Luis rode a white horse, flanked by two elven soldiers on brown and black mounts.They murmured quietly among themselves.
"Another uncomfortable trip…" one whispered.
Most elves disliked humans. To them, humans were inferior — in intelligence, strength, even wealth.Among the elven elite, rumors spoke of something far darker: human trafficking, and in extreme cases… banquets where humans were served as delicacies.
'Disgusting…Kotei told me all that… but that mansion didn't feel like that'.
If the daughter of that family was truly a saint, there was no way she would eat humans. That would destroy their image.
'Especially since she's close to Jay'.
Everywhere Luis passed, elves stared at him with cold, disdainful eyes — even at the soldiers escorting him.
Lost in thought, he barely noticed when a well-dressed old man stepped into their path. The man wore a green suit and carried himself with unsettling confidence.
"Excuse me, sir. We're heading to the County of Kotei. Please step aside," said the soldier on the black horse.
The old man chuckled softly.
"No, no… you misunderstand."
Tilting his head slightly, the soldier frowned."What do you mean?"
The old man pointed directly at Luis.
"I came to buy this human."
A moment later, his wrinkled finger hit the ground.
Luis, eyes half-closed, simply guided his horse around the man and continued forward without a word.
The two soldiers followed, unfazed.
'Was that the seventh time…? No… eighth?'
Compared to the others, this one felt… more unsettling.
The days passed as they traveled through villages, towns, and even cities. They never stayed long — only gathering supplies before moving on.
That night, deep within a dark forest, Luis sat alone beside a crackling campfire.
'Where did those guys go? Off to a brothel or something?Ah, they deserve some fun… haha'.
His laugh carried a faint trace of melancholy.
'I wonder how Noa's training is going… Two months already…'
A familiar female voice echoed in his memory.
'Mary… I'm coming back to you, he thought with a soft smile'.
Elsewhere, Jay pulled his pale, frost-covered sword from the body of another fallen giant. The blade now seemed alive, faint veins of ice pulsing within it.
'Another one down…'
After days alone, his eyes looked hollow, shadows deepening beneath them.
Roh and Lillith hadn't spoken to him in a long time.
"Well… they're probably busy with something."
He stared into nothingness for a while before snapping out of it. Gathering dry branches and roots, he built a small fire.
'This is when having a partner would really help…'
He sliced the meat silently.
Watching the flames, his thoughts flowed like a river.
'Are they all okay? Luis… Father… Mary… my little sister Kyrai… and Clarice…'
He turned the meat slowly.
'…Noa should be doing fine too'.
A faint chuckle escaped him.
Looking up, he saw a deep blue sky streaked with gray clouds and scattered stars.
'I miss reading more volumes of TB…'
After eating, he resumed walking.
The once-flat terrain gradually turned into an endless ascent.
Giants were easier to kill now. The real problem were the wolves that attacked at night — sometimes even during the day.
'Annoying bastards… always ruining the best nights'.
His swordsmanship had improved significantly. Cutting down enemies felt more natural now.His ice element had grown too — slower, but more controlled… though it still slipped out of control sometimes.
'This climb… isn't it getting too long?'
Step after step, the slope never seemed to end.
The soil grew wetter. Each step threatened to send him slipping.
'Some parts of the wall must get more rain and—'
Then he smelled it.
A thick, suffocating stench.
He quickly covered his nose as his knees buckled, sinking into the mud.
'The air… it's heavier… I can't breathe properly… and this smell…'
His lungs burned.
Jay glanced back and saw a dense fog rolling in.
Even as his chest screamed in pain, he forced himself to stand. His back bent, arms limp, he took a step forward.
His body felt unbearably heavy — as if he were wearing full iron armor.
Hours passed.
Slowly, the fog began to thin.
Sweat soaked his clothes, clinging tightly to his skin.
But the strangest part…
Not once during that entire stretch had he seen a single animal.Not a giant. Not even an insect.
Only the smell of death filled the air.
Jay took another step — and collapsed.
'Shit…'
Darkness swallowed his vision.
Luis opened his black eyes.
The fire was out.
Frowning, he leaned against the tree he had slept on, stretching his back before reaching into his bag.
He pulled out a frying pan and a few eggs, then reignited the fire.
As the eggs sizzled, he stirred them absently.
It's insane how much stuff this magic bag can hold…
Even after seeing it so many times, it still amazed him.
Yawning lightly, he looked up at the sky.
"Huh… the clouds look a little… bluer?" he muttered, tilting his head.
After finishing his scrambled eggs, Luis packed up, mounted his horse, and continued on.
'They know the way'.
Some time later, he glanced behind him.
No one was there.
He was alone.
Luis simply shrugged and kept riding.
Traveling alone had one downside — people tried to buy him more often.But he always handled it the same way.
A hand. A finger. Falling to the ground.
Unlike Poul, who had been consumed by vengeance, Luis chose a different path.He trained and grew stronger — but he had a family to support. He couldn't risk everything like Poul did.
Memories of his friend tightened around his heart.
Then the rain began to fall.
But it wasn't hitting the trees.
Or the ground.
It ran down Luis's face.
"…Are you okay… my brother from another mother?"
Where was he now?
"I know you're not dead… but you're trapped somewhere."
Clenching his teeth, his voice trembled.
"I'll save you… I swear I will, Poul."
And so, he continued the journey — riding forward with nothing but his white horse.