The moon set and the sun rose.
When everyone was having breakfast with their families, Elara was looking for her mother and Ren with a panicked expression.
They hadn't returned home since yesterday, so she could not shake the uneasy feeling within her.
'I will look around the village.'
She grabbed her jacket and left her house.
Elara searched all the places her mother usually visited, but she still couldn't find her. Since she couldn't suppress her anxiety, she went to the training ground to find Alaric and the others.
"Hm? Elara?" Sofia was startled when she saw Elara approaching them.
"Elara, you are so early today. What's wrong? Can't wait to train?" Alaric asked with a teasing grin.
"Instructor Sofia, instructor Alaric, my mother and Ren haven't returned home since yesterday." Elara's voice trembled with panic. "I've looked in all the places my mother usually visits, but I still can't find them."
Their playful expressions vanished instantly.
"Did your mother tell you where she was going yesterday?" Sofia asked.
"No." Elara shook her head.
"Let's look for them together." It was a serious matter, so Alaric didn't want to waste any time.
Then, the trio began to look for Ren and Aveline.
Every time they saw someone, they immediately stopped to ask if that person had seen Ren or Aveline.
One by one, the villagers joined them.
Aveline was their leader, so they were worried about her safety.
At the same time, Daniel and Sean were on their way to the entrance gate. Curiosity emerged in their hearts when they saw Alaric and the others.
Since they could not suppress it, they decided to approach them.
"Instructor Alaric, what's going on? Why do you guys look so worried?" Daniel asked.
Before Alaric could answer, Elara immediately said, "Uncle Daniel, my mother and Ren haven't returned home since yesterday."
"Weren't you two the ones guarding the gate yesterday?" Alaric said. "Did you see the village head and Ren when you were on duty?"
"Yes. We met them yesterday." Daniel answered. "The village head said they wanted to pick the Luminara fruit."
"What?! They haven't returned yet?! Did something happen to them?" Sean's expression turned worried.
"Half of you follow me, and the rest stay here." After saying that, Alaric turned to Sean and Daniel. "You two guard the gate and don't let a single outsider enter our village during this time."
"Understood." Sean and Daniel answered in unison.
"Let's go," Alaric said.
At the same time, Aveline was looking at Ren's sleeping face.
Like last night, he was in her arms.
She didn't wake him up because he was sleeping so soundly and peacefully.
'He is sleeping so deeply. I wonder if he is dreaming of something nice right now.'
She had been looking at him for more than five minutes, yet she didn't feel bored in the slightest.
Instead, a gentle warmth slowly filled her chest.
The atmosphere around her even felt more pleasant and colorful, as if he were the source of happiness.
As she was savoring the mesmerizing sight before her, Ren slowly opened his eyes.
Aveline's lips curled up into a soft smile when she saw him rubbing his eyes gently.
"Good morning, Ren." She greeted him warmly.
He turned to her and returned the greeting. "Good morning, Mrs. Aveline."
"Did you sleep well?" she asked with a gentle smile.
"Yes. It was one of the best sleeps of my life." He was not lying because he felt like he had slept on a soft cloud.
"Hehe." She giggled softly.
'It seems like he enjoyed sleeping in my arms. Well, he is a man after all.'
She added in her mind.
"Why are you giggling?" he was curious as to why she suddenly chuckled.
"Nothing." She didn't tell him the reason. "So, are you going to keep lying in my arms?"
"Let me stay like this a little longer." They teased each other last night, so he no longer felt shy about revealing his real personality.
"What a spoiled young man!" She let him remain in her arms.
"I am." He didn't deny it as if it were something to be proud of.
Then, the duo continued talking.
Five minutes later, they got out of bed and cooked breakfast together.
After eating, Aveline treated him again.
Even though he hadn't fully recovered, he no longer felt pain when he lay on his back. She also said his ribs had already healed and he would recover completely in six hours.
As Ren and Aveline were having a calm and intimate moment, Elara and the others reached their destination.
Some of them began shouting their names, while the rest searched quietly.
The anxiety and fear in Elara's heart grew drastically when they didn't find her mother immediately because her mother was her only family in this world.
'Mother…Ren…'
The longer they could not find them, the more uneasy she became.
At the same time, the brown-haired man named Varion spotted blood on the leaves. He picked one of them and paid attention to it carefully.
'This is dried blood, right?'
He quickly followed the trail of blood.
A moment later, he saw Alex's corpse.
'This is…'
His body turned stiff.
He immediately turned to the others and shouted, "Everyone, I found a corpse!"
The villagers instantly rushed toward him.
"Hey, do you know who he is?"
"No. I've never seen or met him before."
"Me either."
Countless questions flashed through their minds as they saw the corpse.
Alaric squatted down and checked the corpse carefully.
'His blood had dried, his body was stiff, and his skin had turned pale.'
Based on his observation, he believed Alex was killed yesterday.
Alaric gritted his teeth before finally standing up.
"Form groups of five people and expand the search area." Alaric gave an order.
At this moment, tears of sadness filled Elara's eyes. With them finding Alex's corpse, it could be assumed that some people attacked them yesterday.
'Mother…Ren…'
She tried her best to stay strong, but failed because the anxiety and sadness were too much for her to bear.
Alaric placed his hand on her shoulder and tried to cheer her up. "We didn't find their bodies in this place, so most likely they are still alive. Don't lose hope yet."
She raised her gaze before finally nodding. "Un."
"Let's continue searching," Alaric said.
As she was looking for them, Elara made a silent wish.
'Mother, Ren, please be safe.'