As Jack and Sera continued toward the Kush Mountains, their immediate goal was clear—to reach the foothills before nightfall and set up camp.
The forest around them gradually thinned, the air growing cooler with every step.
Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed through the trees.
Thud. Thud.
Jack slowed.
"…Did you hear that?"
Sera nodded.
"Yeah. It sounds like someone hitting a tree trunk."
Jack looked ahead carefully.
"Let's find out where it's coming from."
Sera hesitated.
"…You don't think it's those hunters again, do you?"
"Who knows," Jack replied quietly. "We'll find out once we get closer."
Moving cautiously, the group followed the sound until they spotted a figure ahead.
A man was chopping wood.
Jack instinctively signaled everyone to stop and observed from a distance. Once he was sure the man was alone—and clearly not one of the hunters—he stepped forward.
As they approached, Sera spoke first.
"Hello, sir."
The man stopped mid-swing and turned toward them.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and heavily built—his muscles clearly the result of years of physical labor.
"Well, hello there!" he said with a friendly grin. "I don't think I've seen you around this forest before. Are you travelers? Or merchants?"
Jack shook his head quickly.
"No, sir. We're traveling to Grane City to participate in the Battle Stages."
"Ohh," the man replied, nodding knowingly. "Another battler, huh?"
He chuckled lightly.
"Well then, I suppose that means you're heading through the Kush Mountains."
"Yes," Jack confirmed.
"Well, you're in luck," the man said. "I'm heading that way too—and I know the route well. If you'd like some company, you're welcome to walk with me."
Jack and Sera exchanged a glance.
"…Sure," Sera said. "That would help."
"Great," the man replied cheerfully.
As they began walking together, Jack spoke up.
"By the way, sir—you haven't told us your name."
The man laughed.
"Oh, right. My bad. The name's Rayden. And you?"
"I'm Jack," he replied. "This is my partner, Turt… and Fenix."
"And I'm Sera," she added. "My partner, Cloudy, is sleeping in my bag right now."
Rayden smiled.
"Nice to meet you both. Young travelers, huh."
Jack hesitated, then asked,
"Do you live nearby? Or are you traveling from Grane City?"
Rayden shook his head.
"No. I'm from the Kushton Tribe."
The words hit them instantly.
"…The Kushton Tribe?" Sera repeated, stunned.
She studied him closely, then said honestly,
"You don't really look like what I imagined someone from the Kushton Tribe would look like."
Rayden burst out laughing.
"I get that a lot."
He waved a hand.
"Most people think we still dress in forest leaves and live like ancient times. That might've been true long ago—but not anymore."
He continued calmly,
"Our tribe has been adapting. Over the past hundred years, modernization has reached even our village."
Jack nodded slowly, impressed.
"That actually makes sense. Even remote tribes eventually change with time."
Rayden smiled.
"Exactly."
"Mr. Rayden… is it alright if I call you that?" Jack asked.
Rayden chuckled.
"Sure. I don't really like the 'sir' part anyway."
Jack nodded.
"Good. Then I wanted to ask you something. Earlier, you said 'another battler'… what did you mean by that? Did someone pass through here before us?"
Rayden's expression turned thoughtful.
"Yes. Earlier this morning, a battler came to our village. He was asking for permission to pass through on his way to Grane City."
Jack frowned slightly.
"Permission? Is it required just to pass through?"
"Yes," Rayden replied calmly. "As you may know, the Kushton Tribe is one of the few ancient tribes still in existence. Our population isn't large, so we're careful."
He continued, his tone firm but not hostile.
"Even though we're moving toward modernization, we still protect ourselves. We try to preserve our culture and limit interaction with the outside world as much as possible."
Sera listened closely.
"We deny passage to anyone who tries to use force," Rayden added. "Only those who approach with humility are allowed through."
Jack nodded slowly.
"I see…"
"Then… we'll need permission as well, won't we?" Sera asked.
"Yes," Rayden said. "But since you're with me, I can speak on your behalf to our chief. I don't think they'll deny it."
Sera let out a quiet breath of relief.
"That's good."
Jack agreed, then asked,
"What about the battler who came this morning? Did he get permission?"
Rayden shook his head.
"I don't know. That decision rests with our chief. I had to leave the village to gather firewood, so I wasn't there when it was decided."
"…I see," Jack said quietly.
As they walked, Rayden glanced at them curiously.
"So," he asked, "where are you two from?"
