ã€ŠYour Gentle Warmthã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Your Entrance

    You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

    You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

    You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

    He stood there frozen, preparing himself, steeling himself to do what is necessary. He takes a very deep breath. Tightly clutching his makeshift knife, he targets it at the poor creature before him, caught in a trap he set up. The creature looks confused for a brief a moment, stuck in a moment of shock, not moving a single muscle before realizing the danger it has stumbled upon. It is now running inside the hole he dug, looking for an escape, no doubt. After a few moments, it abandons the idea, as it frantically flails its arms upward towards the dirt, desperate to climb up. Witnessing the creature pathetically cling to its life drains him of the strength in his arm. He drops the knife in defeat and after a moment of silence kneels in front of the hole to pick up the furball, that was supposed to be his meal tonight...

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    The creature evades his attempts to grab it at first, however he catches it within seconds. It quivers and shakes, yet it cannot escape his firm hands, despite the strength it lacks due to malnutrition. This creature is truly pathetic. An utterly pitiable existance.

    After a moment of hesitation, he gently lowers his arm and places the animal on the ground. The moment his hand lets go, his victim escapes immediately, leaving the dejected predator alone to mull over the current situation.

    "I guess, I will need to make do with some berries for tonight..." He sighs, dropping his arm to rest on his knees to gather his thoughts.

    "I''m sure there are supposed to be some Pak-berries around this area." He resolutely thinks to himself before marching ahead.

    He knows something has to change or otherwise, he will not last long. All alone here, he has no choice but to think of alternatives to gather the supplies he is running out of.

    "Where have I found myself in?" A distraught voice rang out. Its sound was frail and sickly, revealing to him an easy target to attack. Those were his first thoughts. He was desperate, after all. However, that same voice didn''t carry a single ounce of terror. Worse yet, the next words directed at him, uttered without a hint of hesitation, despite the appearance of the figure she is facing ...

    "Oh, and who might you be, little one?"

    ...carried a warmth unlike any he ever heard.

 Chapter 2 - A Loving Person

    "Mom! How many times have I told you to take it easy!?" An exasperated voice calls out within a small piece of land guarded by gates. The colour of the large patches of grass transition to the soft hues of warm orange reflected by the morning sun, heralding the beginning of spring. The recipient of that voice is standing on top of this field, carrying a large sac containing grains intended for feeding the cows. She is an elderly woman, who carries herself as robust and diligent for her age. She doesn''t respond to the voice until she finally puts down the sac on the ground and finally faces the obviously annoyed person in front of her.

    "Good morning, dear! This is not how you should start out a greeting in the morning, you know. Well, if one wants to be polite and civil with others at least" The elderly woman responds with a gentle voice, yet the smug tone with which she throws her quips at her daughter seems condescending in its affection.

    "Quite bold of you to instruct me on how to greet someone in the morning, since I think showing your attitude right from the get-go is also unbecoming of a polite person, don''t you think?" She quips back with a much mellower tone, that shifted from hysteria to mild annoyance. The elderly chuckles at the response and then properly faces her.

    "In regard to the question, you so rudely targeted me with in the middle of work, I just wanted to carry some of today''s food for the farm animals. Is that so bad?" She asks with an innocent tone, yet the irritating smugness hasn''t left.

    "It''s bad, since the doctor clearly told you to refrain from any physical labour." She responds calmly.

    "Oh, I was just carrying a single thing and nothing else. I woke up early and just wanted to get some fresh air."

    "In that case, we have a perfectly comfortable bench and hanging chair for you to relax in. That should be more than enough. And for the last time, Ben and I already told you that we would be taking care of the farm in your place. I know it''s tough for you to remain stagnant, but please understand that I want you to stay healthy. As long as possible..." The woman tried to convince her until she herself started tearing up. She looked away to regain her composure and continued. "Please understand, that you can''t just do stuff as spontaneously as before."

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    The woman sighed, before responding. "I understand, dear... I''m sorry for being irresponsible. It''s not just me, who I''m affecting with my affection, aren''t I?" She says, hugging her daughter gently before regarding her with a warm smile. "After all, I want to live long enough to meet my new grandson, don''t I? I can''t just stop at meeting my three-year-old granddaughter, can I?"

    "Nope. No, you can''t." She smiles at her back.

    "Alright, time to finish carrying the grains, and then I''ll go lay down!" She happily exclaims, but upon meeting the murderous glare of her daughter, she quickly replies. "I was obviously joking, my dear!" As she heads back to the house.

    "You better! I will carry the rest, don''t worry." She wistfully replies.

    "I swear, that girl..." The elder woman exclaims with an exasperation devoid of actual annoyance.

    "Already chewed out by her, I see." The figure in front of her, her son-in-law, greets her. "Good morning, Ma''am."

    "Good morning dear. I sure am..." She says dejectedly.

    "I''m sure she already told you, but please feel free to relax more. I swear, that we will work as diligently as you did!" The rather burly man says reassuredly, though in her eyes, he is still a young boy, that she needs to take care of. She just cannot help but view her children that way.

    "I know you will, but that doesn''t quite make being unproductive any easier, I fear. Although, I realize I truly have no choice but to adapt to that reality. Otherwise, my daughter might truly ensure my demise before my own body ever could!"

    "I fear, she very well might." The man exclaims with light laughter. "But fear not, since you won''t have to be as unproductive as you might think!"

    "Are you referring to the children?"

    "Yes, they''re already excited to visit again."

    She has made quite the reputation in the village for being the most respectable person in the planet. She has lived here for decades and has made lasting connections that spanned several generations, including the new generation younglings. They always flock around her to play with her, talk to her about their days and listen to her stories. She had a near infinite supply of things she could them, and the children listened to her intently with deep fascination about any story she would tell. Whether it''s about her own "adventures", local folklore and myths or sometimes stories that she herself made up, they would always look at her with pure wonder in their eyes as she kept talking. To her, this is her greatest joy. To take care of someone, providing for someone and cheering someone on. All for her greatest treasure: the smiles of the faces, dearest to her.

 Chapter 3 - A Strange Creature

    ¡°Miss Marianne! Miss Marianne! Are you okay?¡± A pack of children arrived at her doorsteps, eagerly greeting her, with unadulterated joy in their eyes upon seeing her. She would never tire of that gaze¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, my dears! How were you? I trust you had a lovely week and behaved like good children?¡± She asks warmly upon which all of them nodded their heads with endearing enthusiasm. ¡°Lovely! Well then, don¡¯t just stand there outside, come in!¡± She beckons them as she steps aside to let them in, which they do almost immediately, but not before hugging her. They were still tiny little things, not even seven years old, so they only managed to reach up to her upper leg. She couldn¡¯t but chuckle.

    Marianne proceeded to carefully walk up to her rocking chair in the living room, where all the children gathered around her sitting on the floor eagerly. She looked outside the window, seeing her daughter Stephanie and her son-in-law Frederick work in the field and glance to her with warm smiles, which she returned to them in kind. She then returned her focus on the children and smiles.

    ¡°Now then... Where should we start today?¡± Whenever the children visit, they do pretty much whatever they want on any given day. Sometimes the children would talk about their days. Sometimes they played various children¡¯s games under her supervision. But more often than not, they come to listen to another one of her exhilarating stories. The children loved hearing those. They would listen for ours to her ramblings. Whether it was stories of her younger age, whether it¡¯s about that time she spent a month doing survival training or her escapades as a former huntress, they could listen for hours. The number of questions and comments these curious little creatures throw at her would be startling to most and yet she embraced them all the same.

    ¡°We want to hear a story!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Marianne finds herself on the hill in the middle of the woods. She doesn¡¯t remember how she got here. In fact, she knows that she shouldn¡¯t be here. Or¡­ could it be?

    ¡°Is this the afterlife?¡± She thinks to herself as she stands by herself, unmoving. She is supposed to be dead. She knows that for a fact. She remembers her final moments alongside her family. The experiences she remembers are far too vivid to be simple delusions. She is rather surprised by how calm she feels. As though this doesn¡¯t faze her in the slightest. Being put in such a strange situation, stripped away from all that is familiar should be enough to make someone panic, and yet she feels¡­ numb. Is this what death is supposed to be like?

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    Strange crimson red butterflies are flying around circling her and upon looking in their direction they land on her for a while, which startled her, and yet she didn¡¯t feel scared. Those creatures struck her as odd, though, for they felt so incredibly light on her, it¡¯s like they didn¡¯t even exist. The warm temperature they radiate felt real enough. After a while, they disperse, leaving her even more confused than before. Not any less stranger is the huge object underneath her. She realized that she wasn¡¯t standing on a hill, rather on a fallen tree. It was gigantic. Even stranger, she couldn¡¯t even see the end of this tree, which seemed to travel into the horizon.

    She notices the attire she is currently wearing and feels pretty sure, that those are the exact same clothes she wore on her deathbed. A leather jacket with a pale red jumper underneath, paired with a green skirt and brown boots. Apparently, you take whatever clothes you were wearing with you to the afterlife. Rather convenient, but strange, nevertheless.

    Not having any kind of direction, she decided to simply travel along the path of this tree, hoping that there is some kind of destination at the end of it. However, she couldn¡¯t see the end of either side of the tree, so she had to go by gut instinct anyway on where she would travel. As she starts walking around to find anyone in this isolated place, she is shocked. She hasn¡¯t felt this felt since for a long time now. The last few months of her life were spent almost entirely bedridden, and now she feels completely fit. She feels like she could easily go for a sprint without issue, which honestly excited her. She would have hated to be restricted by her body, even after death. Even if she is still not as spry as her younger self, she at least doesn¡¯t have to worry to keel over on her way to wherever she is heading right now.

    ¡°If this is the afterlife, where is everyone else? Are all the dead here? Is he here?¡± The question falls on deaf ears, for she has no idea. Could she finally reunite with her loved ones? With her husband, who departed before her? She doesn¡¯t know. She has no choice but to keep walking.

    Traversing this unfamiliar place, she notes that she can¡¯t recognize the ecology here. Without a doubt, it isn¡¯t the local one she is so familiarized with, but it also doesn¡¯t truly fit with any of the other ecologies she knows of. She sees something resembling a squirrel running past her but upon looking more closely this animal clearly possesses fins and the moment she realizes this the creature jumps into the water, not reappearing above the surface again. Unsettled by this discovery, she is starting to have doubts about the location she arrived in.

    ¡°Just what is this place?¡±

    Suddenly, she hears a voice from beyond the bushes. She was relieved, that she was able to find someone. This person sounded young. The lower and rougher tone suggested that this was a young man. Confused on why a child was out here in the wilderness, she headed towards the voice, and then she saw him.

    Pale green skin.

    Small stature.

    Crooked nose.

    Long ears.

    This was clearly not a human. This being quietly stared at me with hostile apprehension, dagger in hand, as though it was ready to strike. She is certain of it, and yet she is confused all the same. It was a creature everyone knew of. It is also a creature that shouldn¡¯t exist.

    This one was clearly what she knew as a goblin.

 Chapter 4 - Your Berries

    Upon the first realization of the person before her not being human, she immediately grew tense and felt her survival instincts kicking in. A grotesque creature wielding a weapon will naturally trigger such a reaction. She regarded it with an ice-cold expression, ready to defend herself. She made the call that she might be unable to escape if it decided to attack her, so she made sure not to be intimidated by it, daring it to approach. Seeing as it hasn¡¯t attacked yet and instead stares her down intensely, she appears to have made the correct choice. It tried to appear intimidating, just like her. However, the effort was for naught, as Marianne could discern that this creature was wavering. It was shaking. Meekly so.

    Considering the tense and bizarre situation, she cooled down relatively fast, but that was mainly because of its expression. Even though this wasn¡¯t a normal human being, she could still discern the emotions it likely felt right now. He looked scared; in fact, he looked like he was holding back tears. She couldn¡¯t push away her sympathy. And so, she assumed a more relaxed pose and smiled softly, something that he seemingly took notice of as he started lowering the knife in his hand.

    ¡°Hey, can you understand what I¡¯m saying, little one?¡± She squatted down, encouraging him to step forward.

    He regarded her with a very tense stare, likely not knowing what to do. It was unclear to her whether he understood what she said. The hostility hasn¡¯t entirely disappeared, either. He was obviously not sure what to make of her. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure either.

    ¡°I assume you don¡¯t then.¡± She chuckles to herself. She patiently waited for his next actions. After a few moments of hesitance, he ran away meekly, and she couldn¡¯t help but take notice of the limping. In fact, his movement seemed extremely sluggish. He was also very skinny, and so she surmised that he was suffering from malnourishment. He was starving and yet didn¡¯t attack her. He might have been smaller than her, but an old bat like her must have looked like an easy target. No matter how intimidating she was, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that fear wasn¡¯t the only reason he decided to retreat.

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    Against her better judgment, she starts following the path he used to escape. He might have been out of her eyesight, but he couldn¡¯t have gotten very far. Sure enough, she found him leaning against a nearby tree within minutes, panting heavily and clearly exhausted. And so, Marianne decided not to approach him so he wouldn¡¯t threaten. She would like to help but didn¡¯t have any food on her. And so, she resolves to look for something edible. Both to sate her growing appetite and to help him. She glanced in his direction and started to look around this area, observing the wildlife. No matter how different this ecosystem appears to be, she should be able to find something she might be familiar with. She has enough experience in the wilderness to determine what is safe to eat and what is not.

    Sure enough, she stumbles upon a berry bush. They appear to be blueberries. Before she gathers them, she takes one out of the stack alongside its attached branch and leaves to check for poison. She determined that it didn¡¯t have a strong odor, and she didn¡¯t feel any reaction when she rubbed the berry against her skin. Contact with her lips and mouth provided the same results. ¡°Those berries appear to be safe for consumption, I see.¡± After gathering a reasonable amount, she returned them to where she last saw him. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t move away from that spot and instead peacefully rested there. She decided to approach him, but upon noticing her, he grew wary. She took out one of the berries and gestured for him to try them. As he was evidently wary of her, she decided to demonstrate that they were safe to eat by putting one in her mouth and making it clear that she chewed and swallowed them. Seeing as he was still unwilling to come closer to her, she placed the berries, which were gathered inside her underneath the shirt, on a nearby rock and took steps back. When she was far enough, he hesitantly approached the food and took one in his mouth after a seemingly long deliberation. When he confirmed that they were safe to eat, all the previous fear left as he began to greedily feast on them, which made her slightly chuckle. She was also overcome with sympathy. ¡°The poor thing¡­¡±

    She waited patiently for him to finish and sat on a nearby rock. When he was finally done, he took a while to remember that she was here. He seemed hesitant as always, looking towards her with hesitation, but she could tell that he was debating whether he should trust her. However, just then, a grim voice started talking.

    ¡°I finally found you, you little pest.¡± A young man appeared, holding a sword pointed at the little one.

 Chapter 5 - Your Protection

    ¡°I finally found you, you little pest.¡± The young man who spat those words out like venom pointed his blade at the little one; his gaze focused on him and him alone. His attire resembled what one would think to belong to the medieval stages. His wool clothes were crudely knitted together and adorned with leather armor plates and a green cloak to go with it. He stepped off his horse and silently approached the goblin, who started trembling upon seeing the man approaching him, the look of fear on his face palpable. He took a step back, resolving to run away.

    ¡°Stop right there, young one.¡± Marianne said loudly enough for him to hear yet calm enough not to show immediate aggression. He turned his head towards her, only now noticing her presence.

    ¡°Who are you, and what are you doing outside the kingdom?¡± He exclaims, having temporarily stopped his advance toward the goblin yet still pointing his sword at him, communicating that he will attack him if he takes even a single step back.

    ¡°Hmm, so we do speak the same language. That is reassuring to know.¡± Marianne thinks to herself before deciding what to say next. ¡°I see¡­ so this isn¡¯t the afterlife after all.¡±

    ¡°My name is Marianne Alorn. I¡¯m lost and don¡¯t know how I arrived at this location. She stated simply and briefly. She wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. However, she was sure her words would decide whether this would be a life-or-death situation. So, she stuck to revealing what little she could say as plainly honest as she can.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, you say.¡± Looking skeptically at her. ¡°You should be aware that this is land that regular citizens are not allowed to enter. Leaving the cities is a major offense.¡±

    So, she illegally trespassed over forbidden territory? Not knowing how severe this supposed punishment could be, she decided to play along.

    ¡°It was not my intention. I don¡¯t know what truly happened, but I was brought here against my will.¡± At least she wasn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°Intentionally or not, this offense will be decided by the authorities. You have placed yourself in unimaginable danger by being here. As you can see, this goblin could have easily killed you had I not intervened, and I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want to become its next meal.¡± He said dryly.

    Marianne thought that it might be the other way around. The little one was utterly harmless, and this man could very well point his blade at her if this didn¡¯t go well. Despite his words of surface-level concern, she is sure that this man couldn¡¯t care less what happens to her.

    ¡°I thank you for your heroic efforts, then.¡± She said, bowing her head to him, trying to sound as genuine as she possibly could in response to his cold demeanor.

    ¡°Anyway, step back. I need to slay this beast now.¡± He commanded, redirecting his gaze on the poor creature, who scrambled to run away in vain.

    ¡°Stop.¡± She says firmly, making both figures stop their actions, as the swordsman, having dropped the fa?ade of civility, looks toward her with an ice-cold expression.

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    ¡°Excuse me, did you say something?¡± He asks calmly.

    ¡°Leave the poor thing alone.¡± She commanded.

    ¡°Do you mean this goblin? Are you alright in the head, old bat? This man-eating beast almost killed you.¡±

    ¡°The little one hasn¡¯t harmed me in the slightest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m slaying the beast. Say anything more, and you will regret it.¡±

    ¡°Enlighten me, young man. How so?¡±

    He looks back at her, gesturing towards his sword. ¡°You might become an unfortunate victim I couldn¡¯t save in time.¡±

    ¡°So, that youngster dropped the mask entirely.¡± She cynically thought to herself.

    She walks closer, daring him to attack. ¡°Then it means that he is not the beast I need to look out for, isn¡¯t he? It seems to be you, my dear.¡± She attempted to provoke him, and it seemed to work as he slowly lowered his sword to look at her indignantly. He starts to head towards her slowly.

    If he decides to engage, she will die. However, she doesn¡¯t mind the risk. Saving a young soul in exchange for her own withered life. This only makes sense.

    ¡°Get out of my sight, or I¡¯ll slash your head cleanly off.¡± He threatens in a low voice. He seems to be furious.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot do that.¡± It seems there is no going back now.

    Just as he was about to raise his sword, a voice came from behind.

    ¡°Stop! Please leave her alone!¡± Both of them turn their heads toward the owner of the voice. It is the goblin.

    ¡°So, he does speak.¡± She smiled warmly as that thought crossed her mind despite the situation.

    He was trembling. Terribly so. And yet he tried his best to stand upright and confidently.

    He continued. ¡°I-It¡¯s just me you want, right? She has nothing to do with me, and, um, I surrender. Just please, don¡¯t hurt her!¡± He was on the verge of tears.

    The man¡¯s expression remained stoic, and his murderous intent didn¡¯t subside.

