I Got Reincarnated a Chapter 416 - 413 – Eldridge

Chapter 416: Chapter 413 – Eldridge

The next day, the faint red sunlight finally seeped slowly through the dense canopy of leaves as the three girls began packing up their small campsite. The thin mist that had blanketed the forest edge overnight gradually disappeared, leaving behind a cold and fresh morning air filled with the scent of damp soil, dewy leaves, wet wild grass, and the faint smoke from the nearly extinguished campfire. Crackle... The last piece of wood still glowing dimly made a soft sound before dying out completely, leaving behind small embers that released thin wisps of smoke into the air.

Sylvia stood in the middle of the small clearing, her gray rchant robe already neat without a single wrinkle. She folded the canvas tent with efficient, practiced movents and carefully placed it back into the carriage. Her long black hair was tied loosely, with a few strands falling beside her pale, cold face. Stacia helped roll up the thick wool blanket while occasionally letting out a small yawn, her thin novel already neatly tucked back into her small leather bag. Alicia moved with more confidence than yesterday; her steps were no longer too stiff, though she still occasionally touched the ground or a tree trunk to maintain balance in her new human body.

"The campsite is packed," Sylvia said softly once everything was neatly loaded into the carriage. Her voice was low and calm as always. "Let’s continue the journey. Eldridge shouldn’t be too far now. If we keep going at this slow pace, we should arrive before the sun gets too high."

Stacia nodded as she climbed into the carriage and sat on the wooden bench. "Last night was lively enough with uninvited guests. Hopefully today will be calr. I don’t mind fighting, but I’d rather read my novel in peace."

Alicia climbed in last and sat across from Stacia with much more natural movents. She even managed it without gripping the edge of the bench too tightly. "I’m starting to get used to this body. Walking on the ground no longer feels strange. Even the morning cold feels... pleasant on my skin."

The zombie horses moved forward with steady steps clop... clop... clop.... The carriage swayed gently as it left the small clearing that had beco a brief battlefield the night before. There was no trace of blood, fur, or corpses left behind. The Chains of Abyss had cleaned everything perfectly, as if the previous night had been nothing more than a quickly fading nightmare. The forest returned to its quiet and peaceful state, as though nothing had happened.

That day’s journey passed peacefully and calmly. The dirt road gradually sloped upward toward the northern mountains. The dense tall trees slowly grew sparser, replaced by large moss-covered rocks, wild grass swaying in the mountain wind, and thorny bushes growing in the cracks between stones. The air beca colder and fresher, carrying the scent of wet stone and sharp mountain breeze. Occasionally they passed other rchants who waved friendly greetings from their carriages, and Sylvia only replied with a polite nod from under her gray hood. There were no monster attacks, no bandits, and no suspicious incidents. Only the rhythmic swaying of the carriage wheels and the increasingly strong gusts of wind.

Exactly when the red sun was at its highest point in the sky, they finally arrived at Eldridge.

The border town stood solidly in the valley between two steep rocky hills. Six-ter-high walls of wood and stone surrounded the entire city, wooden watchtowers stood tall at every corner, and the wide main gate was always bustling with rchants, farrs, miners, and adventurers coming and going. Smoke rose from the chimneys of stone houses, the faint sound of blacksmith hamrs rang from workshops, and the sll of freshly baked bread mixed with grilled at and spices filled the cool afternoon air.

Sylvia stopped the carriage in front of the main gate. Two city guards in thick leather armor approached and quickly inspected the carriage. They only saw three ordinary rchant girls with a load of dried spices, wool cloth, and a few small sacks. After paying the entry fee of a few copper coins, the carriage was allowed to enter without many questions.

"We won’t head straight to the dinsional rift," Sylvia said softly as the carriage rolled slowly along the busy main street. "That place is heavily guarded and monopolized by the city ruler. We need to gather information first, understand the situation, and find an opening."

They chose a simple inn called "Black Stone Restaurant" on the edge of the main road. The building was made of gray stone and dark wood, with two floors, small windows, and a fairly spacious stable at the back. Sylvia rented two rooms, one for herself and one for Stacia and Alicia at a reasonable price for small rchants. After unloading their belongings into the rooms and taking care of the zombie horses in the stable, they went down to the dining hall on the ground floor for lunch.

