Chapter Seventeen: Riverbend Town

The reality was this: the kingdom of Safro refused entry to the Church of the Holy Light, the Adventurers’ Guild, and any neutral or orderly organizations. All goods available for trade were transported solely to the port, and foreign merchants were forbidden from leaving the port city itself. The only small-scale trade caravans that came and went were with the neighboring nation of Kohn.

Furthermore, Safro was a young kingdom, barely over a century old, with a relatively small territory and scarce resources. Magical energy was extremely scarce, so much so that even the guilds of craftsmen specializing in magic showed little interest in settling there.

Yet, this scarcity of magical power turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Because the magical flow was so limited, the land was safer from magical beasts and other such threats. This, in turn, attracted ordinary commoners, which helped boost the kingdom’s population.

However, the lack of magic was not due to geographical factors but rather the doing of the royal family.

“Have you never seen other races before?” Kana asked, puzzled.

To be honest, he hadn’t considered this before. In this world, interaction among different races was quite frequent, and it was common for races to intermingle or even blend, sometimes resulting in entirely new species emerging. Even though the continent was predominantly human, it was odd that they had never encountered any other races.

The others all shook their heads. They were knights — middle class in the kingdom — and none had ever seen a non-human race. Ordinary commoners likely never had either. Perhaps some exclusionary policies were at play.

All strange matters could ultimately be attributed to the royal family, who were conducting experiments here to create new races. No wonder Kana hadn’t seen any non-human races along the way.

“Have you ever been to other countries, Your Highness?” Black suddenly asked.

Kana was about to answer but stopped himself and shook his head. “No, but I have read many books about the outside world, so I’m somewhat informed.”

He almost let something slip — it was impossible for him to travel abroad.

They chatted idly as they rested for the night. The next afternoon, they arrived at Riverbend Town.

From afar, a dirt road stretched into the town’s interior. The town wasn’t bustling but wasn’t shabby either; buildings were scattered here and there. The sound of flowing river water could be heard faintly in the distance.

This was no small stream but a river sizeable enough to be called a major waterway.

Entering the town, Kana looked around carefully. It was much as he remembered.

“Black, aren’t you supposed to be fighting alongside the count?” A woman by the roadside recognized Black and greeted him.

Many townsfolk recognized the three knights and occasionally greeted one of them.

Something felt off; the town seemed too populated and lacked any sense of impending disaster or fear. Along the way, Kana saw several blacksmith shops.

From a distance, he even spotted a training ground where many children were practicing.

The town did not feel old; many buildings appeared recently constructed, giving it a somewhat fresh atmosphere.

After observing, Kana asked, “Are the residents here the families of the knights?”

Black looked surprised and glanced at Kana, clearly impressed that Kana had guessed so quickly. His expression confirmed Kana’s suspicion.

“This town must have been built not long ago, less than ten years, right?”

Black nodded. “I was brought here shortly after beginning my knight training. Back then, it was just a rudimentary military camp.”

Hearing this, Kana refrained from asking further.

Yet the town’s layout and architectural style did evoke memories of a new player village at the start of a game. It seemed he hadn’t come to the wrong place.

Soon, they reached a small stone fortress, the residence of the town’s mayor, guarded by fully armored soldiers. Clearly, it still served as a military outpost.

An elderly man in half armor emerged. His face was marked with several scars, giving him a fierce appearance. He was evidently the mayor, a retired knight.

“Knight Jonir, this is His Highness the Fourth Prince, the newly appointed steward by the count,” Black introduced.

Mayor Jonir glanced at Black, then at Kana, nodded in greeting, but said nothing more.

“If you need anything, just let me know,” he said before walking away without another word.

Black, standing beside Kana, awkwardly apologized, “That’s just how Knight Jonir is. Please don’t take offense, Your Highness.”

Kana nodded, unfazed.

“It’s getting late. I’ll take you to your lodging,” Black said.

He led them to a house with a small courtyard, settled them inside, and assigned two female servants — one for cleaning, the other for cooking.

Before leaving, Black said, “We don’t have suitable maidservants here, so please bear with us for now.”

Kana paid no mind and waved the matter off.

After a simple meal — which was passable at best — Kana retired to his room.

Lying on the bed, gazing at the ceiling beams, he contemplated their next move.

He was quite certain that Riverbend Town was the future Bloodtear Town, the battlefield during beta testing.

Kana had participated in that beta.

Of course, the beta was only a three-day test with 5,000 participants, mainly to trial basic quests and the combat system.

Though it had been long ago, he still recalled some details; after all, it was his first encounter with a virtual game and had left a profound impression. The immersion was total, especially visually.

He remembered that during the beta, most of their errands related to the war, such as transporting wounded soldiers, delivering supplies, and maintaining logistics. Combat mainly involved guarding and eliminating enemies.

There was no storyline then — only a final cutscene to mark the beta’s end.

The protagonist of that cutscene was the count, who would later become the village chief of the beginner’s village.

When the official game launched and the story unfolded, they learned that the battles they had fought in during the beta were actually the count’s retreat.

This battlefield was known as Bloodtear Town.

It was clear they would have to retreat to Kohn. With their current strength, they were no match for the unified Blood Clan.

So preparations could begin here.

The most crucial matter was the Creation Stone.

Since the so-called “cheat code” likely derived from the Creation Stone generating effects based on one’s desires, increasing power and perfecting this "cheat" required acquiring more Creation Stones.

Next was improving his own strength. He wondered if it was possible to add an experience point system.

Training would be paramount. His data-driven body meant his stamina was hard to deplete, and his health regenerated easily. He need not worry about overexertion or related issues.

Being in the rear lines right now made training easier.

Based on his understanding of the storyline, the next battle would not come sooner than a month, at least not within two weeks.

He was confident that by then, with training, he could reach level two and, combined with his combat skills, handle level-three enemies.

As long as he kept a low profile and avoided confronting notable characters, he would be safe.

He could also test the equipment system and seek meaningful items.

Perhaps experiment with digitizing potions or food.

After all, consumables in the game were part of the equipment set.

Though food lacked flavor, it could grant buffs.

Digitized potions might prove more useful, even if their effects were limited to himself.

He had only 12 magic points maximum, which recovered slowly. Not using them felt like a waste — something he could not tolerate.