The cart was stopped on the path leading to Helion. Around them, the scattered trees of the semi-forested forest swayed gently in the wind, but the air was tense. No enemy in sight yet, but they all knew it: danger was approaching.
The girls were nervous, some more so than others. Iris glanced quickly around, Anne kept one hand close to her weapon, and Lys... looked at Kyle. He remained strangely calm.
Kyle glanced at Elaria, still asleep in the back of the cart. He let out a soft sigh, then turned to Tristan.
"Hey, how about a little two-on-one? Just us and the threat."
"What?!" Anne exclaimed. "That's completely irresponsible!"
"Didn't you promise you wouldn't put yourself in danger again?" Lys protested.
"Exactly," Kyle replied. "That's why I'm suggesting we go together. And besides... look at Tristan, he's barely worried. That means it's not that serious."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tristan replied with a shrug.
"Wyverns may not be dragons, but they're ranked B," Iris reminded. "They're far from harmless monsters!"
"Dragon... the iconic creature of fantasy worlds, eh? You can tell me more about that later?" Kyle asked with a smile.
"Kyle, now's not the time!"
"I just mean, if the situation were that dire, Elaria would have woken up by now, right?"
"... It's a possibility," Iris admitted, even though she didn't like the idea.
Kyle leaped from the cart.
"All right, I'll go ahead. If you want some glory, hurry up, Tristan!"
Tristan glanced at the girls, sighed, then grabbed his sword.
"Looks like I have no choice..."
"Ah, too bad. I was hoping to take care of this alone," Kyle joked.
"You haven't changed..." Tristan replied, smiling in spite of himself.
"Just don't slow me down."
"I should be the one to tell you!"
Kyle rose into the air as Tristan launched himself onto the ground after him. Soon, they spotted their target: a massive wyvern, with tarnished scales, battered wings, and tense muscles, ready to fight. But above all, it looked exhausted.
"She's in bad shape..." Tristan noted. »
"That's why Elaria didn't react. Impressive... she really has another level of detection," Kyle murmured.
"What do we do now?" Tristan asked suspiciously.
"We finish her off. She won't run anymore; she's decided this is where it's going to end."
At that moment, far behind them, Elaria suddenly opened her eyes.
"Danger..."
"We already know about the wyvern; the boys have gone to take care of it," replied Iris.
"No... not her. I sense a murderous aura... human, or something very similar..."
"What?!" exclaimed Anne. "So that means the boys are in danger then!"
"We have to go warn them!" shouted Lys.
Back in front of the wyvern, Kyle and Tristan were observing the creature more closely.
"Don't you think that's strange?" murmured Tristan. "To be in such a state... she must have faced something terrifying."
"And yet, she wants to fight. Maybe here, she thinks she has a chance," said Kyle quietly.
They were going to have to fight her seriously. Out of respect for her.
Tristan raised his sword, Kyle focused his electrical energy around him.
"Shall we go?" Kyle suggested.
"Full speed ahead."
They stood ready, muscles tensed, eyes fixed on the wyvern. The creature, though weakened, had lost none of its ferocity.
But not far from them, a figure was advancing slowly through the trees. A man, covered in blood, stumbling with every step. He seemed wounded, as if he'd escaped a massacre... or had caused one. Yet neither Kyle, focused on the fight, nor Tristan, had sensed his presence.
Meanwhile, over by the cart, the girls were stirring.
"We can't just stand here and do nothing," Iris said, looking tense. "We have to warn them about what Elaria felt."
"Okay, but we can't panic the horses," Anne replied. "We'll go on foot."
"Wait," Elaria interjected. "I... I don't feel anything anymore."
"Nothing?" Iris asked, worried. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know. Maybe the presence has moved away... or hidden."
"That's not necessarily a good sign," Lys added. "It could mean the danger is still there, but hidden."
Anne gripped her spear.
"I'm going to warn the boys. Someone needs to stay here to watch the cart."
"I'll come with you," Lys said.
"No. You'd slow me down," she said, not unkindly.
Lys looked down, knowing she was right.
Back at the wyvern, the creature, wounded and overwhelmed, landed heavily on the ground. Kyle watched it for a moment, then stepped back.
"I'd rather not push it. It's exhausted," he said.
"I'll take care of it," Tristan replied, striding forward with a steady step.
