Hulim’s journey alone had already lasted for so ti.
Before she knew it,
the scenery along the way had changed. Many uncommon plants and flowers had beco more nurous, while the number of humans had decreased. Beastn with all kinds of animal ears and tails had grown in number, and the atmosphere had beco more bold and free.
This was the Indam Federation—the Beastman United Kingdom, one of the four great powers in the world of Himril.
Covering tens of thousands of miles of vast land in the southern regions, it was ford by the union of dozens of beastman kingdoms and tribes. Its existence had united the once scattered beastn into a powerful force.
And Hulim’s destination was the territory of the Cat Beastn—one of the strongest beastman tribes in the federation.
After a long and arduous journey, she had finally arrived.
"......Is that the Hekadiza Mountains?"
Gazing at the rolling mountains ahead, where clouds and mist lingered around the slopes year-round and the peaks were covered by the snow line, Hulim urged her Shieldhorn Beast to speed up......
After so ti, Hulim reached the vicinity of the Hekadiza Mountains’ foothills.
A checkpoint appeared ahead.
"Halt!"
An elite squad of fully ard Cat Beastn blocked her path.
Hulim looked at them curiously. From their uniforms, these n were clearly soldiers of the Cat Beastn tribe.
"Excuse ...... May I ask what’s the matter?"
Since they were an official organization, she couldn’t act recklessly.
"Traveler, please turn back. Beyond this point is the forbidden area of the White Cat Royal Clan—no one is allowed to enter!"
The squad leader replied politely.
As an elite unit often deployed for combat, he had sharp eyes. He didn’t underestimate Hulim because of her young appearance; on the contrary, he knew well what it ant to travel alone unhard in this era.
"Forbidden area? Why has it beco a forbidden area?"
Hulim was shocked. She had researched the Hekadiza Mountains beforehand and had never heard of it being designated as a forbidden area by the White Cat Royal Clan. At the very least, the most recent data she found—from twenty years ago—indicated that it was open to anyone.
"I’m sorry, but we don’t know either. Even our military has been strictly ordered not to enter."
"Additionally, we hope you don’t have plans to infiltrate from other directions. Although we won’t enter to arrest you if you trespass, we will apprehend you imdiately when you co out. Even if we fail to catch you, a warrant will be issued afterward."
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"By the way, so far, no one who has been arrested for trespassing into the forbidden area has ever been released from prison."
"......"
Alright, Hulim had actually considered bypassing the checkpoint just now, but it seed she had to abandon that idea.
From their attitudes, there might be hidden warning magic tools set up sowhere. She didn’t want to be wanted for no reason.
Moreover, there was sothing more concerning—even these soldiers were forbidden to enter?
This didn’t seem like they were protecting sothing; instead, it was more like a warning line around a dangerous area.
"Did sothing dangerous happen to these mountains......"
Co to think of it, Irus had ntioned that this place seed to be under control, but she hadn’t expected it to be more than just control—it was completely off-limits. And Grisa’s reaction had been strange too......
Hmm? Wait a minute.
If Professor Grisa knew this place was now a forbidden area, why did he approve her trip? He definitely wasn’t encouraging her to bring back a warrant......
He had ntioned Miko back then. Could it be that she needed to ask Miko for help with this matter?
Hmm......
She should first investigate what happened here. If that didn’t work, she’d find a way to locate Miko......
Hulim looked up and thanked the Cat Beastman guards:
"Thank you for the warning. I’ll leave now."
"You’re welco. Hatoru, the capital of the White Cat Clan, is a few hundred miles to the southeast. The royal castle of the White Cat Royal Clan is also there—it’s essentially our Cat Beastn’s headquarters. If you’re traveling here, you can visit our capital and experience our clan’s customs."
"Thank you. I’ll check it out."
Riding the Shieldhorn Beast, Hulim turned around and left the checkpoint.
Of course, she didn’t head directly to the White Cat Royal Clan. Instead, she first conducted so investigations around the Hekadiza Mountains.
......
"......"
Staring at the mountains so close at hand, a hint of solemnity gradually crept into Hulim’s eyes.
The mountains looked sunny and shrouded in mist, with extrely beautiful scenery. But......
"......It’s too quiet."
She hadn’t noticed it when she first arrived, but now that she observed carefully, she realized there wasn’t a single sound in the vast mountains ahead!
No roars of beasts or monsters, no chirping of birds, not even the buzzing of insects—only complete silence.
Clearly, it looked lush and vibrant, but now it inexplicably sent shivers down her spine.
Even though she couldn’t see it, Hulim could feel an omnipresent sense of danger hanging over the entire mountain range......
In the end, Hulim still chose not to enter. Instead, she turned and headed southeast.
While the Shieldhorn Beast wasn’t as fast as the Swiftbeast, it was still quite swift—and extrely durable, able to run continuously for hours without tiring.
Galloping all the way, Hulim reached Hatoru, the capital of the White Cat Royal Clan, the next day.
Gazing at the bustling city ahead, where people of various races ca and went,
"......I hope Miko is here."
When Miko had applied to leave early, she had told Hulim that she had to return due to an important matter in her clan.
Since she was from the White Cat Royal Clan, Miko was most likely here.
Following the crowd, Hulim stepped into Hatoru.
Entering the city, Hulim once again felt the differences from the Pasara Empire. Although she had passed through so beastman cities during her journey, none had such a strong atmosphere.
The entire city had no division into upper, middle, or lower districts—no slums, no noble quarters. Except for the central White Cat Royal Castle, which was clearly separated, the rest of the city was a mix of rich and poor living side by side.
This was also related to the beastn’s nature. Compared to status conferred by external things like wealth, they valued personal strength more. A strong person would be respected even if they lived in the open, while a weak person—even a mber of the royal clan—would be looked down upon.
For this reason, it was common here to see people in luxurious clothes and those in shabby attire entering the sa shops, or even sitting at the sa table.
Hulim led the Shieldhorn Beast through the streets.
All along the roads, various shops lined both sides, and people of all races—mostly beastn—wandered between them.
Among the most popular were the specialty food shops. However...... Perhaps due to the beastn’s preferences, most of these foods were greasy and spicy, which was a bit of a test for Hulim, a dessert lover.
"Semiris would definitely love this kind of food......"
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