Though countless stars filled the sky, the night in a land without lamps was still far too dark.
Richard could see only a few meters ahead by the light of Mr. Joe’s torch.
Beyond that, everything was swallowed in pitch blackness. He was barely aware of what lay to either side of him.
Fortunately, Athena seemed to possess excellent night vision.
She continued running without trouble.
Yet from time to time, Richard heard the deep roars of wild beasts reverberating through the air.
Clearly, dangerous creatures prowled the darkness.
"Mr. Joe, how much longer before we reach Apple Town?" Richard asked.
"At this pace, it shouldn’t even take an hour," the old man replied.
"Ohh, look—Red Wheat Village is already in sight..." He suddenly pointed to their right.
Richard followed his finger and indeed saw a village faintly illuminated by the torches lining its homes.
Compared to Purple Rose Village, this one was about five times larger, lying lower on the slope below them.
Not far ahead was a right-hand turn that led down toward it.
Once they descended that path, Red Wheat Village quickly came into view.
With Athena’s speed, they reached the village entrance in no time.
Being much larger than Purple Rose, the village had shops lining its main street. Richard even spotted three taverns still open, packed with what looked like adventurers.
Richard urged Athena to slow down.
He had no intention of stopping, but if she dashed through at full speed, he worried the gust of wind might snuff out the torches in front of people’s homes. After all, those torches used only ordinary oil.
Richard naturally didn’t want to stir up trouble with the villagers.
As they passed the taverns, he glanced inside.
Most of the patrons were burly men with intimidating physiques. Yet they laughed loudly, drinking and carousing with barmaids who didn’t seem to mind being held.
Naturally, Richard drew attention.
The adventurers and barmaids grew curious about the boy riding a massive horse at night with an old man seated behind him.
More than a few found the sight intriguing, if not baffling.
Richard nodded politely to some of them with a smile.
Once they left the village behind, he urged Athena to pick up speed again.
Around Red Wheat Village, many other settlements could be seen, all connected by branching roads.
But they didn’t need to pass through those to reach Apple Town.
The road was no longer deserted either. Occasionally, Richard spotted other travelers on horseback or in horse-drawn carts.
None of their steeds could match Athena’s speed.
The path continued to slope downward, and Richard realized that the villages were actually built atop a mountain—Purple Rose Village being one of the highest.
As they descended farther, the villages they had passed now stood clearly above them.
After some time, Richard began to see signs of greater activity up ahead, proof that they were nearing Apple Town.
Faintly, he saw a wall about fifteen meters high stretching in a circle before them.
Richard needed no explanation—this had to be Apple Town.
Though not as massive as Night Valley City, whose walls reached fifty meters, Apple Town was still far larger than he had imagined.
Before long, they reached its gate. Half of it stood open while the other half was shut.
About five silver-armored soldiers stood guard—Sky Armor Knights—accompanied by other guards inspecting each arrival.
It seemed entry into the town required a fee.
Mr. Joe already had payment ready. Richard saw a handful of copper coins in his palm.
When their turn came, Richard dismounted, leading Athena forward, since everyone else had also dismounted.
He didn’t need to say a word—Mr. Joe handled the transaction.
They were quickly inspected. Finding nothing unusual, the guards let them through.
Passing under the gate, Richard finally saw Apple Town in all its splendor—far greater than he had pictured.
Nearly every house was made of stone or concrete, painted in bright colors, and stood two or three stories tall.
He even saw many massive buildings whose purposes he couldn’t guess.
Even at night, the town was well lit, its streets alive with activity.
Mr. Joe looked delighted, and suddenly stepped forward in the direction of a street.
But before he could go, Richard caught his hand.
"Mr. Joe, where are you going?" Richard asked, knowing the old man’s impatience.
"I’ll give you the book later," Mr. Joe replied.
"No, I want the book now," Richard said firmly.
He tightened his grip. Though only seven years old, Richard’s strength—and his ten percent access to Aether—was more than enough against an old man.
Mr. Joe couldn’t break free.
Richard wasn’t foolish enough to let him meet his beloved first.
If that happened, Richard was sure the truth would come out—and then Mr. Joe would never hand over the book.
"Come on!" Richard tugged him toward Athena, earning strange looks from passersby at the sight of a child dragging an old man around.
Forced into it, Mr. Joe didn’t dare resist, though his face was full of unease.
"Fine, fine! Go to the library," he said at last.
"Library..." Richard was startled.
"You keep the book in a library?" he asked with a frown.
"Not exactly. It’s at my house, and my house is behind the library," the old man explained.
Hearing that, Richard exhaled in relief.
If it had been in a public library, he feared it might have already been taken.
It seemed Mr. Joe’s family background had once been fairly decent—he even owned a house in Apple Town, and perhaps one in Night Valley City too, given how often he traveled there.
"Where’s the library?" Richard asked again.
"Straight ahead," Mr. Joe answered.
Athena moved at a walk, following the direction Mr. Joe pointed.
Along the way, Richard couldn’t help but take in his surroundings with curiosity.
Apple Town gave him sights far beyond what he had expected.
He even spotted many beautiful women in fine dresses.
When his eyes lingered on them briefly, some of them winked back at him with charming smiles.
Richard grew restless, thinking, ’There must be no age laws in this world...’