The dining room was quite crowded and noisy. rchants, dusty miners, and a few adventurers sat at wooden tables eating, drinking, and talking loudly. The aroma of thick soup, freshly baked warm bread, spiced grilled at, and weak beer filled the entire room. Sylvia, Stacia, and Alicia sat at a sowhat hidden corner table near the window and ordered thick at soup, warm wheat bread, and a little weak beer that wasn’t too intoxicating.

While eating, they listened carefully to the conversations around them, their ears catching every word amid the noise.

"...The city ruler has beco more tyrannical lately," said a thick-bearded miner at the next table in a low but angry voice. He tapped his beer mug with rough fingers. "He forces dozens of adult n every week to enter that dinsional rift. He calls it ’important work for the city,’ but we all know it’s just an excuse. The rift is full of rare minerals almost equal to pure mithril. He monopolizes everything and sells it to the big kingdoms at insane prices. His wealth keeps growing, while we lose fathers, husbands, and sons."

His companion, a skinny man with scars on his arm, nodded while chewing his bread roughly. "Many don’t co back. They say there are strange monsters inside the rift, poisonous mist that can drive people mad in just hours, and moving black shadows. But the city ruler doesn’t care. He only wants wealth. If anyone refuses, their family suffers higher taxes, their house is seized, or they’re even arrested on charges of treason. The surrounding villages are starting to empty because so many adult n have been forcibly taken."

Sylvia ate calmly, her spoon moving slowly, but her ears caught every word without missing any. Stacia and Alicia remained silent, occasionally exchanging quick glances.

"That rift... is extrely dangerous," the thick-bearded miner continued, his voice growing even lower. "It’s not just the minerals. There’s strange energy inside. So survivors say they saw black shadows moving in the purple mist, like living creatures made of darkness. But the city ruler still forces people in. He says whoever manages to bring out a large amount of minerals will be freed from forced labor and given a big reward. But so far, almost no one has succeeded. Most who enter... disappear forever."

Sylvia slowly placed her spoon in the bowl. Her voice remained low as she spoke to her two sisters. "That’s the place we’re looking for. Pure death energy must be flowing strongly there. Dinsional rifts like this usually beco gateways for trapped ancient powers. But we can’t enter openly. We need to find another way quietly."

Stacia nodded slightly while tearing her bread. "This city ruler is a tyrant. If we approach directly or seem too interested, we’ll be suspected imdiately. We have to act like ordinary rchants looking for business opportunities."

Alicia sipped her weak beer carefully, tasting the strange bitterness on her human tongue. "We can start at the market. There might be more information about the rift entry schedule, who’s being assigned, or ways to avoid the guards. I can try talking to so won or rchants’ children. They usually open up more easily."

They continued eating calmly, but all three of their minds were already spinning quickly. Eldridge turned out to be more than just an ordinary border town; it was a place where wealth and cruelty existed in a fragile balance. The dinsional rift monopolized by the city ruler held rare minerals comparable to pure mithril, but also dangers far greater than the townspeople knew.

After lunch, they returned to their rooms on the second floor. Sylvia stood by the small window overlooking the still-busy main street. In the distance to the north, a faint purple mist could be seen shrouding the mountain slopes, a sign that the dinsional rift was there, hidden behind thick fog.

"Let’s rest well tonight," she said softly, her eyes still fixed on the distant purple mist. "Tomorrow we’ll start gathering deeper information at the market and taverns. We must enter that rift without drawing even the slightest attention from the city ruler."

Stacia sat on the edge of the bed, her grimoire already open in her lap. The ancient pages rustled softly as she turned them. "I’ll prepare so additional disguise spells. Alicia, you need to get even more comfortable with your body. In this city, we can’t afford even the smallest mistake, one stiff step or wrong glance could make people suspicious."

Alicia nodded firmly, her hand touching her own chest and feeling the steady heartbeat. "I’m ready. This body is starting to feel like mine. I can even walk through crowds without tensing up too much."

Night began to fall over Eldridge. Oil lamps and torches lit up along the main street, and the faint sound of laughter and rchants’ conversations could still be heard from below. In the small inn room, the three disguised girls sat in silence, their thoughts already focused on the dinsional rift hidden behind the purple mist.

Eldridge might look like an ordinary border town on the surface, but behind its walls lay dark secrets and the three sisters intended to take what they needed without leaving a single trace.