    ¡°Silence, beast!¡± He turned around and shouted those words with intense fury, startling the poor thing. The meaning of the words themselves, said by the goblin, hasn¡¯t reached this man. Only the fact that this despicable creature used human words against him. Pretending to know the meaning behind the words, it spouted in a desperate plea for survival.

    Just as he was about to turn toward the old woman behind him, he experienced intense pain, enough to make him drop his sword and drop to his knee. She kicked him in the groin. ¡°Y-You old bitch!¡± He shouted, wincing in pain. While he couldn¡¯t move, she quickly picked up the sword he dropped. It was far too heavy for her to use, so instead, she threw it away from him and ran in the opposite direction towards the goblin, who just stood there in shock, telling him in a commanding voice. ¡°Run! Don¡¯t let him catch you, child!¡±

    He flinched and did as she said. However, he had difficulty running in this frail state, so she decided to pick him up and carry him in her arms. Thankfully, he was extremely light.

    ¡°Get back here!¡± The man shouted at the top of his lungs, struggling to get up.

    <hr>

    They managed to find a decent hiding spot to rest for the time being. It was a small cave she was barely able to discover while running, so he would have some difficulty finding them. Luckily, it started to rain outside, making them even less visible. The day started turning to dusk, enveloping them in the cloak of night, so it is highly likely that he abandoned the search for now.

    "My, oh my, that man must be fuming that a frail old woman was able to escape him. I certainly would have been embarrassed were I in his position." She thought, chuckling with devilish glee.

    She turns her head toward the goblin, who is finally calming down from the stress.

    ¡°Now then, little one. Don¡¯t be afraid, you¡¯re safe.¡± She reassured the goblin, who was still trembling, if only slightly. He turned his head toward her with an uneasy look in his eyes, likely still deliberating how much he could trust her.

    She squatted down to meet him at an even eye level and asked him softly. ¡°May I know your name?¡±

 Chapter 6 - Your Name

    ¡°May I know your name?¡± She asked this question, trying to break the ice with the little creature that still had trouble conversing with her. Unsurprisingly, he didn¡¯t respond to her question, but the look on his face indicated that this wasn¡¯t out of hostility. In fact, it seemed like he was trying desperately to say something, but the words wouldn¡¯t leave his throat. He pitifully looked to the side. While she couldn¡¯t exactly make an accurate assessment, she assumed him to be relatively young, even a child, at least if she had to go by his meek behavior.

    Not wanting to pressure him, she stepped back and sat on a nearby rock. ¡°It¡¯s okay; you don¡¯t have to force yourself to speak.¡± She says, smiling gently, which made him stare blankly at her. Funny enough, even though he might not be human, his expressions might as well make him one. The exhausted panic never left his face. Not once since she encountered him today, so the best she can do tonight is make herself seem less threatening.

    She looked outside the cave and could tell the rain wouldn¡¯t let up anytime soon. She had hoped to create a fire to keep themselves warm, but that wasn¡¯t possible tonight. Considering the tiny opening, the smoke would prove detrimental to them, but they ran at the risk of alerting someone, namely that swordsman, of their location. She couldn¡¯t risk it. Not to mention, all the wood in this area is drenched wet now. Stoking the fire would be a gigantic hassle, and she needed to conserve her energy for now. Luckily, they managed to retreat before the rain began, so they weren¡¯t stuck in wet clothes, shivering.

    That said, she has only now noticed the clothes he¡¯s wearing. While they are very dirty and worn out from wearing them for an obviously long time, the clothes themselves seem to be of high quality. The brown fabric seems very sturdy, and the delicate pattern indicates experienced craftsmanship. It didn¡¯t seem like the types of clothes someone would wear in the wild.

    Marianne had to put that thought to the sideline for now, as the climate of the coming night was starting to turn cold gradually, so she had to think of a solution, especially for the skinny goblin, who was already shivering.

    He was hugging his knees and looking down, an action that seemed extremely childlike to her. She decided to approach him. He looked up and immediately grew tense.

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    ¡°You don¡¯t have to speak. It¡¯s okay. But I still need to ask you a question, so please nod or shake your head as a response. Are you okay with that?¡±

    After a moment of hesitation and the tension slightly dissolving, he nodded, filling her with relief. So, he really is willing to communicate.

    ¡°We have no source of warmth right now, so we need to rely on our body warmth instead. Therefore, we need to sleep close together. Are you okay with that?¡±

    What followed was a long pause, during which he stared to the side, looking extremely conflicted. Considering how agonizing this cold must be for him, he spent a while internally debating with himself before meekly nodding his head.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She expressed her genuine gratitude for him being so willing to trust her.

    She approached him calmly so he wouldn¡¯t panic and removed her jacket to place it over his head. Confused, he looked up at her, not understanding the intent behind her action, so she clarified. ¡°My coat is warm enough for me, and you need more layers than me, so feel free to use it to feel warm.¡± He hesitated, holding on to the edges of the jacket while it was still draped over him.

    A very frail voice resounded as she sat beside him. ¡°Wh-Why did you help me¡­?¡± His voice was barely audible. The rain certainly wasn¡¯t helping, but it couldn¡¯t drown out his words completely.

    ¡°Do I need a reason to help someone?¡± Marianne says, smiling.

    ¡°But I-I¡¯m not human¡­, a monster if anything. That man said so¡­¡±

    ¡°Well then, it seems we have a very eloquent monster here!¡± She chuckles softly but realizes soon after that he doesn¡¯t get her sarcasm, as he looks tragically confused.

    ¡°I was joking, dear!¡± She quickly followed up to explain. ¡°You gave up on attacking because you weren¡¯t willing to hurt someone, am I correct? You didn¡¯t attack me and were even willing to stand up to that man in my defense even though you were in danger, right? Such a kind-hearted soul could never be a monster.¡± She said firmly, making him pause and look to the ground. He seemed to be doing that a lot.

    ¡°My¡­¡± He hesitated for a while before trying to force the words out. ¡°My name is Alpheus¡­¡± When he finished that sentence, he winced as though he was pouring his heart out, which made her smile brightly.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lovely name.¡± She nodded her head as a greeting to him. ¡°Nice to meet you, Alpheus. My name is Marianne. I hope we get along from now on!¡±

    His eyes widened before glistening, a moisture appearing that wouldn¡¯t escape. Instead, he gave a very meek smile, responding with quiet. ¡°Likewise¡­¡±

    For the first time, he looked relaxed, and sure enough, his eyes fluttered close. His chest was rising low and steady, and his formerly erratic breathing evened out. Most importantly, he looked like he was truly at peace right now, which was all she could ask for tonight. He was sleeping peacefully.

    So, she softly guided his body to lean on her lap so he would sleep more comfortably. Pulling her jacket to cover his body, she smiled wistfully and leaned back to rest.

    ¡°Good night, Alpheus.¡±

 Chapter 7 - Your Guidance

    ¡°Mom! Have you seen Lily anywhere? " a voice boomed across the fields as a singular woman emerged from the entrance of her house. She looked around and saw two tiny figures across the distance and smiled. ¡°There they are.¡± An elderly woman was sitting on a bench reading a book to a little girl, who was sitting on her lap excitedly looking at each page of the picture book they were holding.

    ¡°Good morning, you two!¡± she shouted from across the field as she approached them. The elderly woman, her mother, smiled upon hearing a beloved voice return her greeting. ¡°Good morning, my dear.¡±

    ¡°Morning, mama!¡± The girl shouts while kicking her feet against the air.

    ¡°Good morning, my dear Lily! Is grandma reading this book to you?¡± She asks, squatting down in front of them.

    ¡°YES! It¡¯s about a princess who kisses a frog!¡± It seems to be a strangely short yet not incorrect summary.

    ¡°Oh dear, really? Could you tell me more about it?¡± She asks, knowing how excited she would get. Children love it when they can explain something to someone, whatever it might be. To be more accurate, it would seem like children liked to talk.

    ¡°So, there is this princess, and she finds a frog. Then, she kissed him, and he became a prince! And then¡­ they lived happily ever after!¡± She proudly summarized the plot with as much detail as a toddler managed.

    ¡°Oh my, that sounded lovely! Thank you for telling me this story, sweetie, " she said, kissing her daughter on the cheek, who became giddy from the praise. ¡°I wonder where you got that from? " she asked, blatantly staring at her own mother, who simply smiled in response.

    ¡°Will you tell those stories to your little brother when he soon comes?" she asked, as though she didn¡¯t know the answer, and yet the little girl answered it with pure excitement.

    ¡°Yes! I will read them all to him!¡±

    ¡°Then he will be glad to have a reliable sister like you, my little flower.¡± The elderly woman interjected, praising the little girl.

    ¡°Granma! You will have to listen when I tell the stories to him, too!¡± She commanded in an adorably serious tone.

    ¡°Of course, I will, dearie. Your grandma will sit and listen, just like you asked, whenever you allow me to!¡± The girl giggled upon hearing that and gave her grandma a tight hug.

    <hr>

    When Marianne first opened her eyes in the eerie darkness of the cave, she could see a tiny sliver of light through the tiny opening of the entrance, indicating the beginning of dawn. She took a moment to recollect what had happened yesterday.

    Melancholy, she remembered. ¡°Oh my, I completely forgot. I¡¯m no longer at home. I already passed on; I fear¡­¡± That reality hasn¡¯t been processed enough for her to be overwhelmed by grief. But the emptiness she currently feels doesn¡¯t reassure her in any way. However¡­

    She looks down at the figure sleeping soundly beside her and smiles softly. ¡°Oh right, I encountered this gentle soul yesterday.¡± In the meantime, it seems like she could focus her attention on someone else while she tries to deal with her grief her way. Strangely, she already feels this affection for someone who isn¡¯t human, but she can¡¯t help the maternal instincts surging forward when she sees someone in need, especially when they''re preciously kind beings like this one.

    She wasn¡¯t about to disturb the little one¡¯s rest, so she decided to sit for a while before gently lowering his head on the piece of clothing she bundled together as a makeshift pillow. She felt sure enough to let him sleep a bit longer because he hadn''t stirred yet. In the meantime, she would take her time exploring the nearby area. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t see anyone within the area except for tiny critters passing her. It seems the rain let up a long while ago. However, collecting firewood would have to wait until later, when most of the wood is dry enough. In the meantime, she began looking for any food she could gather. For now, she would avoid the most dangerous plants, like mushrooms, as she surely wasn¡¯t taking the risk of getting poisoned. Luckily, she stumbled upon the same berries from yesterday. Those will help for now, but she needs to find more reliable food sources for the long term. Berries can¡¯t keep them up forever, after all. She would like to hunt animals, but she lacks any reliable tools. ¡°Now that I think about it, he had a knife. I could make do with that for now. I will need to ask him if he can entrust it to me for a while.¡±

    She decided to head back. They shouldn¡¯t linger in this location for too long, or they might be discovered soon. Upon arriving at the location, she collected a group of stones and placed them in a peculiar pattern so she would recognize it in case they couldn¡¯t find a reliable camping spot and needed to return here. This cave provided them with a lot of cover, which was essential while they were still in unfamiliar and hostile territory.

    She headed inside to see that he was already awake. It looked like he was startled and panicking, but upon seeing her enter, he calmed down. It seems like he was worried that she left for good. It made her smile to know he grew attached enough not to push her away actively. And yet, he still looked hesitant to call out to her, so she resolved to be the first to engage in conversation. It would seem like she needs to ease him into it for now. At least it looks like he is genuinely willing to communicate with her properly, no matter how difficult it is for him.

    ¡°Good morning. Did you rest well?¡± She smiled at him.

    He pondered for a while until he seemingly resolved to respond. However, he still had trouble letting out his voice, and he was clearly struggling. Before she was about to tell him that he didn¡¯t need to force himself, she was cut off.

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    ¡°Y-yes. Thank you¡­ uhm... what should I call you!¡± After a long struggle he managed to let the words out.

    ¡°Marianne is fine enough, but please call me something else. You can call me old bat for all I care.¡± She jested, but that seemingly didn¡¯t register because he looked at her dubiously.

    ¡°But you¡¯re a human, not a bat. That man called you one, too. Why would you be called that?¡± He asks innocently. For how surprisingly eloquent he seems to be with words, he also had neither grasp on humor nor sarcasm. It was endearing in its way.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a figure of speech. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not an actual bat. It would be impressive if I could fool you for this long!¡± She said, trying to stifle a giggle. That, too, seemed to pass right by him. She would need to teach him a thing or two on that field. She took pride in her snarky personality, and she refused to have that ignored, petty as it might have sounded. But she decided to put off that matter for later.

    ¡°Anyways, you can call me however you like!¡± She left it at that.

    ¡°Understood¡­, Miss¡­ Marianne¡­¡± He was hesitant about the name, but seeing that she didn¡¯t react negatively and instead smiled brightly, he sighed in relief.

    ¡°Good.¡± She said, having wrapped up that part of the matter. ¡°Now then, how about you? Do you feel comfortable with me calling you by name?¡±

    This time, he didn¡¯t hesitate to answer. ¡°Yes! Please feel free to call me my name!¡± That seemed to be very important to him.

    ¡°Now then, Alpheus. I gathered some berries, so feel free to eat them.¡± She presented the berries, and it almost seemed like his eyes had started to glitter. Adorable.

    ¡°Do you like these?¡± She asked as she handed him the pile, and he nodded nervously while munching on them immediately. Wincing, she was reminded on how skinny he was. She had no idea how long he was starving before they met, but those berries were not a solution.

    With the following sentence, Alpheus was hesitating for a long while before¡­

    ¡°Although¡­ uhm, never mind.¡±

    ¡­stopping right then and there.

    Marianne decided not to push for an answer and moved on from that topic. However, she prioritized looking for food as soon as they found a good hiding spot.

    ¡°Alright, as soon as you¡¯ve finished, I hope you¡¯ll head out. We need to find another spot for the night in case they look around this area.¡± He stopped eating midway upon hearing that.

    ¡°You want us¡­ to travel together?¡± He asked this as though it wasn¡¯t glaringly obvious. His confusion from the discovery made her chuckle. ¡°You¡­ shouldn¡¯t be risking your life like that by staying with me¡­¡±

    ¡°I appreciate your concern, but we¡¯re both wanted people now, so I would rather us stick together. I want us two to be able to rely on each other. We need to under these circumstances.¡± She said, trying to reassure him that his presence didn¡¯t pose a detriment to her in the slightest.

    ¡°People¡­¡± That word seemed to have stuck out to him as he pondered her words.

    ¡°I would feel much safer traveling alongside you. Unless¡­ you don¡¯t want to travel with me.¡± She tried to sound as timid as possible. She felt that would be a more effective persuasion than anything else she could tell him. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t feel as guilty.

    ¡°No! Of course, I want to travel with you. If you¡¯re fine with it, then¡­ I would love to.¡± She feels terrible for pulling that card on him, but they don¡¯t have the luxury of being hesitant under their current circumstances. She must ensure that Alpheus finds a safe place where these people won¡¯t hunt him.

    ¡°Good! Then, let¡¯s head out now.¡± She declared cheerfully.

    Marianne pokes her head out of the entrance, signaling Alpheus to follow her instructions. Once she confirms that no one is there, she beckons him to follow her out. Once they¡¯re out, she immediately points toward the rock marker she made earlier this morning.

    ¡°Alpheus. Make sure to remember this. I placed a rock formation as a marker for us in case we need to return here.¡± She said in a severe tone, which made him instantly listen intently.

    ¡°In case we need to return¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, remember that my markers are always a rock formation like this one. They¡¯re always shaped as a cross. Know that this is how I always leave marks because we will surely come across many different spots, and we need to make sure that we can find them again when we need to. Make sure that you do the same.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± He eagerly nodded, taking every word she said with the utmost seriousness. She feels relieved by that. She can tell that he has no experience and doesn¡¯t have the necessary knowledge to survive in the wild, so she needs to teach him as they progress. After all¡­

    ¡°After all, I won¡¯t be able to help you forever.¡± This thought she kept to herself, as she didn¡¯t have it in her to push this burden on this poor child, who had already started to slowly but surely rely on her. She was an old woman who could drop dead at any given moment. She might have returned to a point where she didn¡¯t turn frail yet, but that wouldn¡¯t last forever. She might be fine now, but she couldn¡¯t work on the assumption that there wouldn¡¯t be any danger up ahead. That she wouldn¡¯t leave him early. So, she needed to prepare him for that future so that she could rest easily in the end.

    ¡°Now then, prepare yourself, young man, for we might be walking for a while today!¡± She said in a jokingly commandeering voice. He stood straight up, replying quickly. ¡°U-Understood!¡±

    As they began walking silently, Alpheus suddenly yelped, startling even Marianne, who regarded him curiously.

    ¡°Ah! Uhm, uh, I¡¯m so sorry. I wanted to say this earlier, but¡­ I missed the moment to say it¡­¡±

    She waited patiently for his following words.

    ¡°G-Good morning! And uhm, did you rest well¡­?¡± His question was as awkward as it could be, and the silence that followed made him panic.

    ¡°I wanted to say it¡­ all this time, but I couldn¡¯t find the right moment. I almost forgot to say this entirely, but¡­ you already said it¡­, so it was rude of me not to do the same!¡± He continued, and the longer Marianne''s silence went, the more he felt the need to elaborate, stumbling over his own words.

    Marianne laughed uncontrollably, leaving Alpheus confused and at a loss for words. This went on for a while, and when she was finally done, she wiped a tear from her left eye and smiled warmly at him. Such a sweet child, so innocently eager to be kind to someone. Yes, it was for that reason that she felt compelled to protect him and ensure that he would be able to live happily ever after.

    After a brief pause, she responded to his earnest feelings. ¡°Yes, I did rest well! Thank you for asking!¡±

    He let out a breath he was holding before nervously asking further. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not upset?¡±

    ¡°Trust me, child. More than anything, I am happy to see that you care so much. You have nothing to fear,¡± clasped his green hands, much smaller than his, and smiled at him.

    He let out a sigh of relief and, for the first time, showed her a genuine smile. ¡°I¡¯m so glad.¡±

    These two embarked on a journey with no explicit goal beyond the company they both sought from one another.

    As they happily chat together while traversing the scenery, a small entity relaxes on a tree, silently looming over them.

    ¡°That goblin. It¡¯s him, isn¡¯t it? And now he¡¯s traveling with a human? Now, this will be entertaining!¡±

    The mysterious figure starts to snicker happily, overcome with glee.

 Chapter 8 - Your Lecture

    ¡°This ecosystem... it is unlike anything I know. Strange does not even begin to describe it.¡± This thought fills most of Marianne¡¯s head as she traverses the strange woods alongside Alpheuse. When she first arrived, she wasn¡¯t in the mental state to properly process that fact, despite being vaguely aware of it. She first witnessed some of the wildlife before meeting Alpheuse, who himself is yet another example of that. The animals she has seen so far have resembled those she was familiar with from her own world.

    Rodents who look like squirrels and rats.

    Amphibious creatures resembling frogs.

    She could associate some of those creatures with the wildlife with which she was vaguely familiar. Yet they possessed attributes that she had never seen in the wildlife from her world and any creature, period.

    She saw squirrels near a lake and thought they had something resembling fins on their bodies. That suspicion was confirmed when she saw them swimming in the water as though it was their natural habitat. Come to think of it, she may have seen this species when she first arrived in this world.

