After leaving the foot of the mountain toward the Western Desert, they walked in pairs: Rain and Celine in the lead, followed by Oran and Theron, then Mona and Lina, and finally Leon with the prince and princess as a trio at the rear.
At the height of midday, when the scorching sun's aura spread, Oran ordered a stop for lunch. The group halted near the Saiz River, where dense trees were everywhere. Rain went to fell a tree and turn it into benches, while Theron lit the fire, and Leon and Oran fished from the river.
The Saiz River stretched across the green plains until it reached part of the Western Desert lands, and it was by far the largest river in the seven regions.
As everyone sat on the benches, Rain had already prepared the skewers for grilling the fish. When Leon and Oran returned with a pot full of the fish they had caught, Rain began placing them on the skewers and grilling them carefully, sticking the skewers beside the fire so they wouldn't burn, allowing the fish to cook slowly so its flesh remained tender.
Meanwhile, Mona, Celine, and Lina sat pondering the new situation—it was the first time they hadn't participated in preparing the food, as the boys had taken care of everything. Erinor and Aretha remained silent, observing the group's cohesion and how they managed affairs in this harsh world.
When the fish was done, Rain stood and distributed the skewers to everyone, then returned to his bench. As soon as they tasted the first bite, their expressions turned to delight, and they began eating with great appetite, smiling broadly.
Celine said excitedly: "Your cooking has given the fish a unique flavor! The meat is perfectly tender—not overcooked, not undercooked—it's perfect! Thank you so much, Rain. I've never eaten fish this tender with such taste before!"
Rain looked at her shyly and asked: "Really?" then turned to everyone, questioning.
Erinor jumped in, speaking seriously: "I've never eaten fish this tender before, not even at our royal table! It's always either overcooked or undercooked, but this is perfect, the way you cooked it."
Aretha supported him, saying: "That's absolutely true, brother! Its taste is one of a kind."
Everyone began praising Rain for his cooking method, while he blushed and squirmed on his bench, until Oran interrupted him, saying: "It really is delicious, Rain, but we must hurry—we still have a long way to go, and we need to find a safe place to spend the night away from those Silent Thickets."
As soon as they finished their meal, they prepared to set off again to continue their journey. The sun had begun to yellow, signaling sunset.
Oran suggested they split into groups of three to search for a campsite:
Group One: Rain, Celine, and Lina.
Group Two: Oran, Theron, and Mona.
Group Three: Leon, Erinor, and Aretha.
As Leon walked at the front, he noticed he had gone too far ahead of the prince and princess, so he waved them to hurry while he waited. When they reached him, Leon asked: "Why are you holding Aretha's hand all the time, Erinor? There's no need to worry about her now. It must be annoying for her, right, Aretha?"
Erinor looked at his sister and asked gently: "Is he right, Aretha? Does it bother you? Don't worry—if you're uncomfortable, I can stop holding your hand."
Aretha tensed and closed her eyes, then spoke haltingly: "It does bother me… sometimes."
Erinor smiled and patted her head, saying: "You should have told me that directly—why all the fuss?"
Aretha replied hesitantly: "I was afraid you'd be upset if I said it, so I kept silent."
Erinor turned to Leon and said: "Thanks for pointing it out—if you hadn't mentioned it, she'd have been annoyed the whole time."
Leon chuckled softly and replied: "No need to thank me—I just noticed. All right, let's continue on our way—it's getting late and the sun is about to set. Let's stay side by side: Aretha on my right, Erinor on my left."
Meanwhile, Oran's group had found a suitable place to spend the night: where the Saiz River passed through a mountain hollowed from the middle, and on its left side was a cave inside the mountain.
Oran said as he examined the spot: "This is an ideal location to spend the night."
---
Inside the cave, where everyone watched the situation warily, Mona asked anxiously: "But isn't this place open to demonic monsters? They could find us quickly!"
Oran answered confidently: "No need to worry—I scouted it from the inside. There's a narrow crevice within the cave itself, too tight for the demonic monsters to pass through, though a single person can. The Silent Thickets can't predict anything behind that crevice, nor would they even think of it, since the river completely misleads them—they can't even see the first cave, let alone the second."
Mona nodded in understanding, while Theron kindled a fire to send the signal.
---
Outside the cave, Oran waited for Rain's group to arrive. As they approached, Rain asked: "Did you find a safe spot?"
Oran pointed to the rocky hollow beside the river and said: "There's a cave on the left bank, but it's not an ordinary cave. Inside it is another, safer cave that the demonic monsters can't enter, nor would they think to look there, especially because the river's effect misleads them."
