"But... should we really travel to a human city?" I asked, looking over at Eli.
"Three out of the four of us are supposedly hated by humans. Shouldn't we head toward a place where you three can actually live peacefully?"
"I think you've gotten the wrong impression," Eli answered, offering a reassuring smile.
"While it's true that humans don't particularly like us, it's not as if they won't tolerate our presence. From what I've learned, ever since the last war ended, the Xinyth Kingdom has legally allowed other species to live peacefully within their borders. As long as we follow the local laws, obviously."
She shifted her stance, gesturing back down toward the parchment. "And regarding choosing a different country entirely, we can't just leave the kingdom without proper government transit papers. Unless, of course, we want to cross the border illegally."
"I thought they hated you because of your god," I pressed, trying to reconcile her words with what the kids had just said.
"Well, that part is true," she admitted. "But normally, regular citizens don't care all that much on a day-to-day basis. As long as we don't actively disrespect their god, we'll be fine. Or, we can just act like we've already converted."
"Well, if you say so. Let's start packing," I said, pushing myself back up to my feet. I brushed the dirt off my trousers and looked around the camp. "We will only carry the most important supplies—things we can easily manage on foot."
"Why?" Eli asked, standing up right after me and wrinkling her brow. "Shouldn't we be using the carriage?"
I stared at her, genuinely confused. "How exactly are we supposed to move the carriage? I don't remember seeing any horses or oxen tied up anywhere since my first day here."
"Oh... I guess it might seem that way to you," Eli said, letting out a soft chuckle.
"But normally, carriage animals are allowed to roam free in the wild to graze. They'll come running back the exact second you channel a bit of mana into the summoning circle, thanks to the binding pact placed on their bodies."
"Well, if it actually works like that, let's quickly load everything into the carriage cell and get out of here," I said, relieved.
Over the next few hours, the four of us worked systematically to clear out the camp. We packed up the essential rations, tools, and supplies, transferring everything securely into the iron-barred carriage cell where we had all been imprisoned just days prior.
2 hours and 37 minutes later...
"Now, this is where we inject the mana," Eli explained. She pointed to a small, intricate geometric circle etched directly into the wooden framework of the carriage, right beside the driver's bench.
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to focus.
A moment later, I watched in fascination as a thin, wispy mist materialized around her arms.
The glowing vapor traveled downward, flowing straight from her fingertips and into the wooden carving.
The etched circle flared with a bright, sudden light for a few seconds before settling into a dim, steady hum. Eli exhaled softly and pulled her hand back.
"Seems like they wandered pretty far away," Eli remarked, shaking her hand out a bit to clear the residual magic.
"So, how long will it take for them to get here?" I asked.
"Probably just a few minutes," she replied. She stepped up onto the wheel hub and climbed onto the high driver's seat. Once settled, she reached back down, offering me her hand to help me up beside her.
As I pulled myself onto the wooden bench, Eli turned to face me, her gaze turning entirely serious. "Until the horses arrive, I have a few questions I would like you to answer."
"Sure..." I answered. I forced my voice to remain perfectly calm, though my chest tightened with a sudden spike of internal panic. What does she want to know? Did I mess up my story?
"First question," she began, looking directly into my eyes. "What should we call you?"
I blinked. "Sorry... what?"
"I know you told us you don't remember your actual name," Eli explained gently. "But we have to find a name for you. Especially if we want to successfully pass through the city gates."
"If that's the case... just call me... hmmm..."
The words died in my throat. It wasn't that my brain couldn't think of any names; it was that my body literally physically recoiled from uttering a fake one. Every time I tried, a heavy block locked up my jaw.
Seeing me struggle, Eli tilted her head. "If it's alright with you... should I give you a name instead?"
"Sure," I replied quickly, letting out a breath. I figured it was for the best. If I had to pick a name on the spot, I probably would have chosen something from Earth that sounded completely alien to this world, risking my cover.
Eli tapped her chin thoughtfully, scanning my face. "What about... Stanley, then?"
The moment the syllables left her mouth, my Earth-brain fired a reflex reaction. "Like the bottle?" I blurted out, realizing a second too late that I had spoken my exact thoughts aloud.
Eli blinked at me, her brow furrowing. "What's a botel?"
"Nothing! Nothing important. I... uh..." I stammered, frantically searching for an excuse to cover the slip-up.
"Did you not like the name?" she asked. Her lower lip pouted slightly, her large eyes shifting into a remarkably effective puppy-dog look.
"No, not at all!" I answered quickly, waving my hands. "I actually really like the name. Just a quick question, though... where exactly did you learn a name like that?"
To me, the name felt distinctly modern, advanced, and completely out of place for a fantasy world.
"I... I read it in a book once," Eli replied shyly, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks as she looked away.
"Which bo—"
Before I could finish pressing for details, a heavy, rhythmic thumping began to echo through the tree line. The distinct sound of galloping hooves grew louder by the second.
"Seems like they're here," Eli said, smiling.
Right on cue, two massive, muscular horses burst through the brush directly in front of the carriage. Without needing a single command, they trotted forward and perfectly aligned themselves with the wooden hitching beams, making the process of connecting them to the harness incredibly easy.
"Well then, let's leave!" Eli shouted excitedly.
"Yeaaah!" a chorus of energetic cheers echoed from the back cell as Kyo and Nyoko celebrated.
With a snap of the reins, we finally departed from the campsite.
Finding our way proved to be remarkably straightforward, as we simply followed the natural path of the river.
The massive body of water flowed steadily from the uncharted territories in the north, cutting straight through the kingdom down toward the south.
By the time we officially hit the road, it was roughly 3:00 PM.
According to Eli's estimates, a direct, uninterrupted trip would take about a day and a half to two days of pure travel.
But factoring in our actual physical limitations, it was going to take much longer.
"Since we won't be traveling at night," I muttered, looking at the dense forest closing in around our path, "it'll take us at least four days to reach the city."