With a final lunge, the wyvern charged. But Tristan, sword raised, was waiting for it. When it was within range, a single, swift, and sharp blow sliced through the air. A purple flame—far more intense than the usual red flames—enveloped the blade, and the creature's head flew off.
She collapsed, inert.
"A foregone conclusion," Kyle said, approaching. "But you didn't have to pull out all the stops right away."
"I didn't want her to suffer unnecessarily," Tristan replied simply.
Kyle sighed.
"Strong, handsome, and kind-hearted to boot... You're exactly the type of guy I hate."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Tristan replied, laughing softly.
"What do we do with the carcass now?" Kyle asked.
"We have to butcher it and collect the flesh. Meat can be stored for a long time."
"I've tasted it before. It was disgusting."
"That's because you don't know how to cook it," Tristan said, shrugging.
"You're probably right." »
They were about to reach the road when a figure appeared, running between the trees. Anne, panting, spear in hand.
"The wyvern?! Are you okay?!" she asked, out of breath.
"It's settled," Tristan replied. "You look worried."
"It's Elaria. She felt a menacing presence. Not the wyvern. Another one. Human... or something close to it."
Kyle frowned.
"And now?"
"She doesn't feel anything anymore. The aura is gone."
Tristan exchanged a look with Kyle.
"So either he's moved away, or..."
"Or he's powerful enough to make himself undetectable," Kyle finished.
"If anyone can escape Elaria's senses, we're dealing with a serious problem," Tristan concluded.
"All right, stay here," Kyle said. "I'll warn the others it's safe to proceed."
He rose into the air as Tristan and Anne cautiously approached the carcass to begin the butchering process. But this time, they remained on their guard, aware that something—or someone—might be watching them.
Kyle arrived above the cart, hovering quietly.
"The threat has been eliminated," he announced. "You may proceed."
Lys looked up at him.
"What about the other presence? The one Elaria sensed?"
"Anne already warned us," Kyle replied. "We'll discuss it once everyone is together." »
He slowly descended, landing smoothly on the back of the cart. Elaria, still preoccupied, questioned him.
"Do you have any idea what it could be?"
"None," he replied. "Honestly, I didn't feel anything."
"You were probably too focused on the wyvern," Iris said.
"Yeah... probably," Kyle admitted.
A few minutes later, the cart reached the spot where Tristan and Anne were busy butchering the wyvern. When they arrived, Tristan stood up, holding a piece of meat in one hand.
"You're finally here."
Everyone gathered around the cart.
"If I'm summing up correctly," Kyle said, "while Tristan and I were dealing with the wyvern, Elaria detected a threatening presence nearby."
"Yes," Tristan confirmed. "And given the state of this wyvern, there's a good chance it was this thing that put it in such a state."
"Which would mean that this creature or entity is powerful enough to injure a wyvern enough to make it flee," Iris added.
Kyle gave a small, intrigued smile.
"I'm curious to know what kind of monster could inflict such injuries on a wyvern."
"You're not planning on fighting it, are you?!" Lys cried.
"No, no," don't worry. "I'm just curious," he replied, raising his hands to calm her.
And at that moment, Elaria froze, staring back at the trees.
"Someone's approaching."
"I can feel it too," Kyle said, frowning.
Anne immediately asked,
"Is it the same presence as before?"
"I don't know," Elaria replied. "I don't feel any hostility... no threatening emanations, in fact."
"So it's not a danger?" Iris said.
"We can't be sure," Elaria replied cautiously.
"All right," Tristan said. "Everyone get ready."
Everyone nodded, their hands sliding naturally to their weapons. A tense silence fell, broken only by the rustling of leaves.
And suddenly...
A figure slowly emerged from the forest.
It was a man. His face was covered in dried blood, his clothes in tatters. His eyes were almost blank, staring straight ahead: the wyvern's carcass. He walked with heavy steps, dragging his feet, as if he weren't even aware of the group around him.
Kyle frowned.
"This isn't normal."
Tristan's eyes widened as he recognized the face disfigured by fatigue and injuries.
"...Harry?!" »
At the mention of his name, the man slowly looked up at Tristan. A flash of recognition briefly crossed his eyes.
Then, without a word, he collapsed to the ground.
When the man collapsed, everyone stood frozen for a few seconds, still in shock.
