It was the middle of the afternoon and it had been only a day since the group of five adventurers, along with Laruse and Cecil, departed for the request of subjugating the notorious band of slave traders.

Marco was going through some paperwork that needed to be done that very day, but it built up to become a fearful stack of papers, those of which carried importance with them.

"It seems that a guild master never receives any recluse in life."

Sighing, he dug himself deep into his work, immersing himself in it.

A few minutes after Marco had begun working on the papers, a knock sounded on his door, followed by the voice of his timid, but terrifying-looking guild assistant, Bernard.

"Marco, can I come in? I have something to report."

The large and bulky guild master’s assistant spoke with a low, smooth voice, one that echoed through the wooden door, resonating in the office as to pull Marco out from his immersion.

"Oh, it's only you, Bernard. You can come in."

Upon entering, Bernard looked in astonishment as to the amount of paperwork he had been handling.

"Why are there so many? I don't think there'd any been any big requests that needed this much paperwork."

"Bernard, my friend. I too am trying to figure out the reason for this sudden outbreak. But, more importantly, what had you come here for?"

"I almost forgot."

Bernard presented Marco with a tabloid, written and published by the local newspaper, Freedom.

Taking it from him, he skimmed the front page, looking over the inked words where the majority was of no importance.

But, it was until Marco saw something that piqued his interests, making him narrow his eyes as to convince himself that he was seeing clearly.

"A revolutional movement of an influential nobleman's son aspires to unite the free city-states of independence and build an empire. Hmm? Well this is unexpected. I don't think the one's that founded each city-state will take a liking to this."

"Yes, but they've become strong enough to occupy the greatest city in the divided nations, Palas. The city-state of Rade surrendered and swore allegiance to them."

"We'll I've seen Rade's governor, and I'm not surprised by the move that man made. But of course, I understand that they want to be free from the kingdom of Farron's intentions of annexing the entirety of the alliance. Every governor at one point must have been pressured into guarding themselves- "

Bernard interrupted Marco, who was getting too invested into the world's problems.

"I just wanted to remind you that Remuil and Laruse's party will be passing through there. But I don't think that they will be granted entrance."

"Is it because of the revolutionary movement?"

"Yes. They're not letting any adventurers and travelers in. The only exceptions are merchants, and people who want to enlist in the military."

"They sure are serious about trying to defeat Farron. I'm sure Laruse will find a way through."

“You have too much fate in him.”

“Well, he’s just that kind of person that can accomplish a lot on their own.”

With that, Marco resumed his work, ignoring the dumbfounded Bernard, who stood there in silence, and leaving after being convinced that Marco would not respond anymore.

But while he worked, his mind was occupied with thoughts of the new development in the city-state’s alliance.

"If Rade has surrendered, that means Civil and Sor will be inaccessible. Creating a strong nation that hopes to rival Farron will be a difficult task."

The truth was that, people founded the city-states so that they could live freely through commerce, and less through military matters.

But, Farron's new ruler set her sights on the city states, splitting up opinions everywhere, from people who want to stay independent, and those who want a revolution, as to finally be freed from the fear of being attacked.

"At least Zeal's governor carries some common sense with him, even though he’s incompetent sometimes."

After he spent his time reminiscing, he then returned to his workload.

The number of monsters hadn’t thinned down at the very least, and their tenacity became ever so stronger, enough to wear down the divided adventurers, who all seek to reunite with each other.

Leaving a trail of blood and the bodies of monsters behind him, Laruse continued to tread the path that the Yavelian girl took, not at all surprised at the aftermath of a trail she had left behind.

The tribe of Yavel is known to be above proficient in using magic than most people, excelling at it even in their childhood, honing it and progressing their skills as they grow up.

A fully matured Yavel can become stronger than the strongest human mage, rivaling the dark lord’s power with much speculation.

“Come on, just a little more.”

Laruse felt the pain from the impact he received from being blown away by the Yavelian named Vincenthius, utterly defeating him with the use of magic.

“Still, this is reckless. But I can’t rest at all. How do I fight back such a strong magic user then?”

He began worrying about how he would put a stop to this, even if there was no reason for him to do such a thing, other than that they could not exit the forest once the bounds are released.

