Valentina chewed her lip as she scanned the basin. The leshies were curious, the koi were uncaring, and the treants watched from afar. The only movement from the vines was the faint fluttering caused by the wind. She hated this place.
At first, she thought it wasn't so bad. While it was a mana-rich region, the threats were shockingly minimal and most monsters stayed far enough away and minded their own business. The water was a bit of a pain to navigate, but Dahlia's massive mana reserves had trivialised travel for the most part. Even Bessie's manic high was easy enough to deal with; the maid was just a little more excitable and hyper than usual.
