The warmth of the afternoon slowly faded as the sun drifted lower behind the towering silver-barked trees. The playful mood that had filled the forest earlier lingered in the cool air, but Sage eventually rose from the grass, methodically brushing a few stray leaves from her ornate, mythical garments.
"We should return," she said calmly, breaking the serenity.
Kaito stretched his arms, groaning a little as he forced himself to stand. "Back to the village?"
River nodded, her expression shifting back to business. "Trial Two is not finished."
Kaito rubbed the back of his neck, a grimace crossing his face. "Right… the one I spectacularly ruined."
"You didn't ruin it," Cherry interjected, a teasing smirk playing on her lips.
Rose giggled, stepping up beside her. "You just… passionately announced your undying love for elven kind to an entire village."
Kaito covered his face with both hands, his ears burning. "Please, I beg of you, never say that sentence again."
Orchid leaned closer, her smile pure mischief. "But it was incredibly memorable, my king."
Before the teasing could spiral into an all-out roasting session, Sage raised a hand gently, calling for order. "The trial will restart," she explained, looking squarely at Kaito. "Leadership is not about never failing. It is about how you recover when you do. Leaders are not perfect beings."
Kaito exhaled slowly, letting the embarrassment wash away. "Then I'll try again," he said, his voice steadying. Sage offered him an approving nod. "Good."
When they returned to Eldenroot, the villagers had already gathered near the rune-carved platform in the square. The atmosphere felt distinctly different this time—less hostile and laced with a quiet, genuine curiosity. Near the edge of the crowd stood Captain Shara, her arms tightly folded across her chest as her sharp eyes tracked Kaito's every movement.
Sage stepped forward onto the platform, her voice carrying over the murmurs. "The Second Trial of Kingship will begin anew."
Kaito walked to the center of the stage. He could feel dozens of eyes boring into him, none sharper than Shara's. Earlier, he had let his nerves and embarrassment take the wheel. Not this time.
Sage turned to the crowd, speaking clearly. "A king must control his own internal emotions before he can ever hope to lead others. You may question him."
A low murmur rippled through the crowd before an older hunter stepped forward, his face weathered by years in the deep woods. "If monsters attack our farms again, human, will you stand and fight beside us?"
Kaito answered without a shred of hesitation. "Yes. I won't ever send anyone somewhere I wouldn't go myself."
Another voice called out from the back of the square. "What makes a human fit to lead elves?"
The blunt question stung, but Kaito kept his composure perfectly. "Nothing," he said honestly, meeting the speaker's eyes. "That's exactly why I'm here learning."
The raw honesty caught the crowd off guard, prompting another wave of quiet murmuring. Then, a younger female villager spoke up next. "If the Queen ordered you to choose between saving a grand city or saving a small village like Eldenroot, what would you do?"
That one hit much harder. Kaito paused. Earlier, he might have panicked or scrambled to give a text-book perfect answer to please them. Now, he simply took a deep, grounding breath.
"I would gather information first," he reasoned. "A king shouldn't make decisions based on pride or fear. Lives aren't just numbers."
Sage watched him carefully from the sidelines. There was no flushing red, no defensive outburst—just calm, calculated thought. Beneath his boots, the ancient runes began to glow with a faint, steady light, acknowledging his restraint. Trial Two was never about achieving perfection. It was about witnessing growth.
Far Away: The Palace of Valeria
In the grand royal halls of Valeria, Queen Fiore stood beside a towering arched window, her gaze fixed on the capital's lush gardens below. The heavy oak doors behind her groaned open, and a frantic messenger elf hurried into the chamber, dropping immediately to one knee.
"Your Majesty, I bring urgent news of the summoned king."
Fiore turned around instantly, her sharp emerald eyes locking onto the messenger. "Speak."
The messenger hesitated, swallowing hard. "There are… troubling rumors coming from Eldenroot. Some of the provincial villagers have questioned his right to rule, and Captain Shara went so far as to confront him publicly."
