Time passed quickly. Rygar and the others continued their intense training, making the most of the days they had before departure. During this period, some peculiar situations occurred.
One day, while strolling through the city's marketplace, Rygar noticed that some Milis knights had started following them from a distance. Their gazes were not directed at him or the others but at Skoll. The giant wolf walked beside Rygar, drawing attention due to his size and imposing presence.
However, the knights did nothing besides observe. Perhaps they feared what would happen if they tried to intervene. Even so, Rygar decided not to take him into the city frequently. Most of the time, he left Skoll in the field behind the inn. Occasionally, Skoll would go to the beach to hunt, but he almost never accompanied the group on their city visits.
It was during one of these city visits that a significant event occurred. As they walked through the bustling streets, Rygar and the others spotted a group of slave traders transporting about thirteen chained slave prisoners. Many of them were from the beast race. Rygar's gaze narrowed. Eidar, beside him, merely sighed, already predicting what would happen.
Without hesitation, the two attacked.
It was a massacre. The slavers had no chance to react before being eliminated. Their bodies fell to the ground without commotion, as if this fate had been written from the moment they crossed Rygar's path. However, that was not enough. The two tracked down the slavers' base and continued the carnage. Almost all were mercilessly killed.
The commotion drew the attention of the city's knights, who arrived at the scene quickly. However, upon seeing the scene and attempting to intervene, the first one who attacked Rygar was immediately killed. Silence spread. The rest hesitated. None dared to continue the offensive.
They knew what would happen.
The city's regent had already made it clear: they should not interfere with whatever Rygar did, regardless of his actions. Otherwise, they would suffer severe casualties. And in that world, strength spoke louder than any law.
Morality was relative in the face of absolute power. Rygar knew this. He did not see himself as a hero. He had no noble desire to embark on a journey to rescue all the slaves along the way. But if it was within his reach and did not require much effort, then he would help.
That was why he created the Legion. Not to save the world, but to change the things he disliked. His goal was to protect his race, his friends, and those he loved. And, of course, to ensure a better future for his beastfolk descendants. All of this was, for the most part, for selfish reasons.
At the moment, the Legion was not facing financial difficulties. So, he decided that the freed slaves should keep the treasures from the slavers' base.
He then chose someone to lead those who wished to join the Iron Legion. Among the prisoners, one figure caught his attention.
A demon woman, with long purple hair that reached the ground, stood out from the rest. Her eyes had a cunning gleam, and her posture exuded confidence. She was an experienced warrior and possessed innate demonic magic. Her scent had enchanting and aphrodisiac properties. Her name was Kalira.
From the moment she was freed, Kalira showed interest in joining the Legion. Rygar, cautious, questioned her about her history and intentions. He found nothing alarming besides her extremely promiscuous personality. In the end, he decided she was competent enough and appointed her as the leader of the freed group. She was tasked with leading the others to Tinaver, where they could establish themselves under the Legion's protection.
They departed on the seventh day. Now, on the eighth day of waiting for the ship, the city seemed slightly quieter due to the massacre at the slavers' base. But Rygar was not concerned.
Besides, his group was just training at the beach. Eris and Aisha learned to swim relatively easily, although Aisha struggled a bit due to her small size.
Rygar remained seated on a rock, legs crossed, trying to concentrate. Around him, Skoll lay down, his enormous lupine form imposing even there.
Further ahead, Eris swam with Aisha on her shoulders, the two laughing and enjoying themselves. The little one had already learned basic water magic from Rygar, but for now, her mana was limited. Her training would follow a well-structured plan. First, he wanted to teach her to read, write, and understand magical theory. He knew Aisha was intelligent, but he wanted to ensure she grasped the seriousness of what she was learning.
After all, she was not a reincarnate like him.
Tests and observations had nearly confirmed that for him. Physically, her training would start at three years old, focusing on flexibility and mobility. Depending on her performance, at four or five, she could begin a more intense regimen. He saw great potential in the girl, but one question lingered in his mind. Why had Hitogami arranged for them to meet? Or would it have happened anyway?
As these thoughts ran through his mind, he tried to focus on his barrier magic practice, but the distractions were strong. More specifically, the sight of Ghislaine and Lilia on the beach. He had the brilliant idea of creating something similar to bikinis and a swimsuit for Eris. Ghislaine liked the outfit, saying it restricted her movements very little. Rygar, foreseeing the worst, had to clarify that it was only meant to be worn at the beach. He suspected she might want to wear it in public.
Besides, Eidar had started learning to cook with Lilia. Apparently, he wanted to impress his wife, who was the unknown granddaughter of the current leader of the Water God Style. Rygar found the idea hilarious but supported his friend.
He then turned his attention back to his hand. A stone bullet floated above his palm, and in front of it, a translucent magical barrier about thirty centimeters thick. He launched the bullet against the barrier, and it was blocked. Then, he created a fire bullet and launched it. This time, the flame passed through without resistance. A huge smile formed on his face.
"Eidar! Come here!" he called excitedly.
Eidar, noticing the enthusiasm, quickly approached.
"What is it?" he asked, curious.
Rygar raised a magical barrier in front of him.
"Try to pass through this," he requested.
Eidar touched the barrier and, to his surprise, managed to pass through without resistance.
"Huh? Is this a barrier that blocks only magic?" he asked, intrigued.
Rygar laughed.
"No! It's a physical barrier, but I managed to develop a 'firewall' on it!"
"A firewall? I don't see any fire."
"Don't worry about the terms. Lilia, try passing through," he requested, calling the woman.
