Chapter 28: Back to Civilization

The journey back to civilization took longer than Chris had expected.

Even with Azreon carrying all three of them, they spent almost two weeks flying across the Wilds before finally approaching the border of the country. The journey wasn’t particularly difficult, although traveling on the dragon’s back for hours every day was far from comfortable.

Chris had already decided that getting a proper saddle for Azreon would be one of his first priorities after reaching the city.

A day before they reached their destination, Aldric finally managed to contact his son. Once they had traveled far enough from the depths of the Wilds, the signal on his communication device became strong enough to establish a connection.

He immediately informed his son about their return and instructed him to bring the family’s Legendary Healing Potion to Wingbell, the city closest to the Wilds.

Aldric’s injuries had improved slightly during their journey, but they hadn’t healed completely. Although he could move around without much difficulty, his strength was still far below its normal level, and he didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.

After receiving confirmation that his son would arrive with the potion, Aldric finally relaxed.

Meanwhile, Chris had been looking forward to leaving the two behind and returning to the Wilds as soon as they reached civilization. He had already spent enough time away from hunting, and with both him and Azreon having reached Level 44, he wanted to continue growing stronger.

However, Serena had other plans.

"Why don’t you stay with us for a day or two? You haven’t even had a proper rest since we met, and you deserve a little time to relax."

"I’ve been resting for two weeks while sitting on Azreon’s back." Chris replied.

"That’s not what I meant! You haven’t even slept in a proper bed or taken a warm shower!"

Chris paused for a moment.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a proper shower, let alone slept in a comfortable bed. Still, those things weren’t particularly important to him compared to becoming stronger.

"I’ll think about it."

Serena smiled, seemingly satisfied with his answer, while Aldric shook his head at the interaction.

"Just stay for a day or two, brat. It’s not as if the Wilds are going anywhere, and I still owe you a few things."

Chris glanced at the old man.

"You’re not going to try to make me stay longer, are you?"

"Why would I do that? You’re a grown man. You can decide for yourself where you want to go."

"Good. Then I’ll stay for a short while."

Aldric stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.

’This brat really knows how to negotiate.’

A short while later, they finally arrived at Wingbell, the city standing at the border between civilization and the vast Wilds.

From above, Chris could see the tall stone walls surrounding the city, with several watchtowers positioned along the perimeter. The roads leading toward the main gate were busy with merchants, adventurers, and travelers, while soldiers patrolled the walls to keep an eye on the surrounding area.

It was a familiar sight, one he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Azreon began descending toward an open area outside the city, and Chris looked toward the enormous dragon beneath him.

"All right, buddy. Wait for me somewhere in the Wilds. I’ll come find you in a day or two."

*ROAR!*

Azreon lowered his head toward Chris before spreading his wings and taking off again, disappearing beyond the trees.

Chris watched him leave before turning toward Aldric and Serena.

"Let’s go."

The three approached the city gate on foot. Several soldiers stood guard at the entrance, checking travelers and keeping the flow of people moving.

However, the moment one of them recognized Aldric, his eyes widened.

"General Aldric!?"

He immediately straightened his back and saluted.

"Welcome, General!"

The other soldiers quickly turned toward them, and upon recognizing the legendary general, they followed suit.

Aldric nodded calmly.

"At ease. Continue with your duties."

"Yes, sir!"

Chris glanced at the soldiers, then at Aldric.

’So he’s still that famous, huh?’

They passed through the gate without further trouble. Word of their arrival seemed to spread quickly, because they hadn’t walked far before a group of people approached them.

At the front was a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothing, accompanied by several attendants and guards.

"General Aldric! It’s an honor to welcome you to Wingbell!"

The man bowed respectfully.

Aldric nodded.

"Lord of Wingbell. Thank you for coming to greet us."

"There’s no need to thank me, General. Your arrival is an important occasion for this city. Please, allow me to escort you to my mansion so you can rest properly."

Aldric accepted the offer, and the group soon made their way toward the city lord’s residence.

The mansion was spacious and well maintained, with a large courtyard and several servants waiting to receive them. They were immediately shown to their rooms and offered food and anything else they might need.

For Chris, however, there was one thing he appreciated more than anything else - a warm shower.

After entering his room, he wasted no time heading into the bathroom. The moment warm water flowed over his body, he closed his eyes and released a long, satisfied breath.

"Damn... This feels amazing."

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed something as simple as a proper shower. Living in the Wilds meant making do with whatever water he could find, and even when he had the opportunity to wash himself, it was rarely comfortable.

Standing beneath the warm water, he finally felt some of the tension leave his body.

He washed away the dirt and sweat that had accumulated during their journey, then spent a little longer cleaning himself before finally turning off the water.

After drying himself, he put on his pants and looked around for a shirt, but he couldn’t find one.

He had never bothered carrying spare clothes, and most of what he owned had either been damaged during his time in the Wilds or was currently in need of a good cleaning.

’Well, that’s troublesome.’

He scratched his head, deciding to ask Aldric for something to wear.

Meanwhile, in another room, Serena was sitting with her grandfather when the door suddenly swung open.

"Serena!"

A beautiful young woman rushed inside, her face lighting up the moment she saw her friend. She had a short, brown bob-cut hair and bright brown eyes.

"Erica!"

Serena immediately stood up and embraced her.

Erica hugged her tightly, pulling back only after a few moments to look her over.