    However, it wasn¡¯t nearly as strange as the other creature she had noticed. The creature seemed to be a frog, but it was half her own size. It moved around by jumping around very fast, but upon further inspection, she realized that it had never actually hit the ground and had kept floating up and down.

    ¡°Was... it actually levitating?¡± Marianne contemplated with genuine concern.

    ¡°Wow... that little guy is... quite the jumper.¡± She said jokingly to hide her concern. ¡°Is that creature friendly?¡± She asked, directing her question towards the goblin next to her.

    ¡°Uh, no, they don¡¯t seem to attack other creatures. They¡¯re safe, I think.¡± For an actual resident of this world, he didn¡¯t seem to know much about the wildlife here.

    ¡°Alright, but I think it would be best not to approach them. Their size is intimidating, so I would rather avoid a direct encounter." Marianne said, and Alpheus did not protest the idea.

    It took her a while to notice all of this, and upon realizing it, her expression turned quite grim. It is one thing to be thrust into a completely unfamiliar environment where you don¡¯t know what dangers lurk here and what resources you can use for survival. This is a small issue. Trivial, even, as she is used to the process of familiarizing herself with a completely foreign environment. And while this certainly is a ¡°special¡± case, she is confident in her abilities. However, it does not help that the two of them are in danger of being pursued by actual humans with tools at their disposal to dispatch both of them easily.

    She must also teach the much less experienced Alpheus about all the techniques at her disposal. That is why she is teaching him, as they wander the area, whatever she currently can.

    ¡°Avoid clear roads, since humans are more likely to travel on them.¡± She instructs him as he listens intently. He does not respond with words, but feverishly nods his head to convey that he is listening.

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    ¡°On that note, also look out for footprints.¡±

    ¡°Foot...prints?¡± He asks uncertainly. He is unfamiliar with the concept. Marianne has a tough time determining his level of knowledge, but it is safe to assume that he never learned how to survive in the wild.

    ¡°Just what is his background? Humans are actively hunting him, yet he has never lived in the wild until recently.

    His proper understanding of human knowledge.

    His worn-out yet well-made clothes.

    It is an enigma to her. Not to mention, why does he travel all alone? She has yet to see another goblin like him. Does this mean that they are solitary creatures? She will have to interrogate him on that matter once they find a proper resting spot.

    For now, she continues.

    ¡°Yes, footprints.¡± She demonstrates this by placing her foot on the ground and lifting it. ¡°Notice the peculiar shape that was left by my foot? That is a footprint. Anything that walks on the ground leaves those behind, and the shape of it is different for each species. This way, we can determine whether humans or other kinds of animals walked across those paths."

    ¡°I see! I will keep this in mind!¡± he nods vigorously after intently studying the footprint she left behind.

    Marianne is glad to see him listen to her instructions so eagerly. It shows that he is learning. Knowledge and keenness to gain knowledge are two completely distinct characteristics. A person willing to acquire new knowledge will have a far higher chance of survival when thrown into a completely unfamiliar environment. Adaptability is the most essential trait a person could ever possess.

    ¡°Make sure to pay attention to those. We need to avoid paths that other people take.¡± He continued to listen intently, but...

    ¡°Additionally, it helps you track down animals for hunting.¡±

    Upon saying this, she noticed Alpheus tensing up. He looked very uncomfortable yet tried to look normal. It seems like he is unaware of how badly he is hiding this. That reminded her of the first time they met.

    The way he clumsily held his knife to ambush her.

    The way he hesitated while his body shivered.

    And the moment he gave up, the look of resignation plastered all over his face.

    The two traveled for a while but luckily found a suitable resting place. It was a small cave, ideal for hiding since the trees densely surrounded it. It was also near a river, so they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about finding a clean water source for now.

    It was still long before the arrival of dusk, and it hadn¡¯t rained yet. That meant that they would have to act quickly.

    ¡°Alpheus, may I take your knife?¡± The question caught him off guard. The knife that rested inside the pocket of his pants stuck out like a sore thumb, and yet it seemed like he forgot that he even had this thing on him. He¡¯s quite the clumsy one, isn¡¯t he?

    He took it out and held it before his face, looking back and forth between the knife and Marianne.

    ¡°W-Why do you need it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t use it to attack you,¡± she said gently. Obviously, he would feel uneasy about letting go of his only means of self-defense to a woman, who at this point may very well still be a stranger.

    ¡°I need to gather food for us both.¡± She responded.

    ¡°But... do you need the knife for that? There are plenty of plants here that we can gather. We don¡¯t really need to use it!¡± He says in a panicky voice.

    ¡°Alpheus, in the long run, plants alone will not suffice and-¡°

    ¡°N-no! I can...manage without...¡± With each word, his voice grew weaker and weaker, and yet, at the same time, the desperation grew as well.

    He must really be against the idea for him to have such a strong reaction. She wonders why he seems so opposed to it. She didn¡¯t have the time to continue arguing because he fell to the ground while she contemplated how to calm him down.

    ¡°Alpheus!?¡± Marianne couldn¡¯t suppress the panic in her voice and immediately rushed down to check on him. Thankfully, he was still breathing. It seems like the exhaustion and lack of food caught up to him.

    She quickly carried his unconscious body inside the cave and laid him down on the floor on his back, after which she gently placed her jacket over his body.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but now is not the time for me to be polite,¡± she said in a grave tone as she pried away the knife from the hand that was still clutching it strongly.

 Chapter 9 - Your Touch

    ¡°How is the goblin? Did we make any progress today?¡± The adults outside are talking again, and though they speak quietly to maintain an air of secrecy, their voices reach the boy nonetheless.

    However, he has no idea what they¡¯re talking about. Whenever they talk, they use so many words that he is unfamiliar with. The books don¡¯t help with that. He feels like they¡¯re talking about him.

    ¡°I wonder what they¡¯re talking about.¡± The innocent child asks himself as he returns to the book he holds.

    He doesn¡¯t know why they would, though. They never met each other.

    He never saw those people whose voices resounded within his small, wooden room. He wondered where they were, but he couldn¡¯t see them anywhere. They were not here, so... does that mean they¡¯re outside? Outside of... here?

    He ponders what that could mean. He cannot imagine what the outside looks like, for he only knows the inside of this room.

    The room he never left.

    <hr>

    And just like that, Alpheus woke up. At first, he barely registers his surroundings and is moments away from falling asleep again. After a while, his consciousness catches up. He feels terribly cold, yet a pleasant heat envelops him, offering relief. But he still struggles to open his eyes.

    Open

    Close

    Open

    Close

    After a short battle with his own fatigue, he finally manages to keep his eyes open.

    Readjusting

    Readjusting

    He feels delirious and doesn¡¯t feel like he is in control of his body. Even simply turning his head takes a lot of effort, and his vision has not caught up to him either.

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    ¡°Where am I? What... happened?¡± He closes his eyes, struggling to organize his thoughts and searching his memories. But the headache splitting his head impedes him. The pain is unbearable, and he begins to shake his head violently.

    However, he is interrupted by a hand landing on his forehead. At first, it startles him, but he leans into the touch the next moment. The palm of that hand keeps resting on his face, blocking his eyes, as he hears a gentle voice offering solace from the pain.

    ¡°Shhhhh.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Take it slow.¡±

    ¡°Close your eyes and rest.¡±

    The words envelop him, and he heeds them. He rests his head on the ground and lets the comforting touch calm him down.

    After a while, the headache subsides, and he can think clearly again. Reluctantly, he opens his eyes, revealing a frowning face.

    ¡°Miss... Marianne?¡± He whispered and noticed how raspy his voice was.

    Marianne looked at him with an indecipherable expression, yet no matter the intention behind it, the scowl on her face was intimidating. It was dark outside the cave, so the light provided even to be able to see her came from the campfire she apparently made while he was asleep.

    Seeing how concerned Alpheus looked, she took a deep breath and attempted to soften her expression.

    ¡°First of all, how do you feel.¡± She asks, examining his face as she waits for his answer.

    ¡°I... feel fine now. I''m a bit lightheaded, but... fine,¡± he says, very unsure of himself. He isn¡¯t fully fit, but at least he feels like he has regained some control of his own body. Yet his fatigue still impedes him from moving much.

    Seeing him try to get up from the ground, she pushed him back down by the shoulder.

    ¡°No. Tonight, you will not be moving around. It is dusk, and you still need to recover.¡± She commanded him firmly, so he obliged, although reluctantly and equally intimidated.

    Satisfied to see him settle down, she nods at him and turns around to grab something.

    ¡°Miss Marianne is so quiet right now...¡± He thinks to himself absentmindedly.

    She turned around and held something in her hand. It was some container...? The shape was certainly strange.

    She hands him the container and continues. ¡°First of all, you need to drink something. I drew this water from the river. Make sure to drink all of it.¡±

    And so he does. He feels refreshed and significantly better. Satisfied, she takes the container from him.

    For some reason, the air felt very heavy now, and the tension between them felt suffocating. At this point, he became aware of a smell reaching his nose. The peculiar smell came from behind Marianne, where the campfire was located. It was a familiar smell, yet he grew to hate it.

    But despite that, he couldn¡¯t stop his mouth from salivating, just like he couldn¡¯t suppress his guilt over his body reacting that way.

    Marianne looked towards him, noticing his inner conflict, and grabbed something from behind her.

    ¡°Alpheus, I wanted to ask you a question. I have my answer already, but I want you to respond anyway.¡± She looks towards him with a purely neutral expression. He felt... scared.

    ¡°You can only eat meat, can¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 10 - Your Desire

    Silence ensued.

    The silence was long. It felt like it would eternally envelop him.

    The silence was deafening. It drowned out any other sound, even the rain that just started.

    The silence was heavy. It crushed him underneath its weight.

    The silence was suffocating. It filled his lungs, not letting a single breath in.

    The silence scared him... because he didn¡¯t know what would follow its inevitable end.

    Understanding his reluctance, Marianne decided to end the silence for him. ¡°If you can¡¯t answer that, it¡¯s fine. As I¡¯ve said, I already know the answer.¡±

    In response Alpheus...

    ¡°No... I don¡¯t NEED to eat meat.¡±

    ... attempts to deny the truth. It was a pointless effort.

    ¡°I can eat other food, too. I mean, I ate the berries and- ¡°

    ¡°Yes, you can eat them, but they only provide a temporary relief. It is nothing more than a distraction. What it cannot provide is the nourishment your body needs.¡± This is not the time to play around the bush, so she doesn¡¯t grant him the opportunity to find excuses.

    She can¡¯t afford that now.

    As expected, he is on the verge of tears, barely holding it together, while he sniffles faintly and attempts to wipe away the moisture leaking from his eyes.

    ¡°He is quite the crybaby.¡± Marianne thought absentmindedly. However, tears were ineffective against her, for they could never sway her from conflicts she deemed necessary.

    ¡°I¡¯m not...¡± Pitifully, he attempts to refute it one more time, and once more, Marianne cruelly cuts him off. Her voice carries none of the warmth that she usually displays.

    ¡°Alpheus.¡± Her stern voice disintegrated any more room for this pointless back and forth.

    He fell quiet, looking down in shame. After some time, he gathered the courage to look at her again. He finally recognized what Marianne held in her hands. He knew it from the beginning. He recognized the smell immediately after all.

    It was meat.

    ¡°I apologize for using it without your permission.¡± She looks to her right side, and he finally notices the knife she laid beside her.

    ¡°Moving on from that, we should eat now.¡± Marianne places several pieces of meat she skewered on sticks beside the campfire.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that it started to rain now. It will be much harder for the smell to reach potential predators. It¡¯s not only humans that we need to look out for.¡± She mumbles mostly to herself.

    She finally turns around to look Alpheus straight in the eye. He felt intimidated and immediately retreated by avoiding eye contact.

    ¡°Now then, while the meat is cooking, we have all the time in the world to talk.¡±

    He kept looking away from her.

    ¡°I have many questions, but I¡¯m quite certain you¡¯re not willing to answer any of them, correct?¡±

    The silence served as a cue for her to continue.

    ¡°She is disgusted with me. She¡¯s scared of me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking right now, right?¡± Alpheus flinches. He looks beyond shocked at her casual remark, as though his innermost thoughts have been uncovered.

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    At times like these, she is reminded that he is indeed a young child. They are naive because they don¡¯t realize how bad they are at hiding their feelings. They really are like an open book.

    ¡°So then, you¡¯re nothing more than a lowly beast. A man-eating monster. Something dangerous.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t respond, but it is obvious that she hit the bullseye. The one-sided interrogation starts to grate on her nerves. She also has limits to her patience, so she says the words that will surely end that.

    ¡°Does that make me one, too?¡± She asks.

    That certainly got his attention as he finally lifted his head to look toward her with utter confusion. And so, she continues.

    She turns around, and Alpheus''s eyes follow her gaze until they finally land on the fire.

    ¡°I killed an animal in this area to acquire this meat, after all. It was a squirrel that claimed the water as its main habitat. It bore many characteristics of a regular fish.¡±

    ¡°Now I ask you. Do you think I¡¯m a monster?¡±

    ¡°N-No!¡± He finally managed to get some words out, and so she continued.

    ¡°But I killed a living being. Don¡¯t you believe that only lowly beasts are capable of doing such a thing?¡±

    He didn¡¯t understand what she was getting at.

    ¡°But... but you did it for me. It¡¯s because I¡¯m... I¡¯m pathetic.¡± He truly deems himself pathetic.

    It is pathetic to live inside a body that can only live through committing such a vile act.

    And it is pathetic to force her to commit that act in his stead.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I did it for you. But I also did it for myself.¡± She cut down the line of thought he was currently heading toward.

    ¡°After all, I want you to survive. However, much like you, I also hunted it to eat it. We need to eat to survive Alpheus. Unlike you, I may survive without eating meat, but I still choose to do so because I must. To survive in this environment, I must supply my body with what it needs, not just the bare minimum.¡±

    ¡°And so, I ask you again. Am I a monster?¡± By the end of her speech, he falls completely silent, so once again, she waits for him to respond.

    ¡°No...¡± He mutters it hesitantly, but he still doesn¡¯t get her point. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re not a monster! You¡¯re a human, but why do you- ¡°

    ¡°So then, if I¡¯m not a monster for doing so, why does it make you one?¡± Her questions confused him to no end. He simply couldn¡¯t comprehend what she was getting at.

    ¡°Because you had to and- ¡°

    Again, she cut him off.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve had to, and because of this, I chose to do what had to be done. I decided to survive. You face the same decision for the sake of survival. Where does the difference lie?¡±

    Once again, she asked him a question he couldn¡¯t comprehend the intent behind.

    ¡°But... but...¡± Overwhelmed, he stumbles over his own words. He can barely keep his composure, moments away from crumbling entirely.

    ¡°But you should survive! I don¡¯t need to!¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡± She does not let up. They can''t move forward to reach his innermost thought behind it all. So, she can¡¯t let up, no matter how cruel it might be to him.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re a human! And I¡¯m... I¡¯m...!¡±

    ¡°... I¡¯m not!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a goblin!¡±

    He shouted the words as though he was coughing them out. He felt out of breath and couldn¡¯t think clearly.

    ¡°I see.¡± That was all she said. Her words harbored neither hostility nor pity. The lack of either thing confused him as though it negated the significance of everything he declared.

    ¡°Well then, I would like for you to survive. Is that so wrong?¡± Her question continued to bewilder him.

    ¡°What?¡± Those were the only words he was able to utter in response.

    ¡°I want you to survive. I don¡¯t give a sh-¡°

    She shouldn¡¯t swear in front of children. Since becoming a grandparent, Marianne has learned to keep herself in check. Whenever she is agitated, though, it is a different story. She couldn¡¯t count how often she almost slipped up around the children.

    ¡°Forgive me.¡± She says, coughing to collect her thoughts again. Alpheus looked incredibly puzzled.

    She really ruined a good moment, didn¡¯t she?

    ¡°Anyways, I don''t care about whether someone deserves to live or not. It is a pointless thought to be stuck on. I act according to what I want and not according to what I think is "right". What I¡¯m trying to get at is... I want you to live Alpheus.¡±

    He fell silent at those words, and so she continued.

    ¡°I want you to live. I want you to live and be glad for doing so. It¡¯s ok if you can¡¯t forgive yourself. If you can¡¯t, I will do that for you instead. However long it will take until you find the strength to do so yourself.¡±

    ¡°But why... why for me...¡± The tears he wiped away threatened to spill out once more.

    In place of words, Marianne took out one of the meat skewers, which was just about done cooking. She held it before him as though this was the response to his question.

    ¡°Because I want to live. And I want to live with you.¡±

    Those words dealt the final blow.

    ¡°Do you want to live with me, too?¡± The voice that asked this question finally emanated the warmth he had grown accustomed to.

    Instead of responding with words, he silently took the skewer she held into his own hands.

    After a long moment of silence, he took his first bite.

    And then another.

    And just like that, he couldn¡¯t stop himself anymore. The messy noises of his chewing were accompanied by the soft sound of his whimpers.

    Soon enough, he was sobbing uncontrollably. He lost all sense of control and gave in to his desires.

    His desire to eat.

    His desire to cry.

    His desire to live.

    Marianne didn¡¯t utter a single word afterward. She simply sat next to him.

    And so, the night continued for the two souls, who fervently wished for survival.

 Chapter 11 - Your Discipline

    After some time passed, Alpheus calmed down from the crying. Once he began to eat in relative peace, Marianne decided to start eating, too.

    She grabbed a skewer and finally truly noticed the smell. Even without any spices, the familiar aroma of roasted meat was always a welcome slap to the face. She can¡¯t determine the quality of the meat because after starving for days to have a proper meal, anything would be bound to smell and taste like gourmet food. And so, she digs in.

    The moment she took a bite, and the meat was simply superb. Her teeth sank into the surface with little resistance, and the juices burst. She truly felt in bliss. Getting to taste the wonder of meat might make the whole second-life business worth it, based on that alone.

    However, the true reason that validates her existence in this new world is right next to her: the boy who has already demolished several skewers but is clearly nowhere near finished. She made the right call with the amount she hunted. The boy forgot his surroundings and focused on satisfying his hunger. Marianne wondered just how long he had been starving. She doesn¡¯t dwell on the thought and simply allows herself to feel accomplished for succeeding in her task.

    And so, the two devoted themselves to a well-deserved rest. However, there was yet another issue to tackle before that, and Marianne deemed it appropriate to settle it tonight.

    <hr>

    Finally, Alpheus was done, and after a while of absentmindedly staring ahead, he snapped out of his stupor. He flinched and immediately turned toward the person who had long since finished her meal.

    ¡°Uhhhmmmm, I-I¡¯m sorry for getting carried away like this! It was rude of m- ¡°Once again, he began to panic and stumble over his words. As entertaining as this performance usually was to her, she also gets weary of the whole routine, so she shuts him down instantly.

    She points her open palm against him, and he immediately goes quiet. ¡°Alright, I want to make something clear here. I don¡¯t want to hear any more apologies from you. No ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± and no ¡°Forgive me.¡± None of that. I hate it when people do that,¡± she said, all of this with genuine annoyance dripping from her voice.

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    His long, green ears began drooping as she expressed her exasperation with his behavior, but then she proceeded.

