W1.A2-1: The Journey Begins

"We arrived earlier than expected," I remarked, gazing at the sprawling mountain range before us. A narrow opening cut through the middle of the mountains, leading to the other side.

"Is this the famous Rockfall Mountain Range?" Mom inquired, also taking in the sight while seated on my lap. "I've heard about it in our town. They say some miners risk their lives searching for rare minerals and ores here."

"Yes, there are indeed many precious metals and such to be found." I agreed with her observation. "But it's also true that the risks involved in such endeavors may not be worth it. Still, that allure of wealth can be tempting."

"So, what's our next move?" Lena asked from behind. "Are we continuing?"

I shook my head. "Not now," I replied, turning to my mother. "Let's take a break first; you must be tired after traveling for half a day."

"Oh, you both don't need to worry about me," my Mom protested, puffing out her cheeks. "Humph! Your mother isn't that weak, you know."

Her playful act made me chuckle, but I knew that riding on a mana beast, even when she was sitting in my lap, must have been taxing for her. After all, unlike me and Lena, she didn't possess any mana.

Gently grabbing my mother's waist, I dismounted Bert, which startled her slightly.

"Let's have lunch before we continue," I suggested to Mom, who was giving me a half-hearted glare.

I pointed toward the valley cutting through the Rockfall Range and explained, "I don't know how much you've heard about Rockfall Valley, but when venturing into places like this, it's best to be in top condition. There are many dangers we'll have to face once we pass through the valley."

"Is it really that dangerous?" Mom suddenly looked worried, gazing at me. "Will I be a burden to both of you?" She appeared slightly unsettled, and I could see that she might even be considering returning.

I gently grasped her shoulder and met her gaze. "To me, you'll never be a burden, Mom."

"Absolutely, Mother!" Lena chimed in. "How can you even think that? Besides, we're really strong, you know?" She flexed her toned arms for emphasis.

Pfft~ My mother seemed amused by Lena's antics, but her expression turned serious as she looked at me again.

"Will it really be alright with me?" she sought confirmation.

"Yes, Mom." I reassured her, gently rubbing her shoulders. "Do I look like a bad son who would endanger his mother out of overconfidence?"

"Never!" My statement seemed to convince her as she reached out to cup my face. "You're the best son any mother could ask for." A lovely smile graced her face, and I also felt truly blessed to have her as my mother.

"Ahem! You're making me jealous, you two," Lena interjected, popping up from the side, pretending to be pitiful.

My mother smiled, extending her hand. "Come here!"

"Ehehe~!" Lena joined in the family moment, hugging us both with her slender arms wide open.

"Shall we have lunch then?" Mom suggested.

"Yes." I nodded, turning to Lena. "Do you have the necessary items ready?"

"Of course." Lena beamed and began taking out the required cooking essentials.

My mother watched her in awe, her mouth widening as Lena continued to produce items from her storage ring until it practically formed a new kitchen. There were counters for cooking, mana-powered stoves, mana-dishwashers, and more.

"Lena, dear, does your family own a tool store or something?" Mom teased, amused by the abundance of items Lena produced.

"Er... No, this is just what I usually carry with me," Lena admitted, slightly embarrassed.

As we unpacked the materials we had brought for our journey, my mother and Lena took charge of the cooking area, refusing any help from me. Left with nothing to do, I began arranging a temporary camp for us to rest after lunch.

"Dan, can you please set up a tent?" Lena suddenly called out while cooking.

"What for?" I asked, feeling a bit confused. "Aren't we just taking a short break?"

"You'll know later. Can you set one up now?"

"Alright," I shrugged, realizing that it was better not to question too much when your girlfriend asked nicely. Plus, setting up a tent wasn't too much work. I walked over to her as she retrieved the tent from her ring.

Soon, the tent was ready, offering a spacious area for the three of us to enter comfortably. Lena even insisted on having chairs and a table inside for us to enjoy our lunch.

"Are we on a picnic or something?" I couldn't help but feel amused that what would have been considered a perilous journey by other master rankers had turned into such an enjoyable experience for our trio.

