The forest of Cupido pulsated as Anjanath's roar radiated out with power. It pounced towards its targets, closing in the distance in a blink and landing with a tremor.
Aria, Marion and Scarlet avoided the leaping beast and countered with various slashes. However, its tough scales and hide dampened the damage and the beast threw its entire body to tackle its foes.
"Hey Scarlet, what is that? Why can that magic ornament fly on its own?"
"I don't know, but I just feel as if I can control it. Perhaps, it is the blessing of the god?"
"That is the kinsect!" Aria vaulted away to avoid Anjanath's bite. "Use that to collect essences from large monsters as kinsect extracts and bring it back to power up yourself and the glaive. Red is for attack boost, white is for increase mobility, orange is for knockback reduction and green is to heal wound."
"What!? That is practically cheating! I want that as well!"
"Scarlet! Collect all red, white and orange extracts to boost your combat prowess!"
"That's what I am planning to do!" Scarlet expertly manipulated the kinsect and drove it towards Anjanath's body, pulling out the orange extract that buffed Scarlet's defense. She vaulted up and slashed the beast while directing her kinsect towards it hindleg, pulling out white extract and powering up her mobility.
Anjanath roared and unfurled its nasal crest, sending more blood towards it for mucus production. Its overall body heat shot up as it puffed out steam from its nose, necessitating the need to fan out its back sails to regulate the temperature. It spit out mucus from its nasal cavity that caught on fire, spraying the arena with fiery sparks that flared up when it came into contact with any object.
Aria and Scarlet vaulted away to avoid the fire while Marion got underneath the beast and unleashed several slashes and thrusts. The monster raised its left hindleg and kicked Marion who was in the middle of a combo, sending her flying. Anjanath swung its entire massive body and swiped away both Aria and Scarlet who vaulted back into the arena.
Marion got back up and popped off a health potion to drink, but before she could down the entire potion, Anjanath charged with its maw along the forest floor, gouging out dirt and Marion alongside. Whilst in the air, Marion was caught in the jaw of the beast, struggling to escape while she was rocked around before being thrown down.
Aria and Scarlet jumped in to unleash several slashes on Anjanath's raised tail. Sensing the danger, both Aria and Scarlet rolled back before Anjanath's tail slammed down. Aria began to chant her spell while Scarlet rushed in and attacked the monster's hindleg, each hit delivering chilly air that burned its scale with icy touch.
Marion regained her stance and had to drink another vial of health potion. She rushed in with iai slash that closed the distance and continued to attack while the monster's attention was not onto her.
Aria unleashed her powerful 'Waterfall' spell that bludgeoned Anjanath, sending it deeper into the forest while diluting its flammable mucus. Using the opportunity while the monster was down on its side, Scarlet vaulted towards it and performed a strong descending slash onto its head. She proceeded to strike with several strong rapid slashes, strong reaping slash, strong double slashes and tornado slash with herculean strength.
Marion, who was nearby, also attacking the beast, was in awe upon Scarlet's fiery, but precise blows that looped, akin to a dance. Feeling competitive, Marion focused and strengthened her grip on her blade, increasing her attack potency with every stages of her spirit gauge.
Anjanath stood back up, feeling slightly exhausted from the sudden splash of water and the icy damages it took. Scarlet, feeling the effect of the buff had started to wear off, delivered her strong descending slash with several rapid attacks. She unleashed her kinsect for assist and jumped towards Anjanath's head while executing her rising spiral slashes that created a trail of icy air around her; the 2 ends of the glaive moved in several circular motions that broke the nasal bone of the monster.
Having its nasal bone cracked, the monster flinched and retracted its head back. However, it turned its pain into rage as it lunged forward to bite its attacker. Scarlet, having just landed, saw the approaching maw of the beast and braced herself, but her kinsect rammed Anjanath's head from the side whilst extracting its essence, cancelling the attack. It flew back towards Scarlet to give her the red and orange extract before flying again to strike the monster's hindleg, taking out white extract. As the kinsect returned, Scarlet smiled, feeling the power circulating around her again. "Thank you, dad."
