It was already afternoon, 2:00 pm to be exact. Gen, Rei, and Laile was sitting on front of the carriage that their riding.

Gen is coaching the horses while Rei was leaning his back on the carriage whistling softly, seemingly in tune with the flickering of the leaves and the blowing wind.

Laile on the other hand had a dead stare, unconcerned about anything. There was nothing he could do but sit still until they arrive at their destination.

He looked around the road from time to time but all he could see is thick pile of trees and bushes.

[Haaaaaa.]

He let out a long and heavy sigh.

Now he realized how boring traveling is. The excitement he got from his big brother at the village had greatly diminished since then. Not only it will take a long time before they reaches capital, there was also nothing he could do to kill his boredom. And what’s worse is it will take 7 days of travel. That’s 7 days! 7 days of full boredom!!

Seeing the dead tired look of Laile as if he’d been tirelessly working all day in a farm made Gen smirk off.

[Are you tired?]

[No, I’m just bored since there’s nothing to do]

He answered bluntly without even batting an eye.

Laile still had a dead tired face even when his grandfather spoke. His grandfather couldn’t help but laugh at him.

[You’ll just have to bear with it for now.]

Gen consoled his grandchild whilst pulling the ropes on the horse.

Soon, the lady sun finally settled at the back of the mountains. Gen proceeded a bit further down the road to find a place of clearing. He stops the horse and got down the carriage.

He instructed his two grandchild to gather dry woods near. He dug a small circle and placed a few rocks around it to make a base for setting a fire.

Then they unloaded straw mats for their bed. Gen got to work with the ingredients so he can cook their food.

Finally, their meal was cooked.

It was a simple chicken soup but it was surely the best meal when traveling.

Laile reckoned the unanswered questions he had previously. He thought if he can asked them again while they were eating. He looked down at the chicken soup pondering for a while before opening his mouth.

[So, grandpa, what is the Arcania?]

With a firm determined look he asked his grandfather.

Gen suddenly remembers the barrage of questions Laile asked previously. His thoughts rambled for a while.

(Should I answer or not? If I answer he might ask more questions.)

It sure is a great problem, a child’s curiosity that is.

But seeing such a serious face when he asked a question, Gen returned the courtesy by answering back. Laile was bound to know it anyway so he might as well tell him much earlier.

[The Arcania continent is the place we reside in. It is in the Southern-West part of the world map. The Arcania Continent is also the smallest continent in the whole world. It compromises of 11 kingdoms, there are the three main kingdoms which I told you earlier. The Ranella, Boreas, and Edan. Although there are many more others, it will take along time to explain so we’ll just skip them for now.]

With perked up ears, Laile was focused on what his grandfather was telling. He’s so focus that he forgot to eat the chicken soup in his hands. Rei on the other hand is silently eating the chicken soup while also listening to his old man.

[For now I’ll explain the Ranella Kingdom. Our destination or to be more specific, it’s capital. With it’s main palace being sandwiched between the Ursula Mountain Range and Mystical Cloud Forest.]

[Main palace?]

Laile cuts Gen halfway on his speech and asked a question.

[Yes, they also call the main city where the King resides Main Palace, this is mostly known as the capital. They cannot build a whole kingdom in one piece because of two places near.]

[The Ursula Mountain Range and Mystical Cloud Forest?]

Again, with a serious look, he answered.

[Yes, that is right. The capital cannot develop further land because it’s dangerous to get close with these two places. The Ursula Mountain Range is home to many beasts, that is why it’s dangerous not only for the kingdom but for it’s for people as well. The threat of a beast flood is high if that time comes.]

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[Beast flo... W-what?]

With a baffled look he asked.

Gen frowned when he looked at the untouched chicken soup in Laile’s hand.

[Finish your meal first then I’ll tell you.]

[Ahh!]

With a flustered look, he quickly devoured the whole chicken. Chewing even it’s bone in the process.

[Wa.. Wait! You should slow down. You’ll choke if you eat that fast]

Rei warned his little brother but just as after he finishes speaking he saw Laile gulping down a the whole bowl of soup.

[Done!]

Showing the clean bowl of chicken soup while wiping his mouth with the end of his shirt.

[Ah…]

With his face filled with shock. Rei just shuts his mouth down.

[Can you tell me now??]

Again with a hint of excitement and curiousness, Laile asked.

[Al.. Alright. Uhm, so, a beast flood is an event where a huge number of beasts suddenly attacks a village, city, or a kingdom. It’s quite similar to a stampede but the only difference is that a stampede is mostly caused by natural things like a lighting, a predators roar, and other things that can threaten a horde of beasts. Opposite to it, Beast Flood is mostly incited by humans disturbing the territory where a huge population of beasts are located. Demon beasts are extremely territorial and doesn’t want to get bothered by humans and other races in the habitat they lived in.

