A few hours after morning arrived, six medium-sized carriages arrived, each pulled by a strong horse.
The carriages carried some equipment and a few individuals as well.
There were also around 30 goats, each ridden by either one or two people.
It wasn't an ordinary goat; its size was nearly that of a horse, making it well-suited for moving through the mountains.
The captain of the arriving squad dismounted—a middle-aged man dressed in black.
"How was the journey?" asked a man with his hair tied in a ponytail, the captain of the current squad.
"It was smooth enough," replied the captain of the newly arrived squad.
They began talking among themselves while everyone else remained in their positions.
Kogan and Hinako stood beside the duo who had saved them, watching the captains converse.
Suddenly, both captains turned toward Kogan and Hinako, with their commander pointing a finger at them.
"He's a deaf and weak person," the ponytailed captain said in a regretful tone.
"No problem. As long as they're a pair, it means the heavens are still taking care of us," the arriving squad captain said with a smile.
After exchanging information, the current squad prepared to depart, making way for the arriving squad to take their place.
Kogan, Hinako, and the woman she had treated boarded the horse-drawn carriage, while the man at the front took the reins.
They didn't take down the tents, leaving them as they were. They only took what belonged to them and what they needed.
This was a permanent camp at the mountain's foothill, and it was never left unguarded.
Every so often, a new squad would arrive to replace the one stationed there, continuing the cycle.
They set off with six horse-drawn carriages and around twenty sturdy goats.
Unlike the path Kogan and Hinako had arrived from, this side had a proper road that allowed carriages to pass.
It seemed they had cut down all the trees along the way.
The sky was blue and clear, except for the mountain peak near the river, where mist and clouds lingered.
Unlike the area before the river, it wasn't just endless green fields. Here, the terrain was more diverse, with mountains and lowlands stretching across the horizon.
The carriage was neither too cramped nor too spacious—it was moderately sized, capable of seating four people facing each other. It could also carry some light supplies and equipment.
However, in emergency situations, it could fit six to eight people, though in a very tight space.
Kogan and Hinako sat beside each other, while the woman in charge of them sat on the opposite seat.
The seats had a thin, dark cushion that slightly softened their hardness.
The carriage had three windows.
A small one at the front, where the head of the man in charge was partially visible.
Two more on the sides, allowing the air to flow in.
A powerful scent of perfume invaded through the openings, overpowering the smell of wood.
The carriage shook from time to time, but compared to the city Kogan came from, this road could be considered smooth.
"From now on, we'll be partners and take care of each other," the woman spoke gently.
Hinako glanced at her and smiled; there was nothing she could say in this situation.
As for Kogan, he was lost in his own silent world.
The woman smiled before saying, "We haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Mi Lan, and my partner over there is Shan Yu. We heard you call your partner Kogan. And you, what's your name?"
"Hinako," she said.
"Hinako? That's all?" Mi Lan seemed puzzled—she wanted to know her full name.
"Well… My real name is Hi Nako, but I combined it to make it sound prettier," Hinako smiled nervously.
"Oh, I see! It's actually a lovely name," Mi Lan chuckled.
What Hinako said was nonsense. She simply didn't want to reveal too much about herself.
She didn't know the rules of this place—perhaps names were sacred, or maybe they could be used against her in the future.
Dividing her name like that was a smart move. This way, even if someone asked her again later, she wouldn't forget the lie.
But if she had made up a completely fake name, she might eventually forget it.
Dividing one truth across ten questions is better than giving ten truths in response to a single one.
"If something is on your mind, feel free to ask," Mi Lan spoke gently, hoping to strengthen their bond.
Hinako's mind was flooded with questions, yet fear held her back.
Sometimes, your questions betray you.
From the kind of questions a person asks, others can glimpse their personality and understand what's going on inside their head.
It was like the story of a man walking down a path lined with spectators on both sides—if he wanted to take a step forward, he had to give up a piece of his clothing.
Is moving forward at the cost of your privacy worth it or not?
Hinako didn't know all these things—she relied on her instincts and the knowledge she had gained from her own world.
"What is the essence that was used to heal us?" she asked with great difficulty.
She only wanted to give up a single piece of clothing in exchange for taking one step forward.
But she didn't realize… that question had stripped her bare.
"You really don't know what it is?" Mi Lan was surprised.
Even Shan Yu, who had been at the front, turned his head in shock.
'Damn it…' Hinako's face went pale from the realization. She swallowed hard.
She glanced at Kogan from the corner of her eye—he was still lost in his silent world.
Hinako wondered how he would react if he heard all of this. Would he be angry? Or would he regret saving such a foolish girl?
If she were in his place, she would definitely regret it.
"Then… how did he become this strong?" Mi Lan asked in astonishment.
"I… don't know what power you're talking about," Hinako tried to cover things up, but she was sinking into despair.
"Alright, I understand that you don't know its name. It comes from special beasts—it's extracted from them," Mi Lan explained, then asked, "How many beasts has your partner, Kogan, absorbed?"
"I don't know… I was too exhausted. I can't remember everything," Hinako placed a hand on her head, pretending to recall.
She realized she had walked straight into trouble the moment she asked that question.
And so, she resorted to the oldest trick in the book—feigning memory loss.
If you can't face it, then run.
"I don't know the full cost of his healing, but at the very least, he refined around 150 to 200 essences. Was that amount so easy to forget?" Mi Lan raised an eyebrow.
But she quickly adjusted her tone and smiled, "Don't worry about it anymore. No one will force you to talk about what happened to you both before crossing the river."
"It was a difficult and exhausting journey… I don't want to recall those events," Hinako sighed.
Forcing those who crossed the river to speak about their past was taboo.
Crossing the river meant a new birth—no one asks a newborn about its life inside the womb.