Aria, who had temporarily retreated to retrieve her Pulsar Hatchets from her steed, rushed in with demon flurry dance. She blitzed around while delivering thunder damage onto Anjanath's tail and hindlegs. "Sorry for the wait, but it is time for a bully like you to get on the chair."
"Hey Aria, did you say something?!" Marion continued to attack while countering Anjanth's bite.
"It is nothing! I was just retrieving my thunder dual blades!"
"Is that even effective?!"
"As much as ice element would!"
Marion jumped back while slashing, effectively avoiding Anjanath's tail swipe while damaging it. The beast roared in anger as sparks fluttered out from its nose, but Marion ignored the roar as she came in with iai spirit slash towards its hindlegs; she thrusted and leapt into the air, executing a powerful spirit helm breaker that injured the right hindleg of the beast, causing it to fall in pain.
Aria and Scarlet rushed in at the opening and wailed upon the beast; Aria focused on its tail while Scarlet continued with her attacks on its damaged head. With several powerful strings of blade dances and demon flurries, Aria managed to severe the tail with her final blade dance 3, inflicting the beast with intense crackling pain as it rolled around.
The furious beast got back up and unleashed its flaming breath that scorched the surrounding vegetations. Aria and Marion rolled away to avoid the heat while Scarlet vaulted into the air.
Whilst mid-air, Scarlet performed strong jumping slashes onto the back of the beast followed by a strong descending thrust and finishing with rising spiral slashes that flinched the Anjanath. She jumped sideway while mid-air to re-position and cut upon the monster's head, bringing it down to allow Scarlet to mount the beast.
Anjanath jumped back up and shook around to throw Scarlet off, but she held on while thrusting on its head. Her kinsect flew around to gather all 3 extracts from the beast to returned Scarlet into her charged state, increasing the damage she dealt. Opening a wound, she stabbed into it and drilled with her body spinning around the axis to generate momentum as a focus strike, planting Anjanath's face to the ground.
"Mother, please lend me your strength." Scarlet recalled her kinsect and whispered. She gathered the last remain of her magic reserve into her kinsect. "Water! Fill my temperamental soul with your tenacity and swallow my enemy!"
Aria and Marion kept attacking the fallen beast while giving Scarlet the chance to chant. As the beast regained its stance, it let out a roar as saliva began to ooze out from its underbite, clearly showing sign of fatigue; it began to retreat back into the depth of the forest as it swiped its body to shoo away its attackers. Both Aria and Marion rolled back, creating an open path for Scarlet.
"Mare Turbidum!" A large wave of water exploded out from Scarlet's surrounding, making its way towards Anjanath. The retreating beast was caught in the middle of a violent wave of water that tossed its large body around, bringing in debris with every sway to cause more damage. The water swallowed the monster and dragged it towards a tree, toppling it down upon impact. As the water subsided, the beast was left on the ground, weakened and tired.
Scarlet, Aria and Marion approached the beast, staring upon its soaked body and the countless injuries it had sustained. Anjanath tried to raise its body, still willing to fight and survive. Scarlet watched as the beast pushed its body up with its injured hindlegs and rushed in. She delivered her final blow with her vaulting into the air and delivering a strong descending thrust onto the head of the monster, reaping its life.
The forest, that was once filled with violence, grew quite, and as the wind began blowing, the rustling of leaves signaled the end of the fight.
***
"Is everyone alright?" Riinol, who had returned to the aftermath of the fight, walked towards Scarlet, Aria and Marion who were resting against a tree. "I have sent messengers on fast horses to request help. They should be arriving in another hour."
"Thank you, Count." Scarlet downed an entire cup of water in a sitting. "Is Alfred fine? How is his injuries?"
"Do not worry. He is far tougher than you had imagine. I have him lay down in my carriage to rest with an adventurer looking after him."
"I see... I'm glad that he is fine..." Scarlet let out a relieved smile and laid her head against the tree.
