Somewhere inside the southern part of the forest known as the Forest of No Return, a forest believed to be a place that is dangerous for humans to enter, at least not until Christa and Angelika went and lived there, a giant figure of a snake can be seen from above the forest, moving rather slowly as it heads to a certain direction.
And above its head, is another figure, but this time, it's a figure of a human. And of course, it is the giant snake's friend, Christa. Seemingly enjoying the ride sitting on top of the snake's head, Christa talks to Titania and said:
"To think that a country like that exists... It must have been pretty hard for the people to live there."
"Yeah. I didn't think a ruler could be this cruel and evil. And now he's in Reilaea and practically became a ruler of this land after marrying the queen."
Titania gave a monotonous reply, their talk shifted with the giant snake mentioning the prince of Reilaea.
"But anyway, I can't believe that the prince of Reilaea and you have met and know each other for a while now, talk about a fated meeting." Although her face does not show any expression at all, her mischievous yet sweet tone under her line of words describes how intrigued Titania is to know that Christa and Edle knows one another. Perhaps it is a fated meeting, but Christa doesn't seem to understand what Titania said at the end of her words.
"I don't know what you mean by the fated meeting but, I'm lucky that I get to know him before all this. I'll be sure to have a talk with him once I get back."
"Eh... But you're planned to go back tomorrow, do you think this matter can wait...? Wait, didn't you know a thing about the "Fated Meeting" thing?"
As Titania just realized what Christa said, a voice of a young girl screams the name of the girl on top of the giant snake. "Christa!!" When they look, a girl stands in front of the crowd that is shakingly holding their weapons with their face all showing the expression of fear and terror as they stare down in front of a monstrous creature. It was Aina together with the mayor Mitou along with a crowd of villagers.
Between them and the snake, seemingly in complete shock, Aina continues to talk to Christa. "A-Are you okay?! W-What are you doing on top of that giant snake? Get out of that thing, Christa!"
Seeing the worried look in her eyes, Christa leaps out of Titania's head and lands on the ground gently, talking to Aina to ease her worry.
"It's all fine, don't worry. I mentioned that I had a giant snake as a friend, right? This is her, her name is Titania." Christa have her hand gestured as it points towards Titania, introducing her to Aina and the rest of the people of Eisvel. Which then the giant snake began hissing as a response to her introduction to the people in front of them, that which the villagers could not help but feel frightened over her.
Doing so, Christa tells Titania to stop her hissing and start actually talking. "Stop it. You're scaring them, just talk casually and normally."
"Ah, my bad. Hello, everyone." Said, Titania in response which then every villagers along with Aina and Mitou followed: "I don't think seeing a monstrous snake talking is normal at all."
Indeed, seeing a gigantic reptile talking to a human with the same language is a bit weird, but ignoring that matter for a second, Christa turns to see the mayor and says:
"Mayor Mitou, I'm glad you're here."
"A-Ah, Christa I'm glad you're doing fine... It seems that the problem has been settled here now as well." Mitou said in reply while also being cautious in front of the snake behind Christa. Seeing this, Christa guarantees them that Titania will not do any harm to them.
"You don't have to be cautious over her, Mayor Mitou. I can guarantee you and everyone that she will not do any harm to you all nor the village. She's just a guardian of this forest Angelika and I called Home."
"I-I see... That's reassuring..."
Despite what she replied, Christa can still see the feeling of cautiousness in her eyes. Thinking that if the villagers of Eisvel and Titania become close to each other and one day they'll be able to talk to Titania without any worry, Christa performed a small smile before she speaks.
"...Now then, there's something that I wanted to talk to you about the wood cutters, and I think it's safer to talk to your place, Mayor Mitou. Can you lend me your time?"
"Sure I guess...?" Mitou tilts her head on her left shoulder as she responded, seemingly confused as to what exactly Christa wants to talk about that she wanted to be in a safe place like the mayor's home inside her village.
With no other issues in the forest that needed action, everyone decided to go back to Eisvel. But before they can take step away from the forest, the girl with the red eyes stops them as she tells them that they can ride on Titania's head.
"Everyone, wait! Let's all have a ride on Titania's head so we can go a bit faster towards the village!" Said, Christa. The crowd stops only to look at her as if to say that they don't want to ride the giant snake or get near Titania at all cost.
However... Christa did not give up as she began persuading the villagers. Continuing to persuade them for some time, the villagers eventually give in and decided to have a ride with the giant snake's head. And thus, they all went back to the village in a way they never experienced before.
.
.
.
Shortly after, Titania arrived at the village with Mitou and Christa along with the villagers on top of her head who seemed to be rather thrilled after experiencing such a ride. Although others who stayed at the village felt the same feeling and reaction the first time they faced the giant snake. After a few chatter with the help of everyone who went to the forest to follow Christa to prove that Titania is not as dangerous as she looks, the sudden tension have quickly subsided, and the villagers return to their usual work calmly.