For a split second, the temperature in the grand room seemed to plummet into a deep winter chill. Fiore's voice became dangerously, deceptively calm. "They dared to challenge him during his sacred trials?"
"Yes, my Queen."
The Queen's slender fingers curled tightly against the stone window frame. "He is still learning our ways," she said coldly, a flash of anger in her eyes. "He should not be forced into petty political hostility while trying to prove his worth."
The messenger bowed his head even deeper, terrified of the monarch's brewing aura.
"I will send word," Fiore continued, her voice sharpening like polished steel as a protective fury took hold of her. "If outsiders interfere with his trials again… I will deal with them personally."
The messenger swallowed nervously. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Fiore turned her gaze back toward the sweeping horizon beyond the palace walls, her expression softening into one of deep anxiety. "There are already far too many threats gathering around the borders of Valeria."
Political pressure had been suffocating for months. Neighbouring realms were watching like vultures, rival elven houses were whispering in the dark, and ancient enemies were beginning to stir. And now, all of their hope rested squarely on the shoulders of a young man.
Fiore closed her eyes briefly, a soft whisper escaping her lips. "Oh blessed thou gods...Please take care of him."
*********************************************************************************************************
As evening fell over the outskirts of Eldenroot, Sage walked a short distance away from the crackling campfire. Something had subtly tugged at her senses earlier—a sharp ripple, a sudden disturbance in the delicate magical currents of the ancient forest.
She placed her palm flat against the thick, mossy bark of a sentinel tree, closing her eyes. The forest answered her quietly, but with terrifying clarity. Darkness was moving. It wasn't here yet, but it was encroaching on their borders.
Her expression tightened with concern as she stepped back from the trunk. "Kaito shouldn't be rushed through his trials," she whispered to herself. "He needs time to truly grow."
Yet, despite the overwhelming danger, she felt a profound wave of gratitude that fate had chosen him. Centuries ago, the last time a human had been summoned to these lands, the resulting catastrophe had nearly wiped elven civilization from the map. Sage looked back toward the clearing, where the sound of Kaito's genuine laughter drifted between the trees. He wasn't that kind of human. She silently prayed that fate had chosen wisely this time.
The group had set up a modest camp near the village edge, pitching a small tent for Kaito. However, once the sun dipped completely below the horizon, the forest air turned aggressively biting and cold.
Inside the tent, Kaito curled tightly under a thin blanket, his teeth chattering. "…This world is way colder than it looks, I miss my bed already," he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, the tent flap rustled open. Then it rustled again, and again. Within a matter of seconds, all seven elf girls had quietly, systematically slipped inside the cramped space.
Kaito blinked, stunned. "Uh… guys? What's happening?"
River looked down at him, her brow furrowing with genuine worry. "You're absolutely freezing."
Lily quickly draped another blanket over his shoulders, while Cherry unceremoniously slid into the furs right beside him. "Problem solved," Cherry muttered.
Before he could voice a single objection, the rest of the girls surrounded him, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder until a wall of pure warmth pressed in from every single side. Kaito's face turning an immediate, shade of bright red.
"I—this—you guys can't just come in here—"
Orchid smirked in the dim light, leaning her head back. "A king must stay warm if he expects to survive."
"We're just helping," Rose giggled softly, snuggling closer. Sage simply lay down calmly on his other side, treating the situation as entirely logical.
Trapped between thick blankets and seven incredibly comfortable, soft presences, Kaito's protests completely died out. Eventually, as the sheer exhaustion of the day took over, his body finally relaxed. Without really thinking about it, he subconsciously slipped an arm gently around Cherry's waist, since she was closest to him. Cherry went entirely rigid for a fraction of a second, her breath catching, before she slowly relaxed against him, a quiet, rare smile gracing her lips in the dark.
Kaito stared up at the fabric ceiling of the tent. "This world is beautiful, but it's so dangerous," he murmured softly.
