Beneath a Wider Sky
The Kingdom Beyond the Horizon
After leaving the Herkalus Forest...
Noaterra's long caravan finally entered a vast open grassland.
For the first time after spending days beneath the dense forest canopy...
the sky of Magnora stretched endlessly above them.
A gentle breeze swept across the endless sea of green grass.
Several Rabibas ran freely through the fields.
Blue birds with long tails glided low over the plains, occasionally perching on rocks before taking flight again with the wind.
The atmosphere within the caravan gradually brightened.
Children laughed once more.
The adults let out relieved sighs.
At least...
for now, they had left the Herkalus Forest behind.
But the sense of peace didn't last long.
In the distance...
the edge of the Terrania Forest came into view.
It looked far greener.
Far denser.
And somehow...
far more tranquil than the Herkalus Forest.
Perhaps because of that...
many people became even more uneasy.
One of the villagers stared at the forest hesitantly.
"Is that really the Terrania Forest?"
Lee gave a slow nod.
"It is."
The man spoke again.
"The last story I heard about that place..."
"...was about a group of adventurers who entered to hunt."
"Not a single one returned."
His words immediately made several people exchange uneasy glances.
Throughout Magnora's history...
the Terrania Forest had existed only in stories.
Ordinary humans had never successfully explored it.
Only elite royal forces and the strongest adventurers had ever set foot inside.
Even then...
very few ever returned.
No one spoke after that.
The caravan continued onward in silence.
Meanwhile...
Noah, walking beside Lee, was looking elsewhere.
Far beyond the grasslands...
the silhouettes of several castles rose against the horizon.
Though distant and hazy...
their grandeur was unmistakable.
A faint smile appeared on Noah's face.
"Lee."
"Look over there."
Lee followed his gaze.
Several magnificent royal castles stood proudly in the distance.
"What about them?"
Noah chuckled softly.
"Someday..."
"...Noaterra will stand among them."
"Not as an enemy."
"But as a kingdom."
Lee smiled.
"That's not an impossible dream."
"But..."
"...there's something you still don't know."
Noah looked at him curiously.
"What is it?"
Lee turned his eyes toward the north.
"There aren't only three kingdoms in this world."
"Beyond the Herkalus Forest..."
"...there's another one."
"The Kingdom of Vonterra."
Noah looked surprised.
"So..."
"...Magnora has four kingdoms?"
Lee nodded.
"Vonterra is the most prosperous kingdom."
"It leads the Magnora Association."
"Nearly every kingdom belongs to it."
"Only Alpaterra has chosen to remain independent."
Noah frowned.
"The Magnora Association?"
"So the kingdoms actually share a common organization?"
"They do."
"Primoterra is one of its members as well."
Lee continued calmly.
"If Noaterra ever grows into a kingdom..."
"...I recommend that you join."
Noah looked at him attentively.
"Why?"
"Because relationships between kingdoms aren't built on strength alone."
"Trade."
"Diplomacy."
"The exchange of knowledge."
"Everything becomes much easier through the Magnora Association."
Lee then looked across the endless grasslands.
"We may possess abundant natural resources."
"But..."
"...no kingdom can provide everything it needs on its own."
"In the end..."
"...every kingdom depends on trade."
Noah smiled quietly.
Lee's words reminded him of the world he had left behind.
No nation could truly stand alone.
He pulled a small notebook from his bag.
Beneath the growing list of gold mines, crude oil deposits, and other natural resources he had discovered...
he added another sentence.
A strong kingdom is built not only on resources, but also on strong relationships with other kingdoms.
Closing the notebook, Noah smiled.
"Lee isn't just a mage."
"He understands how a nation should be built."
They continued walking.
Beneath Magnora's endless sky...
Noah's dream for Noaterra grew even larger.
A Name Never Forgotten
Their journey through the Terrania Forest proved far more nerve-racking than before.
No one truly felt at ease.
The lush green trees only made the silence feel heavier.
Only the rustling leaves disturbed the stillness.
At the very back of the caravan...
Vian seemed to be the only one completely relaxed.
The young boy laughed as Lucia, still in her Rabiba form, jumped from his shoulder onto his head before scampering around him and returning again.