Jack answered first."I'm from Noll Town. It's a small town beyond Dinha Forest."
Sera followed."I'm from Dinha Town, just on the other side of the forest."
Rayden nodded, then looked toward the Fenix Fox walking beside Jack."And how did you manage to tame a Fenix? They're incredibly rare."
Jack shook his head."I didn't tame it. It chose me."
Rayden stopped for half a step."…Chose you?"
"Yes," Jack replied. "When we entered the forest this morning, we ran into hunters trying to capture some Fennica and Fenix. We stopped them. During that fight, this one helped us—and afterward, it decided to follow me. I made a contract then."
Rayden let out a low whistle."I see. That explains it."
He smiled faintly."Fenix and Fennica rarely choose human partners. For one to choose you… that's a big deal."
Jack nodded."Yeah. I guess it is."
Rayden studied them again, then casually asked,"So… do you two have kids?"
The question hit them like a rock.
Jack and Sera froze.
They glanced at each other in shock.
"K–kids?" Sera sputtered, her face instantly red. "What do you mean kids? I'm sixteen! I'm not married to him—we're just friends, traveling together to reach our own goals!"
Jack looked just as flustered."W-What made you think that?" he added quickly. "We're not a couple or anything."
Rayden blinked, then burst out laughing."Oh—my bad, my bad. Sorry for asking so suddenly."
He waved his hands apologetically."You just looked good together, so I assumed you were married."
"No! We're not married!" Sera said immediately, still flustered.
"I get it, I get it," Rayden replied, raising his hands. "Sorry again. I wasn't teasing you."
He paused, then added calmly,"It's just that in our tribe, marriage happens at a much younger age. Fifteen or sixteen isn't unusual."
Jack frowned slightly."That early? Why?"
Rayden shrugged."It's our tradition. Once someone reaches fifteen, they're expected to start taking responsibility and become a proper adult. Family plays a big role in that—husband and wife supporting each other through life."
"I see…" Jack said. "But outside the Kushton Tribe, it's different. People choose when and who they want to marry. You said your tribe is modernizing, so I thought traditions might've changed too."
Rayden nodded thoughtfully."You're partly right. Our daily lives have modernized, and some customs are slowly changing. But we still hold on to many of our old traditions."
Jack tilted his head."Still… what made you think we were married in the first place?"
Rayden smiled."My son is around your age. He got married six months ago."
Jack and Sera stared at him, stunned.
"W–What?" Sera blurted out.
Before she could say anything else, Rayden suddenly stopped and pointed ahead.
"We're close now," he said. "Can you see it?"
He gestured forward.
"There—the Kush Mountains."
"We made it before nightfall," Jack said, looking ahead.
"Yes," Sera replied with relief. "You're right."
Rayden nodded."Good timing. Come—just a little further ahead is the village wall."
They continued upward along the mountain path.
As they moved deeper into the mountains, Sera felt uneasy. The surroundings were unusually quiet—no rustling leaves, no distant animal calls. Only the faint sound of insects echoed around them.
"…Why is it so silent?" she asked quietly.
Jack glanced around."No kidding. We've been in forests before, but this… feels different."
Rayden spoke calmly."That's how these mountains are. Dense, isolated. We protect ourselves, and this environment itself acts as our first barrier."
A little further ahead, a tall wooden wall slowly came into view.
Jack spotted a gate built into it.
They approached, and Rayden stepped forward.
"I'm Rayden," he called out. "Returning from the forest."
The gate creaked open slightly, and a man stepped out.
Rayden smiled."Ah—perfect timing. Meet my friend Andy. He's one of the security officers here."
Andy gave a short nod."Hello there."
His eyes shifted to Jack and Sera."Rayden, why have you brought outsiders with you?"
Rayden replied calmly,"This is Jack. He's a battler heading to Grane City and needs the chief's permission to pass through. And this is Sera—a researcher traveling with him."
Andy considered them for a moment, then said,"I see. Welcome. However, the chief is currently occupied. You'll need to wait until permission is granted."
Rayden waved his hand lightly."That's fine. I'll take them to my home for now and speak to the chief on their behalf."
Andy nodded."If you say so. I'll need to register their entry first."
"Of course," Rayden replied.
Jack and Sera provided their details.
After a brief pause, Andy stepped aside."Alright. You may enter."
Rayden smiled."Thank you."
And with that, Jack and Sera took their first steps inside the Kushton Village.