Knight Cameron nodded. "Although the governor's order mentioned a range of 300 miles, he also informed me through a confidential letter that the search area can be expanded. Even if it means going beyond Leir Province, he has already contacted the local officials in the surrounding regions. You know, 300 miles east leads to the sea. The governor has even requested support from the Imperial Navy, and given the Russell family's deep-rooted connections in the navy, we should have no problem securing their support this time."
Andrew smiled wryly. "I just hope Master Freyr is alright..."
...
How is Freyr now?
Not well. Not well at all!
Freyr's shoes were torn. The fine lambskin boots, suitable for a noble, were ill-suited for walking through the forest, and his pant legs were snagged by thorns.
He leaned heavily on a wooden stick, one end sharpened, serving both as a walking aid and a weapon. Without the powerful Wizard by his side, he was merely a teenager, and they had to be cautious of any wild beasts in the forest.
Staying near the dragon was the safest option, but they still needed to search for food and fresh water.
After circling the island, Freyr had mapped out most of the terrain—it was all forest. His mouth was parched, and despite their desperate search, they hadn't found a single drop of fresh water. There seemed to be no springs or freshwater lakes on this island.
Unfortunately, the island wasn't large, roughly a slightly flattened circle. It took about half a day to walk from one end to the other. By Freyr's estimation, the island's diameter was around five miles.
A small island. If there was no freshwater...
Freyr shook his head and sighed.
The dragon could no longer be relied upon for an escape. Riding the dragon was out of the question. The young witch had lost her magic; her flying spell could only last a few seconds before she would plummet back down. And all around them was the vast sea!
If they couldn't find food and water, they would likely perish within two days.
Lilith followed behind Freyr with a pitiful expression. The young witch was terrified, stranded on this strange, deserted island without her magic. She felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness and fear.
Ironically, it was the young noble who constantly bullied her who now gave her a peculiar sense of security. When Freyr suggested scouting the terrain, Lilith insisted on accompanying him, even though staying near the dragon would be safer.
Despite any dangerous beasts on the island, no creature would dare approach the dragon!
Without magic, Lilith's feet were sore from the half-day walk. She suspected blisters were forming, but seeing the grim look on Freyr's face, she didn't dare complain and followed him, frowning.
Though Freyr was also irritable, he noticed the little witch's discomfort. Walking such a distance would indeed be exhausting for a delicate girl.
"Let's take a break," Freyr sighed, using his stick to clear the grass and ensure no snakes or other creatures were hiding. He then helped Lilith sit down.
Lilith's feet were so sore she almost cried. She never imagined that sitting down could feel so good!
Freyr thought for a moment, then quickly tore his outer garment into strips and handed them to Lilith. "Here, your boots have hard soles, and that's why your feet hurt. Wrap these cloth strips around your feet; it will feel softer."
"Th-thank you," Lilith stammered, feeling a bit shy. "Will we... be able to leave this place?"
"Leave..." Freyr smiled wryly, not wanting to further demoralize the young girl. "First, we need to find food and water. We can think about everything else later."
Freyr paused, then spoke seriously, "After walking all day, I can confirm a few things: First, based on the wind direction, I can tell we are in the spring monsoon season on the sea. This means we are likely on an island in the Eastern Sea of the Empire. Judging by the vegetation, we should still be within the southern regions of the Empire, possibly in the sea east of Leir Province. And..."
Freyr's expression turned strange. "I am worried about one thing."
"W-what?"
"Have you noticed, we've walked over half of this island... but we haven't seen a single animal? Not even a snake or a mouse! This seems like a lifeless island! No animals, and... listen..."
Freyr raised his hand to his ear, his tone eerie. "Have you noticed, this large island with such dense woods... there are no bird calls! Not only are there no ground animals, but there are also no birds! This is very strange!"
As the sun began to set, Freyr finally found something valuable.
In the deep forest on the western side of the island, he discovered a small water pit. It was likely a rainwater catchment. There were no wild animals on the island, and the pit was in a shaded area. Freyr carefully examined the surroundings and found no signs of animal activity.
He tasted the water and confirmed it was fresh. The two parched youths immediately fell to the ground by the water pit and drank greedily, abandoning any sense of propriety.