Ymir had always been a person who was extremely dependent on others, regardless of whether it was good or bad. She didn't possess an "ego" or "self," merely like a puppet obeying every command.
Although something occasionally flashed in her mind, it usually came and went like a passing breeze.
However, when traveling with Asahi, things were different.
He didn't "command"; he "guided." At first glance, the two forms were not much different, but over time, he gradually gave her the ability to make her own decisions. Asahi understood that for Ymir to have the ability to make her own decisions and not be overly dependent on someone, she herself needed to possess capabilities.
To eliminate Ymir's dependent mindset, he either had to use practical actions, as he was doing, or let her gain long-term experience; lecturing her with reasoning in the short term would not be very effective, like water off a duck's back.
Half a month had passed since her escape. Now, without his constant verbal reminders, the little girl was skilled enough to set up a shelter, start a fire, catch fish, and gather fruit... for survival.
Currently, besides the stone knife, Ymir also possessed a stone spear. A smooth, pointed, diamond-shaped stone was wedged into a small groove in a wooden stick, then tightly bound with vines and secured with tree resin. The dagger was crafted similarly with a smaller handle. She could now both defend herself and hunt.
However, for the past few days, Ymir had been somewhat distracted and unfocused. The reason was that, compared to when they started, Asahi's form had visibly faded.
While initially, when they met, he glowed brightly like a flawless electric lightbulb, only without being blinding, now he was as dim as a lightbulb that had been operating for many years, though still without blemish. This made Ymir, a little girl with minimal understanding, realize that he was about to disappear.
Asahi didn't pay much attention to it, as it was inevitable. "Ymir, don't lose focus." He reminded her sternly. Ymir lowered her head, looking innocent, which made him sigh. As time passed, she was no longer as rigid as before, having developed a little more expression. Moreover, with many days passing without any threats from Eldia, both of them had noticeably relaxed.
In two weeks, the two had traveled at least over fifty kilometers, even if the winding route meant a slight deviation. But putting such a long distance between them allowed Ymir to rest easy and focus on honing her survival skills rather than prioritizing escape.
Furthermore, Asahi also thought the King of Eldia must have given up. After all, so much time had passed, and they were so far away.
However, he had underestimated the King of Eldia's relentless nature and forgotten that war was the main theme of this era.
He couldn't be blamed for this. In the future, the era where the origin of the Titans and the Founder Ymir began was very, very distant, hundreds of generations ago. It was very difficult to accurately describe what that era was like, even with documents. To put it simply, it was like reading a history book in school—reading about the war, expressing awe, and... nothing more after that.
In a time of war, the army did not stay in one place; the army would continuously explore and conquer surrounding areas, especially an aggressive empire like Eldia. Ymir's village was one of countless victims of those conquests.
Ymir suddenly became excited. She turned towards Asahi, pointing her finger forward. They had reached an area with a small lake and a flowing waterfall. The waterfall wasn't very tall, estimated at about four meters, but in Ymir's eyes, it was a wonder of the world. After all, this was the first waterfall she had ever seen.
"Ymir, don't zone out. If you want, you can bathe here, and we can set up camp here too."
As soon as he finished speaking, the little girl took off her backpack, stripped off her clothes, and jumped in. Since that time she bathed to wash off her traces, Ymir no longer felt any hesitation towards Asahi. It seemed her understanding of certain social norms was still lacking.
He had planned to educate the little girl about this matter again, but seeing Ymir playing happily in the water, he sighed, deciding to leave it for later.
Playing in the water, splashing around, and then catching fish, Ymir played enthusiastically until Asahi had to remind her to get out. Staying in the water for too long could lead to a cold, and catching a cold in this environment was practically a death sentence.
In sequence, she set up the shelter, built a fire, and roasted fish. Their activities were business as usual, only different in that he no longer needed to direct her; she could complete everything on her own. However, while waiting for the next sunset, Asahi suddenly turned around in alarm. This inexplicable action immediately drew Ymir's attention; the little girl looked up, still chewing roasted fish in her mouth.
"Ymir, extinguish the fire immediately, pack the essentials, and leave."
"Now."
Asahi's serious tone made the little girl freeze for a second, then, realizing the urgency, she quickly began packing items into her backpack and extinguishing the fire. Following his instructions, she fled, her heart filled with panic. She knew that even the one time they nearly encountered a wild animal in the forest didn't make him this serious.
Of course, he had to be serious. The only thing more terrifying than a wild animal could only be humans.
"They've tracked us all the way here? That's illogical... they fundamentally shouldn't have any basis to pursue the girl..."
Asahi muttered, leading Ymir up to the higher ground above the waterfall. Just seconds before, he had sensed the sound of horse hooves about a few hundred meters away from this spot. This was already a very daunting situation, but just enough for Ymir to pack up and escape before the horses arrived.
On the earthen cliff a few meters higher than their campsite, he had Ymir hide a few dozen meters away to wait for his signal, while he stood there to observe.
As the sound of horse hooves grew near, Asahi still held a glimmer of hope that it was a different group of people. Unfortunately, it was the Eldian military, and not just one—there were over ten soldiers in the squad that came here.
Fortunately, they had not brought hunting dogs. Asahi breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his previous assumption was correct: the Eldian soldiers did not come to capture Ymir; they were on a different mission and just happened to pass through.
"Ymir, leave quickly, go back up towards the forest."
He gestured, and she gave a slight nod before stealthily moving away. Neither of them knew that in just a few days, this place would turn into a battlefield.
Below, a soldier examined the still-smoking campfire, hastily reporting to the commander. They whispered and discussed behind him, simultaneously feeling utterly ridiculous.
"That's so weird. The fire was just extinguished. How could it be such a coincidence that we arrived just then?"
"Stop talking. I will report this to the King."
The commander's face was stern. They had come to this place because a nearby village was about to become a conquest target. If this matter were to be exposed, the conquest would be more difficult, especially in a scenario where Eldia had to preserve its forces to deal with enemies like Marley. Absolutely no mistakes could be tolerated.