    ¡°From this point onward, I want you to respond by saying ¡°thank you.¡± You better take what I¡¯m about to say to heart. People would rather hear gratitude than self-deprecation. Putting yourself down just makes the other person uncomfortable, so you¡¯re not doing anyone a favor here.¡±

    Thinking back to their encounter with that swordsman, she can imagine how he stumbled into that mindset. However, ...

    Marianne leaned her hand toward Alpheus¡¯s head and stopped before him. For a moment, Alpheus looked incredibly confused. He was exposed to a sudden and sharp pain. She flicked his forehead.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    Stumbling back and massaging the spot she hit, he looks at her bewildered, and she smiles at him smugly.

    ¡°From now on, whenever you dare respond to me with anything that sounds remotely apologetic, I¡¯m flicking your forehead just like that. Either get used to the pain or keep this in mind. Got it?¡± She says this in a commanding voice.

    Alpheus feels quite intimidated by this and falls quiet. Displeased, Marianne adds with a more threatening voice.

    ¡°I was asking a question.¡±

    He flinches.

    ¡°Y-Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± He shouts as he nods his head frantically.

    ¡°Good!¡± And just like that, her usual sweet tone returned.

    To say Alpheus was bewildered was an understatement. He had no idea how to react to the many different attitudes she suddenly exhibited.

    ¡°Now then, what is the first thing you say in this situation?¡± She asks in an overly sweet tone, which only puts him on edge.

    ¡°Th-th... Thankyouforthefood!¡± He mumbled but quickly managed to blurt the words out. Marianne didn¡¯t want to stop there, though.

    ¡°Now try to say it slower. Be calm when talking to others. Collecting your thoughts when expressing gratitude will make you sound much more sincere. In fact, blurting stuff like this just to get it quickly out of the way is rude.¡± Her instructions are forceful, but at least there is a lot less edge in her manner of speech right now.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorr- ¡°He responded immediately, and just as quickly, a sudden force landed on his head again. He rubs his forehead in pain, and he corrects himself upon seeing her frown at him.

    ¡°I mean... yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± He straightens his posture as he says this.

    ¡°Good.¡± She simply said as she was done lecturing him on that matter. From now on, her hand will do the lecturing.

    In a harmless way, of course.

 Chapter 12 - Your Punishing Fingers

    ¡°Now that we have out of the way...¡± Marianne said, glancing toward Alpheus, who stiffened in reaction. He seems slightly intimidated by her after the entire lecture about manners.

    Marianne doesn¡¯t feel guilty about that. Enough time has passed for her to become more straightforward with him. Being a caretaker may have become second nature to her, but that never managed to erase the uncompromising professional.

    Unfortunately for him, she will show that side of hers far more frequently from now on, and she doesn¡¯t feel apologetic about it.

    She carried on, choosing to ignore his current apprehension.

    ¡°... I think it¡¯s time for us to learn more about each other.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure how comfortable he would be with the idea, but she already decided to cross that bridge.

    As expected, he visibly panicked. This would be a hurdle for sure.

    However, Marianne never had the patience to tolerate stuff like this.

    ¡°Areyousure??? I... uh... I don¡¯t think you will find anything interesting, though! Uhm... uh... it¡¯s...alreadydarkrightnow! I think it would be most prudent to rest now. Also...!¡±

    ¡°Wow, he must really hate the idea.¡± Marianne thought to herself, surprised by his sudden outburst. At least he no longer meekly retreats from a situation like this in silence anymore.

    However, ...

    Alpheus''s thoughts are moving so quickly that he feels dizzy. Is it because he hasn¡¯t recovered yet? He isn¡¯t in the state of mind to question that right now. His mind is currently preoccupied with escaping the current situation. He doesn¡¯t want to say anything about himself. The things he says will be bound to upset her. He¡¯s not even in the state of mind to properly verbalize those thoughts and feelings inside his head. They almost bordered on being instinctive reactions.

    However, just like that, his thoughts went blank. Because... she... she...

    ...She flicked him on the forehead again!!!

    Once again, he yelped in pain and fell on his back, holding his hand against his forehead in pain.

    Marianne was almost impressed with how effective a simple flick on the forehead was on the boy.

    Still lying on the ground, squirming in pain, he looked through the hand that covered his head. Upon recognizing the displeased expression on her face, he immediately froze up.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    After a moment of utter silence, Marianne spoke. ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t see you if you don¡¯t move?¡±

    And just like that, his mouth opens again. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,thatwasrudewasn¡¯tit?!¡±

    In response, he received...

    ... yet another flick to the head.

    ¡°This will take longer than expected, won¡¯t it...?¡± Marianne came to this solemn conclusion with genuine concern for the future.

    He was about to open his mouth again, but this time, Marianne didn¡¯t even give him the time to go into another frenzy. Instead, she started pinching him by the cheeks. This didn¡¯t exactly serve to quiet him down, as he was busy moaning in pain and apologizing profusely.

    ¡°I¡¯msorry!I¡¯msorry!I¡¯msorry!I¡¯msorry!I¡¯msorry!¡±

    Still holding onto his cheek, she pulled him closer so that they were on an even eye level so she could openly scowl at him. That finally did the trick and made him settle down.

    ¡°What did I say about apologizing?¡± The coldness in her tone was downright terrifying.

    Instantly, he was about to open his mouth, and it would probably be another panicked apology. Fortunately, he is finally learning because he caught himself immediately and quieted down.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s progress! Good job!¡± Marianne said, looking genuinely proud of him. Suffice it to say Alpheus is beyond overwhelmed. Upon closer look, he swayed back and forth, struggling to remain focused. It was then that Marianne was reminded of Alpheus¡¯ current condition. She was so preoccupied with chewing him out that she completely forgot. Frustrated, she had no choice but to end the discussion for tonight. Right now, he needed to focus on recovering.

    ¡°Alright, I think this was enough excitement for the day! It¡¯s time to rest now.¡± Marianne declared forcefully.

    ¡°Are you sure? Didn¡¯t you want to talk more?¡± Alpheus looked unclear about what he was supposed to say. At least he calmed down from his episode. In fact, he might look a bit deflated at Marianne¡¯s sudden announcement. That thought put a smile on her face. While she hated postponing this ordeal for tomorrow, she had no other choice.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. We can talk more tomorrow, right?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow...¡± He muttered.

    ¡°Right?¡± She encouraged him to answer.

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    ¡°Good, then I expect you to be fully rested tomorrow, " she said, her commanding voice seeping in, which made Alpheus shiver. She then added with a sweet voice.

    ¡°Good night, Alpheus.¡±

    He felt giddy inside and nodded with a genuine smile.

    ¡°Yes! Good night, Miss Marianne!¡±

    <hr>

    The light emanated by the campfire was long extinguished. So darkness permeated by the night outside the sanctuary of their cave expanded, enveloping them both, as the gentle light provided by the moon was almost nowhere to be found. Within that very darkness, it was as though they were cut off from the rest of the world. It was like this void was a companion that never dared to let him leave his orbit. Always around to remind him of that fact. Such were the thoughts that always followed Alpheus through every night since he lived outside. It was during these moments that he always felt like he was back in his room. The outside he imagined inside the room was exactly what he imagined whenever he looked at the night sky. Unlike then, he has finally caught a glimpse of that void, so he can no longer avert his eyes from it. In exchange for gaining sight of the view that always piqued his curiosity, he relinquished the shelter that protected him from it.

    Strangely enough, none of these thoughts reached his head even once tonight. Only when his eyes fluttered closed did he realize that he never even looked outside the cave.

    The reason for that eluded him, and he soon fell into slumber before he could pursue it any further. Before he left the waking world, a voice reached him. That voice, containing an inhuman echo, felt familiar, but its mockery puzzled him.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of her.¡±

 Chapter 13 - Your Words

    ¡°Miss Marianne! Miss Marianne!¡± Marianne reluctantly rested on the porch outside after the urging of her stubborn daughter. She felt elated when the endearingly shrill voice of children reached her ears. She saw the children excitedly running in her direction with beaming smiles.

    ¡°What is it, my dears?¡± She asks, smiling gently.

    ¡°Lily... told us that... you traveled aaaalllllll around the world! Is that true!?¡± The children looked beyond astonished. They were catching their breath.

    ¡°They must have run here the moment Lily told them that.¡± The thought crossed Marianne¡¯s mind as she held in her laughter.

    ¡°Is it true?!¡± They repeated themselves, their patient growing thin, when Marianne hesitated to answer.

    ¡°Yes, I used to travel around the entire globe. I was quite the adventurer, I suppose.¡± There was a hint of smugness in her voice. Boasting feels pretty good, occasionally. Lily was seemingly eager to spread the word around her peers, and that scenario''s image amused Marianne.

    ¡°And is it true that you fought monsters? Like dragons and stuff?!¡± Their eyes practically sparkled to the point that Marianne suddenly wanted to avert her eyes.

    ¡°Did Lily tell you this?¡± She tried and failed to keep a straight face. They nodded their heads with such vigorous strength that Marianne worried they would fall off, which added to her amusement. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and burst out into laughter.

    She wiped her tears and told them.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I never fought dragons. Believe it or not, they liked to stay hidden from us.¡±

    While she didn¡¯t want to ruin the children¡¯s fantasies, she also felt bad lying to them, so she settled with a half-truth.

    ¡°Oh...¡± The children looked dejected, but their dampened mood left as soon as it came. ¡°So, they like to play hide and seek instead of catch?! If they¡¯re so scary, they should face us directly in battle!¡± One of the boys exclaimed with a battle roar, and the other children followed suit.

    Marianne decided to play along.

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re just giant scaredy cats who run away from seasoned warriors like me. They knew they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance! After all, throughout all the lands, I was known as a ferocious beast no one dared to stand against!¡± She said proudly, and the children gasped aloud.

    She couldn¡¯t help being embarrassed for saying that...

    She felt like the lamest person in all of humanity.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why monsters typically don¡¯t show themselves around us. But I encountered many other exotic animals on my travels, like tigers.¡±

    ¡°Tigers!?¡± Everyone shouted.

    Once again, she burst out laughing.

    <hr>

    And just like that, Marianne woke up. She smiled upon recalling the sweet memory she had reexperienced in her dream.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°To the children, tigers and other animals were practically just as mystical as dragons.¡± She chuckled to herself.

    She turned her head to the young boy, who was still fast asleep. Meeting him in this world would surely lead to her collecting a whole new treasure trove of stories she could share with them.

    And just like that, she began to look downwards, recalling that she would never be able to share any of her tales with them again. And just like that, the emptiness returned once more. Being busy with survival in this new world was a good distraction from everything, but it couldn¡¯t suppress the hollow feelings bubbling inside. However, she knows that moping around is a luxury she couldn¡¯t afford. Or rather she would feel incredibly pathetic to do so.

    She needed to look toward the future, which is exactly what she would do. Her duty to look over Alpheus has served as the drive she truly needed. And so, she had no time to sulk around.

    She stood up.

    She stretched.

    She had the energy to do so and refused to relinquish that to anything or anyone.

    In the distance, a crimson butterfly fluttered around the woods, its shiny glimmer blending with the twilight.

    <hr>

    ¡°And so, having reached the peak of this mountain, he closed his eyes to let the breeze wash over him. He opened his eyes and saw green flames in the distance enveloping everything beneath its cruel inferno. Bearing witness to this, he couldn¡¯t put the feelings in his chest into words right now, so he could only mutter.¡±

    ¡°I finally escaped you.¡±

    Reading these final lines aloud, Alpheus reached yet another end to one of the books in the treasure trove that was his room. He closes his eyes and lazily falls on his back. He always did so because it felt like he might fall into the stories he read as he would pop into existence. The words contained within every single piece of parchment and bundled together under the casing made of leather never failed to ignite this emotion in him ¡ª the feeling of being connected.

    It felt like he looked into the eyes of the one who wrote it. Like he was looking at yet another world through the eyes of another. Until this point in his life, Alpheus never understood the concept of fiction or non-fiction as he was unaware of the distinction between the two. He never even considered what reality meant. All of them were separate worlds that he was allowed to glimpse at. All that mattered was that the words existed before his eyes. However, he was never entirely sure whether this room was a world of its own. The idea always made him wonder if anyone was watching over his world, too. These thoughts drove him to speak despite his words never actually reaching anyone.

    ¡°I wonder what he did after reaching his goal...¡±

    ¡°He seemed sad, but I hope he reached a happy ending after the book was finished!¡±

    Alpheus expressed this hope out loud while raising his fists enthusiastically. He was happy to have a voice and a means to make his feelings heard, even if there was never anyone they could reach. Luckily for him, his voice did reach something. It was the voice that always laughed.

    He heard a loud snicker from someone inside the room. The voice was faint, and the echo always tickled his ears. He never knew where it came from, but he was sure it was inside this room. He always heard it after finishing a book, and it always sounded sinister.

    Yet hearing it always made him happy because he felt heard, and these moments filled him with the most happiness.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoyed this story, too! What do you think we should read next?¡± Alpheus wondered with a wide grin.

    And so, he headed for the shelves to continue his journey.

    <hr>

    And just like that, Alpheus woke up. He recalled the words he had heard before he fell asleep.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of her.¡±

    He didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind them, but he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he knew that voice somehow. He didn¡¯t dwell on that thought for much longer because he noticed Marianne staring at him intensely.

    In just a moment, his fatigue evaporated, and he moved from his resting spot.

    ¡°GoodmorningMissMarianne!¡± He shouted it in a hurry, and just like that, he received the usual flick on the forehead.

    He composes himself.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Marianne.¡±

    ¡°There you go! You¡¯re a fast learner!¡± She said this with a cheeky grin, and for the first time, Alpheus thinks he finally might have understood the meaning of the word ¡®sarcasm¡¯.

    ¡°Good morning, Alpheus.¡± Upon hearing this, Alpheus suddenly realized something. He failed to notice it due to his previous restlessness, but...

    ...He spoke to her with his own words. His voice... reached her.

    And she responded to him with her own words... and reached him.

    He smiled.

 Chapter 14 - I hope you wont disappoint

    Unbeknownst to the duo, a conversation between two humans commences on a campsite located within the vast forest. Going by how well-dressed he was, he was most likely a noble of the nearby city. He wore a leather hat that obstructed the rays of the sunlight, making his face hard to identify. He sat on a wood log, making demands to the tall man, a sword lying by his side.

    ¡°In other words, you were overpowered by some hysterical crone who just happened to be in forbidden territory?¡± Despite his calm voice, he seemed to be angry.

    ¡°Alright, alright! I realize how pathetic it sounds, but surely you don¡¯t think I¡¯m lying, do you?¡± The quality of their clothing suggested a clear difference in social status. Despite that, he spat his words rudely, yet the noblemen didn¡¯t seem offended by his behavior.

    ¡°Very well. In that case, is it also true that your band of goons failed to find her and the target you were assigned within the two days you started your search?¡±

    The swordsman sighed deeply. ¡°Pathetic, I know. I hate to admit, but I let my guard down.¡± He grimaces, recalling the memory.

    ¡°So, either they¡¯re lucky, or the lady knows what she¡¯s doing.¡± He summarized the current dilemma.

    ¡°Considering she has that goblin as baggage, I highly doubt they got far. I assume you¡¯re fine continuing like this?¡±

    The noblemen leaned back a bit and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a choice... have I?¡±

    ¡°Yep, you don¡¯t! Unless you want to enlist the help of the soldiers and notify everyone of your mess, right!¡± He cackled until he noticed the cold glare he got. ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    The man couldn¡¯t refute that. He needed all this taken care of as discreetly as possible.

    The two resumed their travels for the next hour or so, but not before Marianne urged Alpheus to rest properly. The word ¡®forced¡¯ might have been more appropriate here, considering how threatening and menacing her aura became when he refused. So, in the end, he meekly obliged her ¡®request.¡¯

    ¡°Here.¡± She handed him the same peculiar object filled with water. ¡°Make sure to drink it all.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± He slowly chugged it all down and had to admit that he was severely thirsty.

    ¡°You¡¯re still recovering, so you need to drink plenty. Hunting for more food will have to wait until we find a suitable place.¡±

    She quickly exclaimed, noticing his hesitant demeanor, as he probably felt terrible about Marianne handling so much.

    ¡°You¡¯re nowhere near recovered and must slowly build up your strength. Until then, I forbid you from overworking yourself. Did I make myself clear?¡±

    He looks down, looking even more dejected.

    ¡°Understood...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the long face? I explicitly said that this would be until you properly recovered.¡±

    He looked curiously up at her. That certainly lifted his spirit. However, she didn¡¯t say this to encourage him.

    ¡°I fear you misunderstand something. Once you¡¯re ready, I will push you to the limit. Don¡¯t think I will go easy on you after this.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready! I will do anything you ask!¡± He exclaimed happily.

    ¡°I see! Then I won¡¯t have to feel bad about making full use of you! Lucky me!¡± She said with glee and began to laugh gleefully.

    Alpheus couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated. She knew and was going to have a lot of fun moving forward.

    ¡°For now, I will simply teach you some stuff along the way. Make sure to pay attention. You¡¯ll need it for later.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± And just like that, he perked up yet again.

    She was undoubtedly going to have a lot of fun.

    Somewhere else, far away from the gleeful journey they embarked on, a new figure appeared in the same area. Their destination was unclear, but the path they followed was.

    Next to them was a massive golden tree. Its size was difficult to determine since neither end was in sight. It simply traveled across the distance endlessly. They stared at the object longingly, almost reverently, and initiated a peculiar hand movement. They raised their palm to envelope their forehead and let it travel all the way to their chest. Eventually, as though releasing some pressure, they reached their open hand toward the tree. Whatever they were looking for was, without a doubt, waiting at the end of it. That was the one thing they knew.

    The figure walked away from the wooden object and headed in a seemingly unrelated direction.

    ¡°Halt!¡± A gruff voice resounded, and soon enough, they were surrounded.

    They were humans, it seems. They wore light leather clothing with armor plates adorning the chest and shoulder area. Besides simple swords and shields, they didn¡¯t bear any other weapons. Thankfully, they weren¡¯t soldiers. Otherwise, things could have been a lot more complicated.

    ¡°Identify yourself! One of the men shouted impatiently. He seemed to be the leader.

    A moment of silence ensued, during which neither party moved. The figure of the mysterious traveler was very slender, and their face was entirely hidden by the pale golden cloak they wore. Upon further inspection, he noticed the symbol on their clothing.

    Panic overcame him as he gestured for his subordinates to lower their weapons.

    While initially confused, they all came to the same realization and obliged.

    The tension, however, remained, and so he interrogated.

    ¡°What is an elf doing here on human territory?¡± He asked with suppressed aggression.

    The figure unveiled the cloak from their head, and long hair, the color of radiant gold, descended, revealing a feminine beauty. Her eyes, just like her hair, were the same golden color. Besides the color palette being an obvious indicator of her race, her long ears swayed gently once they were removed from the confines of her clothing.

    She looked disinterested, seemingly determining whether she should even indulge him with an exchange of words. Eventually, she spoke.

    ¡°Rest assured, for I have not come to visit your kingdom, human.¡± She probably intended to lessen the paranoia of her interrogators but noticed that this attempt failed, so she begrudgingly elaborated.

