We sailed throughout the morning. The crisp autumn air grew colder as we got closer to the top of the Kanta Mountains. On Earth, I had been to the Rocky Mountains once to see snow. It was too cold for me then, but this body was surprisingly tolerant of the frigid air.
That may change as Winter approaches, but I was content for the time being. It was fantastic to be in a young and healthy body! I was finally able to go on the adventure of a lifetime.
As we approached the Kanta Mountains, I became more cheerful. I can't believe that I am finally going to meet Katie, Abby, Al, Blaise, and so many other characters that I have only read about! I began to wonder if they were all characters in a novel about reincarnation, or if Katie and Abby had really been transmigrated like I had been.
Then, I remembered reading the original novel and how it changed after Abby was transmigrated by the author. I recalled the old-worn book with the text written in the back of the book. I wonder if the author has done this more than twice. Is that why she had a knowing smile and asked cryptic questions while I was on my deathbed?
I hadn't thought too much about it before, but now that I thought about it, there may be other transmigrators in this novel. I wonder if they would all end up in the Kanta Mountains like me, or if they would travel to other parts of this novel world. I guess we will find out once we arrive in Ilmir.
Zed brought me out of my thoughts by pointing towards a silver-haired man who was patrolling near the edge of the mountain. That must be one of the warriors from Shibatsu who chose to stay in the Kanta Region. "Do you know him?" I asked Zed. He nodded and replied, "We trained together, but I don't remember his name. He was a rank above me and left with the first batch of warriors to train the army of Kanta."
That was a great sign! If he recognized Zed, we might get a warm welcome. The people from Kanta tended to be wary of outsiders, from what I read in the book, but that may have changed with all of the trade they had started.
I landed the hot air balloon a little softer than the last time. It was tricky since we were on a slope instead of flat ground, but we managed to find a relatively clear patch of land. It looked like a well-worn path that the merchants used to go up and down the mountain with their horse-drawn wagons.
I could see wagon wheel tracks and horse hoof prints. They must have travelled through here recently. As I landed, the silver-haired man approached us and gave Zed a warrior's salute from Shibatsu. I was not offended as they were familiar with each other.
I let Zed introduce us. "Hail, and well met, warrior. I am Zed of Shibatsu, and this is Lady Alisa from Stanarussi. I am escorting her on her journey to be reunited with her family."
The other warrior raised his eyebrows at me and took a closer look. He bowed slightly and asked. "Greetings, Lady Alisa. If I may be so bold as to ask which family members of yours reside in our region?"
I curtseyed as best as possible on this uneven ground and replied, "Greetings, warrior. I am a distant cousin of Katie and Abby on my mother's side. My mother went to Stanarussi with the Princess of Annalaias as a Lady-in-waiting, where she met my father. Sadly, they are both deceased, so I have traveled across the sea to return to my remaining family members here." I tried to fake being a little teary-eyed as I explained the original owner's backstory and how she was related to the Du Ponts.
The warrior bought my story and even looked sympathetic. "My deepest condolences for your losses, my lady." He bowed again, this time a little deeper. I felt awkward, but couldn't tell him not to worry about it. I had to have a believable cover story. There were only a few people who knew about transmigration into this novel world.
The warrior led us up the mountain towards the town of Ilmir. I later found out his name was Kel. He was mentioned in the novel as one of the first warriors to come over from Shibatsu. He had stayed and married a local girl from Raisha and was now a Captain.
Apparently, this road was between Raisha and Ilmir. Kel had been patrolling up to the road, and Blaise would patrol the other side. They alternated paths to cover more ground. This area was still relatively peaceful, but they had to be cautious due to their past.
The former King of Annalaias had annihilated most of the Kanta people almost 25 years ago to gain control of the mines, and they were finally starting to prosper after rebuilding. They could not risk any other surprise attacks now that they had a new home to protect.
All of the six original warriors who had stayed from Shibatsu had married local women and started families of their own. A warrior was protective by nature, but a warrior with a family would stop at nothing to protect his home!
Thanks to the new army, established by Blaise and the Shibatsu warriors, there had not been any major incidents with the traveling merchants or foreigners. They were secluded enough that no one came to these towns without a purpose. Hiking for fun was not a thing in this novel world.
Alisa noticed the flowers on the side of the well-worn path. Some of them she recognised, like Chamomile, Lavender, Arnica, and Echinacea, but there were other, more exotic-looking flowers that she did not recognise. One that she saw the most of must be the flower they used for their nation's seal.
It was gorgeous, and she could only imagine how much more striking it would look in the springtime. She could hardly wait! As they walked closer to the town, Alisa could smell the fresh-baked bread coming from the bakery. It smelled amazing! She felt like she was finally home!