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  Night had fallen, and the cool evening breeze swept gently around the small group gathered at the outskirts of Alku Village.

  Lamps were lit, casting a warm glow around them.

  Theo, a sturdy man with golden hair, wore a thin red leather armor. He was inspecting his rapier with practiced ease.

  Beside him, Catallina—a beautiful red-haired woman with a piercing gaze—was checking her belongings.

  "Do you miss your parents?" Theo asked her gently.

  "You can see it on my face, can't you, Theo?"

  "Yeah, you look nervous, Catallina. Don’t worry—everything will be fine," said Theo, trying to reassure her as he leaned against the carriage.

  Taneaya, a girl with gray hair and narrow, sharp eyes, stood beside Uldor, a dark-skinned man. The two seemed to be chatting quietly.

  Elsewhere, Kain, a small-framed young man with black hair, was seen speaking with Gorstag, a tall and muscular man who rarely left his side.

  Aldrich, clad in black garments that covered him from head to toe, stood slightly apart from the rest.

  Not long after, Eran arrived, walking with a calm demeanor.

  Everyone was taken aback by his sudden presence—some hadn’t even noticed him approach.

  "Sorry for being late," Eran said to Aldrich.

  "You startled me, Eran."

  "My apologies for that."

  "It’s fine, you’re not late," Aldrich replied. Just then, Theo approached them.

  "I had a feeling you’d show up too, Eran," Theo greeted him enthusiastically.

  "It’s only proper for us to attend such an honorable invitation," Eran replied casually.

  But Gorstag didn’t seem pleased.

  "Don’t act like a noble. You’re just a wild dog."

  "Gorstag!" Catallina scolded.

  "Enough, Gorstag," Theo added. Annoyed, Gorstag climbed into one of the carriages.

  Theo glanced around at the rest of the party. They only shrugged, confused. Catallina and Kain followed Gorstag into the carriage.

  "Is everyone here?" shouted Taran from the front of the lead carriage.

  "Yes, all set," Aldrich replied.

  "Then let’s move out," Taran ordered.

  The group moved toward the horse-drawn transport carriage waiting by the village’s rear gate.

  Theo, Taran, and Aldrich rode in the front carriage, while Catallina, Kain, Uldor, and Gorstag took the second.

  The transport carriage had two long benches facing each other.

  Eran and Taneaya sat facing one another in the last carriage.

  The journey began slowly, heading toward the Kingdom of Berillan.

  They were expected to arrive by sunrise. Some had already shut their eyes to rest, while others remained alert, ready for whatever might come along the road.

  The lands ruled by the Kingdom of Berillan were mostly surrounded by lowlands.

  The fertile soil and abundant water sources allowed agriculture to thrive, producing a variety of crops such as wheat, vegetables, and fruits.

  Rocky terrain could be found in certain parts of Berillan, especially in the recently annexed southern region—specifically in the city of IronClaw.

  It’s no wonder the heirs of Golden were known for their wealth—tales of their riches were recorded in ancient manuscripts, told in stories, and sung by traveling bards.

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  Eran was still wide awake, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed out the window of the carriage.

  He and Taneaya sat facing each other, the atmosphere thick with tension as the beautiful gray-haired girl shot him a cold, unyielding stare.

  Taneaya began the conversation with a slightly sarcastic tone.

  "So, what exactly did you mean by insulting us at the guild? I honestly don’t understand why you—a complete stranger—had the nerve to insult our band."

  Eran’s thoughts were interrupted. He turned to Taneaya with a blank expression.

  "I was merely expressing my opinion. The guild officer asked me a question, and I answered it. There was nothing wrong with what I said—certainly nothing insulting."

  Taneaya shook her head in irritation.

  "Opinion? What makes you think it’s okay to give that kind of opinion about us? Do you think you’re close enough to us to say things like that? Or do you think you’re better than us?"

  Eran gave a faint, cynical smile.

  "I’ve never claimed to be better than anyone. But I have my own principles and convictions."

  Taneaya narrowed her eyes.

