Today marked Roman's 155th day since his arrival at Sige Town.
Weighed down by heavy, weary steps, he led his equally exhausted and burdened steed back to Origin Manor.
He had set out clean and handsome, as if going for a jaunt in the countryside, but he returned resembling a beggar.
Drenched in sweat, filthy beyond words, his clothes were torn to ribbons; fortunately, he had smeared plenty of insect-repellent plant juices over himself, or else the situation would have undoubtedly been worse.
The manor's male servants rushed over under the scorching sun.
Roman waved them off to take the horse to a shaded area to be washed down, and to give it cool tea with salt water.
A horse couldn't dissipate heat as well as a human; these past days had been a trial for it.
Although Roman had constantly been mindful of its condition, the consecutive days of travel had still accumulated a great deal of fatigue; without a respite, he feared it might be done for.
