As the wagons continued rolling along the road, Altair, Eleos, and Arman walked alongside them, staying alert. Their earlier encounter with wolves kept them cautious, and they knew that wolves rarely traveled alone. If a small pack had already appeared, there was always the possibility that more were nearby. Altair's eyes scanned the surrounding terrain constantly—the slopes, the treeline, and the distant ridges—while Arman and Eleos kept close to the caravan formation.
After a while, Altair broke the silence. "So, what's your goal in this world?" he asked without turning his head.
Arman shrugged lightly. "I just want to explore the world and enjoy my new life here."
Eleos stretched her arms behind her head while walking. "I just want to relax and take my time in this world."
Arman looked at her curiously. "Then why did you raise a clinic if you wanted to relax?"
Eleos smiled smugly. "Oh… it's like this. In this world, there will always be people getting hurt. I can't bear watching them suffer, but I also want to live peacefully." She lifted a finger proudly. "If I have my own clinic and become a great healer, I can just sit there, heal one person… and then relax for the rest of the day."
While Eleos spoke enthusiastically, Altair only glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the road ahead. After a moment he said, "For free? Wouldn't that make you broke?"
Eleos shook her head. "There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Even in our old world it was the same. I still need money to buy equipment, herbs, and materials for potions and treatments."
As they walked, Arman occasionally glanced toward the caravan wagons—specifically where Michio and his wives were traveling together. Altair noticed and cleared his throat softly.
"Ahem… that's not appropriate, Arman," he said calmly. "That's their privacy."
Arman rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's not like that. I just… feel a bit envious. I died at thirty and still wasn't married. Imagine going to work and then going home alone for years."
Suddenly Eleos burst into laughter.
"Sad…"
She quickly covered her mouth. "Ehem… sorry."
Arman waved his hand dismissively. "It's okay."
Altair glanced toward Arman as they walked. "So, what do you think about Eleos?" he asked casually, his eyes briefly flicking in her direction.
Arman raised an eyebrow, clearly not catching the meaning right away. "What do you mean?"
Altair shrugged slightly. "She's a girl, you know."
Arman froze for a split second. His expression immediately turned awkward. "But Eleos is kind of fla—"
Before he could even finish the sentence, Arman suddenly bolted forward, sprinting down the path as fast as he could.
Altair stopped walking, staring ahead for a moment as he processed what Arman had just said.
"WHAT?" Eleos shouted from behind.
Altair remained standing there while Arman kept running farther away, his pace only getting faster as if he were trying to escape an invisible danger.
Eleos slowly raised her mace above her head.
"Oi."
Arman didn't even look back. If anything, he ran even faster.
Eleos watched his retreating figure, then clicked her tongue in irritation.
"That bitch."
Altair remained silent for a moment, simply watching the exchange between Arman and Eleos. He occasionally glanced at them, then returned his attention to the road ahead. The quiet lasted only a few seconds before Eleos spoke again, her tone shifting slightly.
"You should respect women, you know," Eleos said while crossing her arms. "If you behave like that, you'll end up single again… just like you were in your previous world."
Arman blinked, surprised by the sudden comment.
"That's harsh," he muttered.
Eleos smirked slightly. "I'm judging you, Arman."
Arman sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't mean it in a bad way. What I meant was… their personality seems really good. That's all."
Eleos hummed thoughtfully. "Mmmmmhmm."
Then she suddenly laughed.
"Sad."
She quickly covered her mouth. "Ehem… sorry."
Arman waved his hand. "It's okay."
For a moment the three of them continued walking in silence again. The caravan wheels creaked behind them while the road stretched forward between the hills.
Arman continued walking beside the caravan, clearly still thinking about magic ideas. "Back when I was alive in my previous world, I used to read a lot of comics," he said casually. "Some of them had really strange spells… magic used in very irregular ways."
Eleos tilted her head with interest. "Oh?"
"Yeah," Arman continued. "For example, tonight I might try creating a spell that makes the ground extremely slippery."
Eleos raised an eyebrow. "Slippery ground?"
Arman grinned. "Imagine if a big monster charges at us, and suddenly the ground becomes like ice. It would just slip and fall over."
Eleos gave him a long look, then smirked. "So… you're planning to increase the number of patients at my clinic?"
Arman laughed awkwardly. "That's not the goal!"
Nearby, the conversation drifted again toward the earlier teasing.
Someone joked about Altair eventually finding a wife.
Altair immediately responded flatly, "No thanks."
Arman glanced at him, confused. "Why not?"
Then he added jokingly, "Wait… you don't like women or something?"
Eleos suddenly reacted loudly.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN you don't like men?!"
Her reaction was so exaggerated that Arman burst out laughing while Altair simply sighed and continued walking, pretending not to hear any of it.
