Chapter 8 - Under the Twilight Sky

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UPDATE 1/26: Major grammar revision. The Present Tense has been corrected into Past Tense for flashback story. "Raiga" has been corrected into "Fuuga". The name "Raiga" came from my previous fanfiction, but I really forgot that I had changed the name for this newer fanfiction. 

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8章 夕空の下で

(Ciel's Perspective)

Our wolves are tempest wolves. They can run at a maximum speed of eighty kilometres per hour nonstop for three hours without taking a single break. 

They are one of the best kinds of riding animals for sure, if the person riding can handle the speed without passing out, that is. At best, we can arrive there from our village in two or three days if we use our wolves' maximum speed and use more time for journey.

We could've used [Space-Time Domination] and flicked ourselves over there in a matter of seconds. But we decided to go by using our wolves as transportation means anyway.

We previously told our wolves to use less than half their maximum speed. Aside from taking rest from sunset to sunrise, we also always took a break for at least thirty minutes at the midday. So, our journey would slow down more than twice or even thrice the supposed duration.

The main reason why we slowed ourselves down is, of course, the timeline. If we were to come there three days after our departure using maximum speed throughout our journey, we would be around a week too fast than we're supposed to be. And a week is actually a very significant change. One wrong step and our plans would go awry.

It's been eight days since our departure. Because the destination is already near, we finally go at the maximum speed.

We are going to the kingdom where the dwarves are living. A glorious kingdom with all its might, ruled by a Champion King—the Armed Nation of Dwargon. For a goblin on foot, it would take around two months to walk from the village to the Dwargon.

As we look forward, seen in the distance are firm mountains of rock—the Great Mountains of Canaat—which neatly separate the Eastern Empire to the east and the small nations scattered here and there around the Great Forest of Jura.

There are three common routes used for trade. One route goes right through the Great Forest of Jura; another one is a more treacherous route, going through rugged mountain trails; and the last route is a sea route.

Originally, the route going right through the Great Forest of Jura is the shortest and safest route out of all, but for some reason it's only rarely taken advantage of. Most travellers choose to challenge the route going through rugged mountain trails. The sea route, on the other hand, is not worth considering. Apart from being so costly, potential threats from the sea monsters are also existent. Hence, it becomes the least popular route.

In addition to those three routes, there are also a handful of other ways to reach Dwargon, but they all charge tolls. In case that one is transporting goods, on top of being subject to customs duties, there is also a need to hold an inspection for one's luggage. This is mandatory to prevent dangerous goods from being brought in. It is a decent enough option for small bands, but the larger caravans tend to avoid it to save time and cost.

We have no business with the Eastern Empire—at least for now—so there is no point travelling east to leave the woods.

Dwargon is straight north to the Canaat Mountains. It is situated as such at the base of the mountains in the upper reaches of the Great River of Ameld, so that we do not have to go up to any peaks. After we arrive later, we intend to find some skilled craftsmen, especially those four—the one known as the best weaponsmith in Dwargon and the three brothers working for him.

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