"Mom, look… that man is walking without shoes on!"

"Shh, it's rude to point. We don't know what he's going through, sweetie."

In the somewhat small and busy streets of Fergo, Vayne had been walking around for a couple of hours, 3 hours to be exact.

And he did nothing but just that. Limping, as he was still not used to walking normally. And as expected, he had been garnering the stares of all the people there.

Some of them, even closing down their stalls as Vayne was obviously a crazy person.

Fergo was a very small town— everyone knew each other and if there was a person they didn't, then it could only mean one of two things.

The stranger was an Explorer from the outside, or someone being escorted by an Explorer.

And seeing how young and thin the boy looked, he was surely the latter. And they would usually welcome them with open arms, as new visitors mean new money.

But with the way Vayne looked, well— he looked bad for business.

Vayne, however, didn't mind the stares. He didn't even notice them. He was just busy feeling the dried earth beneath his feet. 

It was weird, he had been walking for hours and yet not a single sweat trailed down his face. He used to be so tired with just a few steps with his crutches, but now there was no sign of fatigue.

And so, he just continued to walk. And throughout this walk, he had thought up a few theories as to what could have happened to him.

The Vase. The Artifact that they thought was originally a dud… maybe it worked after all?

That was really the only reasonable conclusion he could come up with. And this Blessing, it healed his wound.

He had been trying to see how to activate it, but he didn't even have any idea on where to start. He was sure that the exploding mug and the broken cabinet were his Blessing activating. But alas, he hasn't been able to replicate it since.

There was also the mystery of how he got to Fergo, which is probably the thing that didn't make sense the most. He asked Sheera for the date before he got kicked out… and assuming he spent 2 and a half days bedridden, that would mean… it only took less than half a day for him to get to Fergo from where he was buried, which should be only 2 hours away from the border.

Could it be that his Blessing had something to do with spe—

"..." And before he could finish his thoughts, he heard a thunder coming from his stomach.

"...I've only had tea," Vayne muttered as he finally stopped walking and also finally taking in the sights of the small village. Most of Fergo was made in clay; if he was right, then it should be because it was the closest source they have in the area. Everything was made from it, everything except their walls.

Vayne then looked at the towering fence that surrounded the entirety of Fergo. It wasn't as tall as the border, but still colossal enough compared to everything else within the vicinity.

"..." And soon, Vayne's eyes found themselves looking at a stall; juicy meat skewers just being grilled out into the open. He was about to approach the shop, but as soon as the stall owner saw him— he closed his stall.

"...I guess it doesn't matter," Vayne whispered to himself as he sighed. He didn't have any money to purchase anything anyway.

"Then let's just steal it."

"Hm?"

Vayne quickly looked behind him as he heard a voice, only to see Sheera standing there.

"..." He then turned to look if there was anyone else, as the voice clearly came from a man— but other than Sheera, there was no one there.

"Madam."

"What are you doing?" The irritation in Sheera's voice was clear to hear as she looked at Vayne from head to toe.

"I'm… doing as you told me to, stretching my legs."

"Yeah, and I told you to also go to the chief's house. How can you— and where are your shoes?"

"Oh," Vayne said as he looked down; his little toes, wiggling on their own, "I left them in your clinic."

"Great, and now you got me in trouble," Sheera shook her head, "I told you to go to the chief's office, now I am hearing that one of my patients is terrorizing the streets."

"...I apologize, I just… I have never realized how amusing and freeing it is to walk."

"Forget it," Sheera hissed, "Let me lead you to the chief's house."

"...You think they might have food there?"

"..."

***

"You need to leave the village."

"...Hm?"

Vayne, who was eating—no, devouring an insane amount of food could not help but finally stop moving his mouth as he heard the chief's words. As per Sheera's request, he was now at the chief's house; specifically, at his dining table.

"..." He looked at the chief, before finally placing the spoon and fork he had not let go of ever since he sat down.

"I apologize for intruding into your village, chief," Vayne then said, "But it is truly my demise that I have no refuge— Fergo is my only shelter in these dark lands."

"Look, son…" The chief leaned closer to Vayne, his long and scraggly beard, almost touching the plate on his side of the table,

"You don't have an Explorer's License, you are not here in the escort of an explorer, and you are not a citizen of this village…

…That means you can't be here."

"..."

"But you're in luck. There's a convoy of merchants that arrived earlier this morning, and they are heading back to the Safe Lands. They are preparing to leave as we speak and will depart in a few hours," the chief said as he stood up, "I have already informed them that you would be joining their journey."

"...I understand," Vayne could really only sigh, "You have been very kind to welcome a stranger such as I into your home, lord. I am forever grateful for that."

"..." The chief squinted his eyes from Vayne's words, "I don't know how you got here or whatever your issues are. But do know that if ever you return here with an explorer's license, you are very welcome to stay how long you like, officially…

…I heard the doc's a little interested in you."

"I was under the impression that she hated me," Vayne let out a small chuckle as he lifted himself up, using the table as support. As did so, however…

…the entire table split in half.

"Hm…" Vayne could really only blink a couple of times as he looked back and forth between the table and the chief,

"...I am going to repay for—"

"Get the fuck out of here!"

***

Vayne could really only sigh as he once again got kicked out because of his… sudden bouts of strength.

Just what sort of Blessing did he actually have? He had heard stories of uncontrollable Blessings… but that usually ends in the Holder of the Blessing dying at the first instance.

But here he is, still alive.

Just… what is triggering it? Or rather… how?

He needs to control this before anyone actually gets hurt and ended up being the same as the mug, the cabinet, and now the table.

"..." He then looked at his hands for a couple of seconds, before once again walking around. This time, however, he has a destination.

Not the caravan, not yet— but to an empty lot.

It was time to see how this… Blessing of his work once and for all.

***

"So… you're the weird fuck that's been walking around our streets."

"..."

"..."

Perhaps he should have gone straight to the caravan, after all.