Chapter 16. Marcus Valley

"Our bike is completely wrecked… How am I supposed to reach the town now?"

"I'm sorry, Master... if I had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened."

Saya lowered her head, her voice filled with guilt.

"Huh? No, Saya—this isn't your fault. There's nothing for you to feel guilty about."

"Thank you, Master."

"Haha..." Julius let out a small chuckle.

"Uhh… now how do I get to the next town?"

He started thinking, staring at the vast forest around them.

Suddenly—

KIYAAHH! KIYAAHH!

The Solvarin groaned in pain—its wounds still burning.

"Oh! I've got an idea. Saya, can you go and fetch some healing herbs from the forest?"

"Sure, Master."

The forest was enormous, filled with towering trees and dense green bushes. Blood still stained the grass where the Solvarin had collapsed.

Julius walked toward the wounded creature.

"Solvarin... I don't know why you attacked me... but now you don't have a choice. You're going to replace my bike. I know you're faster than it ever was."

There was a devilish grin on Julius's face. Solvarin understood immediately—his fate was sealed. Sweat began dripping from its forehead.

While waiting for Saya, Julius sat down and leaned against the creature's side. After a few minutes, Saya returned—her hands full of herbs.

"Saya, do you think you can heal its wounds using these herbs?"

"Of course, Master."

She followed his instructions exactly, crushing the herbs into a paste and applying it to the creature's wounds. Within seconds, the injuries began closing up—and soon, Solvarin was fully healed, fit and standing.

The creature looked at Julius and Saya angrily.

But before it could react, Saya stepped forward, her expression cold. With a sharp motion, she unsheathed her black katana just slightly with her thumb.

Solvarin's eyes widened. He broke into a cold sweat and immediately lowered his head, submitting, as if saying "Please don't ride me..."

"Saya, I don't trust this thing one bit. Will you ride with me?"

"Of course, Master. I'd love to."

The two of them climbed on. Saya sat in the front, Julius behind her.

Solvarin took to the skies.

"Solvarin, head straight north—toward Marcus Valley."

Flapping its wings powerfully, Solvarin soared through the air with incredible speed.

"IT'S SO FAST!"

Julius started panicking. This thing was twice as fast as his hover-bike!

"YEAH! THIS IS SO FUN! HAHAHA!"

Saya, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying herself.

For Julius, it felt like a high-speed rollercoaster nightmare.

For Saya, it was a thrill ride.

"SLOW DOWN! SOLVARIN, SLOW DOOOOWN!!"

"YEEAAHHHAHAHA!"

Saya laughed wildly, clearly having the time of her life.

Julius, on the other hand, was near tears.

Solvarin suddenly took a sharp dive.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Tears streamed from Julius's eyes. Motion sickness kicked in.

Saya was still enjoying every moment like a child at a fair.

Eventually, Solvarin descended and landed gently on the ground.

Julius jumped off immediately, stumbled into the bushes nearby—

BLEHHH!

He started vomiting.

Saya hopped down and looked around.

They were standing on a stone-paved street, surrounded by shops and houses.

They had finally arrived in Marcus Valley—a town nestled between two forested hills.

People wandered through the marketplace, but many had turned their attention toward the newcomers.

For many of them, this was the first time seeing a Solvarin.

Julius returned, wiping his mouth, only to find several pairs of eyes staring directly at him.

"Open map."

"Oh. We actually made it to Marcus Valley... and so quickly."

KIYAHH!

Solvarin let out a screech and suddenly took to the skies again.

"Where do you think you're going? You have no freedom anymore."

Julius said this with a sinister look in his eyes.

Saya subtly unsheathed her katana again.

Solvarin stopped in midair, then dropped back down, trembling.

From the curious crowd, a young man around 21 stepped forward.

He had long blonde hair in a stylish curtain cut, silver eyes, and wore refined clothes—a sleeveless cream top beneath a sky-blue coat, fitted cream pants, and brown leather shoes.

"May I ask the reason for your visit, fellow adventurer?"

Saya immediately switched to alert mode. She could feel an unnatural energy coming from him. Her hand rested on her black katana.

The young man's ears—long and pointed—suggested he was an elf.

Julius stepped forward confidently.

"I am Jul—Airu Koruto. I've come seeking knowledge related to a quest."

The elf extended his hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Koruto. I am Wilhelm Reign. You may call me Mr. Reign. I'm the mayor of this town. We'll be happy to assist you."

Julius reached out to shake his hand. But the moment their hands touched—he felt it.

An overwhelming presence. An unnatural energy—and a massive reserve of mana.

"What... what are you?"

Julius asked, eyes wide, breath trembling.

Wilhelm closed his eyes, smiled, then opened them slowly.

"A creation... of my Lord."

Julius started sweating, his breathing ragged.

"Let go of my Master's hand."

"Hmm? Sorry, I didn't catch that. Would you say that again?"

"I SAID LET GO OF MY MASTER'S HAND!"

Saya shouted—and in a flash, drew her katana and swung vertically, aiming to sever Wilhelm's arm.

But Wilhelm gracefully stepped back, dodging it with impossible ease.

He calmly placed both hands behind his back and smiled.

"Please enjoy your visit here."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving behind a storm of questions.

Julius watched him leave, heart pounding.

"I don't remember any programmer creating a mayor character for this town... Who the hell is Wilhelm?"

"Master, Master, are you alright?"

"Yeah... yeah, I'm okay, thanks to you, Saya."

He smiled at her gratefully.

Turning to the Solvarin, Julius said—

"You're free to go."

KIYAHHH!

With a loud cry, the creature flapped its wings and vanished into the forest sky.

Even then, Julius was still sweating—still anxious—and deeply lost in thought.