The town of Hugh was not too far away, only about a few kilometres. It was under the rule of the Kingdom of Farrus, a nation that bordered closely to the south-west of the Paradise Forest. She had seen the town on her map before.

The two walked for an hour before they left the forest and entered a plainland. Alice had come close to the border of Paradise Forest many times but crossed it. This was the first time she had gone outside of the forest.

They then walked through the plains on a dirt path for another hour, crossing several small hills and fields of crops as they did so. Eventually, they could see the vestiges of the town.

In the distance, Alice could see a collection of quaint little buildings. The largest was a church, which towered over everything else and was made of stone, whereas everything else was mostly made of wood. There were a few columns of smoke rising from the town. The most distinctive feature was a large stone wall circling the entire town, complete with a gate, towers and other fortifications.

"It's not very big, but Hugh is a nice place. Everyone there will like you."

When they arrived at the gate, a guard waved at them.

"Henry, ya back quickly today. And yer got a pretty lil' lass with ya. Introduce me?" The guard greeted Henry warmly.

"Her name is Alice, she's my companion from a faraway land who came to visit me. I'll pay for her entry into the town. Ten minors was it?"

"No need mate, yer done so much for dis place that no one dares to fleece ya. My name is Gareth. I hope ya have a nice time in our little town, lass." Gareth allowed them easy entry, waving the pair off with a grin and a few fleeting looks at her. Alice, who didn't have a chance to speak, could only wave back.

She looked to her side at Henry. He had lied about her origins. In their time knowing each other, he had never once enquired about her origins despite answering all of her questions about his own. It made her feel warm and ashamed. Alice was sure that there were many strange factors about her. Her lack of common sense, her disjointed knowledge, her decision to live in Paradise Forest...

It just all didn't add up.

For now, she pushed these errant thoughts aside. They would be addressed later.

Walking through the town was, obviously, very different from strolling through a forest. There were so many people, so many voices, so much activity. The forest also had a lot of activity, but it was hidden under the veneer of peace. You just had to look a bit deeper.

Here, however, it was blasted in your face. Not that Alice disliked it. No, she enjoyed the warm atmosphere.

"Good afternoon Henry! How has your day been?"

"Oh, it's Henry! Come and buy our wares, I know you've been running low on metal wire recently!"

"Come out for drinks with me tonight Henry, I'm celebrating me mate's birthday!"

Almost a dozen people called out to him on every street they crossed, their voices infectious and genuine. Not only that, but he was able to remember each and every single person's name and their past interactions with him. He was very loved in the town of Hugh.

Along the way, he acted as a tour guide, pointing out the important places within the town.

"That's the alchemy shop, they sell many different types of potions that can help with day-to-day life. Back there, the one with the golden sign is the local library. With all those books you've been reading, I'm sure that you'll enjoy going there."

They reached their destination, the blacksmith. The workshop was built from bricks and the air around it was hot and stifling. From inside, the sound of metal clanging and banging could be heard. Henry walked up to the closed door and rapped on it with his knuckle.

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?!" An old, grizzled voice yelled, muffled from behind the door.

"It's Henry. I've come with a request!"

"It's you, Henry? Come in."

He opened the door and gestured for Alice to follow him in. As he did so, a flow of hot air burst into her face, causing Alice to step back slightly. Although it was a surprise, she didn't shy away from it and walked in smoothly.

The layout of the workshop was austere. It was devoid of any decorations and only contained racks and stands of multiple types of metalwork. The majority of them were axes, knives, shears and scythes. There was a lack of weaponry.

The sound of metal banging on metal was far clearer now. It carried on for a few minutes while the two stood in the front room before it suddenly stopped. A middle-aged man walked out from a door behind the counter.

The blacksmith wore a vest and thick leather overalls, showing off a pair of thick, toned arms. His face had a few wrinkles, presumably from not just age but his permanent frown and grimace. It gave him a gritty, weathered look.

"Whatdya want Henry? Ya gonna cash out yer favour?" It was muffled before, but Alice nearly winced when she heard his booming voice up close.

"That's not it, I just want to find a suitable sword for my friend here, Alice. I hope you can help me with this, Jack." He pointed at Alice.

The blacksmith raised an eyebrow before taking a good look at her. He was visibly taken aback at her appearance. She was certainly beautiful, but he was more surprised at her clothing and staff.

"Her? She looks like a mage. What's a mage doin', lookin' for a sword?" His question was aimed solely at Alice.

"I want to learn."

"...Listen here girl, I don't know what ya intend to do with a sword and staff, but I just want to say that I don't give out my swords to halfhearted people. If ya gonna learn how to swing a sword, ya better do it seriously. Ya hear me?" Jack's usual loud voice had quietened down into something resembling a mumble and his eyes were deadly focused.

"I am absolutely serious." Alice didn't back down, speaking with conviction. Right now, her heart was telling her to learn the way of the sword. She followed her heart, the wind, to the letter.

A moment of silence passed.

"Alright. Come with me."

They followed Jack into the back, where the air was the hottest. Even breathing felt difficult. Alice took it with stride, looking around the forge curiously. At the back was the furnace, where the coals were a dark ember. It seemed like the flames had died down for a while, though the heat was no less sweltering. The walls were covered with tools hanging from hooks, such as hammers, tongs and files, each one clearly well used.

A few swords were lined up against an anvil, each one shining with a sharp glint. Jack took another measuring look at Alice before picking up a sword and handing it to her.

"Take a swing." The two took a few steps back to give her room.

Swish.

The first swing was heavy and amateurish as she almost stumbled from throwing the sword's weight around. Steadying herself more, she swung again with a bit more constraint, a marked improvement. Three times. Four times. Downwards swing. Diagonal swing. Thrust.