“Maybe I should help her stop Vincenthius’ rampage? But…”

His thoughts trailed off, remembering that she had come to despise him at first glance, and any type of socializing this early will prove useless.

Running out of ideas, he then heard a sound of someone struggling, yelling out sharp breaths from a distance.

Following the noise, he peers through the forest, arriving to the sight of the Yavelian girl he had seen earlier, in peril as she is surrounded by monsters, whose breaths were white as mist, looking at their next victim with anticipation.

Despite the numerous monsters that she has subjugated and decimated with her magic, she now stood on the brink of defeat, looking to be exhausted as her shoulders heaved back and forth.

A repulsive, large monster appeared, having two sharp tusks with a face that resembles a boar, possessing a massive round-like body and a two handed battle axe.

It approached her, grinning and laughing as she looked at her with a strong intent.

She placed her palm before the monster, producing a spell that summoned the cold northern winds.

Except, her attack bore no fruit as it withstood its power. That and because she seems to have used up too much of her energy the entirety of the way, now lacking in what she needs to overcome this monster.

"I can’t defeat all of those. Plus, that Basil will trample me in this state. I can’t be too reckless… Might as well try."

He forced his body to keep moving, feeling where the most pain was located and trying to work his way around that.

He swung his sword around, practicing to see if any of the recurring pain would resurface and hinder him.

He thought very little of what she had said to him earlier, only thinking that what he needed to do is to save her, and possibly help her defeat this rampaging Yavelian that might be a threat to everybody near the forest.

“We’ll never get out of here if nothing ever gets done.”

The monster moved, rushing at her with immense speed, whereas the girl stood there, unmoving, looking to be ready to receive the brunt of the attack, yet terrified of what will come.

When she closed her eyes, Laruse dashed from the side, using the momentum of his speed to twist and turn, slicing the large monster’s belly as it began to bleed on the ground.

Yet, the monster did not give in, raising its large arm, slamming it downwards at Laruse in a fit of rage.

He evaded, reaching the beast’s side, slashing cleanly at its hind leg, forcing it down on one knee.

He then ascended the beast’s back, then took to the air, impaling its head with his sword, cleanly plunging through, sending the beast falling to the ground with a loud thud.

Upon opening her eyes, the girl stood there, unimpressed by his efforts.

“It looked like you needed help.”

“I don’t need any human’s help, nor their presence. I thought I already convinced you of that. Or would you have preferred I ended your pathetic life?”

She dusted herself off, creating a draft of cold wind as she spun her finger around.

The small draft of wind then became a gust, which proved to be a threat to Laruse as she forced the gust onto him, blowing him and the group of monsters behind him, sending them back into the depths of the forest.

With her image quickly disappearing from his view after being blown back, he took hold of a nearby tree before being blown further off, swinging his body to safety.

"Tch, persistent."

Not bothering with her enemy any longer, she walked away briskly, leaving him behind as if nothing had happened.

"Wait! What was that for?!"

Picking himself up, he ran after the girl, not at all shaken up by her threatening attack.

"Why are you following me?! What do you want?! Is it not enough that you and your people have taken our king, my father? Or did you want more? Perhaps you want to ravage me as well, just like how my sisters were treated!"

She turned to faced him, aggravated and fuming, creating a hail of ice reminiscent to spears and arrows.

Laruse evaded it, hiding behind a sturdy tree that began freezing up, being enveloped in ice.

"Listen! I can help you. Just let me, and I'll show you. I don't mean any harm, that much I can tell you!"

"Shut up, human! I won't be swayed by any of you anymore!"

She assaulted him with a terrifying plethora of her magic, freezing most of the area she faced.

Laruse, by a great stroke of luck, survived the onslaught, exhausted as he had to parry most of the projectiles with his sword.

He peeked from his hiding spot, seeing the girl leaving immediately without saying anything else.

He began chasing her, putting his hand on her shoulder, whereas the girl instantly faced him, offering less resistance.

Her face, as beautiful and enchanting as it was, started filling with tears, letting her emotions show her true feelings, which she seems to have kept for a long while.

He stood there, taking all her frustration as she began beating on him strongly.

Her effort became weaker and weaker until she had given up, falling to the ground.

