The village gates creaked open as two large, six-legged horned mounts were led into the courtyard. Their thick grey fur rippled beneath sturdy leather saddles, and clouds of warm breath escaped their nostrils into the cool morning air. Unlike the short patrols around the village, this journey would take them well into the Demonic Beast Territory, making walking entirely impractical.
Leon adjusted the straps of his pack before approaching the first mount.
"I'm riding with you," Adrian's voice came from behind him.
Leon looked over his shoulder. "Sure." He climbed into the saddle without another word.
Behind them, Maya had already started walking toward Leon before stopping mid-step. "...Oh."
Lyra froze as well, her hand hovering near the stirrup. "...Oh."
The two women slowly turned toward each other, a brief silence settling over the yard. Then, with matching forced smiles, they climbed onto the second mount together. A moment later, the small expedition passed through the gates. The village gradually disappeared behind them as the mounts settled into an easy, rhythmic pace.
Ahead stretched the familiar frozen wasteland, where crimson snow still drifted lazily beneath the bruised sky, coating the broken earth in an endless scarlet blanket. Fortunately, proper winter clothing made an enormous difference; the biting cold that had nearly frozen them to death on their first day now felt merely unpleasant.
On the second mount, Lyra let out a tiny, disappointed sigh. So much for spending the journey with Adrian. She had imagined hours of uninterrupted conversation, but instead, she was sharing a saddle with Maya. Well, at least the trip itself was still happening—that was something.
***
For several minutes, only the sound of hooves crunching through the frozen snow filled the silence. Eventually, Adrian spoke.
"Leon."
"Hm?"
"I need answers," Adrian continued, his tone serious. "I trust you. We all do. But I can't keep agreeing every time you tell me to do something without knowing why." He looked ahead at the endless crimson horizon. "You always seem to know more than the rest of us. You knew cultivation wasn't impossible, you understood Sage Breathing almost immediately, and you somehow predicted most of what the general taught us. How would you know all of that when you were also living on Earth just like us?"
Leon paused, remaining silent for a few moments before answering. "The full story is... long. I'm not hiding it anymore; I'll tell everyone. But I'd rather explain it once when we're all together. It'll make more sense that way."
Adrian considered that before giving a small nod. "Fine. Then why did you need me to agree immediately?"
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Leon rested one arm casually on the saddle horn. "This started when the soul investigator reported the second fluctuation. The first fluctuation happened the day we arrived, and it caused General Kaelen to be summoned from the southern border. The timing fits almost perfectly."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "You think..."
"I think the kingdom wasn't detecting a random phenomenon," Leon said flatly. "I think it was detecting us. And yesterday, the investigator sensed another fluctuation—nearly identical. So if the first one was our arrival, the second could easily be another group arriving from Earth."
Adrian's expression stiffened. "You really think there are more survivors?"
"I think it's possible. And if I'm right, they're alone, just like we were."
Neither of them spoke for several seconds as the realization settled.
"So why not simply tell everyone?" Adrian asked.
Leon shook his head. "Because we still don't know how people in this world view outsiders. So far, no one has ever said we came from another world. There are no stories, no history, no reactions—nothing. I don't know whether we'd be treated as guests or invaders, and I'd rather not announce we're from another world until I know how that information is received."
Adrian slowly nodded. "That makes sense."
"So I needed another reason to investigate," Leon continued. "But if I'd openly insisted on scouting the fluctuation, people would naturally ask why I cared so much. I needed an excuse. Aside from that, there were several other conditions required for my scouting mission..."
***
Several dozen meters behind them, Maya looked toward the front mount where the two men were talking quietly. "They've been talking for a while."
Lyra followed her gaze. "...Maya."
"Hm?"
"...Do you think Adrian likes men?"
Maya nearly slipped off the saddle, her eyes widening. "W-What?!"
Lyra quickly waved both hands, her silver feather rustling. "I'm asking professionally!"
"There's nothing professional about that question."
"I mean, they've been together ever since we left," Lyra reasoned. "And he immediately chose Leon's mount, and they're talking so seriously. I'm just... wondering."
Maya stared at her for several long seconds before she burst into laughter. "No. Definitely not."
Lyra blinked. "No?"
Maya shook her head, her laughter softening into a quiet sigh. "He was engaged to someone from our company. They'd been together for years."
"What happened?"
"An accident," Maya nodded quietly. "It was about a year and a half ago. He was already a quiet person before that, but afterward, he became even quieter."
Lyra looked toward Adrian again, the joking mood instantly disappearing. "I... I didn't know."
"Most people wouldn't," Maya smiled faintly. "He doesn't really talk about it."
The two women fell into a respectful silence as the beasts continued to march.
***
Several minutes later, Adrian finally spoke again. "So.. to summarize: you exploited my trust to make me unknowingly exploit Lyra's feelings so that you can achieve your personal goals."
Leon shrugged. "Well, when you phrase it that way, it sounds worse than how it was in my head."
"It sounds like exactly what happened." Adrian couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh. "That's... surprisingly underhanded."
"I didn't want to do it that way but it was a choice between that, exposing our origins or simply not going at all. " Leon answered immediately.
Adrian stared at him. " This is going to come back and bite you one day."
Another quiet stretch of silence settled between them before Leon finally looked toward the horizon. "If there really are other survivors... don't you want to know how Earth is doing?"
Adrian's faint frown disappeared completely. "...Yeah. I do."
Suddenly, the cold wind shifted. Far in the distance, cutting through the heavy curtain of crimson snowfall, several silhouettes materialized riding a procession of beasts, heading straight toward their position.