As the sun began to set, the caravan slowly reduced its pace. The road ahead was growing darker, and the surrounding forest started to feel more ominous as shadows stretched across the ground. Altair approached the lead wagon and spoke up politely. "Sir… we should probably stop here and set up camp."
From inside the wagon came the faint sound of movement—rustling cloth and shifting crates. A moment later, Michio's head appeared from behind the curtain of the caravan. "Hmm? What is it?" he asked.
Arman scratched the back of his head slightly. "It's getting dark. Continuing the journey at night would be dangerous."
Michio nodded slowly as he looked around at the dimming road and the nearby treeline. "That makes sense. Traveling in the dark isn't safe anyway." He stepped down from the wagon and glanced toward the surrounding area.
"So… where do you think we should camp?" Michio asked.
Altair frowned slightly, scanning the terrain with careful eyes before answering. "We need a place with open visibility and natural cover—somewhere enemies can't approach unnoticed."
Eleos crossed her arms while looking around the road ahead. "Preferably near water too," she added. "If we're staying for the night, we'll need it."
In the end, the team decided to set up camp near a quiet lake not far from the road. The water looked incredibly clear, reflecting the fading orange light of the sunset. However, the lake seemed unusually deep—near the shore the bottom was visible, but farther toward the center the water darkened until the bottom completely disappeared into shadow.
Altair studied the water for a moment before speaking. "I'll cook fish tonight," he said simply. Seeing that none had been prepared yet, he removed his boots and stepped into the cold lake water without hesitation. With calm and practiced movements, he waded deeper and began searching beneath the surface.
It didn't take long. A splash echoed across the lake as Altair suddenly moved. Moments later, he tossed two large fish out toward the shore. Arman and Eleos quickly caught them before they slid back into the water, laughing slightly as they carried the fish to the cooking area near the campfire.
Altair then glanced back at Arman from the water. "Come help."
Arman shrugged and stepped into the lake as well, swimming out beside him. Together they searched the deeper water, trying to catch more fish for their dinner while the evening sky slowly darkened above the quiet lake.
Near the camp, Michio and the members of his caravan—including his wives and a drivers and servants who helped manage the goods—were sitting together around their own fire. They were eating and laughing, their voices relaxed after the long day of travel. The warm glow of the firelight and the calm lake nearby made the campsite feel almost peaceful.
From the water, Arman glanced toward the shore and then looked at Eleos. "Hey, Eleos," he called out. "You should come swim too. You could take a bath while you're at it."
Eleos crossed her arms immediately. "Go bathe by yourself!"
Arman chuckled awkwardly. "Come on, it's just so everyone can stay clean."
Eleos glared at him. "Try inviting me again and see what happens."
Arman raised his hands defensively. "Alright, alright."
Eleos made a kicking motion toward him from the shore as if threatening to shove him back into the lake. Meanwhile, Altair simply watched the exchange from the water and gave a faint, almost amused smile before returning his attention to catching more fish.
Arman rubbed the side of his leg after Eleos' earlier kick and laughed awkwardly. "Hey, why'd you kick me?" he muttered.
Altair glanced over briefly and spoke calmly. "Aren't you uncomfortable, Eleos? We've been traveling a long distance today. You must be covered in sweat by now."
Arman nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you could just take off your outer clothes and wash up in the lake."
Altair added casually, "Don't worry. I'll keep my eyes turned away."
Eleos rolled her eyes. "I don't need to bathe at the same time as you two, you know."
Arman raised both hands defensively. "Alright, alright… I surrender."
Eleos crossed her arms and muttered under her breath, "Typical guy…"
While the conversation continued near the lake, the sound of footsteps approached from the caravan. Michio and several of his wives walked toward the campsite, curious about the commotion. Arman noticed them and scratched his head awkwardly.
Michio spoke politely, "Ah, I was wondering what you were doing over here."
Arman gestured toward the lake. "Just catching fish and cleaning up a bit."
Michio nodded. "If you need it, we actually brought a few swimming garments for bathing. My wives sometimes use them when we stop near rivers or lakes."
Not far from them, Altair had already slipped deeper into the water again, quietly diving beneath the surface as if searching for more ingredients to add to the meal he was preparing.
Arman glanced toward the lake where Altair had disappeared beneath the surface again. "Hey Altair, we already have some mushrooms and dried meat in our packs," he called out. "That should be enough for dinner, right?"
There was no response at first—only the gentle rippling of water. Arman shrugged and turned toward Eleos. Just then Michio approached with a curious look. "So, Eleos, what do you think?" he asked politely, referring to the offer of borrowing swimming garments for bathing.
Eleos hesitated for a moment, thinking carefully. "Well… alright," she said slowly, though her expression showed she still found the situation a bit awkward.