Very quickly, they understood that he posed no threat. Tristan, in particular, who knew him personally, rushed to him.
Lys joined him immediately and began healing him with magic and ointments. Kyle, observing the scene, declared:
"It seems the danger has passed."
"Yes," Tristan confirmed, visibly relieved.
With Kyle's help, they hoisted the injured man into the cart. No one spoke again. Silence, heavy with unanswered questions, fell as they finished skinning the wyvern. Once that was done, the group continued on the road.
Tristan was the last to climb on. Before climbing in, he scanned the surroundings, as if waiting for someone or something… Then, resigned, he climbed in too.
Iris and Anne took the reins of the cart, while the others stayed behind, beside the injured man. A subtle tension hung in the air.
Kyle, ever curious, turned to Tristan.
"By the way, who's this guy? You mentioned his name earlier, as if you knew him."
"It's Harry," Tristan replied. "An adventurer, like us. He's from Helion."
"Okay," Kyle said simply, nodding.
"And his injuries?" Tristan asked Lys.
"I was able to treat most of them. He's still weak, but his life is no longer in danger." »
"Good," Tristan replied with a sigh.
Elaria, thoughtful, interjected:
"Is that Harry? The one who's one of the best Helion adventurers of this generation?"
"Yes," Tristan confirmed. "He's the student of Richard, the Helion guildmaster."
Lys, surprised, opened her eyes wide.
"And what could have happened to him to end up in such a state?"
Kyle shrugged.
"It's not complicated. He probably accepted a mission that went wrong."
"It's true that doing solo missions is dangerous," Lys said.
But Tristan said:
"What worries me isn't that he's injured... but that he's alone. He's the leader of a group of promising adventurers. He never goes on missions without them." »
Silence fell again, even more oppressive. Everyone understood that some misfortune had probably struck Harry's group.
Night finally fell. After finding a safe clearing, the group settled in for the night.
Tristan began cooking the wyvern meat over the fire.
"I hope it won't be as inedible as last time," Kyle said, sitting down next to it.
"Don't worry," Tristan replied with a small smile. "I'm not bad at cooking, you know."
"I can cook too," Kyle replied, "but even with my skills, that meat tasted like... I can't even begin to compare."
Iris approached, amused.
"That's because you don't have the cooking skills of our world," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.
Suddenly, there was a noise in the cart.
"He's waking up!" Lys called from the back.
Everyone stood up. Anne and Lys helped the injured man to his feet. He groaned in pain but slowly opened his eyes. He looked around, lost... then realized he was no longer alone.
"Where... am I?"
"You're safe," Lys replied softly.
With their help, he slowly climbed out of the cart and sat down by the fire. He looked at the faces around him until his eyes fell on Tristan.
"Tristan...?"
"Glad to see you alive again," Tristan said with a smile.
"Thank you... everyone. You saved me." »
"It's normal. Colleagues stick together," Tristan replied.
Kyle crouched down next to him, observing him closely.
"Now that you're feeling a little better... can you tell us what happened?
Silence fell. Harry looked down, as if gathering his memories. Then, his voice still trembling, he whispered,
"My companions... They're all dead."
Tristan looked at Harry, his face serious, and asked,
"So, what exactly happened? What happened to your group?"
Harry took a deep breath, searching for words.
"We were simply there to eliminate a few wyverns that were threatening Helion... But there were many more than expected."
Iris frowned in surprise.
"Wyverns in this region? I'm surprised." You might come across one, but a whole group is really strange."
Elaria nodded and explained calmly, "Wyverns are normally found in the Eloria Forest."
Kyle, thoughtful, muttered to himself, "I haven't heard that name in a long time..."
Tristan chimed in, more informed, "That's the forest that separates the kingdoms of Asterion and Thoralis, isn't it?"
Kyle nodded, "Yes, that's right."
Harry continued, "A huge horde of wyverns formed there, and they posed a real threat to the kingdoms."
Concern crossed everyone's faces. To lighten the mood a little, Harry added with a small smile:
"Luckily, an armed group called the Valkyries took care of the situation."
Silence fell for a few moments before Anne, curious, asked:
"The Valkyries? Who are they, exactly?"
Harry lowered his voice a little, as if to make sure no one else heard.
"That's true, you shouldn't really know about this..."
Everyone's eyes turned to him, intrigued.
