* * *

The next day.

Early in the morning, the group was already up and busily preparing to move again.

Kukuf mentioned that on their route, there was a waystation of the beast-kin that they could pass through, allowing them to reach the Blessed Land by the end of the day.

Thanks to this shortcut, they even sent their carriage back without hesitation.

To reach the waystation, they had to cross through the forest for a while.

The group, more relaxed than yesterday, chatted freely, their voices blending into a comforting white noise that echoed pleasantly through the woods.

“Refreshing.”

Chaeyi, walking in the middle of the group, lifted his head.

The dense trees held onto the morning dew, their large leaves blocking out the sunlight, leaving the air cool and pleasant.

“How much farther?” he asked.

“Almost there.”

As Kukuf, leading the way, nodded in response to Delion’s question, the edge of the forest came into view, and everyone instinctively looked up.

Ahead, there was a large tunnel-like passage through a massive wall, with horses waiting on the other side.

To Chaeyi, it looked surprisingly familiar—like the entrance to a highway tunnel back home.

“Hey there!” Kukuf called out.

Not long after, a figure emerged from within the passage, a branch hanging from his mouth.

The figure walked on two legs, moved his arms freely, and had thick fur covering his body—a clear sign he wasn’t human.

Yet he wasn’t quite like a dwarf, elf, or dragon either.

He was one of the beast-kin, a minority species.

Technically, they were classified as a high race, though unlike the ancient dwarves, elves, and dragons with clear, ancient roots, beast-kin were thought to be a hybrid subspecies with some human lineage from long ago.

Chaeyi thought they all seemed distinct from humans, but it was a long-standing concept that had persisted, so he accepted it.

“Kukuf, is that you?” the beast-kin, recognizing him, snapped the branch in his mouth and approached.

The beast-kin had a slightly long snout, a black nose, gray fur, triangular ears, and a bushy tail swaying behind him.

Judging by his features, he seemed to be a wolf beast-kin.

Two tame wolves padded out alongside him, confirming Chaeyi’s guess.

“Here to use them?”

“Yeah. We’re headed to the Blessed Land.”

The wolf beast-kin nodded with a casual hum and whistled.

Hearing the signal, the wolves sprang into action.

A horse-like figure peeked shyly out from within the passage, but didn’t come closer.

“The path to the Blessed Land from here is flat, so use these guys. They’re quick. Although, if you want safety, horses are a better option—but pricey,” the wolf beast-kin added, forming a coin gesture with his fingers and smirking slightly.

Considering efficiency, Kukuf consulted with the group, and they decided to accept the wolves’ help.

“Take good care of them,” the wolf beast-kin said, patting the wolves’ hindquarters.

The wolves wagged their tails happily, barking in response, then pulled the cart with the group out of the tunnel.

The ride was bumpy at first, but once they left the tunnel and reached a gentle plain, it smoothed out considerably.

They rode for some time, and by sunset, they had crossed the plains and entered a new forest.

For safety, they slowed down, but the forest wasn’t large, and they soon emerged on the other side.

“We’re almost there, just ahead,” Kukuf said, pointing ahead from where he sat beside Chaeyi in the cart.

Chaeyi looked up to see a soft, glowing light in the distance—the village of the dwarves in the Blessed Land.

As they crested a low hill, the wolves slowed their pace.

Soon after, the dwarves waiting outside their homes noticed their arrival and turned toward the entrance, looking curious but tense as the unfamiliar humans arrived.

But upon spotting Kukuf, their expressions quickly brightened.

“Kukuf! You’re safe!”

“Is that the reinforcements?”

The dwarves greeted Kukuf warmly and looked toward the rest of the group with interest.

Tiny dwarven children came forward fearlessly, looking up at them with wide, curious eyes.

“What’s the situation?”

“Five were injured. One seriously… but since the last battle, they seem worn out and haven’t attacked in days. Hopefully, it stays quiet.”

“That’s some relief. The injured?”

“Over there.”

Kukuf exchanged information with a dwarf about the injured, then spoke with Delion, who sent the wolves off and instructed the medics to aid the dwarves.

Meanwhile, Leonard and Celian quickly began preparing for any surprise attacks from the elves.

Everyone seemed busy.

Without an immediate task, Chaeyi watched the bustling activity around him, his gaze drifting over the dwarven village.

‘It’s a smaller village than I expected.’

The few clustered homes had light spilling from their windows, softly illuminating the night.

There weren’t many, suggesting not all the dwarves lived here.

Though it was hard to see clearly in the deepening night, he could just make out massive tree roots rising from the ground, encircling the Blessed Land.

He couldn’t see the trunk, but the roots alone hinted at the immense size of the tree.

‘That must be…’

The World Tree’s roots—the central issue they were facing.

Given its scale, it was easy to deduce.

“That’s the World Tree’s roots,” said Clement, sidling up next to Chaeyi with a grin, noticing his gaze.

Meeting Clement’s eyes, Chaeyi saw him smirk slightly.

“Seems like it’s caught your interest.”

“…It’s fascinating. It’s my first time seeing it.”

Their conversation paused.

Just as Chaeyi wondered if Clement’s comment was simply idle chatter, Clement glanced around and got to his main point.

“I’ve been curious. What’s your relationship with Leonard? No offense intended—I just couldn’t help but wonder, seeing how close you two seem.”

He added the explanation quickly, perhaps to avoid suspicion.

Clement seemed to have waited for a moment when Leonard wasn’t nearby.

However, though they were allies, Chaeyi had no intention of revealing personal details to a stranger he’d only known a few days, so he sidestepped the question.

“Well… it depends on how you choose to see it. Feel free to interpret it as you like, Lord Clement.”

Even within the same empire, diplomatic discretion was wise, as alliances could shift at any time.

“Oh, come on. Drawing the line so sharply?”

Clement pouted, looking a bit dejected, but Chaeyi remained unaffected, his expression impassive.

‘Hmm.’

From this, Clement realized that this beta in front of him wasn’t easily swayed.

He had hoped that Chaeyi, as someone connected with a noble like Leonard, might drop some useful information out of vanity—but it was clear that he was dealing with a different kind of person entirely.

‘Interesting.’

In the end, Clement decided to withdraw, having failed to gather any useful information.

His father had asked him to uncover details about the “suspicious beta” the Lancasters had taken in, but that seemed an increasingly difficult task.

“Everyone! Come over here!”

At that moment, a loud voice called out, causing both Clement and Chaeyi to turn.

The dwarf who had stepped out earlier with Kukuf was now gesturing for them to come inside.

“You must be hungry! Let’s start with a meal!”

It seemed they’d been preparing a meal for them in the meantime.

“Let’s go.”

Clement chuckled softly, nodding as he led the way, with Chaeyi following close behind.

A grand feast was spread, and the small house was soon filled with people who joined the dwarves, happily eating and chatting together.

“There’s still more meat, so eat as much as you want! Thanks again for coming all this way, everyone.”

“We’re just here because our interests align.”

“Hoh-hoh-ho, so modest! We’ve lived here for generations… Though one day we’ll have to move to wherever a new World Tree takes root, we currently have nowhere else to go. I appreciate that you understand our situation.”

With a grateful smile, Kukuf patted Delion’s shoulder before excusing himself to step outside.

Chaeyi, forgetting for a moment that Kukuf had gone out, continued his meal and conversation with Enoch, Leonard, and Lawrence.

Later, when he went out for a breath of fresh air after the hearty meal, he found Kukuf there again.

‘Huh?’

Kukuf was seated alone at a distance, gazing at the roots of the World Tree with an unusually deep expression.

* * *