I woke up before sunrise. The sky was still dark when I opened my eyes, and for a few seconds I just stared at the ceiling in silence. It had been a while since the last major battle, but my body still seemed used to waking up early. Maybe that would never change.
I slowly turned my head and saw the girls still asleep. Scarlett was hugging her pillow as always, while Liriel slept peacefully beside her. Elara remained motionless, with a calm expression, and Vespera was still practically in the same position as the night before. Lyannis had some books scattered near the bed, probably because she stayed up reading again. Rai'kanna, on the other hand, seemed to be resting deeply, her long hair spread across the mattress.
I let out a small smile.
As strange as it seemed, moments like this had started to become common for me. Peace. Silence. Calm.
Things that once seemed impossible.
I slowly got up so I wouldn't wake them, but before I even reached the door, I heard Scarlett's low voice.
"You always wake up too early."
I looked back and saw her staring at me with half-closed eyes.
"You woke up too."
"Because I felt you getting up."
Soon the others began waking up little by little. In a few minutes, the silent room turned into the usual chaos. Quiet conversations, Lyannis complaining about the time, Scarlett trying to convince everyone to go back to sleep, and Rai'kanna saying she was already hungry before sunrise.
After getting ready, we went downstairs to eat quickly before the trip.
Today would be the beginning of something new.
The lands of the Cyclops Kingdom.
As soon as we left the mansion, the morning air hit my face. The climate was fresh, and the city of Vailor was still slowly waking up. Some shops were starting to open, merchants were organizing goods, and adventurers were walking through the streets toward the guild.
We headed to the carriage sent by the Cyclops Kingdom.
The journey was calm at first. As the hours passed, the scenery gradually began to change. The roads became wider, mountains started appearing in the distance, and the flow of people decreased drastically.
When we finally passed through the main gates of the Cyclops Kingdom, I immediately felt the difference of that place.
Everything was bigger.
The walls were enormous. The buildings looked like they were made for giants. Even the watchtowers were absurdly large.
The cyclops guards observed our arrival carefully, but showed no hostility. Some even seemed curious as they looked at me.
Probably because of the rumors.
The carriage continued toward the central area of the kingdom, where we were received by the Cyclops King himself.
King Gromgar.
Just like the first time I saw him, his presence was still impressive. He was gigantic even for a cyclops. His wide arms looked like they were made of stone, and his heavy voice made the ground slightly tremble.
But unlike his intimidating appearance, he gave a calm smile when he saw us.
"Hero Takumi. I see you came early."
"I prefer to handle things quickly."
He let out a small laugh.
"Good. That makes things easier."
The girls were also greeted with respect. Gromgar already seemed to know all of them through reports and rumors circulating between the kingdoms.
"So these are the women accompanying the hero."
Scarlett crossed her arms.
"Is there a problem with that?"
"None. In fact, I'm impressed you can keep up with someone like him."
Rai'kanna let out a small proud laugh, while Vespera simply remained silent, observing the surroundings.
After a brief conversation, the king guided us to another carriage, much larger than the previous one.
"The lands you will receive are far from the capital. It will be a long journey."
We boarded the carriage and soon set off again.
As we moved away from the capital, the massive buildings began to disappear. The path became quieter, surrounded by vast fields and green hills.
During the journey, Gromgar began explaining more about those lands.
"The lands in this region are different from the others. The soil here contains very dense mana."
Lyannis immediately showed interest.
"Condensed natural mana?"
"Exactly."
She slowly adjusted her glasses.
"That explains a lot."
I continued listening in silence.
"The crops here depend directly on this mana to grow properly. The problem is that, a few years ago, productivity dropped drastically."
"Even with dense mana?"
"Yes."
I looked out of the carriage window.
That reminded me of something.
When we finally arrived at the village, I immediately understood the reason.
It was small. Much smaller than I had imagined.
Simple houses surrounded the central area, and the fields around it occupied almost the entire landscape. The environment was quiet, peaceful, and different from the constant movement of Vailor.
But what really caught my attention was something else.
The mana.
It was spread everywhere.
It was so dense that I could feel it in the air.
Liriel narrowed her eyes as soon as she got out of the carriage.
"Takumi..."
"You felt it too?"
She nodded slowly.
"There's something wrong here."
Lyannis began silently observing the surroundings, while Rai'kanna looked uncomfortable.
"This mana feels strange."
I walked to one of the nearby plantations and knelt near the soil. It only took a few seconds for me to notice.
Impurities.
Small, but present.
The same ones we had already found in other regions affected by demonic energy.
I let out a slow sigh.
"So it really reached here…"
King Gromgar crossed his arms.
"You noticed quickly."
"This probably started during the Demon King's expansion."
Liriel calmly approached.
"I can purify a section to confirm."
I nodded.
She slowly closed her eyes, and soon a soft light began to emanate around her body. Sacred energy slowly spread through the nearby fields, illuminating the ground like tiny glowing particles.
The villagers watched in complete silence.
A few seconds later, I immediately felt the difference.
The surrounding mana became lighter.
Cleaner.
Even the plants seemed to react slightly to the purification.
Lyannis observed everything carefully.
"It worked."
King Gromgar let out a long sigh.
"So there really was demonic corruption."
Liriel opened her eyes again.
"It was weak, but it was spread out."
I looked again at the fields.
Now everything made sense.
The low productivity.
The weakened soil.
The irregular crop growth.
That was not natural.
After the initial purification, we headed to the mansion where we would stay.
It was located on top of a nearby hill.
As soon as we arrived, I had to admit the place was larger than I expected.
The structure was elegant, but not excessive. Unlike the enormous cyclops buildings, that mansion seemed built with smaller races in mind.
"It was prepared especially for you," Gromgar explained. "Elven staff have been working here for years."
Some employees came out to greet us, all showing immediate respect.
Scarlett looked at the hill view and smiled.
"This place is actually beautiful."
She was right.
From there, you could see almost the entire village and the surrounding fields. The wind constantly passed over the hill, bringing the scent of the plantations.
It was a calm place.
Very calm.
Maybe even too calm.
Then another man approached.
Unlike the regular cyclops, he seemed older and carried several scrolls in his arms.
"The minister responsible for the lands," Gromgar said.
The man bowed respectfully.
"My name is Doran, Hero Takumi. From now on I will assist in managing the region."
I greeted him calmly.
"I plan to organize everything as quickly as possible."
The minister looked relieved upon hearing that.
"I'm glad to hear that."
We spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know the mansion and part of the village. The girls also began exploring the surroundings while talking to the locals.
Scarlett quickly ended up helping some workers carry heavy tools. Rai'kanna soon did the same. Elara spoke with local merchants trying to understand the region's economy. Lyannis kept asking about the soil almost nonstop, while Vespera quietly observed the village surroundings.
Liriel continued helping purify small contaminated areas.
When night finally came, the silence of that region became even more noticeable.
I went alone to the mansion's balcony.
The night wind calmly passed over the hill while I watched the fields lit only by moonlight.
After so many wars… this felt almost strange.
There were no battles.
No monsters appearing.
No blood.
Just land.
Plantations.
People trying to live normally.
I rested my arms on the wooden balcony railing and looked at the distant lights of the small village below.
Maybe this really was a different phase of my life.
A phase where I would need to learn something beyond fighting.