Cherry snorted quietly against his shoulder. "You just noticed?"
Kaito sighed, squirming slightly to find a comfortable position, but no one moved away from him. They only held closer. And as sleep slowly crept in to claim him, Kaito realized something that made a genuine smile break across his face in the pitch black. For the first time in a very long time, he didn't feel completely alone.
Morning arrived slowly, dragging a thick blanket of silver mist across the forest floor while pale sunlight filtered through the canopy. The village was already stirring by the time Kaito stepped out into the square, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and adjusting his glasses.
Despite the pure comfort of the previous night, the sudden memory of waking up buried under seven elves made his ears burn instantly. He coughed awkwardly to clear his head. Focus, Kaito. Focus. Today, he had a trial to finish.
The villagers gathered once more around the stone platform. This time, the glaring suspicion in their eyes had noticeably softened, replaced by a cautious respect. But standing in her exact same spot, her arms folded tightly like a statue carved out of pure irritation, was Captain Shara. She watched him approach with the same unimpressed expression she had worn since their first meeting.
"Well," she said flatly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "The fragile human returns."
Kaito forced a polite, pleasant smile. "Good morning to you too, Captain."
She began to circle him slowly, inspecting him like a general examining a broken weapon. "You still look entirely too delicate to me. Tell me, are those strange glass things on your face actually useful for anything?"
"They help me see better," Kaito stated, keeping his tone even.
"Hm." She leaned in remarkably close, her eyes narrowing. "That explains why you keep staring at things you shouldn't be looking at."
Kaito clenched his jaw, his eye twitching slightly. I really, really want to punch her. He immediately shook the thought from his head. No way! Absolutely not. What am I thinking? I wouldn't hurt a woman! He studied her as she smirked at his internal struggle. Honestly, arguing with Shara felt less like dealing with a lady and more like bickering with an aggressive buff guy at a gym. She was undeniably beautiful—possessing sharp, striking features, a lean muscular athletic posture, and a commanding warrior's presence—but her personality was like throwing sand directly into his boots. He usually felt turned on by confident, feisty women, but she was just relentlessly annoying.
Before the tension could boil over, Sage stepped between them. "The Second Trial will conclude today. Kaito, you must continue to demonstrate absolute control and resolve"
Shara scoffed, stepping back. "Good luck with that."
Kaito took a slow, deep breath, actively tuning her out. Ignore her. Focus.
As the hours passed, villagers stepped forward with various real-world concerns, disputes, and regional requests. Kaito listened intently to each one. He didn't rush his answers, and he refused to let any lingering anxiety show. When a lead hunter described a pack of mutated monsters roaming deeper forest paths, Kaito didn't just jump to a flashy, reckless solution; he asked intelligent questions about their migration patterns and hunting behaviors.
Even when Shara interrupted from the sidelines with snide remarks—muttering things like, "Careful, human, that almost sounded too smart,"—Kaito kept his composure flawlessly.
Beneath his feet, the ancient runes began to flare with a brilliant, blinding light. Sage watched quietly from the edge of the square, a small sense of pride washing over her.
Finally, the final glow flared dramatically before the runes dimmed into a peaceful, deep blue. The villagers murmured in collective approval.
Sage nodded, her voice clear. "The Second Trial of Kingship is officially complete."
Kaito let out a massive sigh of relief, his shoulders dropping. Shara simply shrugged, turning on her heel. "You passed," she said over her shoulder. "Don't go celebrating just yet."
Later that afternoon, Kaito wandered aimlessly through the wooden walkways of Eldenroot, taking the time to speak casually with the locals. It was during a quiet conversation with an elderly elven woodworker that he first heard the name whispered.
"…The King of Thorns."
Kaito leaned forward, his curiosity instantly piqued. "Who?"
The old elf looked around the walkway cautiously, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "An ancient, dark ruler from a forgotten realm beyond our borders. Long ago, he tried to conquer Valeria."
