After his leisurely life continued for a while, Roland embarked on his second journey between worlds, a journey full of uncertainty, yet brimming with possibilities.
Traveling with the Key of All Spirits was as straightforward as ever. There was no bizarre gateway between worlds or tangible process of passage. In the time it took Roland to close his eyes and open them again, the world around him had changed.
Even to Roland as he was now, this power was a miracle in every sense of the word.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw a largely undeveloped forest. The greenery filling his vision, paired with the fresh air, was always refreshing.
The occasional birdsong around him further confirmed that this place had suffered little unnecessary human intrusion.
Had there not at least been a barely maintained path ahead, Roland would even have had to question how much of this world humans occupied.
After stepping onto the path and carefully examining the marks left on it, Roland, who had already mentally prepared himself for traveling between worlds, immediately realized something.
"These look like carriage tracks. The road hasn't been maintained, either. Is this world still in an age before technological enlightenment, or has it simply followed an entirely different path of development?"
The worlds to which Contract Spirits had escaped were varied. Naturally, it was impossible for every world to be one he knew.
Still, Roland was not particularly worried about a language barrier now. Though Thousand Wisdom was not much use otherwise, it was remarkably effective for learning new things.
In any case, gathering information remained Roland's top priority in this unfamiliar world.
After his experience with Shendu, who had lurked in Fuyuki City and thrown the Fourth War into complete chaos, Roland would no longer be deceived by