Mika couldn't help but smile to himself.

This was it. This was the kind of world he'd always dreamed about.

Mystical forests, protective barriers, ancient races, and strange dangers you can't expect.

"Magic and wonders everywhere…" He murmured under his breath, eyes softening with genuine awe.

But then, just as quickly, his expression soured, and he grimaced slightly.

"And to think." He muttered dryly. "I was supposed to be the 'Father of a Nation.' What utter nonsense."

He shook his head as if shaking away a bad memory and Lulu, who heard the shift in his tone blinked curiously.

"Hm? What's wrong, Luca?" She asked, tilting her head, her long golden hair bouncing. "Why do you look so down in the dumbs?"

He glanced at her. But before he could answer, she puffed out her chest out heroically and said,

"If you're scared of the monsters out there, the big sky things and the ugly ground crawlers—don't worry!"

He raised a brow, amused already.

"Because not only do we have the barrier protecting us."

Lulu continued, striking a dramatic pose with one hand on her hip and the other forming a fist.

"But I'm here too!"

She punched the air enthusiastically, letting out an exaggerated "Haah!" like a warrior from a storybook.

"If anything comes for you, I'll protect you and punch them all away! Pow! One hit, two hits—gone!"

Luna sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead.

"Honestly, Lulu." She said dryly. "You'd probably be the first one eaten. You'd run right at the monster shouting, 'Fight me!' and it would just swallow you whole before you even blink."

"Hey!" Lulu protested indignantly, glaring at her sister. "That's not true! I'd definitely win!"

Luca couldn't help it—he burst out laughing.

He then reached over, placing a hand around the back of her neck and gently pulled her close to ruffle her hair affectionately.

"Thank you so much, Lulu." He said warmly, his voice tinged with amusement. "With you around, I guess I don't have to worry about a thing. The Goddess should've just made you the Hero."

Lulu beamed at him, clearly pleased with the praise, and rubbed her head against his shoulder with a proud grin.

"Of course! I'm the great Lulu after all!" She said, striking a triumphant pose. "Everyone should bow before me and thank me for my bravery!"

Luca chuckled again, letting her rub her head against him, while Luna watched from the side with quiet surprise at how close she was to Luca.

After all, Lulu was without question, one of the most outgoing and playful elves in the village.

But she wasn't naive.

Despite her friendly nature, she knew her limits.

Even when the male elves had still lived here and tried to flirt with her, she never let them get too close. She'd always kept her distance, knowing full well how to draw her boundaries.

But right now, as she watched Lulu lean into Luca's embrace without hesitation, she realized that her sister wasn't setting those boundaries at all.

She was relaxed, comfortable, and genuinely at ease in his presence.

It wasn't simple friendliness—it was trust. Real trust.

And Luna couldn't even blame her. After everything Luca had done and said since arriving here, it was impossible not to like him.

While he playfully tousled Lulu's hair, Luca turned his attention back to Luna and asked.

"So tell me something. You said your villages are separated by dangerous lands and barriers, then does that mean you can't travel from one to another at all?"

"Are you all stuck in your own territories forever? No communication, no contact? It would be quite sad if it's like that."

"No, not exactly." Luna shook her head immediately. "We do have some level of communication between villages. For normal messages, we use trained birds that can travel long distances and deliver letters or small items. They're swift and reliable."

Then she added, "And in more urgent cases, we have special apparatus that uses a trace amount of mana. They can transmit short magical signals—kind of like a beacon to send messages. But it's a fragile apparatus, so it's not something we can use often."

"That's interesting." Luca said, intrigued. "So there is a communication network of sorts."

"Yes." Luna continued. "But traveling physically between villages...that's another story."

She lifted her hand and gestured toward the sky where the faint light of the three moons shimmered faintly through the clouds.

"Very randomly—when the stars align in a certain pattern and the three moons above shine their brightest—a strange phenomenon occurs."

"That's the only time we can travel freely."

"A phenomenon?" Luca repeated, intrigued.

"Yes. We call it Eclisar's Truce—the time when the world rests."

