The first light of morning filtered through my window, casting a soft glow across the room. I stretched and yawned, expecting to find an empty bed, but instead, a familiar face greeted me.
"Didn't I lock my door last night?" I muttered, blinking the sleep from my eyes. There, in front of me, was Satre, her light pink hair cascading over her shoulders like silk, her light pink eyes fluttering open to meet mine.
"Well, those simple locks can't withstand my magic," she said with a sly grin, clearly amused by my grogginess.
I groaned, half-dazed. "It's still not safe for you to sneak into a young man's room like this in the morning. Just saying."
"Is it so wrong for your future bride to want to watch you sleep?" Satre teased with a playful laugh, her eyes glinting mischievously. She rose from the bed, her silhouette framed beautifully by the soft morning light.
"Don't think your plan from yesterday means you can take such a huge step," I shot back, sticking my tongue out at her.
After a brief, amusing moment, Satre left the room, and I pulled myself out of bed, shaking off the drowsiness. Once dressed, I made my way downstairs, eager for breakfast.
The smell of freshly cooked food greeted me as I entered the kitchen, where Hera and Shina were already hard at work preparing a meal.
"Good morning, you two. Sleep well?" I asked, causing them to jump slightly at my unexpected arrival.
"Good morning, Shiro!" Shina replied, pressing a hand to her chest. "You startled us! But yes, I slept well."
Hera smiled faintly. "I did too, and once again, thank you for agreeing to help me after everything…"
I chuckled, raising my hands in protest. "Could you please stop bowing to me? I'm really not that special. Just a regular guy—nothing grand in my past life," I said, trying to ease her guilt. My thoughts briefly drifted to Earth, where I had been… well, just another face in the crowd. But something about this new world felt different—maybe, just maybe, I had a purpose here.
A flash of memory hit me—an image of a girl with long blonde hair and bright eyes. It was her. The one I'd failed back then. My chest tightened, but I pushed the feeling aside, determined to make things right this time, in this world.
Without thinking, I hugged Shina, a brief but sincere gesture. She froze, startled, her cheeks flushing bright red, while Hera quickly averted her gaze. Was she jealous? Embarrassed? I wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that I was here now, and I wouldn't let the past dictate who I was going to be.
"I'm sorry, but remember, we're leaving after breakfast, and our hired help should be arriving soon. Oh, and by the way, breakfast smells amazing!" I said, breaking the embrace and waving as I stepped toward the door.
Just then, a knock echoed from the front door.
"That must be our hired help," I muttered to myself, a touch of skepticism in my voice. "I really hope 'battle-ready maids' isn't just an exaggeration."
I opened the door, greeted by a group of well-dressed staff. Two butlers and four maids stood in front of me—one older butler with silver hair tied back in a neat ponytail, and the other, much younger, with dark brown hair and a clean mustache. The maids were just as striking: twin sisters with short gray hair, one with a cowlick and the other with slightly curly tips, and two more with long blue and brown hair, respectively.
"Luke, Brock, and the maids: Silly, Iwa, Sedra, and Serra," the older butler introduced them with formal politeness. I couldn't help but feel reassured by their professionalism.
"Well, Luke seems perfect for the role," I remarked, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. "I'm glad to leave the household in your capable hands."
Satre, who had joined us, nodded. "My grandfather made sure they were well-trained, so I'm not surprised."
Once that was settled, we gathered in the living room to go over our next steps. The task of escorting Princess Hera back to the Forest of Spirits and stopping the rebellion was looming larger by the second.
"Here's the plan," I began, taking a seat and spreading out a map of the area. "We need to make a false report that the crown will soon be handed over to Hera. This will force the noble's corrupted son into action—he'll send his men after her."
Hera gasped. "What? That's… dangerous!"
Yura frowned, thoughtfully tapping her chin. "So after the false report, the noble's son will try to capture her or kill her. Am I right?"
"Exactly," I nodded. "The noble won't wait long to act. That's where I come in. With my cloak, I'll go invisible and capture the mole within the guard."
"But what about the king?" Shina asked, her brow furrowing. "What if they target him, too?"
"That's where you girls come in," I said, turning to them. "Satre, you'll use your light magic to shield the king. I've got the spellbook here, and you should have no trouble."
I passed her the book, and she nodded, already familiarizing herself with the pages.
"We wait for the corrupted to make their move and take them down quickly. Simple, right?" I finished, leaning back.
As I said that, Kyoko landed on my arm, signaling that it was time to go.
"We say our goodbyes to the staff, and we're out of here," I said, heading toward the door. We told the new help to contact us via Sanguine if necessary, and then we climbed onto Kyoko, ready for the journey.
Forty-five minutes of smooth flying later, we reached the outskirts of a small village nestled among towering trees—the village of Urnesha, Hera's homeland.
"This is it," Hera said softly. "My home… the Forest of Spirits."
As we entered the village, the people bowed their heads in respect, a silent affirmation of Hera's royal bloodline. The village was ancient, timeless in its design, with homes built into the trees and bridges of woven branches connecting them.
At the heart of the village stood a massive tree—the largest I had ever seen. Its trunk seemed to stretch endlessly upward, and nestled within its bark was a castle, intricately woven into the living wood. It was a breathtaking sight.
We made our way up the staircase leading to the castle, but before we could reach the door, a small figure rushed toward us. A short man, barely half of Hera's height, wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight hug.
"Oh, Hera! You've returned, my beloved! I can't believe you would vanish like that!" he exclaimed, his voice high-pitched and full of affection.
"Beloved?" we all asked in unison, eyes widening.
Hera laughed, blushing slightly. "Don't say things like that in front of our guests, brother. People will get the wrong idea."
Oh, great… a siscon.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but a dark purple aura flared around me involuntarily. It only lasted a moment before I reined it in.
Before I could say anything, Satre gently placed a hand on my shoulder, grounding me.
"I'm sorry, Hera, for the… outburst," I said, my voice even. "I shouldn't have let him get under my skin."
"Don't worry about it," Hera reassured me, her smile warm. "I'm sure he's more than what you've said."
"Right," I said with a half-grin. "Now, let's go see the king and deal with this rebellion."
As we moved deeper into the castle, the weight of our mission settled on our shoulders. The rebellion was real, and the future of the Forest of Spirits—and possibly the kingdom—was in our hands.