Chapter 40: The Redwood Forest

Two carriages galloped along the main road, stopping only when faced with the occasional mishap.

Maintaining this pace, they left the Ottoville Province of Dante County before sunset and entered the territory of the Hotterdam Province.

The farthest place Eric had ever been in this life did not extend beyond his own estate, so the surrounding scenery had long since become unfamiliar to him. Even with the memories of his past life, hurtling along roads like this made it difficult for him to recognize his exact location—compared to the real world he now inhabited, distances in the game that a mount could cover in minutes were shortened manifold.

"We'll rest when it gets dark," Eric said to the driver. "And swap drivers when we set off again."

"Yes, My Lord."

The coachman nodded first, then added, "Though we need to get out of this mountainous region first. Staying around here after nightfall is far too dangerous."

As the setting sun gradually dipped lower, Eric looked at the shadowy mountain forests lining both sides of the road and nodded in agreement.

The Hotterdam Province, located in the empire's northwest, was vast and mountainous. Its northernmost reaches were covered in perennial snow with continuous mountain ranges, yet its southeastern corner boasted a warm plain where Lutia, the empire's capital, sat.

Strictly speaking, Dante County, separated from Lutia by only a single province, was not geographically very far from the imperial capital. It was merely the rolling mountains between them that stretched the actual distance, leaving all the prosperity of the capital seemingly isolated on the other side of the peaks.

After the sunset, darkness fell rapidly within the mountains.

To avoid accidents, the carriages were forced to slow their pace, continuing along the main road aided only by the faint light from the lanterns hanging beneath the horses' heads, which cast illumination for barely a short distance.

After a moment longer, a speck of light appeared in the darkness ahead, growing increasingly distinct as they drew closer. It was a small village by the roadside.

"My Lord," the coachman spoke up. "Let's stop at the small town ahead."

"Have we reached Redwood Woods already?" Eric took up the conversation. "Then we'll rest here."

The coachman was momentarily stunned before nodding quickly. "Ah, yes. I'm surprised My Lord recognizes this place."

Eric smiled. He didn't remember the road itself, but he remembered the key landmarks along it crystal clear.

Redwood Forest Town derived its name from the vast expanse of redwood mountain forests at its back. In this remote place devoid of villages for miles around, the town had developed entirely thanks to the travelers and voyagers passing along the Hero's Highway.

Two bright, cold-flame street lamps stood at the intersection. The carriages slowed down as they turned off the main road and entered the brightly lit town.

"Elven wine! Brewed personally by wood-elf maidens, a single cup will banish all your fatigue! Come and try it at Hannah's Tavern!"

"Redwood forest wild boar roasted leg! Inexpensive, generous portions, guaranteed to fill you up!"

Spotting the carriages, people quickly hurried forward, enthusiastically recommending their own taverns or inns to the newly arrived travelers.

"Since they're pushing house-brewed elven wine, they really ought to have a pretty young elf girl out here hawking it," Eric muttered.

Sitting at the front of the carriage, his gaze swept around, finding the scene quite novel. When he noticed the coachman beside him frequently glancing his way, he suddenly realized the man was waiting for him to make a decision.

"Willy, have you been around here before?"

"I stayed here a few times back when I was running errands for the Count, My Lord."

"Then find us a quiet place to settle in for the night," Eric thought for a moment, then added, "We won't travel anymore tonight."

"Right you are, My Lord!" The coachman regained his confidence, flicked the reins to pick up the carriage's speed slightly, and finally brought it to a halt before a relatively small tavern.

Eric jumped down from the carriage and looked around.

This seasoned driver's top-pick tavern was a bit on the small side, but it clearly catered to a more upscale clientele. The environment was clean and quiet, and the guests seated inside were dressed more properly than those in other taverns. In fact, he even had some vague recollection of this establishment.

The group seated themselves at two separate tables. Eric sat at one table with the two nuns, observing the tavern's interior layout while waiting for the food to be served.

The more he looked, the more familiar it became. If he remembered correctly, this was the endpoint of a certain side quest that began in Lutia.

And the starting point of that quest...

Eric's gaze suddenly sharpened as a young man carrying a bowl of thick soup sprinkled with crushed cheese approached their table.

"Your onion soup."

His corpse.

Baker, a raw recruit who died during the defense of Lutia. Players would receive the quest from his comrades, investigate all around in circles, and ultimately arrive at this tavern in Redwood Woods to return a keepsake to his family—before rightfully acquiring it from the family's hands.