Luna said reverently like it was something holy.

"When that happens, all the monsters and twisted beings that wander between the villages—they retreat. It's as if something calls them deeper into the Central Zone. They vanish from the outer lands entirely and for that brief time, the paths between the villages become completely safe."

"When that happens, everyone goes crazy!" Lulu piped in, waving her hands dramatically. "There's trade, travel, sometimes even festivals—we sell things, we buy things, we dance with the beastkin and drink with the slimes!"

"It's the only time we can actually visit other races!"

"It's as Lulu said." Luna said fondly. "Each village has its own specialty—some craft, others harvest, others brew. During the phenomenon, we trade and share resources."

"So basically..." Luca said. "You can only travel when this 'Eclisar's Truce' happens. And since it's random, you never know when the next chance will be."

"Right." Luna confirmed. "And that's why it's not easy to bring a Dryad here. Their village is far north, near the northern coast. It would take four Truces, two to travel here, and two more to return safely. We can't risk it."

Luca rubbed his chin, thinking. "I see...So land routes are unreliable. But what about sea routes?"

"Why not travel by sea instead of land?" He said like it was a obvious solution. "Just circle around the continent instead of cutting through the middle?"

But before Luna could answer, Lulu popped her head up again from where she was leaning against him and said,

"We can't do that either!"

Luca blinked. "Why not?"

"There are monsters in the sea too!" Lulu said dramatically, waving her arms. "Big ones! With teeth the size of trees! And waves that rise higher than the trees in the forest!"

"You could get crushed in moments or pulled underwater by something horrible!"

Luna sighed. "She's not exaggerating." She said quietly. "The seas around the demi-human continent are treacherous. The waves are strong, the storms frequent, and the creatures beneath the surface...aren't to be trifled with."

"We've lost more than one ship in the past that tried to sail too far from the usual route."

Luca frowned.

"That doesn't make sense." He said, thinking back to what he'd heard earlier. "Your aunt mentioned that the elves have been able to reach the human continent before."

"So how did they manage that if the seas are so dangerous? What about those sea monsters you're talking about?"

Luna exhaled slowly, her eyes softening as she looked toward the direction of the ocean.

"It's similar to the barrier that protects our lands."

She began, her tone turning steady and thankful like she was grateful to the phenomenon.

"There's something placed upon the sea itself—a spell, or perhaps a divine system—we don't fully understand it."

"But it reacts differently depending on who tries to cross."

"When demi-humans—whether elves, giants, or goblins try to cross the ocean, nothing happens to us. As long as we follow certain rules and keep our journey calm, the sea remains gentle."

"No storms, no monstrous waves, no sea beasts rising from the depths. It's almost as if the ocean recognizes us and allows us to pass."

She looked back at him with a faint, knowing smile.

"It's like another kind of barrier similar to the one in the villages. One that shields us even out there."

"But." She added after a pause, her voice lowering slightly. "When humans try to cross those same waters, it's...different."

"The sea turns against them. The monsters appear. Waves crush their ships. Storms tear their sails apart. It's instant, relentless, merciless."

"That's why humans can't get here." Lulu chimed in with a nod. "Not even their biggest fleets can survive near our shores."

"Ten years now, they've been trying—circling the edges of the continent with their ships, waiting, watching—but they can never come closer. The moment they do, they vanish under the waves."

Luna's face turned solemn.

"If it weren't for that barrier, Luca. We wouldn't exist anymore." She said carefully like she couldn't even think of the potential future.

"The humans outnumber us a several-fold. They have weapons, technology, and greed that knows no end. So, without the sea's protection, they would've wiped us out long ago."

Luca nodded slowly, his expression serious.

"So, just like the land, even the sea protects you." He murmured, glancing toward the faint horizon.

"Yes, but even with us, it isn't perfectly safe." She shook her head with grave look on her face. "The blessing is not absolute. The protection only lasts when we enter or leave the demi-human continent through specific routes—direct paths blessed with protection."

"We can't use the sea to travel from one village to another along the coast. The moment we stray too far from the designated routes, the barrier weakens, and the sea becomes wild again. The waves can swallow us whole in seconds."

