Traces Toward the Darkness
Smoke Across the Plains
Morning arrived.
The dying campfire in front of the tent still released thin trails of smoke, while morning dew blanketed the endless grasslands stretching as far as the eye could see.
Noaterra's six newest members had been ready long before sunrise. They stood neatly beside the wagon, waiting for Noah to wake.
Lucia and Lee were the first to rise that morning. Together with the others, they packed up the campsite, loaded the remaining supplies back onto the wagon, and made sure everything was ready for the journey ahead.
A few moments later, the wagon door creaked open.
Lee stepped outside, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Ah..."
"I overslept."
"How embarrassing."
Amira let out a quiet giggle.
"It's okay, Big Sis Lee."
Lucia approached Noah as he stepped out of the wagon, carrying a bowl of hot soup and a warm drink.
"My Lord."
"Your breakfast."
"We've all finished eating."
"We'll wait until you're done."
"Thank you."
Noah accepted the meal with a smile.
Once everyone was ready, the group resumed their journey.
The wagon slowly departed from their campsite, following the northern edge of Terrania Forest.
Before them stretched an endless sea of grass that seemed to merge with the horizon itself.
Far in the distance, a dense line of towering trees could barely be seen.
"Herkalus Forest..."
Lee murmured quietly.
Noah studied the distant forest for a moment.
"It's farther than I expected."
Lee nodded.
"Of course."
"If nothing delays us, we probably won't reach Herkalus Forest until sunset."
Noah was slightly surprised.
They had only completed a small portion of their journey.
If the search for the hidden settlement went as expected, they would still spend nearly fifteen more days traveling before returning to Noaterra.
Luk rode at the front with several of his men.
Noah's wagon followed behind at a leisurely pace.
The morning was peaceful.
Only the creaking wheels of the wagon and the sound of footsteps disturbed the silence of the vast plains.
Then, after a while—
"My Lord!"
Luk called from the front.
He raised an arm and pointed toward the distance.
"There's smoke ahead."
"It looks like someone's there."
Everyone turned their eyes toward the same direction.
Sure enough...
A thin column of smoke rose into the sky from behind a rocky hill.
Lee frowned immediately.
"It may not be humans."
"Orcs and Goblins build campfires too."
Noah remained silent for a moment.
"It won't hurt to check."
He looked toward Lee.
"Let's take a look."
"We won't learn anything by guessing from here."
Lee shrugged with a faint smile.
"True enough."
"Besides..."
"...as long as Lucia is with us, there shouldn't be anything to worry about."
Still in her Rabiba form, Lucia showed no reaction at all.
She remained fast asleep on Noah's lap.
A short while later, the group changed course toward the source of the smoke.
It came from a small forest growing at the foot of a rocky hill.
Before approaching, Luk and several of his men moved ahead to scout the area.
They crouched behind thick bushes.
Moments later, their expressions changed completely.
"My Lord..."
Luk returned with a tense face.
"This isn't an ordinary campsite."
Noah immediately stepped down from the wagon.
"What did you see?"
"A group of royal soldiers."
"They're all..."
"...dead."
The entire group approached the site cautiously.
The scene before them left everyone speechless.
More than a dozen soldiers of the Kingdom of Alpaterra lay scattered around the remains of a campfire.
Most were still wearing full armor.
The kingdom's banner had fallen onto the bloodstained ground, where the crimson stains had already begun to dry.
There were no signs of a large-scale battle.
Yet an eerie silence filled the area.
Luk pointed toward the cliff nearby.
"My Lord."
"There's a cave."
Noah followed his finger.
Behind a pile of shattered rocks was the mouth of a cave.
Part of its stone wall had collapsed, as though it had been struck by an unimaginably powerful force.
Noah spoke silently within his mind.
"Astra."
"What do you think happened here?"
Astra answered immediately.
Information.
No data regarding this incident is available.
However, records indicate that a Demon Temple exists at these coordinates.
According to the ancient scriptures of the Kingdom of Alpaterra, it was once an altar dedicated to demon worship.
Noah's eyes widened slightly.
He immediately relayed the information to Lee.
Lee stared at the cave entrance for a long moment.
"I've heard that legend before."
"They say a Demon Temple is hidden somewhere in this region."
"But for hundreds of years..."
"...no one has ever managed to find it."
Her gaze returned to the partially collapsed cave.
"Could it be..."
"...this is the place?"
Noah looked back at the fallen soldiers.
"If that's true..."
"Who killed them?"
"Even Lucia didn't sense any danger."
Lee walked closer to the cave entrance.
She carefully examined the ground, the stone walls, and the surrounding ruins.
After several moments, she slowly shook her head.
"Strange."
"There's no trace of magic."
"No monster tracks."
"There aren't even any clear signs of battle."
Silence settled over the area once again.
No one could explain what had truly happened there.
At last, Noah let out a slow breath.
"For now..."
"...we'll continue our journey."
They had no clues to investigate.
And the longer they remained there, the stronger the feeling grew that the cave concealed something far greater than an ordinary ruin.
Without another word, Noah instructed Luk and his men to give the fallen soldiers a proper burial.
Once the task was complete, the people of Noaterra departed from the site.
Behind them...
The dark mouth of the cave remained silent, as though guarding a secret that had slumbered for centuries.
The journey continued.
They passed through a small forest, crossed a vast expanse of grassland, and eventually entered another stretch of woodland.