“Why? Why did you have to take him? He was the only one I had…”

It was silent, but she was the only one making a sound, save for the wind which blew softly along the forest, bringing in a fresh breeze.

Kneeling down, he looked at her, sternly gazing as he seems to have found an answer to her constant questions.

Realizing that he was looking at her, she tried to push him back with her hands, failing as her strength was replaced with lament.

"Please listen, if you will."

She glared at him once he spoke, still sobbing. Yet he did not lessen the strength of his grip on her wrist, preventing her from going anywhere.

"I’ll help you. I feel how deep your rage for people like me is, and I can’t deny you that. But, allow me to correct our wrongs, not just for my sake, but for everyone else who has become evil in your eyes."

"Just leave me and get away from here. Promises made by humans are merely hollow, offering no truth. Besides there’s nothing that you can do now. Soon, our tribe will fall, and there'll be nothing left of us…"

"I’ll find a way. Let me help you, and I promise that this will all go well. All you need to do is trust me, and everything will be alright. I swear on my life."

He placed his palm on his chest where his heart is, fervently looking at her still, not a hint of hesitation could be found on his face.

"I can’t. I-I don’t need anyone’s help. I can do this on my own. I can’t trust anyone else but myself now. Trusting you will only make things worse."

He stood up, stretching his body.

“Very well then. I’ll prove to you that you can trust me. I’ll earn it, then you’ll know that the promise I made here was no lie.”

He smiled at her brightly, shifting his aura from being stern to playful in mere seconds.

He also extended his hand out to her in an attempt of testing where his bounds are. To him, this is a step that he must make to advance.

She wiped her tears, averting his eyes as she stood up by herself, still shivering, yet intending to finish the task she intended to do even without her encounter with this strange man.

“Do what you want. I don’t care anymore.”

She spoke with her back turned to him, heading out.

He followed her as per his promise.

As the day dragged on, they encountered monsters at every corner, endlessly assaulting them, each one stronger than the last.

At first, he was dumbfounded, seeing as how she was idle for the most part, walking without even paying attention at the monsters lunging at her.

Her body wouldn’t even move or shudder if a monster were inches away from her.

He pushed his body to its limits, eliminating and all threats that might come to her as she continued to walk idly.

He understood then and there that this might be a test whether he could keep up his end of the bargain, protecting her until she reaches the Yavelian lord, only using her strength then… That’s what he thought at least.

At times, she would stumble as a monster would knock her down, yet she did nothing, losing all the motivation she had and closing her eyes as if to wait for her demise.

Seemingly possessed, Laruse would enter into a frenzy, one that would enable him to protect her as he was entertaining more monsters behind their trail.

His eyes began blurring once more, and the relentless chaos of monsters hadn’t dwindled, becoming even more relentless as they became filled with anger and starvation.

He caught his breath whenever he could.

"How many more?"

His legs started wobbling, almost giving in.

But, the only way he would succeed is if he endured, which he did despite hanging by a knife’s edge.

Soon, the forest was illuminated by a light blue shroud, differentiating itself from another part of the forest, which was entirely normal.

Here, the atmosphere seemed calm, serene even, not posing any threat to which they are trying to find.

“Where are we?”

The words escaped his mouth without his knowledge, filled with surprise as the beauty of the lights captivated him.

Soon, statues would start appearing, carrying an image of a Yavelian woman from the looks of it, having a crystal shard in the middle of her chest carved on the stone statue, a sign of a Yavelian.

A voice boomed through the trees from an unknown source, but a familiar tone.

“It seems that two stubborn individuals have come to my sanctum. Very well then. I shall entertain you both.”

They came to a wide clearing, one where a single throne can be seen, and an altar behind it, still the same as the one they saw before.

Vincenthius sat on it, guarded by stone creations on both sides, wielding makeshift weapons made of stone as well.

“It seems that the little princess has sided with the despicable humans. Why is that may I ask? Have you not forgotten the very reason everyone had turned their rage towards the human race?”

“… Where is Savas?”

She spoke cleanly, without emotion.

“She will be my first sacrifice. Once I’ve taken her crystal, my power will grow tenfold, enough to take down the mortals and finally avenge your father, our king!”

"I understand. But, you’re going to put every Yavelian in the continent in peril once you act alone. Stop this, at once."