    ¡°My higher-ups sent me to investigate the area. I¡¯m pursuing someone who should be in this general area.¡±

    ¡°I see. However, you do realize that you can¡¯t just explore this area without permission from the local authority, right?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the time to go through that tedious procedure. Is it possible to skip that part?¡± She asked, her calm voice never wavering.

    ¡°Unfortunately, not. Not if you want the military mages sent after you.¡± He said smugly. He knew they wouldn¡¯t allow an elf to roam freely without powerful enough escorts. ¡°Unless... you¡¯d like to join us?¡± His smile turned devious.

    She didn¡¯t humor him with a response, urging him to elaborate, much to his annoyance.

    ¡°As you can see, we¡¯re currently on this expedition on behalf of a blue blood. We have permission to go outside, so how about you accompany us for now? We¡¯re also pursuing someone right now, so we can explore together. I don¡¯t see a downside for either party. Can¡¯t hurt to combine our forces, right?¡±

    ¡°May I inquire who your target is?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Confidential information.¡± He responded rudely.

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± She responded simply.

    ¡°So then, do we have a deal?¡± He asked smugly, reaching his hand out to her.

    She didn¡¯t return the gesture and said, ¡°Very well.¡± She continued walking, leaving the man behind. His face turned to an impressive shade of red, his anger clearly visible. She was clearly planning to cooperate on the bare minimum.

    Begrudgingly, the man ordered the rest of the team to disembark.

    ¡°Oh! An elf has joined the game!? Interesting...¡± A voice resounded with an echo.

    ¡°Not only are some humans chasing you down, but an elf, too! Oooooh, there¡¯s a band of goblins in the area, too! This is getting more interesting by the minute!¡± The figure rests on top of a tree, observing the newly joined force with glee.

    ¡°Things are getting a bit stale, so maybe it¡¯s time I finally shake things up a bit...¡± He pondered, wondering how he should go about this approach. He looked toward the distance.

    ¡°I hope you won¡¯t disappoint, Alpheus.¡±

 Chapter 15 - Your Game

    ¡°Miss Marianne? Uhmmmmm...¡± As they silently traveled through the woods, Alpheus began to mumble. Marianne stopped momentarily to look back at him and wait for him to continue whatever he was about to say.

    ¡°Yes, Alpheus?¡± Marianne encouraged him to speak.

    ¡°Uhm... may I ask you a question?¡± He spoke rather calmly, but his hesitation to ask was still evident.

    Marianne was about to say, ¡°You may,¡± but she caught herself and turned her face away to ponder something. She started grinning and turned around to give him a different answer.

    ¡°I would love to! However,... I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t just answer your questions one-sidedly. You will have to answer a question of mine, too.¡± She said deviously.

    He seemed taken aback by that. He was truly reluctant to talk about himself. Marianne needed to take a different approach if that''s the case.

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to know about me, after all?¡± She looked to the side, pretending to be hurt.

    ¡°No! O-of course not! I want to, but...¡± He bought it and tried his best to reassure her. He showed an opening, so Marianne decided to strike quickly.

    ¡°Well then, how about this! Would you like to play a game with me?¡± She declared gleefully.

    ¡°A... game?¡± He repeated in a confused tone.

    ¡°Yes, a game. Would that make this more interesting?¡±

    Something lit up in his eyes, and his ears perked up slightly. Marianne is starting to believe that this means he likes the idea.

    ¡°It¡¯s like with a dog.¡± Marianne thought to herself amusedly.

    ¡°I...¡± He tried to answer with composure, but the slight tremble in his voice gave it away. He was excited.

    ¡°Yes...I... I would like that!¡±

    ¡°Fantastic! If we¡¯re playing a game, it only makes sense to add some rules!¡± She said, clapping her hands together.

    As they continued walking, Marianne pondered for a short while until she continued.

    ¡°Rule number one: Once a question is answered, the one who answered must ask a question next. That means no follow-up question!¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s reasonable.¡± Alpheus agreed.

    ¡°Rule number two: Once the question is asked, you have five seconds to start answering it. If you hesitate, there will be a penalty. The same applies if you break the other rules.¡±

    ¡°Ummm, what kind of penalty?¡± He asks nervously.

    ¡°How about... a flick on the forehead?¡± Marianne asks mischievously.

    Alpheus flinches.

    ¡°Can''t... it be something else?¡± He pleads.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Can¡¯t handle a little pain, can you?¡± She asked provocatively.

    ¡°No, no, no! I just... don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± He looked away with a guilty expression. Marianne was skeptical about his pure intentions but thought he was genuine.

    However, he was also desperate to avoid that punishment. Her little punishments had really frightened him. In that case, both assumptions seem true.

    ¡°Fine. How about the other person getting to order the other person around? Every time they break the rule, you get one chance to make them do whatever you want at any given time.¡±

    That suggestion got him nervous as well.

    ¡°Whatever... you want?¡± He was having an internal battle with himself. Going by the expression on his face, he was struggling a lot. She wished she could peer into his head and read his thoughts because this debate seemed entertaining.

    ¡°Alright! Yes, I¡¯m okay with that!¡± Fortunately, he gathered the courage to agree.

    ¡°Perfect! Now, onwards to the next rule!¡± She declared happily.

    ¡°A third rule?¡± He tilted his head.

    ¡°Yes! You¡¯re not allowed to lie.¡± She said, pointing her finger at him dramatically as he flinched away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to lie...? Why would I do that?! Lying is bad!¡± He seemed almost offended by that rule. It seems the thought of doing that never occurred to him.

    ¡°Oh my! May I assume that you never lied to someone?¡±

    He paused for a moment before answering with conviction. She wondered what that hesitation meant.

    ¡°I never did! If I did that, I would be punished for it. The goddess doesn¡¯t tolerate liars!¡± Marianne felt like he was being genuine, but...

    ¡°Goddess?¡± Marianne asked curiously.

    Seeing Marianne¡¯s puzzled expression, Alpheus¡¯ expression also became equally confused. He tilted his head and asked. ¡°Do you not know about the goddess, Solaria?¡± He looked beyond baffled.

    ¡°Is that your first question?¡± She asked teasingly.

    He looked surprised. It seemed he had forgotten what he was signing up for. After a moment of deliberation, he answered with conviction.

    ¡°Yes! I would like to know that!¡±

    He was still pretty timid, but the idea of a game certainly helped motivate the little guy. Where Marianne goes doesn¡¯t matter; children will always be the same. They are simple little creatures.

    Adorable, as well.

    With a smile, she declared. "Then the game officially started!"

    And so she answered. ¡°No, I do not know who that is.¡± Alpheus looked truly surprised by that.

    ¡°How do you-¡°

    He was about to blurt something out, but Marianne stopped him.

    ¡°Were you about to ask another question?¡± She smiled deviously. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve forgotten about the rules. I¡¯m the one who has to ask the next question.¡±

    ¡°But that wasn¡¯t... I¡¯m so-... never mind. Thank you for saving me!¡± It seems he¡¯s starting to work on his habit of apologizing profusely. A ¡®Thank you¡¯ is much more pleasant to the ear. He even genuinely smiled at her.

    However...

    ¡°I regret to inform you that I did not, in fact, save you!¡± She declared cheerfully.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Did you forget rule number 2? I asked you a question, and you didn¡¯t answer it in time!¡± She clapped with a wide grin on her face.

    He flinched and tried to argue. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that this counted as the question!¡±

    ¡°Now you know that it did count!¡± She proclaimed smugly.

    For the first time ever, he seemed genuinely upset at her. ¡°That¡¯s... that¡¯s cheating!¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t. I made the rules very simple and clear, so you only have yourself to blame for not paying attention. I fear you need to use your brain a little bit more, dearie!¡± She declared it, grinning at him.

    He was fuming. That only served to amuse her further.

    ¡°I wonder what I will have you do later...¡± She wondered to herself out loud to taunt him further.

    ¡°I won¡¯t fall for it again!¡± He declared resolutely, looking at Marianne with a pouty expression.

    The taunt worked. Now, Marianne wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him quitting halfway through. Once someone gets competitive, they won¡¯t stop for a while. And they certainly wouldn¡¯t listen to their opponent if they asked them to stop.

    Unfortunately for Alpheus, Marianne was not playing the same mind game as him. She already won and he didn¡¯t even realize it.

    <hr>

    And so the game started. As they get absorbed into their petty squabble, the two are still unaware of the ominous threats along their path. They have only ever been aware of the humans who long to take their lives.

    The humans, whose intentions currently suggested nothing more than hatred for Alpheus¡¯ nature

    The elven woman, who assists those humans for her unknown purposes

    The goblins, who are on the hunt

    And the one watching over Alpheus

    Soon enough, paths will be crossed.

 Chapter 16 - Your Point

    ¡°So... will you answer my question now.¡± The taunt in Marianne''s voice didn¡¯t go unnoticed, and Alpheus couldn¡¯t suppress the indignation he felt.

    ¡°Yes... Yes, I was...I was about to ask another question...¡± He said, looking at the ground and pouting.

    ¡°I see! I expected better from you, Alpheus! That was quite shameful of you! I suggest respecting the rules from now on!¡±

    Alpheus probably thought that the glare he gave her, but it was pretty much the opposite. It was the kind of expression that only a child could make. Instead of feeling intimidated, one couldn¡¯t help but feel endeared. It¡¯s also enjoyable to see him grow the guts to glare at her in the first place.

    ¡°Are you going to ask your question now?¡±

    Alpheus pondered for a while on what to ask. He was really startled by her previous answer, so he figured.

    ¡°Where... are you from?¡±

    She didn¡¯t hesitate to answer.

    ¡°From a faraway land!¡± She gave him the vaguest answer possible, which irritated him immensely. It seems she wouldn¡¯t give him a satisfying answer.

    Apparently, he needed to be smart about the questions he posed.

    ¡°Try harder, squirt!¡± Marianne had to admit that she was getting a bit childish, but she had too much fun now that she learned how to push his buttons.

    ¡°What is a...!?¡± He was about to ask but covered his mouth before it was too late. She regarded him with a sardonic smile as he kept quiet briefly. She''s pretty sure he''s just beating himself up over feeling like a complete idiot.

    ¡°Hmmmmmm, You¡¯re starting to learn, don¡¯t you?¡± It took a while for this sentence to reach Alpheus¡¯ mind palace, but as soon as it registered and he returned to reality, he flinched and raised his head hastily.

    ¡°Yes, I am! I¡¯m not going to fall for those tricks again!¡± He shouted this from the top of his lungs before deflating and letting out a heavy sigh. It seems like he was already overwhelmed. She was worried that she would need to find a way to prevent him from giving up already. That concern was unnecessary because he clapt back immediately.

    Just like that, he pointed his finger at her, dramatically so.

    ¡°What is a squirt!?¡±

    He looked a bit too proud about the resurgence. Marianne couldn¡¯t keep a straight face.

    She broke into laughter and didn¡¯t quiet down for a while. After she calmed down and wiped some tears, her eyes revealed Alpheus pumping his fist. He looked genuinely proud of himself.

    ¡°Miss Marianne! You broke the second rule! Now I get a command, too!¡± Marianne thought that his grin couldn¡¯t possibly grow wider. It seems like he started to understand the game now. He also learned how to make her laugh.

    ¡°Oh dear, I was bested!¡±

    To say those words made him gleeful would be a major understatement. He just stood there, looking like he was about to run around the area at the speed of sound. When he returned to reality and remembered where he was, he looked towards Marianne, who was smiling at him gently.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Good job, Alpheus.¡± Those words made him blush.

    ¡°Uhm... thank you!¡±

    Wow, he¡¯s truly getting better at this. He¡¯s not stuttering nearly as much as before!

    ¡°I suppose I need to answer your question now. A squirt is a small and incompetent child that¡¯s easy to make fun of.¡±

    Alpheus, visibly offended, was about to object, but she interrupted him.

    ¡°But I suppose that insult was inaccurate on my part. It seems like you¡¯re plenty competent. Forgive me for the arrogance.¡±

    Alpheus was at a loss for words to have Marianne bow her head to him. Overwhelmed, he managed to say.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s ok! It¡¯s not... a major issue...¡±

    She smiled.

    ¡°Well then! It¡¯s time to end the game now.¡±

    ¡°What!? But we¡¯ve only started playing!¡±

    ¡°You got your point, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    That caught him off guard.

    ¡°But...¡±

    He stumbled over his words to find a way to convince her to continue, but he came to a sudden realization.

    He gasped and looked up to see Marianne grinning at him. At that moment, she looked like she was truly evil incarnate.

    ¡°I.asked.a.question.¡± She pointed a finger at the shell-shocked boy.

    ¡°You...!¡± That betrayal shook him to the core.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve got one more command now! Now then, regarding my question....¡± It seems like she will be able to ask the real questions from now on. She trailed off, awaiting the response she knew was coming.

    ¡°Yes, I have a point now. And I will take even more from now on, too!¡±

    <hr>

    As the two engaged in this stupidly childish competition, the humans pursuing them continued their search after meeting the elf.

    ¡°Everyone! Gather your stuff and get going.¡± He gave the command and turned to see that the elven woman didn¡¯t even bother to discuss any further matters with them and continued walking. Everyone, save for the leader, gripped their weapons and glared at the woman with deep-seated anger. She had her backs turned on them, so they were likely considering how to ambush her. However, the swordsman gave them a startling shout.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me the first time?! Get going!¡±

    Irritated by the intruder¡¯s appearance, they weren¡¯t about to ignore his orders.

    Usually, the leader would have responded to such blatant mockery by their guest with violence.

    Even without his short temper, he couldn¡¯t afford to take such actions of disrespect lightly. As a mercenary group, they mostly found clients in nobles who needed to get dirty work done outside the usual border to care for their unsavory business discreetly. There¡¯s no way to acquire such connections and build that reputation without developing ruthlessness that doesn''t hesitate to cut someone down.

    This would be the case usually, but this matter was different entirely. Given her identity, he had to keep a tight lid on this situation, but his subordinates didn¡¯t think the same way. The men held their weapons with uninhibited bloodlust. Their thoughts seemed to intertwine as the mutual malice spilled forth in their minds.

    ¡°Who does this bitch think she is?¡±

    ¡°She came here uninvited and thinks she can order us around!¡±

    ¡°What is our leader doing, just taking it?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to kiss that woman¡¯s ass now?¡±

    ¡°She must be getting a big head ''cause she¡¯s a damn elf.¡±

    ¡°Nothing but a pretty face.¡±

    ¡°Their kind has always been an annoyance, fuck!¡±

    "Just cause humans are supposed to be buddies with all these other creatures?"

    "We''re the ones with weapons."

    "We humans overtook your thrones long ago; you damn degenerates."

    ¡°I want to cleave her head right off her shoulder.¡±

    ¡°She should be on all fours, begging for mercy.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I want to kill her."

    <hr>

    In the far distance, somewhere, many smaller animals began running around the area in hordes. Everything moved in a panic, from the smallest critters to some of the largest local predators. They were escaping something.

    Further ahead, a wind pressure erupted, blowing nearby trees away and ripping them off the ground. The ground erupted, and birds flew away.

    Something growled.

 Chapter 17 - She didnt bother to look behind

    To say Alpheus became competitive was a gross understatement. He seemed determined to beat Marianne at her own game to the point of completely forgetting the entire point of the game. He became increasingly tense with each question, and his brain seemed to work overtime. Marianne could tell that much from his facial expressions that shifted with each passing millisecond. She decided to indulge him for a while as he enjoyed himself.

    She spent God knows how long countering every question he threw at her with infuriating serenity.

    <hr>

    He tried probing her with extremely specific questions.

    ¡°How long did you sleep?¡± Alpheus asked.

    ¡°Enough,¡± Marianne responded.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± Marianne asked.

    ¡°...Alpheus...¡± Alpheus responded

    ¡°How far did we travel?¡± Alpheus asked.

    ¡°Not enough,¡± Marianne responded.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Marianne asked.

    ¡°A goblin,¡± Alpheus responded.

    He was losing his patience.

    <hr>

    He tried to sneak in the same questions she already answered, hoping she would slip up, but received the same question each time.

    After the sixth time of confirming that her name is Marianne, she decided to save his dignity.

    ¡°Alpheus, my dear, could it be that you have the memory of a goldfish?¡±

    He stared at her blankly to process her question. Once again, he almost forgot about the time limit.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not! What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means you¡¯re forgetful.¡±

    ¡°N-No, I¡¯m not! This is a strategy!¡±

    ¡°I fear revealing your strategy to your opponent might be a bit... counterproductive.¡±

    She continued.

    ¡°But I¡¯m glad that your memory is fine. Could you assume it would be another case for an old bat like me?¡±

    ¡°Why would I think that?¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaand another point for me.¡±

    <hr>

    Searching for viable strategies in his brain, Alpheus took an advanced approach, asking her about something he had read in some of the stories he had read.

    A paradox

    ¡°What came first, the chicken or the egg?¡± He asked this with such a severe tone dripping with smugness.

    ¡°Who cares? They¡¯re both here now.¡± Seeing his triumphant demeanor shrivel up made her chuckle, which made her ponder.

    ¡°To think he would ask me that dumb question.¡±

    That thought was followed by another one.

    ¡°Hmmm, so this concept also exists in this world. Interesting.¡±

    She decided to keep that thought to herself.

    <hr>

    He took the most drastic approach he could imagine. He hesitated even to consider it. He didn¡¯t think he could ever successfully pull it off, which might take some years of his life. He might be unable to handle it, but he had no choice if he wanted to beat Marianne.

    He talked.

    A lot.

    The following words spewed out by this boy don¡¯t need to be read. There is no need to subject oneself to that, as it doesn¡¯t add anything to one''s experience and is, quite frankly, a waste of time.

    ¡°What do you think of that?¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡±

    She didn¡¯t even bother paying attention.

    <hr>

    Alpheus looked defeated, and his shoulders slumped. He took this harder than expected, so she decided to have fun. She forgot that she continued indulging him but dragged it out for her entertainment.

    And so, she began asking actual questions.

    ¡°Who is this goddess you talked about?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± This question caught him off guard.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Uhm, well, she¡¯s the goddess of mankind, Elias! We all worship her!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, I see.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I¡¯m confused. How do you not know about her?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not from here.¡±

    He stared at her cluelessly, so she decided to elaborate and save them the pointless back and forth.

    ¡°I¡¯m from another world. A world where this goddess of yours doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know how he would respond to that. He might not even believe her or that she was kidding around. And yet his eyes sparkled with deep fascination.

    She forgot about how innocent he was. He probably doesn¡¯t even consider lying to be possible.

    ¡°What is this world of yours like?¡± He asks enthusiastically, the sparkles in his eyes only growing more intense.

    ¡°Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm¡±

    It seems like Alpheus forgot about the time limit rule because he waited patiently for her to stop pondering. It looks like he forgot about the rules entirely.

    ¡°Well, it was more boring than this world.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t the response he expected. He looked a bit disappointed, eliciting a smirk from her. And so, she continued.

    ¡°Which is what someone would say if they didn¡¯t even bother to explore or interact with it.¡±

    He paused for her to continue.

