Merchant From Earth in the Magical World

Arlanda also received a handful of small, brown, granular food. Her wariness led her to sniff this unfamiliar fare first.

Its odor was strong, with fishiness and beefiness, as well as a mixture of several vegetables.

It seemed to be a combination of finely ground beef, fish, and some vegetables, mixed with grain flour and baked.

"This nutritional ration," the Werewolf chieftain explained to Arlanda, who hadn't started eating, "was specially prepared by our master for us Werewolf Warriors. Indeed, some humans dislike its strong odor." He walked over to Arlanda and continued, "But it can quickly restore your strength… Have something to eat, then drink some water.

"After a short rest, vehicles will pick you up."

Seeing that the other refugees had finished their rations, Arlanda began to eat hers to avoid arousing suspicion.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH…

The food wasn't as hard as it looked; it was as crispy as a baked biscuit.

And it tasted good.

Much better than the daily meals she and her sister had in Nuta City.

Hunger allowed Arlanda to finish the ration in just a few bites. Though she wasn't full, having something in her stomach made her feel less uncomfortable.

"I told you our Werewolf Warrior nutritional rations are tasty." The Werewolf leader returned to Arlanda. The Werewolf Warriors behind him held a pack of pure water. The leader took out a bottle, handed it to Arlanda, and said, "Have some water first… We're a patrol and don't carry much food. When you reach the domain, Lord Lao Hansi will arrange breakfast for you."

Arlanda took the pure water, and the Werewolf leader moved on to distribute water to the next person.

This…

Arlanda stared blankly at the transparent bottle in her hand.

She couldn't tell what material the bottle was made of, but given its clarity and transparency, it had to be a high-grade alchemical product.

Lifting the bottle, Arlanda peered through it at the people and scenery around her… She was utterly shocked.

The surrounding refugees merely found the transparent bottle curious, believing it must be valuable.

But Arlanda could see the difficulty in its production.

The bottle's material was exceptionally uniform. There were no impurities inside, and its transparency was beyond Arlanda's comprehension.

Is it really filled with water?

She was more inclined to believe the contents were a high-quality alchemical potion.

Looking at the containers in her own hands and those of the other refugees, Arlanda's first thought was whether she was under some sort of mental magic.

But as a rigorously trained assassin, Arlanda knew what it felt like to be under the influence of mental illusion magic.

This transparent bottle in my hand, made of an unknown alchemical material, is real, but is it truly filled with water?

By this time, all the refugees had received their pure water.

The Werewolf leader picked up a bottle of the pure water, raised it high, and announced to the refugees, "What you hold in your hands is called 'Pure Water.' It's the drinking water our master provides to the patrol team. See the blue cap on top of the bottle? Simply twist it open, and you can drink the water inside.

"If you don't finish it, just twist the cap back on and drink the rest when you're thirsty.

"There's one thing you must remember.

"The master does not permit anyone to discard the empty bottles at will. You must return them."

After speaking, the Werewolf leader demonstrated how to open the bottle and took a drink.

The thirsty refugees also began to twist open their bottles and drink.

Arlanda wasn't thirsty, but she opened the bottle and took a sip... It really is water.

It's difficult to imagine someone using such a valuable—what could be called a top-tier alchemical product—just to store something as seemingly worthless as water.

Have they gone mad?

Fortunately, they aren't entirely mad; they know to recycle the alchemical bottles after the water is gone.

If they're reusable, perhaps they're just temporary water containers.

Then Arlanda saw the Werewolf leader, after finishing a bottle of water, casually squeeze the empty bottle flat, crumple it into a ball, and toss it into the storage box on the back of his bicycle.

Such a casual gesture made Arlanda want to draw her bow and shoot him a hundred times to avenge the sacrilege against such a high-grade alchemical product.

Perhaps he drank too hastily. The Werewolf leader let out a belch.

Then, he took a comb from the storage box and had a Werewolf subordinate come over to groom his fur.

It was then Arlanda noticed that the fur of these Werewolves was soft and fluffy, appearing very majestic—quite different from the Werewolves she had seen before.

Another difference was the confidence with which they carried themselves.

It wasn't based on baring teeth and howling as an empty show of force.

Such a demeanor was unseen in First Order creatures from other factions.

First Order was First Order, the lowest of beings, struggling every day for survival.

What dignity could they have?

Looking at these human refugees around her, also First Order... In comparison, the eyes of these First Order Werewolves shone like those of heroes.

They cared about their appearance, like nobility.

Who created them?

What exactly is the Eternal Domain?

Arlanda clutched her water bottle, looking at the Werewolves around her, who exuded an air of pride... and pondered, puzzled.

At that moment, a "BEEP, BEEP…" sound came from not too far away.

Then, four farm tricycles quickly approached.

The Werewolf leader called out, "The canal project is urgent, so not many farm tricycles are available. Elderly, children, and women first. Everyone else walks.

"It's not too far from our territory anyway; we'll be there after a short walk."

With that, the Werewolf leader ordered his subordinates to organize the refugees onto the vehicles.

As a woman, Arlanda was pulled into the queue to board.

Arlanda had seen such three-wheeled alchemical vehicles, capable of moving on their own, during a road construction competition between teams from the Eternal Domain and the Golden Oak Chamber of Commerce.

They could haul more than a human-powered wheelbarrow and were also faster.

The four tricycles now in front of Arlanda were mud-stained inside and out. They appeared to have just finished hauling soil before being summoned.

The farmers driving the tricycles placed the stools they had brought into the cargo beds, then shouted to the refugees, "Hurry and get on! The canal site is waiting for these vehicles! Come on, squeeze in, squeeze in a little more, there's still room!

"If there's no seat, stand and hold on tight. Just don't fall off!"

Arlanda was squeezed onto a tricycle and seated on a stool, with a child from an unknown family thrust into her arms.

Once a tricycle was packed, its farmer driver immediately took off.

The road was rough and bumpy, but they still moved quite fast.

It didn't feel like long before the tricycle slowed to a stop.

The driver called out, "Everyone off the tricycle! Lord Lao Hansi is here. Just follow his instructions!"

In the ensuing confusion, a bewildered Arlanda was pushed off the tricycle.

The four tricycles turned around and sped away with a PUTTER-PUTTER-PUTTER sound.

Is this the Eternal Domain?

This was Arlanda's first glimpse of the Eternal Domain. She looked around, feeling as if she had arrived in a strange new world.

A world that doesn't belong to this one.

"People wandering the grasslands, welcome to the Eternal Domain! Here, you will offer taxes to Lord Yan Xing, and Lord Yan Xing will provide you with food to fill your bellies, warm clothes, shelter from wind and rain, and protection…"