They all focused on the spot they had just attacked, then swept their gazes across the treeline, searching for any flicker of motion, any hint of the presence Levain had sensed.
The forest was still. So were they.
Then—
"Are you okay, Rhea?"
The voice came from behind them.
Soft. Female. Gentle.
Everybody froze.
Heads turned. Weapons shifted. And there, standing at the edge of the clearing as if she had been there all along, was a white figure.
White robes, without her usual veil this time. Pale skin and white hair catching the morning light.
Ayumu.
She stood with her hands clasped in front of her, her head tilted slightly, her expression genuinely worried as she looked at Rhea still sprawled on the ground.
Rhea's dramatic pose dissolved instantly. She sat up, brushing leaves from her sleeves, and a wide grin spread across her face.
"I knew it," she said, almost smug.
All the men were speechless.
Drobar was the first to break.
"WHAT?" His voice exploded across the clearing like a thunderclap. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, LADY AYUMU?!"
Fifi winced and clamped both hands over his ears, his glowing tattoos flickering with annoyance.
Levain's sharp eyes narrowed. He was already re-evaluating everything he thought he knew about his own tracking abilities. "It was her following us the whole time?" He shook his head slowly, disbelief coloring his voice. "Why… why couldn't I detect her?"
The silent knight simply stared.
And Kaiser—
Kaiser looked displeased.
No. More than displeased. His sharp features had hardened into something colder, something edged with restrained anger. His red eyes bore into Ayumu with an intensity.
"Lady Ayumu." His voice was sharp. "Care to explain yourself?"
Ayumu hesitated. She swallowed.
"Um… I—uh—" Her usual composure faltered. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I want to be of help, Lord Kaiser! For this adventure—I mean expedition!"
Kaiser's eyes narrowed. "Does the Emperor know you are here, Lady Ayumu?"
Ayumu nodded quickly—perhaps too quickly. "Yes! I left him a note…"
Kaiser stared at her then he raised one hand and smacked it against his own face.
He could already picture it: Visil finding that note. Visil reading those words. Visil's face turning red, then purple, then some color that hadn't even been named yet. Visil screaming loud enough to crack the palace foundations.
The Emperor is going to lose his mind, Kaiser thought grimly. And when he does, he will come for me first.
Ayumu, oblivious to the chain of destruction she had set in motion, looked around at the group's faces. Drobar's jaw was still hanging open. Fifi was rubbing his ears. Levain was muttering to himself. The silent knight was… silent.
Her expression began to crumble.
"I—I won't be a burden," she said quickly, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I have my own rations. Uh—I can cook, too. And help heal those who are injured with my powers." She straightened her shoulders, trying to project confidence. "Oh, yes! And I am good in combat. And I can move stealthily…"
She trailed off.
The group just stared at her.
Not because they doubted her. Not because they thought she was lying. They knew she was capable—had seen proof of it, heard stories of it. But the sheer audacity for someone of her status, the Royal Advisor, to be appearing like this, in the middle of nowhere, with no warning, as if she had simply walked out of thin air…
Ayumu's shoulders dropped. Her gaze fell to the ground as the dejection settled over her like a cold rain—slow, soaking, miserable.
Rhea saw it and she chuckled. She had not known Ayumu for that long, but she is someone dear to Rhea.
Rhea stepped forward.
"Look," she said firmly, addressing the group. "There is nothing we can do now. We are close to the border—nearing the shore. Ayumu can ride with me on my horse." She glanced at her friend and smiled. "She will be of great help."
Kaiser's jaw tightened. "Miss Rhea, it is not that I am concerned about."
His voice was stern. But beneath the surface, something else churned.
What happened last time nearly killed her. This expedition is dangerous. I do not want her here. I do not want her hurt. I do not want to see her bleeding again. I care for her, he thought—though he would never say it aloud.
He kept his feelings locked behind his cold expression, buried under layers of duty and distance.
"Never mind," he said at last, exhaling through his nose. "Miss Rhea is right. From now on, Lady Ayumu will join us."
The change was instantaneous for Ayumu.
Her face lit up. Her eyes sparkled. Light erupted from Ayumu—a soft, radiant glow that seemed to emanate from her very skin. It was blinding to the people seeing it up close.
The group shielded their eyes.
Fifi squinted against the glow, raising one hand to block the light. "Are all white magis like this?" he asked, genuinely bewildered.
Levain, still rubbing his eyes, let out a long sigh. "I don't know," he said. "Let's just hope for the best."
Drobar, finally recovering his composure, crossed his arms and grunted. "I have a feeling she's going to get us all killed by the Emperor."
Rhea shot him a look. "Or save us all during this expedition. Have you considered that?"
Drobar did not respond.
Kaiser turned away from Ayumu's radiant joy, his red eyes fixed on the road ahead.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The expedition continued.
Ayumu now rode with Rhea, settled comfortably behind her friend on the saddle, her arms loosely wrapped around Rhea's waist.
And Ayumu was elated.
