Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Journey Begins

The village was unusually peaceful that morning.

A cool breeze drifted through the narrow streets as the first rays of sunlight touched the rooftops.

Kyle opened the clinic as he did every morning.

Before he could arrange the medicine jars...

Someone knocked hurriedly on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened.

It was the traveling merchant whose horse Kyle had treated a few days earlier.

His face was pale.

"You were right."

Kyle looked up.

"My horse recovered?"

The merchant nodded.

"It did."

"But that's not why I came."

His voice dropped.

"I stopped in three villages before reaching yours."

"There are armed men asking strange questions."

Kyle frowned.

"What kind of questions?"

"They're asking about unusual lights..."

"And whether anyone has seen travelers who appeared out of nowhere."

Lyra, who had been organizing herbs nearby, froze for only a heartbeat.

The merchant continued,

"They claim they're searching for dangerous thieves."

"But..."

He shook his head.

"They don't look like guards."

"They look like hunters."

Silence filled the clinic.

Kyle finally spoke.

"Perhaps they're chasing criminals."

"Maybe."

The merchant sighed.

"But something about them felt wrong."

"I thought you should know."

After thanking him, Kyle watched the merchant leave.

The clinic fell silent once more.

Lyra lowered her gaze.

"They're getting closer."

Kyle turned toward her.

"You don't believe they're looking for thieves."

She hesitated.

"...No."

Kyle studied her expression.

For the first time...

He saw genuine fear in her eyes.

Not uncertainty.

Fear.

Before he could ask another question...

A sudden knock echoed from outside.

Lumi hurried inside, slightly out of breath.

"Kyle!"

"Mother sent me."

"She needs your help at the mill."

"One of the workers hurt his arm."

Kyle immediately reached for his medical bag.

"I'll be there."

He looked toward Lyra.

"Will you come?"

She nodded.

"...Of course."

As they left the clinic together...

Neither of them noticed...

Far beyond the western hills...

A lone rider had finally crossed the border into the western kingdom.

The hunter had entered the land.

And for the first time...

The distance between him and the Fox Jewels could be measured not in kingdoms...

But in days.

By the time Kyle and Lyra reached the village mill, several workers had already gathered outside.

A young man sat on a wooden crate, holding his left arm tightly.

His face was pale with pain.

Lumi's mother looked relieved as soon as she saw Kyle.

"Thank goodness you're here."

"He slipped while carrying a sack of grain."

Kyle knelt beside the injured worker.

"Let me see."

The young man slowly lowered his arm.

Kyle examined the swollen wrist carefully before asking him to move his fingers.

"Does this hurt?"

"A little."

"And this?"

The young man winced.

"A lot."

Kyle nodded.

"It's not broken."

"But the joint has been badly strained."

The worker sighed with relief.

"I thought I wouldn't be able to work again."

"You'll work again."

"But not this week."

Kyle began wrapping the wrist with a clean linen bandage.

"Keep it still."

"And don't lift anything heavy."

The young man laughed nervously.

"My wife will be happy to hear that."

Several workers nearby chuckled.

Lyra quietly prepared a small herbal paste and handed it to Kyle.

"This should reduce the swelling."

Kyle smiled.

"Exactly what I was about to prepare."

The older miller watched the two with admiration.

"You've become quite a team."

Kyle looked toward Lyra.

"I couldn't ask for a better assistant."

A faint blush appeared on Lyra's cheeks.

"...I'm still learning."

"And yet you've already made my work easier."

Before she could answer...

The sound of galloping horses echoed from the road leading into the village.

Everyone instinctively turned.

A pair of unfamiliar riders slowed their horses near the village well.

Neither wore the colors of the western kingdom.

One of them spoke to a passing farmer.

"We're looking for someone."

The farmer shrugged and pointed farther into the village.

The riders thanked him before continuing at a slow pace.

The workers exchanged uneasy glances.

"We don't often see strangers here."

Lumi's mother frowned.

"Perhaps they're merchants."

"No..."

One of the older workers shook his head.

"Merchants don't carry swords like that."

Kyle watched the strangers disappear between the houses.

Something about them made him uneasy.

Not because they looked dangerous...

But because they seemed to be searching with purpose.

Beside him...

Lyra felt her heartbeat quicken.

She kept her eyes lowered so no one would notice.