Each swing showed visible increases in proficiency. Although she was still a novice, it wouldn't be long until her swordsmanship became viable.

"Alright, that's enough. I can see that you're very serious about it. That's seventeen majors. Pay up." Jack gruffly crossed his arms.

"Are you sure? That's grossly undervaluing this sword."

"No problem."

Henry nodded and handed him the payment.

"Thanks for this, Jack."

"Thank you."

The two gave their thanks before leaving, now a sheathed sword in hand. Henry let out a breath as soon as he felt the cool outside air hit him, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his hand.

"I'll pay you back."

"Sure. You can pay me back at any time." Henry had learned that Alice was stubborn about certain things, such as being in debt. She disliked owing people. Hence, he didn't bother to write it off. Seventeen majors wasn't much anyway.

"Where do you want to go next?" He observed that she seemed uncannily unfamiliar with the town, not just because she had never been to Hugh before. It was more like she was unfamiliar with the concept of a town itself.

"Can we visit the library next?"

"Of course."

Just like before, he introduced much of the town's different buildings, history and features to her as they made their way to the library. Hugh was a relatively large town. Anywhere she looked, there was a sea of people and buildings. With a light Wind Probe, she estimated a population of around three thousand five hundred people. The scale of it amazed her.

The two walked through the doors of the library and were greeted by a librarian at the front desk. 

"Weapons aren't allowed to be carried in the library, please hand them over to me. They'll be returned upon your exit." 

"Place your hand on the mana scanner to record your mana signature." The woman pushed forward a dark blue metal plate with esoteric runes carved on the front. Alice blinked and did as instructed, taking her companion's silence as concurrence. As soon as her palm touched the plate, mana was pulled from her body through her outstretched arm and through her hand.

Almost reflexively pulling back, Alice barely suppressed herself. It was very strange to have her mana out of control like that. She didn't let out any signs that belied her discomfort and stepped back for Henry to repeat the process. Afterwards, the librarian handed them both a wooden token with a number on it.

"Please hand this token back to me once you're leaving. Keep your voices down and enjoy your stay." They nodded and walked towards the formation of bookshelves behind the front desk.

Once out of earshot, Alice asked, "What was that mana scanner? What was it for?"

Henry chuckled. "You didn't like it, right? I know that you're not the only mage who dislikes that magic tool. This type of mana scanner is usable for non-mages who don't have control over their internal mana. It forcibly attracts the mana towards itself. For mages, the feeling of losing control over one's mana is uncomfortable.

"The reason why they use it is to keep a record of all the visitors in the library. For the minority of mages, they see it as an eyesore but for the grand majority, it is indeed useful. Ten years ago, such magic tools would've only been seen in Lucidelia. Now, industrialisation is in full swing and small towns like Hugh can have access to them."

Lucidelia was the capital of the Hyperion Empire, known to be the nation at the forefront of magic technology and research. Such information was entry level but Alice had only learned it a few days ago in one of her conversations with Henry.

The library had a huge variety of books that she could read from. Jeanne's gift was only meant to start her off on some of the basics so in terms of quantity, it was incomparable to what was available here. In terms of quality, however, it was much better. The tomes and books that Jeanne had given her were written by great scholars, researchers, and Immortals. While the library had imported quite a few books, most of the literature here was written by local academics hoping to make a quick buck. That was not to say she learnt nothing. If it was mundane knowledge like the names of cities or the history of a nation, it was good enough. It just lacked the same depth and interest that she wanted.

They left the library after taking back their belongings from the receptionist, saying their thank yous and goodbyes. It was a short visit but Alice felt a bit more knowledgeable already. The veil of uncertainty that had been layered over her eyes was rising bit by bit. She felt more sure, more confident.

'The unknown is the most terrifying thing after all.'

There was one aspect that Alice most looked forward to...

"Delicious..."

Food. The fake food that Jeanne had fed her was great but it was just a small taster. Knowing that the feeling of fullness and the explosion of flavours in her mouth was fake diminished the experience. She had made the task of eating different foods a top priority during her visit here. Surviving on fruits and nature's bounty was going to get boring after long.

Alice licked her greasy fingers, humming in delight. The meat skewers were juicy and hot with a satisfying mouth feel and exotic flavour. Feeling hungry, she and Henry had gone to buy from a food vendor on the street that was grilling a variety of meats. She was highly tempted to go on an eating spree, sampling all the foods she could but...

"Sorry, I'll pay you back for that too..." Alice had no money to her name!

"If it's you, the easiest way to make money would be becoming an adventurer," Henry said, grinning.

Alice pondered for a moment. "Adventurer..."

Adventurers were contractors under the employment of the Adventurers Guild, a continental organisation dedicated to taking dangerous requests and completing them to the best of their ability. In a world of magic and swords, there were many problems that required a big fist to solve. A merchant seeking passage through a dangerous area would often seek the services of adventurers. An alchemist who needed materials from a dangerous area would seek the services of adventurers. A city which wanted a monster infestation put down would seek the services of adventurers.

Henry was an adventurer currently residing within Hugh, though only temporarily. He thumbed the pommel of his sword, remarking, "Being an adventurer is a very popular path for mages and warriors. It gives us agency, easy employment and allows us to travel the world as we see fit. I know you're pretty strong so you would fit in well with the guild." He remembered how she had slain that Grey Crested Giant Eagle.

"I see. How do I get signed up?"

AzureRing

It's been a while. Went back and made tiny edits to some chapters. Fixed grammar, added italics to inner thoughts and standardised the apostrophes.