The caravan was slowly approaching a magnificent castle that stood at the top of a hill.
Around the castle, even from a distance, thick vines could be seen encroaching upon it, nearly burying the structure.
The castle stood with high stone walls and several tall towers rising above it. Its structure was largely intact but heavily overgrown with dense vines that sprawled across the walls and climbed over the towers, leaving only fragments of the original stone visible, while the main gate remained shut at the front as the entire structure overlooked the land from its elevated position.
Oliver glanced up at the structure.
With his lips pale and trembling, he muttered:
"...That's the settlement. We've arrived."
Of course, he could never forget the overly emphasised description of the Settlement in the novel. It had been carefully detailed as if to leave a lasting imprint on the reader's mind, and truthfully, it was as magnificent and ancient as described.
However, for most, hell began here.
Along the way, the body of the short captive had been discarded, and one other captive had died of starvation and was thrown aside without regard, leaving only three captives alive.
Oliver himself was nearing death from the same cause.
His entire body trembled relentlessly, and the only thought occupying his mind was food.
Strength had nearly abandoned him, yet they still had to climb the hill to reach the castle.
His thoughts were becoming increasingly incoherent the harder he tried to think clearly.
Oliver sighed.
There was no way he would be able to make the climb without collapsing from hunger, and he would simply be discarded like trash.
'I can't give up early again. Ugh. Just what is wron—'
Before he could complete his thoughts, two hands extended toward him, offering two Flesh Fruits and a sealed jar of water.
Starved and without hesitation, Oliver lunged to take both with hungry eyes.
He brought his bound hands closer to his mouth, devouring the Flesh Fruits like a madman.
The flesh was dense and rich, tasting just like roasted lamb, filling his starving mouth and easing his hunger within seconds.
The woman in charge of them chuckled as she watched him consume the Flesh Fruits despite being shackled.
She covered her mouth in amusement while standing before him.
"I suppose everyone becomes an animal when starved."
Hearing those words, Oliver stopped eating and looked at her with an expressionless gaze.
The moment their eyes met, she flinched slightly; there was something in his eyes she could not quite decipher.
However, he simply smiled. His eyes brightened with apparent gratitude.
"Thank you for the food, ma'am. I truly appreciate it."
The woman blinked twice.
She glanced at the man seated atop the Demonic Jaguar, who was also eating.
All of the captives had been fed, and they were now expressing gratitude, praising the two as if they were benefactors, despite the fact that they were responsible for their current state.
Although she had not expected the same from Oliver.
If anything, she had anticipated arrogant young master behaviour from him, yet he was entirely different, catching her off guard.
Nonetheless, this was exactly what they wanted… but something about his reaction, about the sincerity in his words, felt subtly unsettling.
The female slaver scoffed before breaking into a louder, almost exaggerated laughter.
"Wow. Just wow. Perhaps I'm overthinking things, because you're quite different from what I expected. You amuse me, boy. I'll be taking special care of you from now on, if you promise to be a good and obedient boy."
She patted Oliver's head as if he were a pet, smiling as she watched him return to eating. She made no effort to loosen the vines restraining him.
Oliver grinned with his head lowered.
'I wonder… how do I kill these two fools? Soon. I just need Teresa and Kaden to arrive.'
***
On the other hand, Teresa continued across the deserted stretch with slow, unsteady steps.
Her body was weighed down by the strain and the wounds she had continually ignored, while Effie followed closely behind her, carrying the unconscious young man across its back without allowing him to slip even once.
Her thoughts had narrowed to only two things, food and finding the green-haired boy, and everything else had gradually lost significance, to the point where she had almost forgotten that she had saved someone at all.
"I need to find him… and eat something," she muttered under her breath in a faint voice as she forced herself forward, even though every step felt heavier than the last.
The bruises across her body had begun to settle deeper, causing the pain to intensify and cloud her mind.
Her steps slowed.
Then stopped entirely.
Without warning, her legs gave out, and she collapsed forward onto the ground. The impact barely registered as she remained there, her strength no longer sufficient to carry her any further.
"I… can't keep going…"
Teresa made no attempt to rise again.
Effie reacted immediately, lowering its head before gently lifting her from the ground with its mouth, careful not to harm her as it adjusted her position and continued forward without hesitation.
It scanned the surroundings as it moved, searching for anything that could aid its master, but there was nothing to be found, no food, no water, and no sign of life across the barren expanse.
Even so, it did not stop.
Time passed as it continued onward, carrying both Teresa and the unconscious young man, the distance behind them gradually increasing until the ground ahead began to incline into a hill.
At the top of that hill, a structure came into view. It was a castle.
The moment she saw it, Teresa stirred slightly, her eyes opening as she lifted her head weakly.
A faint smile formed on her face.
Her hand rose slowly as she pointed toward it.
"Effie… I think we are going to survive… it's a castle… I'm hungry… I hope people are there…"
There was a distinct sense of relief in her words, and she continued to murmur to herself while resting weakly against Effie, as though even a gentle breeze could dislodge her.
Suddenly, a loud sound echoed from the top of the hill, carrying across the distance and shattering the silence that had surrounded them.
Teresa's expression shifted as she looked up again.
"Uh? What's that?"