"Anyway, that Giant Black Wolf is still alive, albeit in a state of stupor and struggling to breathe. What do you want to do with it?"
"I'll go and... put an end to its misery." Scarlet stood back up and walked towards the dying beast with Aria, Marion and Riinol following her behind. "Pitiful, the state that you're in. Despite being a source of my trauma, you look miserable and weak. I may not be able to forget, but I am willing to forgive you, for you were just used by some evil individuals."
"Goodbye." Scarlet plunged her dagger into the throat of the beast, severing its arteries and sending it into an eternal slumber, free from its addiction. Scarlet looked towards her kinsect and gently placed her left hand on it. "It is time for me to move on..."
After an hour, help coming from the previous settlement arrived and they were shocked to witness the extend of the damage. They provided some well-needed care and man-power to dismantle the monsters, as well as escorting the captured bandits back to be imprisoned. The entire processes had taken a substantial amount of time as the sun had began to touch the horizon.
"I think it is better if we return back to the previous town and continuing our journey the next morning." Riinol suggested towards the entire entourage, to which they all agreed. He returned back into his carriage and saw Alfred and Scarlet sleeping soundly with Alfred resting his head on Scarlet's lap. Being troubled, he decided to let them rest and mounted on Scarlet's horse, much to the puzzlement of his knights.
Marion, who questioned the Count, smiled mischievously, already planning to use this story as a focal point to tease Scarlet. Aria, who had also heard the story, shook her head upon seeing Marion's devilish smile, already picturing the response that Scarlet would dish out.
***
The morning dew dropped upon a puddle and the entire caravan resumed their journey. The vast vegetation of Cupido forest seemed tamer and less imposing than when they had first entered. Their encounters with powerful monsters and a large group of bandits had strengthened their minds.
"I am still of the opinion to let you rest for a couple of days. Afterall, the burn had reached into your flesh. It must still be throbbing with pain."
"Thank you for the worry, Count. However, I do not wish to be a burden in this journey that I had selfishly joined out of my own desire. Also, my injuries are mostly healed and a little bit of pain is something I can endure if it meant reaching Elsyrium earlier. Besides, I do not want to look pathetic since, afterall, I have the noble blood of the Coronamars Empire"
"Hmm... Is that all?" Riinol softened his expression in a teasing gaze.
"! Umm... well... I kind of want to show a cooler side of me in front of Scarlet..." Alfred wandered his gaze around while blushing. "Yet I, uhh..., I got injured. A little pathetic if I do say so myself."
"You protected her from the fire attack. Despite knowing that you do not have the blessing of our Lord, you still chose to protect her, shielding her, not wanting any harm to come upon her. If you ask me, I would say that is the epitome of bravery and I am sure that she notices that as well."
"Ehehe... Thank you."
"Ahh... youth. Seeing you reminds me of myself when I was courting my wife. Your father used to teased me a lot and when it is his turn to go after your mother, the cards flipped." Riinol let out a small chuckle. "Similar to what miss Marion is doing to miss Scarlet."
"Ahaha... I am inclined to believe that the reaction she exhibits is far from what father and Count would have." With a wry smile, Alfred peered out to witness Scarlet swinging furiously at Marion with her glaive and Marion ducking to avoid the barrage of attacks. Aria on the other hand, refused to participate in the scuffle and rode far behind the 2 ladies: one having her face flushed red with blood and the other with sweat rolling down her panicked face.
"... Right..."
The journey through Cupido forest continued for several days; the local monsters that attacked the caravan were disposed off by the knights and adventurers with relative ease. However, the temperature had began to plumet as the chilly wind seeped into the bones.
"The water has turned icy." Marion splashed her face in the river as she slowly dipped her body. "It should still be autumn though..."
"Perhaps, Alfred's prediction is correct. Winter is coming sooner than expected." Aria wiped her body after a quick dip and rinse. "The first day of winter is supposed to be more than a month away, and yet it feels as if winter is just 2 weeks away."
