The days went by, and Nim kept training alongside Mr. Smith.
Sometimes, Mr. Smith had to leave for a few days to head to a guild branch and renew his mission.
After that, he would spend all his time training Nim.
They also occasionally ventured a bit deeper into the forest to hunt monsters. Thanks to that, Nim's combat experience improved, and he also leveled up.
Months and years passed until Nim turned thirteen.
In those three years, Nim's physical strength had grown tremendously, even surpassing Mr. Smith if it came down to sheer brute force.
Nim's level had also increased—Mr. Smith couldn't see his exact level because Nim didn't have an ID card, but it should be somewhere around level 7 or 9.
Nim would have leveled up more if they had gone deeper into the forest to hunt monsters. But going further in was dangerous, even for Mr. Smith.
In the end, the monsters Nim had slain weren't enough to help him level up further.
...
"Nim, today's the day you start your journey." The man looked at a young boy who was nearly his height—this was Nim, and anyone looking at him would think he was fifteen or sixteen.
They had talked about this before. Nim would go to the capital city and become an adventurer.
At first, his parents and Mr. Smith expected Nim to leave at fifteen.
But when Smith saw the strength Nim had reached in those three years, he realized he was ready.
Besides, staying longer in the village would only slow Nim's progress.
"Yes, Uncle Smith." In the past three years, Nim and Mr. Smith had grown close, which led Nim to call him uncle instead of master.
Also, because Smith knew that sooner or later, Nim would surpass him and he wouldn't be able to teach him anything more.
"Alright, since today's the day you leave, I'll give you a gift." Smith handed him a sword from his waist. While it wasn't a magic sword, it would be very useful for Nim as he was now.
"Thank you, Uncle Smith."
It was true that Nim needed a good sword. The ones they used for hunting monsters were just made of iron.
Since they weren't very good, they wore down quickly.
This sword he received was made of steel, so it would last longer.
"Alright, don't forget to say goodbye properly to your parents and friends." Smith turned and walked away as he saw him off.
"Goodbye, Uncle Smith." Nim knew Uncle Smith didn't like ceremonies, so he just said goodbye like that.
After the simple farewell with Uncle Smith, Nim headed home to see his parents—he needed to say goodbye properly.
When he arrived, he saw his father standing in front of the house.
Beside him were his two childhood friends, along with some other villagers who had also come to see Nim off.
Seeing those familiar faces, Nim smiled. "Father, where's mother?"
"Your mother's inside. She didn't want to come out or she'd make a scene." Nim's father knew his wife very well, so he understood her behavior.
"Alright, I'll go in and see her." Entering the house, Nim saw his mother with her back turned in the kitchen.
"Mother, I have to leave today." When she heard him, his mother stopped what she was doing and turned around.
Nim's mother had tears in her eyes. She tried to wipe them quickly, but they just kept falling.
In the end, with tears in her eyes, she walked up to Nim and gave him a tight hug.
Her little boy was finally becoming a man, and she knew he'd have to leave sooner or later.
"Mother, I'll come visit often." Nim tried to comfort her as they hugged.
After a few minutes, his mother let go. "Remember your words. You have to visit us often."
Then his mother started giving him advice—that he had to take good care of himself, eat well, and many other things. And that, above all, he should always try to stay safe during his adventures.
Nim listened carefully until she stopped. "That's all, son. You still have to say goodbye to your father and your friends."
Nim's mother turned around and resumed her tasks. She feared that if she kept looking at her son, she wouldn't let him go.
...
Outside the house, his father and the others waited patiently. When they saw Nim coming out of the house—
"I already said goodbye to Mother." Nim approached his father, who gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.
"Your mother probably said everything I needed to say. Just don't forget to visit us."
Nim nodded firmly. After his father's words, he turned his gaze to his two childhood friends.
In the past three years, they hadn't seen each other as much since Nim had been training most of the time.
Leo had grown too, but he wasn't as tall as Nim. And Fauna had also gotten taller, but she was still shorter than Leo.
She had even started to show signs of becoming a young lady.
When Nim saw these two old friends, he smiled brightly.
"Nim, I wish you the best of luck. Come back often and tell us your stories!" Leo was the first to break the silence.
"I will, I promise." Nim had made many promises today because he was sure he'd come back.
After that, Fauna seemed like she wanted to say something but gave up in the end.
"Nim, when you return, I'll tell you something important." Fauna put on a serious expression.
"Of course," Nim replied.
Seeing that scene, Nim's father grew suspicious, but he just smiled.
"Thanks to all of you for coming to see me off. I, Nim, promise to return." With a loud voice, Nim addressed the rest of the villagers.
After the other villagers shared a few farewell words, Nim departed.
Nim headed to the outskirts of the village. There was a road here where caravans passed, transporting goods from town to town or between cities.
Uncle Smith had made arrangements with an old friend who was a merchant to take Nim to the capital.
The merchant would be passing through this route today. Nim just had to wait.
After sitting on a rock for about an hour, Nim heard the sound of horses.
When he turned, he saw the shadow of a caravan approaching.
Upon seeing it, he stood up and waved at the caravan. The driver saw him, steered toward him, and stopped.
"Are you the one I was sent to pick up?" The middle-aged driver asked Nim without much emotion.
"Yes, I'm Nim," Nim introduced himself.
"Whatever, hop on quick—we have to meet up with the other caravans," the driver urged him.
Without any more words, Nim climbed into the back of the caravan. Once inside, he saw several boxes that held some kind of goods.
"Don't touch anything. Just stay in a corner," the driver spoke again.
Nim obeyed and stayed quietly in a corner.
Uncle Smith had told him it would take seven days to get from his village to the capital, including rest stops.
Nim had brought his own food supplies for the long trip, along with some money.
That money came from the monsters and wild beasts he had slain, which he sold to passing caravans over the past three years.
His parents had also given him some money, and along with what Uncle Smith gave him, Nim could survive a week or two in the capital.
In that time, he could settle in properly and register at the Adventurer's Guild to enter the dungeon.
With that plan in mind, Nim began his journey.