The next morning, the soft morning sunlight slipped through the gaps in the wooden window panels of the inn room, illuminating the space with warm, gentle golden light. Small dust particles floated lazily in the sunbeams, creating a peaceful atmosphere like a painting of a remote village morning. Sylvia slowly opened her dark red eyes, her pupils adjusting to the light without any discomfort. Her body felt refreshed after a good night’s sleep, though her muscles were still slightly sore from yesterday’s long journey.

She sat up with slow, graceful movements, her long black hair disheveled and covering part of her pale face. A few strands stuck to her cheeks, giving her a softer and more human appearance than usual. Sylvia let out a quiet sigh, enjoying the morning silence before the world grew noisy again.

On the other side of the room, Alicia was already awake as usual. The silver-haired girl sat elegantly at the edge of the bed, holding a small, simply carved wooden comb. With gentle and patient movements, she combed the gleaming golden fur of the kitten resting on her lap. The Golden Dragon in its cat form purred softly, its vibration warm and rhythmic. Its amber-golden eyes were half-closed, enjoying every stroke of the comb as if it were the highest form of affection.

Hearing Sylvia’s movement, Alicia turned her head. A soft, warm smile immediately appeared on her doll-like beautiful face. "Good morning, my sister. Did you sleep well? This golden kitten really loves having its fur brushed. It even rolls around cutely every time I touch its neck."

Sylvia nodded slightly, the corners of her lips curving into a rare smile that only appeared in front of her family. "Morning, Alicia. It seems he really enjoys it. His fur is very thick and soft, completely different from Noir’s simpler coat."

She rose from the bed and walked toward the simple wooden washbasin in the corner of the room. The cold water from the large bucket prepared by Mrs. Ran felt refreshing as it touched her face. Sylvia washed her face carefully, letting the droplets run down her slender neck. Afterward, she tidied her long hair using only her slender fingers, letting it flow naturally down to her waist without ties or decorations. Her black hair shimmered faintly in the morning light, creating a beautiful contrast with her pale skin.

Sylvia opened her system storage screen with a smooth finger movement. The semi-transparent dark blue screen appeared before her, displaying various item categories. After thinking for a moment, she chose a simple casual outfit in an elegant yet comfortable black-and-white combination suitable for travel. A loose white shirt with a relaxed cut, layered with a light thin black jacket, paired with flexible black pants that didn’t restrict movement. This look gave her an elegant but casual impression, like a young adventurer enjoying a journey rather than a hardened warrior.

"Let’s go down for breakfast first," Sylvia said while glancing at the bed where Stacia was still sound asleep. "Stacia is still sleeping deeply as usual. If we leave her, she might not wake up until the afternoon."

Alicia chuckled softly, her voice gentle like silver bells. She put down the comb and carried the golden kitten with affection. "That’s true. Let’s let her rest a little longer."

The two of them descended to the lower floor of the inn via the slightly creaky wooden stairs. The aroma of warm food immediately greeted them. Mrs. Ran, the friendly inn owner, had already prepared a simple but appetizing breakfast: thick warm porridge made from local rice topped with fried shallots and sliced green onions, crispy fried salted fish, steaming boiled eggs, and warm plain bread with simple butter. The savory aroma of the salted fish mixed with the fragrant porridge made their stomachs rumble quietly.

The two sat at a wooden table near the window, enjoying their breakfast peacefully. They occasionally chatted lightly about the day’s plans, keeping their voices low so as not to disturb the morning calm. The golden kitten received a small portion of finely chopped salted fish. It ate eagerly, its tail wagging contentedly on Sylvia’s lap.

Stacia still hadn’t come down. From upstairs, the occasional sound of cute snoring could be heard.

After breakfast, Sylvia and Alicia decided to visit the stilt village market together. The golden kitten curled up comfortably in Sylvia’s arms, its head resting on its master’s chest. The morning air was still damp with the scent of wet soil and leaves, but the sunlight had begun to dry the remaining mud between the stilt house pillars.

The village market was small but lively with the activity of the residents. Tall stilt houses rose above the damp ground, connected by wooden bridges and simple stairs. Merchants and villagers traded using a barter system rather than metal coins. The sounds of bargaining, roosters crowing, and ducks quacking filled the air.

