The sun slowly crept upward, the day was getting brighter, and the hustle and bustle in the open field slowly began to subside.
All the caravan workers, who had previously been busy tying down goods and checking the condition of the wheels, had now completed their respective jobs.
"Sir, everything is ready!" called out a burly caravan worker, reporting while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Hearing the call, Eralio nodded in satisfaction. He cast a quick glance, seeing that the formation of the adventurers he had hired was complete.
"Alright, guys! Let us depart for Gias City immediately!" the middle-aged man called out in a loud voice, giving the command to the entire entourage.
Receiving the order, the workers and merchants began boarding their wagons one by one.
Regarding the escort formation, the Black Axe party led by Robert had discussed it thoroughly. They divided their group into two.
Robert, Catrina, and Esteban took their positions in the frontmost wagon. Meanwhile, Nora the magic user and Alfred the elven archer were stationed in the rearmost wagon to watch their blind spots and provide long-range attacks if necessary.
As for Calian and Wolvin, they chose not to join the front or the rear. The two of them decided to occupy and guard the cargo wagon located right in the middle of the procession.
After ensuring everyone was seated, the coachmen lightly whipped their reins.
Slowly but surely, the horses began to move forward. The rhythmic creaking of the wooden wheels against the cobblestone street began to sound, carrying the large caravan entourage as it slowly left Sellon City behind them.
The journey across the long overland route commenced. After passing the city borders, the cobblestone streets gradually gave way to solid dirt roads that carved through green hills and forest edges.
For the first few hours of the journey, Wolvin refused to sit quietly under the wagon's canvas canopy. The Night Wolf youth chose to sit outside, specifically on the front wooden bench, right next to the old coachman steering the horses.
His eyes continued to sparkle brightly, gazing at the vast grasslands, the lush trees they passed, and the clear blue sky devoid of clouds. His wolf ears twitched occasionally at the sound of chirping birds, while his black tail wagged slowly behind his body. A happy smile was etched very clearly on the cute youth's face.
Adventuring to a new place and seeing the scenery of the outside world like this... is truly so much fun! Wolvin thought enthusiastically, his eyes remaining fixed on every sight around him.
Feeling that the view was too beautiful to be enjoyed alone, Wolvin turned around. He looked at his husband's face, who was sitting cross-legged in the shaded interior of the wagon, appearing calm and silent.
"Darling," called Wolvin enthusiastically, "don't you want to come out and sit near me? We can enjoy this beautiful scenery together!"
Calian opened his eyes, looked at his spouse for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"Please just enjoy the beautiful scenery presented before you right now, Wolvin." Calian answered in a flat tone.
However, hearing the mild rejection, the Night Wolf youth pouted slightly. Without caring about the bewildered look from the coachman beside him, Wolvin went inside the wagon, and without hesitation, he immediately grabbed Calian's hand.
"I don't want to! You have to see it too!" Wolvin forced in a spoiled yet stubborn tone. He pulled Calian's hand so he would immediately get up and sit with him.
Calian sighed in resignation. He had no other choice but to follow his spouse's wishes.
The purple-haired youth then got up from his comfortable seat and stepped to the front of the wagon as well.
Upon reaching the front of the wagon, Calian took his seat first. Then, with a very natural movement, he pulled Wolvin's waist, guiding the youth to sit right on his lap.
Wolvin gasped softly as his back leaned against his husband's chest, but he immediately adjusted himself comfortably. Now, with Wolvin on his lap, Calian sat upright behind the coachman, letting his gaze sweep across the beautiful natural scenery presented before them.
A cool breeze gently stroked their faces and blew the strands of purple and black hair of the two youths.
Wolvin felt his heart almost explode with happiness. Sitting back on his husband's warm lap while enjoying the vast natural panorama for the first time was a moment that felt more precious than any jewel in the world.
"Darling!" Wolvin exclaimed enthusiastically, raising his hand and pointing toward the winding water current in the distance. "Look over there! The river is so clear! The reflection of the sunlight is incredibly beautiful!"
Hearing the highly cheerful and pure tone of voice from the person on his lap, Calian shifted his gaze. He did not look toward the river, but instead stared at the contours of Wolvin's face from the side.
Seeing the truly sincere happiness radiating from his spouse, a hint of guilt suddenly slipped into his heart. He realized that his rejection earlier had almost ruined a precious moment for the person he loved.
Without the slightest hesitation, and without caring about the existence of the coachman who was focused on the road, Calian slowly extended both of his hands forward. He wrapped his arms around Wolvin's stomach, hugging the Night Wolf youth's body from behind quite tightly.
Wolvin gasped softly. His eyes widened slightly when he felt the tight embrace suddenly coming from his husband.
His happiness instantly multiplied feeling the body warmth and unspoken affection.
I really didn't expect that my husband would dare to take the initiative to hug me on an open wagon like this... Wolvin thought, his face slowly blushing with happiness. I really want to turn around and hug him tightly right now.
However, Wolvin restrained himself and only held the back of Calian's hands that were wrapped around his stomach.
"You are right, Wolvin." Calian replied in a very gentle voice, whispering right near his spouse's ear. "The scenery is very beautiful... and the air also feels cool."
Hearing that whisper, Wolvin smiled even wider. He relaxed his body, leaning his back entirely against the chest of his husband who was holding him, and continued to enjoy the natural scenery around them.
Time passed imperceptibly, accompanied by the monotonous yet soothing rhythm of the journey.
Two days later, right when the sun began to lower in the western horizon and radiated a golden orange light in the late afternoon, the caravan finally stopped. They set up a rest camp in a vast and flat meadow, right on the banks of a calm-flowing river with crystal-clear water.
The atmosphere became busy again. People began tying the horses near the water source, and setting up tents as a place to take shelter from the night wind.
Robert's party members also appeared deft in setting up two medium-sized tents for their group.
However, amidst the bustle, only Calian and Wolvin appeared relaxed and did not set up any tents.
Aside from the fact that they indeed did not bring tent equipment in their dimensional necklaces, they felt it was not really necessary. For them, sleeping together inside the wagon on thick blankets was more than enough and very comfortable for relieving fatigue after a long journey.
While Calian and Wolvin were sitting on the edge of the wagon, the savory aroma of meat broth and spices began to waft through the air, tickling the stomach of anyone who smelled it.
"Calian! Wolvin!"
A loud call sounded from a distance. The married couple turned their heads, seeing Robert standing near a newly lit campfire, waving his hand toward them.
"Come over here, you two! Let's dinner together!" invited Robert with the friendly smile typical of a veteran adventurer. "My wife cooked enough portion for all of us tonight!"
Hearing the warm invitation, Calian and Wolvin exchanged a brief glance, then nodded at each other.
They jumped down from the wagon and immediately walked over to the man along with his four party members.
Under the slowly darkening twilight sky, they sat in a circle near the campfire, ready to enjoy dinner together.