His cheerful laughter became the only sound breaking the tense silence.
But...
the calm didn't last.
When the caravan had nearly crossed half the Terrania Forest...
BRAAAK!!
A gigantic battle axe slammed into the ground directly in front of the wagon.
The earth trembled.
Dozens of massive figures emerged from the trees.
The Orcs.
Leading them was Orca.
Their chieftain.
He raised his enormous axe high into the air.
"ARRRGHHH!!"
"I'll wipe every last one of you out!"
"What are you doing in my territory?!"
His roar echoed throughout the forest.
Children burst into tears.
Mothers hurried to embrace them.
Several men instinctively stepped backward.
Panic spread through the caravan.
"I knew it..."
"I told you this forest was dangerous."
"Please..."
"My child is still so young..."
Fearful whispers spread everywhere.
Lee let out a long sigh.
"Sigh..."
"I knew this would happen."
"Orcs really are terrible at remembering things."
Before anyone else could react...
Noah had already run out from the middle of the caravan.
He stopped directly in front of Orca.
Though he barely reached the Orc leader's waist...
he didn't retreat even a single step.
In a loud voice, he shouted,
"Orca!"
"Did you seriously forget me again?!"
The entire caravan fell silent.
No one had expected...
their leader to scold a giant capable of crushing them with a single swing of his axe.
Orca froze.
He stared at Noah.
Then his gaze shifted toward Lee.
Lania.
And finally...
Lucia.
Even though Lucia was still disguised as a Rabiba...
Orca's eyes widened instantly.
"ARRRGHHH!!"
His second roar echoed across the forest.
Several children covered their ears.
But...
what happened next stunned everyone.
Orca dropped his axe.
Then he knelt.
"Everyone!"
"Kneel!"
Dozens of Orc warriors immediately obeyed.
They all knelt in unison.
Silence fell over the forest.
The villagers could only stare in disbelief.
"A creature that enormous..."
"...is kneeling before Master Noah?"
Orca lowered his head.
"Forgive me, Master."
"The Orc race has terrible memories."
"But..."
"...I swear..."
"Even if I someday forget your face..."
"...I'll never forget the name Noah."
He turned toward his warriors.
"Listen well!"
"If these people ever pass through our territory again..."
"...make sure they speak the name Noah."
"Anyone who bears that name..."
"...is a guest of the Orcs."
"No one is to harm them."
The Orc warriors slammed their fists against their chests.
"ARRRGHHH!!"
Noah's annoyed expression finally softened into a smile.
"Good."
"Next time, remember faster."
Several Orcs exchanged awkward glances while Orca scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
The tension gradually faded.
The villagers, who had moments ago been terrified...
now looked at Noah with admiration.
Even the Orcs...
respected their leader.
A moment later, Noah remembered something.
"Orca."
"There are humans living with your people."
"I want to free them."
Orca's expression immediately grew serious.
"Free them?"
"But..."
"They're our slaves."
"They forge weapons for the Orcs."
"If they leave..."
"...who will work the iron?"
Noah frowned.
"Iron?"
Orca nodded firmly.
"That's right."
"Our territory has an iron mine."
"Ever since we discovered it..."
"...we've stopped relying only on wooden and stone weapons."
"But we can't forge iron ourselves."
"That's why we've kept the humans."
Noah's eyes lit up.
"An iron mine..."
"Another resource the kingdoms don't know about."
He immediately turned toward Lania.
"Lania."
"Come with me."
"I want to see it."
Lania nodded without hesitation.
Orca looked confused.
"You're really going to free our slaves?"
Noah glanced back toward the villagers.
The sky had begun to darken.
The sun slowly disappeared behind the towering trees of the Terrania Forest.
"Lee."
"Have everyone set up camp."
"We'll spend the night here."
"We'll continue our journey tomorrow morning."
Lee nodded.
"Understood."
The villagers immediately began pitching their tents.
There was no trace of the earlier panic.
They had just witnessed something beyond anything they had imagined.
The Orcs were still terrifying.
But they had also witnessed something else.
The leader of Noaterra...
was a man respected even by the chieftain of the Orcs.
That night...
their faith in Noah grew stronger than ever.