Rain nodded and said: "All right, let's enter now. Will Leon's group wait?"
Oran replied firmly: "Yes, but if the sun sets, I'll go in. I won't risk revealing our location—Leon can manage even if he doesn't find us."
Rain agreed: "I think you're right, but he may arrive before sunset. If he's late, I doubt he'd come here at all to avoid risking discovery."
Then he led his group into the cave, while Oran looked up at the sky, saying: "I hope they're not late…"
---
On the other side, Leon's group…
Leon and his group saw the signal, but suddenly, the unexpected happened!
"Why now?! Damn everything!" Leon shouted angrily, swinging his sword to kill a group of Silent Thickets that had surrounded them inside a cave.
They had entered to explore it, but it turned out to be a lair of the Silent Thickets, hidden and ready to emerge at sunset. This enraged them—demonic monsters roam the seven regions during the day, then return to the portal before it closes at dawn. But some, like the Silent Thickets, remain hidden until darkness falls, and Leon's group had awakened them prematurely.
"Damn it! Their numbers are endless! I kill and kill, but it's useless… What should I do now?! I have to hurry to the signal spot—they must have gathered already!" Leon thought as he continued fighting.
At that moment, the sun set and the crimson moon appeared in the blood-red sky…
---
Inside the cave, where anxiety reigned among the group…
Lina asked worriedly: "What will happen to him? Will he be okay? He can't spend the night outside!"
Rain replied reassuringly: "Don't worry. Remember when I spent the night alone? He'll manage the same way—he can take care of himself. He's strong, and a group of Silent Thickets can't harm him."
Lina sighed in relief, and the others accepted the situation.
---
Back to Leon's group, where the battle raged on…
Leon fought nonstop, while Aretha crouched in the midst of combat between him and Erinor, trying to protect herself, holding her head from sheer terror.
"This is getting worse! I can't use any wide-area attacks so I don't hurt them. I have to stick to long-range strikes to kill them faster…" Leon thought internally.
At that moment, a Silent Thicket crawled straight toward Aretha, unnoticed until she suddenly screamed in fright!
Leon and Erinor both turned instantly!
Boom! Leon intervened quickly, stomping on the creature's head until it exploded, splattering sticky green fluid on Aretha.
"Sorry! We didn't see it!" Leon said, offering Aretha a cloth to wipe her face.
But the situation worsened.
"Erinor, listen carefully!" Leon said firmly.
"I'll use a move that finishes them all at once! Rain told me its details, and since he mastered it, I can too. But your task is to carry Aretha and fly high so neither of you gets hurt. I think you're now an expert flyer—can I count on you?"
Erinor answered loudly: "You can count on me!"
He lifted Aretha onto his back and flew upright into the sky, watching Leon's moves anxiously.
---
The decisive moment…
Leon closed his eyes and took the stance to draw his sword from its sheath.
The wind began to gather around him…
But he couldn't execute the move due to the continuous onslaught!
"I have no choice… I must do it now!"
Though the Silent Thickets swarmed him completely, he ignored them entirely.
He closed his eyes again… and at that moment, blood poured from his nose and mouth!
Erinor and Aretha watched the scene with great concern.
Then Leon suddenly opened his eyes and swung his sword!
In an instant, every Silent Thicket was torn apart at once! Even the nearby trees were blown from their roots, and the adjacent cave lost its entire upper section!
Everything collapsed…
---
After the battle ended…
Leon looked upward with a smile.
Erinor and Aretha descended quickly toward him.
Aretha approached to thank him but suddenly froze in place.
Erinor asked anxiously: "What's wrong? Why did you stop?"
She answered in a trembling voice: "Why is he still looking up with the same expression?!"
Erinor looked at Leon and said hesitantly: "Oh, Leon? Why are you still in the same pose? We're here!"
But Leon didn't respond…
Aretha's and Erinor's expressions turned to panic.
Aretha ran to him, and when she touched him, he immediately lost consciousness and fell to the ground with her!
Erinor rushed to them and asked anxiously: "Is he all right?!"
Aretha examined him quickly, then breathed a sigh of relief: "Don't worry—he's only unconscious. I thought he died for a moment, but now I feel at ease. My leg went numb for a moment."
Erinor smiled and said: "I feel the same—my legs couldn't carry me from tension… but now I feel reborn!"
Aretha replied: "Yes, that's true… but what do we do now?! Where will we go? He's unconscious, and it seems he won't wake soon!"
---
Erinor spoke calmly: "No need to worry—we'll be fine, but we can't head to the signal spot."
