Morning arrived, and the group prepared to continue their journey to Tancki Valley. After gathering their things, they sat down for a quick meal before setting off.

"So, what’s the plan now?" Carl asked, breaking the silence.

Mika closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "We’re going."

"Hmm? You mean... we’re helping the kids?" Jarred asked, watching her closely.

"Not exactly," she replied, meeting his gaze. "We’ll take the job at the Kent Family’s estate first—if... we can’t secure a ticket. If we find proof that they’re behind the kidnappings, then we act. But we can’t just accuse them without solid evidence. Not yet."

Azrael and Hafa’s faces lit up.

"That’s good to hear!" Azrael grinned, turning to Hafa. "We’ll finally find out if they’re really the ones who took your friends."

The boy gave a small, hopeful nod.

"Don’t get ahead of yourselves," Mika warned. "We don’t know how dangerous this could be."

"She’s right," Kyle added. "But still, I agree with Az, it’s good that you’ve decided to do something about it."

Mika sighed, stretching her arms. "Not like we have much of a choice."

*

After hours of traveling through the dense forest, they finally reached the other side. Open land stretched before them, the sky vast and clear.

"Finally! We’re out!" Carl shouted, throwing his hands up.

Jarred looked around, a grin on his face. "Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve seen an open area like this. No trees everywhere, just open sky."

Carl, standing beside Kyle, raised his arms dramatically. "Tancki Valley, here we come!"

Kyle, sitting beside him, groaned. "Can you get down already?"

Carl blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "Oh, right. My bad." He climbed off, scratching the back of his head.

Azrael chuckled and patted Kyle’s shoulder. "Come on, don’t be such a killjoy. Let him have his fun."

Kyle sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t let him get carried away."

As they continued forward, the distant sight of Tancki Valley grew clearer. The real challenge was about to begin.

*

After hours of travel, the sight of Tancki Valley finally came into view.

"At last! Tancki Valley!" Carl shouted, arms raised in excitement.

The town was alive with noise and movement, a bustling place where people struggled to make a living. Pickpockets and scammers lurked everywhere, making it a place where one had to stay alert at all times.

The poverty in the area was evident. Most of the people wore simple, worn-out clothes, and many of the goods sold in the market were stolen from other towns or even different countries.

However, there were still honest merchants, farmers selling fresh fruits and vegetables, taking advantage of the valley’s fertile land.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

At the farthest end of Tancki Valley, the climate was colder, with occasional snowfall due to the freezing winds blowing in from Kura Country.

The Tancki Valley, along with Conju Village, served as the only gateway between Garuga and Kura Country. However, instead of traveling by ship from Conju Village, the group had chosen to take the more faster route through Caroline Mountain.

The reason was simple. If they took a ship from Conju Village it will only lead them to Kura Country, and they would end up in New Blake City, a wealthy town that was the exact opposite of Tancki Valley.

It was also one of the places Mika’s group had stolen from in the past, making it dangerous for them to pass through.

Villagers from Conju had a very deep past among the people from Tancki, that's why they don't allow travelling to that place.

Even if they managed to slip through the new blake city unnoticed, they would still have to cross the White Illusion Forest, a cursed place that forced people to face their deepest regrets and weaknesses, trapping those who couldn’t overcome them.

If they survived that, they would then have to pass through Dragul Kingdom, home to the president of Kura Country.

Unlike a monarchy, this country was ruled by a president, a man Mika’s group had also stolen from before. If they were caught there, it would mean certain death.

But if they made it through all those obstacles, they would finally reach Maka Village, the only place where the president allowed ships to travel to the Northeast and to the other parts of the North Continent legally. Any other form of transportation would be considered illegal smuggling.

*

Mika gathered the group’s attention. "Alright, here’s the plan," she began. "First, we need a place to stay for the night. Carl, Az, you’re in charge of finding us a room. Make sure you don’t get scammed, and don’t pick anything too expensive. Understood?"

"Yes, ma’am!" Carl saluted playfully.

"Got it," Azrael nodded.

She continued. "The rest of us will head to the pier and try to secure tickets for the next ship. It just returned last month, so it’ll be a while before it leaves again, but we’ll see what we can do."

Azrael raised an eyebrow. "Wait, there’s only one ship in Tancki Valley?"

"That’s right," Carl answered before Mika could. "And that’s our only chance to leave. The problem is, thieves like us aren’t exactly welcome here, so getting a ticket won’t be easy. If Mika and the others manage to buy one, we’re lucky, it means we won’t have to rely on the Kent Family's 'business' to escape this place."

Azrael exhaled, processing the situation. "I see. Well then… goodluck securing those tickets."

Their carriage came to a stop in the middle of the marketplace.

"This is where we drop you off," Kyle said from the front.

"Alright!" Carl jumped down eagerly. "Let’s go, Az!"

"Coming!" Azrael turned to Hafa and gestured for him to follow.

Just as he was about to leave, Mika spoke up. "Az."

He turned back to see her watching him seriously. "If we get those tickets… we might never find out if the Kent Family really took those kids."

Azrael glanced at Hafa, then back at Mika. A small smile formed on his lips. "I know… but if I find proof that the Kent Family is involved, I’m saving those kids. Whether you agree or not."

With that, he waved them off and walked away as the carriage rolled forward.

*

As they made their way through the marketplace, Carl nudged him. "Wow, I didn’t think you were actually that serious about rescuing those kids."

Azrael simply nodded. "Yeah."

"Well then, first things first, let’s find a place to stay!" Carl said, already scanning the area for inns.

As they wandered, a fruit vendor caught Carl’s attention. An elderly woman stood behind the stall, holding out an apple.

"You there! Buy this apple!" she called. "It’s delicious, and it’ll make you live longer!"

Carl crossed his arms, inspecting the fruit with a skeptical look. "Hmm… looks like a normal apple to me."

"Oh, but it’s not!" the old woman insisted. "It may look ordinary, but it has the power to extend your life!"

Carl rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."

Azrael, however, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wait… what if it’s true?"

Carl stared at him. "Are you serious?"

Hafa, walking beside them, raised an eyebrow, his expression practically screaming: 'Are these two idiots for real? Why did I end up stuck with them?'