Another villager joined the conversation, her expression grave. "They say the old magic is stirring again. He is gathering power."
"An army?" Kaito asked.
"No… something infinitely worse."
"What exactly does he want?" Kaito pressed.
The woodworker grimaced, staring blankly at his tools. "Everything."
Not far away, Sage had been monitoring the exchange. The moment she realized Kaito was pressing the villagers for tactical details, she stepped in decisively. "Stop!"
Kaito was startled. "Sage?"
She placed a firm, unyielding hand on his forearm, her eyes unusually sharp. "Leave this subject alone, Kaito."
His brows furrowed as he pulled back slightly. "Why? If there's a threat to—"
"Because it does not concern your current trials," she snapped, her sudden defensiveness only confirming his deepest suspicions.
Kaito frowned, stepping into her space. "You already knew about this, didn't you? Sage… you're hiding something major from me."
She looked away, her jaw tightening. "I was… I was simply trying to protect you."
Gently, Kaito reached out and took both of her hands in his. The sudden, tender movement caught the stoic elven mage entirely off guard. Slowly, he brushed his thumb across the back of her fingers, forcing her to look at him. A faint, sudden blush colored her cheeks.
"I'm not made of glass, Sage," he said softly.
"I know," she murmured.
"Then trust me." Kaito's voice grew firmer, carrying a weight that felt genuinely royal. "I was summoned to this world for a reason. If something dangerous is marching toward Valeria, I have a right to know about it."
Sage studied his expression for a long, heavy moment, searching his eyes. Finally, she let out a defeated sigh. "Okay. You deserve the truth."
They walked a short distance outside the village boundaries, finding a quiet, secluded clearing away from prying ears. Sage stood near the center, choosing her words with extreme care. "Centuries ago, there existed another elven kingdom far beyond the eastern mountains."
"A rival realm?" Kaito asked.
"Yes," Sage replied, her gaze drifting toward the distant horizon. "Its ruler was called Tharos, the Thorn King."
Kaito frowned, sensing the shift in her energy. "What made him so dangerous?"
"His ideology," Sage said, her voice dropping into a dark, disgusted register. "Tharos believed that absolute power justified absolute ownership."
Kaito immediately disliked the sound of that.
"He believed that he alone was fit to rule all lands," she continued, her hands tightening into fists. "And that women were merely… possessions to be claimed."
Kaito's listened intently.
"He sought to conquer neighbouring kingdoms, execute their rulers, and claim their women as prizes," Sage said, her expression hardening into pure hatred. "But what scares me most, Kaito… is what he intended for us. He believed that all elven women should belong directly to him. He expects us to live under his strict, tyrannical rules for eternity, viewing it as an honor to bear his children."
Kaito stared at her, utterly horrified. "…What?"
Sage nodded grimly.
A wave of intense nausea hit Kaito. "That's absolutely disgusting."
"He sees us as objects to own," Sage whispered. "Not as living beings to cherish or love."
Kaito's hands clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "And he's trying to come back right now?"
"There are undeniable signs," Sage admitted quietly. "Traces of forbidden dark magic are moving steadily closer to Valeria's borders."
Kaito exhaled a slow, heavy breath, his features locking into a cold, terrifying mask of absolute resolve. He adjusted his glasses with a single, decisive flick of his finger. "If we run into this Thorn King…" He looked directly into Sage's eyes. "…I'm stopping him."
Sage was caught off guard by the sheer gravity in his voice.
"He wants to enslave your people," Kaito replied, a quiet, furious anger vibrating through his words. He glanced back toward the peaceful village of Eldenroot. "Over my dead body."
Sage felt a sudden, profound warmth rise in her chest. Centuries ago, the last summoned human had nearly destroyed everything the elves held dear. But this one… this one was completely different. This one wanted to protect them with his life.
And for the very first time since sensing the approaching darkness, Sage felt a genuine glimmer of hope.