The road gradually widened as they continued forward, and the rocky ridges slowly gave way to a long stretch of open ground. Ahead of them, the dark mouth of Al'Qatl Canyon rose between two towering walls of stone. The cliffs were tall and jagged, their shadows cutting across the road like long fingers.
Ulon leaned forward slightly at the front of the wagon, resting his arms on the wooden rail as Molly pulled them along at a steady pace.
"Boss," he said, glancing toward the canyon entrance, "do we need to be prepared?"
Shane sat beside him, posture straight and calm, the reins resting loosely in his hand. His sharp eyes swept across the canyon mouth, studying the cliffs, the ground, and the silence between them.
After a moment, he shook his head.
"No need for that."
He tilted his head slightly toward the back of the wagon.
Cukuz, the small bat, sat comfortably on Molly's wide back, clinging to her thick hide like a lazy passenger. Every now and then, he stretched his wings, then folded them again with a satisfied squeak.
Zevy rested on the wagon's edge opposite Kiel, feathers puffed slightly as she watched the sky.
Beside Zevy, Klaus lay flat on the roof boards, arms folded behind his head, and a sack supporting it, eyes closed as if he were peacefully asleep despite the moving wagon.
Only Kiel looked restless.
The boy sat near the edge of the wagon roof, leaning slightly backward so he could see the trailing Kultian wagons behind them. His eyes moved again and again, clearly searching for someone.
Shane noticed, but said nothing.
Instead, he continued speaking calmly.
"It has been two days since the fight here. The beasts that were drawn by blood should have left already."
He paused briefly, then added,
"But stay vigilant."
Ulon scratched his chin.
"I still have this creepy feeling," he muttered.
Behind them, Klaus spoke without opening his eyes.
"Maybe that's nature calling you."
He paused lazily before continuing.
"Shane, isn't it time to check the crystal? I sense no beasts nearby."
Ulon immediately turned his head.
"Hey, I already took care of that early this morning, alright?"
Maddy's irritated voice came from inside the wagon.
"Can you two stop talking about disgusting things for five minutes?"
The door shifted slightly as she leaned closer to the opening and looked up toward Shane.
"Boss, I think Klaus is right," she said. "If that stone man really said what was true. Then something important was in their."
Kiel finally looked away from the wagons behind them and leaned down slightly.
"Wow," he said. "First time I've heard you agree with Mr. Klaus."
Maddy glared up at him.
"Shut up, kid. I'm just curious about what's inside."
Shane remained quiet for a moment.
Then he said slowly,
"I think it might only bring trouble."
Maddy frowned.
"What do you mean, boss?"
Shane's gaze drifted toward the canyon walls.
"A curse of knowing."
The wagon creaked as Molly pulled them forward.
"Memories that were removed rarely disappear without reason," he continued. "If Daiope truly extracted them, then it means the truth was not simple."
His voice grew slightly quieter.
"It might be connected to the pile of burned corpses we saw."
Inside the wagon, Petra shifted uneasily.
"You mean… the Kultians might have witnessed something?"
Shane nodded once.
"A crime that Daiope decided they should not remember."
The wagon fell silent for a moment.
Then Shane asked calmly,
"So… do you still wish to know what is inside?"
Klaus raised one hand lazily without opening his eyes.
"Give me the crystal," he said. "I'll check it."
Ulon snorted.
"That's unusual. You're not chickening out?"
Klaus opened one eye and looked at him.
"Do not disrespect chickens," he said calmly. "They can defeat you if they want."
Kiel immediately nodded.
"Yeah, I experienced that once."
Everyone looked at him.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I was asked to collect eggs once. The chickens beat me so badly I had to run out of the coop covered in claw marks."
Maddy scoffed.
"You're just weak. And don't compare chickens to Slouch."
She jerked her thumb toward Klaus.
"Chickens are better."
Ulon laughed loudly.
"Oh yeah. Unless there's profit involved, Slouch here is pretty useless."
Klaus smiled faintly.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
At the front of the wagon, Shane let out a quiet sigh.
