Inside the carriage, the girls whispered among themselves. Derek felt a flicker of curiosity but chose to ignore them.

Approaching them was easy; escaping their chatter later would be hard.

In the end, he’d only lose out. Better to meditate instead.

Meditation immersed the mind, sensing the mana particles floating in the air. Time itself blurred.

When Derek opened his eyes again, it was lunchtime.

He suddenly noticed Sophia opposite him—her face slightly flushed, her eyes glazed with a trace of dizziness.

*Motion sickness?*

Derek frowned. The carriage wasn’t even moving fast. How could his future meal ticket get sick so easily?

Little did he know, Teresia and Sophia had been drifting endlessly on Mount Akina across timelines.

...

This world had magic, yet its roads were primitive.

Traveling from the capital, Lorst, to the Northern Province took three days at breakneck speed. Their comfortable pace would stretch it to a week.

The forests of Doranbar teemed with magical beasts.

Dangerous ones were hunted by the Adventurers Guild, but minor threats remained.

Still, none dared attack Derek’s carriage—the alchemy potion coating its exterior mimicked a high-tier beast’s scent. Low-tier monsters instinctively fled.

With beasts no longer a concern, only bandits remained.

In his past life’s games, Derek sometimes welcomed bandit ambushes—they were free XP.

But now? He hoped to avoid them entirely.

Xinzel guarded him, yet Derek worried. One assassin couldn’t handle a large bandit gang. Xinzel specialized in killing, not guarding.

And himself?

He could show off, but actual combat? Not yet.

*Cowardly?*

No. A civilized person avoiding violence wasn’t cowardice.

Derek fretted the entire journey—yet not a single bandit appeared.

He almost believed Doranbar’s citizens were truly peaceful.

Until one day, rough-looking thugs leaped onto the road ahead, brandishing blades with fierce expressions.

Derek sighed inwardly. *Here it comes.*

He braced for the classic line: *"This mountain is mine! This tree, my planting! Pay the toll or no passing!"*

Instead—

"Sorry! Didn’t see you in the dark. My bad!"

The bandits apologized politely and vanished in seconds.

Derek stared, stunned.

He’d already planned how to survive—and *that* was it?!

Later, Xinzel explained:

Duke Wudewen traveled with minimal guards. His lone carriage tempted many bandits early on.

Then… they died.

The blue iris crest on his carriage became a feared symbol.

Some merchants later copied the crest for safety.

They avoided bandits—but still died.

From then on, any carriage bearing the blue iris made travelers tremble.

Derek had dismissed the Duke’s "authority" as empty words. Now he felt its weight.

Just saying *"My father is Duke Wudewen"* might let him walk unchallenged across Doranbar.

But first—Sophia’s motion sickness worsened. Her body grew weak.

Last stop, Derek kindly offered his arm as she stepped down. She stumbled, collapsing against his chest.

Even after recovering, her cheeks stayed flushed like fever.

Derek pressed his palm to her forehead.

*Damn. Scorching hot.*

She needed medicine.

Sophia resisted fiercely.

*How could she skip medicine while sick?* Derek worried. If her mind broke, his bank account would be closed.

He pinched her jaw shut and poured the potion down her throat.

"Mmmph! Master Derek, no! Don’t—*don’t*—"

Her cries sounded strangely delighted. *Fever delirium*, Derek decided.

*Get well soon*, he prayed. His cash cow couldn’t fail him!

Whether from the medicine or his prayers, Sophia recovered by nightfall.

Earlier, she’d been limp and pale. Now she glowed with vitality, as if nourished by rare herbs.

Derek marveled—fevers in this world vanished as fast as they came.

...

Sophia could barely contain her excitement. This journey had been thrilling.

First, Teresia’s "driving" had sent them drifting endlessly on Mount Akina.

(Though she later learned it was a misunderstanding, the adrenaline rush remained.)

Then, Master Derek’s forceful "play" with her…

Just recalling his dominance quickened her breath.

*No. Stop it. I’ll lose my mind.*

To clear her thoughts, she mimicked Derek’s meditation posture.

That’s when he noticed—Sophia had awakened mana.

Her potential was only Rank R, yet she’d awakened. Teresia, an SSR-tier Holy Lady, only knew how to eat.

*Could I have actually raised the Holy Lady into a pig?*

He’d dump Teresia on the Holy See later. Let *them* handle her training.

Since Sophia had mana, testing her elemental affinity was essential.

At a small town stop, Derek visited the Adventurers Guild—they usually had testing crystals.

He knew Sophia’s stats, but appearances mattered.

While there, he overheard unexpected news:

*A village named Doen in southern Doranbar had been annihilated by magical beasts...*

After testing Sophia’s affinity, Derek ate dinner at their inn, still pondering the news.

*New Magic Era, Year 820. A-Rank adventurer Foreman and his Crimson Blade Guild rushed to Doen Village. They found only ruins—and one survivor: Leon Lancelot, descendant of a fallen knight.*

*The game’s starting point.*

As he mused, a burning gaze locked onto him.

Teresia stared—not at him, but at his untouched beef steak.

Lost in thought, Derek hadn’t touched his meal. Teresia’s plate was already empty. Back at the Duke’s manor, she’d always finished his leftovers.

Derek sighed and waved his fork.

Teresia snatched the steak in one swift motion.

Sophia watched, regretting she hadn’t asked first.

*[Daily Task: Feed the Pig (3/3) – Complete!]*

With the task done, Derek returned to his thoughts.

The protagonist, Leon, had begun his journey. The gears of fate were turning.

Was meeting Teresia and Sophia also fate’s design?

He glanced at Teresia, happily chewing his steak.

*Heh.*

*These damn gears are spinning wildly off-track.*