To get to the groove, we needed a carriage that would take us there. And that was where I was currently at— a carriage rental service.

Initially, I had thought of asking the duchess for one, but that favor felt a little personal to ask like that.

So we did the next best thing— went to a carriage rental service to try our luck.

"How much will the carriage ride cost?"

I asked once more and the carriage owner got frustrated with me. He looked at me as if I were scum for bargaining my way with him before he opened his mouth.

"Sir, I told you that I will take 5 gold coins and no less. I also need to make a profit here. If I give in to you, then how will I take care of my family?"

The driver told me as we went back and forth over the prices.

5 gold coins was not a lot to pay for the length of the journey we were going to take. Rather, it was a reasonable price for the trip. Especially since I had asked the driver to not take the south road.

But bargaining was so much fun that I could not stop… even when I could see that the other side was getting frustrated.

"Sir, 5 coins is final and I will go no further down. If you do not agree, then please leave now."

The man told me and I knew that this was the end. I needed to back down now before I caused an even bigger mess.

"Alright, I got it. Then, please book a carriage for the earliest date available. Tomorrow will be preferable."

I told the driver and he checked the schedule.

"Well, aren't you lucky. We have a person willing to head there today itself if you want to. Or, would you prefer it to be tomorrow…?"

"No, today is fine. The sooner we can leave, the better."

The establishment owner gave me a small but bitter glance as he told us to wait for a bit. When he came back, he had an older man with him.

"Sir, these people need to head to the groove from the old road and they need to leave today. Do you think you can help them out?"

The man asked and the older man looked at us all with his unclear eyes until his gaze stopped at me.

He gave me a small look which made me almost nervous, but then he chuckled as he turned back to look at his boss.

"Sure, why not. These old bones still got it in them. You all, come with me."

He told us as he walked toward the carriage and started to load up the horse.

"Shopkeeper, that old man is not as he seems. We better keep an eye on things, or we could be in trouble."

Leo told me as he walked behind me. His eyes remained on the old man in front of him and his face had a frown. I followed his gaze and also felt the 'disturbance' that Leo was talking about.

There was no way to tell what that feeling was, but I could just look at that man in front of me and know that it was 'not right'. That was the only thing I could say at the moment.

"Come on. Why are you young people taking so long? I am finished loading up the carriage. Come and give me your luggage."

The old man asked for it and we gave it to him. But still, I kept an eye on him to make sure he won't do anything to us.

The old man asked for it, and we gave it to him. But still, I kept an eye on him to make sure he wouldn't do anything to us.

However, the uneasy feeling didn't go away. In fact, it only grew stronger the more I watched the man. He looked far too comfortable as he pushed our luggage up. His arms were ripped but it did not show on his frame.

Even his breathing was quiet and controlled. A veteran traveler perhaps… or something else entirely…I could not be sure about that.

Leo stayed close to Luna, who clutched her small travel bag to her chest.

She kept glancing at the driver, then at the southern horizon where the forbidden road lay hidden behind rows of buildings. Her voice trembled when she spoke.

"Shopkeeper… do you really think we'll be safe with him?"

I wanted to tell her yes. I wanted to reassure her with confidence. But my gut twisted at the thought.

"…We'll be careful. Just stay close."

I answered instead, hoping my voice didn't betray my own nerves.

The old man climbed onto the front seat and patted the wooden side.

"Well then, get in. We've got a long road ahead. Best start sooner than later."

His tone was cheerful—far too cheerful.

But we boarded anyway.

After all, this was our only way forward.

We soon left the city and entered the main road. Our journey had finally begun.

The further we traveled, the quieter the world became. The city walls shrank behind us until they were nothing more than a blur in the distance. Trees lined the old road like silent sentinels, their branches twisting overhead to block out the late afternoon sun.

The atmosphere grew heavier with each passing minute, and even the horses seemed reluctant to move forward.

Luna shifted closer to me, her small fingers gripping the edge of her seat. Leo kept his gaze locked on the driver, his posture rigid and alert.

As for me, every bump of the carriage made my nerves spike just a little more.

The old man hummed a tune—a calm, peaceful melody that felt completely at odds with the unease gnawing at my stomach.

His voice was steady, practiced, as if he had taken this road a thousand times before.

Yet somehow, I felt certain that this journey would not be as simple as we hoped.

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