After returning to Exium and collecting our reward, the four of us unanimously agreed on something important:
We needed a break.
Not from each other.
From missions.
From nobles.
From escort duty and Devours and watching people suffer every other town we visited.
For the first time since arriving in this world, we had enough money to breathe a little.
And honestly?
I wanted to see more of the world before it tried killing us again.
The southern forest had caught my attention days ago while flying above the kingdom with Kyoko. Endless greenery stretched beyond the horizon, hiding rivers, ruins, monsters, and probably several ways to die horribly.
Naturally...
I wanted to go immediately.
"Absolutely not," Yura had said initially.
Then Shina agreed with me.
Then Yura agreed five minutes later.
Now here we were.
---
Morning sunlight poured across Exium as we gathered supplies throughout the market district. Merchants shouted from crowded stalls while the scent of grilled meat and sweet bread drifted through the streets.
Shina carried maps.
Yura carried survival gear.
I carried absolutely nothing.
Mostly because I'd spent the last two days improving my storage magic specifically to avoid carrying things.
"Still showing off that spell?" Yura asked.
"It's called efficiency."
"It's called laziness."
"Efficiency and laziness are cousins."
Shina laughed quietly while watching me casually store several bags into a dark purple ripple hovering beside my hand.
Honestly?
Watching objects disappear into another space was still ridiculously satisfying.
Once preparations were complete, we bypassed the idea of taking a carriage entirely.
Instead, Kyoko expanded into her full dragon form with a proud roar that nearly caused several nearby merchants to collapse in terror.
"You really enjoy doing that, huh?" I asked.
Kyoko huffed smugly.
The answer was yes.
A few minutes later, we soared high above the kingdom.
Wind whipped through my darkened hair as forests stretched endlessly below us. Rivers shimmered like silver veins cutting through the earth while distant mountain ranges pierced the clouds.
For a little while...
everything felt peaceful.
No destiny.
No gods.
No blood.
Just freedom.
---
Kyoko eventually descended into the southern forest by midday.
The moment my boots touched the earth, I immediately felt it.
Life.
The forest pulsed with dense magical energy far stronger than the areas surrounding Exium.
Ancient trees towered overhead while glowing insects drifted through beams of sunlight like floating stars.
"This place feels alive," Shina whispered softly.
Yura unfolded her map carefully.
"We should avoid going too deep today. Some parts of this forest are unexplored even by adventurers."
"That sounds exactly like somewhere we should explore," I replied immediately.
"Of course you'd say that."
Shina smiled lightly.
"I guess this trip will help us build chemistry too. We should aim to become the best party possible."
Yura nodded thoughtfully.
"She's right."
I looked between them quietly for a second.
It felt strange.
Good strange.
Back on Earth, moments this calm never lasted long.
But here...
for now...
they did.
Then movement caught my attention ahead.
I grinned instantly.
"First mission of the day," I announced dramatically. "Lunch."
The creature blocking the trail resembled a giant armored crab mixed with a jellyfish nightmare.
Twelve feet tall.
Eight thick legs.
Two massive pincers.
Blue bioluminescent veins pulsed beneath its shell.
It noticed us immediately.
Yura sighed.
"Why are monsters always near you specifically?"
"I'm charming."
"That thing wants to eat us."
"See? Charmed."
The crab screeched loudly before charging.
We moved instinctively.
Yura slammed her staff into the ground first.
Earth magic erupted upward, trapping half the creature's body beneath stone instantly.
At the same time, Shina and I leapt from opposite sides.
Edith and Zenith shifted fluidly into twin blades midair.
One slash.
Then another.
Both pincers crashed to the ground simultaneously.
The creature shrieked violently.
Lightning exploded downward an instant later.
Yura's spell pierced directly through the monster's skull with terrifying precision.
The crab collapsed immediately.
Silence returned.
I stared at the smoking corpse.
"Won't lightning ruin the meat?"
Yura looked offended.
"I controlled the voltage perfectly."
"...You can do that?"
"Can't you?"
"No."
She smirked proudly afterward while I stored the creature inside my inventory space.
"You two are terrifying," I admitted honestly. "Yura, your magic control is absurd. And Shina... we seriously need to spar eventually."
Shina looked oddly excited by that suggestion.
Noted.
As we continued deeper into the forest, conversation drifted naturally between magic, summoning, and combat.
"So summoning really depends on affinity?" I asked.
Yura nodded.
"Bloodline too. Some races naturally possess stronger spiritual compatibility."
"Even siblings can manifest entirely different abilities," Shina added. "Magic reflects individuality more than genetics."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I absentmindedly activated my Dragon Eyes briefly while listening.
The world sharpened instantly.
