As dawn approached, the road gradually widened. The wheels rolled over the official highway, far steadier than the dirt track they had traveled at night. Boer loosely held the reins while Dunn curled up beside him, the three chatting on and off.
Eastward lay the heartland of the Empire. Bronze City stood at the Empire's westernmost edge; the farther inward they traveled, the broader the roads became. By all reason, there should have been fewer Eerie things as well.
A long line of carriages followed behind them—more than a dozen large wagons packed with people, driven by the residents themselves one after another. Most of those dragged from their beds and shoved onto the carriages before dawn were still dazed.
Some clung to the carriage rails and looked back at the city growing ever more distant. Others quietly asked their neighbors where they were going and whether it was safe there. A child cried twice before an adult covered the child's mouth and pressed them into an embrace. But no one dared make trouble.
Lu Yuan sat atop the lead carriage, his gaze drifting westward. The city had long vanished from sight, but half his heart remained there—with Klaus, Margaret, and that "hope" in District C. He did not know whether they could truly hold out.
"Captain Lu," Boer said, apparently noticing Lu Yuan's distraction. "Relax. The farther in we go, the safer it gets. This road has settlements at both ends. Even if something does show up, it'll only be some small fry."
He grinned and added, "The Empire has rules for official highways like this. The towns along the route send people to patrol them regularly, and if the road breaks, someone repairs it. It's far better than that wilderness road we took to Gubo Town last time."