    ¡°My world was a treasure trove of fun stuff. So many places in nature would make you sit in awe with your mouth agape and many different types of people wherever you went. There were places where the sky would sometimes be covered by colorful light that made you feel like floating in the sky or mountains that made you feel like an ant. So many people lived in such places and had their history and traditions. Traveling there would make you feel like you jumped across entirely new worlds.¡±

    The sparkle in his eyes returned tenfold.

    ¡°Did you... see them all?¡±

    ¡°More than most. But even I didn¡¯t see everything. No human ever saw everything, and we never will. That¡¯s how big my world is.¡±

    At this point, Marianne had to avert her eyes from the brightness before her.

    ¡°Can you tell me about them???¡±

    ¡°Sure! But could you tell me a bit about yours?¡±

    Alpheus looked to the side. It seemed to be his trademark response when he struggled with his words. He seemed hesitant to answer, but unlike the last times, it wasn¡¯t due to some deep aversion. The blush on his face suggested embarrassment.

    ¡°I... don¡¯t have anything to tell. I didn''t explore the world a lot... or at all. These woods were the only place I could visit, except for my room.¡±

    ¡°Your room?¡± She asked, confused.

    ¡°I... lived inside a cabin and didn¡¯t get to leave it until recently...¡±

    Marianne smiled encouragingly. ¡°Can you tell me more about your room, then?¡±

    He gained a bit of enthusiasm back and continued.

    ¡°Until now, I lived inside a room where I did nothing but read books. It was never cold inside; I had a comfy bed. There were also always berries there for me to eat!¡±

    Once again, he looked to the side and mumbled.

    ¡°So, I don¡¯t have anything exciting to tell you...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You can tell me about the stories you read!¡±

    He looked back at her and asked hesitantly with hopeful eyes.

    ¡°You want to hear about the stories?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do!¡±

    He looked down, looking like he could explode with happiness.

    ¡°Then I have so many to tell!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to that.¡±

    This carefree exchange is interrupted by a deafening growl, loud enough to make Marianne¡¯s eardrums feel like they would explode. She needed to cover her eyes, and it seemed like Alpheus didn¡¯t fare much better. She wondered if his hearing was more sensitive than hers because his grimace was beyond intense.

    After the growling stopped and the ringing in her ears subsided, Marianne turned to Alpheus, who seemed like he was in shock.

    ¡°Alpheus, follow me. Now.¡±

    His eyes regained focus, but he still seemed confused, so she took his hand and guided him to walk alongside her in the opposite direction of whatever made all that noise.

    After he managed to calm down a bit, he asked, breathless.

    ¡°Miss Marianne, what was that?¡±

    They didn¡¯t have the luxury to wonder about that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Doesn¡¯t matter. We need to go. Now. That¡¯s what matters.¡±

    The severity of her tone made him go quiet and quicken his pace so he could keep up with her.

    They heard trampling that could cause an earthquake and drown out any noise. It even managed to drown out the noise of something else.

    A horde of animals running in their direction.

    They didn¡¯t seem to run towards them but away from the thing behind them.

    Marianne only took notice of them when they came into sight, upon which she quickly grabbed Alpheus to find cover behind a tree to avoid getting trampled by the larger animals passing by.

    Alpheus was shaking, and Marianne waited for the right moment to move out. They needed to act immediately.

    After the last wave of beasts ran ahead, Marianne didn¡¯t bother to guide Alpheus, who wouldn¡¯t even be able to hear her, and took him into her arms to run away.

    She didn¡¯t bother to look behind, but Alpheus, cradled in her arms, did have a clear view of whatever was beyond and recoiled in terror.

    A massive beast dwarfing the trees in its surroundings.

    On all fours, with its arms twice the size of the legs,

    Horns bigger than its head, and a mouth could swallow you whole.

    It was a Behemoth.

 Chapter 18 - Deadweight

    ¡°That¡¯s... a Behemoth...¡± Alpheus mumbles in shock.

    He vaguely remembers reading about them in some of the books back then. Spending all his time reading through the near-infinite supply of books, he gathered much information about the outside world, and Behemoths were no exception.

    It was currently distracted; however, upon seeing the real thing up close, he panicked and could only remember one thing.

    They were natural disasters incarnate.

    ¡°I suggest you head back.¡±

    The elf uttered those words out of nowhere. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks to look at her in confusion.

    The captain was the first to speak up.

    ¡°What do you mean? Is there something ahead?¡±

    ¡°Yes. What lies ahead is a Behemoth.¡± Despite the gravity of the current situation that she tries to express to the humans, her emotionless demeanor fails to do so. To an average human, it sounds as though she stated that there was a grumpy cat ahead.

    ¡°A Behemoth?¡± A crew member tilts his head in mock confusion.

    ¡°Why the fuck should a Behemoth waltz around here?¡±

    If it was anyone but her saying this, they would have thought this was a bad joke. However, for an elf to say something like that.

    You could only hope that an elf would joke like that.

    Despite that, the situation makes no sense to them whatsoever.

    No matter how insignificant their kingdom may be compared to the rest of the countries, beasts more ferocious than mere bears should have long been purged or driven away. Both the land here and those surrounding other human nations have been free of monsters like those for centuries, and the mages make sure to keep it that way.

    Why would something like a Behemoth appear out of nowhere without sightings?

    ¡°Elven woman, are you trying to keep us from doing our jobs?¡± one of the members asks gravely.

    ¡°Think what you will. I warned you.¡± She doesn¡¯t even acknowledge the death stares currently directed at her and turns away to keep going.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that, but you¡¯re heading in?¡± The captain ignores the dissatisfaction of his crew and asks her with a severe tone.

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    ¡°Of course I am. I will handle this issue accordingly. After all, I am more than capable of that.¡±

    Unlike you humans.

    The unspoken words hung over the entire group, igniting their bloodlust. They all tighten their grip on their weapons.

    ¡° I see. Well, you can quit giving us warnings. We can handle something like this.¡± The captain broke the hostile silence with a challenging expression directed at the one who sees them as nothing more than ants.

    ¡°Very well. Unfortunately, the situation has changed, so I can¡¯t afford to be slowed down. I will go ahead.¡± She gives them a slight nod and then places her hand against her forehead, mumbling something to herself.

    ¡°What do you-¡° He doesn¡¯t get to finish his sentence before a light shines from where her hand rests. That light traveled downward into the ground until something emerged from underneath the soil.

    Branches.

    Their golden color matches the hue of her own hair. They envelop her like a cocoon until they retreat into the ground, returning to wherever they came from.

    And just like that, with their disappearance, she too was no longer anywhere in sight.

    Everyone stood in complete silence for a minute. No one cared to speak that thought out loud, but no one could deny their fascination upon witnessing this.

    After all, it was the first time they witnessed the miracle of magic.

    It''s not something your average human could ever hope to see in their lifetime.

    ¡°Fuck! That bitch left us just like that!?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going after them, right?!¡±

    ¡°But... a Behemoth...?¡±

    ¡°She just said that as an excuse to ditch us!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she just doesn¡¯t want to deal with us escorting her to the authorities.¡±

    In that case, we¡¯ve got to report this!¡±

    Just like that, the captain had enough and interrupted the useless banter.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, idiots!¡±

    Everyone fell silent.

    ¡°We¡¯re not reporting anyone! How many times do I have to drill this shit into your thick heads?! We¡¯re staying the hell away from the authorities! Now¡¯s not the time to be fucking petty.¡±

    ¡°Well then, what SHOULD we do?¡±

    ¡°We keep moving. We¡¯re seeing this through. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going back with a failed mission on our backs. None of us would be able to live that down.¡±

    No one can think of a counterargument, so they nod in agreement.

    ¡°Not to mention, I¡¯m not retreating after that bitch mocked us like that. Neither will you!¡± He took his sword out and held it up as a declaration of war, roaring. The others followed suit and took their weapons out with a battle cry.

    ¡°Not like the stories are true anyway. Behemoths are not any more of a big deal than other beasts.¡±

    They¡¯re nothing more than beasts named after the deceased Earth Devil.

    Marianne kept a cool head¡ªor, relatively, as cool as one can be after running from some monster that seemingly caused tremors underneath one''s feet with every step.

    She pushed any unnecessary thoughts to the wayside and focused on getting both of them away from here.

    Alpheus recovers from his shock after a second and comes back to reality.

    ¡°Miss Marianne, put me down!¡± He requests forcefully. He can¡¯t just slow her down like that.

    She didn¡¯t bother to answer, and her silence rejected that request.

    ¡°Miss Marianne, please, you can¡¯t-¡° He pesters her, and she snaps.

    ¡°Idiot, think for a second about why I¡¯m not doing that.¡± She answers without holding back.

    He shrank back. He understood that he was currently nothing more than deadweight. He was nowhere near recovered. He couldn¡¯t even correctly run yet and loses his stamina quickly. His lack of weight made him easy to carry, too.

    He understood that.

    He truly did.

    But that didn¡¯t mean he hated it any less.

    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m nothing but deadweight.¡±

    As that thought settles in his mind, draining him of all color, the beast turns in their direction, its red eyes meeting his.

    Just like that, it caught sight of them.

 Chapter 19 - Run

    The moment Alpheus¡¯ eyes met the beast''s, its pupil narrowed. Marianne continued to run without looking back, but Alpheus saw everything as though he was flipping between pages, seeing each fleeting moment of its movement while time froze.

    The redness of its eyes grew more profound.

    The growling and rumbling that emerged sent shivers down his spine with each breath it let out.

    The teeth became visible. They were massive and looked as though they could tear through steel¡ªthe teeth of a predator.

    It placed its massive arms on the ground, assuming a position that indicated one thing and one thing only.

    It was about to lunge at them.

    ¡°Jump to your right!¡± Alpheus shouted from the top of his lungs.

    Without a moment of hesitation, Marianne obliged and did just that. They fell to the ground. Alpheus winced from the impact and felt a gust of wind fly past him. A moment later, the beast would have killed them right there. It flew a considerable distance away, and Marianne immediately stood up to hide behind a tree before it turned around to face them again.

    ¡°W-We need to get away!¡± Alpheus was rattled to the point that he made such an obvious assessment. For the first time, Marianne gets a clear view of the beast for which they have become prey. Immediately, she grabbed Alpheus by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes with an intensity that made him hold his breath.

    ¡°Yes, you need to get away. The moment I give the command, you run with all your might, and don¡¯t you dare slow down no matter how out of breath you get. No matter how much your body aches.¡±

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    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hesitate. This is not the time for that. This is a command. You owe me one. Remember?¡±

    She brought up the silly game they played at a time like this.

    ¡°You will run. And you will do so immediately.¡± The expression on her face was bloodcurdling.

    The beast is already beginning to approach them. Marianne can hear the footsteps getting closer.

    Alpheus nodded meekly.

    Marianne took out the knife from one of her pockets and placed it in the shivering hands of the shell-shocked boy. In place of the knife, she began to fill her pocket with a large amount of decently sized rocks.

    She looked back at the youngling holding onto the knife for dear life, and tears began to form in the eyes that looked with innocent fear. At that moment, her expression softened before the hardened look returned.

    ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you.¡±

    She uttered those empty words, hoping the boy was nervous to believe them.

    She waited a moment, waiting for it to take another step so that she could hide the noise of their movement underneath the destructive sound of its own body.

    Gauging the next instance, which would become the opportunity they needed, she mouthed at him.

    ¡°Run.¡±

    He began to move in the opposite direction, and soon enough, the sound of its own footstep masked the boy''s escape.

    At that exact moment, Marianne emerged from the tree, and the creature instantly noticed her.

    She threw a rock that thankfully entered its nose, startling the beast.

    It saw red.

    <hr>

    His head was spinning in spirals.

    His legs ached with every step.

    His breath labored to the point of agony.

    His arms dangled uselessly to the side as he continued to run. He couldn¡¯t feel them, but he clutched the knife in his hand with all his might.

    Every cell in his body screamed at him to stop, but he continued running.

    He ran, his mind completely blank.

    He continues to run.

    His pace began to slow down, and his movement became sluggish to the point that he started limping.

    He continued to run with the mere thought that what awaited him was something.

    Be it a light with a beauty and brightness that blinded him from all his thoughts.

    Be it the end, that would release him from his bodily ache.

    Be it sanctuary and salvation from it all.

    But beyond all that, he wanted just one thing.

    Something that would save the person who pushed him to run toward something.

    When he could run no longer, he did arrive at something.

    That something is a group of people.

    People armed with weapons.

    People, among which was a man holding a sword.

 Chapter 20 - Left Arm

    Alpheus had no idea what to do.

    He was still catching his breath and doing his best to stand upright despite his shaky legs.

    His heart was racing, and the people he encountered didn¡¯t help that fact. He recognizes them.

    He was familiar with the man wielding a bow. During their encounter, his arrow almost hits his head. He narrowly avoided death because he fell off a cliff. He was fortunate to fall in the middle of a dense forest. His landing would have been far worse without the trees cushioning his fall.

    He was familiar with the man wielding a dagger. During their encounter, he was pinned down by him once. The sharp edge of the weapon almost reached his chest, and at that moment, Alpheus was about to accept his fate. However, mysteriously, he stopped just before that happened. The man stopped moving and looked around as though he lost sight of the target right beneath him. Somehow, Alpheus managed to lift himself and ran away without questioning the strange twist of events that saved him.

    He was familiar with the man holding a sword. During their encounter, his journey might have ended in the cruelest way possible. He encountered him when Alpheus started to get his breaking point.

    When his body could no longer match his desire for survival.

    When he began to consider giving up,

    This man almost ended his journey just as the kind woman appeared. He appeared when the source of warmth slowly washed away the dark thoughts developing within him. He was about to end him. However, this time, he wasn¡¯t saved by circumstance or magical coincidence.

    He was saved by a person.

    Time and time again, she extended her hand to him until he could no longer suppress his desire to take it. He surrendered to the comfort and warmth that enveloped him until he believed again.

    However, facing this man, Alpheus was thrust with the reality he turned away from.

    He¡¯s supposed to die.

    His body couldn¡¯t move. He was rooted in place and could only watch.

    They pointed at him, shouting words that reached his ears but not his mind. Their smiles widened, yet their eyes emanated something else entirely.

    Anger

    Frustration

    Glee

    Bloodlust

    The fear led him to shut off his mind, retreating somewhere else. Somewhere where he didn¡¯t need to witness the sight in front of him.

    Before he was truly gone, his mind recalled something.

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    He remembered the voice of the person who always showered him with warmth. At that moment, it radiated unfiltered wrath and fear at the same time. His mind failed to recall everything she said, but it managed to understand the message conveyed at the time.

    ¡°Live, Alpheus.¡±

    These words, those feelings, brought him back to reality. He got out of his stupor, feeling slapped in the face.

    His expression hardened, and he felt determined again. His body might have reached its limit and begged him to stop, but he refused to listen.

    The men noticed his change in attitude. His state of mind still failed him in deciphering the meaning of the words they uttered, but he knew by the sound of their snickers that they were mocking his pathetic struggle to survive this hopeless situation.

    He turned around to bolt away, and yet he could almost feel the blade that would soon reach his neck. He ran with all his might, and yet the many footsteps grew closer.

    They grew closer and closer until...

    <hr>

    Marianne might have told him she would catch up with him, but...

    ... she seriously doubted the likelihood of that happening.

    The beast before her was unlike anything else she ever faced in her former life. She was used to dangerous situations, and it wasn¡¯t the first time she dealt with a predator, either.

    She could handle a bear just fine.

    ¡°You might be a little bigger than a bear, fella.¡± She remarked amusedly.

    She knew the moment she laid eyes on it that there was no hope of surviving this encounter.

    Marianne managed to dodge the first lunge only because it was far away, probably 20 meters away from them. The fact that it quickly flew past that distance with a single jump told her everything she needed to know.

    The best she could hope for was that it wouldn¡¯t decide to pursue the boy, whose survival mattered to her most, after making her its prey.

    This was all she could hope for.

    ¡°Bring it on.¡±

    But that didn¡¯t mean she would just surrender.

    It wasn¡¯t only about buying him time. It was about surviving until her last breath, giving it everything she got. That defiant mindset that saved her through so many stupidly dangerous journeys didn¡¯t fade over time.

    Her deviant aura didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Despite being easy prey, her feral attitude made the beast pace around her with careful consideration. Facing an animal that could quickly kill you, it was important to appear threatening to avoid them instantly lunging at you. Sometimes that alone manages to save you from certain death.

    ¡°I dare you.¡± She uttered ferociously with an ice-cold expression on her face.

    Fortunately, that logic rewarded her, even with a monster of this magnitude.

    That gave her enough time to back away to create a distance between them as she readied the rocks in her pocket.

    She waited for the right moment. Small rocks wouldn¡¯t even catch this beast¡¯s attention. It was massive, and its hide looked sturdy enough for even an arrow unable to penetrate it.

    And so, she aimed for more vulnerable spots. The stare-down lasted for a while until she suddenly threw a rock.

    She threw it, completely missing it as it flew right past the beast. Thankfully, it took the bait and was distracted by the rock flying across its right side. That moment was enough time for her to throw another rock at it, and as it turned around to face her again, the object hit the right eye.

    It was certainly startled, but it wasn¡¯t in any significant pain¡ªnot that Marianne expected it to be. This probably felt like a single grain of sand to a beast of this size.

    Marianne used this moment to create more distance and, thankfully, found a decent hiding spot behind a massive rock. The path past it went downhill, so she ran as silently as possible, hoping it would have a tougher time spotting her.

    While it was unlikely, she hoped to reach a group of animals. It might change targets, as this was the only scenario she could imagine surviving.

    As expected, the area was dead silent, with no creature anywhere in sight.

    That option was now off the table.

    As if to reaffirm the hopelessness she found herself in, the behemoth finally caught sight of her and immediately ran towards her.

    It seemed to have lost its patience. Judging by the ferocious growls and the redness of its eyes, the little rock throw did nothing but enrage it.

    She ran with all her might, but it soon reached her. It lunged at her, and she attempted to evade it again, but it was too late.

    It bit her left arm. Its teeth dug inside the flesh, crushing the bones with ease.

    Just like that, her arm was torn off her body.

 Chapter 21 - Something else entirely

    It began with grabbing her waist. The claws might have only slightly nudged against her skin; it was enough to dig into her flesh and draw blood.

    Then its teeth landed on her left arm as they dug into the area near her shoulder. It kept digging deeper until it reached the bone.

    The teeth were strong enough to crunch and break the bone immediately.

    And now it began to tear off the arm it claimed violently. It happened in an instant. She didn¡¯t even have the time to show any kind of resistance.

    However, ...

    She didn¡¯t feel any pain whatsoever.

    The feeling of being dismembered in such a brutal fashion...

    She wasn¡¯t numb to the sensation, but again, there was no pain.

    Was the pain that overwhelming?

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    No...

    Through her many adventures in her past life, she was able to develop a high pain tolerance. Not to mention, this numbness... felt different.

    Did the adrenaline numb her sense of pain?

    No...

    She¡¯s been through enough near-death experiences to stay level-headed. But ever since she arrived in that world, a feeling of calmness was always looming over her like a shroud. It sank to her core and permeated every cell in her body. The emptiness made her feel like a husk like she wasn¡¯t human. Adrenaline was a sensation that she may have left behind ever since.

