"I am glad you are enjoying yourself."

Kechara says "Yeah, the trip so far has been fun! I am glad you brought me along!"

"I am too. I'm sorry to keep you cooped up in the tower for so long!"

Kechara says "It wasn't that bad, I could always go out and fly around the mountain. Besides, I love Yui and Core!"

"Still, once we figure out how long you can be away from the barrier, I want you to be able to travel more."

Kechara says "That would be nice, but I will understand if it can't happen right away. After all, my connection to the barrier is not something you can control."

"Not yet anyway. So, you don't mind scouting around again tomorrow?"

Kechara says "Not at all. In fact I am curious about the beasts who made the path I spotted."

"Don't let Myria hear you say that, she scolds me about my curiosity all the time!"

Kechara says "That's because your curiosity always leads you into danger!"

"Not always!"

Myria walks over and says "What are you two arguing about?"

"We aren't arguing!"

Kechara says "Dad's curiosity!"

After that things get lively as everyone chips in to talk about my curiosity. Being completely outnumbered I give up and stop trying to argue with them. Even without me arguing the topic continues, with people taking turns to tell stories about me.

Eventually everyone runs out of stories and jokes so I suggest that everyone get some sleep. It is fairly late by this point, but all the smiles and laughter are worth losing a little time in the morning. As expected, the next day everyone sleeps in, but it is only about two hours later than usual.

At breakfast, Kechara eats quickly and leaves before anyone else is done eating. It seems she is set on satisfying her curiosity as soon as possible, a feeling I completely understand. The rest of us finish eating, clean up the camp, and set off once we are done.

A few hours pass and then Kechara returns to tell me she found the mana beasts. So I spread my wings and join her in flight as she leads me to them. What she found is a herd of buffalo-like beasts, there are at least five thousand of them moving together.

As we fly alongside I quickly figure out why their tracks are so strange. The front rank knocks the grass down and eats the top, then the following rank eats more. By the time the last rank passes the grass has been eaten down to stubs.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

They don't stop moving as they eat, they probably only stop to eat or drink. Many of them glance at us as we fly by, but they don't seem worried even though Kechara looks like a predator. They are bigger than a cow and have an impressive set of horns that look sharp.

From the looks of them I would say they don't have too many predators. Maybe only the beastmen hunt them, I haven't seen any large predators since we entered the plains. When we reach the front of the herb my eyes are drawn to a beast that is half again the size of the others.

We fly closer but still the herd ignores our presence, like they don't know fear. Or maybe they are just too stupid to fear anything, that is also a possibility. Signaling Kechara to stay put I fly over to the big one, which I am guessing is the herd leader.

Once I am closer I can sense that the big one is maxed out and ready to evolve. Just out of curiosity I land on its back to see if it will react, but it only twitches slightly. Since I doubt it can speak I don't bother asking permission and just scan it.

When I find nothing wrong I send my sacred power into it and trigger its evolution. I stay on the beast's back until I am sure the evolution has completed successfully. Then I launch into the air to rejoin Kechara, as I do the herd leader makes a sound.

It isn't a moo sound like I expected, more of a bugle sound, and it sounds happy. Then the rest of the herd joins in and the sound just becomes deafening. My poor, sensitive ears are ringing the entire flight back to the carriage.

When we reach the carriage there is someone new riding alongside, a fox beastwoman. She is riding a strange mana beast, it looks like a hyena but with the head of a tiger. Its fur is dark red with yellow highlights, making it look like it is on fire as it moves.

The mount is about the size of a horse and moves at about the speed of a horse. Lizzy has slowed down so that it can keep pace with her, but watching it run is kind of funny. As I land on the carriage the female fox bows to me, but her mount turns its head and growls at me.

Not being the type to be intimidated I turn my head and growl back at her mount. As soon as I growl her mount freezes, then it drops to the ground and rolls onto its back. The fox barely manages to jump clear, when she regains her balance she turns and glares at her mount.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting that much of a reaction."

Seleene says "It's alright, Your Majesty."

"I take it you are our guide to the lizard tribe?"

Seleene says "Yes, that is correct, My King. I will guide you to the lizard tribe and then the monkey tribe. Muyaun will meet you near the ogre tribe."

"How far from the lizard tribe to the monkey tribe?"

Seleene says "At my mount's speed about five days."

"Your mount is slow, how attached are you?"

Seleene says "Very! But I have friends in the lizard tribe, I can leave him with them and come back for him later."

"Good! Let's go!"

Seleene tries to get her mount back on its feet but it won't move, not until I growl again. Then it jumps to its feet and meekly lets her mount, she even comments about how well behaved it is being. With the slower speed of her mount Kechara ends up landing and running alongside the carriage.

"Everything alright Kechara?"

Kechara says "It is hard to fly that slow, it is easier to run."

"Alright. Hey, Asuna, why don't you run for a bit? Get some exercise!"

Asuna says "Do I have to?"

"Yes. Remember our trip and how quickly you got tired?"

Asuna says "Okay, dad."

She then jumps down from the roof of the carriage and starts running along with Kechara. Then the carriage door opens and Haku jumps out to run with them as well. Ekard just climbs up onto the roof and into my lap where he watches them run.

He seems a little down, probably because Haku has grown again and is now much bigger than him. Ekard on the other hand has only grown a few inches since he hatched. With Haku now the size of a large dog their wrestling is very one sided.

Ekard says "Mom, when will I get big?"

"To be honest it is going to take some time, but eventually you will be even bigger than Kechara."

Ekard says "Really?!"