The journey continued in a much calmer atmosphere.
Raven's conversation with Seo-rin had ended, but the agreement they'd reached left much to ponder. At least for the time being, they no longer had to worry about how to gather information and meet their needs in this foreign world.
Raven returned to her seat.
She leaned back in her chair.
Just as he was about to enjoy the journey in silence, a voice came from his side.
"Hey, Raven."
Lisa looked at him with curiosity she could hardly hide.
"What were you two talking about earlier? It looked really serious."
Raven glanced briefly before answering casually.
"Moving forward, I've made a few arrangements. Regarding information… and our funds are now secure."
"Huh?" Karin turned her head immediately. "You made a deal with him?"
"Yes."
Raven leaned back casually.
"He comes from a family of major merchants. We need that kind of support if we want to survive in this world while gathering information."
The three of them exchanged glances.
"Major merchants?" Karin asked, still sounding confused.
Raven nodded.
"In our world, it's more or less like a businessperson or a company owner."
"Oh... so in other words, they're a wealthy family in this world?" Lisa nodded slowly, finally understanding.
She let out a sigh of relief.
"Huh... that's good, then."
"Yeah," Karin nodded in agreement. "At least now we have a way to make money and take care of our other needs."
Hana, who had been listening the whole time, still looked a little hesitant. Her gaze briefly shifted to Seo-rin before returning to Raven.
"But… what exactly did you guys agree on?"
Raven answered without much thought.
"She's interested in some of the items we brought—bags, backpacks, and other gear."
She glanced at the backpack near Karin.
"Those items are from our world. Here, they've never seen anything like that before. So they could be worth quite a lot."
Hana nodded slowly.
"Thank goodness…"
She fell silent for a moment, then muttered,
"I thought for a second he was going to ask for something… weird."
Raven turned to look at her.
"Weird?"
"Ah—no! It's nothing!"
Hana quickly shook her head, her cheeks beginning to flush.
Karin, seeing her reaction, immediately stifled a laugh. She gently nudged Hana's shoulder.
"Hana, what do you mean by 'weird'?"
"Never mind, let's not talk about it."
That answer only made Karin grin even wider. Lisa, who had been watching them the whole time, gave a small smile as well.
"Wow… I think I know what you mean, Hana."
"Ah, you guys… stop teasing me!"
Hana protested, but her face, which was growing even redder, made her defense sound even less convincing.
A soft chuckle rippled through the group. The tension that had been palpable in the train for some time slowly faded, replaced by a much more relaxed atmosphere.
Seo-rin, sitting between them, simply listened to the conversation. Next to her, Han-Minji occasionally glanced their way, as if she were also paying attention to what was happening.
She didn't really understand what they were talking about. However, seeing Hana constantly trying to defend herself while Karin and Lisa teased her brought a faint smile to her face.
After a long and rather tense conversation with Raven, that scene felt quite entertaining.
Meanwhile, in the second car, Kyle and Kevin were sitting in the back with several of Eunha's servants. Both of them looked a little tense. Ever since they'd boarded, some of the servants had been glancing their way from time to time, as if curious about their clothes and appearance, which were different from those of the people in this world.
The train wasn't very large and wasn't big enough to accommodate the entire group. Because of this, some of them were placed in the first car with Seorin, while Kyle and Kevin had to share space with the attendants in the second car.
"Huh… I wonder when we'll get there?" Kyle grumbled, trying to strike up a conversation with Kevin.
Kyle himself didn't seem to notice the attention they'd been getting all this time.
Kevin, on the other hand, was starting to feel uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat, trying to find a little more space.
"Can't you stop complaining?"
Kyle turned his head.
"What's wrong with that? I'm just asking."
Kevin glanced around before continuing in a lower voice.
"Sitting for hours on a train that keeps swaying like this while listening to your rambling is torture enough. On top of that, people have been staring at us this whole time. Can't you just behave a little so this trip can be a bit more peaceful?"
"Staring at us?"
Kyle looked around too.
A few waitstaff who had caught his eye immediately looked away. Kyle blinked a few times before looking back at Kevin.
"Oh..."
"Just now realizing it?"
Kevin stared at him for a moment before snorting softly.
"I'm confused. Are you stupid, or are you really oblivious to what's going on around you?"
"Hey, it's not like I'm oblivious." Kyle scratched his cheek. "I just don't make a big deal out of it."
Kevin snorted softly.
"Looks like I'm complaining to the wrong person."
"Can you stop making fun of me, Kevin?"
"I'm just stating the facts."
Kyle looked at him for a moment before chuckling softly.
"Fine, whatever you say."
Kevin didn't answer again. He leaned back once more, then turned his gaze out the window. Even so, every now and then his eyes still darted around to take in the scene inside the carriage.
Shortly afterward, the sound of horses' hooves began to grow louder. Kevin looked out the window again.