"Danny, help us carry these, please!" My mother called out, holding two plates as she approached the tent.

With Lena and me assisting, we quickly arranged the delicious dishes on the table, ready to be devoured by us famished travelers.

Having such a relaxed lunch during our journey was a true joy, especially when I had such wonderful companions with me.

Burp~! "Man, that hit the spot!" I exclaimed, leaning back in my chair while rubbing my now bloated stomach. Observing the contented looks on the ladies' faces, I suggested, "How about you two rest now? I'll wait outside; just let me know when you're ready to continue." With that, I started to rise from my seat.

"Where are you going?" My mother suddenly grabbed my arm. "Aren't you going to rest as well?"

"Well, I-"

"Stop babbling," Lena chimed in, also grabbing my arm. "Just rest."

My mother took care of the dishes while Lena used her magic to store the table and chairs back in her ring. With another wave of her hand, she conjured a king-sized bed inside the tent.

"Oh my!" My mother couldn't help but express her surprise. "You really do carry everything with you, Lena."

"Alright," Lena said with a smile. "Let's have a short rest." She was the first to jump onto the soft bed, resting her back against the headboard while inviting my mother to join her. "Mother, let's get some rest," she suggested. "The next few days are going to be quite hectic; it's better to be well-rested before continuing forward."

My mother climbed up and rested her head beside Lena before speaking: "Did both of you follow the same path to reach the town? Tell me more about it." Perhaps influenced by the adventurous spirit, Mom seemed curious to hear about the journey we were going to experience.

"Hmm." Lena nodded, seeming to contemplate where to start, and then her gaze fell on me. "How long are you going to stand there like a log?"

"Come over~" She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her, causing me to fall onto the soft mattress. Now I was lying between her and Mom.

My mother's hand naturally reached for my head as she began to caress my hair, her gaze fixed on Lena, waiting for her to begin her explanation.

Meanwhile, Lena adjusted her position, placing one of her hands on my chest as she turned to face Mom.

Uh... I wanted to say something, but Lena had already started with her explanation.

"To reach the capital using the fastest route, we have to pass through three major regions. The first one is out there." Lena pointed outside, in the direction of the Rockfall Mountain Range. "The Rockfall Valley is the first barrier that rests on the shortest route from here to the capital. If nothing goes wrong, it would take us two days to traverse the valley."

Raising another finger, making it a total of two, she continued, "The next after that will be the Poisonthorn Marshland. Though passing it would only take us half a day, it is also the most dangerous out of the three treacherous lands we need to traverse. A single wrong step there could engulf even a peak master ranker." Lena's tone turned heavy, but her mischievous eyes glanced at my mother, whose face had already turned solemn.

Bok!

"Don't cause her to worry unnecessarily!" I retracted my hand while admonishing Lena.

Lena rubbed her head while giving my mother a pitiful look.

"It's alright." My mother gently caressed Lena's head. "Our Lena is a good narrator. Even I was swept in by her descriptions." Her words made Lena stick out her tongue at me, making me wonder if she was my mother's real child.

Lena then continued with her explanation.

"The third and last area we have to travel through is the Red Emerald Forest! While it is one of the essential resource gathering spots for the kingdom, the majority of people only enter the periphery, located on the side of the capital. Meanwhile, we three will have to traverse through the whole region on our journey."

Finishing her narration, she looked at my mother. "Is there anything else you want to know, mother?"

But Mom shook her head.

"That's enough," she said. "I just hope I won't be a burden to you two."

"Not that again!" Lena groaned before she climbed over my chest and reached for my mother with her hands. "Worrying so much would cause wrinkles on your face, you know, mother? We ladies should just sit back and relax. Leave the heavy lifting to your son!"

I couldn't help but give her a baffled look for being dragged into the conversation in such a manner.

Though it made my mother chuckle.

"Guess I'll do just that," Mom said, caressing my face, and then she suddenly asked Lena, "Do I really have wrinkles on my face?" She touched the fair skin of her face worriedly.

"Of course not!" Lena and I exclaimed, refuting the definitely false statement.

My mother paused for a moment before chuckling.