"What’s going on? Why are you suddenly here? Why were you in the Wilds? Are you okay? Did something bad happen?"

She fired off one question after another without giving Serena a chance to answer.

Serena could only shake her head helplessly. She knew her friend all too well. Erica had always been like this, asking a million questions whenever something unexpected happened.

She was pampered and cared for all her life as a city lord’s daughter, and she grew up to be free spirited.

"Calm down! I’m fine, see?"

"Then explain what happened!"

"I can’t tell you everything right now, but I had to go into the Wilds with my grandfather. We were looking for something, and a few unexpected things happened along the way. Luckily, we met a young man who helped us, and now we’re back."

Erica’s curiosity only increased.

"A young man?"

Before Serena could explain further, Erica glanced to the side and finally noticed Aldric sitting nearby.

Her eyes widened.

She immediately straightened her back and bowed deeply.

"My apologies, General! I was so excited to see Serena again that I forgot you were here!"

Aldric waved his hand dismissively.

"Be at ease, child. I don’t care."

He had known Serena’s friend for quite some time and was already familiar with her energetic personality. Her behavior didn’t surprise him in the slightest.

Just as Erica was about to turn back toward Serena, the door opened again.

Everyone looked toward the entrance.

Chris stood in the doorway wearing nothing but his pants, his upper body completely exposed.

His physique was well developed and muscular, with broad shoulders and clearly defined muscles. However, the first thing anyone noticed wasn’t his build, but the numerous scars covering his body.

Some were thin lines running across his chest and arms, while others were larger and more noticeable, reminders of injuries that could easily have killed an ordinary person.

He looked more like a soldier who had survived countless battles than someone his age, which wasn’t far from the truth.

For a moment, both Serena and Erica stared at him in silence. Then their faces turned red.

Chris, however, paid little attention to their reactions. He looked directly at Aldric with an irritated expression.

"Old man, get me some clothes. I have nothing to wear."

Erica covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Someone had just spoken to the legendary General Aldric that rudely, and the general didn’t even seem surprised!

Serena, meanwhile, quickly recovered from her embarrassment.

Aldric looked at Chris in annoyance.

"Chris! Why are you walking around half-naked? Where are your manners?"

"Huh? Didn’t you hear what I said, old man? I told you I have no clothes! Is your hearing impaired? What am I supposed to wear? My dirty, torn leather armor?"

"You..." Aldric opened his mouth to argue, but after looking at Chris for a moment, he could only sigh. "Well, it’s our fault too. I didn’t consider that you wouldn’t have anything suitable to wear."

Turning toward a maid standing in the corner of the room, he gave an order.

"Go and get our friend some clothes."

"Yes, sir!"

The maid bowed and hurried out of the room.

Meanwhile, Serena approached Chris, her attention drawn to the scars covering his body. Her expression softened as she carefully reached out and touched one on his arm.

"Do they hurt?"

Chris glanced at her sad expression before laughing.

"Hahaha! No. These are scars, not open wounds."

Serena didn’t seem convinced.

"We can take you to a hospital to treat them. Modern medicine can remove most scars like these."

Chris shook his head.

"No, I don’t care about my appearance. Besides, I’ll keep them as a reminder, at least for now. I also don’t plan on staying here for long. I’ll return to the Wilds as soon as possible."

Serena lowered her hand, looking slightly disappointed but not arguing with him.

"Excuse me, but what’s going on here?"

Erica finally spoke up, approaching Chris and placing her hands on her hips as she examined him curiously.

"Who are you? Are you Serena’s boyfriend?"

"Erica! What are you saying!? He’s a man who helped us in the Wilds! We’re not in that kind of relationship!"

Serena’s face turned even redder as she raised her voice.

Erica blinked in surprise.

She had known Serena for years, and her friend was usually calm and composed. Even when someone teased her in the past, Serena would simply ignore them or respond with a cold remark.

Yet now, she was blushing and raising her voice over a simple question.

Erica slowly turned her gaze toward Chris again, a mischievous smile appearing on her face.

’Oh? This is interesting.’

"Then what’s your name? How old are you? Why were you in the Wilds by yourself? Are you very strong? And how did you get all those scars?"

She fired off another series of questions without pausing for breath.

Chris stared at her with a deadpan expression.

He had just escaped a collapsing dungeon, fought a demon leader, and spent two weeks traveling across the Wilds. The last thing he wanted was to deal with someone who asked questions faster than he could answer them.

So he simply ignored her.

Walking past Erica, he approached Aldric and took a seat beside him.

"Hey! I was talking to you!"

Erica stamped her foot in annoyance.

Chris continued ignoring her, reached for a bottle of wine sitting on the table, and began drinking.

Aldric’s eyes widened.

"Chris! That’s my wine! It’s expensive!"

Chris lowered the bottle and looked at him with an indifferent expression.

"Look at my face and tell me if I care. You’re rich. Go buy some more."

Aldric opened his mouth to argue, but after a moment, he simply shook his head and sighed.

He knew from experience that beating Chris in an argument was nearly impossible, especially when the brat was right.

Erica watched the exchange in complete disbelief.

’Who exactly is this guy... and why does the General let him behave like that?’

Serena, on the other hand, could only cover her face with one hand.

She already had a feeling that things might get troublesome when she saw Erica. And judging by Erica’s expression, things were only going to get worse.