It takes about an hour to arrive at the clearing where we fought the Dracoterra. It wasn't a clearing at the beginning of the fight but the sheer amount of magic it used even took down a couple of mammoth trees. The forest grows eerily quiet as we approach.
"Where is it?" Travis asks a question I'm not expecting.
"It's right–" It's gone. I look over the empty clearing as I fail to finish my sentence. There's nothing. The splatters of blood are missing as well.
"That's weird. I'm sure it was right here," Sakura says. My eyes dart around the area to compare what I'm seeing with the images burned into my mind from yesterday. A fissure in the ground, an uprooted tree, a shattered boulder; everything is exactly as I remember it yesterday except for the massive carcass. I walk over to the spot where the Dracoterra fell and squat down to look at the foliage. Not a stain. My mind kicks into overdrive.
[This is very bad. I'm missing something. There should be some remains if it was eaten by a passing monster, but there isn't even a single drop of blood. Is there some monster in the forest capable of something like this? Maybe a pack? Mankas would leave a mess, so it couldn't be them. Maybe human intervention? Who could have rallied a party fast enough to move out here before us? The Dracoterra isn't even worth all that much money. It couldn't have been people. Maybe an even larger monster? No, there aren't any new markings on the ground. What could have done this and why? What am I missing? Just what is in this forest?]
At that moment, I look up and see Inari at the edge of my vision. She briefly makes eye contact with me before disappearing behind a tree.
"I would say you were trying some prank, but I saw the size of that Monster Core you brought in yesterday." Travis's words sound distant and muffled.
[Is Inari involved? What does she have to gain from this? What could she even need a monster corpse for? Do fairies actually eat meat? Is there some ingredient she needs? Why wouldn't she tell me about any of this? She must not want me to know. Why wouldn't she want me to know? She must know how much this would affect our relationship, yet she showed herself anyway. Is she feeling guilty? If she's feeling guilty, then that means there is some outside factor that she doesn't have control over. Is there a monster in these woods stronger than her? Woohee said she could safely fight the Brontobeasts. What is stronger than those?]
A cold chill runs down my spine.
[There's something in this forest stronger than the Brontobeasts. There's something stronger than Inari, and she's afraid of it.]
This forest that had started to feel safe recently suddenly looms ominously over me. Fear raises the bile in my stomach. I can feel sweat begin to bead down my face. On some level, I'd always known how dangerous this place was, but hiding under the wing of the fairies made me forget that. I didn't really even feel like my life was in danger even when I fought the Dracoterra; in the back of my mind, I still thought Inari would do something to save us if things got too hairy. That feeling is gone now. All that's left is fear—fear surrounded by rage.
"I understand you're upset right now, but these things happen. Something must have come by and stolen your kill." Travis is strangely calm, given the circumstances.
"We're leaving." Jezabel's firm voice brings me back to reality. I can hear how serious she is. She must have realized how odd the situation is and its potential implications.
"Quickly!" I give the command to the kids and follow close behind them. The usual sounds of the woods are still missing; all that remains is the roaring silence. Jezabel effortlessly moves to the front. Despite wearing a robe, she still flies through the undergrowth. It's clear her strength as an adventurer has yet to wane.
The expedition retreats post haste towards the town. What was a calm trip through the woods is now a tense departure. The shadows of the forest claw at my back as I run away.
"What do you know about this?" Jezabel pulls back and looks at me suspiciously.
"Nothing. There's nothing in the forest that should have been able to do that." I run a series of pictures of all the monsters in the forest through my mind. Still, nothing.
"What about the fairies?"
"Why would they be involved?"
'Crack!'
Pain shoots up my back as the guild master slams me against a tree.
"Drop the act!" Her vicious gaze pierces through me. I close my eyes and try to calm my panicked mind. All the information I've gathered over the last hour swirls about at the front of my thoughts.
"If the fairies wanted us dead, we wouldn't be talking right now." I look her square in the eyes as I respond.
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Is there something in this forest?" The thorn at the back of my mind finally surfaces. "Something we don't know about? Something that even the fairies can't control?"
"What are you talking about?" Jezabel's eyes narrow further as she thinks over my words.
"What possible use could the fairies have for a Dracoterra corpse? I've been hunting in these woods for weeks now, and I've never lost my prey to them; what's different this time?" I give her a second to consider my words. "Size. Whatever eats a Dracoterra must be massive, and the Punctastars I'm killing wouldn't even curve its appetite. What kind of monster could be that large?"
"The Brontobeasts?" Sakura asks.
"The Brontobeasts are herbivorous, along with most of the larger monsters in the forest." As I reply, my mind drifts to the Tortuga and the Magnapoly, which are known to live in this forest. Both species of mega-fauna are also known for being herbivorous. Jezabel looks back and forth between both of my eyes as she searches for answers.
"If those fairies attack us before we leave the forest–"
"I'll fight by your side." I interrupt her and make my position clear. She pushes me against the tree trunk once more before releasing me. "Our real concern should be whatever is manipulating the fairies."
The way I've maneuvered the conversation implies that I'm working with the fairies and that I think they're involved with the disappearance of the Dracoterra without explicitly saying either of those things. I'm walking a thin line by working with the fairies, and any amount of plausible deniability may come in handy in the future. The most important part of changing someone's mind is to get them to say what you're thinking without ever saying it yourself.
"We need to get back to town and come up with a plan of action. We have some idea of its size and strength based on the information we've gathered today. From now on, any venture into the woods will have to be authorized by me personally. I don't want to lose any adventurers to a monster we know nothing about. Let's move."
Everyone tacitly agrees, and we continue through the woods to the town. Somehow, I feel a bit calmer after being threatened by the guild master. Just being able to work through my thoughts by talking with someone helps clear my mind, and with that, I work out my own plan.
"I can see the plains; we're almost there," Travis exclaims excitedly. I'm sure the memories of the last expedition are still weighing on him. I slow to a stop and allow everyone to pass ahead of me.
"Nick, are you okay?" Sakura asks.
"No, no, no." Jezabel quickly put the pieces together. It's clear why she was chosen as a guild master, given how sharp she is. "Just shut the fuck up and come back to town. I don't want to hear a word out of you."
She chastises me before I even get a chance to speak. A warm smile rises on one side of my face. I don't know what to say to her, so I address the kids.
"I need to stay here. I'll have something figured out by the time you come back."
""Okay."" The newlyweds respond without a hint of doubt in their voices.
"I said shut–" Jezabel takes a step forward but suddenly stops. I can see her eyes move to something over my shoulder. I spin around only to see an empty forest.
"What?" I ask, confused.
"We're leaving." Jezabel takes the lead and exits the woods without any further comment. Befuddled, I stand at the edge of the woods for a moment. Not coming to any concrete answer, I make my way to the den to check up on Shinobu. The memories of the fight against the Metapardus drive my footfall ever faster.