With that settled they continued their travels. Vanja often grumbled, and her grumbling grew as the days passed. They never went hungry thanks to Edvard's hunting skills, however, everyone other than Edvard quickly became tired. "Can we take a break?" Vanja asked, by now her clothes were mostly ripped. This being the first time she went out she hadn't realized how fragile her noble dress would be. She was still wearing it because the other clothing she had packed was of a similar design. This just made her grumpier, she would often stare at Edvard. Angry that he could now see so much of her. Edvard of course didn't care for her problems nor for her body. To him, she was still a child. Indeed, she was just 14. In Eskrat that might be considered the age for marriage, but that certainly wasn't Ed

"And how long would that be?" Edvard asked, trying to keep his dislike out of his voice. "Holy wars are normally only waged for anywhere from five to twenty years." The guard replied, he too didn't like the situation that the war placed them in. Though he would never admit it aloud so directly. He liked his cozy position; he also likes his head attached to his shoulders. "But... It has to be better further into the kingdom!" Vanja suddenly shouted, only for the guard to shake his head in sad denial. This caused her to shiver as she recalled the attack that had happened during their journey. Edvard had quickly taken care of it, and if not for him, she did not know if they would have managed to come out of it unscathed. Talking about fighting monsters was completely different from the real deal. That she had learned very quickly in their recent encounter. There was no warning, just a sudden attack. She realized that she and her brother would have missed

'This war seems to be a real problem for this kingdom.' Edvard thought, shocked that such a key part of the kingdom could be in such disarray. The monster hunter association was the only way outside of nobles fielding their own army to combat the influx of monsters. This, along with the condition of the roads and what the guard had shared, Edvard realized that the kingdom must be close to collapse. Making him worry for the others, the collapse of a nation most certainly will lead to harder times for all. However, it would also make a unique situation where he might be able to grasp some important role that could lead to him finding the others. First, he needed to secure his own life through confirming the coming dangers and opportunities. Edvard sighed as he turned to the young lady. "Alright then, I would like to sign up." "I'm sorry, but... You're not a knight, are you?" "I'm not, but I am confident in my skills." "Be that as it may,

The guards were slightly surprised to see him so soon again, especially with his backpack so full. Many leaves, roots, and stems were even sticking out from the top which was a struggle to stay closed. Edvard directly headed to the monster hunter’s association. The building wasn't impressive, in dire need of repairs. With several of the wooden logs beginning to splinter. Yet, strangely, Edvard found it more pleasing to the eye this time around. Hearing the swivel doors opening, Irena looked up in surprise. Shocked when she saw Edvard coming in. "You're-you're back!" She shouted while rushing out from the counter. Left speechless when Edvard took off his backpack and placed it onto one of the tables. "I brought a bit more than was requested. Hope I can get a fair deal, if not please tell me who might be interested." Irena nodded absentmindedly as she watched Edvard taking out the plants and starting to sort them. His haul was certainly impressi