Her joy was impossible to miss—the curve of her lips was so pronounced, so genuine, that it seemed to brighten everything around her. She hummed softly under her breath, a tune without a name, her hair fluttering with each gentle sway of the horse.
Rhea felt the humming vibrate through Ayumu's chest and into her own back. She giggled.
"Are you that happy to be out of the palace, Ayumu?"
"Oh, it's not that." Ayumu's voice was light, almost musical. "I am very excited to go on an adventure. And this time with company." She nestled her head against Rhea's shoulder and tightened her embrace. "Especially with my good friend Rhea."
Rhea's heart swelled. She grinning at the sheer cuteness radiating from the white magis behind her and join in the giggles.
Up ahead, riding at the head of the column, Kaiser heard the humming. Heard the giggling. Saw the way Ayumu's face had transformed into something soft and radiant.
His jaw tightened.
Perhaps deep down, he was jealous of Rhea. Perhaps the sight of Ayumu clinging to someone else—even a friend—stirred something unpleasant in his chest. He told himself it was concern for safety. He told himself it was duty.
But the words that came out were sharper than he intended.
"This is not an adventure, Lady Ayumu." His voice cut through the cheerful atmosphere like a blade. "The place can be dangerous. You have said so yourself. We need to exercise caution at every moment."
From behind him, Drobar let out a snort.
"Just how you were cautious of Lady Ayumu following us?" he asked, his tone dripping with mock innocence. "Oh wait—you didn't notice her at all, did you? Some great black magis you are."
A ripple of laughter passed through the group. Fifi snorted. Even the silent knight's shoulders shook slightly.
Kaiser's red eyes snapped toward Drobar, burning with cold fury.
Drobar met his gaze without flinching. "Ohh, so scary," he said, waving a hand in mock terror. "The Lord Kaiser is angry. Whatever shall we do?"
More laughter.
Levain, riding near the back, rubbed his temples. He had endured enough. The question had been gnawing at him since Ayumu's reveal, and he could no longer hold it back.
"How were you able to move without detection, Lady Ayumu?" He guided his horse closer to Rhea's, his sharp eyes studying the white magis with genuine curiosity. "How is it that I could not sense you properly? My abilities are not weak. And yet… nothing."
Ayumu lifted her head from Rhea's shoulder, her expression turning thoughtful.
"That is because I move at the speed of light," she explained. "I use my light ability to advance paces. Most of the time, I can remain completely stealthy."
Fifi's eyes widened. He leaned forward in his saddle, nearly tipping off his horse. "Is that how you were able to keep up with us? You were on foot, and we were on horseback!"
"That's right." Ayumu nodded, she smiled gently. "I was glad I managed to keep up when you were staying at the inn in the small town on the first night." She paused, then added with innocent cheerfulness, "I must say, Sir Fifi, your choice of pajamas at the inn is exquisite. Please do tell where I could obtain them for myself."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Fifi's face went through several colors—pale, then pink, then red, then something approaching purple.
"YOU WERE LOOKING IN MY ROOM?!" he shrieked, his voice cracking.
Rhea's grin turned wicked. She tilted her head toward Ayumu and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Oh, what was he wearing, Ayumu?"
Ayumu smiled sweetly and leaned close to Rhea's ear, cupping her hand to shield her words.
Fifi's eye twitched. "You ladies stop whispering right now!" He pointed a trembling finger at them. "This is harassment! This is unjust! I am being violated!"
Drobar shrugged. "Don't be like that, Sir Fifi." He scratched his chin lazily. "Everyone knows you were wearing a fairy dress to sleep at night."
He snickered. The group erupted.
Giggles. Shouts. Full-bellied laughter. Even Levain cracked a smile. The silent knight's shoulders shook uncontrollably. Rhea was laughing so hard she had to grip the reins tighter to stay seated. Ayumu giggled behind her hand, her eyes shining.
Fifi sputtered indignantly, his glowing tattoos flaring with every protest.
And at the front of the column, Kaiser snapped.
"STOP IT!" His voice thundered through the forest, silencing birds and laughter alike. "ALL OF YOU! Be on the lookout!"
The group fell quiet.
Ayumu, startled by the outburst, ducked behind Rhea's back, using her friend as a shield. Only her wide eyes were visible above Rhea's shoulder.
Drobar, however, was not intimidated. He leaned back in his saddle and crossed his arms, a lazy grin spreading across his face.
"Aww," he said sweetly. "Lord Kaiser made Lady Ayumu scared." He pressed a hand to his chest in mock sympathy. "That's not good… Lighten up, Mr. Uptight."
Kaiser's hands tightened on his reins.
His eye twitched.
His jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached.
I am going to lose my mind, he thought. I am going to lose my mind, and it will be because of these people.
Behind him, Ayumu whispered to Rhea, "Is Lord Kaiser angry?"
Rhea whispered back, "No, deep down he is just worried about someone."
Ayumu blinked. "Worried? About whom?"
Rhea just smiled and said nothing.
Up ahead, Kaiser rode in stiff, furious silence, his red eyes fixed straight ahead.
He did not look back.
But he wanted to.