He frowned, unamused as he stood up from his throne, whereas his guardians moved in unison with him, ready to protect this Yavelian lord at any moment.

"It seems that you have gone against us. Then there is no need for you to remain here. Your father frowns upon your disgrace."

Her empty state continued until here, still unmoving.

Vincethius pointed his finger at the girl, where they moved, charging forward with their weapons raised.

Laruse moved, knowing he’ll be unable to counter the attack, whisking her off to the side where she was safe from being crushed under the tremendous weight the guardians brought.

"Quick on your feet, are you? Very well squirm."

He ordered them once more, forcing Laruse to be on the defensive as he tried to protect the Yavelian at every attempt at her life.

"Hey, tell me. Why and how did he become like this?"

He looked at her eyes as he brought her close to him, still not responding.

He was then unable to notice the shards of ice being casted at him, taking a few cuts as he blocked some of the shards with his sword.

"Impressive. You truly are no ordinary human. Taking down my envoy, blocking my magic. What else can you surprise me with?"

The stone guardians charged Laruse, forcing him to separate and focus on trying to subdue them however he can.

He drew their focus towards them, effectively keeping the girl safe as she stood a fair distance away from them.

All Laruse could do was to evade as much as he can, knowing that his sword will do nothing against such odds and will only serve to break the only weapon he has.

He glanced to the side, seeing Vincenthius taking advantage of the situation, casting a hail of icicles towards the helpless girl, who stood there without even flinching at what’s happening around her.

"Damn it!"

He rushed, pouring all his energy into his legs, trying to beat the speed at which the icicles were going.

(Come on, make it!)

In a daze, her eyes twitched as the sight of Laruse’s face came in to view, looking back at her with the smile he had when he extended his hand out to her.

Soon, his eyes widened, and his gaze weakened.

His frame shuddered, and soon blood came out from his mouth, still looking stoic.

She looked at why, seeing that he had covered her with his entire body, taking every single icicle pointed towards her, instead hitting his back.

“Just in time.”

“Why? You’re human. Why would you go so far when you’ve given me this much pain? I don’t understand. Is this how you humans play with emotions?”

She also shuddered, standing firmly as Laruse’s body came down to lean on her since his legs had given out.

His mouth was close enough to her ears, enough for her to hear what he has to say, weakly whispering.

“N-not all humans are bad. T-here are some who are evil, but there are those who are not.”

He coughed up even more blood, reducing his energy much more as the icicles made his body numb.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll be able to fulfill that promise. I tried, but this is as far as I’ll go it seems. Get away from here. He’s dangerous. I can’t protect you at this state, ha ha. I feel really pathetic. If only I had a bit more strength.”

Her eyes widened in reminiscence, remembering an event in her past that was quite similar to this one.

She remembered the very words his father told him before he was killed and his body was taken away.

“Run, Helena, my daughter. I won’t be able to protect you anymore. So you will have to be strong, for me, and your mother.”

Returning to reality, she realized his efforts, and how it came to take him due to his ignorance and persistence in keeping a one-sided promise.

“H-hey! Wake up! Don’t fall asleep!”

As his eyes came to a close, she started shaking his body, not responding, as if what she had been doing was now being turned on her.

“A meager human’s death will not be enough to compensate for the king’s death!”

He howled in rage, filling his aura with an uneasy darkness.

“Why go so far? I never asked you to do this. Why am I feeling sadness and sorrow for a human of all things?”

She thought to herself, why and how did she develop a concern for this human, and why now of all times?

She could not understand herself and the state that her heart and mind was. She drained the magic that was contained within the icicles, making them disappear from his back.

His breathing was disappearing, and his body started to freeze.

Vincenthius took a step forward, creating a circle that began channeling a powerful spell, one that has the potential to obliterate all that it ravaged.

She felt a strong grip on her shoulder, where she found his hand, still clinging to life.

Instinctively, she found herself covering Laruse’s body with her own, as if repaying the favor, he had done for her.

(I don’t know anymore. I-I just can’t let him continue.)

She closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate.

Before Vincenthius could let his magic run rampant, the voice of an approaching group could be heard getting closer and closer to their location.

“Hurry! I can see a bright light in the distance! They must be here!”