    The beast retreated a few meters and spat out the limb previously attached to her body. It landed with a thud, and somehow, Marianne didn¡¯t feel like running away.

    She stood there as though nothing had happened and tried her best to process the state of emptiness that had left her clueless. She looked down her shoulder to view the empty space where her arm used to be.

    Strangely enough, she didn¡¯t bleed nearly as much as she should. As though her wound was already closing rapidly to prevent excessive blood loss.

    Then, she looked down at the ground to observe the arm.

    The skin that enveloped the flesh began to take a new color. A golden color.

    Not only that, but the texture itself changed, too.

    It transformed into something else. Something that didn¡¯t belong to a human. Nothing like that.

    She tilted her head because...

    ..., despite the empty feeling of calmness remaining. A different emotion also emerged.

    It was confusion.

    ¡°Are those... tree branches?¡±

 Chapter 22 - Guardian Angel

    She stared at the object that, moments ago, was attached to her body.

    Moments ago, it had a different form.

    Moments ago, it was her arm.

    Thick branches grew from what was once a human limb. The wood''s golden color was bright and shiny, almost ethereal.

    She was obviously stunned, but the beast''s growling in front of her brought her back to reality.

    The behemoth lunged at her once again, intending to tear her body further apart, when...

    <hr>

    Meanwhile, Alpheus is running from the impending doom behind him.

    With a completely blank mind, he continued to run.

    He ran until a hand grabbed him by the shoulder. Cold to the touch, as though death itself took hold of him. His gaze met the murderous gaze of the mercenary who lifted his sword to prepare for the final strike.

    This... moment reminded him of the other two instances where death nearly took him.

    When the arrow darted towards his head.

    When the dagger descended toward his chest.

    Each time, he was able to avoid inevitable demise as though some unknown force had always saved him.

    It was when this thought occurred to him that the blade stopped.

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    The man froze in place as he looked absentmindedly into the distance.

    At that moment, it felt like time had frozen in place for both of us.

    Looking past his assailant''s unmoving body, Alpheus realized that the other members of his crew were equally unmoving.

    ¡°Yep... I guess I can no longer simply watch the party unfold. Then again, with how all this developed, I think it would be a shame to miss out on all this!¡±

    Alpheus looked around, confused. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint where that voice came from.

    But more than that, the voice sounded... strange. The tone of the voice changed with each syllable, and the words carried a subtle... echo.

    ¡°Where...?¡±

    ¡°Where are you looking at dummy? Oh, right, I guess I should make myself visible...¡± The voice''s mood shifted alongside its tone as though the person talking kept changing as well.

    ¡°All right, hang on...¡±

    Right after the one speaking finished this sentence, something appeared in front of Alpheus as though it was there all along.

    The being that came into existence was tiny. It was barely the size of Alpheus¡¯ hand.

    A humanoid body.

    Green wings would belong to a butterfly.

    The hair and eyes had the same color.

    A bony physique and clothes made from plants.

    He recalls reading similar characteristics in his books. At least, it was one of the forms that he gathered them to possess.

    ¡°This is a...¡± It spoke Before Alpheus could finish the thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again!¡± The warmth that the voice carried felt... artificial.¡±

    ¡°No... come to think of it... I should say this instead.¡± The being puffed out its chest as though it made some dramatic entrance.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Alpheus. I¡¯m Amharclann, but you can call me Arclan for short. I¡¯m just a humble fairy and your guardian angel!¡±

    <hr>

    Just as Marianne made a futile attempt to dodge the attack from the Behemoth, suddenly, branches emerged from the ground. They sprouted out and enveloped the body of the predator. It growled ferociously, but it was unable to free itself.

    Marianne looked at the scene in front of her in shock until something else emerged from the ground.

    The branches that emerged were different in color and the aura they emitted. They were just like her detached arm.

    The branches were untangled, revealing the form of a beautiful woman emerging from the construct as though it were a cocoon. Alongside her, a crimson butterfly sprang from that cocoon and flew into the sky, fading into the distance.

    Her golden hair flew freely in the calm wind that flew by them.

    Her eyes, the same color as her hair, looked as beautiful as they were terrifying in their coldness.

    It was clear to Marianne that she wasn¡¯t human.

    As their eyes met, she was about to turn around to run away. However, she stopped dead in her tracks when she took notice of her expression.

    Her eyes did not bear hostility. In fact, ...

    The woman walked towards her, kneeled on the ground, and bowed her head.

    ...her eyes held affection. She was showing respect.

    ¡°O divine one... your humble servant has come to collect you.¡±

 Chapter 23 - She kept on running

    After a long silence filled with Marianne¡¯s attempt to recover from the shock and gather her thoughts, the first sentence that her brain managed to express was...

    "Alright... this shit is too much for me right now.¡± She preferred to keep that one to herself and instead turned to address the woman in front of her. She tried to supress her old speaking habits that returned from this hectic situation. She tried her best to be polite.

    ¡°First of all, thank you for saving me. She has a million other things she would rather say right now, and her mind was still not completely there, but that didn¡¯t make her forget common decency. Her mind

    ¡°Forgive me speaking out of turn, but I do not deserve your gratitude. I already failed you. After all, your body has already been harmed...¡± The woman kept looking down and the tone in her voice that expressed her feelings of shame seemed genuine.

    Marianne glanced back at her former arm. She was reminded of the wild beast, that hunted her not even a minute ago. It was pitifully stuck beneath the branches and didn¡¯t even have the opportunity to thrash around. Instead, it growled ferociously.

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    She heaved out a very drawn-out sign before answering.

    ¡°Moving on from that.¡± She decided that she wasn¡¯t in the mood to continue arguing about this. If she feels guilty, then that¡¯s that.

    ¡°The beast beside you? Is it no longer a threat?¡±

    The woman seemed startled and looked toward its direction. It seemed like she forgot about its existence entirely.

    ¡°The Behemoth is no longer a threat to you. There is no way that it can break through the restraints, and I will dispatch of it as soon as possible.¡±

    "I see..." Was the only response she could give.

    "Okay..."

    "She is terrifying."

    "But at least there is one less problem to worry about."

    As such, it was clear to Marianne what she has to do next.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have a lot more questions I need answers to, but I have to hurry.¡± Marianne didn¡¯t even look back as she went ahead running.

    ¡°What...?¡± The woman seemed shell shocked, unable to utter any words afterwards.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any time to waste, so we can catch up on all that later!¡± Was the only thing she managed to shout without stopping.

    Glancing back for a brief moment, she took notice of the long pointy ears that were previously hidden behind her long golden hair.

    The woman stood there, unmoving.

    Marianne turned away from the unsettling sight and kept on running.

    There¡¯s no way in hell, that she has the time to bother with all that, when there is a certain someone, she needs to catch up with.

    Despite that, she could not supress all the thoughts that passed through her mind with each step.

    What is up with my arm, or rather my body?

    Why did she save me?

    Why did she address her as ¡°Divine one¡±?

    Was she not human?

    Is she dangerous?

    What were the feelings, this... familiarity... that surged from within Marianne when she set eyes on that woman?

    She kept on running.

 Chapter 24 - Seriously!?

    The strange voice by the whimsical fairy hasn¡¯t quite reached Alpheus yet.

    He was still in the middle of catching his breath.

    He tried to keep steady, but his buckling legs refused to cooperate.

    He couldn¡¯t stop his body from shaking erratically.

    He couldn¡¯t suppress the feelings of anxiety and dread after this near-death experience.

    He couldn¡¯t collect his mind.

    The fairy''s voice kept shifting in nature as though it could never find an actual form to settle on.

    ¡°Uhm, you alright, buddy?¡±

    The voice of an immature child, with a slight grating screech accompanying it.

    No response.

    ¡°Hellooooooooo?¡±

    The voice of an adult, neither low nor high, emanates an androgynous nature.

    No response.

    ¡°Earth to Alpheus?¡±

    The voice of an elderly woman, though it lacked the pleasant connotation he has grown accustomed to.

    No response.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t leave me hanging!¡±

    The voice of something that wasn¡¯t human, the echo that subtly accompanied each syllable before, came to the forefront. It was overwhelming. The voice became increasingly distorted, losing any semblance of normalcy.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    No response.

    ¡°Wait... are you having a... what do you guys call it...? A panic attack?¡±

    The voice remained distorted. The fairy groaned out loud before resting his hand on Alpheus.

    ¡°Give me a second. I¡¯ll fix that.¡±

    Alpheus was not in the right state of mind.

    It felt like he wasn¡¯t in control of his own body. Even then, he wasn¡¯t truly conscious yet. It was as though the body was operating independently without the host being present. The body shivered uncontrollably while struggling to breathe in the air around him.

    Meanwhile, Alpheus struggled to find his way to his body. It¡¯s like he was moving in pure nothingness, with nothing stopping him, yet there was no movement to guide him towards his target.

    During this pitiful struggle, Alpheus felt some force stopping him in place.

    ¡°Stop flailing around so much. You¡¯re not a kid drowning beneath the sea.¡±

    A voice reached him.

    He obeyed it and suddenly felt very collected.

    In front of him, the fairy reappeared and held his hand, which was tiny compared to his.

    ¡°Follow me. Figured I¡¯d speed up the whole process.¡±

    Alpheus felt small and helpless but slightly relieved upon being helped like that.

    As they walked, Alpheus¡¯ mind regained focus and became truly aware of everything.

    The fairy stopped in the middle of nowhere.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s your final stop, boy!¡±

    Alpheus was confused. There was nothing in front of them.

    Arclan didn¡¯t give him the time to ask questions and smacked him.

    Just like that, Alpheus finally regained his sense of control. His breath was ragged, but he could finally keep it steady. He lay on the ground and struggled to stand up. His limbs wouldn¡¯t budge, and neither did his head. He felt strange like he was both anxious and calm at the same time.

    The fairy landed on the ground in front of him and smiled triumphantly.

    ¡°Phew! I''m not used to aiding a host''s mind, but I think I did a pretty good job! It was a bit difficult to find you inside your messy headspace.¡±

    Alpheus lay there, unresponsive.

    ¡°Alright! Now quit being a living corpse and stand up, or will you ignore your savior? Talk about ungrateful! No manners, geez!¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll... stand up now.¡±

    Alpheus struggled immensely but stood up despite his limbs still feeling extremely hollow. He is swaying so strongly that he barely manages to save himself from toppling over.

    ¡°Wait, I was just joking! Jeez, I forgot how much you take everything at face value...¡±

    Alpheus was still unsteady, but he finally made eye contact.

    Or rather, he tried to. It appears he managed to remain shy towards strangers, even in a situation like this.

    At least, it meant that he was calming down.

    ¡°Thank you for saving me...¡± He fidgeted with his hands.

    ¡°No need to thank me! That¡¯s just what I do, but I don¡¯t mind the praise.¡± The voice became slightly human again.

    ¡°Uhmm, what about those people?¡±

    His face was blank.

    ¡°People? What peoples¡±

    The fairy looked behind him to see the armed humans still in some kind of trance.

    ¡°Ohhhhhhhh! Those!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry! They won¡¯t pose a threat to you... for now! Anyways, I will now-¡°

    ¡°I see. I can¡¯t thank you enough, but I must go now!¡±

    Just like that, Alpheus ran away. If you can call that running.

    ¡°Hold on, hold on, hold on! We reunite, and you¡¯re just going to ditch me like that!?¡± He flew quickly toward him and reached him within seconds.

    ¡°I... need to hurry towards... Miss Marianne...¡± He was so out of breath that he was barely able to talk.

    ¡°Seriously!? There¡¯s a damn Behemoth ahead!¡±

 Chapter 25 - Oh, come on!

    And so, the goblin, on the verge of passing out, ventures out, accompanied by a strange fairy who is already running out of patience with this boy¡¯s reckless behavior.

    Despite this, he speaks to him calmly. Or rather, he tries to sound that way, as his voice took on the nature of a gentlewoman, the tone having much more gentle and calming inflections.

    ¡°Mind telling me what you can do to that beast? Just asking?¡±

    He was promptly ignored.

    Already, the kind voice was dropped in favor of the rough-sounding voice of a teen, and the snarky tone was intentionally heightened with a hidden layer of impatience.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°You do know that it can kill you in an instant. This is nothing but a waste of time. Rather, a very dumb way to lose your life.¡±

    Yet again, there was no response.

    The voice of a bratty kid came to the forefront, sounding as though he had a temper tantrum.

    ¡°Oh, for the love of Titania! Just turn around!¡±

    The fairy likely thought the following when he uttered the following sentence.

    "Screw this shit."

    ¡°That woman is most likely dead by now.¡±

    That cruel remark brought Alpheus back to reality, and he looked shocked at what was said to him right then. He might have saved his life, but he was still a stranger to him, so he seemed genuinely angry.

    ¡°No, she is not! She promised that she would come back! She promised!¡±

    Ah, I forgot how this boy took promises so seriously. He¡¯s really, REALLY out of touch with how the real world works.

    ¡°Listen, we do not have time for this. I¡¯ve got to bring you to safety, so just...¡±

    Before he managed to finish his sentence, they were startled by a sound coming from the bushes. Something was moving toward them.

    And just like that, a grandma appeared.

    ¡°Oh, come on!¡±

    Such was the profound sentiment shouted by the fairy in his own mind.

 Chapter 26 - Hereéˆ¥æªš hoping for a great partnership!

    The woman¡¯s intense expression softened when her eyes fell on the boy, who was on the verge of passing out.

    ¡°Alpheus... Thank goodness, you¡¯re safe...¡± She was beyond relieved when she said that. His own eyes began to cloud over.

    ¡°Miss Marianne... I... did... as you said...¡± His voice was breaking several times. ¡°They... almost caught me... but I... didn¡¯t stop running...so...¡± He struggled to catch his breath from running so much and tried his best to suppress his tears.

    That is, until she pulled him in for an embrace, ensuring he knew he was finally safe.

    During this embrace, Alpheus noticed something, or rather the lack of something.

    ¡°Miss Marianne... what happened to your arm...?¡± He asked, beyond shocked.

    Marianne looked back at the stump, where once her left arm was. At this point, the wound was closed entirely, as though she had been wounded for months now. Questioning that abnormal regeneration can wait until later.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that? I was merely a bit careless.¡± She pressed his head against her other shoulder to shield him from the sight.

    ¡°No... it¡¯s my...fault...¡± That was all he managed to say before finally passing out. She held onto his body and gently guided him to a nearby tree to lean against.

    She didn¡¯t stand up and remained crouching, her soft gaze never wavering.

    That was until another presence flew in front of her face. If she was startled, she didn¡¯t show it.

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    ¡°Hello, Miss! So, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been taking care of my dear Alpheus, aren¡¯t you? Marianne, right?¡± The energetic voice, resembling an adolescent man, was strangely inhuman to her.

    After a moment of contemplation, she answered.

    ¡°Hello, little one. Yes, I am indeed. Since you know my name already, it¡¯s only appropriate for you to state yours.¡± She says so with a hint of hesitation.

    ¡°I¡¯m Amharclann, a fairy and professional guardian angel to this boy, but you can call me Arclan! It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± The cheerful voice shifted slightly as though it was aging as he spoke.

    ¡°Likewise. Am I right to assume that humans attacked him? And that you saved him from them?¡± She looked back at the sleeping boy, who looked beyond exhausted.

    ¡°Yes, to both!¡± The voice, once again, seemed younger.

    ¡°In that case, you have my gratitude.¡± It was all she managed to say as she respectfully bowed her head.

    ¡°No need to thank me! Again, I¡¯m his guardian angel. Of course, I would come to his aid!¡± The voice lost the rough tone, becoming more and more androgynous.

    ¡°I see. I have many more questions, but I must find shelter.¡±

    After all, the cold night is soon approaching, and their pursuers could ambush them at any moment now.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ve got the perfect spot for that!¡± The voice seemed more feminine now.

    ¡°You will be accompanying us?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Didn¡¯t I already say I¡¯m here to protect him like you? Or is there a problem?¡± The voice adopted the sweet tone of an innocent child.

    She can think of many problems, but now was not the time.

    ¡°No, forgive me if I offended you.¡±

    ¡°No offense taken. Alright, it''s time to get him to safety! My apologies: I understand that you¡¯re injured, but... I can¡¯t exactly carry him with my size, sooooo...¡± The apologetic tone clashed with the mischievous tone akin to a teenager.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright; I intended to carry him, anyway.¡± She said so as she stood up to retrieve the resting child. Supporting him with one arm is less than ideal, but she managed to secure him.

    ¡°Well then! I¡¯m glad to travel with you. So that we can both look out for him, here¡¯s hoping for a great partnership!¡± The enthusiasm exhibited by the creature prompted her to reply in turn.

    ¡°...Likewise.¡± She said so as politely and energetically as possible, concealing her current thoughts.

    There are a lot of questions on her mind now. Too many. However, ...

    ...In this giant mess of uncertainty, there is one thing she is more than sure of.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell I can trust this little guardian angel.¡±

 Chapter 27 - A rude question

    Alpheus regained consciousness. His mind couldn¡¯t fully register anything yet, but once he went past the initial phase of grogginess, he finally noticed the headache he was having. Suffice it to say, his head felt like it was splitting in half.

    While he fought against the pain and massaged his forehead, he heard a voice ahead nearby.

    ¡°Wow, so you hunted all of this in your current state? And you even prepared them all already. That¡¯s impressive, Miss!¡± Alpheus recognized this voice. It belonged to the fairy that saved him.

    ¡°Thank you for the compliment, but this isn¡¯t much.¡± Relief washed over him when he heard Marianne talk, but he was slightly surprised. Her voice carried a subtle... coldness that he wasn¡¯t used to.

    It seems like she just arrived. For some reason, Alpheus tried his best not to move and pretend like he was still sleeping.

    ¡°Alpheus, I know you¡¯re awake.¡±

    He flinched. It seems like nothing went past her.

    He opened his eyes and saw her in the middle of roasting pieces of meat by a fireplace. The sight brought him an odd feeling of comfort.

    As soon as his eyes opened, she was already by his sight, covering his eyes with her hand.

    ¡°Take it easy, dear. Let the headache pass first.¡± Instinctively, he leaned into the touch.

    She patiently sat by her side, unmoving.

    ¡°Uhm, I think I¡¯m better now.¡± Alpheus said so with hesitation, but he was confident that the worst was over.

    ¡°You think?¡± She asked so with a very stern voice.

    ¡°I... mean, yes, I¡¯m better now.¡±

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    ¡°Good.¡± She said it so simply, yet her voice made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

    Once he lifted himself upward and sat comfortably on the ground, she passed him a water bowl.

    ¡°Begin with small sips. But make sure to drink all of it.¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± Was all he said.

    It was a repeat of last night, but the familiar motion felt calming to him.

    Silently, she passed him a meat skewer, and he took it into his hand after a moment of hesitation.

    He looked at the meat with apprehension but steadied himself.

    ¡°Thank you for the food.¡± He took a deep breath and dug in. Just like that, the hunger he didn¡¯t notice until now overtook his body, and he ate without any sign of slowing down.

    As the young boy ate his meal without a care in the world, Marianne sat down, finally feeling like she could relax. She didn¡¯t notice how exhausted her body was, but every muscle was sore.

    This feeling of weakness reminded her of what transpired that day. She looked at her missing arm.

