Enter The Northern Continent

Morning arrived. Most of the passengers, including Ren and his group, had barely gotten any rest after what had happened the night before. How could they? Some stared out at the sea in silence. Others whispered quietly, each lost in their own thoughts.

For Ren, one thing kept replaying in his head— How easily they’d been overpowered.

If Alex hadn’t stepped in, how many of them would be alive right now? Maybe he alone would’ve survived... but that wouldn’t have been a victory. That would’ve been a punishment.

They had to become stronger. The road ahead wouldn’t be easy. There were people like those pirates—maybe worse—out in the world. And they had no idea how many.

Ren looked over at Alex, who stood nearby checking a repaired railing.

“Alex,” Ren called. “What type of magic can you actually use? I never asked properly.”

“Oh, I use fire and earth magic,” Alex replied. “Just two elements. I’m decent at offense and defense. Nothing too fancy.”

Ren nodded, quietly impressed. If it weren’t for Alex last night, they would’ve all been slaughtered.

Kazuma chimed in, stretching his arms. “We really can’t afford to be careless anymore.”

“I agree,” Rachel said, serious. “Last night should be our wake-up call.”

The group decided then and there—they’d set up basic formations and fallback plans from now on. No more assuming things would be safe.

Days passed.

The endless sea stretched in every direction, no land in sight. The monotony became part of the rhythm—until, one day, the captain called out from the helm.

“Northern Continent in sight! We’ll be docking in a few hours!”

The deck stirred with movement. People rushed to the railing. Some cried, others prayed. They were finally close.

Ren stood tall at the edge of the ship.

They still didn’t know where the legend of the Immortals had come from. No map marked a location. But just being on the Northern Continent was a start.

A few hours later, the ship finally docked at a bustling port. The weather was clear, but the wind carried a sharp chill. Locals moved quickly, going about their business, completely unaware of the journey this group had just endured.

Ren and the others bid farewell to the passengers who had survived with them. With their bags slung over their backs, they stepped off the ship, setting foot onto the land that might finally give them answers.

After walking for a while, they reached a nearby town near the port and decided to rest there. Days at sea had left them exhausted.

They ate and drank, savoring food that tasted slightly different from their homeland. Even the spices were unfamiliar.

While exploring the market streets, they asked several townsfolk if they had heard of a place connected to Immortals—anything at all.

But each person gave them the same look: puzzled, cautious, even uncomfortable.

“That’s just a story,” one woman said, shaking her head. “Nothing like that exists here,” said another man, brushing them off.

The group exchanged uncertain glances. How could it be? After all this way… was it just a legend?

Still, they didn’t give up. They’d ask elsewhere.

They left town and followed a road that wound near the edge of a forest. The trees were tall, old, and silent. The path was mostly empty.

Then they heard it.

A scream.

“Help! Please—someone! Save me!!”

They all stopped in their tracks.

“That voice,” Rachel said, already turning. “It’s coming from that direction!”

Kazuma didn’t wait—he drew his sword and bolted into the forest.

Ren followed right behind him, both sprinting full speed toward the sound.

“Please help me!” The voice was getting closer.

They picked up their pace, branches brushing past them as they pushed through the dense trees.

Soon they saw them— Two men dragging a girl, her arms tied, struggling against them.

The moment the kidnappers saw Kazuma and Ren charging, they stopped.

“Back off, kids,” one of them barked. “This isn’t your business.”

“Please!” the girl cried out. “They’re kidnapping me!”

That was all Kazuma needed to hear.

He ran straight at them, sword raised. One of the men let go of the girl and drew his blade to meet Kazuma head-on.

But Kazuma was faster.

In a clean clash, Kazuma disarmed him—his sword flew out of his hand and landed several meters away.

Meanwhile, Ren had already reached the second man and landed a punch that sent him flying into a tree.

The man scrambled up, shouting, and cast a flash spell—light exploded around them, momentarily blinding Ren and Kazuma.

Both shielded their eyes, caught off guard. The kidnappers took the chance and bolted, disappearing into the trees.

Moments later, Rachel, Melissa, and Alex arrived at the scene, slightly out of breath from running.

“Are you alright?” Rachel asked, rushing to untie the girl’s hands.

She nodded through tears. “Thank you… thank you for saving me…”

Melissa knelt down, gently placing her hands over the girl’s wrists. A soft glow appeared as she began to heal the rope burns.

Alex opened his bag and handed the girl a water bottle. “Here. You must be thirsty.”

The girl took it with trembling hands and drank.

---

After making sure the girl was safe and no longer shaking, the group brought her into a small café near the town square. It was quiet and warm inside, the kind of place where the scent of freshly baked bread filled the air.

They ordered her food, and to their surprise—
She devoured it.

Bite after bite, like she hadn’t eaten in days.

“Whoa…” Kazuma blinked. “She’s going in like it’s her last meal.”

Ren raised an eyebrow. “Guess she really was starving…”

The girl, who looked no older than eight or nine, wore a slightly tattered but beautiful kimono—traditional, with embroidered flowers at the hem. She had soft features and an elegant presence, like some noble’s daughter or a tiny princess from an old story.

The group watched her in silence for a moment, both impressed and confused.

As the girl stuffed her cheeks with a large rice bun, Rachel leaned back with a sigh. “It’s been a day since we arrived… and still no clue about this ‘Immortals’ place.’ Everyone we’ve asked acts like they’ve never even heard of it.”

“I get the feeling they’re hiding something,” Melissa said. “Or just too scared to talk.”

Just then, the girl suddenly coughed—hard. A chunk of food had gotten stuck in her throat.

Rachel quickly handed her a glass of water. “Here, drink this—slowly!”

The girl took a huge gulp and finally swallowed the bite. Then she looked at them with big, curious eyes.

“…Why are you all looking for the Immortals?” she asked, tilting her head.

The group exchanged a glance.

“That’s none of your business, kid,” Kazuma replied casually. “Just eat your food. We’ll drop you home afterward.”

But the girl puffed her cheeks in protest.

“I’m one of the Immortals,” she declared proudly.

“Haaaaah!?”
The entire group nearly fell out of their seats.

“Don’t say stupid stuff just to sound cool,” Kazuma said, narrowing his eyes. “This is grown-up talk, alright?”

“I’m not lying! I live there!” she insisted, cheeks still full, her words muffled in a pouty, childlike grumble.

Ren leaned in a little. “Can you… take us there?”

The girl crossed her arms. “Nope. You’re all mean to me.”

She turned away with a huff, clearly angry now.

Kazuma stood up, lifting a light fist. “Why you little—!”

Alex calmly grabbed his arm and pushed him back into his seat. “Easy, she’s a kid.”

Rachel and Melissa quickly sat beside her, gently patting her back.

“Please,” Melissa said softly. “We’re not trying to scare you. We just want to take you home. If your parents are there… we’d like to talk to them.”

The girl looked at them suspiciously, then down at her empty plate.

“…Fine,” she muttered, still frowning. “But don’t try anything funny.”

The group quietly sighed in relief.

They might have just found their first real lead.
Was she truly one of the Immortals? Or was it just a child’s imagination?

Either way…
They had to see for themselves.

And only time would tell what they were walking into.

To be continued...