The sun was directly overhead when Arya's group continued their journey. After resting for six hours, they now sat together inside the vehicle that slowly rolled down a rocky road. Laughter and jokes filled the cabin, flowing so naturally, as if they weren't a group of warriors, but rather a small family on a vacation.
Gamma laughed cheerfully and raised her hand high. "Hehehe! I won again, Sis Dina!" she shouted proudly.
Dina knelt down dramatically, holding her head. "Ughhh… you're so annoying, Gamma-chan!" she cried.
"You still can't beat Reisa-chan? Hahaha!" teased Venus while laughing smugly.
Dina shot a sharp glance.
"Shut up, you ball of fat!"
"What?!" Venus stood up immediately, angry.
"Gamma, you're amazing!" praised Yui sincerely, her eyes sparkling.
"I want to play too!" shouted Raius with burning enthusiasm.
Arya just smiled at their antics. There was warmth behind his gaze, as if this noise was actually a source of peace in his heart.
"Alright," he finally said. "Coincidentally, I just finished making a new game. And this one can be played by six people."
Everyone immediately turned to him at once.
"What?!" they all shouted together.
"Sounds fun," said Venus, grinning.
"I wanna play, bro!" Gamma replied enthusiastically.
"Me too!" Yui chimed in cheerfully.
"Count me in!" added Raius, his eyes gleaming.
Dina leaned closer and whispered to Arya hesitantly.
"Hey, Ar… can I win this time?"
Arya chuckled softly. "Hahaha. Don't worry, Dina. This game depends quite a bit on luck."
He then raised a deck of cards.
"It's called playing cards. Alright, I'll explain how to play."
"What are we playing, Bro?" Gamma asked curiously, scooting closer.
Arya held up a card and showed it to everyone. "It's called High Card Dare. We'll all draw a card at random. Whoever gets the lowest number will be punished. But the punishment is chosen by the others." Arya explained about each of the cards.
Gamma cheered. "Whoa, this is gonna be so fun!"
"So… we just draw a card and get punished?" Raius asked, frowning.
"Not that simple," Arya answered calmly. "We all draw cards at the same time. Then the loser must accept the 'consequence'. But I promise, all punishments will just be silly, not harmful."
Dina immediately crossed her arms. "If I lose again, I swear I'll…"
"Don't worry, it's all about luck," Arya interrupted while offering the deck. "Now, everyone take one."
They each took a card. The cheerful mood briefly turned silent, full of fake tension that only made them more excited.
"Reveal your cards now," Arya commanded.
One by one, they flipped their cards.
Gamma: King
Yui: Queen
Venus: 10
Arya: Jack
Dina: 7
Raius: 3
"Hahaha! I win agaaain!" shouted Gamma, jumping on her seat.
Raius stared at his card in shock. "T-three… that's… the lowest, right?"
Arya nodded with a gentle smile. "Welcome to the world of suffering, little brother."
"Yui, give him the punishment!" shouted Venus.
Yui looked at Raius innocently, then glanced upward, thinking hard. "Hmm… you have to… talk like a baby for 2 minutes!"
Gamma immediately burst out laughing. "Oh no! Raius turns into a baby!"
Raius covered his face with his hands, sighing in despair. But slowly, with a stiff expression, he opened his mouth and spoke in a squeaky voice,
"Uwaaa… big bro Arya… carry meee~"
The cabin instantly erupted. Laughter came from all directions. Dina even slammed a pillow into her face while rolling around. Venus laughed loudly while slapping her thigh, and Gamma nearly choked from laughing too hard.
"Alright, that's enough!" Arya said, trying to hold back his laughter. "He might faint from embarrassment."
Yui patted Raius's shoulder. "That was great! Your voice was super cute!"
Raius stared blankly ahead. "My life… ends here…"
Arya grinned widely. "Okay, round two. Ready?"
"READY!" they all shouted together, their spirits blazing once more.
The vehicle continued rolling along the rocky road, but the sound inside wasn't the roar of the engine it was laughter and the warmth of something far more valuable than victory.
The sun had passed its peak when Arya's group decided to take a break. The fresh air from the surrounding forest greeted them as they stepped out of the vehicle. After two days of non-stop travel, this was the perfect time to rest—and to train their two youngest members: Raius and Yui.
"Alright, try using your barrier like before," Arya said, looking at Raius.
"Okay! Barrier!" Raius raised his hand and created a protective dome. But…
Crack! A small strike from Arya made the barrier instantly shatter.
"The durability is lacking. Focus again!" Arya ordered, now with a firmer tone.
He then glanced toward Dina. "Dina, you try training Raius. I'll work with Yui first. Don't hit him too hard."
