Over four hours passed before the first checkpoint appeared. It was a small structure straddling the road with guards in Mori Empire uniforms. The carriage slowed as one guard approached, his hand resting casually on his sword hilt.

Brunhilde peered through the window and stared at the guard who stopped. "Academy expedition. We have clearance."

The guard's posture changed when he saw her, as he straightened and said in a respectful tone. "Yes, ma'am. Papers?"

Rustling sounds as documents were exchanged. Reinhard couldn't see the interaction from his position, but he heard the guard's tone shift to something more deferential.

A moment later, the papers were returned.

"Safe travels and be careful." The guard said, stepping back.

The carriage moved forward again, passing through the checkpoint without issue. Marie exhaled softly.

"That was easier than expected," Joseph commented.

"Brunhilde's presence helps." Janus said. "The guards know better than to delay someone of her rank."

Another hour passed with the road growing rougher, forcing the gray orb to slow the pace of the carriage down. The trees pressed closer now, their trunks thick and ancient with grass filling the spaces between them, and even some over the path.

Marie pulled out a book at some point, reading quietly. Joseph dozed, his head tilted back against the cushioned bench, while Janus stared out the window with a dazed expression.

Reinhard found himself studying the forest.

The second checkpoint came and went, then the third. Each time, Brunhilde's presence smoothed their passage.

Each time, they ventured deeper into territory that felt progressively less civilized. And with every checkpoint point, an hour passed again.

By the time they reached the border between central and Eastern Hesod, the sun had passed its zenith. The marker was a weathered stone column on the roadside, carved with territorial boundaries.

Beyond it, the forest transformed.

The trees here were massive, their trunks easily three times the width of those behind them. The canopy overhead blocked out significant sunlight, creating perpetual twilight. The grass grew thicker and more tangled.

And the sounds changed with fewer birds, more rustling from unseen sources.

Janus sat up straighter, his orange eyes scanning their surroundings with obvious familiarity. "Welcome to Eastern Hesod," he said quietly.

The carriage continued forward, but slower now. The road became little more than a packed dirt path, shifting between the massive trees.

Reinhard felt the atmosphere shift in the area that wasn't maintained. After a bit, the final checkpoint appeared with its towering trees rising on either side of the path.

But to call them trees would be an understatement, as they looked like towering pillars used to hold up a building. The tree roots spread through the area while the towering branches climbed upwards until they disappeared into the clouds above.

The roots twisted and coiled, creating natural archways and barriers that made the checkpoint feel less built and more grown.

Reinhard blinked as he saw a small wooden house with weathered planks and a sloped roof on the right side of the path. Ten guards stood at attention, five positioned on each side of the pathway.

Their uniforms bore the marks of the Mori Empire, but their postures suggested they belonged more to this wilderness.

The carriage rolled to a stop.

One guard approached, his hand raised in a gesture that was both greeting and command.

"You'll need to continue on foot from here." He said with a blank look. "The carriage can't navigate, and the roots have blocked off everything."

Brunhilde descended first outside of the carriage, her heeled boots touching earth with barely a sound despite their height. Marie emerged next, followed by Reinhard, Joseph, and finally Janus. The orange-eyed guide's expression had shifted entirely; gone was any trace of nervousness, and replaced by alertness.

Three guards moved forward, gesturing for them to follow. They led the group to the right, away from the main path. The ground sloped downward, creating a natural decline that moved between two massive root systems. Reinhard's hand brushed against one as they descended, which was rough and cold.

At the bottom of the slope stood a door that seemed to be built into the roots. One guard produced a key, the lock clicking open before the door swung open, revealing a pathway with lamps on the side.

The door swung inward, revealing darkness.

One guard stepped through as he beckoned them forward, with the others following behind. The underground tunnel stretched before them, and the lamps had cracks on them but were mounted at regular intervals along cobblestone walls.

They were walking for four minutes with the guard keeping his gaze forward at all times. Reinhard counted his breaths, noting how the air grew cooler the deeper they went. The tunnel ran perfectly straight, no curves or branches.

Then, after another two minutes, the guard at the front stopped beside a ladder which was bolted into stone, and led upward into darkness. He climbed first without pause before the others followed behind him.

Reinhard went after Marie, watching her platinum hair disappear into the shadows above. His hands gripped the rungs, feeling the cold metal through his glove.

They emerged in a small stone shed. There was sunlight entering through extremely small cracks in the walls, creating thin lines of gold across the dusty floor.

The guard reached into a compartment built into the wall and withdrew a rolled parchment, and he unfurled it, revealing a detailed map. It was of Eastern Hesod with details such as forests marked with different shadings, paths drawn in careful lines, and scattered throughout were markers indicating villages and towns.

"The map also marks our bases." The guard explained, his finger tracing several points. "When you're ready to leave, simply navigate to one of the bases and tap the grey orb in the corner."

He pointed to a small grey sphere mounted on the wall, which was identical in appearance to the orbs used in carriages for magical transportation.

Brunhilde smiled faintly as she nodded her head. "Thank you for your help. You've been tremendously helpful."

The guard's weathered face softened slightly before nodding, and then, something like concern entered his eyes. "Please be careful. The forest has gotten even more dangerous over the past months. If you encounter a Seeker, listen to their warnings and words." He paused, meeting each of their gazes in turn. "Until then, good luck."

He descended the ladder, his footsteps fading into the tunnel below. The door closed with a soft click, leaving them alone.

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