Since Luke came from a family of the knights, Baston could safely assume that the uncle who hunted him also possessed the same background.
That thought alone made him uneasy.
The fighting style between the knights and the wizards was fundamentally different. He had read about it in the academy library but the theory was very different from facing such an opponent in reality.
The knights favored close combat.
They were trained to close the distance quickly, overwhelm their opponents with strength, and end the battles before their magic could fully unfold. Their bodies were tempered through relentless training. Their reactions were sharp and their sword strikes were fast enough to split a moment into two.
On the other hand, the wizards relied on the distance. The distance meant time and the time meant survival.
If a wizard could maintain enough distance, they could weave spells, create barriers, and control the battlefield. But if a knight reached them first, the result was often decided in a single breath.
Baston rubbed his chin thoughtfully as the carriage moved forward along the road. If he met Luke's uncle directly, the probability of survival would be very low even with ice magic.
The ice magic was excellent for defense but that defense required some preparation. He would need time to chant, time to shape the spell, and time to control the mana flow.
However, a knight did not need time.
A knight only needed to draw the sword and by the time the blade left its sheath, the battle might already be over.
He sighed quietly. Eventually, when the quest from the old book instructed him to help Luke kill his uncle, he finally understood why.
If he confronted that man alone, the result would likely be his own death. The old book rarely issued the quests without much calculation. That mysterious artifact had already predicted something that he himself only began to realize now.
Still, he had another problem. He had no real experience fighting the knights. Everything he knew came from the books and the imagination.
Inside his mind, he tried to picture the possible movements. A sudden charge or a flash of steel. The crushing pressure of someone who had trained with a sword for decades. The more he imagined it, the less confident he felt.
While he sank into a quiet contemplation, Luke's expression remained grim. The noble boy stared ahead while his eyes were colder than usual.
His uncle had dared to attack him in broad daylight. It was not through an honorable duel and not through an open confrontation but through the disguised hired bandits.
For a knight family, such behavior was disgraceful.
The knights possessed pride or at least, they were supposed to but Luke's uncle had thrown that pride away. The noble boy exhaled slowly before patting Baston's shoulder.
"It looks like we'll have to take a longer route before reaching our destination," Luke said.
Baston blinked, "A longer route?"
Luke nodded, "We can't continue using the main road anymore."
He glanced behind them briefly as if he was expecting someone to appear from the darkness.
"My uncle probably predicted our path. If we continue using this road, more attacks will come."
"What about this other road?" Baston asked.
"It's quite dangerous," Luke replied calmly, "There will be steep cliffs, dense forest, and narrow paths. The bandits rarely go there because the terrain itself is a nightmare."
Luke paused slightly, "Even though so, the assassins might keep chasing us if they really dared."
Baston scratched his cheek, "It sounds quite comforting…"
Luke chuckled faintly, "Can you handle them then?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"You could just refuse."
Baston stared at him, "What would be the point of that?"
"You could think about it first."
Baston looked confused, "What is there to think about? Right now, I'm your servant. That means I follow wherever you go."
Luke grinned, "Really? Wherever I go?"
"Yes…" Baston replied flatly, "Temporarily…"
Luke suddenly leaned closer with a mischievous smile, "What if I go to a brothel?"
Baston immediately answered, "I'll wait outside then..."
Luke blinked, "Outside?"
"At the inn…" Baston corrected, "Or at the front door if the inn is too far."
Luke burst into laughter, "I thought you said you'd follow me anywhere."
"I never said I'd follow you inside."
Luke wiped his eyes while he was still laughing. Of course, he was only teasing. Even if he wanted to relax somewhere like that, the current situation made it impossible.
His uncle was hunting him so certainly, this was not a time for the indulgence.
After their brief conversation, Luke cleaned his weapon carefully before disposing of the bandit corpses nearby. Even though the attackers had introduced themselves as the bandits, he did not fully believe it.
In this world, the identities were easily fabricated. The safest approach was to erase all the traces and move on quietly.
Soon, the magic carriage resumed its journey. But this time, they abandoned the smooth main road.
The new path was terrible.
The jagged stones covered the ground. The road twisted unpredictably between the cliffs and the dense forest. Even walking through such terrain would exhaust many ordinary travelers.
If they had been using a normal carriage, the journey would have been unbearable but the magic carriage handled the rough road surprisingly well. It moved slower than before but the suspension system softened the worst of the terrain.
Even though so, the journey felt long. As the sun gradually descended, the darkness slowly swallowed the world.
By this hour, the travelers usually searched for an inn. They would be looking for warm lights, hot food, and soft bed. That had been Luke's original plan as well but such plans rarely survived the reality.
Instead of a bright tavern, they found themselves surrounded by the wilderness. The cold wind brushed against the silent trees and he stopped the carriage near a small clearing.
"We'll stay here tonight…"
Baston stepped out and stretched his stiff body. This was actually his first time camping outside.
For Luke, such an experience was normal. For him, it felt strangely exciting.
The air smelled different. There were no noise from the crowded streets and no distant chatter from the academy students. They were just accompanied by wind, insects, and the quiet whisper of leaves.
There was no tent since the magic carriage itself served as the shelter. It could block rain, animals, and even minor magical disturbances.
Luke started a campfire while Baston prepared some simple supplies. Soon, the flames danced softly in the darkness. The small circle of firelight pushed away the shadows around them.
Baston breathed in deeply. Despite the danger surrounding their journey, he found the moment strangely peaceful.
"You know," Luke suddenly said while watching the fire, "This reminds me of when I trained to become a knight."
Baston looked up, "You trained like this?"
Luke nodded, "A knight must do more than swing a sword."
He poked the fire with a stick, "We had to survive outside for weeks. We have to go hunting, cooking, and sleeping under the open sky."
