Nothing could be heard as the night deepened inside Kegali's great forest except the gentle swaying of the trees caused by the wind and the howling of monsters from afar. The light from a certain campfire was slowly fading, leaving only enough light for the three people sleeping nearby to see. Inside a single blanket, Lian and Mea were hugging each other. There should have been three of them, but Caserie was missing. Herold was sleeping just a meter away, having just rested after guarding the area, which Bren had replaced and remained on guard as his turn.
A few steps away from the campfire was an image of a beautiful woman with blonde hair, an innocent-looking face, and eyes that only showed tenderness and kindness. Caserie sat on a boulder, her gaze wandering through the starry sky. Softly breathing as the wind swayed her back-length soft hair. She hugged herself, a gentle smile on her face, as the cold wind blew. Such beauty that no one would believe belonged to a commoner girl raised on a humble farm.
Caserie came from one of the small towns scattered across the kingdom's outskirts, far from the bustling life of the capital. She grew up in a modest but loving family with a small plot of land. Life was simple and comfortable... But she knew she couldn't find happiness in that small town. She decided to embark on a journey to find herself two years ago. And she discovered it by being an adventurer in Desosa's capital. A life that was the polar opposite of her previous life, full of adventure and danger.
The life she chose to live... with the people she desired to be with.
"You can't sleep?" asked Bren as he slowly emerged from the darkness. His gentle expression was fixed on Caserie. He had just returned from patrol and was planning to stay nearby.
Caserie's dark green eyes darted toward Bren. She remained silent for a second before taking a slow, deep breath. "I was awakened when Herold woke you up to take turns guarding."
Bren laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "Ah, my apologies."
Then there was silence as Caserie continued to stare up at the sky.
Bren took a step forward. "Do you mind if I sit?" Bren asked, pointing to a boulder near where Caserie was sitting.
Caserie's gaze returned to Bren. "I don't."
"Thank you," Bren said as he sat on the boulder and sighed. "It's exhausting patrolling all day in this forest."
"Is it true that the monster we're looking for has a distinct hunting pattern?" Caserie inquired.
"That hasn't been confirmed yet, and as Herold mentioned, maybe we're just looking in the wrong place," Bren said, staring at Caserie's face. "Monsters are not intelligent enough to perform such feats, in addition to not having Appraisal to evaluate their prey."
"Perhaps it's not a monster, but a humanoid," Caserie speculated. "Someone is attempting to gain power by killing monsters that are forbidden to kill."
"If that's true, that person has no idea what kind of problem they're causing; destroying the forest's balance for the sake of leveling up is a serious matter," Bren shrugged. "Even the savage humanoids living in the forest would not dare to do such a thing because they know the consequences of upsetting the balance that has been established for years, and we all know that we are not powerful enough to face what follows."
Then there was silence for several seconds.
Caserie groaned softly as she stretched her arms. She returned her gaze to Bren, who was staring at him intently. "Is there a problem?"
Bren raised his head and gazed up at the sky. "Have I ever told you that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met?"
"You've said it so many times now that I'm starting to think you're just saying it to get your way with me... Because you know your praises are my biggest weakness," Caserie said.
Bren let out a breath. "I am such an awful person... How could I do such a thing to a kind person like you?" Bren said, turning to face Caserie.
"You didn't come here to talk about our quest, did you?" Caserie inquired.
"I..."
"It's fine, I saw it coming," Caserie said softly. "I recall being kicked out of my former party a year ago because they felt I was not appropriate for their group. I'd been with them for a year, but they decided to kick me out of the party without hesitation... The reason was that the girls at that party despised me; they thought I was a dirty girl who craved the attention of their men."
Caserie nodded slowly. "Then, one day, while I was eating alone in the guild hall, Mea and Lian approached me. They invited me to this party with a smile, unconcerned about the rumors surrounding me. Mea and Lian are my closest friends; they are like sisters to me." Caserie cleared her throat, as if something was obstructing her speech. "However, it turns out... My former party mates were correct all along, and now, with my new party... I've been having an affair for months with the future husband of the woman who loves me as her sister and has accepted me without reservation."
