"That is true, but on the other hand, I'm glad we weren't there," Tom said as he continued fitting arrowheads onto the shafts. The stories about Legion 23 marching for three days with barely any sleep had spread throughout Europe, and he had absolutely no desire to experience such training himself. Fighting a desperate battle was one thing, but deliberately preparing for one in that manner sounded miserable. He silently hoped no one would ever ask him to prove he could endure the same ordeal.
"You're actually right, Tom," Bertho replied with an unusually serious nod. The rest of the group immediately gave him strange looks, surprised that he had agreed so quickly instead of starting another argument. Bertho puffed out his chest as though expecting praise before continuing his explanation. "I imagine every standing legion in the world will be ordered to undergo similar training from now on."
He leaned against the workbench while continuing to smooth another arrow shaft with practiced movements. "That battle proved just how important rapid deployment really is," he explained. "If Legion 23 had arrived even a few hours later, the defensive line probably would have collapsed completely, and the situation would have become catastrophic." He looked around proudly, convinced that he had reached a brilliant conclusion.
"You know... Bertho might actually have a point," Bill admitted after thinking about it for a moment. "The entire purpose of those standing legions is to respond wherever they're needed before things spiral out of control." He carefully placed another finished bundle of arrows into a crate before continuing. "By now, I'd bet the complete battle report is already sitting on the desk of every general in the world, and if I were in their position, I'd use every spy available to get a copy."
"That's probably true," Tom agreed before bringing his hands together dramatically. "Let's all pray for the poor soldiers who are going to train under that new regimen." His exaggerated expression immediately earned a few chuckles from the others. One after another, they copied his pose, clasping their hands together in mock prayer.
None of them truly believed in any traditional god anymore. If they acknowledged any higher existence, it would probably be Gaia, whose existence had been proven beyond doubt, though even then they were reluctant to worship her. As for the strange avatar of the Trial System, they collectively preferred to pretend he simply did not exist. The topic alone was unsettling enough that joking about it felt safer than discussing it seriously.
While Tom, Bill, and Bertho continued laughing among themselves, none of them noticed that Arin had suddenly fallen silent. The relaxed expression on his face disappeared, replaced by one of growing concern. His eyes slowly drifted toward the forest beyond the workshop as though listening to something no one else could hear. A cold chill crept down his spine for reasons he could not explain.
"Hey, why the long face, Arin?" Tom asked after finally noticing the change. "Don't tell me you've suddenly become religious."
"No..." Arin answered quietly as another shiver ran through his body. "The forest feels... wrong today." His voice sounded uncertain, as though he could not quite understand what he was sensing. Even as he spoke, the uncomfortable feeling only continued to grow stronger.
Arin's Physique was not particularly impressive when he stood inside an unfamiliar forest. Under normal circumstances, he could only establish a meaningful connection with trees within roughly a hundred meters of his location. Anything farther away became little more than vague emotions carried through the countless roots beneath the ground. It was useful, but far from all-powerful.
This forest, however, was entirely different. He had grown up here, trained here, and spent countless hours among its ancient trees until his Physique had effectively taken root alongside them. Just as the trees themselves were connected through a vast underground network of roots and mana, Arin could borrow that same network to perceive the condition of almost the entire forest. Even the newly expanded sections felt familiar because they had grown from the original woodland, allowing his senses to spread naturally into them.
"What do you mean?" Bill asked immediately, all traces of humor disappearing from his face. The others also grew serious, knowing exactly how unusual Arin's reaction was. During their mock battles, Arin almost never relied on his Physique because he considered it unfair and wanted to improve through his own skill rather than overwhelming natural advantages. He never rejected his gift—after all, his Physique was a part of who he was—but he believed becoming overly dependent on it would only stunt his growth.
On the rare occasions when Arin did use his Physique seriously, however, the outcome had always been the same. He defeated every one of them with embarrassing ease, using information they simply had no way of obtaining themselves. That history had taught the Sonnenbergs one important lesson. If Arin ever claimed that the forest was trying to tell him something, they listened without hesitation.
"Don't know... it just feels weird. Like the forest is wary of something, and it keeps sending me signals that whatever is threatening it needs to be removed," said Arin, his face growing paler with every passing second. The sensation made his skin crawl, and it felt as though countless whispers were pressing against his mind at once. Whatever the forest was feeling, it was not simple unease but genuine revulsion. Even standing still had become difficult as a cold sweat formed across his forehead.
