Chapter 92: Before the Road Grows Rough

Words : 1012 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 92: Before the Road Grows Rough He hated himself a little for it. It seemed his ability to restrain his own desire had grown too weak. The mission Shiao Yi had accepted was a dangerous one. Even with his unique abilities, there were risks. Dominic was committed to protecting him with everything he had, but even so, Shiao Yi would have to go places Dominic couldn’t follow. The fear was always with him—what if Shiao Yi got hurt? What if he lost him? That fear only made him want Shiao Yi more, made him cling tighter. He didn’t want him to go anywhere. He didn’t want to let him out of his arms, not even for a moment. "Shiao... you are my one and only." Dominic whispered as he pulled him close to his chest and slowly drifted off to sleep. ... "Hey there, big guy! The fresh bread is right here! Smells good, doesn’t it? It’s just came out of the oven!" At the sound of the lively voice calling out, Louis turned around to look and saw a street stall lined with delicious-looking bread. The warm fragrant scent of freshly baked loaves filled the air. Right next to it, the juicy meat sizzled over a flame, dripping with fat. The butcher’s wife caught Louis’s gaze and, with her plump hand gripping a knife, she sliced a piece of meat thinly to show off. The red juicy cross-section looked so good, Louis’s stomach rumbled even though he’d already had breakfast. Being drawn by the smell, he slowly wandered toward the row of stalls. After eating at the inn that morning, Louis had gone out with Amal, who was well-versed in local affairs to stock up on food for the journey. Rex had stayed behind at the inn to take care of the horses. They hadn’t learned anything useful at the tavern the night before. That, in itself, meant that there were no noticeable movements in Dalmasca yet. Still, over mugs of beer, a few patrons had grumbled that the trade with the Kingdom of Rosaria has been slowing down and the highways weren’t as lively as before. With fewer merchants traveling, the inns and towns along the road would feel the effects. It’s no wonder that the locals were starting to complain. At the small morning market in the town’s main street, the women at the stalls grew noisy with excitement, she shouting out cheerfully as if important customers had arrived. "There aren’t any decent shops past this point! You need to stock up while you can! This bread’s tough, but it’ll keep for a week!" "Big guy! Our meat pies are the best! You gotta put one in a bun and try it!" "Got enough water? Take some fruit too, it’s sweet as honey!" "These grilled skewers look great, right? It’s cheap and tasty!" By the time Amal came back carrying bundles of dried meat and vegetables, Louis’s arms were already overflowing with bread, meat sandwiches, and grilled meat. "How much are you planning to eat?" Amal asked while giving him a bewildered look. "Thanks, mister! Take care on the road!" the lively women called out behind Louis as he staggered away from the market, loaded with food. Back at the inn, when Louis went to load the goods onto the wagon, Rex gave him a cold, annoyed look. Leaving the oddly in-sync pair of Rex and Amal at the wagon, Louis quickly go upstairs to go fetch Captain Dominic and Shiao Yi. As he stepped back into the room, someone asked, "Are you done getting everything ready?" Captain Dominic turned to confirm with a calm voice. The captain was dressed in the same butler uniform as the day before, but the boy he held in his arms had changed clothes. He now wore a matching set of plain brown long pants and a top. "Oh? Shiao Yi, you changed? Kinda plain now, huh? Yesterday’s outfit was real cute. That’s a shame," Louis said casually. "I’m not a kid..." Shiao Yi muttered, sounding sulky as he pressed his face against the captain’s chest like he couldn’t be bothered with anything. Louis remembered how sleepy Shiao Yi looked during breakfast and glanced at the captain again. Dominic carried Shiao Yi with a calm and satisfied look on his face as he stepped out of the room, still holding him. We’ve got another full day of riding in the carriage today. Captain Dominic, you’re really ruthless, Louis thought. ... "There aren’t any proper inns past this point—just some villages. Ever since the monarchy was abolished, the roads around here haven’t been taken care of. Please be careful," Amal warned from the coachman’s seat, guiding the horses as he spoke to Dominic and the others. He was right. Not long after they left the last town, the road became rough and uneven. The ouses became fewer and most that did appear were broken-down ruins. "Looks like there’ve been attacks by bandits," Rex whispered as he pulled his horse closer. Clearly, the safety of the area wasn’t great. Louis scanned the overgrown fields and the unmaintained forest along the roadside. Fewer carriages were passing by and the ones that did looked like they were rushing to get through. Louis gave a nod to Rex and both of them stayed extra alert. Before reaching the thick woods ahead, they stopped the wagon on an open field of grass and pulled out a simple meal. It was the bread and grilled meat bought from the market earlier. "It’s literally just carbs and meat, huh," Shiao Yi commented with a kind of tired amusement. Still, the mountain of bread and meat quickly disappeared. Shiao Yi looked at Louis and the others with wide eyes, almost shocked by how much they were eating. "You should eat a little more," Dominic said, offering a meat pie to Shiao Yi, who was still sitting on his lap. But Shiao Yi shook his head and turned it down. "I can’t eat that much. I’m smaller than you all. I’ve had enough."

Chapter 92: Before the Road Grows Rough

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