In the Heart of the Nightmare Forest
Tsana's slender, white hand gently stroked the green grass. Then, she stood tall and looked up at the Barrier surrounding the Forest.
She murmured. "The forest structure has changed considerably."
Zephyr, who had just returned from the Academy after conducting the review, walked closer to Tsana. "Master, how are the conditions?"
"Very bad. Since I arrived here, the forest has become much wider, its size could even rival a kingdom."
Zephyr asked. "Is it because of the Dragon?"
"Yes. Several monster populations have moved, and new, stronger monster populations have emerged. The number of Dungeons has also increased, and the forest area is much wider. And then..." Tsana pointed towards a magnificent ancient gate right in front of them. It was intricately carved, moss covered, and looked long abandoned. "This is the path to the Dragon's location. It is at the very Northern edge of this Forest. Beyond this gate, my detection magic is useless, I can't sense anything, neither creatures nor the forest structure inside."
Zephyr stared at the ancient gate Tsana was pointing at. The wind blowing from the gate carried the scent of iron and moss, giving an oddly familiar sensation.
Zephyr's eyes widened. "That's-"
Tsana muttered, "Yes, isn't this the exact same gate you saw 100 years ago?"
Zephyr clenched his fist and whispered, "Yes..."
Tsana glanced at Zephyr, then said. "The Forest will be closed temporarily. No one is allowed to enter until I manage to meet the Dragon."
Zephyr's eyes widened. "You're going alone?"
Tsana nodded. "Yes."
"No! That's too dangerous! I'm coming with you!"
"Then who will guard the forest? After hearing the news that the Light Dragon is inside the Nightmare Forest, people will be desperate to enter, especially monster hunting groups. Those who aren't afraid of death and only think of money will dare to come in."
Zephyr bit his lip in frustration. He knew what Tsana said was true. He had to take Tsana's place in guarding the forest because, after all, this forest was his home. He couldn't allow people to enter only to throw away their lives. He himself had seen the Dragon's power, even just its soul form surpassed the power of a high level spirit like himself. So what about its power in its true form? Weak monster hunters seeking the Dragon would surely die in an instant.
Besides, the Dragon only asked for Tsana to meet it, not anyone else.
Although the Nightmare Forest had many monsters and monster hunting groups constantly came and went, no one had ever died inside from monster attacks. That was because Zephyr always came in time to save them.
Since Tsana became the Guardian of the Nightmare Forest, Zephyr had not allowed a single life to be lost in this forest. He absolutely refused to let it happen.
But still, he couldn't let Tsana go alone.
He couldn't bear to feel Tsana's life energy disappear again. He only wanted to stay by her side and ensure she remained safe. He didn't want to be haunted by fear every time he felt Tsana's life force fade.
Suddenly, Zephyr felt a warm pat on his head. He looked up to see Tsana's hand resting on his hair.
"Don't worry. Didn't I promise you? That I won't die again?"
Zephyr's eyes widened. Although Tsana's expression was just flat, from the gentle tone of her voice, Zephyr knew she was sincere.
Slowly, Zephyr nodded, though his heart was still reluctant to agree.
"Let's go back home. We will have many guests tomorrow."
Zephyr nodded, then followed Tsana's steps ahead of him to return to the cottage.
Tsana was right. With the news of the Light Dragon being inside the Nightmare Forest spreading, there would be countless people coming. Zephyr had to work hard to prevent them all from entering the forest and explain the situation.
Zephyr sighed, looking down dejectedly. Starting tomorrow, his days would be long ones.
Tsana glanced at Zephyr but said nothing.
As expected, the next day, the entrance to the Nightmare Forest was already filled with dozens of monster hunters. The bustling sound of footsteps, the clinking of weapons, swords, spears, and shields, and the impatient shouts of the hunters echoed in the air. They had been arriving from morning until this afternoon.
They waited for the large, gate-shaped entrance to the Nightmare Forest to open.
