That's when Yory reminisced about his past in the demon kingdom, back when he was 21 years old. He was with the head of the butlers, who had said, "Prince Yoranios, this horse comes from a purebred lineage, and they are known for their pride and fearlessness. This is precisely what you need for times of war." Yory nodded in response. The butler continued, "They won't permit just anyone to ride them. Firstly, they'll allow it during times of war because they can sense whether you're a true warrior or a coward. Secondly, you can earn their trust by simply asking for permission. Come, my prince, let me instruct you on both..."

Returning to the present, Yory instructed Joe, saying, "Joe, start by calling his name."

When Joe called out, "Boris," the horse turned its gaze towards Joe, its eyes fixed.

Yory went on, "Now, bow to him." Joe looked at the horse and bowed, mirroring its gesture. Yory recalled the moment when he himself had bowed to the horse, and the horse had responded with a bow as a sign of acceptance. At that time, the head of the butlers had smiled and said, "Congratulations, Prince Yoranios. He believes in you, as we all do. Take good care of him and use him in battle."

In the present, Boris bowed to Joe, signifying acceptance and trust, and Yory grinned. "Congratulations, Joe. He respects you. But remember, don't pet him; he interprets it as a sign of disrespect."

Joe smiled in return. "Got it. Thanks, Yory. This was a valuable experience."

Suddenly, rain began to fall, and Yory and Joe sought shelter inside the cart. Joe suggested, "Can we cover the horse with something?"

But Yory shook his head, declining the idea. "These horses are accustomed to much harsher conditions. He won't mind the rain, and even if we tried to cover him, he'd just toss it aside."

Joe remarked, "The animals in the demon kingdom are quite unusual."

As Yory and Joe settled on their makeshift bed inside the cart, Yory initiated a conversation, asking, "You seem comfortable talking about the demon kingdom as if it's a normal thing. Don't you have any issues with demons?"

Joe responded, "We're not too far from the demon kingdom, so there aren't many people here who hold grudges or fear the demons. As for myself, I don't have any problems with them. They've never done anything to harm me, so there's no reason for me to dislike them."

Yory contemplated the idea that if people like Joe had held positions of power, perhaps the war could have been avoided. However, Joe interrupted Yory's thoughts, saying, "But right now, they're prospering. Their king, Giovani—sorry, I can't recall his full name—has turned their kingdom into a gem."

Yory corrected him, "Yoranios. His name is Yoranios Gyovani."

Joe continued, "I don't envy him, but it's true that he's likely sleeping in the most luxurious hotels and enjoying the company of beautiful women."

Yory burst into laughter, and Joe added humorously, "And here we are, sitting in the cold rain, our little weak bones chilled to the core." Joe pretended to cry, while Yory laughed heartily. Eventually, they fell asleep in the chilly weather.

The following morning, after the rain had ceased and the sky was a clear blue, Yory and Joe resumed their journey towards Undvik city. Meanwhile, in a Landow village, a mysterious woman arrived with her cart, concealing her face. After paying the guard and visiting the inn, she rented a room and unveiled her face. She was a stunning, tall woman with long black hair and beautiful golden eyes. Despite her commoner's attire, she concealed a fashionable dress. She glanced around her room, then sniffed the air once. Her eyes widened in surprise as she remarked, "Yoranios was here."

On the road to the Undvik city, Yory and Joe were in the cart moving to their destination until Joe said: "Yory look, other merchants let's ask them for some information about the road ahead, knowing some details won't hurt."

The merchants who travel on the same road as Yory are: on the right side of this wide road woman with red hair and a lovely black dress covered by a black robe, on her side a big man with black hair and a long beard and there was some whiteness in it clear that he began to get old, on the left side there were beautiful brown women with blue eyes and a yellow dress covered also behind black robe what female merchant normally wear to protect their nice clothes from getting dirty, besides here young men with brown long hair and nice looking face with slim body but he looks like someone can handle himself quite well. 

Yory got close to their carts and greeted them with his hard trying smile: "Hello my fellow merchants, can I be a noisy lad and ask you some questions?"

The bearded man smiled and said while scratching his beard: "Of course young blood, we are sharing the road until our destinations separate us."

Joe smiled at this friendly response and said: "my name is Joe and my friend here is Yory."

The bearded men nodded to both of them and then said: "My name is Aldwin, that red-haired woman is Estel."

Estel nodded to Yory and Joe who responded in respect. Then Aldwin continued: "That young lad right there is Akibrus, and the lovely woman is Avilyn," both of them waved to Yory and Joe who smiled kindly in response.

Yory said: "We are going to Undvik city, any advice?"

The young lad said after thinking: "You can go to the city directly after reaching Quinn village, but we are taking a detour to Cryptid village."

Joe said: "I heard about this village, they say that the village's people don't love to associate with outsiders."

Aldwin said with a smiling face and wicked but nice grin: "That's the reason why their market is small and low on everything, we will be the suppliers."