Michio nodded and turned toward the caravan. "Fina, could you help Eleos find a bathing outfit?" he called out. One of his wives—a slender elf named Fina—stepped forward with a friendly smile.
"Of course," Fina said warmly. "Come with me, Eleos. We have a few spare ones in the wagon."
As they walked toward the caravan, Fina leaned closer and whispered lightly with a teasing smile, "It's important, you know. We women have to be careful—there are too many dangerous men around."
Eleos gave a small laugh at that, glancing briefly back toward Arman.
At that moment the surface of the lake suddenly splashed. Altair emerged from the water, holding several things in his hands. "Found something," he said calmly while walking back toward the shore. "Freshwater shrimp and some lake clams."
He tossed them gently toward the cooking area near the fire. "We'll save the dried meat for tomorrow morning."
Arman looked down into the dark water of the lake, thinking for a moment. "Hmm… I kind of want to try something," he said thoughtfully. "It feels like there might be something deeper beneath us. What do you think?"
Altair simply listened without responding, standing quietly in the shallow water while brushing his wet hair back.
Meanwhile, Eleos returned from the caravan wearing a borrowed bathing outfit. Soon after, she and Fina stepped carefully into the lake together. The two women stayed closer to the shore, soaking in the cool water while chatting quietly with each other.
Not long after, Michio approached the part of the lake where Arman and Altair were swimming. He cleared his throat slightly. "Ehem… actually, I used to be fairly strong myself," Michio said with a small smile.
Arman looked at him curiously. "Strong? What do you mean by that?"
Michio chuckled lightly. "Don't assume I have many wives just because I'm a merchant. I used to be an adventurer before I started trading."
Altair listened silently as usual.
Michio continued, "If you want, Altair, I could even teach you a skill or two."
Altair shook his head slightly and turned away. "No thanks."
Michio laughed quietly at the response. "Suit yourself," he said.
Altair glanced at Arman and nodded slightly. "Come on, Arman."
Arman looked confused. "Where?"
Altair raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say you wanted to try something earlier?"
Arman hesitated, glancing down at the darker part of the lake. "Hmm… yeah, but I'm a little worried. What if we accidentally disturb something down there?"
Altair shrugged calmly. "Well… if something happens, I'll help you deal with it."
He then added simply, "Go ahead."
From the shallower side of the lake, Eleos looked over toward them and called out cautiously, "Be careful! Don't wake up something that doesn't like being disturbed!"
She folded her arms but then added with a confident smirk, "But my natural energy has already recovered. If something happens, I can still heal you two."
Arman nodded slowly while staring into the deep water. "Hmm… I think I see something down there," he muttered. "It looks like there's some kind of structure… like a lid or a cover beneath the lake."
He squinted, trying to make it out more clearly. "But it's hard to see."
Eleos tilted her head from the shore. "A lid…?" she asked, sounding confused.
Arman kept staring into the dark water. "Yeah… I feel some kind of energy down there," he said slowly. "But I can't actually see it clearly."
Altair frowned slightly and looked down into the lake as well. "Where?" he asked.
After a moment he shook his head. "I don't see anything."
While the two of them were still discussing it, Michio swam closer toward them through the water with a friendly grin. "So, what are you two talking about?" he asked casually. "Do you prefer crabs or squid?"
Arman barely glanced at him and pointed downward. "Down there. I think there's some kind of energy."
Michio blinked in confusion.
Altair sighed quietly and, apparently unwilling to continue the conversation with Michio, simply took a breath and dove beneath the water again to investigate the lakebed.
Michio floated there awkwardly for a moment, suddenly feeling as if the atmosphere had turned cold for no clear reason.
Michio scratched the back of his head awkwardly when Arman looked at him suspiciously. "Hey, don't misunderstand," he said quickly. "I'm perfectly normal. I mean… I have seven wives, that should be proof enough."
Altair had already dived deeper into the lake, investigating the strange energy Arman mentioned. The water around him rippled quietly as he disappeared beneath the surface once again.
Suddenly—without warning—the surface of the lake violently rippled.
A powerful force surged upward from the depths.
Altair, who had been diving beneath the water to investigate, was suddenly yanked downward by an unseen pull. His body jerked sharply as something grabbed him from below. His arms and legs were instantly restrained, as if wrapped tightly by something powerful.
The water erupted with loud splashing sounds.
BLUBBB—BLUBBB!
A deep pulling current formed beneath the surface, dragging the surrounding water toward the center of the lake. Anyone still standing in the water suddenly felt the force pulling at them, as if the lake itself had turned into a massive drain.
Arman felt the sudden current tug hard at his legs.
"What the—?!"
From the shore, Eleos immediately stood up.
"Altair!"
The calm lake had transformed in an instant.
Something deep beneath the water had just awakened.