I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Chapter 245: A Journey North

"We have enough water for three days," said Julius after checking. Then he added, "Do you think they are searching for us?"

Adam thought briefly before answering, "After we released the horses? Probably not. Even if they aren't, we shouldn't leave tracks."

"But how will we return to Alkemia Al-Nur? They won't let us use the Gate without a noble's identification," Julius asked, worries covering his face.

"The manner you did the first time... We'll travel to a coastal city and take a boat," answered Adam, a deep frown etched on his face. The trip back would take too long, but he wasn't arrogant enough to forsake their safety to hasten it. After all, he didn't know how far the Belloria king's influence reached.

If he could issue warrants, even if they didn't know Julius' face, he had no doubts the guards would be wary around strangers coming from the borders. Thus, unable to use Gates and needing to lie low before they fled further inland, he said, "We'll travel on roads, circling the next two cities. We can hunt magical beasts for food."

Julius nodded, searching his memories to remember the Aurora's kingdom geography. Then, he led the horses north, reducing their speed to a moderate pace to avoid straining them to death.

The wind blew on the group's face, their hair dancing wildly as the rising sun soon turned orange after descending. Steam rose from the horses' mouths, displaying their need for rest.

Fortunately, they already left the rocky terrain after a day's travel. Yet, their destination was still far away.

"Let's stop here for today," said Adam, pointing at a nearby forest before suggesting, "We can hunt for food inside and camp out. I'll stand guard with Nova since we don't really need to sleep."

"Sure. The horses must rest and drink, too. We should try to find a water source if possible," Julius responded, uneasy about the steeds' consumption. They couldn't share the little water they carried with them for a simple reason: it wouldn't satiate the large animals, and nothing would be left to quench their thirst afterwards.

Understanding that traveling in the wild without organisation proved challenging, Adam frowned as they reached the forest's outskirts. After dismounting, they shared their plan with the two girls.

Nova's eyes glistened as she curiously gazed at the flora surrounding them. Meanwhile, Morgane shrugged before sitting close to the horses, holding her knees with a sad gaze.

With a sigh, Adam looked at Nova and said, "Look after her until we return with food."

"Ok. But I want to explore later, too! It's the first time I've seen these slender green and brown mountains!" Answered the Imperius Harmonia, innocent interest filling her eyes. Far was the canyon filled with rocks she was used to. Everything she gazed at was so different, enchanting, and brimming with life. "I'm so excited to see more!" She exclaimed, a childish smile broadening on her face.

With a short promise and a wave of his right hand, Adam entered the forest with Julius, looking for magical beasts' tracks.

'If we can find and follow one, it'll lead us to a water source,' he thought, knowing no life could strive without drinking.

Fortunately, they didn't search for long before noticing hoove marks covering the soft soil. With lightened eyes, they followed them for ten minutes before stumbling on a group of herbivorous magical beasts standing on branches and eating glans.

With their long arced yet powerful legs, sturdy quadrupedal build, antlers, and vibrant green robes, their adaptability to their environment surprised Adam.

'It'll be a pain to catch them if we make our presence known,' he thought, hesitating between killing one on the spot or waiting. After all, they could stay on that tree for hours before leaving to drink. Waiting for that long was out of the question.

"We'll wait for fifteen minutes. If they don't move to drink, I'll kill one," he said to Julius, his finger placed over his lips to tell him not to answer.

Unfortunately, the beasts kept eating unhurriedly for the next fifteen minutes, causing Adam to sigh and fire a spinning mana arrow at the one he thought would be the most tasteful.

HIIIK

An agonising strident noise echoed, causing the other beasts to scramble away with unbelievable speed as snapping branch sounds followed their departure.

Without a word, Julius dashed out of the bush they used to hide, grabbed the dead beast, and returned. Then, he said, "We'll have enough meat to eat for a few days. But water is still our biggest concern."

In response, Adam glanced at the darkening sky, pondering briefly before answering, "We can search for an hour. If we can't find one, we'll return to the outskirts and try again tomorrow morning."

After agreeing, they explored the forest, its dense foliage casting dancing shadows as they scanned their surroundings warily in case a bear suddenly left a bush to assault them.

An hour later, the noise of running water finally met their ears, prompting them to hasten their steps in that direction.

Soon, a small stream running across the vegetation met their relieved eyes for a second. Then, with awkward smiles, they simultaneously asked, "How are we going to transport enough water?"

As they fell silent, Adam came up with an idea a moment later. With all the wood available, they just had to build containers.

Without wasting time, the boy cut down a thin tree before dividing it into same-sized morsels. Then, Adam dug into one using a spinning mana drill, creating a rough square crate. Yet, he felt it wasn't enough. Thus, he repeated the process three more times to have enough water to sustain the horses for a few days.

As Julius filled them with water, wondering how they would carry them back, Adam teasingly said, "Show us your muscles aren't just for show."

"Hee?" Exclaimed the boy in shock. Each container weighed around thirty kilograms between the water and wood, meaning he would have to lift a hundred and twenty over such a long distance! However, the real problem came from their sizes and the absence of handles, making them hard to transport.

"Can't you carry one with your mage's hands?" He asked, knowing he could do it with a few pauses along the path. But he was unwilling to waste time when the girls were waiting for them.

"Hahaha. Sure, I'll even carry your dinner for you," Giggled Adam as two sturdy hands laced themselves from mana before grabbing the beast and a crate.

With a relieved sigh, Julius piled the three remaining containers and lifted them without problem before smirking at his big brother.

Reassured after this first day, they retraced their steps, discussing their next course of action spiritedly.