Lilia approached and tried to cross the barrier. As she placed her hand against the translucent surface, she was immediately blocked. Intrigued, she pushed harder but still couldn't pass through.
"Now, Eidar, try again," Rygar ordered.
Eidar passed through effortlessly.
The scene was curious: Eidar could enter and exit freely, while Lilia was completely blocked. This meant that Rygar had successfully modified the barrier to allow only specific individuals to pass through. Using his magic eye to analyze the barrier's patterns, he finally understood how the permission modifier worked and managed to apply it.
"This is incredible…" murmured Eidar, admiringly.
Rygar nodded, satisfied. Now, as long as he was inside the barrier, he could attack freely without being hindered, while his enemies would be blocked. It was an extremely useful application for combat.
But this was only the beginning. His frequent research on barrier magic and comparisons to programming in his previous world had given him many ideas. Now that he had understood the basics of how the magical programming of barriers worked, he could apply many concepts to it.
He was also studying how to create a self-repair system for his barriers, based on programming's repetition loops, allowing them to regenerate automatically as long as mana was available.
New possibilities opened up for him.
"This is going to be really useful in group battles!" Eidar exclaimed excitedly.
This new ability had various utilities—the ability to allow only his allies to pass through a barrier could completely change a group's combat system.
Ghislaine, who had been closely observing, murmured:
"Truly impressive..."
But the moment she crossed her arms, her generous chest was squeezed, completely diverting Rygar's attention, instantly breaking his focus.
He cleared his throat, trying to regain his concentration.
"Alright! Let's continue the training," he declared, quickly stepping away to avoid further distractions.
As they discussed the possibilities this ability would have in combat, an adventurer approached the group and asked:
"Who here is Rygar Adoldia?"
Rygar turned, analyzed the man, and said, "That's me. What is it?"
The man spoke disinterestedly, "My boss is Captain Joulk, the one recommended to you, the one who transports monsters." He looked at Rygar and then at Skoll, who was lying nearby.
"He said for you to meet him at the port with your wolf to see if it fits in any of the cages, since he's never transported a monster that big before."
Rygar thought for a moment and said:
"Alright, when is he leaving?"
"Today. As soon as he unloads what he brought and loads what he was paid to take, he'll set sail. He doesn't like wasting time, so it'll likely be tonight. When you get there, look for the ship with the symbol of a blue doe."
The adventurer then glanced at Ghislaine, admiring the beautiful sight, before leaving.
Rygar looked at the group. "You heard him. Go to the inn and bring all our belongings. I'll head to the port with Skoll."
Eidar responded, "Understood."
Lilia sighed, "We're finally going back to the Central Continent..."
They split up there, and Rygar mounted Skoll, racing toward the port. Upon arrival, he saw a short, chubby man who seemed to be giving orders to the people loading the ship, which bore a large blue doe on its sail. He approached him.
When Skoll landed at the port, many drew their weapons, and several ran away screaming in terror, but they didn't attack, given that Rygar was riding him.
Rygar jumped off, and Skoll sat down, alert to his surroundings. He walked up to the chubby man, who seemed completely unfazed by the enormous wolf in front of him. Rygar asked, "Do you know where Captain Joulk is?"
"You're talking to him!"
Joulk, the captain, was a short man with a robust build and a thick mustache that wavered as he spoke. His gaze was firm, showing no hesitation even in the intimidating presence of Skoll, who sat calmly beside Rygar. He crossed his arms and assessed the situation with a calculating look.
"It can be done, but it'll cost you a lot!" he said bluntly.
Rygar nodded. "Of course, as long as you take us." He paused, analyzing the sailboat and its compartments. His thoughts wandered. I need to create a maritime division for the Legion when I return…
Joulk led him inside the ship, where a large cargo space could be adjusted to accommodate Skoll. The area was well-ventilated and spacious enough so that the giant wolf wouldn't be uncomfortable during the journey. Additionally, the group's quarters were more luxurious than expected, with reinforced beds and windows that allowed the ocean breeze to flow in.
After settling the costs and finalizing the details, Rygar stepped out to wait for his companions. Time passed quickly, and about forty minutes later, he saw Eidar and the rest of the group arriving at the port. He waved at them, and they quickly approached, carrying their belongings.
Once everyone boarded and settled in, they gathered on the deck. The sun was setting on the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, and a waiter appeared, offering wine to the travelers. The sweet aroma of the drink mixed with the salty scent of the sea, creating a relaxing atmosphere after so many days of waiting.
Aisha curiously eyed the served glasses and turned to her mother with sparkling eyes.
"Mom, can I drink?!"
Lilia immediately replied, "No!"
Aisha pouted, disappointed, then looked at Rygar and tried a different approach.
"Master, can I?!"
Lilia was stunned by her daughter's audacity, while Rygar raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the question. He smirked slightly and pointed to a height in the air with his hand, about 1.50m.
"You can when you reach this height."
Aisha huffed, crossing her arms, sulking. The group laughed at the little one's reaction as the night gently settled around them.
As everyone relaxed, the boat swayed slightly, still docked at the port. Rygar noticed that Eris was unusually quiet. Her face seemed a bit pale.
Lilia noticed too and asked, concerned:
"Eris, are you okay?"
She hesitated but quickly responded, "Yes, I'm..."
Rygar observed her expression, the small signs that gave away her discomfort. His eyes narrowed for a moment before a grin spread across his face.
'Could it be…?'
He said nothing, merely waited. The boat swayed gently, preparing to depart, as their journey—and everything that awaited them on the Central Continent—was finally about to begin.
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