The morning sun climbed steadily into the sky.
Kieran walked alone along the winding mountain path.
For the first time in his life...
There was no Crystal to guide him.
No Kael shouting impossible training exercises.
No familiar sounds of the Hidden Valley.
Only the quiet rustling of leaves and the occasional cry of birds overhead.
He took a deep breath.
"So..."
"This is the outside world."
A smile unknowingly spread across his face.
---
The Hidden Valley had taught him many things.
How to survive.
How to fight.
How to think.
But there was one lesson Crystal had repeated more than any other.
«"The world owes you nothing."»
Kieran murmured the words to himself before continuing forward.
---
Hours later...
The mountain path widened into a well-traveled road.
For the first time, Kieran saw dozens of travelers.
Merchant caravans pulled by large horned beasts.
Wanderers wearing cloaks bearing the emblem of the Wanderer's Guild.
Hunters dragging the corpses of Magical Beasts.
Families traveling between villages.
Children laughing as they ran beside wagons.
Everything felt...
Alive.
Far livelier than the peaceful silence of the Hidden Valley.
---
"Fresh fruits!"
"Medicinal herbs for sale!"
"Fine steel weapons!"
Loud voices echoed through the air.
Kieran had unknowingly arrived at a bustling roadside market.
His sapphire-blue eyes wandered everywhere.
He wasn't overwhelmed.
He was curious.
Crystal had described places like this countless times.
Now...
He was finally seeing one with his own eyes.
---
As he slowly walked through the market...
He suddenly noticed a young boy crouching beside a broken cart.
The boy couldn't have been older than eight.
His clothes were patched together.
His hands were covered in dirt as he desperately tried to repair one of the damaged wheels.
Several passersby merely glanced at him before continuing on.
Kieran stopped.
"Need help?"
The boy looked up cautiously.
"You... know how?"
Kieran smiled.
"A little."
Without waiting for payment or thanks...
He knelt beside the cart.
After carefully examining the damaged axle, he picked up a few discarded pieces of wood nearby.
Within minutes...
The wheel was stable once again.
"It should last until the next town."
The younger boy stared in amazement.
"You fixed it..."
Kieran stood.
"My teacher always said..."
"If something can be repaired..."
"Repair it."
The boy smiled brightly.
"Thank you!"
Kieran simply waved before continuing his journey.
Neither of them noticed...
An elderly merchant had witnessed everything.
He stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"A traveler who helps without asking for payment..."
"They're becoming rare."
---
Several kilometers away...
Within the forest bordering the road...
Golden eyes silently watched.
The Nine-Tailed White Fox sat atop a large branch.
Its tails gently swayed behind it.
It had followed Kieran ever since he left the Hidden Valley.
Never too close.
Never too far.
When Kieran stopped...
It stopped.
When he rested...
It watched.
The fox wasn't protecting him.
Not yet.
It was simply observing.
Learning.
---
As dusk approached...
Kieran found a quiet clearing beside a stream.
Exactly as Crystal had taught him...
He inspected the area.
Checked for beast tracks.
Observed the direction of the wind.
Confirmed the nearby water was clean.
Only then did he begin preparing camp.
"No dangerous scent..."
"No fresh claw marks..."
"...This should be safe."
Hidden within the trees...
The fox's ears twitched.
It nodded ever so slightly.
The boy remembered his lessons well.
---
After eating a simple meal...
Kieran opened the weathered journal Crystal had given him.
The first page contained only a single sentence.
«"Knowledge gained through experience is remembered longer than knowledge borrowed from others."»
He smiled.
"Sounds like Mama."
Closing the journal once more, he leaned against a nearby tree and looked up.
Above him...
The three moons slowly illuminated the night sky.
The world suddenly felt much larger than it had that morning.
Yet strangely...
He didn't feel alone.
Perhaps...
It was because Crystal's teachings remained with him.
Or perhaps...
Someone unseen continued to walk the same road.
---
Far away...
Within the bustling city of Ardent Crossing—the largest trade city on Gardenia's western frontier—
The branch headquarters of the Wanderer's Guild was unusually lively.
Dozens of new commissions had arrived.
Reports of Magical Beast activity had increased.
Caravans heading toward the Grand Academy sought additional escorts.
Experienced Wanderers sensed it immediately.
Whenever the Academy opened its gates...
The entire Melika Realm seemed to awaken.
Countless young talents would begin their journeys.
Some would rise to greatness.
Some would quietly fade into history.
No one could predict which path awaited them.
---
Deep within the Guild headquarters...
A silver-haired receptionist pinned a fresh notice to the commission board.
It read:
Special Notice
All Guild members are advised to exercise caution on the roads leading to the Grand Academy. Increased beast activity and bandit sightings have been reported. Escort commissions have been upgraded by one reward tier.
Within moments...
The notice was surrounded by eager Wanderers.
Outside...
The roads of Melika stretched toward countless destinies.
And somewhere upon one of those roads...
A quiet young traveler slept peacefully beneath the stars.
Tomorrow...
His true journey would continue.
End of Chapter 50