Irritated, Vincenthius canceled his casting after losing concentration, instead ordering his two guardians to subdue the trespassers.

As the two golems disappeared in the trees, one of them was sent back flying by an unknown being, catching the Yavelian by surprise.

“Wha-?”

The other was constantly being sent back as it stood firmly on the ground, then finally being destroyed as it imploded and melted from heat magic that was used against it.

“There he is! Laruse!”

“He’s injured! Hurry, Cecil, help him out, quick! We’ll try and keep this one away from you.”

“Thank you, Remuil, Claire.”

The ragged and battle-worn party of five, accompanied by Cecil and a faerie, had come out from the forest.

The five immediately engaged battle with the Yavelian, utilizing each other’s strengths and shortcomings in order to effectively halt its movements for a brief time, working together just as how a true party would.

Without paying mind to the dumbfounded girl embracing Laruse’s body, Cecil quickly started recovering his energy, still feeling a pulse from within him.

“Come on, Laruse. I know you’ll make it!”

Her expression was grave, enough to say that this expression of hers was unusual.

The faerie beside Cecil went up to the girl, flying around happily around her, shouting her name, which she recognizes.

“Helena! Helena! I’m glad that you’re safe!”

“Pan? I-is that you? I thought I lost you forever!”

Her eyes started watering, but she refrained, instead smiling happily at the faerie.

She faced Cecil, who was continuously applying healing magic on Laruse with her serious expression.

“Who are you?”

“Cecil. I believe your name’s Helena. I am Larus’es friend. Sorry for any trouble that he has caused you.”

Cecil smiled as she looked at Helena, then resuming her task of healing him.

“Ahh, damn this. He’s pretty strong, isn’t he?”

Remuil snickered, enjoying the battle with the Yavelian, having just taken the brunt of its magic of wind.

“Don’t be too reckless, Laruse. Something bad might’ve had happened if I had not granted you an enchantment!”

“Got it!”

He charged, synchronizing with Zafra and Robin, who aimed at the Yavelian’s back.

From a fair distance, Claire shot out arrows that were directly pointed at the Yavelian, yet being nullified as its skills were leagues away from theirs.

From behind him, he took Zafra’s wrist, slinging him towards Remuil, who ceased his charge in order to avoid Zafra, catching him instead, sending both of them back.

He casted a pulse of wind towards Robin, who could not do anything other than be blown away like the rest, but assaulted with a fierce maelstrom of wind that followed after.

“You humans are all weak. How could you have taken our king?! You are all unforgivable!”

His energy became even more stronger than before, petrifying the party that formed around him as they staggered upon feeling its might drown them.

The surge of energy awoke Laruse as well, bringing him back from his deep slumber.

He sprang up only to see the five being beaten by Vincenthius.

He shook his head, looking at his surroundings in order to assess the situation, which he was aware of during his brief time of slumber.

“Thank you Cecil. Let’s catch up later. First, we need to subdue him. He’s not entirely even. I sensed that something was causing this. Can you still use your divine magic?”

He spoke groggily, attempting his best to move about.

“Y-yes? But are you sure you’re alright to stand? And why divine magic?”

“Of course I am. Our chances of getting out of here alive is already low. But we still have a fighting chance. I’ll tell you in a bit as to why.”

Gritting his teeth, he forced his body to stand, bearing the pain which settled down since Cecil had applied her healing spell on him.

He turned to face Helena, who was in a daze after seeing Laruse instantly standing up even after receiving such life threatening damages.

“I’ll admit that protecting you is difficult in this state. But, I’ll still fulfill that no matter what. How about you help me for now?”

Once again, he extended his hand out to her, finding herself staring at his hand.

“Laruse, hurry! Remuil and the others won’t last much longer!”

Cecil warned him, aiding the others as she casted her own spells that were nearly did little to no damage against Vincenthius’.

He pulled her up as she took his hand, taking a misstep, where Laruse caught her body in his, smiling optimistically.

“I knew you’d come through. Now, let’s finish this up, shall we?”

“Time to switch, Remuil. Take your team back and let us handle this.”

The young leader of the group nodded, signaling his allies to retreat safely, helping those that needed it.

He gripped his sword tightly, facing Vincenthius along with Cecil and Helena.