  "You're really full of yourself, aren’t you? You’re just an outsider—someone with no connection to us. What makes you think you have the right to comment on Band de Sun?"

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  Eran remained calm.

  "I wasn’t commenting directly on you. You know as well as I do—almost everywhere I go, people talk about your band. So why am I the one being blamed? I only shared what I’d heard about your backgrounds. Isn’t that just stating facts?"

  Taneaya glared at him, still clearly upset.

  "You know, not all of us come from the same background. We support each other—we don’t care where anyone came from. They’re like family to me, and I won’t let anyone insult them."

  Eran was growing tired of the conversation. The last thing he wanted was to argue with a woman.

  "If what I said came across as an insult, then... I apologize."

  Taneaya scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  "Apologize? Is that what you call it? Do you really think your cold little apology is going to fix everything?"

  Eran finally snapped. He looked at Taneaya seriously.

  "Listen—I don’t care what you think about me. But if you’re still angry, why don’t you just kill me right here and now?"

  Taneaya couldn’t respond—not out of fear, but because of what Theo had said back at the guild.

  She wanted nothing more than to stab both of her blades straight into Eran’s face.

  Especially after seeing that smug look on his face.

  "You started this pointless argument. Maybe take a look in the mirror and see how angry you look right now," Eran sneered, his tone unbearably smug.

  Taneaya was furious—but what Eran said was true. And that only made her angrier.

  "Fine! Say whatever you want!"

  "You look more like a princess who spends her days dressing up and attending tea parties than someone who belongs on a battlefield."

  Without thinking, Taneaya grabbed Eran by the collar and yanked him close.

  "Don’t insult me, Eran! Just because you’re used to speaking rudely doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want to anyone!" she shouted, clearly enraged.

  "Alright, alright—it was just a joke. I’m sorry, okay?" Eran said casually, trying to defuse the tension.

  The beautiful girl stared at him with sharp, piercing eyes.

  Despite their attempt to understand each other, their differing views and attitudes kept the air tense inside the carriage.

  But at least, Taneaya had finally voiced the reason behind her anger.

  "You’re so annoying... so annoying! Ever since I first met you, I’ve been mad at you!" she grumbled.

  "Seems like you decided to hate me from the start," Eran replied.

  Still fuming from the argument, Taneaya silently cursed Eran in her heart.

  But before she could say another word, the carriage they were riding in came to a sudden stop.

  Caught off guard, Taneaya lost her balance—and suddenly found herself in Eran’s arms.

  She was startled and embarrassed by their awkward position.

  "Sorry... I didn’t mean to fall on you," Taneaya said shyly.

  The girl glanced briefly at Eran, but he seemed distracted, acting a little strangely.

  "It’s fine," Eran replied, though he felt something was off. He continued,

  "Something doesn’t feel right. Why did the carriage stop so suddenly?"

  Taneaya pulled herself away.

  "Let’s check it out," she said.

  Taneaya and Eran got off the carriage and walked toward the driver, who was anxiously trying to calm the horses—but to no avail.

  "Apologies, sir and madam. The carriage up ahead stopped abruptly," the coachman explained.

  Taneaya frowned.

  "What happened up there?" she asked curiously.

  "I’m not sure. We should be on alert," Eran said.

  Eran glanced around several times, scanning the surroundings for any sign of a surprise attack.

  But he didn’t see anything unusual. Just then, the other members began stepping out of their carriages as well.

  Meanwhile, the carriages ahead had also come to a stop—something terrifying was blocking the road.

  Taran, Theo, and Aldrich, who were in the frontmost carriage, saw a man lying in the middle of the road.

  The three of them disembarked and cautiously approached the man.

  As they got closer, they were shocked to see his condition. He looked like he was on the verge of death, with symptoms resembling those of a plague.

  His skin was peeling away, exposing the bones underneath.

  "Cover your noses," Taran ordered.

  "Don’t come any closer—stay where you are!" Theo shouted, extending his right arm to hold everyone back.

  Suddenly, the man moved, startling both Aldrich and Taran.

  "That voice... the voice of the Heir!" the mysterious man said hoarsely without getting up. His eyes then opened wide, locking onto Theo who stood before him.

