Rest After the Storm
The sun had begun to sink toward the western horizon.
Dust still drifted through the air from the cave that had collapsed only moments earlier.
Noah, Lee, and Lania finally stopped at an open clearing far enough away from the site. They decided to rest for a while and recover from the battle that had nearly claimed their lives.
Lania had suffered the most serious injuries.
Several deep cuts were visible across her arm and shoulder, and her breathing occasionally grew heavy.
Lee had escaped with only bruises and minor injuries caused by the falling debris.
As for Noah...
Although he had spent most of the battle under Lucia's protection, his body was still covered with small cuts from flying rocks and broken branches.
But Noah paid no attention to his own wounds.
The moment he saw Lania's condition, he immediately searched through the bag he always carried.
"Wait a moment..."
He rummaged through his belongings one by one.
"...It's not here?"
Noah froze.
Only then did he remember.
His bag was still inside the wagon.
He let out a long sigh before turning toward Lucia.
"Lucia."
"Please take me up into the air."
Lucia gave a gentle nod.
Without another word, she lifted Noah and soared high into the sky.
From above, Noah quickly spotted their wagon.
It was much farther south than he had expected.
He slowly shook his head.
"So far away..."
Lucia descended once more.
"Lania."
"Lee."
"Wait here."
"I'm going to retrieve the wagon."
Lee started to volunteer.
But Noah shook his head.
"You should both rest."
"Lania's injuries aren't in any condition for a long walk."
Without waiting for a reply, Lucia carried Noah south at incredible speed.
She could have easily flown all three of them at once.
But Noah deliberately chose not to.
Traveling by land allowed him to observe the surrounding terrain.
If he discovered rivers, fertile soil, or valuable natural resources, he could record their locations.
He would lose that opportunity if they simply flew overhead.
Time passed.
By the time the sun was nearing the western horizon...
the wagon finally came into view.
Noah climbed down with a small smile.
Lania tried to stand.
"My Lord..."
"You don't have to go through so much trouble."
"I can still walk."
She managed only a few steps.
"Cough..."
She coughed softly, suppressing a surge of pain.
Noah immediately stopped her.
"That's enough."
"Don't push yourself."
He opened the herbal guidebook he always carried.
While retrieving the wagon, Noah had intentionally stopped several times to gather medicinal plants described in the book.
Various leaves.
Roots.
Wildflowers.
He carefully mixed them together into a simple herbal medicine to treat their wounds.
Since evening was already approaching, they decided not to continue their journey.
Campfire in the Forest
The sky turned a brilliant shade of orange.
Noah immediately began setting up the tents.
This time...
he insisted on doing it himself.
Lucia simply stood nearby, watching.
Noah smiled at her.
"Let me handle it."
"I need to learn these things too."
Lucia quietly nodded.
Before long, two tents stood ready.
A campfire was lit.
Noah began preparing dinner using the meat Luk had given them.
The aroma of roasting meat slowly drifted through the evening air.
Lee and Lania simply sat by the fire, enjoying its warmth while allowing their bodies to recover.
They shared their meal in an atmosphere far calmer than it had been only a few hours earlier.
During dinner...
Noah suddenly spoke.
"Lee."
"If Jikales was one of the strongest demons..."
"...then where is he now?"
Before Lee could answer...
Lucia spoke first.
"He has been sealed."
"Inside the Hand of Exorcis."
"And he will never be free..."
"...as long as I exist."
Noah smiled faintly.
He knew...
Lucia could never truly die because her existence was directly bound to Astra's Blessing.
Quietly, he began organizing everything they had learned.
"So one of the three strongest True Demons has truly been removed..."
"But there are still two remaining."
"The threat to Noaterra isn't over yet."
Lee studied Noah's expression.
"Thinking again?"
Noah chuckled.
"Haha..."
"It turns out building Noaterra isn't nearly as easy as I imagined."
Lee smiled as well.
"If you wanted it to be easy..."
"...you could simply create all of your citizens."
Noah laughed immediately.
"That would definitely be the fastest solution."
"But it isn't the kingdom I want to build."
The four of them smiled together.
Night once again settled over the forest.
Only the occasional crackle of burning wood broke the silence.
The Journey Continues
Dawn broke.
The morning air was cool and refreshing.
Lania slowly stepped out of her tent.
The scars from her wounds were still clearly visible.
But her movements were much lighter than they had been the day before.
Lee walked over to her.
"How are you feeling?"
Lania nodded with a smile.
"Much better."
"Thank you."
Lee glanced at the healing cuts on her arm.
"Noah's herbal medicine is truly remarkable."
"Wounds like these usually take much longer to heal."
While they were talking...
the wagon suddenly rolled toward them.
Noah grinned from the driver's seat.
"Come on."
"Hop in."
"This time..."
"...I'll drive the wagon."
Lee helped Lania aboard first.
After making sure everyone was comfortably seated, he climbed in as well.
Noah gathered the reins.
"We still have a long journey ahead."
"Get as much rest as you can."
The wagon began moving once more,
leaving the small campsite behind.
Their journey north resumed.
The Forgotten Settlement
By noon, the atmosphere of Herkalus Forest began to change.
The towering trees that had once blocked out the sky gradually became less dense. Sunlight now filtered through the canopy, making the forest feel far more alive than the dark, silent southern region.
But Noah knew...
this was still Herkalus Forest.
There was no place that could truly be called safe.
Several times, wild monsters blocked their path.
Sometimes a horned wolf emerged from the undergrowth.
Other times, packs of small monsters attempted to ambush the wagon.
Seeing that Lee and Lania were still recovering from their injuries, Noah decided not to take any unnecessary risks.
"Lucia."
"Please."
Lucia nodded.