What left a deep impression on Eric was that the keepsake was a ring with decent stats, particularly suited for warrior-class players.

When Baker returned to their table bearing a slate-grilled egg, Eric quickly spotted the silver ring worn on the young man's right hand.

"Wait a moment," he called out to the server, who was about to turn away.

"Is there anything else you need?" The young man reacted swiftly, turning back while stealing a glance at the two pretty nuns seated across from him.

The nuns' gazes, however, were both focused on Eric, who had suddenly spoken up.

"Two more cups of mead," Eric said. "One for me, and I'll treat you to the other."

"Thank you for your generosity and kindness."

The young man was somewhat surprised, though not overly so. He leaned in close to Eric and lowered his voice, "Judging by your unfamiliar face, this must be your first time here. Is there anything you'd like to ask about? I'm pretty much familiar with everything going on around Redwood Woods."

"I want to buy that ring on your hand," Eric said straight to the point.

"A ring?" Baker was genuinely startled this time, raising his right hand. "You mean this one?"

"That's the one."

Eric nodded. Realizing he might be coming across as too abrupt, he offered a justification: "I quite like the look of that ring of yours. I'd like to buy it as a gift for a friend."

Sophie straightened up in her seat.

"This..."

Baker scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled. "To be honest with you, My Lord, it's nothing valuable—just something my grandmother left me when she passed away. Though it's not worth much, keeping it around is a nice memento..."

"One gold coin," Eric offered.

"It's not about the money..."

"Five gold coins."

Baker had already pulled the ring off. "Would you like me to fetch a clean cloth to wipe it down for you?"

"No need." Eric reached into his pocket, his movements pausing for a fraction of a second.

He didn't carry money on him—Young Master Eric rarely had occasion to spend money more than a handful of times a year, and carrying cash simply wasn't a habit of his.

"Um... on second thought, go ahead and wipe it."

Taking advantage of Baker happily scurrying off to find a clean cloth, Eric stood up from the tavern, walked back to the carriage, opened his chest, grabbed a handful of gold coins to stuff into his pocket, and casually brought along the weapon he had left resting nearby.

Returning to his seat in the tavern, Eric waited a short while before Baker finally returned bearing a cup of mead.

The young man set the cup down with a light clatter, followed by the ring dropping onto the table. Glancing back toward the bar counter, he whispered conspiratorially, "Keep this between us, My Lord. Especially that woman over there—she's my mother. If she finds out I sold my grandfather's ring, she'll never forgive me."

Didn't he say just moments ago it was left by his grandmother?

"Fine." Eric glanced at him, too lazy to argue the point. He handed over the five prepared gold coins and took the ring.

[Arch's Uppercut Ring]
*'A silver ring that originally belonged to the warrior Arch. As a companion through battles down to the final moment, it was once thoroughly soaked in blood.*
*Enhances the effects of uppercut-type skills and briefly prolongs airborne suspension time.*
*"Send him flying! Don't ask why—sending him flying means you win!"'*

With its effect of enhancing aerial launches, paired with the already substantial number of uppercut-type skills available, this ring could be considered a minor PVP artifact for warriors in the early-to-mid game stages.

Though he had no immediate use for it, it would sooner or later come in handy, Eric thought as he slipped the ring onto his right hand. Suddenly, he noticed Sophie opposite him slump downward, leaning softly against the dining table.

"Sophie," Alana murmured softly without looking at her.

"..."

Sophie shifted her weight, sat back up properly, and continued eating her dinner in silence.

"Is the food not to Miss Sophie's liking?" Eric asked.

"...Not at all." The young nun glanced at his ring, but ultimately chose not to ask anything.

Eric gave it no further thought, instead realizing that he might be able to leverage his memories and experience from his past life to gather more equipment and items that would strengthen him—especially since some of those treasures were hidden in secluded corners that, for now, no one else knew about.

As the three of them ate for a while longer, Baker brought out the final dish: fragrant, salt-crusted roasted bear meat.

"If I'm not mistaken, you must be nobles coming from the south, right?" Baker placed the roasted meat in the center of the table.

Eric did not deny it, merely curious about the reason for his sudden question. Surely the man wasn't planning on pledging his service?

"In that case, My Lord, you'd better keep a close eye on your belongings..." Baker lowered his voice, his right hand feigning an adjustment of the plate while his left hand made a discreet, hidden gesture in front of his chest, pointing toward a certain corner.

"There are two men over there who have been staring at you for quite a while now."