Chapter 34 - Moving Forward

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Sitting in a small open area of the region, watching a part of the road ahead darken and the sun set, the boy turns his gaze to Kazuki who is standing next to him.

He recalls a recent memory, something he had witnessed on the way to the refuge: dead trees, disintegrated soil and plants that looked more like gray smudges.

- What do you think happened there? The area seemed to be devastated, as if the whole terrain had been hit by a plague - Rei asks.

Hearing this, Kazuki gets lost in thought for a moment before he sighs and answers after considering an alternative.

- Maybe it was demons? From what I've heard, there's a slime-like demon that poisons the ground wherever it goes...

- Well, if it's not that, I have no idea what it could be. Sorry - he adds.

Rei laughs slightly at Kazuki's words before she answers:

- It's okay, no need to apologize... I was just curious, but it's nothing really important.

At that moment, Laili's companions get up from the ground and inform the rest of the group that they will continue on their way. Rei and Kazuki just nod and take their positions at the front.

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As he walks, the student begins to notice the presence of some people in the surroundings of the steep road.

The farther he goes, the more crowded the road becomes: lost children, frail elderly, depressed warriors, and wounded people.

There are many people in the area, and the only common expression on their faces is recurring fear and sadness.

"What the hell is all this? What the hell is happening?"

"Was there an attack nearby? No, it's probably not. The most likely scenario is that we're getting close to the refuge... That's the best explanation I can think of in a situation like this."

He thinks and looks around. Not knowing what to do in the face of this scene, he just keeps walking.

Just like in the forest, there is an equally grim atmosphere here, but with a slight difference: the entire terrain is alive and green, from the vegetation to the fertile soil.

Another difference is the people nearby, who seem to be extremely disturbed and can't even pay attention to their surroundings.

When the boy looks at his companions, he notices the fear and hesitation clearly reflected on Kazuki, Mia, and Takayo's faces.

He holds back some of his comments and simply tells them to keep walking, even though it was difficult to witness the suffering of those around them.

At that moment, Laili, who is ahead of them, crouches down to get closer to an old man on the road. His face is extremely pale, and a massive bruise covers part of it.

Despite her fear and discomfort, she works up the courage to ask:

— Good… afternoon, sir. I'd like to ask you something, can you spare me a moment?

— Coff!! Coff!!

After coughing, the old man, looking her up and down, replies with a confused expression:

— What do you want?!

At the old man's suddenly rude response, Laili frowns, showing her dissatisfaction, and begins to speak informally.

— I'm here with my friends to ask about the refuge. Do you know where it is?

— That depends. Can you give me something?

Hearing this, she looks at the old man with an expression that seems to ask: "Are you crazy? Are you trying to take advantage of us for a mere piece of information?"

She tries to compose herself and thinks about the situation as a whole. Maybe the old man was going through a difficult time and his only option was to ask for help in exchange for information.

Deliberately, she takes a deep breath and lowers her voice. She opens her bag and rummages through it until she finds some packaged food.

— Here, sir — she hands it over. — I brought some food. I hope this helps... There are many people in this world who don't have enough to eat, and I'm truly sorry. They must be going through a terrible situation.

— Wow, that sounds so noble and philanthropic. Is that something you are passionate about? Feeding the poor? — he says ironically and takes the food.

And before she can answer, the old man continues:

—Just keep walking. As soon as you see a wooden statue, just turn... Coff~ Coff~

— Just turn left - he finishes, pointing in the indicated direction.

— Are you all right, sir? — Zeryn asks.

— No need to worry about me, can't you see? I'm waiting for my niece anyway. Thank you for the food.

— Okay…

— Anyway, thanks for the info. Let's go, guys... — Laili says as she stands up and walks to the indicated place.

With the conversation over, the group starts walking without stopping to the place they were told.

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After a few minutes on the road, they finally see the wooden statue in the distance and realize that the path ahead of them is divided into two parts.

Left and right.

Two directions going in opposite directions, with no signs, no plaques, no indication of any kind.

Both groups then decide to take the left path, as the old man had mentioned earlier. Even if it wasn't reliable information, it was the best choice they had.

When Rei passes by the wooden statue, he notices that it is carved in the shape of a knight, with a long sword positioned in front of him.

"What the hell. This statue must be really old, but even so, I can see all the details so vividly…"

"That knight must have been a really strong guy. Just from his appearance, I can tell he had a powerful and aggressive personality."

"I doubt we would have gotten along... Well, I hope he's still alive."

The student thinks as he walks through the mountainous terrain that forms as he moves forward with his group.