Zephyr struggled to prevent them from entering. He also had to explain the situation to the entire kingdom, that the Nightmare Forest could not be entered because it was too dangerous, which provoked displeasure from the monster hunters.
They believed the Guardian of the Nightmare Forest just wanted to hunt the Dragon alone, and Zephyr truly had to work twice as hard to explain everything. Luckily, he was able to ask Theo for help in spreading the latest information about the Nightmare Forest, so he didn't have to travel far to relay this information to every kingdom.
Among the many visitors, the one who caught his attention the most was a handsome man who had long, silver hair braided and draped over his broad shoulder, who had just alighted from a horse-drawn carriage. His shimmering amethyst eyes stared silently at the entrance to the Nightmare Forest. It was as if clashing waves of emotion were contained within those Amethyst eyes.
Zephyr sighed and approached the man to explain the situation. However, the man suddenly showed him a palm sized green pill, surrounded by a faint green mana energy.
Zephyr's eyes widened. He looked at the man's face and the pill alternately, as if wanting to confirm more carefully.
The man's face was cold, yet the aura he emitted seemed to choke Zephyr. Zephyr could tell that this person's power must be immense. Besides the Light Dragon and his own Master, who possessed an aura capable of choking him, this was the first time Zephyr had felt such an aura from someone else.
'Who exactly is this man?'
Two monster hunters, one short, the other bald, looked towards the man.
"Isn't that Duke Ennel? Did he come here to negotiate with the forest guardian?"
"I don't know, but I hope his arrival brings good news for us monster hunters."
'Duke Ennel? This man?' Zephyr thought.
The name Duke Ennel was not unfamiliar to Zephyr. The Ennel family was a family with a brilliant reputation, ruling the northernmost region of the Zivilia Kingdom for centuries.
The name of the current head of the family, Duke Ennel, was the most famous. He became head of the family at the age of only 16. He was forced to take over the head seat early because the previous head, his father, had died. He was known for achieving many accomplishments with his genius, and he possessed great magical talent. However, he was never at his residence. Rumor had it that he was always wandering off to distant continents for reasons unknown.
But even though he never returned, every affair within the Ennel household was always organized, and not a single problem was ever heard by the people.
The man holding the title Duke Ennel was very mysterious.
However, his appearance was easily recognizable, as the Ennel family had a distinctive trait, silver hair and amethyst eyes. How they maintained the same appearance among their descendants for hundreds of years was a mystery.
Zephyr only realized the appearance of the Ennel descendant after recalling the information.
Because of the pill in the man's hand, Zephyr knew this man was his Master's guest. He eventually escorted the man to Tsana's location, then returned to the front of the forest entrance to continue his work.
★★★
The sound of knocking
The pleasant and familiar jingling of tiny bells sounded in Tsana's ears. Tsana's hand, holding the quill pen, paused over the paper. She turned towards the wooden door in silence.
She couldn't detect the mana energy of the person behind the door, but she clearly knew who had arrived.
Tsana neatly placed her quill on the desk, then stood up from her chair and walked towards the door before opening it.
The opening door creaked, the door opening bit by bit to reveal the man with silver hair and amethyst eyes.
The wind slipped in from outside, gently swaying their hair and clothes. It created a soothing, harmonious atmosphere around them.
"It's you," Tsana said.
Cayn smiled softly, with a faint red blush on both his cheeks, making him appear even gentler.
In the dimly lit bar, Cayn had looked handsome. But seen directly like this, the man looked much brighter and more vibrant.
Cayn extended his hand, holding Tsana's mana pill in his palm.
Tsana looked at the pill, and her eyes softened. "You didn't crush it?"
"Why would I?"
Tsana looked at Cayn. "Just as I suspected, you're no ordinary person."
Cayn gave a subtle smile, then gazed softly at the pill in his hand, and drew it to his chest. He looked up at Tsana, which made Tsana slightly flinch at the sight of that look.
His gaze was like that of a man staring at his beloved with deep affection.