Traveler of Tomorrow

  In the land of Krohenia, being a traveler is a common job for many people. Because the vast world of Krohenia still needs to be discovered, traveling has become a popular profession among both commoners and aristocrats. With the nonstop development in the field of travel, a central system became necessary, so the Travelers’ Guide was created.

  In the Traveler Guild there are two types of travelers: those who roam the world freely, and those who work for aristocrats and wealthy people. Both types are divided into seven ranks.

  At the end of the Gray Plains, a carriage driven by an old man arrived at a small village. Inside the carriage, a man was sleeping. The driver shouted:

  "HEY! Wake up, you lazy beggar, we arrived."

  Startled by the man’s shouting, the traveler woke up. After paying the travel fee to the old driver, he said:

  "Hey gramps, your carriage sure sucks. I didn’t even get a good sleep."

  Angered by the man’s provocation, the carriage driver cursed at him.

  "Well, it sure took long to get here... but that’s the fun of traveling."

  said the traveler.

  After taking a short walk around the village, the traveler came across a man sitting on a bench. Wanting to learn about the village, he approached the man.

  Traveler: "What’s wrong?"

  The man sitting there replied:

  "I don’t have money to give, beggar."

  The traveler looked confused at first, then said:

  "Well, I may look like a beggar, but I ain’t a beggar."

  Sitting man: "Whatever man, I don’t think you can help me. Go away."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Seeing that the man didn’t have an interesting story, the traveler decided to leave.

  Later that day, the traveler saw a crowd gathering around a blonde bard. The bard wasn’t that old; he looked like he was in his thirties. He was wearing a purple shirt with bright golden buttons, and his pants were as black as night, complementing his well-built dancer’s body.

  The bard was singing and dancing, doing everything possible to put on a good show. His performance wasn’t something extraordinary, but it was the effort that kept people watching. After a while, noticing his tempo slowing down, the crowd slowly began to disappear. At the end of the show, there was only one person left still enjoying it.

  After the performance ended, the traveler approached the bard.

  Traveler: "It was an excellent show."

  The bard, surprised by the compliment, replied:

  "Well, if it’s for an audience as good as you, I should perform really well."

  The traveler laughed.

  "Well then, let this fan offer you a drink."

  Amused by the gesture, the bard smirked.

  "Well, I’m always ready for fan gifts."

  They decided to visit a tavern called Jon’s Tavern.

  After they settled in their seats, the traveler asked:

  "So what’s your story, bard?"

  The bard replied:

  "Please call me Rodingten."

  Traveler: "Rodingten, huh? That’s a good name. Well, you can call me Traveler."

  Rodingten said:

  "Traveler? You don’t have a real name?"

  Traveler replied:

  "I’m a man who travels across Krohenia. What use does a name have for me? I am Traveler, and that’s all there is to me."

  Rodingten laughed.

  "You really are an interesting fellow. Innkeeper! Bring us a lot of beer."

  As they got drunk, the traveler asked again:

  "So what is your story, Rodingten?"

  Rodingten’s smile dropped.

  "Well... it’s nothing too grand. It’s just a talentless bard’s journey for a song."

  Noticing he was uncomfortable, the traveler said:

  "Would you like me to tell you a story?"

  Rodingten, wanting to change the topic, replied:

  "Well of course."

  The traveler began:

  "In a faraway village called Kenhum, there was a man named Agiona. Agiona was a man of talent. He saw the world as a playground and was praised by the villagers. As he grew older, he decided to become a traveler, but fate had different plans.

  During one of his journeys, he came across a cave of Globi Spiders. Blinded by greed, he decided to steal some of their silk. But what awaited him inside was shocking.

  As he ventured deeper into the cave, he began to feel uneasy. The walls of the cave were covered in blood, webs, and flesh. His instincts told him to turn back, but greed pushed him forward. When he reached the deepest part of the cave, what he saw horrified him.

  Corpses of various races were piled together. Some of their bodies had been eaten, while others had their stomachs replaced with Globi Spider eggs.

  Overwhelmed with fear, Agiona’s legs gave up. The horrific scene in front of him froze him in place. But what awakened him was even worse.

  A gigantic, fully grown Globi Spider was staring at him. Its mouth was covered with blood and flesh from its victims. It was hungry for more.

  Terrified, Agiona began to run. He cried, screamed, and cursed the gods for his own greed. Suddenly he fell to the ground. The spider had severed his legs.

  He cried and begged the gods for mercy, but the gods did not answer. The spider enjoyed its prey’s fear. It began to eat him while he was still alive, as he begged for mercy and death."

  The tavern fell silent. Rodingten and the other people were shocked and horrified by Agiona’s cruel fate.

  Rodingten sighed.

  "You really don’t know how to lighten the mood, do you?"

  The traveler smiled.

  "Well, stories don’t always end happily. Sometimes they have bad endings, sometimes good ones. What matters is what you think of the story. In the end, you should focus on your own story."

  Rodingten realized the traveler was trying to comfort him.

  "Even if it’s a talentless person’s story... it’s still a story, huh?"

  Traveler replied:

  "Then why don’t you join my journey? Even if I gave up my name, you can still create one for yourself."

  Rodingten paused.

  "...Well, if it’s a fan’s request, I can’t refuse it, can I?"

  As the night slowly came to an end, the drunk duo continued laughing and drinking, unaware of the journey that awaited them.