Within moments, every monster blocking their way had been eliminated.
More monster gemstones filled Noah's storage pouch.
He smiled faintly.
"Not bad..."
"We're clearing the road and collecting gemstones at the same time."
The journey continued.
One day passed.
Then another.
Before they realized it, they had spent two more days exploring the forest.
Noah had already lost track of how long they had been away from Noaterra.
Smoke in the Forest
Late on the second afternoon...
Lee began carefully observing their surroundings.
He frowned.
"I think..."
"...we've gone too far."
Noah looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Lee stared into the forest ahead.
"I rescued those wild villagers before reaching the Demonic Cave."
"They couldn't possibly have traveled this far."
"If their settlement is even farther beyond this..."
"...it doesn't make any sense."
Noah considered it.
"You're right."
"In that case..."
"...we've been searching without any real direction."
Before they could discuss it further...
a thin plume of smoke rose in the distance.
Everyone immediately stopped the wagon.
This time, they were far more cautious.
Their encounter with Jikales had taught them not to underestimate enemies capable of hiding their presence.
"Lucia."
"Can you check it out?"
Lucia nodded.
She shot into the sky toward the source of the smoke.
Several minutes later, she returned.
"My Lord."
"It's a settlement."
Noah's eyes lit up.
"Excellent."
"We finally found it."
Lucia slowly shook her head.
"They're not humans."
"It's a goblin settlement."
Noah's expression changed slightly.
But Lucia quickly added,
"They don't appear to be hostile."
Noah smiled.
"Then..."
"...at the very least, we can ask them."
The Goblin Village
When they arrived...
dozens of goblins emerged from behind a wooden palisade.
The guards raised their spears.
A defensive line quickly formed in front of Noah's group.
"State your identities."
"What business do you have here?"
Before Noah could answer...
Lania stepped down from the wagon.
"I'll handle this."
She calmly approached the guards without showing the slightest sign of hostility.
Patiently, she explained the purpose of their visit.
Little by little, Lania's diplomatic skill eased the goblins' suspicion.
Not long afterward...
they were invited into the settlement.
Inside a modest village hall, an elderly goblin greeted them.
He was the village elder.
Noah deliberately allowed Lania to lead the entire conversation.
Gradually...
they began learning more about the place.
"This settlement..."
"...used to belong to humans."
The elder looked around at the surrounding stone houses.
"The humans who lived here kept moving."
"Whenever they sensed danger..."
"...they abandoned the settlement."
He chuckled softly.
"The funny thing is..."
"...even after we arrived..."
"...they still chose to leave."
"We may be weak..."
"...but they feared us anyway."
Since the goblins lacked the knowledge to build stone houses...
they simply made use of the abandoned buildings left behind by the humans.
Lania asked another question.
"Do your people move often as well?"
The elder nodded.
"Of course."
"We're hunted too."
"If the Demonic fail to capture humans..."
"...we become the next targets."
The Golden Cliff
Throughout the conversation...
Noah had barely spoken.
His attention was fixed on the rocky cliffs surrounding the settlement.
He walked closer.
Running his fingers across the stone surface.
His eyes widened.
"No way..."
Lee approached him.
"What is it?"
Noah lowered his voice.
"Look at the color of this rock."
"This isn't ordinary stone."
"It contains an enormous amount of gold."
Lee fell silent.
"That much?"
Noah nodded.
"I don't think..."
"...any kingdom has discovered this place yet."
Apparently, the goblin elder had overheard them.
He chuckled.
"That's correct."
"We know these rocks are valuable."
"But we have no way to mine them."
"Besides..."
"...if a kingdom discovered this place..."
"...they would seize our land."
Noah looked at the elder.
Then smiled.
"Elder."
"Would you allow me to mine the gold here?"
The elder blinked in surprise.
Noah continued.
"In return..."
"...I'll build a proper settlement for your people."
"Houses."
"Food warehouses."
"Harvest storage facilities."
"And everything else you'll need."
"I want your people to stop living as wanderers."
Silence filled the room.
Lania carefully explained Noah's proposal in greater detail.
After a long discussion...
the village elder finally nodded.
"We trust you."
Noah returned the smile.
Already, plans were taking shape in his mind.
"With a gold reserve of this size, Noaterra will never struggle to fund its development again. Roads, irrigation systems, workshops, schools, and countless other projects that had existed only as plans could gradually become reality."
But he quickly reminded himself,
"Everything must be done step by step."
"A strong kingdom isn't built simply by possessing gold..."
"...it's built by people who know how to use it."
A Guide Forward
Just as the meeting was about to conclude...
several young goblins exchanged glances.
One of them stepped forward.
"My name is Nox."
He lowered his head respectfully.
"Some time ago..."
"...while searching for food during a rainstorm..."
"...we found human footprints."
"We followed them."
"That's when we discovered a settlement."
Noah immediately stood.
"Where is it?"
Nox pointed north.
"About half a day's journey from here."
"If you'd allow it..."
"...I'd like to guide you there."
A broad smile spread across Noah's face.
"That would help us tremendously."
As repayment...
Noah took out his herbal guidebook.
He copied several simple medicinal recipes along with the plants needed to make them.
Then he handed the pages to the goblin elder.
"Consider this..."
"...an advance payment for the Golden Cliff."
The elder accepted the papers with both hands.
His eyes slowly filled with tears.
Many goblins injured during hunts had gone without proper treatment for a very long time.
"Thank you..."
"...My Lord."
"Now we'll finally be able to care for them."
Noah simply smiled.
Evening was approaching.
The goblin elder invited them to spend the night in the village and continue their journey the following morning.
Tomorrow, they would no longer be traveling as just the four of them.
A young goblin named Nox was now ready to guide them to the human settlement they had been searching for all along.