Morning came once the sun had finished setting, giving a bright radiance to the vast grassy plains. There were hills, forests, and forest-ridden hills located around the prairie. It was an astounding view for the young girl who had never ventured outside her comfort zone. Speaking of which, the carriage bench provided great comfort that even though the road was quite bumpy, its inside still harbors satisfaction. Laurence never got tired of the repetitive view. To everyone, if asked about their perspective about the scene, most would've replied that 'It's just a bunch of hills and forests on a grassy plain.' but for Laurence, she'd probably give each hill a name depending on their shape. It was ludicrous to think about how many hills had been given a name that some would've been synonymous with each other. Of course, only Laurence knew this. It's not like she was thinking out loud. 

The butler had been observing the little girl. He wondered how she was able to retain her attention outside the window when he, himself, can barely maintain his focus. 'Well, whatever. I'm just going to sleep it off.' The butler thought as he leaned his body on the bench's backrest and went to sleep.

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"Oh, that's right! I want to ask for more details about my adventure." Laurence said as she remembered what Dad and the Great Sage mentioned about her. 

"Alright. State your questions." Arnold replied as he fixed his posture and readied himself for the conversation.

"So, according to the Great Sage, am I actually the one who's destined to be the hero to defeat the Evil Sorcerer?" Averting her eyes away from the window, Laurence shifted her gaze to Arnold and asked a question.

"Yes..." Arnold gave a diminutive response as he gave out a large sigh and looked over the windows. 

"How am I exactly going to be the hero?" Laurence also wondered how. It seems to her that she's still far behind in becoming the savior. 

"..." No response came out from Arnold's mouth, but Laurence never stops asking questions.

"My dad said that I won't be able to come back home for a long time. How long is this adventure going to last?" Laurence asked, hoping to get an answer.

"... Bout' more than three years." Arnold responded while still gazing outside the window.

Laurence wondered if Arnold's making fun of her. He looked like he was interested in having a conversation a while ago, but now, he seems relatively inattentive. She asked more questions, but Laurence only received indolent responses. She found the scenery outside to be more interesting than the talk she was having right now. The conversation ended, and Laurence was once again looking through the windows.

Over the distance, she spotted minuscule figures of carriages and other transport vehicles on the road. People don't usually travel at night because it was more dangerous compared to the daytime. At night, most adventurers are asleep, and monsters are typically nocturnal. There was also a higher chance of stumbling upon a group of bandits at night. These travelers on the road must've come from a nearby settlement where they could've also sheltered. There was a whole bunch of carriages and people, who appeared to be adventurers, roaming the streets. There were many, in fact, that Laurence had a hard time counting the masses. 

The distance between the travelers and the carriage became less and less until they passed right next to each other. Laurence now fully understood why the Great Sage wanted to depart so early. There was a little bit of traffic on the road. Laurence's carriage was on the left while the travelers were on the left. Due to their punctuality, they were probably the only ones using the left side of the road. Many eyes are fixed on the grand carriage. The golden earth dragon on the front dwarfed the ones on the other carriages. Right now, it was the center of attraction. 

Out of nowhere, the rumbling sound of a hungry stomach broke the silence inside the carriage. Arnold gave a small laugh, which made Laurence a little bit flustered. It wasn't her fault. Due to their early departure, the company had managed to skip breakfast. 

"Is milady, perhaps, hungry?" The Great Sage asked as He opened the slid on the wall that separates the driver's seat from the passengers'. 

"Bear with it for a while. There's the town of Clarendale just ahead. We'll be making our stopover there." The Great Sage said as He winked at Laurence before closing the slid.

 Hearing what the Great Sage said, Laurence focused her vision on the road's far ends and spotted rows of walls to which she confirmed the existence of Clarendale. Getting closer until they were at the checkpoint, the guards stationed near the entrance gate inspected the carriage. Their eyes suddenly widened upon seeing the Northern Imperial mark on the carriage. Seeing that the driver is also the Great Sage, the guards wasted no time and opened the door. The Great Sage was just about to hand in the entrance fee of about ten shillings, but it seems that He was handing them a piece of gold coins instead. The guards rejected and told them they can enter, even without paying the entrance fee. The Great Sage merrily accepted the deal and signaled the earth dragon to move forth. 

What lay inside the town made Laurence feel like she's back in her home town. Just like Gleedenfield, the town of Clarendale is also a part of the route that leads to many destinations. However, it's much more popular with travelers as Clarendale is located at the center point boundary between the four great empires of the Humberheidt continent. At this point, it's more appropriate to call it a city. There's a wide variety of accommodations, taverns, food stalls, markets, other foundations that supports travelers. Although there's a large group of people and carriages on the road, they gave way to the royal carriage to avoid any form of disrespect. The company managed to easily park on the stables. 

"Alrighty! I know an excellent inn that serves delicious food and would be willing to let us stay on a high-quality set of rooms!" Once everyone was outside the carriage, the butler announced his suggestions.

"Lead the way, Sir Tybalt!" The Great Sage said in an excited tone.

While exiting the stables, Laurence got the chance to look and examine different types of carriage carriers. Those include dragons, horses, wolves, and land birds. It was like a zoo that brings torrents of excitement to the young girl. Laurence was a little bit disappointed when they were out of the stables. Then, the group headed off towards the inn.