"Did you survive?"
"Of course…"
His eyes softened slightly as he remembered, "I was young back then. I had no worries except my own training. My only goal was to become stronger."
He chuckled, "The food tasted incredible back then."
Baston looked at the meat roasting over the fire, "Probably, because you earned it."
Luke nodded slowly, "I think you're right."
He sighed, "Now, I can buy any food I want. There will be expensive restaurants and famous chefs but the taste won't be the same."
Baston smiled faintly, "That's because your effort adds the flavor."
Luke laughed softly, "That's an interesting philosophy."
The meat finished cooking soon after and Luke handed one piece to Baston.
"It's done... Enjoy your dinner…"
Baston waited for the heat to fade slightly before biting into it. There was no sauce and no fancy seasoning. It was just salt and smoke. The taste was simple yet both of them felt strangely satisfied.
After a long journey and the dangerous encounters, even ordinary food felt delicious.
They finished the dinner quickly then the silence returned. The night grew deeper and the campfire crackled quietly. Luke stared into the flames while Baston stared into the darkness beyond the firelight.
Eventually, Baston spoke, "Earlier today, I saw you in the commoner district."
Luke glanced at him, "You did?"
"What were you doing there?"
Luke hesitated then he sighed, "I was looking for a place to stay."
Baston frowned, "You already have a residence in the noble district."
Luke shook his head slowly, "I'm preparing for the worst."
Baston's curiosity sharpened, "What do you mean by the worst?"
Luke looked at the fire, "You know what happens when someone kills a noble, right?"
"For commoners or merchants, the punishment is death."
"Exactly…" Luke continued quietly, "But, the nobles are different."
His voice grew calm, "If a noble kills another noble, the happening of such execution is rare."
"Then, what happens?"
Luke smiled bitterly, "We pay with our wealth, our authority, and our land. Everything you have will become a currency to pay for your sin.
Baston listened carefully and Luke explained further.
"Depending on the severity of the crime, a noble might lose one third of their wealth. Sometimes half and sometimes two thirds. In extreme cases, everything you have will be gone. And if that's still not enough…"
Luke looked at Baston, "Our noble title is stripped away."
Baston understood immediately, "You will become a commoner."
Luke nodded, "If you're lucky…"
"What if you are not?"
Luke stared quietly into the fire, "You become poor..."
The silence followed and Baston slowly understood Luke's earlier actions.
"That's why you went to the commoner district."
Luke nodded, "I wanted to see where I might live."
"You're preparing for the life after losing everything."
"Yes…" Luke shrugged, "I can't avoid the punishment. If I kill my uncle, the kingdom will judge me eventually."
Baston studied him. The calm acceptance in Luke's voice felt heavy. For someone who was born as a noble, falling into the poverty would be terrifying.
Spending money without thinking, living surrounded by servants, and enjoying the privileges that the others could never touch would be gone. Losing all of that overnight surely would break most people. However, Luke had already accepted the possibility.
Baston respected that kind of resolve. For someone born as a noble, preparing for a life of poverty required more courage than most people could imagine. After a moment of silence, another thought appeared in his mind.
"By the way…"
Luke looked up from the campfire, "What?"
"What's your father's name?"
For a brief moment, Baston's brain automatically answered with a famous name he had known. The thought appeared so suddenly that he almost laughed.
In his previous world, there had been a famous movie series. The story was about the space knights, glowing swords, and a tragic father who fell into the darkness. The hero of the story was also named Luke and that Luke's father was Anakin.
For half a second, Baston stared at the campfire with a strange expression.
"Please, don't tell me the next sentence will be Anakin…"
His imagination ran ahead uncontrollably, confirming the fate between the father and the son. He could almost hear the dramatic music playing somewhere in the background before the reality returned.
Luke answered casually as if the question carried no particular meaning, "Valerian..."
Baston blinked once, "Valerian?"
He silently let out a breath of relief. For a moment, he had almost convinced himself that the fate was trying to recreate some strange version of the old movie plot inside this magical world.
Thankfully, that ridiculous possibility disappeared as quickly as it came.
Luke nodded, "Yes… Why do you ask such question?"
Baston quietly repeated the name inside his mind which felt unfamiliar.
He searched through the scattered memories of his previous life, wondering if it might remind him of something. Perhaps a historical figure, a famous story, or some legend he once read but nothing appeared. It was simply a name that he had never heard before.
Baston exhaled softly and shrugged, "I'm just curious…"
Luke tilted his head slightly, "What are you curious about?"
"No reason…" Baston replied.
The fat boy poked the campfire with a small stick, watching the sparks rise briefly into the dark sky before disappearing.
Still, the name lingered faintly in his thoughts.
If Luke truly killed his uncle, the consequences would eventually reach this man named Valerian. He could not imagine what kind of father would allow such a situation to unfold within his own family.
In the end, the noble families were complicated.
The power, inheritance, reputation, and the bloodline which were those things often mattered more than the affection.
Perhaps, Luke's father had already chosen to remain silent or perhaps, he simply did not care. Either possibility carried its own weight. Baston decided not to pursue the subject further.
There were already too many uncertainties surrounding this journey.
The uncle who wanted Luke dead, the strange quest issued by the old book, and the unknown dangers that were waiting somewhere along the road ahead.
Eventually, he stood up and stretched his arms, "I'm going to sleep first."
Luke nodded, "Good idea... Tomorrow will be a long day."
Baston climbed inside the magic carriage. The interior was quiet and slightly warm from the lingering heat of the day.
He lay down and stared at the ceiling above him. At the outside, the forest whispered softly in the night wind.
Somewhere beyond the darkness, an unseen enemy was waiting.
And Baston had the strange feeling that tonight's peaceful campfire might be the last calm moment before the storm finally arrived.