"Right. Do you know where those feelings are coming from?" Bertho asked, his playful expression disappearing completely. Tom and Bill immediately moved to either side of Arin as they noticed him swaying on his feet, ready to catch him if he collapsed. They had seen Arin push himself hard before, but they had never seen his physique react like this. That alone was enough to make all three of them realize the situation was far more serious than they had first thought.
"Yes... near the secret realm..." Arin muttered weakly before his legs finally gave out beneath him. His body struck the wooden floor with a dull thud as he lost consciousness, unable to withstand the overwhelming will of the entire forest that had suddenly descended upon him. Unlike the faint connection he normally maintained with the surrounding trees, this was the collective consciousness of an ancient woodland pressing directly against his mind. He had simply not been prepared to bear such an immense burden.
"Good. I've already sent a message in the family app, so they should deal with whatever is hiding near the secret realm. We're taking Arin to the clinic. Dennis should be there right now, and hopefully he'll know how to help," Bertho said without wasting another second. He quickly pulled over a sturdy worktable, and together they carefully lifted Arin onto it before carrying him out of the workshop. Although the situation was urgent, none of them panicked, as years of training had taught them to remain calm during emergencies. Their hurried footsteps echoed through the workshop before disappearing into the forest outside.
Ding.
"Oh, what is it now?" Karl muttered as he reached for his phone after hearing the unique notification sound. Each family chat group had its own notification tone, and the Sonnenberg family group was reserved exclusively for serious matters. On top of that, only the gravest emergencies were allowed to use the @all function, and to Karl's knowledge, no one had ever used it before. That fact alone made his heartbeat speed up before he had even read the message.
The moment Karl looked at the screen, his expression darkened with fury.
@all: Arin has fainted after receiving a message from the forest requesting our help in eliminating something foul near the secret realm. Immediate assistance required. —Bertho Sonnenberg
For several seconds, Karl simply stared at the message before slowly lowering his phone. The calm look in his eyes disappeared completely, replaced by an icy rage that only those closest to him had ever witnessed. Anyone capable of angering the forest itself had already crossed a line that could not be forgiven.
"Right... let's see who dares invade our forest," Karl said quietly as he grabbed his bow from its rack beside the door. At the same time, his fingers flew across the screen of his phone as he designated the situation as a Class One Emergency, ordering the entire Sonnenberg clan to place the forest under immediate lockdown. The response came almost instantly as confirmation messages began pouring into the family chat. Within moments, every member of the clan understood that this was no ordinary incident.
Less than ten minutes later, the entire forest had transformed into an enormous fortress. Every known path was under surveillance, hidden observation posts became occupied, and every family member and guild member outside the mana vein was placed on the highest level of alert. What had looked like a peaceful woodland only moments earlier had suddenly become a deadly hunting ground controlled by hundreds of experienced archers who knew every tree, bush, and stream by heart. Anyone entering without permission would never realize just how many eyes were watching them.
"That should explain why the forest was so disturbed," Karl whispered as he watched a familiar figure clumsily attempting to sneak through the undergrowth. The intruder had covered himself completely in camouflage clothing, which only made Karl shake his head in disbelief. Against ordinary soldiers it might have worked, but against the Sonnenbergs, who had trained their entire lives to see through camouflage, it was almost laughable. In fact, dressing completely in black would probably have hidden him better than trying to imitate the colors of the forest itself.
"Yes, that should be the reason," Teun replied quietly from the thick branch beside his father. He calmly looked down at the man creeping below them, completely unaware that more than twenty archers were already positioned high in the surrounding trees. Every single bow was silently aimed in his direction, waiting for Karl's command. If the intruder knew how thoroughly he had already been surrounded, he would probably collapse from fear before anyone even revealed themselves.
"That is true... but why is he here?" Karl muttered under his breath without taking his eyes off the stranger. "His entire group should have disappeared from the face of the earth by now. Isn't it a little too bold to show up here after the Great Houses declared them enemies?" His fingers lightly rested against the string of his bow, ready to draw at a moment's notice. Whatever answer the intruder had, Karl intended to hear it before deciding whether the man would leave the forest alive.