So back to the kingdom. It’s territories are scattered far off from the capital because of those reasons. The other territories are governed by the nobles of the kingdom, with the capital being governed by the king. The king is also tasked to keep the nobles in check.

Although it’s lands are scattered, the safety of their people are assured. These lands also provide farmlands, mines, and lakes for the stable income of their denizens. Albeit far, they can still communicate fairly well with the use of magic. The Kingdom also uses the mine in one of the mountains in the Ursula Mountain Range. They get magic stones in the mine which they later use or sell to other kingdoms.]

Gen sipped a few in the chicken soup before continuing.

[The kingdom being crowned as the trading capital of the continent is not just a thing coming out because of it’s fame. Rather, it was the accrued reputation that the kingdom got over the past few years…]

Gen got on and on with his explanation about the Ranella Kingdom, with Laile listening carefully. Experiencing a change of emotions between excitement, curiosity, confusion, and was dumbfounded with the intake of information.

Rei on the other hand was already lying down with his own straw mat on the ground covering his body with a thin sheet of leather cloth.

It was already nearing midnight when both Gen and Laile finished their conversation, approximately late Sadan (13:00 – 15:59 pm). Laile got to bed first while Gen tidied up their cooking wear.

It was fortunate that there was a small stream near the road where he was able to clean their utensils.

After finally finishing the deed, he got unto his own straw bed and prepared himself to sleep throughout the night.

Gen relaxed himself as no beast would come sneak and pounce at them. Their route of choice was a relatively safe one compared to the shorter road near the Ursula Mountain Ranges.

But what about bandits you may ask, No no no. Bandits would dare not come near the Mystical Cloud Forest fearing that they might get lost inside the woods and may as well lose their life.

After all bandits are still humans, they value their life much more than money. And bandits only target those of much more likely to have full pockets such as traveling merchants, unlike them who are normal villagers.

So they are safe sleeping besides the road under the beautiful moonlight.

Gen looked up at the night sky, observing the sparkling stars.

(6 days more.)

He mulled for a fair bit of time before turning in for the night.

The next day.

Gen got up. It was still quite early and the sun has yet to rise.

He stretched over before waking up his two grandsons.

After waking up, Rei and Laile washed their face on the small stream of water. On the other hand Gen prepares the carriage so they can leave immediately. After all, they still have a long journey ahead.

The night was still dark when they hit the road. The evident of coldness was present in their steamy breaths.

And just like before, their ride was still the same boring one. Laile just slept through the ride as there was nothing notable to see.

This has gone on for 3 more days. The same routine every other day. They hit the road at morning takes a small break at noon to eat then hit the road yet again after that they eat dinner while gen is telling stories then turn in for the night and rinse repeat.

Right now was already the fifth day of their journey. They’re slowly closing in to their destination.

The wind was blowing quite strong in this particular day giving them a cool breeze to relax on.

Laile was lying on the carriage when a small petal blown along the wind landed on his nose.

[Hmmm?]

Opening his eyes he saw something on his nose.

A small yet vibrant pink petal.

It suddenly floated from his nose as if an invisible force grabbed it.

He got up and grabbed the petal. It flew to his fingers as if it was sucked.

[A pink petal?]

He turns his head on the right side of the road. The lush greenery was still present just like before and there was no color pink in it’s surroundings.

But the left side of the road gave him quite a surprise. With his eyes widened, he can clearly see the transitioning of the lush green forest to that of vibrant pink and indigo.

Different flora and fauna that he’d never seen, truly a sight to behold.

With a bit more observation he saw that the trunk and branches of trees with pink leaves are slightly twisted. It was just like the little slide that his grandfather made in their village.

It was a clear contrast to the trees he had seen so far.

[What’s this?]

Standing up the carriage he asked his grandfather.

[That’s the Mystical Cloud Forest. An uncharted land under the jurisdiction of Ranella Kingdom.]

Laile took note of the mysterious land in front oh him.

Even though Gen said that it was a land under the Ranella Kingdom, in truth, it was an inhabitable land that cannot be developed into a proper place for the kingdom.

The Mystical Cloud Forest is a land renowned for it’s beauty yet also feared for what it hid behind it’s seemingly mesmerizing appearance.

It was mostly known as the “Land of the lost” in the past due to many cases of disappearance of people not only from the kingdom but for anyone who dares to step within it’s land. Fear was spread among the masses at that time, especially when there were bodies found near it’s territory.

Bodies suck dry as if someone siphoned the blood and vitality out of it. This is also the reason for legends that say there are mystical beast occupying the land.

Although dangerous, you’re all good as long as you don’t wander deep enough in the land. The pinkish smoke that seems like a cloud up above is the suspecting reason for why people gets lost inside it.

Laile gaze into to beautiful land lamenting into himself. He looked at the petal in his hands, tried to take a sniff the scent of the petal then looked back to the dense trees covering the entirety of the forest.

[It’s quite… beautiful.]

Muttering slowly as he looked to the forest that seems to stretch infinitely across the land.