The zombie horse carriage slowly rolled out of the sturdy stilt village gate. The chain-wrapped wheels still occasionally produced the characteristic crreeet... crreeet... sound as they passed through the remaining puddles of mud from last night’s rain. The blazing afternoon sun shone on the wet ground, evaporating the leftover moisture into a thin mist that danced between the dense forest trees. The hot vapor created an illusion as if the world itself was breathing, hiding something behind its thin curtain of light.

Sylvia sat upright on the somewhat rough wooden coachman’s seat, the reins loose in her slender hands. Her long black hair flowed freely, occasionally brushed by the warm afternoon breeze. On her lap, the Golden Dragon in its small kitten form curled up comfortably, its gleaming golden fur reflecting the sunlight like molten metal. Its long, smooth tail occasionally swayed slowly from side to side, signaling the highest level of contentment. Every now and then, it looked up, its amber-golden eyes gazing at its master’s face with full affection.

Inside the fairly spacious wooden carriage, Stacia was still grumbling softly while chewing on the leftover breakfast bread Alicia had given her. Her messy ash-gray hair made her look like she had just woken up from a nightmare which was exactly what had happened.

"Huh... why the rush? I didn’t even get to drink that fragrant morning tea," Stacia grumbled sleepily while leaning her head against the carriage wall. "Mrs. Ran’s mattress was too soft, it felt like lying on a cloud. If I were king, I’d make a law banning early mornings."

Alicia, sitting across from her, only smiled gently. Her hand held a simple wooden magic staff used as a disguise. Her silver hair was neatly tied, giving her an elegant impression even while traveling. "You slept too soundly earlier, Stacia. If we let you, we might not have left until the afternoon. Besides, the sooner we reach the capital, the sooner we can gather information, find more comfortable lodging, and maybe... take a proper hot bath."

Sylvia listened to their conversation through their telepathic link while watching the winding dirt road ahead. True. The village was comfortable, but we can’t stay too long. The journey to the capital is still quite far, and I want to arrive before rumors about us spread too widely.

The afternoon sun climbed higher in the sky, making the air feel hot and sticky. A thin layer of sweat appeared on Sylvia’s forehead, but she didn’t complain. The still-muddy ground made the carriage wheels work harder, but the steel chains she had installed last night proved very effective. The two zombie horses stepped steadily with their tireless strong legs. Their faintly visible bones beneath the skin no longer rotted thanks to Sylvia’s care, making them look like tough warhorses.

Occasionally they passed through deeper puddles, and the sound splash... splash... rang out as the wheels cut through the murky water. Small splatters of mud hit the sides of the carriage, leaving dark brown streaks. The surrounding forest grew denser. Tall trees rose with broad leaves still dripping leftover rainwater from yesterday, creating a rhythmic dripping sound. Occasionally, the cheerful songs of forest birds or the small movements of wild animals in the bushes could be heard. However, none dared approach. The aura of the three sisters was too powerful, even while disguised as ordinary adventurers.

After nearly two hours of exhausting travel, Stacia finally emerged from the carriage and sat beside Sylvia on the coachman’s seat. The strong afternoon wind immediately struck her face, making her still-messy ash-gray hair even more disheveled, like a bird’s nest.

"It’s already so late, my stomach is growling again," she said while yawning widely, showing her neat little teeth. "Sylvia, do we still have any of that roasted crocodile meat from yesterday? Or at least bread with that sweet berry jam. I could eat a whole buffalo right now."

Sylvia glanced at her sister with a flat expression, though a hint of amusement flickered in her dark red eyes. "You really only think about food since waking up. Luckily, I’m prepared." With a smooth, almost invisible hand movement, she opened her system storage. A dark blue screen appeared briefly before vanishing. Several neatly wrapped pieces of roasted crocodile meat, warm plain bread, fresh fruits from the village market, and a bottle of cold water appeared in her hands.

Stacia immediately lit up, her purple eyes sparkling. "You’re the best, my sister! I love you!" She took a large portion and began eating eagerly, her bites strong and full of enthusiasm. Occasionally she gave small pieces of meat to the golden kitten that had approached due to the tempting aroma. The Golden Dragon chewed gracefully, its tail wagging quickly in satisfaction.

Alicia joined them, sitting on Sylvia’s other side with graceful movements. The three of them had a simple lunch on the steadily moving carriage. The savory aroma of roasted meat mixed with the forest wind carrying the scent of wet leaves and damp soil, creating a strangely comfortable atmosphere in the middle of the long journey.

