"I just recalled what I forgot to tell that little brat last night."

"What was it?"

"Yesterday, all day long, there was a sovereign-level magical beast following us from afar. I had intended to warn her to stay cautious."

"......"

Moen sighed speechlessly, "How could you forget something like that? You might as well take back the praise I just gave you."

"You praised me? You little brat!"

Pink Bear shot Moen a fierce glare and said, "Besides, a sovereign-level magical beast is nothing to fret about. It's just trash I could smash in one strike."

"Maybe for you it's nothing, but..."

“But... never mind…”

Moen's sleeve was tugged again, and Lea visibly let out a breath, speaking softly:

"If it's just a sovereign-level magical beast, Ariel should be fine. At least she can run away."

"...... You're right."

After all, it's Ariel. Things wouldn't go wrong that easily on her.

Thinking further, Moen suggested, "To be safe, we should still go check on her. I'm worried it's not the beast that held her back, but something else..."

"Kid..."

Before he could finish, Pink Bear shot him a dismissive look.

"You really think so little of me?"

"Did I?"

"Hmph."

Pink Bear snorted coldly and said, “No need to search for her deliberately; if there’s real danger, you guys going there would be pointless. It’s just inviting trouble. I've placed tracking marks on each of you. Let me check.”

"Huh? You did? How come I didn't notice?"

"If you were able to notice, then I’d have wasted a lifetime raising you."

With that, Pink Bear crossed his legs, settled down, and closed his eyes.

Silence filled the surroundings; only the sound of the breeze brushing through the forest was audible.

And then.

Drip. Drip.

The sound of liquid flowing.

But from the consistency indicated by the sound, the liquid was thick.

Not water.

But more like...

Blood.

"Found her."

Pink Bear suddenly spoke.

"What’s the situation?"

"Turns out that brat has confronted the sovereign-level magical beast. Oh no, wait, judging by the looks of it, the beast might've been deliberately seeking her out.”

"Is she in danger?"

"Let me see... Oh? The beast isn’t simple—it’s an atypical variant. But that brat isn’t weak either; they’re evenly matched. No, wait, she’s gaining the upper hand now. Sneak attack, slide tackle, kick its backside—nicely done…”

"This guy…”

Watching Pink Bear already absorbed in his spectator-like mindset, Moen couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

Yet…

"Was I really being overly cautious?"

Moen glanced towards Lea and smiled, saying, "Seems like there's nothing to worry about. Let's just patiently wait for her."

"Alright."

Lea gently nodded.

Moen then scanned their surroundings then pointed in a direction, suggesting:

"Let’s wait from a higher vantage point. The view there is better, and we can see Ariel first when she comes back.”

Lea turned her head to look at the place Moen pointed—a highly prominent tree standing atop a hill. Pausing for a moment, she still nodded softly.

"Alright."

…

Perched atop the towering branches of the tree, Moen and Lea sat side by side.

To avoid making the girl uncomfortable, Moen deliberately put a space of two fists' width between them. Even so, it was closer than when they stargazed last night.

Fortunately, the girl didn’t seem uncomfortable with this.

Moen sighed with relief and looked into the distance.

Staying within dense forests for so long had inevitably felt depressed, yet sitting atop this towering tree and gazing across vast horizons instantly made Moen feel refreshed.

“Huh? What’s that?”

Moen noticed something in the distance and voiced his curiosity.

Located a bit farther, nearby a patch of towering trees seemed to unexpectedly form a massive, wall-like spectacle, extending endlessly to the limits of visibility.

"What giant trees... Is that... a whole forest?"

Where Moen was, the trees were at a fairly normal height for his perception, with higher density making the difference. However, from the vista granted by this exceptionally tall tree, a distant group of trees appeared inexplicably grand — resembling an expansive prairie abruptly rising into a colossal woodland.

The division between the two terrains was extraordinarily distinct — as if a divine being had used straightedge and pen to sketch them.

"I... I think I know that place."

Lea looked over and let out a small exclamation. "That’s the Deathbane Forest."

"...Just hearing its ominous name screams bad luck. What's the story?"

