Published: July 4, 2025
"Abel... why are we walking through the jungle... the dense forest?"
"... It's probably because the Dragon King's city was located in the dense forest. There's nothing we can do about it."
Ryo and Abel were once again making their way through the dense forest together.
The reason, as Abel mentioned, was to find a way out of the dense forest.
"I feel like we've been walking through this dense forest ever since we were caught up in the magical rampage of demon Garwin."
"Now that you mention it... we did walk through the dense forest when we went from the initial coastline to the City of Manyamia."
"Ah, those were the days. It feels like it was years ago."
It hasn't even been six months.
"Time really flies, doesn't it? We might soon get to meet the Dragon King Nours."
"That's true."
"Abel, you might become a grandpa soon."
"Huh...? No matter how fast time flies, it can't be that quick."
Abel countered Ryo's words.
"Abel, can you handle a bow and arrow?"
"Yeah, well, I can manage."
Abel once showed off his impressive archery skills during the Whitnash port festival.
Without a doubt, he was above average.
"There’s a saying, 'Time flies like an arrow.' It means that the flow of time is as fast as an arrow. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up becoming a grandpa without achieving anything."
"I see... so you’re saying to live each day to the fullest."
"Exactly."
Abel nodded as if he had made a resolution, and Ryo agreed.
Thirty minutes later.
"Abel, let's call it a day for our travels. I'm getting tired of seeing the same scenery."
"Hey... weren't you the one who said to live each day to the fullest?"
The human heart is a complicated thing.
Six days after parting with Dragon King Nours, the two of them finally emerged from the dense forest.
"We finally made it out."
"Look! A vast plain! This is the kind of scenery I was hoping for!"
Ryo exclaimed joyfully, while Abel looked at him with a deadpan expression.
"I bet you're going to say that the plain is boring and lacks scenic variety."
"How rude! The reason I say that is that I want to use my time creatively!"
"Creative... what?"
"Oh... something like creative thinking..."
Ryo hurriedly explained, but it seemed Abel didn’t quite understand.
He tilted his head in confusion.
"Do you know, Abel? It’s been known for a thousand years that people think better in various environments."
"Really?"
"A man named Ouyoshū said that. He referred to three places: on horseback, on a pillow, and in the toilet."
"On horseback... I get that. I can understand that one."
Abel nodded in understanding.
He might have some experience with that.
"Yes, what I want to talk about right now is being on horseback. It includes not only riding but also traveling itself. It seems easier to have insights while on a journey. When you place yourself in a different environment, you become more creative. That's why renowned authors used to retreat to hot springs to write their masterpieces. It’s only natural that they produced something better than writing at home while in a constant state of insight boost."
"I don’t quite get the latter part... So, you're saying it's better if the scenery changes?"
"Yes."
"Are you saying that you need some inspiration... like writing a novel or something?"
"Huh? N-no... um... yes! I'm actually thinking about a sequel to the 'Hungry Swordsman Abel' series."
"Oh..."
Abel's gaze was still deadpan.
"What’s with that look? You don’t believe what I said?"
"I believe in the part about being on horseback, but trusting you is a different story..."
"That's harsh..."
Even upon entering the plain, the two pressed northward.
"Hey, Ryo."
"What is it, Abel? There aren’t any cakes here, you know?"
"Yeah, why did you think I wanted a cake?"
"Well, it’s almost three in the afternoon. I thought it might be snack time..."
"We didn’t eat any snacks while we were trudging through the dense forest, did we?"
"That’s because the dense forest had trees towering to the sky, but here the sky is open, right? I think it would be fine if cakes fell from the sky."