Chapter 102: Journey (Part 2)

Along a wide road, a carriage moved slowly.

Inside the carriage sat two men and a woman. One of the men, dressed in sturdy attire with a large sword on his back, had a broad build and carried an air of subtle intimidation. The other man, dressed in a loose robe with slender features, black hair, and blue eyes, looked quite young. This was Merlin, who had left Pagus City alone.

Following the directions on his map, Merlin was heading toward the Kurd Mountains. By chance, he had encountered this pair of siblings along the way.

The broad-shouldered man was named Capes, who wore a small ponytail, and his sister, the tall, lively Catherine. When they met him, Catherine had invited Merlin to join them in the carriage.

"Mr. Merlin, where are you headed?" Catherine asked warmly, having struck up a conversation the moment he boarded. She was evidently spirited but somewhat inexperienced, lacking a healthy caution for strangers. In contrast, her brother Capes was more wary. Though he was reluctant, he eventually allowed Catherine to invite Merlin aboard.

Hearing her question, Merlin thought for a moment and, deciding not to hide his intentions, answered, "I'm headed to the Kurd Mountains."

The Kurd Mountains were vast, often home to rare beasts prized by the noble class for their furs. Many adventurers ventured into the mountains to hunt these animals, hoping to sell them for a high price in the city.

Catherine sized Merlin up with some skepticism, then said, "You're also going to the Kurd Mountains? You don't look much like an adventurer."

Indeed, Merlin, dressed in his loose robe, with a slender build and no visible weaponry, didn't fit the typical image of a rough-and-ready adventurer. Merlin didn't reply directly, only smiling as he glanced meaningfully at Catherine and Capes. "Neither do you."

A faint blush crossed Catherine's cheeks, and she lowered her voice, confiding, "We're not adventurers. I'll let you in on a secret—we heard there's a powerful spellcaster organization in the Kurd Mountains. We're going to look for it, and if we're lucky enough to find it, we might even become spellcasters!"

Seeing her excitement, Merlin narrowed his eyes and calmly asked, "Oh? There are spellcasters in the Kurd Mountains?"

"Of course! We heard it with our own—"

"Uh, Catherine," Capes interrupted, changing the subject quickly, "the carriage is stuffy. Let's step outside for a bit of fresh air."

Catherine had started speaking without thinking, but Capes's wary expression made it clear he wanted to be cautious. Merlin had already gathered some valuable information from her words.

"Yes, it's a bit cramped. Let's take a break," Merlin suggested, stepping down from the carriage first.

Once they were outside, Capes pulled Catherine aside and said sternly, "Catherine, we snuck out to do this, so we need to be cautious. You invited a complete stranger to join us on a whim, and then you told him we're looking for spellcasters. How could you be so careless?"

Catherine stuck out her tongue and whispered, "I got a bit too excited and forgot. But don't you think there's something mysterious about Mr. Merlin? He doesn't look like an adventurer at all. Maybe he's also headed to the Kurd Mountains to look for the spellcaster organization."

After a moment's thought, Capes cautioned, "Whatever Merlin is, it doesn't concern us. We snuck away from home because we heard rumors of a spellcaster organization in the Kurd Mountains, but we don't even know if it exists. Let's just get there and part ways with him."

Though reluctant, Catherine nodded in agreement, aware she'd already made a mistake. When they returned to the carriage, she kept silent as her brother had asked.

Days later, the carriage came to a halt. Before them lay dense forests with no more road ahead. They had finally arrived at the Kurd Mountains.

Merlin, Capes, and Catherine disembarked. Both siblings seemed excited, and Capes turned to Merlin, saying, "Mr. Merlin, we have business in the Kurd Mountains, so we'll be going our own way."

Merlin nodded as Capes and Catherine quickly made their way into the forest.

Watching the siblings disappear into the trees, Merlin shook his head. He could already tell that neither had the spiritual potential necessary to become a spellcaster. It was hard to say where they'd heard about a spellcaster organization in the Kurd Mountains, but coming here so rashly could be dangerous.

Still, Capes seemed capable enough, perhaps a third-level elemental swordsman, with a slight aura of power about him. Perhaps they felt confident enough in their skills to venture into the mountains in search of spellcasters.

Finding them amusing, Merlin turned his focus inward, lightly touching the black ring on his hand as he murmured, "The Kurd Mountains are vast. Where exactly is Darklight Domain?"

The black ring—a token from Darklight Domain—offered no hints. With no other option, Merlin resolved to explore the mountains and hope the ring would eventually reveal some sign.

Following the old man's advice, Merlin knew he would likely need the ring to locate Darklight Domain. He headed deeper into the forest, believing that if Darklight Domain was in these mountains, it wouldn't be found on the outskirts but rather in the secluded heart of the range.

---

Meanwhile, Capes and Catherine moved swiftly through the trees, glancing behind them to confirm Merlin hadn't followed.

"Merlin didn't come after us. I suppose I was being overly cautious," Capes sighed, finally relaxing.

"Alright, let's keep moving," Catherine said, determined. "Master Palio said we lack the potential to be spellcasters, but I think he just doesn't have the skill to make it happen. It's said that the spellcaster organizations are incredibly powerful. Even Master Palio spoke of them with envy. We'll find one and become spellcasters ourselves!"

A complex look flickered in Capes's eyes. "Master Palio did mention a powerful spellcaster organization in the Kurd Mountains called Darklight Domain. He didn't know the exact location, but strange occurrences reported in the mountains seemed to happen deeper in. Maybe Darklight Domain is located in the heart of the range. Let's keep going and see if we can find it."

With that, Capes and Catherine headed deeper into the Kurd Mountains.