Erian spent the next two days finalizing the paperwork that followed Creel’s detainment. The Beast Trade Authority processed cases slowly when political implications were involved. But Erian pushed the review teams to act with precision. He knew that every delay gave the black market more time to hide its operations. The investigation branched quickly. Several junior inspectors admitted that they approved shipments because Creel instructed them to avoid questioning. Some did so out of fear while others simply wanted to avoid conflict. That was how corruption spread. Quietly. Casually. Through small concessions until the structure became hollow.

By the third morning he felt an urgent pull toward the northern frontier routes. He stood before a large map in the central hall. The frontier region extended across forests, ridges, and old ruin sites where magical beasts thrived in complex ecosystems. Several areas were marked as protected habitats. Recently many reports from that region had dwindled or arrived without proper details. He recognized the signs. Entire posts were being pressured or silenced.

Mira approached him with fresh reports. The first came from a remote ranger outpost. Rangers monitored migration cycles and tracked beast population health. Yet this report contained only a short message. “Activity increasing in the ridge paths. Sighted large transports without insignia. Request support.” The message arrived two weeks late. Erian asked Mira why. She explained that the courier beast carrying the message had been found near the border with a damaged mana anchor. Someone tampered with it.

Another report came from the eastern frontier district. A ranger wrote that rare species sightings dropped sharply and that tracks suggested forced captures. Captured beasts resisted violently, leaving broken branches and deep claw marks where they attempted escape. The ranger urged immediate investigation but the report arrived without follow up.

These inconsistencies painted a clear picture. The black market intensified activity in the frontier. They were gathering beasts faster than usual, preparing for something. Perhaps a large auction. Perhaps a fighting tournament. Vorrek’s name had surfaced for a reason. He did not operate small trades. He moved in large shipments.

Erian requested to meet with the Ecological Research Division. Their office contained diagrams of habitats and aging records of beast populations. The head researcher, a soft spoken scholar named Illara, welcomed him. She spread several parchment sheets across a table. The charts displayed alarming data. Population declines in protected areas. Unnatural clustering of tracks in places far from seasonal routes. Several species behaved erratically. Some attempted to leave their territories, an unusual sign that suggested environmental stress.

Illara explained that when dominant species were removed from a habitat the entire region destabilized. Predators shifted territories. Prey scattered into unfamiliar areas. Mana flow between regions changed. If the black market was capturing beasts indiscriminately, the frontier ecosystems were collapsing quietly. Soon the collapse would reach the capital through failed agricultural cycles or volatile beast migrations.

Erian felt the urgency intensify. He asked about the closest outpost still operating with reliable information. Illara pointed to a station near the northern ridge called Brackenwatch Post. Rangers there specialized in tracking predator species. The post had not sent any major alerts but several routine reports were missing. That alone was suspicious.

Erian decided he would travel there personally. Mira insisted he take a small enforcement team. He agreed. A single inspector traveling alone to the frontier would be too vulnerable. The black market clearly had spies in multiple regions. They would not hesitate to stop him if given the chance.

Late that afternoon he gathered the enforcement team. There were four members. Rolan, a seasoned officer with steady posture. Selin, a strategist familiar with northern terrain. Daris, a quiet man skilled with rune detection. And Jana, sharp eyed and swift footed. They represented the most reliable group available on short notice.

Erian briefed them on the situation. He explained that the objective was not confrontation but information gathering. They had to assess the frontier and confirm the scale of illegal captures. The team listened without objection. Their expressions revealed determination. Some had seen the effects of illegal captures firsthand. Rescue missions often recovered beasts whose spirits were broken by chains and suppression magic. None of them wanted that future to continue.

By dawn the next day the group rode north along a trade road bordered by tall pines. The wind carried the scent of cold stone from the ridge peaks. The kingdom’s capital faded behind them as they traveled deeper into untamed lands.

Hours into the journey something caught Erian’s eye. Strange wagon tracks ran parallel to the trade road. They were deep and wide as if carrying heavy loads. The tracks veered off the road into a forest path. Erian signaled the team to stop. They examined the tracks carefully. Selin noted that no licensed transport guild used this route. It was too narrow for legitimate caravans. Illegal movers often chose such paths.

Erian took a closer look. The tracks were fresh, likely less than a day old. Daris used a rune stone to sense lingering mana. He detected faint signatures of suppressed aura. The same type Erian noticed in the registry logs. That confirmed they were on the trail.

They followed the path until it led to a clearing. The remains of a temporary camp marked the area. Fire pits still warm. Broken crates discarded. Deep claw marks on the ground told of beasts forced into cages. Erian studied the camp layout. It was organized efficiently, indicating experienced handlers. Selin found scraps of parchment bearing coded symbols similar to what Erian saw in Creel’s documents. That meant the group passed through recently. They might still be nearby.

Rolan suggested pressing on but Erian insisted they continue toward Brackenwatch first. They needed full information, not a risk of confrontation without preparation. The black market group here was skilled. A direct clash could endanger the beasts caught in their crates.

The team moved north again. As the sun began to set behind the ridges they reached Brackenwatch Post. The ranger outpost sat atop a stone rise overlooking the surrounding forest. Smoke rose from the chimney. At first glance the post appeared operational. But as they approached Erian noticed something wrong. The outer fence gate hung slightly open.

Rolan called out. No answer. They entered the main building. The common room was neat but too neat. Papers stacked. Equipment stored. No signs of struggle yet no signs of daily activity either. The place felt abandoned.

Erian checked a ledger on a desk. The last entry was dated three weeks earlier. After that nothing. He moved to the back room. Beds were neatly made. Supplies stocked. Nothing stolen. It did not look like an attack. It looked like a sudden evacuation.

Jana found a message carved faintly into the underside of a table. “Forced to leave. Watch the ridge.” The handwriting was quick. Desperate.

Erian stepped outside. The forest seemed normal but he sensed a quiet tension beneath its surface. The frontier was changing fast.

He turned to the team.

Tomorrow they would search the ridge.

Whatever drove the rangers away was tied to the black market.

And the truth lay somewhere in the northern shadows.