"I thought we were going to get attacked last night, but nothing happened." Gerhart yawned. "Well, it's why I got a good sleep, so I have no complaints."
Lux smirked after hearing Gerhart's comment. In fact, he was thinking the same thing. Because of this, he was mostly in a half-asleep state, ready to wake up at a moment's notice when danger arrived.
Just as the red-headed teenager was about to comment about the other Half Elf's words, Ishtar and Lazarus warned him that there were people mounted on what seemed to be Reindeer, approaching their location at a leisurely pace.
'Master, the way I see it, it's like they're just taking a stroll in the forest,' Ishtar reported. 'But there is no doubt that they are headed in your direction.'
'That's not all,' Lazarus commented. 'I'm pretty certain that they also detected Ishtar's and my presence, but they don't seem to mind it. One of them even playfully waved in my direction.'
The awkwardness in Lazarus' voice made the Half-Elf ponder.
'Continue observing them,' Lux ordered. 'From what I can see, they are giving us plenty of time to prepare for their arrival. If they are not showing an aggressive attitude, maybe their purpose is to have a conversation with us. Also, I think they waited until we woke up before they marched to our camp. This alone is a sign that they are not hostile—at least, not on the surface.'
Ishtar and Lazarus both agreed with Lux's comment and continued to monitor the mounted warriors who numbered more than a hundred.
Lux, on the other hand, informed his comrades that they were about to make contact with people who seemed to live in the Forest and shared the description that Ishtar and Lazarus gave him.
Half an hour later, several men and women, wearing dark green light-weight armor that gave them almost near-perfect camouflage in the forest, appeared in front of Lux and his party.
"Greetings, travelers," a pretty woman riding the biggest Reindeer said with a smile. "It is very rare for people to wander so deep inside the Forest of the Beginnings without going through the proper channels of our kingdom. Do you know? Emissaries from the Kingdom of Gweliven must first gain our approval before they are allowed to traverse our Domain?"
Lux and the others couldn't tell how old the woman was because, in their eyes, she seemed to be in her late twenties. However, the people of the Wanid Kingdom had long lives because they had all made contracts with the Spirits of their Kingdom.
After the lady took a long hard look at Lux and his comrades, the corner of her lips rose up by a tiny margin.
"Two Half-Elves, a Dragon Born, and four dwarves," the pretty woman said. "Such a strange combination, and yet, all of you are here standing before me. Tell me, strangers, what brings you to our lands?"
Gerhart, Cethus, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia all looked at the red-headed teenager who was the leader of their party.
"I came here to look for the Transcendent Flames," Lux replied. "If the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom wish for it to happen, then it will happen according to their wishes."
"My my my… you're quite bold to say that you came here to look for Transcendent Flames," the woman commented. "Do you think that we will allow you to do as you please?"
The men and women behind their leader all unsheathed their weapons, ready to attack the moment their leader gave them the order.
Gerhart, Cethus, Randolph, and Grandma Annie took a fighting stance, while Laura and Livia hid behind Grandma Annie's back.
Lux raised his right hand, signaling his party to not do anything rash.
Although the people in front of them had drawn their weapons, he didn't feel any kind of hostility from them, which made him wonder if they were only testing their reaction.
Earlier, he planned to lie and tell them that they were merely sightseeing, but Keoza spoke to him first before he could answer the pretty woman's question.
'The Forest and Mountain Dwellers hate liars the most,' Keoza cautioned. 'Once you lie to them, they will not put their trust in you regardless of how good your intentions are. It is best that you state your true reason for coming here. Although they might get confrontational, they won't attack unless you take the initiative to attack first.'
Lux decided to trust Keoza's advice and told the Forest People their true reason for visiting their kingdom. However, that didn't mean that he wasn't prepared to strike back if they really wanted to harm their group.
"I apologize that we didn't use the proper channels and gain your permission to enter your Domain," Lux stated. "I know that ignorance of the rules is not an excuse, but we came here in good faith. If there is something that we can do to gain your trust, we will do it as long as it doesn't touch our bottom lines."
The pretty woman nodded her head as a gesture of acknowledging Lux's statement.
"It's good to know that you are someone who doesn't use ignorance as an excuse to break the rules of our Domain," the pretty woman replied. "However, the fact still remains that you broke it, so a punishment is in order."
The pretty woman then closed her eyes as if she was pondering on what kind of punishment she would give Lux and his party for trespassing into their territory.
A few minutes later, the pretty woman opened her eyes and made a gesture for her subordinates to sheathe their weapons, which they all obeyed at the same time.
"We will allow you to pass through the Forest of the Beginnings on one condition," the pretty woman raised a finger with a smile. "When you reach the Shaufell Plains, you will help the inhabitants of the town of Abingdon with their dilemma. As for the specifics, it will be best if you meet the Town Mayor to better understand their situation.
"Of course, you are also free to ignore this condition and continue your travels. However, I assure you that if you do that, you will regret it."
The pretty woman's smile widened, making Gerhart and Cethus subconsciously shudder. The veiled threat in the pretty woman's words was like a sharp knife about to pierce their chest, stopping only a centimeter away from their hearts.
"Understood," Lux replied. "This is our first time in the Wanid Kingdom, and we would greatly appreciate it if you can provide us with a map, so we can find Abingdon Town after leaving the forest."
The woman laughed when he heard Lux's reply. "Interesting. You take a step back and then take two steps forward. Very well, I will be generous enough to give you a map of the Eastern Regions of our Kingdom. Consider this you taking advantage of me and succeeding in the process."
Without another word, the pretty woman took a scroll out of her storage ring and tossed it to Lux, who caught it with his right hand.
"I don't know if you are stupid, or brave for hoping to gain a Transcendent Flame from right under our noses," the pretty woman said. "However, the Spirits will be the ones to decide if you and your people are worthy of the miracles that you seek in our Domain. Go, and may the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom watch over all of you."
After saying those words, the pretty woman and her entourage left without even looking back at them. Clearly, their purpose for coming was to ascertain Lux and his party's reason for coming to their Kingdom.
Now that they gained the answers they wanted, they would pass the message to their Mountain brethren, who would oversee the second phase of Lux's journey within the mysterious Kingdom that had remained unconquered since time immemorial.