"The Valkyries," he explained, "are a private group of female fighters. They're mainly made up of people who have been transferred from another world."
A stunned silence followed his words. Everyone looked at each other, visibly surprised. Kyle thought to himself: Looks like the others are having fun too…
Anne, worried, asked,
"If the horde has already been defeated, how come wyverns are still threatening Helion?"
Harry took a deep breath before replying,
"I'm getting to that. Unfortunately, some wyverns escaped… And it was one of the Valkyrie girls who warned Helion that the city was in danger."
Kyle, curious, asked,
"Who is she?"
Harry thought for a moment, then replied,
"I think her name was Mitsuki, or something like that."
Kyle smiled,
"Sounds like her."
Lys, interested, asked,
"Is she a friend of yours?"
Kyle shook his head,
"Not really." We're not close enough to be considered friends."
Harry frowned, intrigued.
"What's going on?"
Tristan chimed in.
"Kyle can tell him."
Kyle nodded.
"Yes, I can go."
Tristan turned to Harry.
"Kyle is also part of the group of people from another world."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"With a name like that, I wouldn't have guessed."
Kyle replied with a smile.
"Actually, my name is Kaito, but I prefer to be called Kyle. I get those names a lot."
Iris, always curious, asked.
"So, what happened next?"
Harry explains:
"Since his team was already there, they accepted the mission."
Anne asks:
"And the girl?"
Harry replies:
"She couldn't act in the kingdom without the king's prior permission."
Anne understands:
"I see..."
Harry adds:
"Even if she had been there, the result probably would have been the same."
He sighs and continues:
"We faced more wyverns than expected. Instead of three, we went to ten. We weren't ready for that... And what was bound to happen, happened."
Everyone looked at Harry with compassion.
"It's an occupational hazard," he concludes. "But the most important thing is that Helion is no longer in danger. Thanks to their sacrifice, we were able to defeat all the wyverns."
Lys nods in admiration:
"It's truly incredible." »
Tristan said:
"It's nothing, coming from an A-rank adventurer."
Elaria looked at Harry and asked softly,
"Did you see anything when you were in the forest?"
Tristan spoke before Harry:
"Elaria sensed a murderous aura, just before you arrived."
Harry nodded, a faint, sad smile on his lips:
"Yes, it must have been me..."
To clarify a little, he explained:
"I'm part of the Berserker class. It was while we were fighting the wyverns... after seeing my group decimated before my eyes that..."
He stopped, then clenched his fists, his gaze hard.
"I didn't feel anything anymore, just this murderous rage... That's probably what kept me going." »
He held back his emotions so as not to worry the group further, and everyone understood.
Tristan stood up, placing a firm hand on Harry's shoulder.
"That's enough for today."
The group then ate their meal, enjoying the wyvern meat, which, surprisingly, tasted good.
After the meal, everyone settled down to rest.
Tristan addressed Elaria:
"Since you haven't been able to rest today, I'll take the first guard post."
She nodded in agreement.
And so they decided to take turns guarding that night.
The night was quiet, probably because the presence of the wyverns had scared off all the other monsters in the vicinity.
And so morning dawned, with no danger arising during the night.
Before leaving, Kyle approached Tristan, looking concerned.
"You don't look so well," he said softly.
Tristan looked away slightly.
"It's nothing..."
Kyle insisted with a slight smile.
"If you have something on your mind, say it now. This is the time; we're still in the 'emotional' scenes, aren't we?"
Tristan sighed.
"I don't always understand what you're saying... but you're not wrong. Might as well say it now."
He paused, gazing into the forest.
"What happened to Harry... it could happen to us too."
Kyle crossed his arms.
"If that were to happen, the most logical scenario is that I'd be the survivor, just as I'm the protagonist." And I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life."
He paused for a moment.
"It would give me a dark and tortured past."
Tristan raised an eyebrow, a little nervous.
"Stop talking nonsense, I'm serious here."
Kyle nodded, impassive.
"I'm serious too. We don't have time to think about all the possibilities. It could happen... or it could not."
Then he turned on his heel, heading towards the cart.
Tristan watched him walk away for a moment, before breathing out:
"He's right..."
He followed him and climbed into the cart as well.
And so the group set off again, heading towards Helion.
The journey went smoothly. No monster attacks, no incidents.
An almost eerie calm... until they arrive in the city. Helion.