Just as they do, Christa and Mitou went to the her house, facing the crowd doing the preparations for the day's occasion.
"I guess we can talk here now, but..."
"Huh? Why are you here, Aina?"
"Ah?"
Uninvited, Aina sits alongside Christa on the sofa facing Mitou who's sitting on the soft couch staring at them with dumbfounded eyes.
"What? Aren't I invited?" Said, Aina.
"Well... Is it okay, Christa?"
"It's Aina, it should be fine. All I wanted is just to talk to you personally. It's about the wood cutters."
"So it's really the wood cutters that caused that burned part of the forest, huh?" Mitou responded to Christa, which then the black haired girl followed.
"Actually... Those wood cutters are..."
Back inside the forest, at the time where a black plated armored man who's been leading the group was the only one left with his conciousness intact, unlike the others who passed out and the rest who went almost insane and ran aimelessly at every direction.
At that time where he gave up with his attacks and accepts defeat on Christa, the young girl who defeated her effortlessly asks him.
"Tell me, who is the evil king and the evil daughter you're talking about? They're the ones who gave you orders to cut down trees, right? What's the purpose of you trying to destroy this land that is a home of many creatures and humans?"
"..." The man remained silent. "If you think staying quiet will buy you time for the wood cutters on the other side to finish their work, sorry but I've taken care of them. Now speak up."
"Are you going to fight them?" A sudden reply came out of the man's mouth. With a sudden question, Christa responded. "No, I'm gonna have a talk with them, and I'm gonna ask them to stop trimming the forest down."
As quick as the man's question, the black armored man suddenly shrieked with laughter. "Ahahaha!! Seriously? You're going to talk to them?! Didn't you heard what I said? That King and his princess are cruel, far more cruel than a demon! I didn't think I'd get to laugh one last time before I die. Ahahaha!!"
The man sits down as he catches his breath after cackling on top of his lungs. He then continues to talk.
"Whew, that's a good one." He catches more of his breath as he continues.
"You made my unit go crazy, you drove the wood cutters away, you ruined our work... Thank you, you two just doomed us and our families' lives. Now it's only a matter of time before our death comes." The man stares at Christa and Titania with a humorless, dead eyes.
"If I didn't do it, not just the forest, the people who benefits from the riches of this land will be in ruins." Said, Christa. "So, are you gonna talk or not?"
"Yes but... I'll give you an advice now, talking to them won't cut it. If you want to deal with them, you have to kill them without hesitation."
Christa kept silent after hearing what the man adviced, perhaps she's considering what the man told her inside her head. Shortly after, the black armored man began naming the king and the princess he was talking about.
"Castile Cruelle, Celestine Cruelle Margareth. These two tyrants have been ruling the kingdom of Kruule since the day the true ruler, the queen died at the exact day the decade war started... Sorry but, I'm only commanding a small unit, only the higher-ups knows what they do with these trees."
"I see... That's disappointing... Anyway, isn't that Castile the king in Reilaea?"
"So you know him?"
"I've only heard rumors about him, but I do know Edle, the prince of Reilaea." Christa replied to the man, hearing that she knows who the prince is, Titania suddenly spoke as if she heard something that shocked her entirely.
"You know the prince?! The prince of Reilaea?! Not good, not good. You've only been gone for a month and now you're already hanging out with a guy."
"What are you talking about, Titania?"
Right at that moment, the man cuts in to their conversation as he talks to Christa once again.
"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you two, but if you know about the prince, then that's good. You should warn him about Castile. Castile is a king that only wants himself to be sitting in the throne alone, seeing as he is now the king in Reilaea, there's no doubt that that country is in his eyes now... And that only means that the prince and the country itself is in danger."
"The country, huh...?" Christa paused for a few seconds, perhaps she was pondering over something. Maybe she was thinking about Itsuo and Selene who lives near the city, if something bad really happen, they, too will be in danger. After a short silence, Christa speaks.
"I'll think about it, but..." She proceeds to point her wooden sword on to the man who's sitting on the ground looking at her. "...can I trust your words? How can I be sure you're not working under someone who's trying to make a bad image of the king?"
The black armored soldier stands up as he gets closer to the point that the wooden sword is touching his breastplate, directly at his heart.
"If you think I'm lying to you, you're free to kill me. I'm not afraid to die. Not dying here is just delaying the inevitable. Now then, if you distrust me, then thrust it!"
Christa pressed the edge of her sword on to the breastplate of the black armored soldier, only to see his face that is not showing a single trace of fear nor hesitation, just like he said, he's not afraid to die to where he stands right now. Seeing that proof in his eyes, Christa lowers her wooden sword.
"Sorry, killing people is not a habit of mine... That's why, I'll believe you."