As the warm morning sun began to set towards the horizon, the reddish light of the afternoon illuminated the landscape around the four travelers. The biome around them began to change, and vegetation slowly took over the bare, rocky terrain of the southern territory of Tentochu.

The mountains that dipped into the ground to the west grew taller and taller, traveling inland and forming the central area of the Southborne Mountains. That was the most extensive mountain range in the region and stretched from the far south to the far north, splitting Tentochu into two almost equidimensional parts.

​​

While Enatsu continued to rest with his Moruba, Yoichi and Shioko looked at the surrounding landscape with more critical eyes than on the outward journey. How many other villages were scattered throughout the territory south of Blackborough? Had they too been wiped out like that poor fishing village?

According to the map Enatsu had shown him some time before, Yoichi realized that the south of their region had a much lower population density than the capital area, which was located further north.

This factor was probably due to the harsh and arid biome, in which it was difficult to grow plants for consumption and export and equally challenging to run breeding farms.

The young tamer slowly figured that the weird world of which he had no previous memories before awakening offered magical and incredibly varied landscapes. He and his team had traversed two totally different biomes in the only small portion of the world he had visited.

Different biome, different species of demons. One factor any traveler should always have considered was just that. As one approached the Blackvault Mines, the rugged terrain of the south was home to wild demons that were decidedly unfriendly: for this reason, the roads that wound their way through the blunt hills and steep mountains of that area were devoid of 'standard' travelers.

The north of the region was characterized by a constant flow of trade and tourism. Merchants, men, and women of all kinds moved from town to town without fear of being attacked by wild demons along the way.

The only prerogative was to travel during the day. Even the children knew that, during the night, the most dangerous demons would come out of the woodwork. However, the well-distributed Crimson Lotus plantations across the land provided the citizenry with a sense of constant protection.

What would have happened if the Blackblood had defaced those plantations? How many innocent, disempowered people would die slaughtered like the villagers of Blackborough?

Yoichi tried not to think about it, avoiding falling into a state of anxiety. He knew that a good knowledge of geography could help him find more Void Summoners and neutralize their threat.

Resting with his back on one of the edges of the carriage, the young tamer opened his bag, proudly purchased in Goldhaven's Old Bazaar.

The fingers of his hand struck the wooden box he was reaching for and, slowly blurring it out because of his sore arm, Yoichi opened it. It was the first time he had seen the Tetsuiasa in the late afternoon sunlight.

The material looked incredibly shiny and eye-catching. Yoichi closed the box again after a few seconds, and soon after, he closed his eyes as well.

The road to Goldhaven was still long, and his body demanded some rest. The dirt road in the south of the region had gradually given way to a new, flatter road, a symptom of civilization.

The movements and jolts of the carriage became less pronounced, allowing the young tamer to take a nap.

...

"Whoa! Stop... easy, easy..." - Ryutaro's words woke Yoichi up. Immediately, his body wobbled sideways, forcing him to rest one hand on the bottom of the carriage to avoid falling on Enatsu.

The braking of the two horses pulling Ryutaro and his protégés was quite gradual, but the position in which Yoichi had fallen asleep was unsteady. "Are we there yet?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and looking over his master's tall headwear.

His gaze was lost for a moment in a more relaxed and familiar landscape. Broad cultivated fields stretched out to the left and right, harmoniously skirting the path they were traveling.

In addition to the fields of rice, wheat, and other grains that would later be exported to the big cities, Yoichi's eyes carefully searched for fields of Crimson Lotus.

"It seems that this area has not been affected by the Blackblood," Shioko commented, anticipating the young tamer's discovery and pointing her finger forward.

Following the direction indicated by the archer with his gaze, Yoichi noticed that lush fields of Crimson Lotus filled the large area behind the rice fields.

Among the bushes and brambles, dozens of workers were intent on watering the plants and pulling out the weeds, caring for their field as if each Lotus was a child in need of care.

Farmers of each gender and age were united by one thing: each of them wore a large straw hat similar to an umbrella. The diversity of each hat testified to its craftsmanship, and the rest of the clothing of those people allowed their condition of poverty to shine through.

However, even though those people lived several miles from the capital city and could not enjoy the benefits that a town as huge as Goldhaven offered, an atmosphere of warmth and familiarity came from their distant voices.

Men, women, and children seemed to be dipping their hands into the soil and brambles with an immense joy of living and gratitude, like one big family.

One man raised the visor of his hat and placed a hand on his forehead, turning in the direction of the carriage. With a wave of his arm, Ryutaro greeted the farmer, who responded with sudden friendliness.

"Sunset is upon us, and you need more rest. Tonight we will camp here, not far from that farm," the gatekeeper ordered, stepping out of the carriage and holding tightly to the horses' reins.

Yoichi stood up and opened the door behind the wooden carriage with less effort than his awakening on the hill. Taking care not to make any sudden movements, he hopped to the ground.