“Listen, Cecil. Do you see that crystal shard on his head, glowing slightly purple?”

“Yes.”

“He’s corrupted. Not intentionally evil, but a he’s been tainted by someone to be like this, making one’s inner demons come out. All we need to do is purge the darkness from within him, and that’s where you come in. You ready?”

She nodded, taking in the information she had been given.

“W-what do I do?”

The once defensive girl timidly asks, looking down for some reason.

“I’ll be depending on you to keep his spells under control. Distract him while I attack. I won’t harm him that much, but he’ll live, I promise.”

Laruse charged without waiting for a reply, taking Vincenthius’ full attention with an attack almost at breakneck speed.

The agile Yavelian dodged every slice of Laruse’s sword, returning a skilled barrage with the edge of its open palm, delivering cuts like a blade.

Every time he tried to distance himself from them and cast a spell, he was negated by Helena, and then dragged back into battle by Laruse, who was teetering back into exhaustion, given that a Yavelian lord is formidable enough, and are not to be taken lightly for being a peaceful tribe.

It went on until Cecil had gotten ready to cast her divine spell.

Helena sent a hail of icicles towards Vincenthius, giving Laruse the opportunity to finally finish the battle between them.

He took hold of the Yavelian, barely locking his arms and legs in place.

"You foolish mortal! How dare you try and touch me?!"

“Now, Cecil!”

In the instant, Cecil rushed forward, creating a large circular field that enveloped the clearing of the forest, destroying the darkness and replacing it with light.

“Cleansing light, halo of heaven. Purge thy darkness!”

Invoking the words that activated the spell, their view became a bright blinding light that swallowed the darkness that fed on the innocent and banished it from whence it came.

"Ngh, where am I?"

He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the view of a bright mean of light entering his line of sight.

He felt the faint breeze touching his skin, he could hear the leaves rustling around him.

He could only remember the details of what happened vaguely, still trying to piece everything together.

"It feels like I've been asleep forever."

His eyes opened wide in surprise as he saw a familiar face appear from his view below.

"You?! What are you doing here?"

He sprang up in surprise, only to be pushed down forcibly on her lap once more, her face flushed red with embarrassment, regretting having done that.

"Just shut up, will you?! I don't like this idea either, but I had no choice!"

She toned her voice down, looking away from the dumbfounded Laruse, who continued to stare at her face in a daze.

"Don't stare at my face! just stay like that and close your eyes. I need to tell you something."

He did as she said, avoiding making her angrier than she already is.

"Alright, my eyes are closed now. Calm down. What's this about? Why am I here doing... This?"

"It was the only thing I could think of. My mom, when she was still here, always did this with me whenever I felt uneasy or whenever we simply wanted talked to each other in peace."

"Is that so? I'm sorry about that..."

"It's alright. It was a long time ago."

The atmosphere between them became silent, and the sound of the forest filled the gaps that were missing.

He could feel the warmth of her lap where his head lay, including her smooth, soft skin which gave the fragrance of an aromatic flower he once knew and liked.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Don't rush me! This isn't easy for me to do, alright?"

"Fine, fine. Just do whatever you want then."

"I don't need you to tell me that..."

He heard her heave a long sigh.

"I just want to say that, I'm sorry for having brought you harm. I misunderstood you. Your companions explained themselves and I only understood then that it was my mistake. My father told me to never hold a grudge against humans, yet I could not do such a thing because of what happened. I harbored anger and went against his wishes, even going as far as to …"

"..."

He listened, feeling a thorn in his heart that he wanted to dispel at once.

The feeling of her lament after having lost her father was natural, and thus justified by her actions.

She held every right to be enraged with humans, and those that caused such a thing to happen.

He opened his eyes, feeling something drip on his face.

Her crying face came into view, with her trying her hardest to resist being overwhelmed by her emotions.

He rose from his position, sitting a few inches opposite of her.

Once she realized that he was already sitting opposite of her, she rubbed her eyes vigorously, still shivering.

"I'm sorry. There was just some dust in my eyes."

"It's alright. You can keep crying. I remember myself going through something that's the same with you. I know me saying it won't do anything special, but at least It'll lighten your heart."

He faintly smiled at her, making the girl release all her frustration even more.

