A hulking black bear prowled silently through the Mist Forest, sniffing the damp air.
It had caught a faint whiff of prey earlier, but the scent had somehow vanished.
For a bear with mana detection, this was unusual—it could typically trace its prey for miles.
Every living thing in the Mist Forest had some trace of mana, from the smallest plants to the largest beasts, and nothing usually escaped its senses.
After another fruitless sniff, the bear paused, its shoulders relaxing. Maybe it had just been a trick of the mist, it thought, and it let out a small grunt as it dropped its guard.
Eclipse, hidden beneath a low-branched shrub, let out a slow, measured breath of relief.
He'd barely escaped detection, despite the bear's uncanny tracking ability.
Thanks to his weak mana presence, his aura was no stronger than an ant's in this mana-saturated forest, making him practically invisible to the bear's senses.
Lucky for me, he thought, keeping one eye on the bear as it lumbered away.
Once the bear was gone, Eclipse crept forward, his eyes set on a patch of silverroot growing at the base of a nearby tree.
He approached it carefully, taking a small knife from his belt.
The silverroot was vibrant and crystalline, with silver-blue tendrils that twisted delicately around the roots of the tree.
Its texture was cool to the touch, almost glass-like, and as Eclipse cut through the stem, a faint shimmer of mana pulsed through it like a heartbeat.
He worked quickly, careful not to disturb the delicate roots.
I wonder if the real Eclipse found all three herbs… Eclipse thought. He probably did.
Or not. Eclipse couldn't have known, it was never told in the game.
But it was for the best just to have all three herbs. First, if he passed this it would open a lot of room for him to do something–whatever those were.
Secondly, the item that they brought back wouldn't be confiscated by the Academy–unless it was a monster or something.
So those herbs would probably be useful.
After all, Eclipse, who has played the game, knew about alchemy. Maybe I'd give it a shot.
He looked around, listening carefully to the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant cries of nocturnal creatures.
The forest was dense and eerily still, broken only by the occasional sigh of wind through the trees.
He'd left Seraphine hours ago, which meant he'd have to fend off any potential threats alone, but thankfully, hiding had worked well so far.
As he pushed deeper into the forest, a stray thought drifted to Seraphine. I wonder if she's found her way yet.
She had a notoriously poor sense of direction, but she was skilled enough to survive, and according to the game's events, she would eventually find her way to the main fight.
And that main fight was about to start soon—an unavoidable clash.
Eclipse stopped in his tracks, glancing at the darkening sky through the canopy of twisted branches.
"It's almost that time…" he muttered, gripping his satchel tightly. "I'd better keep moving. The farther I am from that chaos, the better."
Because of course, if he doesn't stay far enough, he'd be involved in the fight. Which would reduce his chance of being alive by the time the trial ended.
Meanwhile… On the other side…
Seraphine was sitting on a fallen log, chewing on a piece of the meat Eclipse had left for her.
The meat, though basic, was surprisingly tasty, and she'd eaten her fill, savoring it more than she'd expected.
Little did she know, however, that her face was now smudged with streaks of grease and dirt.
As she looked up, she froze, catching sight of a figure watching her from the shadows.
It was Silva, Eclipse's one and only maid.
The woman stood with a calm, unreadable expression, her eyes taking in Seraphine's disheveled appearance.
Seraphine's cheeks turned bright red, and she hurriedly tried to hide the half-eaten bundle of meat behind her, coughing in a feeble attempt to regain her dignity.
"H-Hey," she managed to say, standing up quickly.
Silva replied with a respectful bow–all poise and elegance, despite the mud and dirt of the forest.
"Forgive my intrusion. I was simply curious if you had, by any chance, seen my master."
Seraphine's face grew redder as she continued chewing, attempting to finish her food without looking too undignified.
"Yes, yes, I've seen Eclipse," she said, pointing vaguely back in the direction she had come from. "He's headed, uh that way, for some reason."
He was heading south then, Silva thought, the Tessa girl was telling the truth after all.
"I see. Thank you, Miss Seraphine," Silva nodded, her gaze flicking down to the hidden bundle behind Seraphine. "Then, if you'll excuse me…"
Just as Silva turned to go, Seraphine stepped forward, a hint of hesitation in her eyes. "W-Wait… I have a question. About your master."
Silva paused, her expression patient but slightly guarded. "If it is quick, Miss Seraphine. My master may require my assistance soon."
Seraphine hesitated, fidgeting with the edge of the bundle. "Eclipse… does he ever cook?"
Cook? Is a child that grew up in a Warbringer household, would even think to do such a thing.
That was exactly what they had in their mind.
Silva tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "My master has many talents, Miss Seraphine. But cooking? I have yet to see him do that." She paused, glancing pointedly at the half-hidden bundle. "Unless, of course, you've witnessed something unusual."
So he was cooking… Couldn't be, is this a lie? Did Eclipse pay her to say this? For what reason? Silva's eyes narrowed for a moment before returning to the lady in front of her.
Seraphine fidgeted, trying to hide the bundle further behind her.
"It—it's just a reward! For helping him fend off monsters. Nothing more," she said defensively, though her voice lacked conviction.
"You two traveled together?"
"N-No!" Seraphine blurted, her face flushed. "I would never. No offense to you, that villain–I will never.Ehem, I'd rather be alone! See?" she insisted, pointing at herself, who was alone until now.
But Silva's expression remained calm and nonjudgmental.
Rumble… Rumble…
Just then, a low rumbling shook the ground beneath their feet.
The two women exchanged looks, their expressions turning serious.
The tremor was faint, but it was unmistakable—the ground itself was vibrating with distant power, signaling something massive moving through the forest.
Silva had realized something bad was brewing around the forest since yesterday.
Her fingers brushed against the hilt of the dagger, her voice low but deliberate. "Time grows short."
Seraphine became entirely someone else compared to her just a moment before. This Seraphine was ready to fight anything she saw.
"Caelum– " She cut herself off, glancing at where she thought the sound came from. "I guess that was where I was supposed to be. Good thing you're going where Eclipse is going. Stay safe."
Silva met her gaze evenly. "As should you, Miss Seraphine."
The two regarded each other for a moment, a silent acknowledgment of shared urgency passing between them.
Silva said her farewell with a respectful nod, her gaze lingering just a moment longer in the direction she was heading.
Seraphine gave her a brief, awkward nod in return, shifting the bundle of meat to her other hand.
With that, they moved past each other, each going their separate ways. Silva's steps were calm and measured as she moved southward, her expression thoughtful, her mind drifting back to her mission.
Eclipse is walking unpredictably. I can kill him. But should I? A thought of what if ran through her mind as she moved further into the shadows.
Behind her, Seraphine glanced back at the maid…
If she is heading south then…
"Ehem…"
The blue-haired girl changed her direction, to the actual North.