In the depths of the forest, the cat-eared girl wiped sweat from her brow. She leaned on a sturdy branch, gritted her teeth, and forced herself forward a few more steps. Eventually, her strength gave out, and bracing her waist, she sank down against a nearby tree trunk.
“I’m so tired,” she groaned. “How much longer until we reach Pad City?”
If she didn’t rest soon, her legs would surely give out.
“Probably another half a day of walking? The Karl Mountains are simply too vast…”
Seeing her companion’s exhaustion, the elf girl ahead could only halt her steps. With a helpless sigh, she walked over and began casting magic to help her recover her stamina.
The cat-eared girl was named Fely. A beastkin, she possessed long, aqua-blue hair and a face so cute and pure, she resembled a girl next door. Yet, her cat ears added an indescribable allure to her innocent features.
Indeed, what truly drew attention wasn’t her feline ears, but her exceptionally full and perky bosom. Even beneath the loose, black robes of a priestess, its generous curves were plainly visible.
As Olivia, the elf girl restoring Fely’s stamina, cast her magic, her gaze would invariably drift to Fely’s chest. She would then glance down at herself, a flicker of dull despair clouding her eyes.
Whenever Fely made an unconscious movement that caused her chest to undulate, that dull despair would instantly spread through Olivia’s entire being. It would even spark a world-weary thought: ‘Life is so uninteresting.’
Observing Fely and Olivia halt, Nona and Hia naturally abandoned any thoughts of continuing their journey.
Hia joined them, settling against a tree trunk. Nona, meanwhile, quietly observed them, her gaze distant and thoughtful.
Fely was a beastkin priestess, specializing in healing and support divine magic, who had fled after her church’s decline. Olivia, an elf of unknown age, excelled at scouting and archery. Hia, a noble lady, was a truly formidable mage.
Nona herself was a swordswoman with a certain talent.
This was the complete lineup of her hero’s party, and the very source of her confidence in daring to venture to the border of the Evil God’s territory.
As long as they avoided the ‘Saintess’ the village chief had spoken of, their ability to protect themselves shouldn’t pose a problem.
After resting for a while, Fely finally regained some of her strength. She yawned and stretched, her chest swaying like a water balloon, causing Olivia to gasp sharply at the sight.
“Hia, don’t you know how to use flying magic?” Fely asked. “Can you take us directly to Pad City?”
“We could, theoretically,” Hia replied. “But it would be far too conspicuous. You wouldn’t want us to be discovered by the Evil God’s subordinates halfway there, would you?”
Hia, gripping her staff, opened her eyes and cast a quick glance at Fely. Then, with a mischievous grin, she deliberately lowered her voice, intending to frighten her.
“I heard the village chief say that the ‘Saintess’ who controls the Karl Mountains is the Evil God’s most capable subordinate,” Hia whispered. “If heroes like us are caught by her, we’ll most likely be dismembered immediately, won’t we?”
“Dismembered?” Fely’s ears drooped. “Then, then let’s definitely not.”
Her two cat ears drooped low. Fely certainly didn’t feel she had lived long enough, and as a priestess, she harbored a deep fear of Evil Gods.
The Evil Gods described in ancient texts were creatures of pure madness and malevolence. What horrors she might endure if captured by them was something she dared not even imagine.
After a few more casual remarks, Hia noticed Nona had remained silent, her back turned to them. A flicker of curiosity sparked within her. “Nona? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing at all.”
Only then did Nona snap out of her reverie, as if waking from a dream.
When she finally turned to face Hia, the mage’s expression shifted to one of confusion.
“Why are you crying?”
Crying?
Nona blinked, startled. She reached up to touch her cheek, discovering it was indeed damp.
“…The sunlight must be too dazzling.”
Hia glanced skyward, noting that most of the sunlight was obscured by the dense canopy. Only faint beams managed to pierce through, barely illuminating the forest floor.
That lie was truly quite perfunctory.
Since Nona clearly didn’t wish to elaborate, Hia wouldn’t press the matter. Everyone harbored their own secrets, and even as comrades in a hero’s party, a certain degree of personal space was essential.
Observing Hia’s unspoken acceptance, Nona let out a subtle sigh of relief.
The reason for her tears wasn’t the dazzling sunlight, but a brief yet terrifying daydream she had just experienced.
In the dream, a silver-haired woman affectionately linked arms with her mother, seeking her love. With profound tenderness, her mother stroked the silver-haired woman’s hair, professing her own love under Nona’s incredulous gaze.
‘No, it shouldn’t be like this… Mother would never acknowledge that silver-haired woman as her daughter!’
Consumed by these thoughts, she felt an escalating agony within the dream. Her heart felt as if an invisible hand had clamped around it, making every breath a struggle.
Fortunately, Hia’s voice had roused her at that moment, pulling her from the suffocating grasp of the dream.
Touching the ring on her hand, Nona puzzled over why she had suddenly drifted into a dream. It was still broad daylight, and she hadn’t even closed her eyes for a nap.
‘Was she too tired lately?’
Despite her careful consideration, Nona found no answers. Just then, the distinct snapping of branches echoed through the forest. Several dark figures burst through the undergrowth, swiftly encircling Nona and her companions.
With a soft sigh, Nona drew the iron sword from her hip and prepared to confront the figures. Hia and the other two followed suit, standing back-to-back, their gazes wary as they assessed the newcomers.
Nona recalled the village chief’s words: Pad City, situated on the border of the Evil God’s territory, suffered from poor public order. Many desperate outlaws sought refuge there when all other avenues were closed.
Some of these outlaws, either lacking strength or consumed by greed, would lurk in the nearby forests. They would ambush unsuspecting travelers, preying on ‘soft targets’ to amass their fortunes.
A quick scan of their faces revealed knife scars on nearly every one, their features etched with ruthless intent. Nona instantly recognized them as the desperate outlaws the village chief had warned them about—those who prowled the lands outside Pad City.
As the women eyed the group of outlaws, the outlaws, in turn, scrutinized them.
“Well, well, look at this,” one outlaw sneered. “They’re all beauties, how rare.”
“Such looks,” another leered. “Our days of lurking here haven’t been in vain, eh?”
“Heh heh,” a third chuckled darkly. “Once we’re in the city, selling them off will net us a tidy sum, won’t it?”
Convinced that the women were already their captives, the outlaws spoke openly and lewdly about the charms of Nona and her companions. This blatant disrespect ignited an immense fury within the noble lady, Hia.
Without a single incantation, she raised her staff and unleashed several fireballs into the crowd, instantly sparking chaos. Yet, just as she moved to lead Nona and the others out of the encirclement, a man wielding a massive spiked club stepped directly into her path.
“Are you heading to Pad City up ahead?” the man drawled, a cruel smirk on his face. “I happen to be going that way. Why don’t I give you a ride?”
The man had only one eye, a masked figure resembling a cyclops wolf. After delivering his ominous words, he smashed the spiked club he carried on his shoulder into the ground.
With a resounding *thud*, a deep crater formed in the earth, from which countless cracks spiderwebbed outward.
The newcomer was hostile, and clearly a formidable foe.
Nona stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Hia.