We ate dinner and stretched our clothes near the fire, basking in its warmth. I glanced at Jina, who wore a distant look, as if carrying a subtle sadness.
— "I'm sorry, Jina... Today I caused more trouble than help. I really need to improve as a cultivator," I admitted, embarrassed as I stared at the ground, feeling both irritation and sadness.
— "Hehehe, it's alright, Ishida. It wasn't just your fault—I should have ensured our safety by keeping us away from the depths of the woods... But look where we ended up," she replied.
I turned my gaze back to Jina, who was now looking at me. — "You guided us really well. If not for your knowledge, we'd definitely be lost. Thank you," I said with a timid smile. — "Have you been to this lake before?"
— "Mhm... I came here a long time ago. When I was little, this area was full of people—families, children playing. My mother and I used to come here; while she gathered leaves, I played. Sometimes, we'd go into that cave together and spend hours talking..."
— "So that's why you know this area so well and where to find food."
— "Exactly. My mother taught me everything about these woods. She was an amazing herbalist and knew every corner of this place," Jina explained, her gaze distant as she immersed herself in memories. — "But now, those memories have been tainted because of those beasts. The forest grows more dangerous by the day, and my hometown suffers more and more."
— "Didn't you used to harvest Zher leaves here and sell them to alchemists in Velmire?"
— "Yes, we sold tons of them. But Zher leaves are only used to make Qi Gathering Pills, and honestly, not much is needed to produce them. With so many already stockpiled, it would take years to deplete the supply. When we asked for reinforcements, no one answered—it's been 10 years since we sought help."
— "What's stopping Zherwood from recovering are the slimes and wolves, right?"
— "Exactly..." Jina confirmed.
— "Well... then it's decided. We'll train, grow stronger, and together, we'll turn Zher Woods back into a place full of beautiful memories. We'll make your town vibrant again."
— "Ishida... Thank you. I'm so grateful to you," Jina said, her smile radiant as tears welled in her green eyes.
— "Hehe, it's alright... We're friends, aren't we? You've already helped me so much—teaching me how to hunt and use a spear, even helping me negotiate with Miss Ruthia at the inn. This is the least I can do," I replied, my voice filled with determination.
— "Humph, of course we're friends, you idiot," Jina retorted, pouting adorably and blushing at my remark.
Jina stood up, grabbed another handful of those red flowers from her bag, and tossed them into the fire. — "Let's sleep now, Ishida. It's getting late. Tomorrow, we'll have to leave early—Dad must be worried... Speaking of which, brace yourself."
— "Brace myself?"
— "Dad's going to be really mad at us tomorrow, hehe. Good night."
— "G-good night," I stammered, slightly nervous. As I settled down to sleep, I thought fearfully of Gareth: 'We got lost in the forest, reached the great lake, and now I'm sleeping near his daughter... Maybe my fate would've been kinder if we'd just dealt with the slimes.' I searched for a more comfortable spot and soon fell asleep, though my rest was interrupted by constant vigilance against potential dangers.
We woke up early, practically at sunrise. After a brief discussion, we decided to wait a little before setting out. It was better to eat first—if any enemies appeared along the way, we wouldn't be caught unprepared.
After devouring the leftovers from yesterday, we put out the fire, gathered our things, and left the cave to scout the area and confirm our safety. The wolves seemed to have retreated, and the slimes were just waking up.
On our way back to Zherwood, we faced no major surprises—it seemed our streak of bad luck had finally passed. Jina spotted a few small slime groups, but this time, we let none escape and avoided any large clusters, as our goal was to return safely.
We made it out of Zher Woods and, after a short walk, found the path back to town, where the slime groups along the trail were small and mostly pink.
As we spotted Zherwood's entrance, Jina exclaimed brightly: — "Ishida, we made it, hehe."
— "Finally back, hehe."
At the gates, a group of about 15 soldiers awaited us, with Captain Gareth at the forefront.
— "DAD!" Jina shouted from afar and ran toward her father.
— "JINA!" Gareth called back, rushing to embrace his daughter.
The two hugged, and Jina began to cry a little. She quickly wiped her tears and said, — "I'm back, Dad!"
— "Welcome home, Jina," Gareth said, his expression shifting before continuing: — "So... Jina, where have you been? Why didn't you return? Do you know how worried I was?"
— "Sorry, Dad. It wasn't on purpose," Jina replied softly, sounding a little embarrassed as she recounted everything that had happened yesterday.
— "You both directly disobeyed my orders, went to the Great Lake, and even encountered orange slimes. And as if that wasn't enough, you decided to sleep in the woods, knowing wolves dominate that area at night," Gareth huffed angrily.
After a few seconds of silence broken by Gareth's sigh, he said: — "I'm glad you're safe," while patting Jina's head. Then he looked at me and added: — "I'm glad you're both safe," with a kind expression.
Surprised by his words, I replied: — "Thank you, Sir Gareth. I promise I won't let Jina go through something like this again."
— "Humph," Jina grumbled.
— "No problem, Ishida."
Then, somewhat shyly, I asked: — "Sir Gareth, I'd like to learn more about spear combat. Do you have any advice?"
— "Well, my duties as captain usually end by evening. But if you'd like, stop by my house when you have free time. I'll teach you what I know—though don't expect anything grand, hehe. I'm no martial arts master," he replied.
— "Thank you, Sir Gareth. I'll come," I said, excited by the offer.
After a brief conversation at the city gates, we decided to enjoy the rest of our day off—no hunting today. Jina would head home, while I returned to Ruthia's inn.
Upon entering the inn, I felt an icy, aggressive stare. A shiver ran down my spine. Slowly turning my head, I saw Ruthia.
— "So... spent the night out, I-S-H-I-D-A? Was it with Jina?" Ruthia asked in a teasing tone.
— "Ahh... yes—no, no, it's not what you're thinking!" I stammered, flustered and nervous.
— "Oh my, but I wasn't imagining anything scandalous. Hehe," she said, her narrowed eyes softening as she continued: — "I'm glad you're both safe. Captain Gareth came by last night—he was very worried. When he found out you hadn't returned either, he started assembling a search party."
— "Sir Gareth is truly a kind man," I observed.
— "Jina's all the family he has left... That girl means everything to Captain Gareth. Now go take a bath—you reek. I'll prepare some stew for you in the meantime."
After a relaxing bath and a delicious lunch made by Ruthia, I returned to my room and decided to use my day off to focus on cultivation. Tonight, I'd begin training with Gareth. I'd made some promises today—and I was determined to keep them.