Chapter 47: The Forest’s Embrace

Although it was a mobilization, Serol wasted no words. After a few brief instructions, she immediately set into motion.

Everyone formed teams of two to three individuals, venturing deep into the forest to hunt magical beasts.

Naturally, Eve, Rona, and Xiluo’er, who was accompanying the two, walked together.

As they walked through the forest, Xiluo’er had to admit that the woods south of Kana City were quite beautiful.

It was autumn, and a thick carpet of fallen leaves covered the forest floor, creating a soft, yielding sensation with every step.

Even though they were only clearing the forest surrounding Kana City, and Serol had brought many people, Xiluo’er heard no other sounds. The forest was utterly silent, save for the rustling whispers of nature itself.

This was for the best. At least, when they acted later, there would be less risk of being discovered by irrelevant parties.

However, this forest didn’t instill any sense of danger in Xiluo’er. Instead, it felt more like a pleasant outing.

Of course, Xiluo’er felt her mood would be even more relaxed if Rona weren’t accompanying her.

Eve and Rona walked one in front, one behind, sandwiching Xiluo’er between them. While she understood this was for her protection, Xiluo’er still worried Rona might stab her in the back.

In fact, even if Rona truly made a move, Xiluo’er would find it entirely logical.

Yet, since they had met today, Xiluo’er hadn’t detected anything unusual about Rona. She still smiled and greeted her as before, chatting casually with Eve as they walked.

If anything, Xiluo’er merely sensed a slight distraction in Rona, as if her mind was preoccupied with something else.

‘Even at this stage, is she still trying to feign normalcy to lull me into a false sense of security?’

“How is it, Xiluo’er? Isn’t the forest beautiful?”

“Yes, it truly is. You never see a sight like this in the city.”

Xiluo’er answered Rona’s question obediently, deliberately looking around as if genuinely excited and curious about the forest.

Eve glanced back at Xiluo’er briefly.

“Xiluo’er, why are you staring at the leaves on the ground?”

“Hmm… I’m thinking of picking some leaves to make bookmarks.”

As Xiluo’er spoke, she picked up two more leaves from the ground and examined them.

In truth, she was thinking about how incredibly thick the layer of fallen leaves was in an autumn forest.

‘If a trap were hidden beneath these leaves, it would surely be difficult to detect, wouldn’t it?’

After walking through the forest for some time, Xiluo’er finally snapped out of her ‘outing’ mindset once scattered magical beasts began to appear.

However, even with magical beasts emerging, and a few even actively attacking, they posed no real threat to the trio.

Eve, of course, was beyond question; with her protagonist’s aura, these mere fodder enemies were utterly harmless to her.

Xiluo’er, while hiding behind the two, quietly observed Rona more closely.

The knight’s sword, with its iron-hued blade, swung down. Rona’s expression was serious as she dealt with the scattered magical beasts, but her movements showed no strain.

Xiluo’er estimated that Rona’s strength was likely around late-third to early-fourth tier, similar to her own. If they were to truly fight, neither would gain much of an advantage.

“Alright, it’s simpler than I expected,” Eve remarked, casting a faint glance at the magical beast’s corpse on the ground. “Once the encirclement is over, I’ll take you for another stroll in the forest, Xiluo’er.”

“Yay!”

Xiluo’er laughed excitedly, right in front of Rona.

Despite her words, as they ventured deeper into the forest, Eve’s demeanor grew more serious.

Xiluo’er also keenly noticed that the deeper they went, the greater the number of magical beasts.

Although few living creatures were visible in their immediate sight, the fleeting shadows darting behind the layers of trees and the sporadic sounds of movement confirmed Xiluo’er’s suspicions.

Eve and Rona also became significantly more focused, no longer appearing so casual.

It was time to act.

Xiluo’er reached into her pocket, gripping the small bottle containing the Firefang Tree sap.

Taking advantage of the two fighting ahead, Xiluo’er meticulously applied the Firefang Tree sap to the trees along their path, little by little.

“Rona, don’t you think there are a lot of magical beasts around here?”

After casually unleashing a fireball at a bear-like magical beast and confirming it was no longer moving, Eve straightened up.

“Hmm… indeed.”

Rona frowned, breathing slightly heavier.

While the magical beasts currently appearing were still within their manageable range, she had participated in Kana City’s autumn encirclement two years prior, and this many magical beasts felt somewhat abnormal.

“Perhaps we should retreat a bit first.”

Eve glanced back at Xiluo’er before suggesting.

Rona flicked the blood from her sword, nodded, and said, “Yes, it’s better to be safe.”

“By the way, Xiluo’er, why have you been so quiet in the back?”

The sudden question startled Xiluo’er. With her hands clasped behind her back, Xiluo’er stammered, “Ah, no, nothing.”

“Honestly, an encirclement isn’t a picnic, you know. You weren’t scared by these magical beasts, were you?”

“If you’re frightened, just stay between the two of us. We’ll protect you.”

“Okay…”

The small bottle, now more than half empty, slid down her sleeve. Xiluo’er candidly returned to her position between the two.

She didn’t care if Rona had noticed anything. The Firefang Tree sap she’d used should be sufficient.

Moreover, the substance was transparent, and its scent was not very noticeable to human senses. It would be quite difficult to detect.

With Eve leading, staff raised, the trio formed a line and began to turn back. However, after only a few steps, Eve stopped.

“Rona,” Eve’s tone became extremely serious, “I think we’re in trouble.”

No explanation was needed; Rona and Xiluo’er, following behind, naturally understood what was happening.

One magical beast after another emerged from behind the trees, making the previously spacious forest suddenly seem crowded.

Watching the hordes of magical beasts, Rona and Eve’s expressions involuntarily grew grim.

Although Xiluo’er feigned a look of fear, she felt no surprise. She had long heard the footsteps of agile creatures running over the fallen leaves, hidden within the forest.

The encirclement by magical beasts before them was precisely what she had hoped for.

Unlike Xiluo’er, both Eve and Rona felt alarm bells ringing in their hearts.

Even though they had been deep in the forest for some time, such a massive appearance of magical beasts was still highly illogical.