7 Setting Off

In the final months before my departure, I spent more time researching Orario and how to get there. As it turned out, I was practically halfway across the continent from the city, so it would take me around a month to make the journey. With this long haul in mind, I used my Spatial Storage to store various supplies I would need on the road, such as food, water, and clothes. I also subtly began gathering a few sets of light armor to use and some of the currency in the outside nations.

As I began to finalize my preparations, I found myself summoned to my father's throne room. Walking along the beautiful hallways of the palace, I took one final look at them to engrain them into my memory. Despite not being the original Thranduil, I still had lived here for years and had his memories as well. This place had been all he had ever known, and while he had longed to strike out and explore the reaches beyond the edge of the forest, it was still home.

Pushing open the doors to the throne room, I found my entire family waiting there. My father sat on his throne, looking more tired than I had ever seen him, with my sister standing to his left and my mother seated to his right. I could already tell that perhaps my preparations hadn't been as subtle as I had thought. With a soft sigh, I raised my head high and marched forward to kneel before the throne in the designated spot for those summoned by the king to kneel.

"When were you planning to leave?" My father asked, no particular emotion evident in his voice.

"I will be leaving tomorrow. The journey to Orario was longer than I initially anticipated, so I am leaving earlier than I initially planned to." I said, not bothering to hide that I was leaving no matter what.

"So soon, and you didn't think to tell any of us. We're your family?" My mother cut in.

"I didn't want you to try and stop me," I said, giving justification for my reasons, though glancing up, I could see my sister roll her eyes.

"Did you ever consider that maybe we wouldn't stop you?" She asked, stepping away from our parents and moving closer.

"The thought had crossed my mind, but I had nothing to say. The words would not come to me when I planned out the meeting in my mind." I said truthfully.

While I had spent time with my new family and liked them, I had not yet come to see them as my true family. So, nothing in particular came to mind if I were going to say goodbye. Perhaps things would have been different if I had been reincarnated as Thranduil at his birth and spent his entire life here, but I hadn't. For those reasons, I felt that it would be easier for me to slip away and take to the road without looking back.

"Sometimes there is no need for words, Brother," Alarielle said, pulling me to my feet and then wrapping me in a hug. I had never been one for hugs, but I suffered through it for her sake.

"How are you planning to get to Orario?" My father asked, steering the conversation back to my upcoming trip.

"I'll either walk or buy a horse," I said with a shrug, "I don't mind the journey taking longer if I go by foot. It will give me time to experience the scenery." 

"Hmm, not a bad plan, but I won't allow it," he said, causing me to raise my eyebrows, "I will let you go and become an adventurer, but you will have guards accompany you.

"That defeats the purpose of going out to become an adventurer," I countered, "I will acquiesce to going to Orario with an escort of guards, but I want them to turn around once I arrive."

"Don't push me too far on this, Son. I am simply worried about your safety," he said sternly.

"I understand, but that is why I have been training so hard these last few years. I have taken the tools you have given me, Father, and learned to protect myself." 

He opened his mouth but eventually closed it and didn't argue. It had been he who had repeatedly praised me on my skill with a blade, proclaiming that I was already beginning to surpass him. That praise would have made any arguments he would make now about me not being ready hollow. So, eventually, he nodded his head and reluctantly agreed. 

"Fine, have it your way," he said with a sigh, "Tomorrow, you will set off with an armed escort that will drop you off outside the city. From there, you are free to do as you wish."

"Thank you, Father," I said, bowing my head respectfully.

"Don't give me that and come here," he said, prompting me to rise and approach. 

From behind his throne, he pulled a large object wrapped in a cloth, which reminded me of when he had given me my magical wooden blade all those years ago. I nearly burst out laughing when he pulled away the cloth to reveal a sword yet again. However, this was no laughing matter as I recognized the blade, though I doubted that it was known to this world. It was Glamdring, more widely known as the Foe-Hammer from Lord of The Rings.

[Images]

Unaware of the recognition in my eyes, my father spoke again, "I know that the wooden sword is more for magical combat, which isn't your specialty, so from all your preferences, I had this created for you." he said, gesturing to the sword. 

I took the blade almost reverently and turned to my father, "Thank you," then I turned to the rest of my family, "Thank you all for everything."

With that, we all drew together and embraced. 

. . .

The next day, I sat in a carriage with Balmung strapped to my hip. I waved to my parents and sister, along with the other citizens of the forest, as the horses strapped to the carriage began pulling, officially starting my journey toward the city of adventurers. In the month before I arrived in the city, I could have done any number of things, but it wouldn't have been me if I hadn't spent that time training.

At the beginning of the trip I assessed what I was currently missing the most in my skills and abilities. It didn't take me long to see that I had no form of healing whatsoever. Normally, if this were almost anything else, then the solution would have been simple. The problem with healing, in particular, was that there are three distinctly different ways to achieve healing. The first was through skills that are the most efficient but are also the most time-consuming to learn and attain.

The second most useful version is through Holy Magic. However, that requires a connection to a higher being. From what I knew about this world, I was pretty sure I could piggyback off the divine energy in my body once I got a falna to use Holy Magic without alerting said god that I was borrowing some of their power. While the healing provided by Holy Magic is undoubtedly very good, it is not currently attainable for me but it would be if I just waited a bit longer. 

In the end, I decided to go for healing through Restoration Magic, which is the weakest of the three but would also be the easiest to learn. I chose this because I don't plan to form a group around me like Bell does. I prefer to live the Solo Levelling lifestyle, especially since my powers originate from outside of this world. That didn't mean I would shun everybody else, but I prefer to be by myself most of the time. If I'm by myself, then there is no need for very good healing magic that can work on others, so my plan is to get the easy healing magic and then get a healing skill later.

So that is what I worked on for the full month for Orario. In fact, I even finished that spell early, so I managed to get the other Restoration Magic I knew of, Antidote. That gave me options to deal with basic wounds and poison, which I was grateful for. I know of at least a few dozen monsters in the dungeon that inflict some sort of toxin or poison, so it was useful to have an answer to that early on. 

. . .

On the last day of the journey, I was sick of being cramped into the carriage, so I rode at the front, which gave me a good view of Orario as it emerged from the horizon and solidified into its impressive form before my eyes. The massive city walls loomed up from the flat of the plain they rested on, and the Tower of Babel rose into the clouds high above like a pillar holding up the sky.

As we drew closer, I hopped off the carriage and bid my escorts farewell as I moved across one of the major thoroughfares into the city. 'This is where my adventure begins,' I thought, looking up at the city.