*Clop-clop-clop*

A lone carriage rolled into a desolate village.

The aftermath of some recent conflict had left the crops destroyed and the buildings in ruin; not a single structure remained intact.

*Creaaak!*

The carriage came to a halt, and the door slowly opened as Ed Troyban stepped out.

“Haah…”

As he exhaled, a voice called out to him from behind.

“So, how does it feel to breathe the outside air again?”

Ed turned and bowed respectfully.

An old man, dressed in fine silks from the East and with a long, sage-like beard, approached with two sturdy guards at his side.