[A/N: My sincerest apologies for not uploading in the last two days. I could almost swear i thought i did. PS. See author's thoughts for update.]
Paul and Cid's journey together continued after a few days. It was relatively peaceful, though with the occasional ambush by various kinds of monsters and territorial species along the way.
In fact, it was unfair to even call it "relatively peaceful" if not for the fact that the wagon was still unscathed and in one piece after everything. This was all due to Cid's efforts.
To his repeated astonishment, Cid had consecutively dispatched any and all monster ambushes single-handedly so far—and he had repeatedly done so with little effort. Paul was amazed each time he watched Cid, his small, average-looking body standing alone against stray monsters or roaming packs, completely decimating them without a single scratch on his person.
The old merchant couldn't help but be reminded that, despite the young man's youthful appearance and childlike behavior… he was indeed a mercenary who had fought during the Battle of Heliodor.
Suddenly, Paul was immensely glad he had agreed to give Pip and Cid a ride.
At the same time, he was growing deeply troubled.
"There've been a lot more monsters appearing frequently lately…" Paul mused aloud, his voice full of concern.
Over the last three days, they had managed to move farther away from the border of Heliodor and were finally nearing the closest settlement in the region. It was a small, remote village situated within the mountainous region near the border—a modest and quiet settlement that had managed to remain independent and survive on its own while being partly isolated from the rest of the world.
This wasn't unusual in Estan'te, as there were dozens of small, remote villages and settlements scattered along the outskirts of various borders—especially in human regions like this one.
The issue, however, was that the available paths leading toward the village from the outpost set up in Heliodor were supposed to have already been cleared of all monster nests and dens. Yet more than just a few monsters had appeared along their route, increasing in both number and frequency with each passing day.
"Really? Wasn't it always like this?" Cid said, curiously plucking some clearly suspicious wild berries—even after being pestered by Pip not to. He was squatting in front of a small bush, while Pip hovered beside him with a deadpan gaze that practically said, Why don't you ever listen?
The truth was, Cid had indeed taken note of the curious appearance of the many monsters along their way, but he had no prior understanding or knowledge of whether this was normal. Despite his naive and happy-go-lucky appearance, he was very alert and observant.
Paul shook his head grimly, lamenting with a sigh. They had stepped off the road temporarily to take a short break under the shade. This was also to let the horses rest for a while.
In the meantime, Paul's lips parted, and he began to explain his concerns.
"Monsters this far out along the borders aren't anything uncommon. In fact, it's quite the opposite. But at the beginning of the Alliance's final campaign march to Heliodor, following down this same path, a wide and precise subjugation was carried out across all monster regions. This was to enable a more seamless march and movement."
"I see…" Cid hummed thoughtfully, rising with a handful of spotted purple berries.
"Don't put those in your mouth!" Pip cried out.
Pip had revealed his ability to talk a few days ago, temporarily stunning the middle-aged merchant. But rather than feeling terrified, Paul had been awestruck and amazed. A Spirit Beast with intelligence enough to be capable of fluent speech was an extremely rare find. It made Paul realize that Pip wasn't just a regular familiar… and neither was Cid an average contractee, despite the deceptive outer appearance and demeanor that made him seem so.
Paul stared at the banter between Cid—who stubbornly chowed down on a handful of berries—and Pip, who tugged at his hair to make him stop. He sighed, almost forgetting his worries for a brief moment.
It truly was a peculiar sight, one he never thought he'd see.
Growing tired of Cid's antics, Pip turned to Paul.
"Kind merchant, didn't you say you were returning from an outpost in Heliodor? Was the path as dire as this when you were heading back in the first place?"
Paul smiled softly and stepped further into the shade.
"You can just call me Paul, great beast."
"And I'm Pip," Pip retorted.
Paul had insisted on glorifying Pip ever since he discovered the little creature could speak.
"Well, to answer your question…" Paul continued, "No, it wasn't nearly as bad as this. But for some reason, the number of lurking monsters has increased again."
Paul was a merchant—one of many—who sought the opportunity to deliver supplies and resources to the armies deployed to remain in Heliodor after the last battle. To ensure an uneventful journey while traversing the border regions, the Global Alliance had been proactive enough to wipe out as many monster habitats as possible, creating a safe supply chain as well.
But that had already been weeks ago, before the battle at the Shadow Monarch's fortress had begun. And following that, it had also already been weeks since the war had ended and victory was secured by the Alliance.
But the wipeout had been so surgical that it should have taken far longer for monsters to appear en masse as they already were. After all, new supplies and resources from other parts of the world were still being continuously transported to the border at the moment.
The truth was… Cid and Pip had been lost, wandering aimlessly through the forest for weeks now without realizing it.
"So… what could cause so many monsters to reappear this quickly?" Cid asked, pretending to ignore the curious numbing sensation spreading along his tongue.
Despite his question, he could already think of a couple of possible reasons.
Paul sighed—a deep, weary one.
"I don't know. But my main concern is this: if there are already this many monsters appearing along our path… how bad will it be at our destination?"
He turned fully to face Cid and Pip, his hazel eyes heavy with concern.
"I'm worried about the village."