Keyzier and Donovan's footsteps drummed against the dry path. To their right, the Death Forest stood tall like a green giant, watching them with a cold gaze. Although they had grown into formidable young men with magic and swordsmanship skills far above average, the forest still held its own trauma.
Keyzier glanced toward the dense trees, and suddenly, a memory from more than four years ago flashed through his mind. He could almost see his younger self—nine years old and trembling with fear beneath the shadows of those giant trees. He remembered how weak he had been back then—a boy who could only scream in despair as he watched Donovan drenched in blood, protecting him from a goblin's blade.
Keyzier's expression turned somber; his clear blue eyes dimmed under the weight of a guilt that time had not yet fully erased.
Donovan, possessing sharp instincts, noticed the change in his friend's aura. Without breaking his stride, he patted Keyzier's shoulder with his strong palm.
"Key, drop it! Stop thinking about what happened when we were nine. It's in the past, and I'm fine now!" Donovan said casually, trying to dispel Keyzier's dark thoughts.
Keyzier let out a long sigh, his voice heavy. "Novan, I know you're fine now. But the scar on your back... that gash you got trying to protect me will stay there forever. Every time I see it, I'm reminded of how foolish I was back then."
"Hahaha!" Donovan laughed quite loudly, his voice echoing along the silent path. "Key, you're really serious, aren't you? Look, just think of this scar as the highest badge of honor. It's proof that I succeeded in protecting the only precious friend I have in this world. I'm proud to have it."
Keyzier was stunned. He looked at Donovan's face, which was now graced with a sincere smile—a smile devoid of any resentment. That smile proved infectious, causing the corners of Keyzier's lips to lift slightly. The tightness in his chest eased.
The sun slowly began its descent. The blue sky turned into a reddish-orange before darkness eventually began to shroud the land. They knew that continuing their journey at night near the Death Forest was a suicidal move.
With remarkable efficiency gained from years of training, they quickly set up a tent in a clearing a safe distance from the bushes. Keyzier used a bit of earth magic to level the ground, while Donovan prepared the sleeping gear.
Inside the tent, lit by a glowing magic stone, they spread out the map given by Grandpa Keywiln. "If we move fast tomorrow, we'll pass through this valley before noon and arrive at the outer gates of Antrows by dusk," Donovan said, pointing out the route.
The night grew deeper. The silence of the forest accompanied their rest. Keyzier was responsible for casting a protective barrier—or at least, that's what he was supposed to do before falling into an exhausted sleep.
The next morning, the first light of dawn pierced through the tent. Keyzier was the first to wake. He stretched slowly, but when his eyes fully opened, he froze. Between him and Donovan sat a human figure that was definitely not supposed to be there.
"UWAAAAAAAHHH....!!!!"
Keyzier's high-pitched scream exploded within the narrow space. Donovan bolted awake, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of the sword placed beside his bed. However, his movement stopped when he saw the sight before him.
"Good morning..." said a strange girl with bright yellow hair, who sat up while rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Wh-who are you?! Wh-why are you inside our tent?!" Keyzier shouted, his face turning beet-red from shock and embarrassment.
Donovan stared at the girl, then turned a piercing gaze toward Keyzier. "Key..." his voice was low and menacing. "Didn't you set up the protection barrier on our tent last night? How did this girl get in without triggering a single alarm?"
Keyzier immediately checked the energy structure around the tent. His face went pale as he realized the humiliating truth. He scratched his head, avoiding Donovan's eyes. "Sorry Novan... it seems I... I forgot to set the barrier because I was too sleepy..."
Donovan fell silent. He looked at Keyzier with a blank stare, as if his soul had just left his body in despair over his friend's negligence.
"KEYZIER, YOU COMPLETE IDIOT!" Donovan suddenly roared. "WHAT IF A MONSTER HAD ATTACKED US WHILE WE WERE SOUND ASLEEP? WHAT IF A BANDIT HAD SLIT OUR THROATS?"
Donovan continued to rant non-stop for ten full minutes. Keyzier could only sit on his knees, head bowed in submission like a child being scolded. "I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..." he muttered repeatedly, not daring to look into Donovan's dark purple eyes, which were blazing with anger.
The strange girl watched the commotion with a look of confusion and fear. She shrank back when Donovan finally stopped scolding Keyzier and directed his sharp gaze at her.
"And you!" Donovan pointed at the girl. "Who exactly are you? How do you have the nerve to sneak into a stranger's tent in the middle of a forest like this?"
The beautiful girl lowered her head, nervously clutching the hem of her dress, which appeared to be made of high-quality silk despite being stained with travel dust. She trembled at the sight of the muscular and fierce-looking Donovan.
"If you don't talk, we're leaving you here alone!" Donovan threatened again.
Hearing the word "alone," the girl looked up with teary eyes. "I-I ran away from home and got lost. From a distance, I saw the light last night. I came closer and found this tent. I peeked inside... and since you looked about the same age as me and didn't seem like bad people, I came in. I was so cold and scared outside, so I joined you in here to sleep..."
Donovan slapped his own forehead. "What kind of logic is that? How could you conclude we weren't bad people just by looking at us while we slept?"
Keyzier, however, reacted differently. His eyes sparked at the girl's bravery. "Wow! You're so brave to adventure alone in a strange place like this! That's amazing! Hey, my name is Keyzier, and this grumpy guy is Donovan. Why don't you join us and become an adventurer too?"
WHACK!
A blow landed squarely on Keyzier's head. Donovan began scolding him again, making Keyzier wince in pain. "We haven't even registered at the guild yet, and you already want to pick up a stranger?!"
After the situation calmed down slightly, the girl introduced herself as Novalia. And then, they decided to continue the journey to Antrows together, as leaving a young girl alone on such a dangerous path was not an option for those raised in Noive.
As they walked, Keyzier tried to lighten the mood. "Hey Novalia, what's your specialty? In the world of adventurers, everyone needs a specialization."
Novalia looked at her hands. "I'm not entirely sure, Bro Key. But according to my parents, I have a rare talent. I can strengthen or weaken someone with my magic. A sort of pure buff and debuff."
"Isn't your magic extremely useful? Why did you run away from home?" Keyzier asked curiously.
Novalia's face turned sad. "That power is exactly why I ran away. My parents wanted to sell me—I mean, arrange a marriage for me and use my power as a primary weapon for other noble families to strengthen our family's political position."
Hearing the words "other noble families," Donovan suddenly came to a dead halt. Keyzier and Novalia nearly crashed into his back.
"Novan, why did you stop?" Keyzier asked, confused.
Donovan turned around, his face deathly pale and serious. "Didn't you hear what she just said, Key? She said 'for other noble families'! That means this little girl you're talking to is a Lady from a noble family!"
Keyzier froze. His brain began to process the information and connect it to the legal consequences within the Altoria Kingdom. Suddenly, his face turned just as pale.
In this kingdom, taking a noble's daughter—even if she came willingly—could be categorized as high-level kidnapping or political provocation. If the royal security found them, Keyzier and Donovan could be branded as criminals before they even set foot in the Adventurers' Guild.
"You mean..." Keyzier swallowed hard, "we are currently with a noble fugitive?"
"Exactly, you idiot!" Donovan hissed. "Our journey has just begun, and now we're entangled in a serious mess that could get our heads chopped off. Congratulations, Keyzier... thanks to your carelessness last night, we've just walked into the biggest problem of our lives."
Novalia looked down guiltily, while Keyzier stared at the sky in resignation. Their first step as adventurers was turning out to be much harder than they had imagined back in the village. The city of Antrows now felt far more dangerous than the Death Forest.