While walking between the simple stalls made of bamboo and nipah leaves, Sylvia and Alicia asked several villagers about the Earth Human Empire’s capital. However, most of them only shook their heads with regretful expressions.

"We only know it’s a big city, Miss," said an old woman selling vegetables while arranging bundles of carrots. "Rarely does anyone go there. Only big merchants dare to cross the distant forest and dangerous rivers. They say there are high walls and a golden palace, but those are just stories from our grandparents."

Sylvia eventually gave up on seeking in-depth information. She decided to focus on shopping for food supplies for the journey. This village turned out to be famous for its healthy goose and duck farming. Large pens under the stilt houses were full of well-groomed poultry with shiny feathers.

"The prices here are quite cheap," said a middle-aged farmer with a wide smile, his face tanned by the sun. "One adult goose can be traded for 50 grams of salt or 5 grams of pepper. Ducks are even cheaper, half the price. The meat is tender and savory, perfect for smoking or boiling."

For Sylvia, the price was very cheap. She had abundant stocks of spices and rock salt from Nocture. For the villagers, who rarely received big merchants, salt and pepper were luxury goods that were hard to obtain.

Sylvia nodded firmly. "I’ll take 25 geese and 50 ducks. Please have them cleaned, butchered, and neatly packaged. Only the best ones."

The large order made the village farmers very happy. They quickly called their children and wives to help prepare all the poultry. The sound of children giggling and instructions being shouted echoed around them. Sylvia paid exactly with bags of rock salt and black pepper she took from her system storage. The amount was precise, and she even gave a little extra as a bonus to the farmers.

With a graceful wave of her hand, all the cleanly butchered goose and duck meat disappeared into her system storage. The villagers were not surprised at all; they had grown accustomed to various strange phenomena since the world fusion occurred.

"Thank you so much, Miss! This really helps us," said one of the farmers while bowing respectfully, followed by the others. "We hope your journey to the capital is safe."

Sylvia only nodded slowly, her expression remaining calm. By then, the day had turned to noon. The sun was directly overhead, shining on the stilt village with growing heat.

The two of them returned to the inn for a light lunch with Mrs. Ran before continuing their journey. When they reached the room, Stacia was still sound asleep in a very poor position, her body tilted almost falling off the bed, one long leg dangling outside, her ash-gray hair messy and covering half her face, and her blanket had slipped to the floor.

Sylvia and Alicia could only shake their heads and smile at the sight.

Sylvia approached with light steps and placed the golden kitten directly on Stacia’s face. The Golden Dragon immediately wriggled affectionately, pressing its thick soft fur against Stacia’s nose and mouth.

"Eeehh—?! What is this?! Fur monster?! Don’t... hmph—! It tickles...!" Stacia woke up abruptly as if from a nightmare, her hands flailing in panic as she suddenly sat upright. Her hair became even messier, her eyes half-closed, and her face a mix of shock, sleepiness, and annoyance. The golden kitten leaped down gracefully, its tail curling in satisfaction.

Sylvia and Alicia couldn’t hold back their soft giggles at their sister’s reaction. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Wake up, Stacia. We’re leaving soon," Sylvia said firmly, though her voice clearly carried a hint of amusement.

"Huh...? Now? But I was having a nice dream... there was a giant chocolate cake..." Stacia muttered while rubbing her eyes, still half-awake.

"Yes, now," Sylvia answered firmly while crossing her arms.

Stacia groaned softly but immediately moved quickly despite her eyes still being half-closed. She washed her face with cold water, tied her ash-gray hair into a simple but slightly crooked bun, and changed clothes with fast movements. When she was about to go downstairs for lunch, Alicia gently pulled her arm.

"There’s no time to eat lunch downstairs. You can eat in the carriage later. We’re already late."

The three of them quickly packed up the remaining items and went downstairs. After saying goodbye to the friendly Mrs. Ran and paying the additional lodging fee, their horse carriage rolled forward, leaving the resilient stilt village behind.

The journey toward the Earth Human Empire’s capital continued under the blazing afternoon sun. The ground was still somewhat muddy from yesterday’s rain, but the iron chains on the carriage wheels worked well, preventing the vehicle from getting stuck. The golden kitten curled up comfortably on Sylvia’s lap again, purring softly. Meanwhile, Stacia grumbled quietly inside the carriage while chewing on leftover breakfast bread given by Alicia, her hair still slightly messy and her mood a bit grumpy.