58 Chapter 16: Port City Akshilheim (1/2)

The forest is like a world of its own.

Seeming to resist the inclement weather of the season, it thrives in a lush green vibrancy despite all the falling snow.

Aside from the sound of my breath and the crunching noise of footsteps against grasses and twigs, or the brush of air —high above the canopy of leaves from all the tall trees crowning the view of the skies, these woods has so much sound orchestrating around, almost drowning but calming to listen to; sounds I don't usually hear from my daily life inside the walls of Greenrun castle. It's trivial but it's an interesting world I have yet unraveled.

In fact, if I close my eyes now, there's so many things I want to listen and focus on that I end up wavering on my own tracts. I almost lost my footing and slip but I manage to reorient my balance by opening my eyes even before I could have tripped. So I dismissed the hyper awareness and just used my eyes for the mean time.

We had been in the woods, traveling off road for several days now. Days pass by so fast but when you're aimlessly walking like this, it feels like time is so tedious.

Ever since we set off from the night I talked with Faram, about enhancing my other senses, they made me walk in front to lead and set the pace while Aide follows just behind me to guided me which direction to go; behind her is Scias and then next is Emis. Last and all alone, Faram walks farthest in the rear. We continuously walked towards south, which was the only country in the entire continent that provides transport to the other continents overseas.

My eyes were focused ahead but my thoughts were scattered. I tried to think about what to do after we get off this continent. It seems like Faram agrees about searching for Nora's parents so I can return the brooches. But after that, what do I do next?

I'm not like my brother, I honestly don't know how to start searching for the Sage. I have no leads and what so ever.

I looked down in a sigh

and saw my shoes are giving up on me too. These aren't the type of shoes for these kind of walks to begin with. Such a shame it's all worn out. The grasses are a bit iced but not enough to appreciate snowfall at all. I wonder how this forest seems to resist the winter snow?

”Aerra!”

I felt a strong grip by my arm. I paused and glance at Aide who stopped me. ”Do you hear that?” she murmurs, tilting her head to the side as if trying to sense something.

I closed my eyes and listened beyond the noise of the forest.

A buzzing sound is heard. A very low and deep shuddering noise that I can't seem to make out what it is.

”Aide” Faram hollered, as he steps towards the shadows of the trees and vanishes. Aide nodded and takes my hand, gently pulling me along to the shades of the trees; carefully hiding to the nearest bush to take cover. Scias and Emis did so too.

The low buzzing sound became louder. I can almost feel the vibration in the air. And then all of a sudden something flies across and above the trees. Two of them.

”Now what the actual fuck is that?” Scias mutters quietly as we all watched them hovering away.

My eyes widened seeing the hovering objects

My eyes widened seeing the hovering objects. They look like some kind of industrial contraptions. But they seems oddly advance for this kind of world— too advanced.

—something that shouldn't exist in this time yet.

I thought science is under developed in this world because they depend on magic too much...

So how is such a thing exist???

As it passed by without noticing us, I saw the emblem of Osteell Empire from its behind. Somehow, that gave me a dreadful feeling.

Osteell is— Levi's homeland...

A powerful military empire of the East, known for their technological advancements. They have more commonfolks living in that country than noblebloods. Which means magic is not as 'epidemic' as they are like the rest of the continent. So it's understandable why they would focus on mechanical stuff.

But this world is already problematic with magic as it is.

There's even a civil war going on at the northwestern lands, commonfolks versus the noblebloods.

So for something like that to even exist now...

”Airships?” Emis wonders.