"What? You know Toziro? Wait how did you know we're looking for him?" Braum asked bewildered.

"...I'm a searcher...a good one at that. I got my own sources so don't worry about that. Well, I could only guess that you're someone from the same country as Toziro." Grant shrugged and answered.

"Hmmm...the chip we implanted in Toziro's brain doesn't allow him to reveal the existence of Yakana." Kelvin chimed in.

"So the name of the country is Yakana is it?...well you're correct that Toziro didn't reveal everything to me. In fact, he told stories about his past with very vague expressions and retellings." Grant replied.

"I guess he must have discovered that as long as he doesn't mention Yakana itself, then the chip wouldn't detect it," Niko muttered.

After thinking for a while, Braum asked Grant again.

"...How did you meet Toziro?"

"He...he helped me with a case a few years ago. He also taught me a lot of new knowledge like DNA to help my investigating skills. I have seen the technology you people use and linked it to the stories that Toziro told of his country...I owe him a lot and would like to meet him again so I want to come with you guys to Neversummer." Grant answered while looking a bit nostalgic.

"Well...I think you would be useful in helping us find him if you knew him personally. Although I expect to hear the full story on how you met him someday" Braum replied.

"Great. I'll go pack up my stuff" Grant said and left the room.

But suddenly, the quiet Lisa also said something after Grant had left.

"Umm.....I'm also coming with you guys"

"What?" Braum muttered in surprise.

"I...I need to take care of Grant! He hasn't left the city in a while!" Lisa replied with a face as red as a tomato.

Kelvin approached Braum and whispered to him.

"Prince, I think it would be a burden to add another member to our team" Kelvin has learned not to voice out his opinion too harshly since Braum was not fond of that.

"You can come, sure. I think she'll be useful for something...there are certain things that only her magic could detect" Braum said, referring to her identification magic.

"T-thank you...uh...King?" Lisa said and bowed down. She has learned earlier of Braum's identity.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"You are not a citizen of my country so you have no need to bow like that...Just go and pack up your stuff" Braum said.

"Uhh..yes!" Lisa left the room in a hurry.

"Stef, go to the market with the children and buy them some clothes for the journey" Braum ordered.

"As you wish" Urada complied and took the children out of the room.

There were only three people left inside the room; Braum, Niko, and Kelvin.

"Uhh...what do you want me to do?" Niko asked.

"Right. I asked you guys earlier to find the quickest methods to get to Neversummer. How was it?" Braum said.

"Of course," Kelvin said and opened the map of Estalia with the ARIM device.

Estalia's Map: https://imgur.com/a/pqAJlHG

"The quickest method is, of course, going straight from Lancester to Neversummer and not take pitstops in cities like Drogfort or Vanderfort, but that does have some risks" Kelvin explained.

"And what are those risks?" Braum asked.

"Mostly since the ARIM has detected that temperature will drop even lower soon so there are some risks of traveling such long distances. We would have to get to Neversummer as fast as possible to eliminate those risks" Kelvin answered.

"And how can we do that? Get on with it" Braum said with impatience.

"You remember the Ogruns?" Niko asked.

"Those large animals with snouts on their mouths? The ones who carried our caravan from Lebourne to Lancester? They can travel long distances sure but they're too slow." Braum recalled the Ogruns.

"Well, we found out that they have a subspecies cousin who is both smaller and faster—they are specially used for fast travel. They're called the Vaux Ogruns. 'Vaux' being the local word for small. " Niko explained.

"That's great. How can we get them?" Braum asked again.

"Well...we already bought them. We have quite a decent amount of money from selling the Serpental Bears' parts and the bounties from the bandits we defeated. I think we should leave today instead of waiting for tomorrow. We should go before the temperature drops any further." Kelvin replied.

" *sigh* you could've just told me from the start if we already have them then. Alright, call the others after they have finished their preparations and let's meet up at the northern gate of the city. " Braum ordered.

Later that day, just before the sunset, the whole group gathered in the northern gate of the city. There were only five Vaux Ogruns available, so they had to share the ride with one more person per Vaux Ogrun. The arrangements were as such: Braum and Rachael, Niko and Urada, Kelvin and Deckard, Grant and Larry, Lisa and Mary.

"Why do I have to share the entire journey with you? You could just... walk or something" Urada complained.

"Shut the fuck up. You think I signed up for this?" Niko answered.

"You two, don't complain. We must get going right away" Braum reprimanded.

Braum then noticed the disappointed look on Lisa's face as she was riding her Vaux Orgun.

"Hey, Lisa, what's wrong?" Braum asked in worry.

"Ah...it's nothing," Lisa said while glancing at Grant.

"What are you looking at me for? You want me to babysit you again? It's bad enough you chose to come with us in this journey" Grant said while frowning.

"N-no! I can ride this myself! A-and it was my own choice to come with you guys." Lisa said with a red face and turned away in the opposite direction.

'Grant, you sure are dense with love matters considering your intelligence' Braum thought.

"Alright, I think we should go right now," Braum said and the whole group started their journey to Neversummer. Little did they know, this trip was not going to be as simple as retrieving former general Toziro and his group. Chaos was brewing quietly in the background.