"The volcanic eruptions in the west really mess up the season." Scarlet was warming herself after igniting a bunch of dried leaves and branches. "Still, taking in a cold plunge once in a while really freshen up our bodies and minds."
"Says the girl who lasted the shortest in the cold water."
"Shut it, Marion. I am a summer child."
"I do not think that is relevant. Anyway, we should be out of this forest by tomorrow and out of this domain in another 2 days." Marion dried herself before putting on her clothes and armours. "The next domain is the Grania Dukedom, ruled by Duchess Grania, who is the older sister of the current empress."
"That means we must be careful so as not to disrespect her or else, we would be triggering the wrath of the royal family." Scarlet put on her equipment and tidied her long wavy hair.
"That is funny, coming from you, after you chased me with that glaive..."
"Like I've said, you're a special case. You lack the noble dignity that normal high-ranking nobles would exhibit."
"Ouch..."
"It is because of your excessive teasing, Marion." Aria dried her silver hair with her wind magic after donning her clothes. "Anyway, are you actually going out with him?"
"Ugh! I... uh... Well, I mean... I guess..." Scarlet face was smoking with embarrassment, heating up her surrounding with her rising body heat. "I think he's really cool... so, I uhh..."
"Whoa... that is rare sight... I just wish there is painter nearby to capture that expression."
"I'm going to burn you into dust!"
"Stop it, Scarlet..." Aria sighed and checked her weapons, sharpening them as needed. "Well, I think a congratulation is deserved."
"Umm... Thanks..."
"Let us get back. The night has already dominated the sky."
Several weeks passed and the caravan entered the capital city of Grania Dukedom, Saggiare, where they were escorted to the residence of the Duchess. A large garden stretched wide with a large variety of floras displaying their colours while marbled statues dotted the roadside towards the central mansion. Knights and servants knelt in front of Count Ponterim as a courtesy and greeted his entourage with respect. They escorted them towards their designated rooms and provided some light meals while awaiting for dinner.
Count Ponterim received an invitation by the Duchess and her husband to have dinner; he requested to bring along Aria, Marion, Scarlet and Alfred for the meal, to which the Duchess agreed.
Delectable meals were lavishly spread in front of the diners with a wide variety of bread, stews and soups. The main show-stopper of the meal was a whole roasted giant duck that glistened with its rendered fat. The guests were drooling internally, wanting to taste the roasted bird. After a silent prayer, the feast began with several small talks about their adventures.
"It seems that you have had your fair share of trouble." Duchess Alina Ray Grania spoke with a beautiful and soft voice. Her straight dark-brownish hair swayed elegantly with every movement and her deep blue eyes were assessing the guests' every movements. "I will say, the 4 of you have decent table manners despite being so young. Perhaps, the haughty nobles residing in the capital will be able to tolerate the 4 of you having an audience with the emperor."
"Your words are wasted on us." Marion, being the eldest, took the lead as usual.
"Oh, are you saying that my judgement is flawed."
"! Not at all. I was just being humble."
"Hmhm. It is just a little jest from me." Alina let out a small chuckle. "Lady Marion, being the eldest and having just turned 15, means that you will have to shoulder the most responsibilities. Each and everyone of you have different strengths and weaknesses, so you will need to study them and relegate each of them to their most-suitable roles. That ability is paramount to being a leader in all aspect of life. Never forget that."
"Yes. I am most thankful for your advice."
"The next topic will be about the newly formed lovers." Alina chuckled after seeing both Alfred and Scarlet jolted on their seats with red face, turning towards Riinol and only to see his head shaking innocently as the reply. "The Count never says anything about you 2. I simply observe how both of you interact with each other and from how you looked at each other, it is rather obvious."
"Uh... right. Uh... I see..."
"I am honoured for the praise." Alfred blushed a little and smiled with pride. "I am glad that we appear as a couple in the eyes of others. That just means that we are doing things the right way: interacting with each other as a lover, looking at each other with passion-"
"Stop! Stop! This is embarrassing!" Scarlet covered Alfred's mouth with her hands, cutting off his affectionate speech.
