As agreed by all of them, they finally crossed the line.
Even though monsters like the Man-Eater Grasstrap had attacked them earlier, by following Alexey's guidance, they weren't attacked again, not even once. The path he chose was safe, even though they had been going deeper into the forest for several hours.
As expected of a Guide.
But eventually, something happened. They were hiking calmly through the woods when suddenly, they heard a loud noise. Fast stomping, like several large animals running away.
"What's that?" Leol asked, his expression worried.
"A group of animals being chased, or...?" Mar guessed.
"Another monster? A predator?" the muscular man said, glancing in the direction of the sound with anxiety on his face. His friends looked just as concerned.
"Ah, relax. It's nothing," Alexey said, not looking worried at all. "That happens every season."
"Seasonal animal movement?" Mar asked.
"Not exactly," Alexey replied.
"Oh, I think I read about it not long ago," Nazel said, realizing what was happening. "I think it's fine too."
"What? What is it?" Mar asked curiously.
Nazel shrugged. "It's better if you see it for yourself. Then you'll understand."
Mar looked at him with a puzzled expression but decided to just follow his suggestion.
After they arrived at an open area, they finally saw what had made the stomping noise. In the distance, dozens of tall trees, maybe more than forty, were running to the south. Their roots had transformed into something like legs, and they moved swiftly across the empty land, following one another.
"Running trees?!" Leol said, shocked.
Nazel nodded. "They're called Migratory Trees. The book said that when the seasons change, they start running, searching for a better place to grow. They're harmless. They won't attack you."
"Exactly," Alexey said, standing behind them. "But, of course, it's a different story if you stand in their path. You'll be crushed without mercy."
"That sounds painful," Leol muttered. "Are they even still considered trees if they can move like that?"
"Who knows?" Alexey said. "But you'd be surprised by how many plants in this region move like animals."
"Fair enough," Leol said. "I guess I should expect extreme versions of Venus flytraps and other bizarre plants here too."
"Interesting," Mar murmured. "Before this, the strangest thing I'd ever seen was the Upside-Down Tree. So this is really new to me."
"Upside-Down Tree? What's that?" Leol asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mar just smiled and didn't explain.
The muscular man and his three friends sighed in relief.
"So it's just trees?" he said. "How stupid."
They said that, yet they continued watching the trees run away with serious expressions until the last one disappeared into the distance.
"And now they're gone," Leol said.
"Yeah. Anyway, let's move on," Alexey said, starting to walk again. "We need to find a safe area before dark."
"Good idea," Leol said, following him.
As they continued their journey, Alexey raised a question.
"Can I ask you guys something?" he said. "Why did you decide to cross the line?"
"Do we have to answer that?" Nazel asked.
"Not really," Alexey said with a shrug. "You don't have to if you don't want to. But if you're willing to risk your life doing this, you must have a strong reason, right? Telling me shouldn't be a big deal."
"Eh, I wonder about that," Nazel said. "My reason isn't anything grand."
"Same," Mar admitted, looking a little embarrassed. "I just did it out of curiosity. And since I had the chance to experience it, everyone I know encouraged me to go. So here I am."
"They're not worried that you'll be in danger?" Leol asked. "Shouldn't they have come with you or something?"
Mar smiled. "They're busy with something important," she said. "They can't come with me. And besides, I'm the youngest Magic Scientist in history. I'll be fine."
"Magic Scientist?" Leol repeated, confused.
It was an unusual term—nothing he'd ever heard used in magic schools or institutes. But with how confidently Mar said it, it didn't sound like she was making it up.
"Is she a foreigner?" Leol wondered. "Does she come from a country I don't know about?"
"For us, obviously, it was money!" the muscular man declared.
"Yes, money!" his friend agreed.
"We heard that if you cross the line, you can earn a fortune!" another muscular man added.
"So of course we were interested!" the last one said.
"That's a pretty basic motivation," Alexey remarked. "But fair enough. You can't live without money. Though I wonder if you guys can manage, considering how easily you got attacked before."
"Tch, shut it! I just got caught off guard!" the muscular guy who had been hurt by the Man-Eater Grasstrap yelled, his face red. "If I had known there was a monster there, I wouldn't have gotten hurt so easily!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure," Alexey said, clearly not interested. "What about you?"
Alexey looked at the blue-haired guy.
"Me?" Leol said, laughing awkwardly. "Well... this is a little embarrassing. Do you guys know about Obsidian Night? They were a group of young mages who got popular about two years ago."
"Huh, so people still remember that name," Nazel said.
"Of course!" Leol said, suddenly more excited. "They're my inspiration! Since I was a kid, I always dreamed of crossing the line and going on an adventure. But even after I graduated from school, I never had the guts to actually follow my dream. It just felt so out of reach. Not to mention my father wanted me to inherit the family business..."
Leol took a deep breath before continuing.
"That's when I heard about them," he said. "Back then, crossing the line was seen as a foolish decision—especially for young mages with a bright future. People who did it recklessly ended up dead."
"But then they appeared!" Leol said. "A group of young mages who didn't care what people thought and rushed across the line. I remember everyone thought they'd be slaughtered immediately, but to everyone's surprise, they kept going—deeper and deeper—and they kept getting more famous."
"I first heard about their exploits from a traveling merchant who sold goods from across the line," Leol continued. "I got goosebumps. My dream was reignited. If they could do it, maybe I could too. I started wanting to cross the line again."
Mar, who seemed unfamiliar with the group, listened to Leol's story with interest. But the muscular man just snorted.
"I heard about them," he said. "Sure, they made a splash for a while, but didn't they just suddenly disappear? They probably got killed somewhere."
"There's no proof of that!" Leol argued. "And if someone had killed them, wouldn't they have announced it? Killing a famous group like that would bring a lot of respect!"
"True," Alexey said. "Reputation is important—especially for rival groups. But the fact that there's been no news about them for two years... it's only natural that people assume they're dead."
"I know," Leol admitted, looking frustrated. "Anyway, that's why I decided to come here. I'm sure they're still active somewhere..."
Nazel walked beside him in silence.
"What about you?" Alexey asked, glancing at Nazel.
"Me?" Nazel said absentmindedly. "Well... when you hear about a mystery, it's only natural to want to find the answer, right? Ever since I was little, I've always wondered about the biggest mystery of all. What lies at the edge of the world?"
***