Chapter 74: Roads Beyond Karlune
The morning Karlune faded behind them, the sky was a soft canvas of pale gold and silver-blue. Isaac rode beside the caravan's lead wagon, boots resting lazily on the railing, arms crossed, gaze forward. Beside him, Lira adjusted her satchel and tossed a final glance back toward the town's dwindling silhouette.
"Well," she said, "we didn't exactly leave quietly."
"We left like civilized people. No explosions. Only minor existential dread," Isaac replied. "That's restraint."
Renall chuckled from the reins. "You two are bad for business, but damned if you don't draw a crowd."
The caravan trundled along, wheels creaking over dirt and gravel roads that wound through open meadows and low pine thickets. Birds chirped. Lira breathed in the scent of wildflowers and fresh soil.
"So where are we going?" she asked eventually, turning toward Isaac.
"Velkarth Basin," Renall answered before Isaac could speak. "Midway trade hub, bit of a lawless region. Not the worst place to look for strong monsters—or strong buyers. Lots of ruins too, if you're into old gods and long-forgotten death traps."
Isaac perked up. "That sounds like everything I didn't know I wanted."
Lira raised a brow. "You want death traps?"
"I want challenge," Isaac corrected. "Everything in Karlune capped out at B-rank threats. I've outgrown B-rank."
Renall scratched his beard. "And you're sure you're not some ancient war relic disguised as a sarcastic twenty-year-old?"
"No," Isaac said. "But that would explain a lot."
Their laughter stirred the caravan guards, some of whom eyed Isaac with awe and nervousness. Word of the Spiral Cult leader's demise had spread fast. While no one had witnessed the battle, the aftermath—a swamp crater and spiraling scorch marks—spoke volumes.
At midday, they paused to rest. Isaac summoned a conjured kettle and cups with his [Armament Phantom – Rank S+] skill, delighting Lira with magically steeped tea and conjured honey-dipped pastries.
"You're going to spoil me," Lira teased.
Isaac tilted his head thoughtfully. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
They sat beneath the shade of a mossy ridge, overlooking the green valley beyond. Lira's eyes drifted toward the horizon.
"Do you think we'll find answers about Seluriel? About your system? Why it's different?"
Isaac tapped his cup lightly. "I think we'll find something. The world's too big to stay quiet forever. And I've got a few unanswered questions I plan to beat out of the next demigod who tries a monologue on me."
Lira grinned. "Hopefully the next one has better Charisma."
"Hard to do worse than seven," Isaac said flatly.
A pause. Then shared laughter.
As the sun began its descent, the caravan rolled forward once more, drawing them toward unknown lands. There were no declarations, no dramatic flares of destiny—just dust, wind, and the faint sense that something important waited beyond the hills.
But for now, it was enough.
They were moving forward.
Together.