.’

He could’ve spoofed it easily—one nudge to his internal mana field and he appeared perfectly honest.

As expected, he passed.

They gave him a simple brass-colored badge—Traveler Tier-1.

He stepped into the town, letting the crowd swallow him. At a quiet corner, he pulled out the silver coins he’d been paid.

“Alright… let’s solve the money problem.”

He looked at one coin carefully. Then, with a whisper of Null energy and basic mimicry magic, several more identical coins shimmered into existence in his other palm.

He pocketed them all.

“In anime, they say making money like this is ’morally wrong’ or might ’break the economy’…”

He paused, smirking faintly.

“…Who the hell cares about the economy?”

He stretched his neck.

“Okay, step one—information. I need to understand this world. Its rules. Its systems. Its people.”

Of course, with the Law of Knowledge and Secrets, he could’ve absorbed everything in a heartbeat. But that was boring.

No fun. No challenge.

“Let’s do it the old-fashioned way.”

His eyes scanned the road ahead. A stone structure with ornate carvings and thick books etched onto its sign stood at the end of the street.

Zane’s eyes gleamed.

“Library,” he murmured with satisfaction.

He tapped his watch.

“Computer,” he said, smirking, “I’ve got a plan. Let me tell you—”

The screen blinked once in silent acknowledgement.

With his coat swaying gently behind him, Zane turned and began walking—calm, confident—toward the library.

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