"What do you think the Earth Human Empire’s capital is like?" Alicia asked while biting into a crisp red apple, its juice slightly dripping down her chin. She wiped it with a small handkerchief. "From the villagers’ stories, it seems like a large and advanced city. Maybe there are high walls, a massive market, and even a magic academy."

Sylvia chewed slowly before answering, her voice calm and thoughtful. "It must be much busier than Silvermist. There will be larger hunter guilds, more complete markets with rare goods, and possibly... stronger influence from the gods or Earth Human factions. We need to be more careful there. Don’t let our aura leak."

Stacia nodded while her mouth was full of meat. "As long as there’s good food, a soft bed, and a hot bath, I’m in. But if there’s a festival or night market, we have to stop by! I want to buy cheap jewelry and weird street food."

They continued their light conversation while enjoying their meal. The golden kitten, now full, leaped onto Sylvia’s shoulder and watched the road ahead with alert eyes. Occasionally it sent a gentle soul transmission: Master, the aura ahead feels a bit strange... but not dangerous. Just natural fluctuations.

Indeed, after passing a dense forest bend, they found a small river that had overflowed due to yesterday’s flood. The water was still quite strong, flowing with a low rumble and carrying twigs and dry leaves. Sylvia stopped the carriage for a moment and stood up to carefully assess the situation.

"The wheel chains should be enough," she said while analyzing the water depth. With a quiet command through their soul bond, the two zombie horses slowly advanced across the river. The water reached halfway up the carriage wheels, sending cold splashes onto their legs. Splash... splash... The sound of water being parted accompanied their crossing. The carriage rocked slightly but remained stable thanks to the steel chain modifications and the zombie horses’ strength.

After successfully crossing, Stacia let out a sigh of relief while wiping the water splashes from her face. "Good thing we installed those chains. Otherwise, we’d definitely be stuck in the mud and forced to swim."

The journey continued under the sun that was beginning to tilt westward. The forest gradually became more open, the trees spacing out, allowing more sunlight to filter through. In the distance, thin smoke could be seen rising, perhaps a small settlement or merchant camp. Sylvia decided not to stop for too long, only passing by while observing from afar.

Alicia, who was reading a thin book about the geography of the fused world, suddenly spoke, "I sense strange mana fluctuations in this area. It feels like there’s a small, unstable dimensional rift. But not big enough to release powerful monsters. Maybe just slimes or giant insects."

Sylvia nodded. "Stay alert. If anything appears, we’ll finish it quickly and cleanly." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Fortunately, there were no significant disturbances throughout the afternoon. Only a few gray forest wolves approached after catching the scent of leftover lunch meat. Their yellow eyes gleamed with hunger from behind the bushes. Sylvia merely waved her hand once. Chain of Abyss shot out from her shadow in an instant thick black chains streaked forward like venomous snakes. Swiiish... thud! The sound of a heavy impact rang out. The wolves fled with their tails between their legs, howling in fear.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in beautiful gradients of orange, pink, and purple, they found a relatively safe flat area to rest for the night. A raised piece of ground beside the road with shady trees behind it, providing natural protection.

Sylvia decided to set up an emergency tent. The three of them worked together with their usual efficiency. Stacia used light wind magic to clear dry leaves and clean the area, creating a refreshing cool breeze. Alicia created a thin, faint silver protective barrier invisible to ordinary eyes. Meanwhile, Sylvia prepared a bonfire with dry wood and roasted a few more pieces of meat for dinner. The aroma of smoke and roasted meat soon spread.

Around the cheerfully dancing bonfire, they sat together. The golden kitten lay beside Sylvia, its golden fur beautifully reflecting the firelight.

"Tomorrow we should be much closer to the capital," Sylvia said while staring at the fire, its light dancing in her red eyes. "We need to prepare a stronger disguise identity. We mustn’t be exposed as powerful beings before it’s time. We’ll pretend to be sisters from a middle-class merchant family looking for business opportunities."

Stacia nodded while yawning widely. "I can strengthen the disguise magic. This time make it more detailed, maybe add some facial illusions and low aura. I can also create fake documents if needed."

Alicia smiled gently. "Good. And we can look for dimensional rifts around the capital for further leveling. I feel our power can still grow much more, especially after the last evolution."

The night grew deeper. The bonfire continued to burn, illuminating the beautiful yet hidden-power-filled faces of the three sisters. The sounds of crickets, the cool night breeze, and occasional distant wolf howls became a soothing background rhythm after a long and tiring day.

Sylvia gazed toward the dark road ahead, her hand gently stroking the Golden Dragon’s fur. The Empire’s capital was getting closer, and who knew what adventures, dangers, or opportunities awaited them there. But with her two sisters and the loyal Golden Dragon by her side, she felt ready to face whatever came.