"Yeah yeah," Dina replied lazily, walking toward Raius. With exaggerated spirit, she raised her hand and struck Raius's barrier. Crack! It shattered again. "Not sturdy enough, Raius!" she shouted.
"Yes, Sis!" Raius quickly created a new barrier, this time more focused.
Meanwhile, Arya approached Yui, who was sitting near a small bush, trying to use her healing magic.
"How's your healing going, Yui?"
Yui gently touched a wilted leaf. "This plant is still wilted, Brother Arya…" she said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice.
Arya smiled gently. "Hahaha. Don't rush it."
Gamma approached, carrying a snack. "Eat first, Yui. Here!" He handed her a small pouch.
"Thank you, Gamma," Yui replied shyly before eating.
Gamma glanced at Arya. "Can we even use a wilted plant like this, Bro?"
"Yes," Arya replied, crouching beside Yui. "Plants are living beings too. They can get hurt and be healed with Heal magic, just like humans."
"Ooh, I see!" Gamma said with his usual amazed expression.
He turned to Yui with a clenched fist, cheering her on. "Go Yui! You can do it!"
"Thank you, Gamma." Yui refocused. Slowly, the dull color of the leaf began to turn green again. She looked at Arya with hopeful eyes. "Brother Arya! Look at this! It worked, right?!"
Arya nodded proudly. "Good, Yui. Keep it up and improve gradually." He gently patted Yui's head.
"Amazing! That plant isn't wilted anymore!" Gamma exclaimed, eyes sparkling.
"Hehehe!" Yui smiled, satisfied with her progress.
The training session ended with promising results. They climbed back into the vehicle and continued their journey. The cabin felt warm and lively. Venus lay face down, car-sick; Gamma and Yui played chess seriously; Raius practiced barrier magic in the corner; Dina snacked without a care; and Arya sat at the front, watching the road while occasionally glancing in the rearview mirror to make sure everyone was okay.
Two days passed.
From a distance, Arya saw the silhouette of a town appearing at the end of the road.
"We've arrived. Stop here," he said calmly as he turned the control.
Gamma stood up right away. "No execution this time, Bro?" he asked innocently.
Arya gave a small smile. "No. Word is, this town is peaceful. We'll just restock supplies."
Dina exited her room with messy hair. "Yaaawn… So there's no mission this time?" she asked half-asleep.
"Nope. Go out and take a bath," Arya replied while walking toward Raius and Yui's room. "Raius, Yui! Wake up!"
"Yes, Brother!" they replied in unison.
Arya then knocked on another door. "Venus! Hey, wake up!"
Venus opened the door with a messy face and tousled hair. "Ah?... Alright…" she muttered sleepily.
Arya stood in the middle of the hallway. "Alright, everyone, take a bath first. Raius, use the vehicle's bathroom."
"Okay…" they all replied in unison, sounding weary.
After bathing, they prepared to enter the town.
The small town looked peaceful. Wooden buildings were clean and neatly lined up, the market was filled with children's laughter and the smell of freshly baked bread. Cool air welcomed them as they stepped out of the vehicle.
"We're just stopping to resupply. Don't take too long," Arya said as he stored the vehicle.
"Roger that, Bro Arya!" Gamma shouted, immediately grabbing Yui's hand and running toward the market.
"Ah, kids," muttered Dina while yawning and following them.
Arya gave out short tasks. Dina would gather small tools and dry food, Raius was tasked with finding ink and magic scrolls, while he himself would handle the main logistics. Venus went to buy beer.
It didn't take long. Gamma returned with puffed cheeks from sampling too many sweets. In his hands was a pouch of herbs and candy. Yui brought a bunch of small flowers, tucking one into Gamma's hair.
"Pretty, right?" she said innocently.
"Hehe, yeah!" Gamma laughed, then turned to Dina. "Sis, want one too?"
"Nope. Food's better," Dina replied while placing shopping bags on the floor of the vehicle.
Raius returned hugging two thin magic books. "I found basic barrier theory!" he said excitedly.
Arya came last, carrying the supplies they needed. He checked each item. After confirming everything was complete, he looked at the sun, now slanting toward the west.
"That's enough. Rest time is over."
Yui nodded while holding her small flower. Gamma was still munching on snacks. Venus handed Arya a small package.
"I bought this. Meat-stuffed bread. You haven't eaten yet, right?" she said lazily.
Arya only nodded. "Thank you."
They got into the vehicle and began driving north toward the next city called LATREL, the journey lasting three days.
Meanwhile, in an unknown room.
"I'm going to the city of LATREL." ??? a deep voice.
"You sure? Need any help?" ??? a cold voice.
"Up to you." ??? a flat tone.
"..." ???
"..." ???