"No, it's not your fault; I was the one who forced myself on you so many times, even though I already have Mea," Bren said with a shake of his head. "The first man in your life is a terrible idiot who can't control his lust; I don't deserve everything good that comes my way."
"Once you two are married, what are your plans for the future? Will you both still be adventurers?" Caserie asked tenderly, changing the subject.
"I haven't told Mea yet, but I am planning to settle down, to establish a shop, a small farm on the outskirts of the capital, and a decent home," Bren announced, his face gentle but filled with guilt. "I love her... I know I'm stupid, but I know I love her more than anything else in this world."
"I see," Caserie said, nodding. Bren couldn't see her clenched fist, which was hidden by her shivering hands. She looked down, attempting to calm her racing heart. "I see."
"Caserie," Bren said, extending his hand toward Caserie's shoulder.
"Don't touch me," Caserie said calmly but shiveringly.
"I'm sorry..." Bren apologized as he moved his hand away from Caserie. "I know I started it, but... we should stop what we've been up to," he said, pausing for a few seconds. "It was all my fault, and I want to make things right; please let me fix this."
"Despite excelling at almost everything... You are naive for someone who is about to marry. However, I believe that is one of your charms." Caserie rose to her feet. "There's nothing to worry about. Everything is fine. Besides, you had my permission to do it to me. And don't worry, Mea would never find out. I love her so much that even the thought of her hating me hurts. Let us just forget what happened and move on." She turned away from Bren. "I'm going back. You should resume your patrolling... Bren."
Bren could only stand there and watch as Caserie walked away from him. His eyes shivered from sadness, regret, and overwhelming guilt. Bren was finally struck by the thought of Caserie still being so kind despite everything that had happened. As his knees fell to the ground, he could only shake his head. "I am such a horrible person."
Caserie, on the other hand, returned to where Mea and Lian were sleeping. She lay down and covered herself with the blanket, resting her head on the pillow next to Mea. Before Caserie could close her eyes, Mea wrapped a warm hug around her chest and rested her head on her shoulder.
"Where did you go, Caserie?" Mea inquired, half-asleep.
Caserie fixed her gaze on Mea's innocent expression. Fortunately, Mea's closed eyes prevented her from seeing the tears streaming down Caserie's beautiful face. "I had a talk with Bren," she said, her voice toughened to hide the cracking.
Mea simply moaned and nodded. "Ah... Let's go back to sleep now," Mea replied, her voice devoid of any hint of suspicion.
Caserie didn't respond, instead resting her chin over Mea's head and silently pouring out her pain. The agony of realizing she had chosen the wrong man to love...
***
The morning had arrived, and the sun shone brightly throughout Kegali's forest. It was another day for their party to travel toward Kegali's center. Following their preparations for the day, all five of them stood fully equipped with their weapons and armor.
"This time we're going straight to the Red Canyon; hopefully, once we get there, we'll find traces of that clever monster... if it's actually clever," Herold said as he stood in front of Lian, Caserie, Mea, and Bren. "Bren, you'll be patrolling in the same manner."
"Yes, Leader," Bren said, a fake smile covering something beneath his eyes.
Herold gave a nod. "Lian, I want you to go ahead and take the quickest route to Red Island; we're not going to check insignificant areas; we're going straight to the eye of the storm; and I want you to report every hour so we can plan much further ahead than before."
"I understand, Leader," Lian said as she vanished as a result of her skill, Complete Concealment.
"I'm leaving right now," Bren said.
"Take care, Bren," Mea said, smiling.
Bren paused for a second, his eyes tenderly fixed on Mea. He gave a gentle smile before nodding. "I'll see you later," he said before turning invisible and leaving the area.
Herold's gaze shifted to Mea and Caserie. Before putting on his helmet, he smiled widely. "Are you ready, ladies?"
"Always!" screamed Mea as she leaped and hugged Caserie. "Isn't that correct, Caserie?"
Caserie stared at Mea's bright smile before slowly nodding. "Of course, Mea."
"Then let's go!" exclaimed Herold. "Let's find that troublesome monster and beat it silly!" Herold exclaimed as he walked forward.
"Aye!"
And they would meet that monster.