The sun shone brightly through, accompanied by the gentle dance of the trees swayed by the gentle wind. River Slimes jumped on the stones scattered along the riverbank, making a squishy sound. As the water passed through the shallow river, the soothing flow of crystal clear water resonated gently. The chirping of birds could be heard in the distance, along with laughter from the group of four people counting the orb-like eyes of Fire Ants they had acquired from the battle earlier, with Ordy's laughter being the loudest.
Gideon exhaled as he scooped water from the river with his hands once more and rubbed his face. As the dirt was finally washed away from his face, he stood in the middle of shallow water, staring at his reflection. As he expressed a neutral expression, his snobbish expression reappeared, which he couldn't control. He didn't move a muscle for a few seconds and just stared at the water, his already thin face becoming even thinner due to his deprived diet while traveling through the forest. It accentuated his jaw, revealing a beautifully sculpted face that was more noticeable than ever.
The only thing Gideon noticed was the lifeless expression in his eyes, which he had been masking with his fake smiles, laughs, and banters.
He finally got tired of staring at his reflection and walked out of the river to join the four people who had undoubtedly saved his life. When he arrived at their location, he cleared his throat and smiled again, making a fake face. "Please forgive me for the delay; the water is refreshing, and I couldn't get enough of it," he said before chuckling.
Ordy smiled at Gideon as he carried a large brown fabric sack containing the eyes of Fire Ants. "Don't worry, we just counted the eyes, and you happened to arrive at the right time."
Mian, Halini, and Vien, who were standing beside Ordy, nodded in agreement.
Gideon simply cleared his throat. "Ah... Anyway, thanks for saving my life earlier."
Ordy, on the other hand, laughed loudly while his left hand was in his armored belly. "Don't overthink it, Gideon; saying it once is more than enough; you don't need to thank us more than five times."
Gideon nodded slowly. "I see."
"Anyway, Gideon," Mian said, changing the subject. "What are you doing near the Fire ants' nest? It's one of the local guilds' rules to never get that close to the nest, it's extremely dangerous, especially if you're alone and don't have any gear to fend for yourself. Do you have a party? If yes, where are they?" Mian asked, her soft-sounding voice contrasting with her formal tone. She crossed her arms and looked at Gideon with a solemn expression.
"I don't have a party," Gideon shrugged. "What was I doing close to the nest of those things? I just happened to come across them while walking through the woods... And why don't I have any equipment with me? It's a long story, and crazy things happened."
Mian nodded as he came to a conclusion after hearing Gideon's response. "I see. A traveler, I presume. There have been a lot of them traveling this route recently," she exhaled slowly, her curvaceous chest rising. "Travelers these days, can't you all just take a safer path instead of rushing headlong into danger? We had to save the last traveler we met before you from a swarm of Gaia Centipedes because she had simply decided to follow the path of their nest. And you're wondering why a lot of travelers like you ended up in such a bad situation?"
"Don't say that, Mian. Look at Vien, she's turning red again," Halini said as she hugged Vien, who was simply listening and looking down. "It's okay, Vien; Mian isn't mad; she just wants you to be careful next time."
Gideon chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Ah... I'll take that into account."
Gideon felt Ordy's massive arm on his shoulders next, followed by a burst of baritone laughter. "It's fine, Young man; it's just Mian's way of expressing her concern." His laughter grew louder. "Anyway, I noticed you have a very distinct way of speaking your words; this is the first time I've heard someone speak like you; where are you from, My friend?"
Gideon took a breather, hesitant to reveal anything about himself. "It's a complicated story."
"Good, that's what I wanted to hear. We can save that for later while eating dinner beside a campfire. Tell us about your marvelous adventure so far, Gideon." Ordy responded as he walked forward to lead the way, followed by Vien, Mian, and Halini. "It's quite entertaining to hear interesting stories about the journeys of brave travelers," he said, waving his hand toward Vien.
"Look at our Vien, she was from the distant kingdom of Iriza and decided to embark on a journey to find her beloved sister. She fought many battles, escaped many life-or-death situations, and survived the harsh environment of this world alone before meeting us and deciding to stop here for the time being to continue her journey once she became much stronger to face the much more dangerous threats ahead! She may be small in stature, but she is tenacious and glorious! A worthy member of our party!" he announced, raising his left fist. "And you might be wondering what our party's name is."
Mian and Halini appeared out of nowhere next to Ordy, striking comical poses by raising their shaking hands towards Ordy and squatting with solemn expressions on their faces, pointing at Gideon.
They remained motionless for a brief moment until Halini shifted her narrowing gaze to Vien. "Vien, come on in and join us."
Vien gasped and crouched in front of Ordy, her face flushed with embarrassment, raising both of her hands sideways, completing their formation.
"We are, The Super Explosive Marvelous Troopers!" screamed Ordy, Mian, and Halini, followed by Vien's faint voice saying the same thing but much weaker.
A deafening silence fell between them for a few moments.
"Oh wow. Nice presentation, Ginyu Force," Gideon said, staring at them with disbelief in his enlarged eyes, especially at Mian, whom he held in high regard. "There goes my first impression of you all."
Ordy indicated Gideon with his index finger. "You, Gideon, we want to hear your story, too!" and walked toward the direction they were going. "Onward! To the Intersection Clearing!"
"I'd like to hear it too!" Halini said as she followed Ordy. Mian followed them silently, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Vien was left behind, walking silently while looking down, and Gideon, who was watching the three people walking ahead with his enlarged eyes. Ordy's laughter could be heard echoing throughout the area.
"What an interesting bunch," Gideon remarked.
"I agree, and I can honestly say that they are enjoyable to be around," Vien responded.
Gideon simply nodded, surprised that Vien, who he had assumed would not even attempt to respond, had responded to his comment.
After a few seconds of contemplation, Gideon decided to confront Vien, who was walking just ahead of him.
"Uhm... By the way, thanks for saving me earlier; I recall you being the first to arrive at my rescue."
"I just found you sooner by following your screams; if you didn't scream that loud and continuously, I don't think I would have found you as easily," Vien explained modestly. Her ponytail swayed as she pointed her violet eyes at Gideon.
"I must have been really loud all that time," he laughed, but his laughter was cut short when he noticed Vien's attentive gaze on him. "Why? Is there a problem?"
Vien took a few moments to carefully select words to express her thoughts. "I'm not sure what it is, but there's something wrong with your smiles," she said, but when she realized what she had just said, she immediately bowed her head toward Gideon. "I apologize; I should not have said that."
Despite a brief pause, Gideon responded with laughter. "Don't worry about it; I've been getting a lot of that lately, so it doesn't bother me anymore," he said as he walked forward to join the three others.
Vien, on the other hand, trailed after him.