Then he reached into his storage ring and pulled out a small crystal.
It glimmered faintly in the sunlight.
"Alright," he said. "Since everyone is curious, we'll see what's inside."
His hand began to glow softly as mana flowed from his palm into the crystal.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Shane frowned slightly.
"Why is there no—"
Suddenly, his voice stopped.
His eyes widened.
A strange pull dragged at his consciousness, as if his mind had been hooked by something deep inside the crystal.
His eyes began to glow.
Then the world around him disappeared.
—
The canyon vanished.
In its place stretched a barren, rocky field under a blue sky.
Shane stood alone on dry rocky ground.
He glanced around slowly.
"An advanced memory crystal," he muttered. "This wasn't cheap."
The air felt real. The dust beneath his boots shifted as he walked.
Then he noticed movement behind a nearby rock.
Two Kultians crouched there, hiding quietly.
Shane followed their line of sight.
Ahead of them, several soldiers in black armor carried bodies, piling them like sacks of rice.
Shane walked closer.
As he moved, a voice suddenly echoed inside his head.
Ulon's voice.
Back in the wagon, Ulon stared at Shane's frozen expression.
"Look at the boss," he said. "He looks like a madman. He stares at nothing. His eyes are also crazily bright."
Inside the crystal, Shane sighed.
"I can hear you, you know."
The soldiers continued walking past him, completely unaware of his presence.
Of course they were. This was only a memory.
Ulon's voice came again, "What's inside, boss?"
Shane crouched beside one of the bodies and examined the clothing.
"Mercenaries," he said.
He continued walking around the pile.
More bodies piled up.
Then he stopped.
One of the corpses was a woman dressed in expensive clothing, though the fabric was torn and dirtied. Blood stains on her legs. The dress suggested wealth—someone from a merchant family, perhaps.
Then three more well-dressed women were dumped.
And one man.
Shane frowned, "There are merchants here as well."
Then his gaze reached the final corpse.
The man's clothing was rich, carefully tailored even though it was stained with blood and dirt. Even in death, his posture seemed strangely dignified.
Shane stared for a moment.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Mad Copper… Amadeus Lupon."
His expression shifted from shock… into a faint smile.
Back in the wagon, Ulon scratched his head.
"I think I've heard that name before."
"Of course you have," Shane replied.
Maddy's voice followed.
"General Amadeus Lupon. A well decorated and terrifying general of the Imperial Guard."
Shane nodded, "That's his father."
He looked at the corpse on the top of the pile. All the jewelry he once flaunted was stripped away.
"This one is the eldest son. Amadeus Lupon the Second."
Silence filled the wagon.
Even Kiel stopped moving.
Everyone understood what that meant.
Except Klaus, who only tilted his head lazily.
"Quite a quirky name for someone so distinguished."
Shane chuckled quietly, "He was a quirky fellow."
He looked at the burning pile of bodies ahead as the soldiers began setting them on fire.
"A famous merchant," Shane continued. "And a mad one."
"But his business methods were something worth studying."
Klaus finally opened both eyes.
"So you respected him."
"Yes," Shane admitted. "I copied some of his principles."
He paused, "Except for the reckless parts."
Klaus smirked slightly, "And yet you sound happy he's dead."
Shane watched the flames rise higher.
"They called him Mad Copper because of his rule."
He spoke calmly, "Spend gold to gain a copper."
Kiel blinked, "That sounds… terrible."
Shane shook his head, "terrible for those who live extravagant but efficient for those who know how this world works…"
"…A merchant who cared less about profit and more about how much he sold."
"Number of merchants lost everything because of him."
He looked back at the burning bodies.
"He's a dangerous man who knew no limits… because of his father's power. Either dance to his music or leave, both choices ended up the same… the merchant loses."
Klaus spoke again.
"So you competed with him?"
Shane answered honestly.
"Yes…"
"…And I lost."
Ulon whistled softly.
"But," Shane continued, "I gained knowledge."
The fire crackled loudly as the corpses burned.
Shane watched the flames quietly.
"I know when to respect a rival."