Chương 79: The Road to the Eastern Settlement

Morning arrived without ceremony, bringing with it a pale layer of mist that had settled between the trees during the night and now drifted slowly across the forest floor as the first sunlight reached the upper branches. Leo had already been awake for some time when Rin opened his eyes, and by then the remains of the fire had been scattered into the soil, their supplies packed, and the direction of travel decided.

The mountain was no longer visible from the clearing, hidden behind the ridges that separated them from Mount Shinkai, yet Leo could still remember the underground chambers with unusual clarity, from the seven ancient doors and the fragments arranged beneath them to the strange creature that had measured his Internal Energy without attempting to kill him. Kaien was the last to rise. He remained seated for a while, looking toward the eastern horizon.

"You really intend to continue today?" Leo tightened the strap of his bag.

"Yes."

"You heard what I told you."

"I did."

"You know there may be people waiting for us."

"There may be."

"And you are still going." Leo looked at him.

"If I stopped traveling every time someone warned me about danger, I would never leave the first village I entered." Kaien gave a faint smile.

"You haven't changed." Rin looked between them.

"You knew each other before?"

"No." Kaien shook his head.

"I meant his attitude." Leo did not respond. He simply began walking. The three of them followed the eastern trail before the sun had fully risen above the mountains. The road was not truly a road anymore. In some places it was nothing more than a narrow path through dense forest, while in others it disappeared beneath roots and fallen trees, forcing them to climb over rocks or follow the direction of the terrain until they found it again.

The further east they traveled, the less frequently they encountered signs of the Empire. The roads became rougher, the villages smaller, and the buildings more heavily influenced by local traditions. By midday, they reached a river. It was wide enough that crossing it without a bridge would have been difficult, but an old wooden structure connected both sides. The bridge looked as though it had survived several decades of storms without receiving much maintenance, yet it remained stable enough for them to cross.

Halfway across, Rin stopped. Leo turned.

"What is it?" Rin was looking down at the water.

"There." A small object had become caught between two rocks beneath the bridge. Kaien leaned over the railing.

"It is a metal plate." Rin climbed down immediately. Leo followed more slowly. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The plate was covered in mud, but after Rin washed it in the river, the same symbol appeared on its surface: three lines passing through a circle. Rin stared at it.

"Why would this be here?" Leo examined the scratches along the edge.

"It was carried." Kaien took it from him.

"There are no footprints."

"Because whoever dropped it crossed the bridge." Rin looked toward the opposite bank.

"Then why leave it?" Leo looked at the plate.

"Maybe they didn't." The three of them became still. A moment later, Leo pointed toward the trees.

"Someone took it off another person." Rin's hand moved toward his blade. Kaien immediately understood.

"You think they were attacked."

"Recently." Leo crouched beside the riverbank. There were faint marks in the wet soil, partially obscured by the movement of the water. Several sets of footprints. One group had approached the bridge from the west. Another had approached from the east. The eastern group was larger. Seven people. Perhaps eight. And among them were marks that indicated someone had been dragged. Rin's expression hardened.

"Where do the tracks lead?" Leo stood.

"East." Kaien looked toward the forest.

"That direction leads toward the settlement." Leo nodded.

"Then we follow." They crossed the bridge and entered the forest. The trail became clearer once they were on the eastern side, and within an hour they found the remains of a small camp hidden between several trees. The fire had been extinguished recently, but the ground was still warm beneath the ash. There were no bodies. No weapons. No supplies. Only a piece of torn cloth hanging from a branch. Rin removed it.

"This belongs to a traveler." Kaien looked around.

"Maybe they left willingly." Leo shook his head.

"There are no signs of preparation." He pointed toward the ground.

"Someone left in a hurry." Rin examined the area.

"How can you tell?"

"The cooking pot is still here." He pointed toward a small metal container lying beside the dead fire.

"There is food inside." Kaien looked toward the path.

"Then they were taken." Leo nodded.

"Most likely." Rin tightened his grip around the cloth.

"We should follow them."

"We will." They continued. The trail eventually left the forest and entered a broad valley surrounded by low hills. In the distance, they could see smoke rising from several chimneys. A settlement. It was larger than Hana's village but far smaller than the cities Leo had visited earlier in his journey. Wooden houses stood beside stone buildings, while narrow streets followed the natural shape of the valley. At the far end stood a long structure with a curved roof unlike anything Leo had seen in the western regions.

People were moving through the streets. Farmers. Merchants. Children. Travelers. At first glance, it appeared peaceful. Then Leo noticed the guards. There were too many. Every entrance to the settlement had at least two armed men watching the road, and several rooftops had people stationed with bows. Rin noticed them as well.

"This place doesn't look welcoming." Kaien shook his head.

"It used to be." Leo continued toward the entrance. One of the guards stepped forward.

"State your names and business."

"Travelers," Leo answered. The guard looked at each of them.

"From where?"

"West." The man's expression changed slightly.

"Why are you here?"

"To find the eastern settlement." The guard stared at Leo.

"You found it." Leo looked beyond him.

"This is Shinkai?" The guard hesitated.

"Yes." Rin looked at Kaien. Kaien's expression had become unreadable. The guard's hand moved toward his weapon.

"You should leave." Leo remained calm.

"Why?"

"Because outsiders have been asking questions."

"What questions?" The guard looked behind him.

"About the mountain." Rin stepped forward.

"My brother came here three years ago." The guard's expression changed immediately.

"What is his name?"

"Kaien." The man went completely still. Another guard approached.

"What did you say?" Rin repeated the name. The second guard looked at Kaien. Then at Leo. Then toward the settlement.

"Take them to the elder." The first guard frowned.

"We were told not to—""I know what we were told." The second guard's voice became firm.

"But if this is who I think it is, we cannot send them away." The gates opened. Leo entered Shinkai with Rin and Kaien beside him. The moment he crossed the threshold, he felt it. A different kind of energy. It was not Mana. It was not Internal Energy. It was not Aura. Something else moved through the settlement, subtle but present, flowing through the bodies of the people around them in patterns Leo had not felt since the mountain. Chakra. Leo did not react outwardly. He simply continued walking.

The eastern settlement had been hidden from the Empire for generations. And now, after everything that had happened beneath Mount Shinkai, Leo had finally reached the place where the fifth power system was openly practiced. The guard led them through the central street. People watched them from windows and doorways. Some stared at Kaien. Others stared at Leo. But the oldest man standing at the end of the street did not look at any of them. His eyes were fixed on the black fragment hanging at Leo's side.

The old man's face changed. Not with recognition. With alarm.

"Where did you get that?" Leo stopped. Before he could answer, the old man looked toward the guards.

"Close the gates." The enormous wooden doors began to shut behind them. Then the old man spoke again.

"Because if that fragment has reached Shinkai, the people following it will not be far behind." End of Chapter 79.