Without warning, she came towards Laruse, using his chest as a place where she would cry, constatnly beating at it like a drum.

"It's alright. It's going to be alright. I'll make sure of that. I know I shouldn't tell you this, but the only way is forward. No need to forget, but always remember."

After the girl had calmed down, she introduced herself to him, and he did the same with her.

Helena told Laruse of what had happened at the time that he was asleep, changing the topic which the awkward atmosphere enveloped.

"You fainted almost instantly after the light faded. So did Vincenthius. His state was stable now. Cecil, your friend, confirmed that he was truly corrupted by someone, and was close to being a devil himself, but chose to rush it using a sacrifice of someone with great power, that being someone from our tribe, my friend, Savas. I doubt you know this, but if a Yavelian were to be corrupted, he or she would become a devil or a demon, turning his or her crystal purple."

"So that means we were on time?"

"Yes, fortunately."

"Where is Vincenthius now?"

"Recovering. It seems that the reason he has managed to stay a Yavelian was because of him denying his opposite personality, preventing him from delving into madness and becoming a demon or devil."

"So does that mean what we saw was his reversed personality?"

"Yes. He was usually calm and soft spoken, seldom speaking and simply following my father around. He was devoted."

"Is that so?"

"Well then. I only ask you one thing."

Her tone changed, becoming stern, composed, and imposing. Unnerving Laruse, who became surprised at the sudden shift.

"Y-yes?!"

"You told me that you would do whatever it takes to correct the wrong that your people made. Will you still keep that promise?"

Without hesitation he replied enthusiastically.

"Of course! I don't forget nor break promises."

"Then how will you do that?"

He opted to answer, but felt that he should be careful with what he'll say, refraining instead, allowing Helena to speak for herself.

"If you're having difficulty, then I'd like to suggest something."

"And that is?"

"You become my personal guard for the rest of your life."

Before Laruse could reply, he was cut off by the voice of a prideful and haughty woman.

"Princess! Why would you allow a human to be your guard?! Am I not enough?"

"Hush, Savas. He promised me, so it would be rude to turn down such an excellent offer, seeing as his skill with the sword is undeniably proficient. His strength is on par with Falk. Besides, you were captured. I’d like someone that can protect you as well."

The tall and somewhat muscular Yavelian shuddered at the name.

"I-is that true?"

"Yes. He is the only human that I know who can fight on even terms with a Yavelian Envoy and live."

"But I can still defeat him! I can prove it here and now! I won't allow a human to ever come near the princess again. I shall protect you and prevent another tragedy to happen."

She drew her sword with the intent of challenging him, looking at Laruse sharply and angrily, harboring an aura of resentment towards him, whereas he simply looked back at her with a neutral expression.

"Don't worry. I won't take her place as your guard. I'll have to decline the offer. But, that doesn't mean that I've given up on it. I'll fulfill it in another way. In the future."

He stood up, hearing Cecil's voice callout to him from a distance.

"Very well. If you've indeed a human who says that he keeps his promises, then I will believe you."

He rejoined with the recovered party, waiting for Laruse so that they may resume their quest, which was still valid despite the life threatening side adventure that they went through.

Helena stood up, seeing off the leaving party that walked through the forest.

With the curse now being lifted, they have seen the real sky and the natural state of the trees and leaves.

"It looks really different from when we entered before."

Remuil looked around him in astoundment, leading the group as usual.

"Truly. At first, I thought it was odd and dismissed it, thinking that it had only grown over time. It seems I ignored my intuition."

Claire remarked.

Within a few minutes, they reached the end of the forest, unveiling a clear blue sky with a few clouds floating by.

The sun was at its zenith, and the fields were green and vast, being blown by a cold breeze of wind that smelt of leaves and fresh grass.

"So this is where we go our separate ways."

Laruse faced Helena before continuing.

"May the goddess favor your journey."

"I'll find the person that attacked your tribe and put a stop to him."

"I shall count on that. Hopefully you reconsider my previous offer when we meet again."

"Princess! I thought you accepted him in declining it?!"

He smiled peacefully at the two who bickered, seeing a smile existing on the Yavelian girl named Helena, the princess of her tribe, after having experienced a tumultuous time in her life.

Thus, the group once again departed, leaving for their destination, Rade.