CHAPTER 32: CARRIAGE OF THE WEST

Azel stepped into Deymoor town with a measured calmness that was a far cry from the nervous wreck he had been the first time he arrived here years ago.

Back then, he had been little more than a frightened boy, shackled by two slavers, powerless and uncertain of where or even what he was.

Now? Things were different.

Several years of brutal training under Steven had sculpted him into something else entirely.

His silver hair shimmered in the morning sun, flowing down to his shoulders in waves, catching the glances of nearly everyone he passed.

Several shopkeepers nodded at him in recognition, their smiles warm and friendly.

A group of girls whispered amongst themselves near the tailor’s shop, their faces reddening when Azel glanced their way.

He offered a polite nod before looking forward again, inwardly amused.

He’d grown used to the attention his sharp features and refined build drew — features he once only dreamed of having back in his old world.

He was now almost as tall as he was in his past life and it was hard to believe he had spent all this time in the game he had loved.

Deymoor was livelier than ever.

Merchants peddled their wares from colorful stalls, the clamor of bargaining voices mixing with the laughter of children weaving through the streets.

The scent of freshly baked bread wafted from the bakery Steven frequented, mingling with the tang of leather from the smithy down the road.

This town had become familiar over the years.

But today wasn’t for nostalgia.

Today marked the first step into something bigger.

Azel made his way to the carriage yard near the town’s edge.

He had never needed to travel this far before — Steven’s cottage was self-sufficient and isolated enough that he rarely ventured beyond Deymoor, even for supplies.

Besides if they wanted to leave, they could always use the griffin but the problem with that was that he had to come back.

But now, with his adulthood recognized and his next goal in sight, Starbloom City awaited.

Dozens of carriages lined the yard, ranging from plain wooden wagons meant for farmers to more decorated coaches clearly meant for wealthier clients.

Drivers barked out destinations to attract passengers, and horses stamped impatiently in their harnesses, snorting clouds of breath into the crisp morning air.

Then Azel saw it.

A sleek, black carriage trimmed with deep orange accents, its panels engraved with the curling silhouette of a dragon.

His breath caught.

The Carriage of the West.

He knew it instantly.

He’d seen it enough times in the game to recognize it at a glance.

"...What is it doing here?" he muttered under his breath.

He didn’t know much of what happened to them at this point in the story.

The Dmitri family, hailing from the distant western continent, had only recently moved to this empire by this point in the story.

In the game’s timeline, Lorraine Dmitri — one of his favorite sub-heroines would be a second-year student and the poised, brilliant student council president by the time the protagonist entered Astralis Academy.

But here she was... far earlier than expected.

Azel’s heart thudded in his chest.

Lorraine.

The sharp-witted, ever-composed girl who’d eventually died tragically while trying to stop demon supporters within the academy, a loss that had stung him deeply even as a player.

And now he had a chance to change that fate. As such with the fate as the other Heroines.

He stepped forward.

"Hello," Azel called out, approaching the carriage.

Almost instantly, a deep, smooth voice answered him.

"Ah, my friend!"

A man emerged from a small building beside the carriage — a waiting lounge of sorts.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark skin that carried the faint bronze tone common among westerners.

His sharp gaze carried a weight Azel immediately recognized: the dangerous kind of protectiveness only fathers possessed.

Beside him walked a young woman around Azel’s age. And she was... breathtaking.

Lorraine’s presence was commanding without even trying. Her black hair cascaded down her back like silk, contrasting beautifully against her dusky skin.

Her figure was mature, curvaceous in a way that spoke of both natural beauty and the grace of someone raised in nobility.

Her amber eyes met his briefly, cool and unreadable, but Azel didn’t miss the faint flicker of curiosity in them.

She was exactly as he remembered from the game... and somehow even more stunning in person.

The man smiled warmly, spreading his arms. "Would you like to use our carriage, young man?"

"Yes," Azel said without hesitation. "I need to get to the capital — Starbloom City. How much will it cost?"

The man nodded approvingly, clearly pleased with his straightforwardness.

"Five hundred Ares," he replied simply.

Azel reached into his bag and pulled out one of the countless pouches Steven had given him a week ago, already counting out coins — then stopped.

Instead, he tossed the entire pouch, heavy with a thousand Ares, toward the man with an easy flick of his wrist.

The man caught it deftly, raising an eyebrow.

"I’m in a rush," Azel explained with a faint, knowing smirk. "Consider the rest a tip for your time."

Internally, he winced.

’Great. Now I look like some spoiled noble brat throwing money around.’

But the man’s expression softened, gratitude flickering behind his eyes before he tucked the pouch away.

"Well met, then," the man said, extending a firm hand. "My name is Gerome Dmitri. This," he gestured to the girl beside him, "is my daughter, Lorraine."

Lorraine inclined her head slightly, her expression polite but distant.

"A pleasure," she said smoothly.

Her voice was melodic, steady — carrying that same subtle authority he remembered from the game.

Azel shook Gerome’s hand firmly.

"Azel," he introduced himself. "Azel Thorn. I look forward to traveling with you."

Lorraine’s gaze flicked toward him, studying him briefly before returning to neutral.

She didn’t say anything more, but Azel noticed the way her eyes lingered for half a second on his bracelet before she looked away.

That reminded him, The Ever-Bracelet was a treasure from the west if he remembered correctly.

Gerome grinned. "Well then! Let’s be off. The road to Starbloom is long, and the sooner we leave, the sooner we arrive."

He immediately climbed into the driver’s place and took hold of the Horse reins, then his daughter climbed beside him, the two sitting down up front.

Azel entered in from behind, there was an open space so he could reach into the front or even talk to them and then the next moment...

The carriage moved.

[Author’s Note]

[Edna Starbloom art is now available, go ahead and vote fam.]