Along the way, the group stopped several times to hunt for food.
Luk and his five companions worked with practiced efficiency. They divided the tasks naturally, from tracking animal trails to carrying the day's catch.
Although their skills were still below Arcer's level, the former hunters were far more capable than the average villager.
As evening approached, a much denser tree line appeared on the horizon.
Sitting inside the wagon, Lee gazed toward the forest.
"Noah."
"Do you know the difference between Herkalus Forest and Terrania Forest?"
Noah looked at her.
"What's the difference?"
Lee kept her eyes fixed ahead.
"Terrania Forest is dangerous."
"It's home to countless monsters, Orcs, Goblins, and even the Dark Elves."
"But each race has its own territory."
"They live by their own rules."
"That's why the surrounding kingdoms avoid invading Terrania Forest. Fighting powerful, organized races would cost far too many lives."
She paused before continuing.
"But Herkalus Forest is different."
"It isn't an organized land."
"It's where monsters gather after being rejected by their own kind."
"They're wild."
"They obey no rules."
"There are even rumors that descendants of demons are hiding there."
Noah fell silent as he listened.
"So..."
"Our journey is about to become much more dangerous?"
Lee nodded.
"Without a doubt."
"Lucia can protect you."
"I'll fight as well."
"Lania is also highly skilled in combat."
"But what about Luk and his men?"
"If we're surrounded all at once..."
"...I'm not sure I can protect them all."
Silence filled the wagon.
Noah stared out the window, his thoughts racing.
"She's right..."
"What should I do?"
Lee spoke again.
"If I had to describe them..."
"The inhabitants of Herkalus Forest are creatures cast out by their own races because they refused to live by any rules."
"That's what makes them so unpredictable."
Noah clenched his fist.
For a brief moment, a thought crossed his mind.
If only I created hundreds of soldiers...
But he immediately shook his head.
No.
If they were no longer needed...
Would I have to destroy them?
I could never do that.
They're still lives that I created.
He let out a quiet sigh before turning to Lee.
"What do you think..."
"...I should do?"
Lee answered without hesitation.
"Send Luk and his men back to Noaterra."
Noah looked surprised.
"Why?"
"Wouldn't that leave us with even fewer people?"
Lee met his eyes with a serious expression.
"They're ordinary humans."
"You're protected by Lucia."
"I can use magic."
"Lania can protect herself."
"But they can't."
"Taking them into Herkalus Forest will only increase the chances of losing them."
Noah slowly nodded.
"I understand..."
Lee continued.
"At the very least..."
"...even if this expedition fails..."
"...you'll still return with six new members."
"They'll help build Noaterra."
Noah smiled faintly.
"You say that as if something is certain to happen."
Lee returned his gaze calmly.
"If you truly want to build the greatest place in the world..."
"...you must always prepare for the worst."
Those words left Noah speechless.
Lee pointed toward Luk, who was leading the group ahead.
"Look at them."
"They trust you."
"If everything I'm worried about really happens..."
"...and they die..."
"Could you accept that?"
Noah didn't answer right away.
After several seconds, he gave a slow nod.
"Lania."
"Stop the wagon."
"Yes, my Lord."
The wagon gradually came to a halt.
Luk immediately dismounted his Horsia and approached Noah.
"What is it, my Lord?"
Noah explained his entire conversation with Lee.
Just as expected, Luk immediately refused.
"No."
"We'll continue escorting you."
But when Noah looked at Luk's five companions, they exchanged quiet glances.
They had already begun to understand the reason behind his decision.
Noah placed a hand on Luk's shoulder.
"You were the first people I personally chose to recruit."
"I don't want to lose any of you before you've had the chance to enjoy your new lives in Noaterra."
"Go back."
After saying that, Noah took out his notebook.
He quickly wrote a short message.
"When you return to Noaterra, please give this letter to the little blue-haired girl named Amira."
Luk accepted the letter with both hands.
A moment later, he nodded.
"Understood, my Lord."
Before leaving, he handed Noah several cuts of freshly hunted meat.
"Take these."
"You still have a long journey ahead."
"You'll need them."
Noah smiled warmly.
"Thank you."
"Go."
"We'll be fine."
Luk saluted.
A short while later, the six hunters turned their Horsias around.
Slowly, their figures disappeared into the endless grasslands.
Once again, Noah's party had returned to its original size.
Only Noah, Lee, Lania, Lucia, and their wagon continued toward Herkalus Forest.
The silence inside the wagon grew even deeper.
After a while, Noah finally broke it.
"Lee."
"What about you?"
"You could lose your life too."
Lee smiled softly.
"I'm an Elf."
"I've lived for centuries."
"If the day comes when I die..."
"...I won't have any regrets."
She fell silent for a moment.
"But..."
Noah looked at her.
"But what?"
Lee kept her eyes on the road ahead.
"Amira."
"Ever since I learned she's the child from my people's prophecy..."
"...I can't shake the feeling that I have a responsibility."
"The entire Kingdom of Primoterra believes that prophecy will change the future of the Elven race."
A faint smile crossed her face.
"Even though..."
"...I still don't truly understand what it means."
Noah said nothing.
He simply watched the evening sky slowly turn shades of orange.
In the distance...
The towering trees of Herkalus Forest swallowed the last rays of sunlight.
Their journey into the most dangerous region of Magnora had truly begun.