48 A New Path

With Kraft's help, Damian had recovered more than he had expected; now he could walk, and all his mana had fully recovered.

"So, where are you going?" Damian stood before the graves of all the deceased mages, his gaze fixed on them for the past thirty minutes. When he heard the question, he pondered for a moment and said, "I'm going in search of something that is mine. Once I obtain it, I can ensure that I become stronger to continue eliminating demons."

Kraft, who was standing next to Damian, couldn't comment on this but still said, "That's the best. Demons will keep coming to kill you, so the best idea is for you to disappear for a few years."

The reason those powerful demons appeared was because they were looking for Damian. This gave him a signal to immediately go in search of that so-called immortality that others had claimed he had achieved. There was no reason for a demon to attack him a thousand years before their encounter; that only made him understand that he did indeed achieve that illusory eternal life.

"Well, the battlefronts have been quiet recently, so I'll retire. If I succeed in my search, we'll see each other in a few hundred years." Damian waved his hand to the priest, Kraft, who smiled.

When Kraft was left alone in front of the graves of all the deceased, he joined his hands and murmured, "May the goddess reward all their sacrifices, and may it not all be in vain in the end."

...

In an unknown place to the north, a caravan passed through a cobbled path in the twilight.

It was said that demons didn't come to this place due to its little importance in the ongoing strategic war in the main cities of the north, which were fighting hard against those who tried to cross their borders.

Ten months had passed since Damian had killed some of the most important envoys of the Demon King; this alone had earned him the title of Storm Mage.

But that didn't matter now, not since he began his journey in search of the Fountain of Youth. The journey that should have been quick was delayed because he had passed through villages, not retreating until he had eliminated the monsters in the area and demons that roamed nearby.

At this moment, Damian was at the back of the caravan, watching the colorful rays of the illuminated evening grass, the flowers, and the forests with orange trees. This place was so peaceful that it brought him many distant emotions.

The caravan he was traveling in entered the village, which was completely defenseless. Damian looked at this with furrowed brows, knowing that any moderately strong demon could massacre these people easily.

"Come and have a look; the fresh venison they just sacrificed today is for sale!"

"Buttermilk, sweet buttermilk..."

"It's a clearance sale, a clearance sale. Everything costs only two bronze coins; the food is of the best quality, so you can rest assured you're buying the best and ripest in the market."

This wasn't a large village; Damian could estimate there were at least a thousand inhabitants, but the data couldn't be precise due to the constant movement within the caravan.

According to the map in his hands, he was located northeast, in a huge forest called the Mythical Forest of Fairies.

The data stated that there were millions of trees in this forest where fairies lived, and this village was the closest to those locations.

In the distance, mountains with light snow caps could be seen; the forests were damp, and during this springtime, it wasn't too cold. The environment was unpredictable, inhabited by a large number of fierce beasts or mysterious and terrifying spirits. For the villagers of this place, the only way to survive was to not venture out of the village at night; the rules were simple, but as long as they were followed, there would be no victims.

What Damian had noticed was that generally, the economy of the villages in the northeast remained very similar to the big cities, so the money he carried with him was enough for many trips without any problems.

"We have arrived, travelers. I hope my advice to not venture beyond the established zones within the forest serves you well for what you are about to do." The man driving the caravan looked at the mage, who had traveled in silence, and advised him.

Damian waved his hand in acknowledgment, then got off the caravan, holding his black magical staff that now kept his sword suspended in the air at the center but connected at the same time.

"Let's first grab a bite to eat..." Damian entered a bar, where he estimated they sold food.

But as soon as he entered this wine store, a young man showed his temper.

"Wine, where's the wine?"

"Bring it quickly. Are you afraid I won't be able to pay for it, sir?" The man vigorously pounded the mushroom-shaped table, acting like a drunkard and shouting loudly.

"Adventurer, sir, your wine! Your wine is here." The waiter quickly brought the wine.

The adventurer nicknamed Hound immediately grabbed the wine glass, raised it, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Good wine! Very good wine." The hound laughed with an impotent and hoarse voice. With a thump, he placed the wine glass on the table and shouted again, "Give me another glass, quickly, you damn incompetents!"

The waiters in this establishment didn't dare offend him, as he was an adventurer hired to defeat a demon that had been attacking them for some time. They naturally had to do as he said.

Fortunately, the bar was already crowded with people, not just the people seated around the mushroom-shaped tables and stools. Even the surrounding corridors were packed.

The hound was drunk and shouting, but he didn't stand out in this crowded tavern.

The ill-tempered youth wore golden armor with a luxurious metal belt around his waist, with a square piece of bright crystal embedded in the middle of the belt.

Many began to leave when they saw that things were becoming more unbearable, but everyone fell silent when they saw a hooded figure enter the tavern holding a mage's staff.

"Who is that?"

"Were there mages in this village?"

"No, he comes from elsewhere."

Whispers began to spread around, and countless gazes turned towards Damian, who had been scanning the surroundings for a place to sit.

"Bring me some food and something to drink; preferably, I don't want to drink alcohol." Damian walked towards the hound's table, which was empty, extended his hand to pull out the chair, and sat down without any problems.

Everyone held their breath; this could immediately cause discontent between the hound and the mage, so everyone wanted to know what would happen next.

Damian, of course, hadn't paid attention to this. He was now sixteen years old, on his way to seventeen, and had entered an optimal age for marriage. But that wasn't in his plans—not until he defeated all the demons in this world.

As the old grandparents of a friend once told him, don't have children in a world where death, famine, and suffering are commonplace.

In this world, the crude death rate is incredibly high, leaving many thousands of children orphaned and families abandoned, needing to fend for themselves in this complicated world.

"I'm close..." Damian looked at the map pointing him towards the route to the magical forest, but just as he was about to check it again, a hand reached for the map and snatched it away.

"Who the hell are you?" The hound looked at Damian with a serious expression on his face.

Everyone was stunned by the Hound's abrupt movements; some even left the tavern out of fear that they might be harmed by a spell that this mage might cast abruptly.

Damian raised his gaze. There were many foolish people around the world, and this was one of them. "I'm nobody; who are you?"