It had been more than twenty minutes since Liam left the dungeon—or rather, broke it.

The air outside was fresh, the faint scent of pine and damp earth clinging to the wind. The forest behind him had already begun to fade into silence, as if the dungeon had never existed at all.

He followed the faint animal trails until they opened into a dirt road that stretched endlessly in both directions.

The ground was uneven, carved with grooves left by wagon wheels. The faint smell of horses and old smoke drifted in the air.

Liam paused at the edge of the road, brushing dust from his sleeve. He could have flown—he wanted to—but he decided against it. He didn't want to attract attention until he understood where he was. There was no telling what kind of civilization or beings inhabited this world.

"Medieval," he muttered quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the landscape.

He scanned both sides of the road, considering which path to take. One direction led toward rolling hills that faded into the horizon. The other dipped slightly and curved into a patch of misty lowland.

While he was thinking, a sound reached his ears—the rhythmic thud of boots striking dirt, mixed with faint chatter.

He turned his head toward the noise. In the distance, he saw a group of people walking down the road. They were coming his way.

Liam stayed where he was, watching.

As they drew closer, his enhanced vision filled in the details—their clothes, weapons, and manner of movement. They wore leather boots, thick tunics, and belts weighed down with daggers and pouches. Some had swords strapped to their hips; one of them carried a wooden staff topped with a stone.

Mages and swordsmen.

That confirmed his suspicion. This was a medieval world.

He decided to approach. If anyone could give him directions or some basic information, it would be travelers like them.

Liam adjusted his coat and began walking toward them.

***

The group noticed him almost immediately.

"Oi, look," one of them said, pointing ahead. "Someone's coming."

They slowed their pace, their expressions shifting from casual to cautious curiosity. The stranger approaching them didn't look like anyone they'd ever seen.

His clothes were simple yet refined—clean fabric, strange appearance unlike that of any tailor's work they knew. His black sneakers caught their attention the most. They were unlike any footwear they'd seen in any kingdom or city-state.

"Is he a noble?" one man whispered.

"Noble? In those clothes? Don't be stupid."

"Then what is he? A wanderer?"

"Wanderers don't dress like that."

The one carrying the staff squinted. "His face looks human enough."

The conversation turned hushed and wary.

"He doesn't have a horse or wagon either," another pointed out.

Then the mood shifted, as curiosity turned to greed.

The tallest among them, a man with a scar across his jaw, leaned closer to the woman who walked at the front. She seemed to be their leader. Her dark green cloak was cleaner than the others and her movements were sharper.

"What do you think, Elena?" the scarred man whispered. "We could take his clothes. Sell them in the city. I'm sure Nobles pay fortunes for foreign things like that."

"Yeah. I bet that fabric alone's worth gold," One of the others said with a grin.

"Shut up," another hissed. "You don't even know if he's dangerous."

"Even if he is, there's seven of us," the scarred man said. "He's alone."

Mira said nothing for a long while. Her eyes stayed fixed on Liam as he approached. There was something in his walk. It was steady, measured and without a hint of fear. She could see the composure in his steps.

Still, the gold they could earn from those strange clothes tempted her.

"Let's see who he is first," she said finally.

The group nodded, but some of them still whispered about what they might steal and others laughed under their breath.

None of them knew that Liam had heard every word.

They were speaking in a foreign tongue but Universal Linguistics translated it perfectly for him.

So, you're planning to rob me, He smiled as he walked closer. He decided to play along.

When Liam reached them, he greeted first.

"Good afternoon," he said politely, his tone calm and friendly.

The woman, Mira, stepped forward with a small smile.

"Good afternoon, traveler. You seem far from home."

"You could say that," Liam replied. "I'm trying to find my way to the nearest settlement. Could you tell me where the closest village or town is?"

Mira tilted her head slightly, studying his expression for a moment before replying, "Of course. Follow this road south. You'll see the walls before sunset. The kingdom name is Astrin."

"Thank you," Liam nodded with a small, appreciative smile.

He reached into his pocket—and by extension, the Dimensional Space—and pulled out a handful of gold coins. The soft sunlight caught the surface of the coins, sending bright reflections across the dirt.

"For your help," He said, as he handed ten coins to Mira.

For a moment, there was total silence. Then the group's expressions changed completely.

