Chapter 46: Human Town

Chapter 46: Human Town

After standing still, Airael couldn’t help but fix her gaze on Axi, or rather, the sword strapped to his back.

If she could, Airael really wanted to pull that sword out for a closer look.

Unfortunately, she knew that was just wishful thinking.

That sword must be incredibly valuable to Axi.

For instance, if she were to touch that sword just now, Axi would probably wake up instantly.

Though Axi was asleep, Airael believed he wasn’t in a deep sleep; he would wake up at the slightest disturbance.

She had come close to him earlier, and that might have already stirred him.

But he hadn’t reacted, perhaps thinking everything was fine.

After contemplating for a while, Airael decided to fully focus her mind.

There was plenty of time ahead; she could spend it getting to know Axi.

She would surely see the true face of that mysterious sword someday.

And that familiar feeling Axi brought her? She needed to clear that up too.

With that, Airael began her night watch in earnest.

She not only kept her eyes wide open but also cast several alert magic arrays around to aid her vigil.

Fortunately, there were no disruptive presences causing trouble for the two during the first half of the night.

When it was time to switch shifts, Airael unceremoniously woke Axi.

“It’s time for a shift change.”

Airael walked over and gently tapped Axi while speaking.

Soon, Axi opened his eyes and sat up.

He first stretched out lazily, loosening his body, then looked at Airael and said, “You should get some sleep; I’ll take over from here.”

“Okay!”

Airael nodded gently and returned to her own spot to sleep.

After surveying the area, Axi’s gaze, just like Airael’s earlier, landed on the sleeping Airael.

At that moment, his gaze seemed rather complex.

Just as Airael had suspected, Axi wasn’t in a deep slumber; he felt Airael’s presence nearby.

However, he was unclear about what Airael intended to do.

The next morning, after a peaceful night, Airael and Axi resumed their journey.

After a bit of rest, Axi was feeling much better.

Their pace was no longer merely a slow walk; they occasionally broke into a run to quicken their travel speed.

Under such circumstances, they took three days to make their way out of the forest and arrive at a human town protected by city walls.

Seeing this well-preserved human town, Airael and Axi were both quite happy.

Living in the wilderness was truly not an easy task.

Especially for just a man and a woman.

Not to mention, several practical living issues were quite hard to solve.

Axi was fine; he didn’t have to be overly concerned.

But Airael had a bit of a tougher time.

Even though her appearance didn’t need hiding from Axi, there were still other issues to consider.

After undergoing questioning and inspection from the city guard, Airael and Axi were granted permission to enter the town.

Especially after learning Axi’s identity, they were met with a warm welcome.

Although Airael’s identity was somewhat unclear, in their eyes, anyone who formed a team with Axi couldn’t possibly be a nameless commoner or a great villain.

Once inside the town, Airael and Axi realized the situation wasn’t quite ideal.

The town was somewhat overcrowded.

Too many people had entered this town.

As a town protected by walls, many had fled here to seek refuge after the orcs began their southward advance.

They hoped the town’s walls would shield them from the orc threat.

Indeed, the town’s walls had kept the orcs at bay, as the orcs had no interest in attacking this fortified settlement.

However, it was still a small town. Even though they had made some preparations, the influx of so many people had put immense pressure on the town.

Food was manageable; it was the harvest season, and everyone had gathered some grain, but the key issue lay in sanitation.

If sanitation problems arose, gathering so many people in one place could lead to major issues.

After learning more about the town from the locals, Airael and Axi’s initial excitement dampened.

As they walked down the street, Axi deeply sighed at the sight of those forced to sleep in alleyways.

They had merely rigged up a simple shelter to shield themselves from the rain when needed.

They didn’t dare wish for anything beyond that.

Of course, Axi and Airael would never settle for living like them.

The two of them made their way to the town’s core area, where Baron Powell’s castle was located.

The town was built around the castle of Baron Powell.

The walls were also erected under the Baron’s guidance.

Their arrival was met with a warm welcome from Baron Powell.

Especially towards Axi, Baron Powell treated him with utmost respect.

“Welcome to my humble town, Mr. Axi, and Miss Ailia.”

This robust man, roughly in his forties, immediately dropped all affairs to meet Airael and Axi in the castle hall after being notified by his servant.

Though Baron Powell held a position of authority, Axi had the strength.

As mentioned before, Axi could instantly attain a respectable status if he so wished.

“Your Excellency, thank you for your warm welcome.”

Axi replied politely.

After some small talk, Baron Powell directly inquired, “What brings you to my town today, Mr. Axi? Do you need my assistance with something?”

Not one to beat around the bush, Axi responded, “My companion and I plan to stay here for a night and would like to ask you for some information.”

“Accommodation is no problem; I will definitely provide Mr. Axi and Miss Ailia with the best hospitality. What would you like to inquire about?”

“What’s the current state of the war between humans and orcs?”

At this, Baron Powell shook his head, saying, “I’m sorry, but I don’t really know much about that, although I will tell you everything I do know, Mr. Axi.”

“Then I’ll be all ears.”

Axi had no objections to that.

Baron Powell then began sharing the latest information he had acquired.

The battle at Mark Fortress to the north was still quite intense.

The orcs attacked the city every day, causing significant casualties on both sides.

Most of the northern army of the kingdom was forced to remain there.

What was left were individuals like Baron Powell, barely managing to hold onto their own territories, unable to take on any more than that.