The room remained silent as Kaizen began to recount the events that had transpired in the forest. With a calm demeanor, he started from the beginning, explaining how they had already entered the inner part of the forest and missed the retreat notice from the Instructors. He detailed the discovery of the strangely dissected monster corpses and their decision to return to the camp. Kaizen admitted that their encounter with the Ogre was an unexpected turn of events that they were not prepared for.
As he continued, Kaizen couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he described how his desire to rescue Kavin had led to the team engaging the Ogre directly. He took responsibility for his actions, acknowledging that he may have put his teammates at risk due to his selfishness.
Sir Gale, who had been listening intently, interjected at this point. He assured Kaizen that Vina, as the leader of the team, bore the responsibility for her actions and decisions during the encounter. He emphasized that Kaizen should not carry the burden of blame on his own shoulders, as the situation had been challenging for everyone involved. The Count nodded, acknowledging Sir Gale's point.
As Kaizen recounted the events, he hesitated slightly before revealing the existence of the magic dagger he had kept with him secretly. He knew it might raise some questions about why he had concealed it and the potential risks associated with using such a powerful artifact. However, he decided to be honest and upfront about it, explaining that he had acquired a magic stone previously and created the dagger himself while hiding from his father and had been practicing with it in secret to improve his skills.
He then continued, describing how he had lost control of his body under the influence of the magic dagger during the intense battle with the Ogre. Kaizen felt a tinge of embarrassment as he shared this part of the story, but he knew it was crucial to provide a complete account of what had transpired.
Next, Kaizen detailed the unexpected arrival of the mysterious Elf who had saved them from the Ogre. He left out the part where the Elf mentioned his High Elf scent, unsure of what it meant and not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to himself. Instead, he focused on how the Elf had effortlessly dispatched the Ogre with a single arrow and identified it as a mutant monster. Kaizen also mentioned the Elf purifying his Dagger while bringing him out of the dagger's control .
Kaizen then recounted the Elf's claim of being the Guardian of the Forest, which piqued the curiosity of both the Count and Sir Gale. They exchanged glances, clearly intrigued by this information.
As Kaizen continued, he described how he had seen Sir Gale arriving at the scene just before he collapsed from exhaustion.
As Kaizen finished reporting the whole incident, the Count took out the magic dagger from his drawer. Kaizen recognized it immediately; it was the same dagger that had caused him so much trouble during the battle with the Ogre. He had a realization that Sir Gale must have found the dagger and reported it to the Count and now his realization seemed to be true .
The Count's expression remained serious as he looked at the dagger. It was evident that he didn't hold the weapon in high regard, particularly due to the stealth skill it possessed. The Count believed in the principles of honorable combat and saw sneak attacks as dishonorable tactics. He handed the dagger to Kaizen, acknowledging that it was his rightful property.
As Kaizen took the dagger in his hand, he noticed a significant change in its appearance and aura. The seductive purple hue that used to emanate from it was now replaced with a gentle blue aura. Kaizen felt a sense of relief and reassurance that the dagger seemed to have returned to its normal state.
The Count then asked Kaizen to leave and return to his dorm. As Kaizen exited the room and closed the doors behind him, he couldn't help but overhear the Count's murmur, "So Alara has returned to forest " The Count's voice carried a hint of nostalgia and a long-buried memory.
Kaizen didn't fully understand the significance of the Count's words, but he felt a curious intrigue. He wondered who Alara was and what connection she had to the forest. Nevertheless, Kaizen decided to put those thoughts aside for now and focus on recovering from the recent events.