Their eyes widened. Gold wasn't rare, but the purity and shine of those coins were unlike anything they'd seen. It didn't look like local currency. It looked like a foreign mint, flawless surface, with precise edges.

The coins looked like they came from another age.

Mira blinked, momentarily thrown off. "This… is too much."

"Consider it a small token of gratitude," Liam said simply.

The others stared at him, some already calculating how much that handful of gold would fetch. Greed flickered openly in their eyes.

Liam noticed, of course. He could practically feel their hesitation between awe and temptation.

Now, then, let's see what you will do, He smiled inwardly.

His action of giving them the gold coins was to feed that greed and see what decision they would make.

He turned away and began walking in the direction she'd pointed. His stride was calm, unhurried.

Behind him, the group broke into a low murmur.

"That's real gold."

"By the gods, he's rich!"

"Did you see how clean it was?"

"We could take him now—"

"Shut up, you fool!" Mira snapped quietly, though even her tone carried a note of temptation.

Then she raised her voice. "Traveler!"

Liam paused and turned his head slightly. "Yes?"

"We could escort you," she said with a practiced smile. "The road ahead sometimes has bandits. It would be safer with company."

He arched a brow. "How much?"

"No charge. Consider it goodwill," the lady said, as her smile didn't falter.

Goodwill, huh? Liam chuckled softly to himself.

Out loud, he said, "That's generous of you. I'd appreciate the company."

Mira nodded, signaling to her companions. They fell into motion, fanning out around him as they continued down the road together.

***

They had walked for more than two hours. The road twisted between the forest and open fields until, finally, the faint outline of walls appeared on the horizon.

"Is that the kingdom you mentioned earlier?" Liam asked, his tone casual.

Mira followed his gaze and nodded. "Yes. Astrin."

The walls grew taller as they approached—gray stone scarred by age and weather, flanked by wooden watchtowers. The gates was closed and heavily guarded.

When the group finally reached the gate, one of the guards stepped forward and his expression looked stiff. His armor looked worn, and a short sword hung from his belt.

"State your business," the guard demanded. His eyes flicked briefly to Liam's unfamiliar clothes before resting on his face. "You're not from around here."

"I'm a traveler," Liam said calmly.

The guard's brow furrowed. "From where?"

"Far," Liam answered evenly. "I doubt you'd know the place."

The man hesitated, unsure whether to take offense or simply move on. Then his gaze shifted to the mercenaries behind Liam—Mira's group—and he seemed to relax slightly. "You with them?"

"Just met them on the road," Liam said.

The guard gave a slow nod but didn't look convinced. "All visitors need an entry permit. Five copper coins."

Liam reached into his pocket, pulled out a single gold coin, and handed it over.

The guard blinked, staring at the coin. Its perfect shine caught the light, making the dull copper in his pouch look like dirt.

"This—uh—this is too much."

"Keep it," Liam said simply.

The guard hesitated for only a second before pocketing the coin and tearing a small parchment seal from a leather-bound book. He stamped it and handed it to Liam. "Your permit. Don't lose it. And don't cause any trouble. We expel troublemakers fast."

Liam smiled faintly. "Understood."

The guard stepped aside, motioning for him to pass. The heavy gates creaked as they opened wider, sunlight spilling through the gap.

Before stepping inside, Liam turned slightly toward Mira. "Thank you for the company," he said politely.

Mira shook her head, offering a half-smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Don't thank me. We just happened to be going the same way."

Her tone was smooth, but Liam could hear the unspoken hesitation in it—the faint edge of guilt or perhaps fear.

He could guess what was going through her mind. She and her group had walked beside him for hours, waiting for the right moment to act. But they hadn't. Whether it was the calmness in his eyes or the effortless way he carried himself, something about him had changed their minds.

Maybe they sensed what he really was. Maybe they didn't want to find out.

Either way, it didn't matter.

Liam nodded once in acknowledgment, then walked through the gate. The guards pulled it closed behind him with a deep clang that echoed off the stone walls.

Liam took a slow breath, letting his senses adjust, before he started walking, blending easily into the crowd.

***

Behind him, outside the gate, Mira and her group lingered for a moment before turning away.

"Why didn't we do it?" the scarred man muttered under his breath.

Mira didn't answer. She just stared at the closed gate where Liam had vanished and said quietly, "Because some people you don't rob. You will understand one day."

Her companions fell silent at that.

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