Magic particles flowed visibly through the forest like streams of colored light.
Yura's mana resembled swirling crimson lightning.
Shina's felt colder. Cleaner.
Precise.
Then there was mine.
Dark violet.
Heavy.
Ancient.
The surrounding wildlife grew strangely quiet the moment my eyes activated fully.
Birds stopped chirping.
Several nearby monsters retreated deeper into the forest instinctively.
I quickly deactivated the ability before the girls noticed.
Still too unstable.
Still too obvious.
Not yet.
---
We eventually stumbled upon a waterfall hidden deep within the forest.
Crystal-clear water crashed into a shallow pond glowing radiant blue beneath the sunlight. Flowers surrounded the area while smooth stones lined the edges naturally.
The entire place looked untouched.
Like a secret hidden from the world.
"This is gorgeous," I breathed quietly.
For a moment, I wished I'd brought Sangui too.
But someone needed to remain behind and relay messages between us and Híroÿ if necessary.
We rested there for hours.
And eventually...
the girls disappeared behind nearby rocks before returning in swimsuits.
Yura crossed her arms immediately.
"If you make one stupid comment, I'm drowning you."
I looked at them.
Then looked away respectfully.
Then looked back.
Then immediately got hit in the face with water.
"Worth it," I coughed.
The next thirty minutes devolved into complete chaos.
Yura used water magic shamelessly.
Shina pretended to be innocent while attacking from behind.
At one point Kyoko shrank herself down and attempted floating lazily in the pond before immediately getting dragged underwater by me in retaliation.
The dragon screeched in betrayal.
Honestly?
It was probably the happiest I'd felt since arriving in this world.
Which meant fate would probably ruin it soon.
Naturally.
---
By evening, we gathered around a campfire while preparing the giant crab.
The smell alone nearly killed me.
In a good way.
Yura handled seasoning.
Shina prepared the meat.
I handled absolutely nothing useful.
Again.
Then—
rustling.
My eyes narrowed instantly.
Something moved nearby.
"I'll check it out," I said quietly, standing.
The forest darkened beyond the firelight as I slipped between the trees silently.
A few moments later, I found the source.
A girl stood hidden among the brush holding a silver bow.
Mint-green hair.
Sharp green eyes.
Short ears.
Elegant posture.
My brain activated before common sense did.
"Ooh, an elf."
The arrow fired instantly.
I tilted sideways just enough for it to graze past my face.
"Don't call me that," she snapped coldly. "I am not some long-eared peasant."
I blinked.
"…There are elf racists?"
Her second arrow nearly took my head off.
"WAIT."
I raised both hands immediately.
"What are you then?"
The girl lowered her bow slightly.
"I am Hera. Heiress to the Elven Throne."
"…Ah."
I nodded slowly.
"That explains the short ears."
The bow lifted again.
"Sorry. Honest mistake."
She stared at me for several long seconds before sighing heavily.
"I was hunting."
"And failing apparently."
"…I hate you already."
"Fair."
Her stomach growled immediately afterward.
I smiled.
"We're making dinner."
Her pride visibly fought for survival.
Then lost.
"…Fine."
Victory.
---
When we returned to camp, Yura immediately froze.
"Shiro."
"What?"
"Why did you bring home royalty?"
"I found her in the woods."
Hera crossed her arms.
"I was hunting."
"She was losing to the forest."
"I WILL SHOOT YOU."
Shina, meanwhile, had already noticed the ears.
"…An Elv?"
Hera immediately looked relieved someone understood.
"Finally. Someone with intelligence."
I pointed dramatically.
"SEE? THIS IS WHY I WAS CONFUSED."
Nobody defended me.
Tragic.
After introductions settled down, the atmosphere relaxed surprisingly quickly.
Hera carried herself proudly, but not arrogantly. And despite being royalty, she treated the campfire conversation normally instead of acting superior.
The girls even bowed initially before Hera awkwardly stopped them.
"Please don't do that out here," she muttered. "We're literally sitting beside crab legs."
Honestly?
Fair argument.
The night passed peacefully afterward.
Stories.
Laughter.
Magic discussions.
For a while, the world felt small around the firelight.
Safe.
Eventually, I stood and activated a summoning circle near the camp perimeter.
Purple light flared softly.
A large lizardman emerged moments later, armored and silent.
Hera nearly reached for her bow again.
"It's just a night guard summon," I explained. "Relax."
"You casually summon monsters now?"
"Technically dragons are monsters too."
Kyoko immediately bit my shoulder for that statement.
"OW."
Deserved.
I laughed quietly afterward before finally crawling into my tent.
The sounds of the forest slowly faded into the distance.
And for once...
sleep came easily.