Meanwhile, on the eastern continent, as news from the court continued to ripple outward like slow-moving thunder, unseen currents were already shifting on this side of the world.
Along a well-worn trade road, six ornate carriages rolled forward in solemn unison. Each carriage bore two passengers seated within, twelve individuals in total. Their posture was upright, their breathing steady, yet their eyes remained firmly shut, as though locked in a deep slumber. Behind them stretched a long caravan of supply wagons, escorts, and retainers, all flying the banner of a minor but well-known nation: the Weps Kingdom.
