Three days later, Ximing stood outside his house with a small travel bag in his hand.
Kael stood beside him, carrying a much larger pack.
Ximing looked at it.
"What did you put in there?"
"Food."
"How much?"
"Enough."
Ximing opened the bag.
His eyes widened.
"Kael!"
"What?"
"There's enough food here for a week!"
Kael shrugged.
"We'll be traveling for several days."
"We're going to human territory, not crossing a desert."
Kael calmly took the bag back.
"We're taking it."
Ximing sighed.
"Fine."
He turned toward the house.
"General!"
The rooster immediately appeared.
Ximing pointed at him.
"Behave while I'm gone."
General stared at him.
"I mean it."
Cluck.
"I don't trust that answer."
Kael laughed.
Leaving Home
Ximing locked the house and checked everything one last time.
The chickens had enough food and water.
The garden was protected.
The house was secure.
His private space was completely safe.
Nobody could enter without his permission.
Once everything was ready, Ximing and Kael started down the forest road.
Ximing looked back at his home.
He had only been living there for a short while.
Yet it already felt like home.
"Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll be back."
Kael looked at him.
"You're going to miss it?"
"Of course."
"You'll only be gone for a few days."
"I know."
Ximing smiled.
"But it's my home."
The Road
The journey was surprisingly peaceful.
There were no monsters attacking them.
No mysterious ruins.
No ancient prophecy.
Just a long road through beautiful countryside.
They passed farms, rivers, small villages, and merchant caravans.
Ximing enjoyed watching everything.
He asked Kael about the different regions they passed through.
"What is that mountain called?"
"Mount Arven."
"And that river?"
"The Silver River."
"What about that town?"
"Bellwood."
Ximing nodded.
His incredible memory immediately stored every name.
Kael eventually laughed.
"You're asking a lot of questions."
"You've been staring at everything since we left."
"It's a new world."
Kael smiled.
"I suppose that's true."
The First Human Merchant
Near sunset, they encountered a merchant caravan.
The leader was a middle-aged human man traveling with several wagons.
He looked at Kael, then at Ximing.
"Travelers?"
"Yes," Kael replied.
"Heading toward human territory?"
Ximing nodded.
"We're going there to purchase supplies."
The merchant smiled.
"Then you're going the right way."
He pointed down the road.
"Continue north for another two days. You'll reach the border city."
Ximing's eyes brightened.
"Is it large?"
"Very."
"Are there clothing merchants?"
"Plenty."
"What about restaurants?"
"More than you can count."
Ximing smiled.
Perfect.
The merchant looked curious.
"What are you planning to buy?"
"Ingredients."
"And?"
Ximing hesitated.
"Fabric."
The merchant's eyes moved toward Ximing's notebook.
"You design clothing?"
Ximing nodded.
"A little."
The merchant smiled.
"Then you might find something interesting in the capital."
"The capital?"
"Yes. The Royal Capital has the finest fabrics in the kingdom."
Ximing immediately became interested.
Kael noticed.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"I know that look."
Ximing grinned.
"Maybe we'll visit the capital someday."
The Border City
Two days later, they finally reached the human border city.
Ximing stopped at the entrance.
His eyes widened.
The city was enormous compared with his village.
Stone buildings stood along wide streets.
Merchants filled the markets.
Humans, beastfolk, and mixed families walked together.
There were magical lamps hanging above the streets.
He even saw a small floating sign glowing above a shop.
Ximing stared.
"Magic..."
Kael smiled.
"Welcome to human territory."
Ximing slowly grinned.
"This place is amazing."
The Restaurant Market
Ximing immediately became overwhelmed.
There were spices he had never seen before.
Different grains.
Rare fruits.
Fresh meat.
Cheeses.
Sweeteners.
Tea leaves.
And hundreds of ingredients.
He walked from stall to stall, asking questions.
Kael followed behind him carrying bags.
After nearly an hour, Kael looked at the pile.
"Are we buying the entire market?"
"No."
Ximing looked at the mountain of ingredients.
"...Maybe."
Kael sighed.
The Fabric District
Then came Ximing's favorite part.
The fabric district.
The moment he entered, his eyes practically sparkled.
Silks.
Velvets.
Cottons.
Linens.
Embroidered fabrics.
Magically enchanted threads.
Gold and silver embroidery.
Ximing touched one particularly beautiful piece of dark green fabric.
"This..."
The merchant smiled.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Ximing nodded.
"Very."
He immediately began imagining designs.
Formal coats.
Elegant dresses.
Royal robes.
Modern clothing adapted to this world's culture.
He pulled out his notebook.
Kael watched him begin sketching.
"You've forgotten about retirement again."
Ximing didn't even look up.
"No."
He smiled.
"I'm just designing while retired."
Kael laughed.
That evening, they found a comfortable inn.
Ximing placed his purchases carefully in his room.
Then he sat beside the window overlooking the city.
Human territory was completely different from his village.
There were opportunities everywhere.
Restaurants.
Markets.
Fashion.
Magic.
Schools.
And somewhere beyond all of it stood the Royal Capital.
Ximing smiled.
He had come here simply to buy supplies.
But now he had a feeling that this trip would change the future of his little family.
He closed his notebook.
"Tomorrow..."
He looked at the beautiful city lights.
"...we explore."