"It is great to see such a passionate young man declaring his affection without hesitation. His partner, however, is still rather shy about vocalising her love. Nevertheless, if it is meant to be, I pray for Lord Flare and Lady Seraphim to give their blessing onto you." Alina sipped her red wine. "If I have something to say, it would be to think carefully about each others' future and not to use your feelings too excessively when confronting each other. Conflicts are bound to arise among couples and it is only through deep understanding that the conflicts can be resolved. Going by the hearts alone would not suffice, after all, the heart can be wicked as it is full of desires."
"Thank you for the advices, Duchess. We are honoured to receive your bountiful insights." Alfred bowed with respect and gratitude while Scarlet followed suit with flushed face.
"Lady Aria, it seems that you have some kind of burden weighing down on you." Alina shifted her gaze towards Aria. "You are the youngest among the 4, but seem to be the most mature. Perhaps, you have had some experience as an adult."
Aria was stunned with Alina's sharp intuitions and senses. "... I am afraid that is not possible."
"You are unaware of the different kind of religions in the world, do you? In the southern continent, some locals believe that when we die, we will be reincarnated as another being, that may be animals, plants or monsters. They have a concept called karma, where the deeds of this life dictates that of the next." Alina finished her glass of red wine. "In the far east, after death, the souls will be purified and reborn anew, repeating in an endless cycle. Which of these do you fall into?"
Aria stayed silent with sweat dripping; she was terrified at how well Alina could dismantle her secrets, reading her movements and behaviours like an open book.
"You can tell her." Marion looked at Aria and nodded. "We can trust her. Duchess Grania is known for being among the wisest of her generation. Perhaps, we can find the reason why you are chosen by Lord Flare."
Aria pondered for a while. She peered into the clear blue eyes of Alina and was mesmerised by the clarity which her vision exuded, being almost too pure for a human who was generally governed by desire. Her eyes spoke to Aria, as a caring and stern mother would do to her own children.
"It started many months ago, last winter, when I had dreams that felt almost too real. The voice in my dream spoke to me of the threat that will befell this world." Aria recounted her stories about the knowledge that was presented to her and about how she had some fragments of memories from her previous life. "All of a sudden, I gained some incredible magic prowess and instinct on how to fight against these new creatures. Despite being able to use all magical attributes, they were all only at level 1, but after the dreams, it seems that they have all become level 4 or above."
"The gifts from the God... I am rather envious of you."
"There is nothing to be envious of, Duchess. If I was given these powers just because of the God's favour, does that mean that all the training I have done is meaningless? The feats that I have displayed, are they truly coming out from myself? Am I just a puppet for the divine?" Aria faced down as the atmosphere around her turned cold and distant. "Am I really worthy to be this strong? Why am I chosen to bear this burden?"
"We, mere mortals, will never be able to understand the divine." Alina stood up from her seat and slowly walked towards Aria. "However, amongst all of the hundreds of millions of humans, you are the one that Lord Flare had chosen. It may be because in your previous life, you have acquired the necessary knowledge about these new monsters or it may be due to you coming from a world where these beasts existed."
Alina reached Aria and gave her a gentle hug. "However, I beg to differ. I believe that you are chosen because you have the quality to endure any hardship. You are given the same authority as the Angelos, spreading that powers to those you trust and building connections at the same time. The quality that Lord Flare sees in you is your strong mental fortitude, capable of overcoming any major obstacles and getting back up again despite failures. That quality is inherently yours, something that is engraved within your soul. It is your mind, not your body that the divine sees."
"..."
"It may take a while for all of those to sink in. Nevertheless, you are still young, and if I have to make an intelligent guess, you probably died young in your previous life. I would reckon that you were only around 16 to 19 years old."
"I thought I should be the one who take the full brunt of it all. Afterall, I was the Chosen One as I was told by a guild master. Yet, I feel terrified, unsure if everything I do is the correct path for me to walk."
