The group remained in a state of silent awe for a long moment, their eyes darting between the lush greenery and the impossibly clear sky above the farm.
The air felt different here—lighter somehow. A warm breeze drifted through the wheat fields, carrying the scent of fertile soil and ripening crops. After the suffocating stillness of No Man's Land, the simple presence of wind felt almost surreal.
For several seconds, none of them spoke.
"Come."
Lunara's voice carried calmly across the field, firm yet effortless.
"You will have time to appreciate my lord's miracle later for as much as you like. He wishes to meet you all."
She had already begun walking again, her long strides unhurried yet decisive. The gesture left little room for hesitation.
Her words snapped the group back to their senses.
They weren't mere visitors wandering into a miracle.
They were guests.
Guests summoned by a mysterious entity capable of carving an Eden out of the most dangerous land on the continent.
The mage hesitated before speaking.
"Um… Lady Lunara," she said softly, her voice wavering slightly. "May we inquire why your master has taken an interest in us? We are hardly significant, if I may say so myself."
Cassia said nothing.
Her sharp eyes remained fixed on Lunara's back as they walked, studying the goddess carefully. The commander waited for an answer, every instinct telling her the response might reveal something important.
Instead of replying immediately, Lunara slowed.
Then she stopped.
The group halted with her.
Slowly, deliberately, Lunara turned to face them.
For the first time since they had met her within the forest, she raised a hand toward the dark veil that had concealed her features.
Her fingers grasped the edge of the fabric.
And lifted.
The cloth slid away like falling shadow.
The reaction was immediate.
The soldiers stiffened as if struck by lightning.
Beneath the veil was a face of breathtaking, almost supernatural beauty—features so perfectly sculpted they seemed beyond mortal design. Her skin possessed a faint, luminous quality that caught the afternoon light, smooth and flawless like polished ivory.
Long strands of midnight-black hair framed her face, flowing softly over her shoulders like silk woven from the night sky itself.
But it was her eyes that held them captive.
They were not human.
Twin irises burned with an eerie neon-purple glow, deep and luminous like distant stars trapped within a void. The light pulsed faintly with an otherworldly intensity, as if something ancient and unknowable looked out through them.
Lunara offered the group a small, knowing smile.
"You will know soon enough," she said calmly.
No one moved.
It wasn't simply her beauty that froze them in place.
It was the weight of her presence.
Standing before them no longer felt like facing a mysterious guide.
It felt like standing before something divine.
Something far older than the world they understood.
The cleric staggered back half a step.
His face drained of color.
"No… it can't be," he whispered.
His eyes trembled as he stared at the glowing violet gaze.
"Maybe… maybe I'm just mistaken…"
Cassia heard the fear in his voice, but she couldn't make the connection.
Whatever revelation had struck the cleric had not yet reached her.
Without another word, Lunara lowered the veil once more and resumed walking.
The group followed.
They moved through the vast farmland carefully, the soldiers stepping with exaggerated caution to avoid trampling even a single plant. The rustling of crops filled the air as golden wheat swayed gently in the breeze.
Despite the enormous scale of the fields, not a single worker could be seen.
No farmers.
No laborers.
No livestock handlers.
Only the quiet life of the land itself.
Cassia noticed.
And the detail unsettled her more than the forest had.
On the far side of the farmland, near a quiet wooden cabin nestled against the edge of the fields, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Inside the kitchen, Natsu moved like a man possessed.
Pots clattered.
Steam rose.
The scent of roasted meat, herbs, and simmering broth filled the small cabin as he moved between the stove and the preparation table with relentless focus.
Platters of food lined the counters.
Roasted vegetables.
Fresh bread.
Bowls of stew.
Perfectly sliced cuts of meat.
Each dish was prepared with precise, almost obsessive attention before being passed off through the open door.
Shadow maids moved in disciplined silence, carrying the food outside as quickly as he produced it.
"Sicily, I'm done with the roast beef. Can you please?" Natsu said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Sicily stepped forward immediately.
Her movements were fluid and efficient as she lifted the freshly prepared dish from the counter. Without a word, she placed it carefully onto a trolley already stacked with several finished courses.
Outside the cabin, a long wooden table had been arranged beneath the shade of a large tree.
Other shadow maids moved gracefully around it, laying plates, arranging utensils, and setting out cups with quiet precision.
Sicily wheeled the trolley toward them.
Within minutes, the table began to resemble a feast.
Inside the kitchen, Natsu barely slowed down.
He was already reaching for the next pan.
The preparations continued with rhythmic efficiency around the cabin. Nearby, Tanya and Anyael sat in the shade with Tara, watching the shadow maids move back and forth like silent clockwork.
"So," Tanya said, her voice light and teasing, "we're basically hosting a dinner party for the people from the kingdom who are trying to kill us. What could possibly go wrong?"
Anyael looked at her sister with a soft, serious expression.
