The carriage moved slowly along the rough road. Every time its wheels rolled over the uneven stones beneath them, the entire carriage shook violently.
Raijin sat by the window, staring outside.
Dense forests stretched in every direction, their towering trees covering the sky itself. Some branches were so enormous that a house could have been built upon them.
As the carriage bounced again, a sharp pain ran through Raijin's spine.
Before he could complain, something caught his eye.
Massive walls stood in the distance, shining under the sunlight.
He had finally arrived at Vanguard, the main city of the Beast Continent.
The carriage came to a stop.
Raijin stepped outside.
Standing on the road ahead were two Beast Men.
Both wore sturdy armor. Instead of swords hanging from their waists, they carried weapons resembling large metal claws.
Raijin walked toward them.
One looked almost exactly like a fox, while the other resembled a bear.
Without thinking much about it, Raijin held his Guild Card in front of them.
The fox-like man glanced at it before speaking.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Raijin, but you cannot enter the city."
Raijin frowned.
"Why, Mr...?"
He paused, clearly asking for the man's name.
"Oh, my apologies," the fox-like man said.
"My name is Renard, and this is my partner, Garrick."
Raijin nodded.
"Then why am I not allowed inside?"
Renard answered,
"Our king recently established several new laws."
"Guild members from outside the continent are not allowed to enter unless two recognized citizens can identify them and personally guarantee their character."
"Until that requirement is met, no guild-affiliated individual may enter Vanguard."
Raijin looked past them.
"Then how are all those people getting inside?"
Garrick answered,
"Those are merchants and travelers."
"Some are here for business, while others have come to visit or stay temporarily."
Raijin raised an eyebrow.
"So any merchant can enter?"
"Yes," Renard replied.
"Any merchant can enter, and so can we."
"However, they must go through certain procedures."
"What kind of procedures?"
Renard pointed toward a nearby counter.
"Visitors are searched thoroughly first."
"Those who wish to stay temporarily must register over there and deposit a certain amount of gold depending on how long they plan to remain in the city."
"As for those who wish to settle permanently, all the required information can be obtained at that same counter."
"And merchants?"
"For merchants, there is a special card."
"It allows them to freely enter and leave Vanguard."
"To obtain one, they must be affiliated with a Trading Company and submit a duplicate copy of their registration along with a fee."
"Once approved, they receive the card."
Raijin nodded.
"Then I'd like to enter as an ordinary citizen."
After a pause, he asked,
"And can you tell me why this law only applies to adventurers?"
Garrick answered.
"Perhaps you haven't heard."
"Some time ago, a large group of adventurers caused tremendous trouble here."
"They all came from other continents."
"Because of that incident, our king created this law."
Raijin listened quietly.
"I understand."
"Then I'll enter as an ordinary citizen."
Internally, he had already made a plan.
He would enter as a civilian and simply join a guild afterward.
After saying goodbye to both guards, he headed toward the registration counter.
---
Once Raijin disappeared from sight, Garrick turned toward Renard.
"Why didn't you tell him the whole story?"
Renard shrugged.
"Because I didn't like him."
"And he asks too many questions."
Garrick laughed.
"You're pretty ruthless."
"I know," Renard replied.
"If this weren't my job, I wouldn't have explained anything at all."
Garrick shook his head.
"Why do you dislike him so much?"
"Just because he talks a lot?"
Renard fell silent.
After a few moments, he spoke.
"I don't know."
"There's just something strange about him."
"The feeling is hard to explain."
Garrick slowly nodded.
"I understand."
"I felt something strange too."
"But not the same thing you're feeling."
"I don't even have words to describe it."
---
Meanwhile, Raijin sat inside a small room.
The room was plain.
Two chairs stood across from one another with a table between them.
Raijin sat silently.
After some time, another figure entered.
The newcomer looked almost exactly like a wolf.
He wore black armor, and a long sword hung from his right side.
Walking up to the table, he spoke.
"Your name is Raijin, correct?"
"My name is Lenard."
