As they walked along the dirt path leading away from Oakwood Village, Stella glanced at Hugo. "So… what's the plan?" she asked.
Hugo kept his gaze forward, hands in his pockets. "We're heading to Requiem Prime," he said casually.
Stella nearly stopped in her tracks. "Wait, what? The capital of the Requiem Republic? That's across the entire continent!"
Hugo smirked. "Yeah, I know."
"Okay, but how exactly are we supposed to get there?" she asked, crossing her arms. "And why are we going there in the first place?"
Hugo shrugged. "We're going there to ask the Chancellor for help."
Stella raised an eyebrow. "The Chancellor? You seriously think the leader of the Requiem Republic is just going to help us?"
"That's the plan," Hugo said nonchalantly.
Stella sighed. "Fine. But that still doesn't answer how we're getting there."
"We're taking a Veilgate," Hugo answered.
Stella blinked. "A Veilgate? And where exactly are we supposed to find one of those?"
Cosmos chimed in. "Lucky for us, the next village—Ironfang Village—has one."
Stella frowned. "And how long till we get there?"
Hugo smirked. "A day."
Stella groaned. "A whole day of walking? You've got to be kidding me."
Hugo chuckled. "What, getting tired already?"
Stella shot him a glare. "No, but I wouldn't mind a faster way to travel."
Cosmos spoke up. "Well, unless you've got a personal airship stashed somewhere, you're stuck with walking."
Stella sighed in defeat. "Great. Just great."
Hugo smirked. "Don't worry, I'll keep you entertained." He took out his harmonica and started playing the same haunting melody from before as they continued down the road.
Stella rolled her eyes but said nothing, listening to the tune as they journeyed toward Ironfang Village.
As they continued down the worn dirt path, the landscape around them gradually shifted. The dense forests surrounding Oakwood Village began to thin, giving way to rolling plains and rocky outcroppings. The journey was mostly quiet, apart from the occasional sounds of birds in the distance and the soft tune of Hugo's harmonica.
After a while, Stella finally broke the silence. "So, why the Chancellor? What makes you think they'll help us?"
Hugo lowered his harmonica and exhaled. "Because if anyone has the power to challenge the Neo Arcana Dominion, it's them. The Requiem Republic has resources, military strength, and more importantly… influence."
Stella frowned. "And what makes you so sure they'll listen?"
Hugo shrugged. "I've got a few connections."
Cosmos let out a chuckle. "Understatement of the century."
Stella raised an eyebrow. "That's vague. What kind of connections?"
Hugo smirked. "Well, let's just say I was originally offered the position of the first Chancellor after the Eclipse War."
Stella stopped in her tracks. "Wait… what?"
Hugo kept walking, unbothered. "Yeah. They thought having the Hero of the Eclipse as their leader would unite people or whatever. I turned it down."
Stella hurried to catch up, still processing what she just heard. "And you just… said no?"
"Yeah."
"Why?!"
Hugo shrugged. "Not my thing."
Cosmos chimed in, "He wanted to go on adventures, not sit behind a desk making speeches."
Stella rubbed her temples. "You really are unbelievable…"
Before she could press further, a chilling howl echoed through the plains. Both of them immediately stopped, hands drifting toward their weapons. Then, from the shadows of the tall grass, dark figures emerged—three Void Hounds, their bodies wreathed in shifting black mist, their glowing violet eyes locked onto Hugo and Stella.
"Void Hounds…" Stella muttered, gripping her arc-blade tightly. "That's bad."
"They hunt Arcana users," Hugo said, his tone turning serious. "And they get stronger with each hunt."