Deep inside...

She knew this peaceful village would not remain untouched forever.

The two unfamiliar riders did not remain in the village for long.

They stopped at the bakery...

Then the blacksmith's workshop...

Finally, they spoke with the owner of the small inn before riding toward the western road once more.

Only after they disappeared did the villagers begin whispering among themselves.

"I've never seen them before."

"They weren't from around here."

"What could they have wanted?"

Kyle finished tying the final knot on the injured worker's bandage.

"You'll be fine."

"But remember..."

"No heavy lifting."

The young man nodded gratefully.

"I won't forget."

As Kyle packed his medical bag, the old miller scratched his beard thoughtfully.

"Those men asked an odd question."

Kyle looked up.

"What did they ask?"

"They wanted to know if anyone unusual had passed through the village during the last month."

Lyra's fingers tightened around the basket she was carrying.

The miller continued,

"I told them no."

"We're a quiet village."

"They thanked me and left."

Kyle frowned slightly.

"Did they say why they were asking?"

The old man slowly shook his head.

"Only that they were following someone's trail."

The words lingered in the air.

On the walk back to the clinic, neither Kyle nor Lyra spoke.

The cheerful sounds of the village suddenly felt more distant.

After several minutes, Kyle finally broke the silence.

"...You're worried."

Lyra hesitated.

"Wouldn't you be?"

Kyle nodded.

"I suppose I would."

He looked ahead at the quiet road.

"If those men truly are searching for someone..."

"I hope they leave this village out of it."

Lyra lowered her gaze.

"...So do I."

But deep inside...

She knew hope alone would not be enough.

Far away...

The hunter stood on a hill overlooking a dusty crossroads.

One of the two riders from the village stopped before him and bowed.

"We questioned everyone."

"Nothing unusual?"

The rider shook his head.

"No."

"But..."

"There was one thing."

"The villagers spoke highly of a young healer."

"They say strangers often visit his clinic."

The hunter remained silent.

"A healer..."

He unfolded his map.

Then, for the first time...

He marked Kyle's village with a small black circle.

"I wasn't searching for a healer."

He rolled up the map.

"But sometimes..."

"The trail chooses its own path."

The three riders turned their horses toward the west.

This time...

Their destination was no longer unknown.

The evening settled quietly over the village.

Golden light faded from the rooftops as families gathered inside their homes for supper.

Kyle and Lyra returned to the clinic in silence.

Kyle placed his medical bag on the table before looking toward the window.

"The village feels... different today."

Lyra gently closed the wooden shutters.

"Because of those riders?"

He nodded.

"They were searching for someone."

"And I can't stop thinking about it."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Finally, Lyra gathered the courage to ask,

"Kyle..."

"If one day someone dangerous came looking for me..."

"What would you do?"

Kyle looked at her in surprise.

"Why would you ask that?"

She lowered her eyes.

"...Just answer me."

He remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he smiled gently.

"I'd ask you one question first."

Lyra slowly looked up.

"Do you trust me?"

She answered without hesitation.

"...Yes."

Kyle nodded.

"Then I'd stand beside you."

"Until I learned the truth."

Lyra felt her chest tighten.

"...Even if everyone else told you to send me away?"

Kyle didn't hesitate.

"I've treated enough people to know something important."

"What is it?"

"Fear changes the stories people tell."

"But it doesn't always reveal the truth."

He met her eyes.

"I'll judge with my own eyes."

A faint smile appeared on Lyra's face.

"...Thank you."

Outside...

Night slowly covered the western kingdom.

Far from the village...

The hunter and the two riders stopped beside a campfire.

One of the riders unfolded a rough map.

"The healer's village is here."

"It will take us another two days."

The hunter stared quietly at the map.

"No."

"We won't enter the village."

The two riders exchanged confused looks.

"We'll watch it first."

"If the jewels truly appeared there..."

"They won't stay hidden forever."

He tossed another piece of wood into the fire.

The flames rose higher.

"In the morning..."

"We begin watching the western valley."

Above them...

The moon slowly emerged from behind the clouds.

At the same moment...

Hidden beneath Lyra's clothes...

One of the Fox Jewels gave off a faint pulse.

Only once.

Then everything became silent again.

The journey that would separate Kyle and Lyra from their peaceful life...

Had already begun.