  Without warning, he grabbed Theo by the collar.

  "The Heir of Fate! The Heir of Fate!!" the man cried loudly, his lips curling into a wide, unsettling grin.

  As if hypnotized, Taran and Aldrich stood frozen in place. Theo, however, was baffled by the man’s behavior.

  Then, without warning, the man’s body went limp. His head hit the ground, and his grip on Theo loosened.

  The three stood in silence, trying to process what had just happened.

  "W-what was that?" Aldrich asked nervously.

  Taran placed a hand on Theo’s shoulder—Theo was still sitting on the ground, stunned. He jolted slightly at the touch.

  "Are you alright, Theo?" Taran asked.

  "Yeah... I’m fine," Theo replied, still visibly shaken.

  "Was he infected with something? We should get out of here," Aldrich said worriedly.

  "If that’s the case, we should bury him," Taran suggested.

  "Alright. Cover your noses with cloth," Theo instructed. The other two nodded in agreement. Theo then turned toward the rest of the group who were gathered near the second carriage.

  "Wait there. We’ll bury this man. And remember—don’t come any closer," Theo ordered.

  They buried the mysterious man in a wooded area not far from where they had stopped. Once finished, the three of them returned to the others, keeping their distance.

  "What’s going on, Theo?" Catallina asked, speaking on behalf of the rest of the group.

  "Throw us some water," Theo said.

  Kain quickly grabbed three water pouches and tossed them to Aldrich, Taran, and Theo, who then washed their hands thoroughly.

  "I’m not exactly sure what it was," Taran said.

  "But it looked like the man was infected and dying."

  "Infected?" Gorstag asked.

  "What kind of disease was it?" Taneaya followed up, concerned.

  "I’m not entirely sure because it was dark. But parts of his body were definitely peeled so deeply that his bones were clearly visible," Theo explained while washing his hands.

  "A skin disease?" Catallina asked.

  "Possibly," Theo replied as he tossed away the water pouch.

  "We’ll discuss it later," Taran suggested, and the others agreed.

  "Let’s continue our journey," Theo ordered.

  They returned to their respective carriages and continued their journey.

  Not long after, their convoy exited the forest area. The road ahead stretched on as a dirt path, with only a few rocks scattered along the way.

  The scenery that had once been dense forest gradually turned into open grasslands dotted with small rocks.

  The sun had already risen by the time the group neared the border of the Berillan Kingdom.

  As time passed, they entered a rural village outside the kingdom’s walls. Soon after, the scenery began to change.

  From the corners of their eyes, they saw the modest, spacious countryside homes give way to grand and elegant buildings.

  The once dusty, uneven roads now appeared clean and well-paved.

  They finally arrived at the grand entrance gate to the capital city of Berillan.

  The majestic, sturdy gate was adorned with golden statues of heroes from the past.

  Above the gate glimmered the kingdom’s emblem—two coins.

  After passing through the entrance, the Band of the Sun felt as if they had stepped into an entirely new world filled with splendor.

  Towering walls loomed around them with a proud, ancient aura, surrounded by luxurious high-rise buildings.

  The kingdom’s citizens bustled about with their daily routines. Nobles dressed in lavish, elegant clothing strolled down the streets with pride and arrogance.

  Taneaya, Eran, and the rest of the group were captivated by the beauty and grandeur of the Berillan Kingdom.

  In the heart of the city, rising in the distance, stood the royal palace with its towering, majestic spires.

  The palace was built solidly and stood like a monument to power.

  Surrounding the palace were beautiful gardens adorned with a variety of flowers and plants.

  Eran found himself briefly imagining what it would be like to sleep there.

  "Incredible… Absolutely incredible… Nothing compares to the splendor of this kingdom."

  Taneaya was awestruck as she gazed out the window at the view of the city.

  So was Eran—he had never seen anything like it before.

  "You look like a regular girl when you’re like that," Eran teased.

  "Don’t start, Eran. Let me enjoy this moment," Taneaya replied with a sarcastic tone.

  Eran just smiled.

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