Several mounted soldiers could be seen surrounding their party. The ranks of soldiers moved in orderly formation, while the Eunha family's carriages began to slow down as the trees on both sides of the road gradually thinned out.
One of the soldiers then raised the flag bearing the Eunha family's emblem of the Moon and Dew Leaf. The deep blue cloth fluttered above their ranks, clearly visible amid the lingering shadows of the forest.
The view ahead of them gradually opened up.
In the distance, a high wall resembling a fortress stretched around the territory beyond it. The main gate stood firmly in the center of the wall, wide enough for two carriages to pass through at once. Several carriages could be seen coming and going, while armed guards stood on either side of it.
People who had previously been walking along the road began to step aside when they saw the Eunha family's procession approaching. Some of them even paused for a moment to watch the group.
The sight piqued Hana, Lisa, and Karin's curiosity. They slightly parted the curtains to get a clearer view of what was happening outside.
In the second carriage, Kyle and Kevin did the same. To them, such a sight still felt unfamiliar.
The massive stone wall, the mounted soldiers, and the carriages passing back and forth in front of the gate served as a reminder that this place was truly different from the world they knew.
Seo-rin, who was inside the carriage, observed their expressions before finally offering a faint smile.
"Welcome to the Eunha family's territory," she said softly to Raven.
Raven was still gazing toward the gate in the distance.
Seo-rin then added,
"More precisely, Haryeong Town. A small town ruled by my family."
The carriage continued moving toward the gate. As they got closer, the view beyond the wall gradually became clearer.
The main street stretched wide and was quite bustling. Shops lined both sides of the street, alongside restaurants, inns, and a few blacksmith shops. A thin wisp of smoke curled from the chimneys, carrying the aroma of warm food mixed with the scent of wood and hot metal.
People filled the street. Vendors were busy opening their stalls, some shoppers were walking from one shop to another, while children were running about amid the crowd.
Among them, one could occasionally spot people wearing the distinctive attire of Murim practitioners. Some carried swords at their waists, while others walked in simple training clothes.
The carriage continued down the main street.
The farther they went, the larger and more orderly the surrounding buildings appeared. Several wooden pavilions and towers stood among the trees, while other buildings were scattered deeper within the city.
However, one building stood out the most.
The Eunha family's main residence stood taller than the surrounding buildings. Its tiered roofs and large pavilions were clearly visible from a distance, even while the carriage was still quite far away.
Its presence made it clear to anyone who saw it that the building was more than just a residence.
It was the seat of the family that ruled this town.
As the carriage entered the town center, the sounds of life around them grew louder. The clopping of horses' hooves mingled with the voices of vendors hawking their wares, the chatter of passersby, and the sound of hammers from the workshops that never stopped working.
Raven simply observed it all from behind the curtain.
Beside her, Lisa poked her head out slightly to look at the street they were passing through. Her eyes darted in all directions, as if she didn't want to miss a single sight.
"Wow..."
She finally exclaimed without realizing it.
"It really is just like a city."
"It's truly amazing," Hana replied softly.
"I don't know why... but I suddenly miss home," Karin murmured.
Raven didn't say a word. She sat sideways, propping her chin up with one hand, letting her gaze follow the street on the other side of the train.
Seo-rin, who was sitting not far from him, tried to strike up a conversation several times. However, Raven mostly remained silent. For some reason, this made Seo-rin a little uneasy. After their previous rather lengthy conversation, Raven's return to such calmness felt somewhat hard to read.
In the second train car, Kevin and Kyle were just as captivated.
"This place is so crowded. Strangely enough… it feels a lot like a city in our world," Kevin said as he observed the streets and the people going about their business.
However, when he glanced to the side, Kyle looked far more excited.
His eyes sparkled as he saw the row of restaurants they were passing.
"Kevin! Did you see that? That food stall over there—and that one too! They look so good!"
Kevin just stared at him with a blank expression.
They'd just gone through a forest and faced danger. Yet, somehow, food was the first thing that managed to catch Kyle's attention.
"Seriously… is food all you're thinking about?"
Kyle turned his head casually.
"So what? We have to eat, don't we?"
Kevin let out a small sigh and looked back out the window.
At the head of the procession, Gwi-heon rode with his back straight. His movements did appear slightly stiff, as if his body were still enduring pain from wounds that had not yet fully healed. However, this in no way diminished his dignity.
The city guards saluted as the Eunha family's procession passed through the commercial district and began to turn onto a quieter street.
The cobblestone road led directly to the Eunha family's main residence.
The bustle of the city gradually faded behind them. The buildings along the road began to thin out, giving way to spacious courtyards, trees, and tall fences enclosing the estate.
At the end of the road, the grand gate to the Eunha family's main courtyard stood open.
The procession continued onward, as if their arrival had indeed been anticipated.