At six o'clock the next morning, the fresh air gently drifted through the window and brushed against Allen and Laxus.
Allen slowly opened his eyes, and Laxus, sleeping in the other bed, woke almost at the same time. Their gazes met, and after confirming that they were both awake, they quickly got up and washed.
After washing up, they quietly shouldered their backpacks and planned to leave without making a sound. However, as they tiptoed downstairs, they found Bessy, Ur, Damon, and Uriel sitting silently in the spacious hall on the first floor, as if they had been waiting there specifically for the two of them.
Just then, sharp-eyed Bessy noticed Allen and Laxus coming down the stairs. A kindly smile immediately appeared on his face. He squinted and waved at them, greeting them warmly. "Yo~ You two are up awfully early! Come on, why don't you have something to eat with us?" Hearing this, Allen and Laxus politely nodded and replied, "Good morning, old man! Thank you for your kindness, but we'll pass. We'll just find something to fill our stomachs along the way later."
Bessy seemed to have anticipated that Allen would answer that way. Without a word, he gave Ur a meaningful glance. Ur immediately understood, stood up, picked up a bulging bag beside him, and hurried over to Allen before handing it to him. Allen tried to refuse, but Ur gripped both of his hands firmly and said, "It's nothing special, just some food. This is what we ought to do, so stop refusing."
Unable to get past Ur, Allen could only accept the heavy bag of food with an exasperated look. Seeing this, Bessy hurried over, first giving Allen a warm, powerful hug before gently patting his back. He earnestly advised, "I know you two are both strong, but the road ahead is long and dangerous, with crises lurking everywhere. Don't let your guard down! If you have the time, come visit us more often."
Hearing Bessy's concerned words, Allen exchanged a glance with Laxus beside him. The two nodded solemnly, indicating that they would remember Bessy's advice.
Allen looked seriously at the four people before him and sincerely thanked them. "Thank you all for your warm hospitality. We'll definitely be twice as careful. We'll see you again when we return!" With those heartfelt words of farewell, Allen and Laxus stepped through Wild Cat's Eye's gate together.
Laxus was still young. Although he had experienced a similar, painful parting not long ago, his emotions remained difficult to settle when he encountered another such scene. Thus, even after they had been walking for some time, Laxus could still deeply feel the sincere and passionate affection Bessy and the others had shown them.
Compared with the turmoil in Laxus's heart, Allen was unusually calm and composed this time. He did not comfort Laxus as he usually did, because he knew very well that for a child his age, some emotions had to be slowly processed and endured on his own.
Just as expected, after silently walking for a while, Laxus gradually recovered from his gloom and returned to his usual lively, energetic self. Only then did he finally have the leisure to take notice of the scenery around them.
When he casually looked up, he was surprised to find that Allen was leading him toward the mountains. He asked curiously, "Big Brother, are we going up the mountain now?"
Allen gave a slight nod. Then he unfolded the map he had been gripping and pointed to a location on it, explaining to Laxus beside him, "We're currently near Obanis. According to the route I planned, we need to cross Mount Hakobe directly and then reach Crete City, the northernmost city in Fiore. Once we arrive, we'll change direction and cross the Vast Forest Sea before reaching Croba. From there, we'll take a train back to Magnolia. We're supposed to complete this training journey within two years, but the actual schedule will depend on the circumstances." After saying this, Allen stared at Laxus, waiting for some response or suggestion.
However, Laxus seemed completely absent-minded at that moment. His eyes were unfocused as he watched Allen point back and forth across the map. He had not heard a single word of what Allen said. But it did not matter. As far as Laxus was concerned, he only needed to keep following Allen. There was no need to worry about anything else.
Allen naturally noticed the bewildered, vacant look on Laxus's face. He could only shake his head helplessly and lightly tap his forehead with the hand holding the map, muttering inwardly, Why is this guy always so absent-minded? But now was not the time to complain. They should hurry and get moving.
Thus, Allen quickly folded the map and put it away in his pack. Without saying anything more, he waved to Laxus, signaling that it was time to go.
Before long, the two finally reached the foot of Mount Hakobe. They stopped at the same time and looked up at the enormous mountain range towering into the clouds.
The entire mountain range was tightly wrapped in thick, white snow beginning around its middle, as if it had been draped in a magnificent silver robe. The summit itself was hidden amid hazy, ethereal clouds and mist.
At that moment, Allen took the map from his backpack. He studied it while scanning the surrounding terrain, seemingly trying to find clues or distinctive landmarks that could help determine their direction. After some thought and comparison, Allen chose a route and began walking in that direction without hesitation, with Laxus following close behind.
At first, the road at the foot of the mountain was fairly flat and not difficult to travel. However, as they gradually advanced deeper into the mountains, the path grew increasingly rough and uneven. The once-dense forest also began to thin, with fewer and fewer trees on either side, replaced by steep cliffs and slopes covered in jagged rocks. At the same time, snowflakes began drifting down from the sky, and a biting chill swept over them. Noticing the sudden drop in temperature, Allen and Laxus quickly pulled thick padded coats from their respective backpacks and put them on, preventing the cold from making them sick.
Just as the two were concentrating on climbing the mountain, a strange sound suddenly shattered the mountain's silence. It was like the screech of a night owl, yet also like the roar of a ferocious beast, instantly drawing their attention.
Allen and Laxus exchanged a glance and immediately understood each other. They hurriedly searched for somewhere nearby to hide. Soon, they found a depression behind a huge boulder. The two crouched and quickly slipped inside, then watched the direction of the sound through a crack in the rock, wanting to see what had made such a strange noise.
Before long, the strange sound rang out again, this time accompanied by the unmistakable sound of an animal running. Immediately afterward, a massive mountain goat came charging toward Allen like an arrow loosed from a bow. Terror filled its eyes, and its four hooves flew wildly, as if some terrifying pursuers were hot on its heels. Sure enough, several gorilla-like monsters appeared not far behind it. They were tall and heavily muscled, with sharp fangs bared and hideous, terrifying faces. Roaring and waving their claws, they chased after the mountain goat as it fled for its life.
Seeing this, Allen lowered his voice and said to Laxus, who wore an equally solemn expression, "Those gorilla-like monsters are Balkans. They usually move in groups and are exceptionally fierce and brutal. They're carnivores. Unless absolutely necessary, we must not provoke the Balkans." After saying this, Allen kept his eyes fixed on the rapidly approaching group of Balkans, prepared to deal with any sudden turn of events.
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