She sighed softly. "That's why sea travel is possible, but only for entry and exit—not for internal travel between races."

Luca folded his arms, thoughtful.

"So basically." He summarized. "The land routes are dangerous except during certain celestial alignments, and the sea is only safe for brief crossings. Hm…" He rubbed his chin, a sly grin forming. "That leaves one option."

Lulu blinked up at him curiously. "What option?"

"The sky." Luca said with a small smile. "If the land's a mess and the sea's unpredictable, maybe you could fly from village to village."

Both sisters stared at him blankly.

Then Lulu suddenly burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

"What are you talking about?! We're elves, not fairies!" She giggled, flapping her arms dramatically.

"Only races with wings can fly silly! Like the fairy clans, or those feather-brained harpies! Look at me—do I have wings?!"

She spun around with a cheeky grin, wiggling her hips playfully.

"See? Nothing here but a really nice butt!"

Luca couldn't help but laugh. "Who said you need wings on your back to fly?" He teased. "As long as you have a plane or a helicopter, that's enough."

Both sisters froze.

"A...plane?" Luna asked, blinking. "A helicopter? What's that? Are you saying these are magical inventions from your world that can make people fly?"

Luca chuckled, clearly enjoying their wide-eyed expressions.

"Not exactly magic." He said. "But yes—they're machines, big ones. They use engines and power to lift themselves into the air and carry people through the sky."

"We can cross continents, oceans—even mountains in them."

Lulu's jaw dropped in awe.

"That's so damn cool!" She shouted, practically bouncing. "You can fly without wings?! I've always been jealous of those stupid fairies and their cute little wings! And now you're telling me you humans can just build things and fly around?!"

"I want to fly! I want to do it so bad!"

She grabbed his sleeve, shaking it eagerly.

"You're gonna make me one, right? You'll take me up there, right?!"

Even Luna's composure broke slightly as she tugged on his other sleeve, her voice softer but filled with excitement.

"C-Can I come too? I want to see the village from above. It must look so beautiful from the sky."

Luca chuckled at the sudden enthusiasm surrounding him.

"Well, I haven't exactly tested how much I can bring here from my world yet." He admitted thoughtfully. "Those machines are huge. But who knows?"

"Maybe one day I'll find a way to bring one over. Then we'll all go on a flight together."

The sisters eyes sparkled with pure excitement.

And without even realizing it, Luna leaned against him, her shoulder brushing his arm as she smiled happily, imagining the sight of the ocean from the clouds.

Lulu, clinging to his other side, was already bouncing with excitement.

And seeing the two of them so full of joy, Luca couldn't help but chuckle and drape an arm around both of their shoulders affectionately, which Luna did not mind at all.

"Well, before we plan any sky trips." He said warmly. "We should probably deal with the issue at hand first. I can't have either of you turning frail and sick like the others."

Hearing this, Luna's excitement faded into worry.

"I don't even know if it can be solved." She said quietly. "My father has been working on it for weeks, but no one has improved. If anything, their symptoms have only gotten worse."

Luca looked at her, his eyes soft but unwavering.

"Don't worry about it." He said in a caring, confident tone. "Even if your father fails...I'll be right here. I'll fix whatever comes your way. After all—"

He smiled warmly, leaning just slightly closer.

"That's what heroes do, right?"

For a moment, Luna just stared at him.

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, the world around her blurring slightly.

She didn't know why—or what exactly this feeling was—but her face grew warm, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

She looked away, her fingers unconsciously clutching her sleeve. It was a small, fleeting moment, but one that made her heart tremble.

But just as she was feeling warm and fuzzy—a harsh, angry shout shattered the stillness of the forest.

"GET OUT! GET OUT!" A man's voice roared from ahead. "If it's my wife, I'll do whatever I damn well want! It's none of your concern!"

All three of them froze instantly.

The voice came from the treehouse just above them, hanging off the side of the massive tree—the one belonging to Esme and little Lisa.

And it was clear that whatever was happening inside, it wasn't good.

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