"As long as you stay true to yourself, the path that you take will inevitably lead to the desired outcomes. That is how I see the workings of Lord Flare." Alina walked back to her seat. "Do not let your mind be the shackles to your growth, for if you put your mind into that goal, your body will naturally follow suit and become stronger. That is the beauty of humanity."
"... Thank you, I appreciate the advices." Aria bowed with gratitude and her eyes glinted with clarity.
"Hmhm, you are welcome. Anyway, how is Granzial doing all the way back in Sultier Earldom?"
"Eh, does duchess know of the guild master in Lapis?"
"We go way back, when he was still an active adventurer. I hired him and his party several times to exterminate monsters in the dukedom. Afterall, his party was among the few whose every members had reached Gold rank."
"Eh! Him..."
"Hahaha, based on your reaction, he must have gotten out of shape and is currently drowning in paperwork, but yes, he was once an accomplished adventurer that earned the respect of many. He had once save both me and my husband from assassination, though we were just engaged at the time."
"Indeed, we were just in our 20s." Alina's husband, who was quiet for the entire dinner, spoke for the first time. He wore a neutral expression for most of the time and appeared stern with black eyes and hair that was neatly swept back.
"My husband, Rigido, is the stern and quiet type. He never really walk around the castle and get straight to the point. However, he is earnest and hardworking, protecting his family and showing his affection through actions rather than words."
"..." Rigido stayed silent with a rather blank expression, but to the keened eyes, one would spot a slight smile of his mouth and a gentle blush painting across his cheeks. Alfred and Scarlet, for some reason, easily took notice of the change in his expression and when they turned towards each other, they blushed; thinking that maybe because they had experienced love, they became observant to other couples' love languages.
The dinner ended with sweet jellies made from various fruits and sugar, topped with whipped cream, freshly cut fruits, and a drizzle of honey syrup. The explosion of sweetness melted the cheeks of the guests who rarely had sweets.
A light drizzle of snow greeted the morning sun as the entire travelling group got themselves geared up for last stretch of their journey. They bid farewell and expressed their gratitude for the hospitality to the duchess and her husband before setting out from Saggiare.
The caravan passed through several small towns along the way with the temperature slowly plummeting day by day and the snow fall getting more frequent. The chilly wind had stripped the leaves off many trees and bushes, replacing them with the pure white snow.
"We are just a day away from Elsyrium and yet we are ambushed by these monsters."
"Yes, but this serve as a good training for all of us, right Scarlet."
"Unfortunately, I am not a muscle brain like you, so no, I do not get the same exhilarating feeling that you have."
"That is mean." Marion parried the incoming attack from a Red Skull Tiger that was charging at her and countered with a cut into its belly. She continued with her slashes and landed a critical blow when she struck its skull, cracking it. "Well, at least they are not as difficult as those monsters from another world."
Aria and Scarlet defeated their respective Red Skull Tigers and moved on to the next. Amidst the fight, an arrow flew in and landed square in the face of a beast that was about to swipe at an adventurer. The arrow crackled with lightning upon impact and Aria took notice.
"We are here to help!" A familiar voice rang and more arrows rained down upon the beasts. All of the Red Skull tigers, that numbered in the twenties, were taken down in the matter of minutes with minimal injuries.
"That was easier than I have expected."
"Keep your arrogance in check, Marion. Our equipment did the heavy lifting." Scarlet recalled her kinsect. "You ought to thank Aria for these. Normally, 20 something of these Red Skull Tigers would have resulted in major casualties. Hmm?"
Aria sheathed her Pulsar Hatchets and walked towards the girl who had aided them with her arrows. "It has been quite some time since I last saw you."
The stranger came running towards Aria and hugged her with a cheery disposition. "It has, hasn't it! It's been more than half a year! I'm so glad to see you again, Aria!"
"Hahaha." Aria hugged her back. "I share the same sentiment as you do, Catherine."