Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

The guards were truly amazed by what William could do. They had to ask.

"How are you so strong?" one of them asked.

"I'm not as strong as you think," William replied with a laugh. "Not everything is about brute strength, right?"

"You're right," they agreed.

Of course, William was being humble. He didn't want to reveal his real power to them. It was better to stay discreet and travel to the city without any trouble.

Anyway, William followed the road and reached the foot of the mountain where Rebo's village was. It was way up at the top. The path up there wasn't the easiest.

Still, nothing was impossible for William. Pulling the carriage up the mountain was a bit heavier, but he still managed it with relative ease.

As soon as they returned to the village, Undir was the first to show up. He was a bit worried about his son, so when he saw someone approaching the village, he immediately knew it was William and Rebo.

"What happened?" Undir asked. "Whose carriage is that?"

William dropped the carriage off to the side and explained the situation. The merchant and his three guards acted respectfully when they arrived in the village.

That was great and made everyone there become friends.

"You were lucky," Undir said to the merchant. "William is one of the only people who could have helped you like that."

The merchant nodded. "I can believe that after witnessing his strength. We never would have managed to pull the carriage the way he did."

Undir already knew William was a powerful man, but even he was surprised after hearing about this feat of strength.

"And you don't need to worry anymore," Undir said. "We have people here who can help repair your damaged wheel. It'll probably take a day, though."

The merchant didn't seem concerned at all.

"No problem. Honestly, we'd welcome a day to rest. I can pay you for your help."

The merchant and his three guards slept inside the carriage. They wanted to stay close to their belongings to make sure nothing went missing. Besides, the village didn't have any spare houses, and no one was eager to let strangers sleep in their homes.

That night, inside Undir's house, he sat down with William, eager to hear how his son had handled the fights against the beasts.

"He did really well. Better than I expected. Undir, you should take some time to say goodbye to him. That merchant said he could give us a ride to the next town, which will make the trip much safer."

Traveling by carriage was definitely better — they could sleep inside instead of out in the forest. Plus, the merchant had three guards with him, so there'd be more eyes watching out to keep them safe.

Undir liked the idea. More protection for his son was always good. The only downside was that it meant they'd have to leave sooner than planned — not next week, but soon.

After their talk, Undir went to his son's room for a private word. William didn't want to intrude or overhear, so he stepped outside to watch the stars in silence.

Outside, he spotted someone else—it was the merchant. He hadn't been able to fall asleep.

The merchant sat on a rock, staring off into the distance, eyes fixed on the starry sky. It was a beautiful night, no doubt about it.

"Is the cold keeping you awake?" William asked.

A voice sneaking up from behind would startle anyone, and the merchant was no exception.

"Hell, man," he said, "you scared me."

William laughed. "Sorry about that. I always forget how quiet my footsteps are."

He sat down beside the merchant, and they both gazed at the view in silence.

"It's not the cold," the merchant finally said. "I've been thinking about my other guards… they're probably dead."

"That's not your fault."

"It is. I was the one who decided to take the shortcut, and we ended up getting attacked by those beasts."

The merchant buried his face in his hands. He wanted to cry, but the only reason he didn't was because William was there.

William placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. All roads are dangerous, and accidents can happen anywhere. Don't let this eat you up."

He knew words wouldn't magically make the merchant feel better, but it was all he could do at that moment. The merchant nodded in thanks.

"You're William, right? I've heard about you from the others in the village. My name's Bruce. I hope we can be good friends from now on."

"We will, Bruce."

They sat there for a while, staring up at the sky. Bruce pulled out a bottle of wine to share with William. They drank together, then eventually went back to their homes to sleep. Well, William returned to a home, while Bruce slept inside his carriage.

The next morning, the carriage's wheel was fully repaired. Undir needed some private time with his son—that was their official goodbye.

All the other villagers said their goodbyes to Rebo—and to William, too. Though he had only been in the village for a short time, everyone liked him. He had helped them in many ways.

William liked the place. For the first time, he felt at peace, with nothing to worry about. It helped him forget what had happened on the demon island and the problem with his portal skill—he still had no idea if he would ever find a way back to where he came from.

His time in that mountain village had been great.

"Don't forget the horses," Undir reminded him.

"Right, right," Bruce said, handing them a sack of coins. "I don't want them for free, so take this."

The villagers had been so kind that they were willing to give Bruce a few horses to pull his carriage—for free. But Bruce couldn't accept that. Instead, he bought the horses, actually paying more than they were worth. It was his way of repaying their kindness.

William and Rebo rode on the back of the carriage while one of the guards Bruce had hired drove.

Rebo looked both sad and excited at the same time. It was hard for him to leave his village behind, to leave his father behind, but it was the only way to find answers about his mother and the rest of his family.

One could say it was the price Rebo had to pay.

"Everything will be okay," William said. "Your father will be safe. We mustn't dwell on what we've left behind, but focus on the steps ahead. Remember, we have to stay alive."

Rebo needed to clear his mind. Not an easy task for a teenager, but William's presence helped him feel better.

"Thank you for the words, master. I'll focus on the task."

William ruffled Rebo's hair playfully. "I know you will. But don't forget—you've got me."

Their journey had finally begun. At some point, Bruce sat near them, and William took the chance to ask a few questions.

"What's your final destination?"

Bruce's carriage was loaded with goods to sell.

"Three cities in total, with the last one being the kingdom's capital. Why do you ask?"

Rebo tugged on William's arm and whispered, "The capital is the best place to look for information about my mother. She said she once lived and worked there."

That was crucial information. William now knew where to start looking for her. No more wandering aimlessly.

"We'd like to travel with you all the way to the capital. Is that possible?"

Bruce liked the idea.

"That's wonderful. Having you along will make the journey much safer. I was going to ask you to come with me to the capital anyway."

A merchant like Bruce was willing to pay a high price for protection. William's feats of strength had shocked him deeply, and he was genuinely glad to have someone like William riding with them in the carriage.

"And this journey will take a long time, won't it?" William asked.

"You're right. I need at least three days in each city to sell my goods and meet with my contacts. Add in the time spent sleeping and traveling on the roads, and I can safely say it'll take us at least a month to reach the capital."

One month was a long time, but William was okay with it. For the first time in a while, his mind felt at peace.

Maybe it was because he had nearly died. Either way, he wasn't as anxious anymore. He wanted to enjoy life as much as he could—no one knew what tomorrow might bring.

"I see," he said. "Let's enjoy the journey then. Please, show me some good places along the way."

Bruce smiled. "You don't need to ask. I know some great places to rest and some beautiful spots too. You won't regret it."

The first part of their journey had started. The path to the capital was long and perilous, and they might not even find anything about Rebo's mother there, but they had to try, they had to keep moving.

That was the least William could do after they saved his life.