    ¡°Just what... am I?¡±

    She could not wrap her head around a lot, the nature of her body most of all.

    She was so lost in thought that she didn¡¯t notice the little creature casually landing on her head until he addressed her directly.

    ¡°He¡¯s actually eating meat now... he¡¯s quite obedient with you.¡± The fairy named Arclan spoke with the voice of a younger boy. She finds that irregular voice uncomfortable.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it like that. He wishes to live, so he eats. And he does so out of his own volition. It is that simple.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, is that so? Well, so long as he starts caring for his body, I¡¯m happy!¡± Their innocent tone grows along with the shrillness of their ever-changing voice.

    ¡°Indeed. Also...¡± Her tone of voice was suddenly... severe. ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t use my head as a resting place, little one.¡± She said so, sitting calmly without even trying to push him off her head, despite how easy it should be.

    ¡°Oh, come on, I barely weigh anything! Surely, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.¡± And just like that, their voice turned adolescent.

    She didn¡¯t bother to give a response.

    ¡°Alright, alright, but just so you know, most humans would kill for the honor of having a fairy use them as furniture! At least, I think they would...¡±

    ¡°Is that so? In that case, I¡¯m very honored.¡±

    ¡°So does that mean...¡° The hopeful tone of their voice turned a lot more girlish.

    ¡°Regrettably, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy of this...¡± She said so with a bit more amusement.

    ¡°Fear not, human, for I have deemed you most deserving of this. In any case, I...¡± Once again, he attempted to land on her head but was stopped by the expression on her face.

    ¡°Please. Don¡¯t bother, little one!¡±

    In the end, he gave up and rested on a nearby log of wood.

    ¡°Meanie! Well, I know when to quit, but there will not be a second time.¡±

    "I think I will be able to live with that." That was all she had to say in response.

    It seemed like somewhere in the middle of their banter, Alpheus was already done with his meal and spoke up. It seemed he was struggling to find the right moment to intervene. ¡°Excuse me, Mister Fairy! Or... Mister Arclan...? You can rest on me if you don¡¯t mind...¡±

    ¡°Oh, what a sweet boy you are! You are most definitely deserving of this, so... don¡¯t mind if I do!¡± Without even a hint of hesitation, he flew over Alpheus to claim his newly acquired spot and relaxed. ¡°Also, I already told you. Feel free to call me just Arclan.¡±

    ¡°Ok...uhm... Arclan.¡± He fidgeted restlessly.

    ¡°Now then! I¡¯m sure the two of you have many questions! Don¡¯t worry; I have taken it upon myself to answer them all! Well... to the extent I''m capable of, anyway...¡± He declared this most dramatically while still lazily lying on top of Alpheus.

    ¡°In that case, I will take you up on your generosity. There¡¯s been something that was bothering me for a while now.¡± Marianne didn¡¯t miss a beat while raising her hand.

    ¡°Of course, ask away!¡±

    ¡°What is the matter with your voice?¡±

    A moment of uncomfortable silence ensued.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty rude, you know that?¡±

 Chapter 28 - The actual questions

    ¡°Uhm... Miss Marianne? I think that wasn¡¯t very nice to say.¡± Alpheus said cautiously, not knowing how to handle the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

    ¡°Was it?¡± Marianne asked with a voice that suggested genuine confusion. ¡°I think it¡¯s a perfectly reasonable one. I¡¯m sure you had the same question in mind, Alpheus.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t deny that. However, that wasn¡¯t exactly the first question in mind.

    Additionally...

    And so, the one to whom this question was addressed exclaimed, offended. ¡°But didn¡¯t you think that this might be a sensitive question!? Maybe I have a severe condition, and I just felt hurt unprovoked! For all you know, this could have been very hurtful!¡± Coincidentally, the current voice belonged to what Marianne could only call a whiny child.

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t know that unless you told me.¡±

    The fairy pouted at the uncaring woman.

    Casually, she carried on.

    ¡°Now then, would you enlighten us? Is that whole voice changing a fairy thing? You did tell us that you would answer any question.¡±

    ¡°Correction: I would answer anything to the best of my abilities. That doesn¡¯t mean everything... buuuuut I guess that one is fine!¡±

    He was lying on Alpheus¡¯ head like a makeshift bed but ended up sitting cross-legged.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t exactly call it a ¡®fairy thing,¡¯ but I suppose it¡¯s not totally inaccurate.¡±

    The fairy stood up, took flight towards the campfire, and levitated over it. The heat beneath his feet didn¡¯t seem to bother him in the slightest.

    ¡°I, Arclann, protector of our one and only Alpheus, am what you mortals call... a fairy!¡± His wings fully opened, and he dramatically raised his arms to the sky. At that moment, the fire erupted and swallowed him whole. The color of the pyre changed to the mesmerizing color of the rainbow.

    Alpheus shrieked.

    ¡°Arclan?!¡±

    Even Marianne¡¯s eyes widened at the sight, and she was ready to step in until a voice emerged from within the flames.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys! These are just special effects! Just for theatrics!¡± The flames died out, revealing him to have no burn marks whatsoever.

    Alpheus sighed in relief.

    ¡°I fear my heart would prefer you to keep the special effects down.¡± She looked genuinely distraught, and he smiled smugly at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m elated to see you worry for me so!¡±

    Marianne didn¡¯t humor the provocation and instead asked.

    ¡°So, what were these special effects? You can control fire?¡± Marianne asked, crossing her arms.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Hmmmmm, who knows!¡± He looked away in mischief.

    ¡°I assume you would.¡± She replied dryly.

    ¡°That is indeed a possibility, yes!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Oh, fine! No, these flames were not real. I just magically made them seem that way.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s... interesting.¡± Marianne processed the question before continuing.

    ¡°Then I would like you to refrain from doing that, especially at night. I would prefer us not to attract attention right now.¡±

    ¡°Why? Because of the humans? Or the Behemoth?¡± Arclan asked innocently.

    Alpheus let out a sharp breath as he was reminded of the threats they had previously been exposed to. He looked at Marianne with guilt.

    Marianne didn¡¯t reply, prompting him to continue his own.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! These flames may have travelled far into the sky, but only you two could see them.¡±

    Before Marianne could ponder on what was said, he carried on.

    ¡°Oh, and I wouldn¡¯t worry about the humans! They¡¯re busy right now. The behemoth is of no concern to us either. In fact, right now, the fellow is...¡± He shot the concerns down with such finesse that his sudden pause was startling, to say the least.

    He carried on.

    ¡°... the fellow is harmless now!¡±

    Marianne narrowed her eyes. She remembered the elven woman who made short work of the beast that almost claimed her life.

    Did she slay that monster?

    Unlike Marianne, Alpheus sighed in relief.

    For his sake, she decided to drop that topic for now. It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying.

    ¡°In that case, we can carry on. But please, don¡¯t startle me with those flames again.¡± Her heart could only take so much.

    ¡°Would you be okay with more... harmless effects?¡± He asked with a boyish voice.

    Irritated, Marianne gave him the green light. ¡°Carry on...¡±

    He beamed a bright smile as clouds of green glitter shot forth from his hands, enveloping their cave like a cage. Their light illuminated the interior like a sun, reducing the campfire to nothing more than a heat source. Marianne had to admit that this was a stunning sight.

    ¡°Starting again from the beginning, I, Arclan, am a member of the sacred fairies! Or rather, I belong to the mystical Fae! I once descended from my kingdom, our land of eternal youth, to fulfill my duty of taking this poor soul under my wing!¡± He stretched a hand towards Alpheus, and the glitter around him brightened further, highlighting him as the target of their attention.

    He was startled and froze like a deer in headlights.

    A moment of silence ensued until Marianne interjected.

    ¡°Would you mind elaborating?¡±

    ¡°Elaborating what? That¡¯s the whole story!¡± He smiled brightly, leaving a very annoyed sigh for Marianne before moving on.

    ¡°Then would you be willing to answer my original question?¡±

    ¡°What question?¡±

    ¡°The one about your voice.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that one! I won¡¯t get into the details, but we Fae lack physical bodies, so we must conjure vessels to interact with the rest of the world. Since we lack the organ for voices, we must magically recreate them, which is tricky, mind you! So anyways, yadayadayada, too many boring details! Anything else?¡± He babbled without even missing a beat, his voice changing with every word as though to hammer in the point that it wasn¡¯t natural, so Marianne barely caught everything until he addressed her again.

    ¡°You use magic to create your voice? The books did mention something like that!¡± Apheus spoke with beaming eyes. It seemed like it was very fascinating to him. Childish wonder overtook him as he forgot anything else that might worry him.

    ¡°Indeed! Fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± He puffed his chest out in pride.

    ¡°So then...!¡± From that point onward, Alpheus threw question after question at the fairy, who answered every single one with his dramatic flair, as Marianne retreated into silence.

    From questions regarding the fairy kingdom to ones about his magic tricks, every single one was inconsequential, just like Marianne¡¯s first question.

    Marianne sat silently, watching the innocent banter between these two as her eyes narrowed on the fairy. At some point, she was reminded of Alpheus''s current state when his head began drooping. Eventually, he fell into slumber again.

    ¡°Alpheus? Helloooo?¡± Arclan looked at the sleeping boy in confusion as he flew towards his ear to wake him up.

    ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t disturb his rest. The boy needs it more than anything right now.¡± Marianne said, glaring at him.

    ¡°Is that so? Man, those bodies of yours are a real inconvenience, aren¡¯t they?¡± He said flippantly as he flew away from the youngling.

    ¡°I should thank you for keeping him company until he could finally exhaust himself. I fear he wouldn¡¯t have such a peaceful slumber otherwise.¡± Marianne said with heartfelt gratitude.

    ¡°Oh, stop it, I¡¯m blushing!¡± He said bashfully, flying next to her. Suddenly, his voice shifted. It was a young boy''s voice, yet the tone differed from the other variations he¡¯s shown.

    Despite the joviality of his tone, the voice itself could only be described as cold.

    ¡°Now that he¡¯s out of the picture, how about you ask me your actual questions, Lady!¡±

 Chapter 29 - Care for a few rounds?

    To say the atmosphere suddenly turned for the worse would be a wildly inaccurate observation. After all, that tension between these two was already there from the beginning. They didn¡¯t bother to hide it now that the unassuming boy left the waking world.

    ¡°My actual questions, huh? Was I that obvious?¡± Marianne asked, undisturbed.

    ¡°Very. It makes me wonder why you bothered to hide that in the first place. Except I¡¯m well aware of your reasoning! We wouldn¡¯t want to disturb the innocent boy over there with some potentially unsavory answers, I suppose.¡± The voice has suddenly stopped shifting altogether. Instead, Arclan spoke with a tone lacking the inhuman quality of his usual voice. The echo was gone, too. And yet, this was the least human he ever sounded.

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true, but there was something much more important at play.¡± Ever since they reunited, there wasn¡¯t a single moment at which Marianne felt entirely at ease.

    ¡°Which would be?¡± He asked as he stood up and flapped his wings forcefully.

    The moment her lips opened, he began to speak as well.

    ¡°To see how trustworthy you are.¡±

    ¡°To determine whether I¡¯m a threat!¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    Marianne flinched slightly, looking up at the little creature who stared at her gleefully.

    ¡°Whew, that one took the sails right out of you. Seeing you panic a bit does make me feel very accomplished, I must say!¡± He smiles at her all too innocently.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Regaining her composure, she looked at him with apprehension in her eyes.

    ¡°Could it be that you- ¡°He cuts her off before she can finish the sentence.

    ¡°-can read minds? Yes, I can!¡± He spoke with triumphant glee, assuming a pose undermining the threatening way he tried to come across.

    ¡°...¡± Marianne grew quiet for a moment in contemplation.

    ¡°Correct! You can¡¯t hide anything from me, so I recommend giving up any plots you might have against me. Thought I¡¯d tell you this in advance so I wouldn¡¯t waste your time.¡± His grin never left his face as her face relaxed ever so slightly. Now it was his turn, for his face tensed ever so slightly.

    ¡°In that case, I will take you up on that offer. If you can read my mind, I don¡¯t even need to bother asking them for you to answer them, right?¡± She crosses her legs, looking up at him defiantly.

    ¡°Uh, I suggest more caution around me if I were you. You don''t know anything, so don''t you feel you should be more... careful?"

    ¡°You already know my line of thinking, don¡¯t you? Then, quit asking pointless questions. You¡¯re the one with the mind reading, so aren¡¯t you embarrassed to ask something that silly?¡± The fairy looked genuinely bothered by this nonchalant defiance displayed by a mere human.

    ¡°Fair enough. Geez... you¡¯re a puzzling one, you know that. Usually, humans get so frazzled by all this that they forget about this talent of mine. They¡¯d continue plotting inside their heads like a bunch of morons, and while I always found it amusing, I must admit that this feels very refreshing.¡± He lowered his altitude and dropped atop a nearby boulder facing her.

    ¡°Seeing as to how I¡¯m a helpless mortal who can¡¯t read minds, I would prefer you to converse with me normally despite this fact. Could you humor me?¡± Otherwise, she felt it would be tiring if she didn¡¯t even get to speak before he answered her.

    ¡°Sure. I can do that much.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Regarding your prior comment, I¡¯m very good at adapting to many things. But more than anything, I was already preparing myself for any tricks you might have. I¡¯m now in a world where magic and creatures like fairies exist, so I¡¯d be an idiot to forget that fact suddenly. Your mind-reading ability might be a massive issue, but as I¡¯ve said, All I need to do is adapt.¡± She spoke calmly, never skipping a beat. Arclan was admittedly a bit impressed.

    Suddenly, he froze.

    ¡°Now, you¡¯re in a world of magic and...? Could it be that you?¡± He asked with genuine surprise in his voice, but after staring at her quietly for what felt like an eternity, his grin widened.

    ¡°Interesting! I have a fun proposal if you¡¯re interested.¡± Suddenly, he flew toward her with gleeful excitement.

    ¡°A proposal?¡± She was a bit surprised by the change in attitude. It seemed like he had found something out. She wasn¡¯t sure whether she liked the direction of where this was all going.

    ¡°Yes! Remember that game you played with the boy? The one where you asked each other questions. It seemed like fun, so I thought about trying it out myself! Care to humor me for a few rounds?¡±

 Chapter 30 - A meaningless game

    ¡°That game, huh? So, you were stalking us...¡± Marianne suddenly stared at him with a slightly venomous stare. Arclan didn¡¯t look fazed in the slightest.

    ¡°I prefer the term ¡®looking over you¡¯. It has a nicer ring to it, wouldn¡¯t you agree!¡± He swayed left and right as he kept levitating, his feet dangling as though they were part of a puppet that had lost its string.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re sticking to that ¡°guardian angel¡± schtick.¡± Arclan didn¡¯t bother to give a retort and kept his smile steady. Marianne heaved out a silent sigh and straightened her gaze. ¡°Very well.¡±

    ¡°Appreciated. As thanks, I¡¯ll let you take the initiative and ask the first question.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, how kind of you,¡± Marianne expressed her gratitude as dry as the desert and asked her question without skipping a beat. ¡°What other abilities do you possess?¡±

    He doesn¡¯t seem to care about choosing his words; instead, he answers immediately. ¡°Mindreading, Illusions, Hypnosis, Dreamwalking¡­ basically anything involving the mind! Would you like a demonstration?¡± He questioned in the same breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain you gave us one already, but feel free to continue.¡± She said, giving him the green light.

    Upon hearing that, Arclan took a tiny pebble from one of his pockets and held it towards his chest. Confused, Marianne was about to speak up until he started mumbling a chant she couldn¡¯t comprehend. She fell silent, observing the sight before her, and then he threw the pebble on the ground. Something stood out to her when the pebble descended into the ground. The pebble never actually hit the ground. In fact, it looked like it passed right through it. In place of the tiniest sound that the landing Marianne expected it to cause, a sound far heavier filled the room.

    It was the sound of the ground cracking and falling apart.

    A gigantic claw emerged from the ground, with the earth crumbling like it was simply disintegrating. In just a moment, Marianne recognized the sight as she encountered the same one not even half a day ago. It was the Behemoth. Eventually, the head of the beast emerged as though revealing itself from a cocoon, and it roared as though it had announced the end of everything in its vicinity. Those red eyes descended to stare down its prey, focusing on the peacefully slumbering boy, unaware of it all, as it readied its claws. Marianne¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t keep up with her body as she moved without a moment of hesitation to shield him. However, the claws never reached their target, as though the being in front of her was frozen in time. And the next moment, the beast that caused her so much panic was no more. It didn¡¯t even disintegrate or fall apart. It simply disappeared as though it was never even here. When her mind finally comprehended what happened, she directed a glare, intense enough to frighten any monster, at the culprit. He didn¡¯t seem intimidated in the slightest as his grin, which began to grate on the elderly woman¡¯s nerves, never left his face.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the frightening expression on your face.¡± He said nonchalantly as though he was unaware of the cause.

    ¡°Do I?¡± She uttered those two words as though she wielded them like a dagger.

    ¡°Very.¡± He responded casually.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t look in the mirror right now, so I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± The stare-down continued until Marianne looked back at Alpheus, still asleep, and straightened her gaze.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask what that was?¡± He goaded a response in a manner that was a bit too obvious to her.

    ¡°I am now.¡±

    He smirked at her, looking like he wanted to say something, but held his tongue.

    ¡°What did you do exactly?¡±

    ¡°I hypnotized you, so don¡¯t worry about anyone having witnessed this. Do you have another question in mind?"

    "Now that you granted me the opportunity, yes. Am I still under your hypnosis?" Despite having calmed down for a moment, her body continued to shield Alpheus.

    "No, you''re fine!" He scoffed, as though he was offended by the accusation. She fixed her gaze on him, considering the current information she was given as he smirked knowingly. ¡°Now then.¡± He clapped his hands as though pulling the curtains on what transpired to transition elsewhere. He pointed his finger at her or, more specifically, her missing arm. ¡°Could you let me inspect that properly?¡±

    After a moment of pause, Marianne looked down at the current target of his attention with a solemn look. She straightened her gaze.

    ¡°Fine. You already know now.¡± She took off her jacket with difficulty, so the sleeves were no longer there to conceal the sight. The fairy flew toward her with little warning, observing the wound.

    ¡°What are your thoughts?¡± She questioned, unsure of the purpose behind his curiosity.

    ¡°That you¡¯re indeed missing an arm.¡± He said with a straight face, which earned him a glare. ¡°It healed suspiciously quick.¡± Looking at her current expression, he smiled.

    ¡°What happened to the missing limb?¡± He asked.

    ¡°It turned into wooden branches.¡± She answered

    ¡°Does that sound like nonsense?¡± She questioned.

    ¡°Not at all.¡± He answered.

    The casualness of this exchange indeed undermined the severity of the words exchanged. Ultimately, this game is an entirely pointless gesture when faced with a mind-reading gremlin who has already offered to answer her questions anyway. But it might provide an advantage in its own right. But the fairy is already aware of it. He¡¯s confident that this is not an issue for him. Marianne might not be a mind reader, but she understands that much. They both know each other¡¯s intentions, so it¡¯s very clear to them what the true nature of this game is. They did not need communication for that much.

    And so, he asked his next question.

    ¡°Where are you from?¡±