Eight days after Moses' party left Lastwood, Seth and his four companions left the city in the early evening.
They completed their objectives that afternoon, with Seth having learned what he felt was sufficient to continue their journey and the group has greatly improved their ability to hide their ignorance.
They left the city in a flying boat and headed for Rosecoast, the capital of Werton Province, which was a 40-day horse ride from Lastwood.
While Seth drove the flying boat, Dax looked curiously at the equipment the group leader had given them to use.
"What is all this?" Dax asked as he looked at the similar hoods, bracelets, and necklaces that each of them had received from Seth a few moments ago.
Seth continued to control the flying boat he had created and said. "These are some devices I created by observing the people in that city.
The bracelet each of you is holding is for storing things." He didn't try to explain how it worked and went straight to explaining how his companions would use these devices. "These bracelets work by connecting to your mind. Once you connect to them, you can take or store things in them with mental commands.
Of the two bracelets I gave you, one is a locator. We can find each other by following the signal from this device. As for the other one, it's to communicate from a distance. But it shouldn't be very effective over long distances. The materials I used to make it weren't very good. I need to learn more, too."
Emery was surprised at Seth's explanation. "Doesn't this go back to what you disagreed with Moses about that caused our group to split?"
"No." Seth was dry in his answer. "Moses wanted to corrupt our bodies and disrespect the traditions of the tribe. I want to use the enemy's means to find them and counterattack.
These devices I've just given you are just artifacts. They're no different from the weapons we used in the tribe. However, pills and magical resources like the ones Moses was willing to take will change their essence in one way or another. That's corruption, something utterly different from what I'm willing to do."
Dax looked at Emery and told her not to bring it up. He also found it a bit strange that Seth would use such devices from Ihaes, but arguing wouldn't help.
Atlas said as he pointed to something on the ground. "What about this larger device? It looks like the one we used in the mercenary guild in Lastwood."
Seth said. "That's a mistake. I tried to replicate the device that Kevin's guild uses to determine the level of its members, but I failed. It won't work."
"That's a relief," Dax muttered. "It means we're strong enough to travel through this place without problems."
"It's also a sign that we're not close to our enemies," Emery commented. "The weaker the area we're in, the less likely we are to find our enemies."
"Not exactly," Seth expressed. "This is a complex society, Emery. People here don't necessarily live together in one place like we did on the island. Not only that, but the group that attacked us may have extensions of their forces throughout the continent. There's no way of knowing.
Maybe we can find traces of them in a weaker place and use that to our advantage. That way, we'll be in a better position than if we had to meet the strongest of our enemies head-on."
Seth looked at his companions and was more emphatic. "If we could easily eliminate them, would the First Elder have stopped me from helping him? I think the enemies are stronger than us. So we must prepare ourselves.
There's no better way than to attack the enemies from their weakest side!"
...
Two days after their departure, Seth and his companions stood by a large lake, eating and relaxing.
As they prepared to continue their journey to Rosecoast, sounds of battle came from south of their current position, drawing the attention of the group standing there to eat.
Levi stopped what he was doing and looked in that direction with a skewer of meat in his mouth.
He didn't wait for Seth's orders and used his special ability to raise one of his hands toward the battle signs, causing several semi-transparent lines to appear from his fingers, going in all directions.
His other hand showed his palm to the sky. At the same time, the semi-transparent lines formed a small forest area where several individuals were fighting.
Dax, Atlas, Emery, and Seth paid attention, seeing what was happening in real time, miles away from where they were.
"Six individuals with covered identities are attacking two women, one young-looking and the other older. The older woman seems to have suffered some serious injuries." Levi said as he closed his eyes to better understand what was happening. "They're both scared, especially the one who looks younger and is desperate. They've definitely lost someone important."
"What do we do? Ignore it?" Emery asked.
Dax commented. "At first glance, these people have nothing to do with us. But this is a society of favors, one hand washing the other, etc." He looked at Seth. "Ignoring them won't get us anywhere. But if we get involved, we can get contact and information with someone who can be grateful and willing to serve us."
"Dax is right." Seth agreed. "As much as we're taking the less complicated route, that doesn't mean we're hiding from trouble or failing to act when necessary. We're just not going to introduce ourselves to the people who want our heads. But until we get there, we must make decisions like today's one."
"If we're going to act, I'd like to be the one to get some exercise today." Atlas stepped forward. "Let me take care of these six."
Seth agreed as he nodded to Atlas. "Try not to obliterate their bodies. And leave one of them alive for me to interrogate."
Atlas smiled and then cracked his neck before jumping off toward the commotion a few kilometers from the lake.
Levi stopped using his ability as he joined Emery, Dax, and Seth, who quickly stowed their items in their storage bracelets before slowly making their way toward Atlas.
...
Meanwhile, 13 kilometers ahead of Seth's group, two blonde women were sweating with nervousness, both already quite tired, one of them badly injured.
"Young lady, I will die in battle. But you must not follow this fate. Surrender to these people. They won't put you in danger in the short term." The elderly-looking woman said as she used a weapon to defend the two of them from the many enemy attacks.
The younger woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, heard this and felt even more desperate, not wanting to lose another person who was important to her today.
"No! We have to find a way out!" The beautiful blonde woman with blue eyes said as she mentally controlled several swords around her.