"The forest is named after a particular entity," Lea explained. "A very terrifying entity."

"An entity?"

"Yes."

Lea stared at the eerie forest, her small face taking on an unusually serious expression. "It's said to be home to one of the 'Sources of Destruction,' a disaster-level creature—Deathbane Dragon, Hamline. According to records, it resides within this forest, which has become one of the empire's restricted zones. Even 'The Crowned' dare not venture in carelessly."

"What the—!"

Shocked, Moen exclaimed, "Doesn’t that mean being near this place puts us in a risky spot?! That Pink Bear jerk tells us to relax — isn’t this practically having a rave on the edge of disaster?"

"No, I suspect Pink Bear deliberately brought us this way," Lea shook her little head. "Though the Deathbane Dragon bears infamous notoriety, records show it hasn’t left the forest since destroying a city two centuries ago. In fact, its presence indirectly ensures that surrounding magical beasts won’t approach.”

"I see."

Moen exhaled deeply, then returned his gaze to the dividing boundary.

"So, following the edge of this forest should soon lead us to the empire's border, right?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

"I see…”

Moen smiled and praised, "You really know a lot, Lea."

"Not really..."

Lea blushed slightly, turning her head away. "It’s just common knowledge from books."

"Is that so? But I still think it’s impressive."

"......" Lea stayed silent.

Turning back to the scenic forest view, Moen voiced his admiration. "So beautiful."

Towering, majestic trees formed a vast, dark wall while drifting clouds low in the sky collided into the dense canopy, splitting into scattered fragments like flowers — or a cascading, inverted waterfall.

Compared to the starry night before, this spectacle deeply mesmerized Moen, revealing the profound wonders of this fantastical world. Staring at the forest kissed by fragmented clouds, Moen’s tense spirit finally began to relax.

All the concerns and assumptions—it seemed none came true.

Pink Bear, surprisingly reliable, had preparations far beyond his expectations.

And those lurking others... did not seem to have the audacity he'd feared.

Now, just two hours away, would say goodbye to the empire.

There was no way those individuals could extend their influence beyond national boundaries, no matter their tenacity.

"So... being spied back then... was it just my imagination?"

"Did I truly overthink everything?"

Moen let out a deep breath and chuckled softly, dispelling his buried unease.

"Something wrong?" Lea tilted her head curiously.

"No, just marveling at how this scenery surpasses last night's stars—reminding me to explore more often!" Moen replied cheerfully.

"You wouldn’t find a view this stunning in Belland.”

“Belland doesn’t have sights quite like this…”

“I agree. Also, those shapes in the clouds look like... an octopus.”

"Octopus?"

Looking at Lea pointing out particular clouds, Moen wore a slightly odd expression. "Lea, do you like octopuses?"

"Mm-hmm."

Lea nodded lightly, miming grasping with invisible hands, her adorable face becoming dreamy. "Soft, silly, with long tentacles—they feel so cute."

...This girl’s tastes sure seem quirky.

Internally smirking, Moen maintained a calm demeanor, responding, "But I don't think those quite resemble octopuses."

"Eh, why not?"

"Well, octopuses typically have eight tentacles, whereas this cloud formation only has five tentacle-like protrusions."

"Oh, that's true."

"And also..."

Moen furrowed his brows oddly. "The silhouette of the cloud... I feel like it resembles more... a hand?"

"Now that you mention it—it really does."

"......"

"Moen."

"Yes?"

"Don’t you feel like... this cloud is... growing bigger?"

"..."

"..."

A chilling silence descended amidst the gentle breeze, pierced only by the rising sound of their breaths quickening.

Within Moen’s shrinking pupils lay the reflection of that cloud—

That hand-like cloud.

No.

Wrong.

Terribly wrong.

It no longer vaguely resembled.

Because emerging amidst this frenzied, shifting mass of cloudy outlines, Moen could fully discern—

A crystal-clear palm print!

Like an actual colossal hand descending from the heavens, breaking through clouds, casting an all-encompassing shadow!

Instantly, a deafening alarm of impending death resonated—sharply ringing in their minds!