That's what Leon had said, then added: "It seems the demonic monsters can smell fresh blood—like the blood we just shed. Wherever we go, the scent will cling to us, even though we killed an army of them already."
Erinor was performing a blood-drawing ritual as he spoke with Aretha, while Leon's sword was doing that task. Had he not acted quickly or given the command to his sword, he would have suffered a violent backlash.
After some time passed, Leon finally opened his eyes to find himself lying across Aretha's thighs, his face opposite hers. Aretha spoke in a tender voice: "It seems you've finally woken up."
Startled, Leon moved quickly and sat cross-legged, his face as red as a tomato. Aretha looked at him in surprise, then finally smiled.
Leon stammered: "W-what did you do?"
Aretha replied calmly: "We did nothing—we stayed where we were. My brother said we had to spend the night out in the open and that he'd guard us until you woke up and gave the order. But it seems you woke up sooner than expected."
Leon continued: "So, where is he now?"
Aretha pointed with her finger: "He's over there, gathering branches to light the fire."
Leon saw him and said: "That's good indeed, but I'm still tired. I feel like every muscle in my body has torn. So we'll spend the night here. Tell him to hunt us something to eat, and I'll protect you."
Aretha immediately went to her brother to convey Leon's words, then returned to Leon with Erinor.
Erinor spoke: "It seems you're in good health now, Leon."
Leon replied: "Yes, I'm fully recovered, so don't worry. Just bring us something to eat—I'll protect Aretha."
Erinor nodded in agreement, lit the fire, then left to hunt.
After Erinor departed, Leon spoke embarrassedly: "As you know, I'm very tired and lied to your brother about that, but… may I lie down again? I felt a pleasant sensation then, but don't worry—if I have to sacrifice my life to protect you, I'll be happy to do so."
Aretha looked at him, stunned by his words, but she soon smiled: "All right, you may lie down."
Leon lay down on her thigh, gazing at the sky, then said: "I really thank you. I needed someone to understand me all along. We went through hard times and almost died several times. The fear of losing others is the worst, so we strive to overcome it. Do you understand what I mean?"
Aretha gently played with his blond hair and whispered: "I understand you completely, Leon. So just relax."
But Leon suddenly stood up and said: "I'm truly grateful for this warmth you've given me, but I don't want your brother to see it."
Aretha smiled and said: "I'm the one who should thank you for protecting us. When we're together, we feel like we're with our family. It was warm with you, and I felt the warmth we'd lost long ago."
Leon smiled at her, and Aretha returned the smile.
Leon said: "No need to thank us—it's my duty. All right, let's sit and wait for your brother."
"All right, sit beside me," Aretha said kindly.
Leon sat next to her, and the two began chatting harmoniously until Erinor returned, holding a small rabbit.
Leon spoke: "You're late, Erinor."
Erinor answered: "You know it's late, and all the animals are asleep in their lairs. I found this rabbit by chance—it was being chased by one of the Silent Thickets. I killed it and hunted it—that's all."
Leon said: "Yes, you're right. Come, sit."
Leon gestured for Erinor to sit, and once he settled, Leon began cutting the rabbit into pieces and grilling it on wooden skewers.
After it finally cooked, everyone began eating quietly.
When they finished, Erinor spoke: "So, what will we do now? Will we sleep in the open?"
Leon replied nonchalantly: "What's wrong with that? No need to worry—you can sleep. I'll keep watch all night."
Erinor and Aretha lay down on the ground to sleep, while Leon remained awake.
Once Leon confirmed they had fallen asleep, he removed his cloak and covered Aretha, fearing she might feel cold.
But suddenly, Erinor woke and asked sharply: "What are you doing?"
Leon answered calmly: "I just covered her so she wouldn't feel cold. Why? Are you jealous because I didn't cover you?" he said the last part sarcastically.
Erinor's face turned red as he replied embarrassed: "What are you talking about? It doesn't bother me at all! I just thought you were doing something suspicious for her."
Leon was surprised by his reply, then burst out laughing: "What are you saying? You're really dumb! She's just an ordinary girl and couldn't bear sleeping in the open, so I covered her. As for you, you've become less ordinary, so you can handle it. Besides, isn't it your duty to protect her as her older brother?"
Erinor blushed more and said shyly: "You're right… Actually, I'm sorry for doubting you, and I'm really grateful for what you did for us. If you weren't with us, we'd be dead already. All r
ight, good night."
Erinor lay down again and fell asleep.
Leon smiled and said quietly: "Good night to you too."
Leon stayed awake, breaking branches and throwing them into the fire, waiting for sunrise to resume their journey and rejoin the other group.