Yory said: "Interesting, but why are you telling us? It's some valuable information to give to some strangers."

Akibrus responded: "Because it's not valuable information my friend, the travelling merchants always pick up the news faster than people and maybe even than the army forces because in your travelling you will create some kind of information sources that helps your business."

Avilyn entered the conversation and said: "as my friend said, every merchant knows this village but we have certain manners among us the merchants, one of those is a mysterious place or places that don't associate with outsiders are bad for business, that why except us no one is going to this Cryptid village."

Estel said with a bright face: "But we can be the key that opened this village and its market to the outside world and be the first to benefit from it, but going alone is not wise in our time, that's why you travelling with us give our group the numbers advantage and the protection with it."

Joe said: "Yory, it is an opportunity to build yourself a name in this business as a merchant."

Yory looked at Joe and said with his natural average smile: "You got me pretty good lads, let's go," everyone smiled and started chatting and telling tales about their journeys while travelling to their destination.

After one day of travelling, the merchants arrived at the gate of Cryptid village, even if it's a village but her big stone big gates give a feeling of the big city, unlike the rest of the villages that Yory visited on his journey that wooden walls protecting it and not this village's high walls and with stones like they were preparing for siege or some war, the gate was of steel and it was raised to the top by two huge wooden wheels and a huge chains as if it were used to tie a legendary dragon the size of a small village, the guards where looking in a sharp gaze toward the merchant and Joe responded with a smile and nodded but unfortunately the guard ignores him and walked away.

After entering the village and in front of the inn, Estel said while holding a half smile: "I think they don't want us here guys."

Akibrus said while looking at the street they are in and at the windows of the houses: "Even if we didn't pay a fee for entering the village but this is rudeness."

Joe said: "Nonetheless, we have to rest guys and prepare for tomorrow," Everyone nodded and entered the inn, where they walked to the reception and met the owner who was sitting and reading a book.

when he saw them he sighed and said with a gloomy face and ugly impression like he was annoyed with the merchants coming: "What do you want outsiders?"

Aldwin got angry with this owner's attitude but kept his calm and tried to talk but Joe preceded him in and said: "we want you to dance for us, come on start our jester friend," the owner looked at Joe with a hateful face but kept silence, then Joe said: "if you won't dance for us, then give us rooms and be quick because we had a long journey to come here."

The owner said with a wicked grin: "6 silver coins for one night."

Avilyn said with Surprise appears on her face: "Why 6 silvers for... ARE YOU MOCKING US!!!!"

Akibrus interrupted Avilyn with a calm voice: "Avilyn calm down," Avilyn was angry but realized her state and stayed silent, then Akibrus said with his eyebrow risen: "I didn't know RULANKO the great king of the dwarfs in the past slept in this place for it to be this expensive for one night." And with a little laugh, Akibrus continued: "Or maybe the king of elves MULOSIMS found his love in this rusty place while she was cleaning Krogbakh's shit?"

The owner's smile disappeared, and his eyes were raging but he said with a hardly calm voice: "Keep it or leave it, I am the owner of the only inn in this village."

Joe said with a grin: "We can sleep on our carts, no need for this inn, good day sir."

The owner said with that wicked grin again" In this village, my word is respected and I have a good reputation too."

Aldwin interrupted him: "I doubt that from this attitude...."

The owner interrupted him and said: "But people will listen to me if I for example say that you are good people, right? And to be honest with you, you need friends who will back you up especially in villages or cities without acquaintances to help you out, right?"

Aldwin kept silent but Yory said while holding his arms in the air: "Alright lad, you have some solid points here and there so I will pay."

Akibrus said with a sigh: "Seems like there is no other option, that part of the merchant's life I guess?" After everyone paid for their rooms, they headed toward it with tired walks from both the long road and the horrible chat with the greedy owner.

At the same time on the crossover road that connects Cryptid Village with Roxana City and Quinn Village, the mysterious black-haired woman was looking at the signs that pointed the direction to Quinn Village then she smelled the air and said with serious eyes watching the sign that pointing Cryptid village: "Yoranios went from this road, I can catch up to him." Then her cart starts moving toward Cryptid village.

At night in Cryptid village, the silence was the leader of this odd village from houses to every corner of the streets, in the inn three big men with faces covered in scars entered with weapons in their hands from big clubs club to small daggers, they saw the owner reading so they walked in slow pace until they are behind him and said: "what are you reading?"

The owner was startled and nearly fell from his chair, but one of the three men caught him just in time. They laughed at the owner's cowardice, but he glared at them with a hint of anger and said, "You almost gave me a heart attack, you idiots. Now is not the time for games. You know what you have to do, Futch."

The man who scared the owner and looked like a leader of the other two said with a devilish grin on his covered-in-dirt face: "Kill the merchants, bury them deep in an unknown place, and take everything they have."

The owner said: "It's midnight, and they are very tired from the journey from what I saw, take them to the prison this time and don't ruin my beautiful inn like LAST TIME!!! Now leave me, I want to sleep."