"What was that?" Tyler asked, looking toward the distant horizon where the sound had come from.

For a moment, no one answered.

Volks, Fred, and Kei exchanged glances, their expressions serious. The three explorers were clearly trying to recall similar experiences, mentally sorting through possibilities.

"That sound came from outside the forest," Volks finally said. "Given the impact... it must have been either some kind of large-scale explosion magic— or a dragon."

"A dragon?" Fred muttered. "That far inland?"

Kei frowned. "It could also be a weapon from the Demon King’s army."

The words hung in the air.

Tyler didn’t react outwardly, but his mind briefly replayed the image of the powerful spider. Yeah... could be, he thought silently.

Volks waved his hand dismissively, "Well, whatever it was, it doesn’t concern us right now. Someone from Fruit Village will definitely send scouts to gather information."

He glanced back at Tyler, "Anyway... thank you for welcoming us."

Tyler smiled lightly, "I’m Tyler. This is Chole, and this is Kristina."

Chole nodded politely, Kristina following her lead.

The three explorers looked at them.

Then... looked away.

They didn’t smile. They didn’t comment. Their expressions remained neutral, almost indifferent.

In this world demi human weren’t rare, but cow-type demi humans were often looked down as discrimination.

Their eyes scanned the area again.

"...Huh?" Volks said slowly. "I thought there were more people here. But it’s just the three of you?"

Tyler tilted his head.

"My cat and spider," he replied casually. "That makes five."

There was a pause.

Fred blinked .Kei stared. Volks slowly leaned back.

A cat , A spider and two cow girls.

And a fence that emits strong pressure.

The three explorers silently revised their evaluation.

:Hidden powerhouse’, Volks thought.

’High-level,’ Fred decided.

’someone with many experience’, Kei concluded.

Without another word, they dropped their long baskets and sat down on the ground, posture noticeably more respectful.

Chole returned shortly with water. She poured it into simple cups and handed them out.

Most of the water was stored in Tyler’s pocket-dimension pearl. He used his copper pot to multiply it efficiently. Separate place inside the pocket dimension pearl held water mixed with his blood— clearly not meant for guests.

Chole was certain of one thing.

’They won’t drink her milk’, she thought calmly.

Tyler sat down with them and began talking naturally.

The tension eased.

They explained that they were explorers from the Fruit Village Tribe, a wandering tribe located some distance away. Their job was not to hunt, but to observe— ecosystem changes, monster migration, territory shifts.

"That’s why the fence surprised us," Volks said after some conversation. "You don’t usually see something like this."

He paused, then asked carefully,

"I’m curious, Mr. Tyler... what would you do if there was a stampede?"

The tone was casual.

But probing.

Tyler didn’t hesitate.

"I’d run away," he said plainly. "Like anybody else. Why wouldn’t I?"

The three stared at him.

That was the correct answer.

And yet—

"That’s exactly why villagers don’t usually build fences," Fred said slowly. "If a stampede comes, structures like this only get in the way."

"Most tribes set up temporary villages," Kei added. "They rely on magic arrays to buy time, then flee."

Tyler’s eyes lit up.

"Magic arrays?" he asked immediately.

Volks nodded.

"Yes. Defensive arrays. Alert arrays. Territory arrays."

Kei noticed Tyler’s interest and explained further, "But tribe-protecting arrays belong to the tribes themselves. They aren’t sold."

Tyler nodded, understanding.

Still, his curiosity burned.

Arrays exist here too, he thought. I wonder if they’re the same type used in the Boundless World...

He made a mental note.

The conversation shifted.

"We brought some herbs, fruits, and a few other things," Volks said, opening one of the baskets. "We also have fish."

Tyler glanced at the contents, then smiled.

"I have potatoes, corns, wheat, cherry tomatoes and peppers. Would you like to trade?"

The three explorers exchanged looks.

Cherry tomatoes are not rare. But it’s not easy to get in the forest.

Peppers, wheat and corns are incredibly rare.

They are rare and valuable.

"That would be more than fair," Volks said carefully.

As they talked, the explorers couldn’t help but observe.

Nothing about this place felt normal. Because how these places especially the field with grown corps. It would take months to grow something like these

And yet, everything felt stable.

"...You know," he said thoughtfully, "if you ever decide to move, Fruit Village would welcome someone like you."

Tyler smiled politely but said nothing.

---

"Can you tell us about the other tribes?" Tyler asked.

He had already asked Chole about this before, but her knowledge was limited. She only knew about the River Tribe and the Wood Tribe. After all, the Wood Tribe was where she and Kristina had lived.

The explorers exchanged glances before Volks answered.

"There are many tribes scattered throughout the forest," he said. "Each tribe is small, usually between forty to a hundred people. They name themselves after what they live closest to or depend on—Fruit Tribe, Wood Tribe, River Tribe, Leaf Tribe, Water Tribe, Wind Tribe, and others."

Fred added, "Even though their lifestyles differ, all of them worship the same Forest God."

Kei nodded. "The kingdom people don’t really believe in the Forest God, so they don’t recognize these tribes officially. To them, the forest tribes don’t exist."

Volks looked at Tyler more carefully.

"Since you’re asking about the tribes, Mr. Tyler... you must be from outside the forest, right?"

Tyler paused briefly, then nodded.

He was not only from outside the forest—he was from outside this world, and even outside this timeline. But that was something he had no intention of explaining.

The conversation drifted for a while longer before the explorers finally stood up and gathered their baskets.

"We should go," Kei said. "It’ll be dark soon."

Fred hesitated and scratched his head.

"Or... we could trade a bit faster and leave after that?"

Tyler thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"You can stay here for the night," he said calmly. "Sleep on the ground floor. We can talk and finish the trade in the morning."

The three explorers froze.

Staying overnight inside a fenced territory owned by an unknown individual—normally, they would never agree to that.

But they hesitated only briefly.

They had already judged Tyler as a hidden powerhouse. If he wanted to harm them, he wouldn’t need excuses or traps. The fence alone proved that much.

After a moment, they nodded.

"Then... thank you for your hospitality," Volks said with a cautious smile.

Tyler nodded back casually.

Then he added, almost as an afterthought,

"Oh, and you can bring the fourth person who’s sneaking around outside inside as well."

The smiles on their faces vanished instantly.

Fred stiffened.

Kei’s hand twitched.

Volks’s expression froze halfway between polite and shocked.

Fourth person?

How the hell did he notice?

They hadn’t sensed anything unusual themselves. Their lookout was trained, cautious, and far enough away to avoid detection.

And yet—

Tyler looked at them calmly, as if stating something obvious.

The silence stretched.

Finally, Volks let out a dry laugh.

"...Looks like hiding is pointless in front of you, Mr. Tyler."