"I am one of Vanguard's Border Guards."
"The walls surrounding Vanguard fall under my authority."
"Their security is my responsibility."
Inside his head, Raijin muttered:
Yeah, yeah, sure.
I wish you'd stop talking.
But since you've introduced yourself, you're nothing more than a glorified gatekeeper to me.
Feels like you're so proud of standing guard that you mention it every chance you get.
"Raijin!"
Lenard suddenly shouted.
Raijin instantly stood up.
"Yes, Sir Lenard."
Lenard gestured toward the chair.
"Sit."
Once Raijin sat down, Lenard continued.
"You were previously an adventurer in the Leone Continent."
Raijin nodded.
"As you can see on my Guild Card, I'm a B-Rank Adventurer."
Lenard folded his arms.
"What brought you here?"
"I came to join an Adventurers Guild."
"Why?"
"There are plenty of guilds in the Leone Continent."
Raijin answered calmly.
"I left my previous guild."
"Why?"
"Because my entire team died."
"And the guild was responsible."
Lenard narrowed his eyes.
"Explain."
Raijin began speaking.
"My team and I were sent on a hunt."
"But unexpected monsters appeared."
"The entire team was wiped out."
"When I demanded accountability from the guild, they refused."
"Instead, they blamed us."
"I didn't want to stay there any longer, so I came here."
Lenard listened carefully.
"Then why the Beast Continent?"
Before Raijin could answer, Lenard raised a finger.
"My second question."
Raijin's nose twitched slightly.
No matter where I go... even another world... there are always endless questions.
Lenard continued.
"What exactly was your team hunting?"
"And what monster attacked you?"
"My third question."
"Why did you come specifically to the Beast Continent?"
"You could have gone anywhere."
"And if you're truly an adventurer, why are you trying to enter as an ordinary citizen?"
Raijin sighed.
"And that's your fourth question."
"If you didn't want me here, you could've simply said no."
"Why keep piling on questions?"
"The Beast Continent is my choice."
"Just as you probably know about the Four Religions of the Leone Continent."
Lenard nodded.
"Then you also know how followers of the Earth God operate."
Lenard suddenly shouted.
"Yes."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Raijin answered.
"My team and I were sent to hunt a Grim Howler Wraith."
"We learned that its seal had weakened."
"Our job was to protect the Earth God's priest."
"And if things went beyond control, eliminate him as well."
Lenard frowned.
"So you failed to kill the Wraith?"
Raijin shook his head.
"No."
"We almost killed it."
"But then a Grave Digger Mantis appeared."
"It killed my entire team."
Lenard blinked.
"Grave Digger Mantises usually inhabit ancient graveyards."
Raijin nodded.
"That graveyard was ancient."
"And the guild never informed us."
"They also failed to send any backup."
Lenard decided not to dig deeper.
He had seen comrades die in battle before.
Some wounds didn't need to be reopened.
After a moment, he asked again.
"Why come to the Beast Continent?"
"There are other continents."
Raijin lowered his gaze.
"Sir Lenard..."
"Perhaps you don't know."
"My mother was part of that team."
"Ever since then... I've hated humans."
Lenard remained silent.
"I tried going to the Elf Continent first."
"But outsiders aren't allowed there without a guild order or a royal decree."
"I didn't go to the Dwarf Continent because dwarves are still considered a branch of humanity."
"So I chose this place instead."
"You're free to verify everything."
"My Guild Card contains all the necessary information."
Raijin lowered his head afterward.
He knew perfectly well that no one could leave the Beast Continent without the king's permission.
Thankfully, he knew that because of Alaric.
Once again... thank you, Alaric.
Lenard understood Raijin's reasoning.
At least on the surface.
And without any concrete evidence against him, there was no reason to stop him.
Eventually, Lenard allowed him to leave.
---
Lenard watched Raijin's departing figure for several moments.
Then he quietly said to himself:
"I don't know whether you're telling the truth..."
"Or lying."
"But there's something inside you that I absolutely don't like."