Emisarry Of Time And Space-Chapter 197 - 198: Strange.

And now—outsiders had entered the equation.

He stood up and addressed them.

"Tomorrow," Orion said calmly, "we'll go to your settlement."The scout stiffened slightly, then nodded.

"Tonight," Orion continued, "we rest. We prepare. And we don't make assumptions."

He looked at his team.

"And we don't act like conquerors."

No one argued.

Orion turned his gaze back toward the forest, mind already working ahead.

Tomorrow, they would step into Sylgrid territory properly.

And from there—

They'd take it one layer at a time.

The next day came quietly.

They woke early, cleaned up, checked equipment, and moved out without unnecessary conversation. Selene handled the last traces of dirt and blood with her cleaning skill, and within minutes they were ready. No one lingered. No one complained. Whatever curiosity or tension remained was kept in check.

The Sylgrid scout led the way.

They moved at a steady pace, not rushed, not slow. Orion stayed alert, but he didn't push his senses outward aggressively. This wasn't hostile territory—yet. Overusing pressure now would only complicate things.

After some time, the forest opened slightly.

The settlement came into view.

Orion slowed without meaning to.

He had expected something scattered. Makeshift. Fragile. A group barely holding together in a hostile forest.

Instead, what stood before them was solid.

A thick, medium-height wall encircled the settlement, built from stone reinforced with timber and packed earth. It wasn't crude. It wasn't elegant either. It was practical. Orion could see deliberate gaps spaced along the wall—firing positions, angled for defense rather than visibility. Whoever designed this place understood monsters.

That realization settled something in his mind.

These weren't helpless.

They were pressured.

And there was a difference.

They approached the gate.

Two guards stepped into view immediately, both Sylgrid, both scrawny by human standards but alert. Each held a weapon made of jade—roughly shaped but functional, edges dulled by use rather than poor craftsmanship.

They froze when they saw the group.

Thirteen humans.

And one Sylgrid walking with them.

The guards raised their weapons at once, feet shifting into defensive stances. Wary. Tense. Ready to fight if needed. Orion noted the tremor in their arms—not fear, but strain. Long-term strain.

He didn't move.

He didn't speak.

He glanced at the scout instead.

The scout nodded and stepped forward alone.

Orion stayed back, signaling the others to do the same. Any movement from them now would only make things worse. Let the Sylgrid handle Sylgrid matters first.

The scout spoke quickly, gesturing back toward the forest, then toward Orion's group. Orion didn't need enhanced hearing to read the situation. He could see it on the guards' faces as the explanation continued.

Confusion.

Then disbelief.

Then shock.

One of the guards—older than the other, judging by posture and expression—asked something sharply. The scout replied immediately, more forcefully this time. The older guard's eyes narrowed, scanning Orion's group again with a different kind of focus.

Skepticism.

Understandable.

They went back and forth for a short while. Orion remained still, observing. From the older guard's face, Orion could tell he had experience—enough to question, to doubt, to hesitate. Not enough, Orion thought, to truly evaluate what stood in front of him.

Eventually, the older guard exhaled and lowered his weapon slightly.

He said something short.

The gate creaked open.

They were allowed in.

The guards escorted them through, weapons still in hand but no longer raised.

Orion didn't blame them.

If he were in their position, unfamiliar with humans, unfamiliar with deceit at this scale, he would be careful too. Humans lied. Humans took. Humans rarely gave without expecting something in return.

And Orion was no exception.

He was here to take something of theirs, after all.

Even if the method was indirect.

As they walked deeper into the settlement, Orion took everything in.

The Ruk—as he heard the older guard call it—was compact but organized. Huts were arranged deliberately, not randomly, with clear paths between them. The structures weren't advanced, but they were stable. Reinforced frames, sloped roofs, and layered coverings that would keep out rain easily, especially with the forest canopy blocking most direct exposure.

This place wasn't temporary.

It was meant to last.

Sylgrids watched them as they passed. Some froze. Some whispered. Some stared openly. Humans were clearly rare here. New. Unsettling.

Orion frowned slightly.

Most of them didn't know whose dukedom they lived under.

That wasn't surprising.

If any Sylgrid knew such things, it would be the leadership, not the miners, guards, or families watching from doorways. Still, that ignorance would complicate things later.

For now, it didn't matter.

They needed cooperation first.

They were led toward a larger hut near the center of the Ruk. Orion caught the older guard muttering something under his breath—likely informing someone ahead of them.

By the time they arrived, the entrance flap was already open.

Orion stopped.

"So," he said quietly, turning his head slightly. "Only three of us go in."

Erevan nodded without question.

Seris stepped forward immediately.

The rest stayed behind.

They entered together.

The inside of the hut was dim but clean. Simple furnishings. No excess. The air smelled faintly of earth and jade dust.

And then Orion noticed the occupants.

Two Sylgrid sat at the center of the room.

That alone wasn't strange.

What was strange was how they sat.

Male and female.

The female sat slightly reclined, and on her lap was another Sylgrid.

Younger.

Not a child.

A teen, by human standards.

Old enough that the sight immediately stood out.

The younger Sylgrid was suckling.

Orion froze for half a second.

So did Erevan.

Seris didn't react outwardly, but Orion felt the slight shift in her posture.

The room was quiet.

This wasn't ignorance.

This wasn't desperation.

This was normal here.

Orion recalibrated immediately, filing the observation away without judgment. Different race. Different biology. Different norms. Jumping to conclusions would only create friction.

The male Sylgrid met Orion's gaze calmly.

The female didn't look away either.

They had been informed already.

That much was obvious.