"I'm not sure about you, sis, but as long as Natsu says we're safe, I believe him. If he says it's going to be fine, it will be."
Tara stood beside them, her posture perfect. She offered a slight, respectful bow.
"Worry not, Lady Tanya. Our lord will not let the two of you fall into harm's way again, and neither would I. You have my word."
Tanya let out a small giggle.
"I'm just joking, you guys. Don't you know what sarcasm is?"
Before they could respond, Sicily approached the group. The last of the heavy platters had been moved from the kitchen to the outdoor tables.
"My ladies, Tanya and Anyael," the shadow maid said. "Apologies for the long wait. Shall we get going?"
The sisters smiled, stood from their seats, and followed Sicily into the cabin.
Inside, they found Natsu leaning against a table, wiping sweat from his forehead with a towel. The scent of roasted meat, herbs, and warm bread filled the small kitchen.
"Oh, just in time, you three," Natsu said, offering them a boyish grin.
"I'll open up the rift for you guys. Sicily, take good care of them while they pick out their new outfits. I'll see you all in a bit once you're ready."
Despite her shadowy form, Sicily seemed to flush slightly at the command, and the sisters weren't far behind. The maid bowed deeply.
"Don't worry, milord. I'll make sure the mistresses are all dolled up and ready for the feast."
Tanya and Anyael shared a confused look.
"Rift? New outfits? Dolled up?" Tanya asked.
"Natsu, what are you talking about?"
Natsu didn't explain.
He simply snapped his fingers.
The doorway leading to the bedroom suddenly warped.
The wooden frame bent inward as if reality itself had softened. Shadows gathered at the threshold, folding and twisting until the space within the doorway collapsed into a swirling void of pure black.
A low hum filled the room.
The air around the doorway pulled inward as if drawn toward the darkness, faint wisps of shadow spiraling into its depths.
It looked less like a door and more like a tear in the fabric of the world.
Sicily stepped toward it without hesitation.
The sisters, however, stayed rooted to the spot, their eyes wide.
"Um… Natsu?" Tanya asked, her voice wavering. "Are you sure this is safe?"
Natsu stepped closer, his expression softening into a reassuring smile.
"Hey. I know it looks scary, but trust me, it's just a doorway. You'll be perfectly okay, I promise."
He folded his arms casually.
"Besides, you're going to love what's on the other side."
The sisters studied him for a long moment.
Then, without warning, Anyael moved.
She stepped forward and gave Natsu a quick, bold hug before darting straight into the black rift.
Tanya blinked.
"Wait—hey!"
But her sister was already gone.
Tanya stood frozen for a second, surprised by Anyael's sudden bravery. She cleared her throat, offered Natsu a small, polite bow, and then followed her sister into the darkness.
Sicily smiled faintly and bowed once more.
Then she stepped into the void as if walking through an ordinary doorway.
The rift collapsed silently behind them.
The room returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
Natsu chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"I swear, Anyael's getting bolder by the day," he muttered.
"And Tanya's finally starting to smile again."
The sisters stumbled forward.
Instead of darkness swallowing them, they stepped into light.
Both women froze.
Before them stretched a vast chamber far larger than the cabin itself should have allowed.
Rows upon rows of elegant garments filled the space—dresses of every imaginable design and color hung neatly along endless racks. Silks shimmered under soft lantern light, while polished mirrors reflected the room's impossible depth.
Jewelry cases lined the walls, their contents glittering faintly.
Perfumes, shoes, combs, and ornaments rested neatly arranged on polished tables.
The air smelled faintly of lavender and fresh linen.
It was less like a closet and more like the private wardrobe of royalty.
Tanya's mouth slowly fell open.
"…What."
Anyael turned in a slow circle, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"This… this is inside the cabin?"
Sicily stepped out from behind them, completely unfazed.
"Yes," she said politely.
Shadow maids began to appear from the far corners of the room, emerging silently from pools of darkness like obedient attendants.
"Milord thought it appropriate that our honored guests look their best for dinner."
One maid approached carrying a flowing evening dress.
Another held delicate jewelry.
Tanya blinked repeatedly.
"I feel like I should stop questioning things at this point."
Anyael, however, looked quietly fascinated.
"This place is… beautiful."
Sicily offered them a gentle smile.
"Shall we begin?"
Outside the cabin, the late afternoon sun continued its slow descent.
Natsu stepped out onto the porch and stretched his shoulders.
The long table beneath the shade tree had been fully prepared now. Plates, cups, and silverware were arranged with careful precision as the shadow maids finished their final adjustments.
He glanced toward the distant fields.
Beyond the swaying wheat, faint silhouettes were beginning to emerge along the horizon.
Lunara walked at the front.
Behind her, Cassia and her group slowly approached the cabin.
Natsu exhaled slowly.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Well," he murmured quietly.
"Looks like our guests have arrived."