Igor observed the young woman's tears with a growing sense of helplessness. He had no understanding of her distress and, not knowing how to console her, he turned to Falco for guidance.
"Falco, what should we do? I don't want her to be upset," Igor said, his brow furrowing in concern.
Falco, already irritated by the girl's reaction, replied bluntly, "There's no point in crying over something so trivial. If she's that upset, maybe it's best to leave her alone for a bit."
Igor shook his head. "No, I can't leave her like this. We have to help her understand."
Gathering his courage, Igor approached the girl, who was still weeping softly. He gently touched her shoulder, causing her to flinch. "Please, don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to save you."
The girl looked at him through teary eyes and tried to regain her composure as she wiped her tears away.
"I'm sorry if I was rude! It's just so overwhelming, losing my master because of my carelessness and then falling into the river..."
Igor nodded, understanding the gist of her circumstances. "I see. But you're safe now. My name is Igor Calamity, and this is my friend Falco. We live nearby. What's your name?"
The young woman looked dumbfounded for a moment and gazed at the Emberwing Falcon with astonishment. The boy's name intrigued her. "Igor Calamity! What a strange name!"
Then, her eyes fell on the magical bird. She was astonished to see such a rare creature in this place. Where she lived, it was so hard to find one due to their rarity. And here she found one so easily.
She felt genuine curiosity toward the boy, who was clearly younger than her. Why was he here alone with a magical creature? Did he really live in this dangerous forest?
Feeling interested, she replied, "My name is Olivia Astaire. I am from outside this wild forest... But can you please put your clothes on first?" She felt her face turning red out of embarrassment at seeing him wearing only underwear.
"Uh!" Feeling embarrassed, Igor quickly put on his clothes. He forgot for a moment that it was indecent to reveal one's body to another.
Falco laughed heartily, making fun of Igor.
Observing the strange interaction between the magical creature and Igor, Olivia couldn't be more astonished. "Do they really understand each other's language? But I heard only beast masters can do that. Then, why is this boy able to do what others can't?"
Living alone in a wild forest, talking to magical creatures—this was definitely not normal. "If only my master were here! I shouldn't have run out of the Academy alone." Olivia sighed, realizing the grave mistake she had made.
Her master's fairy-like beautiful face came to her mind, leaving her in distress. "Now, how should I get out of here? I just started learning magic; I am so weak. This boy seems the only option to be safe for now. He shouldn't be a bad person considering he just saved my life. And the kiss... Uh!" She put the matter at the back of her mind for now.
Igor, now fully clothed, turned back to her. "Olivia, let's get you something to eat first. You must be hungry!"
"Screech! Yes, Igor. Go get another Rainbow fish! We will all eat it together," Falco said excitedly, ready to devour another fish. They had a rather strange team of gluttons. Despite Igor's small stature, he ate more than Falco.
Not understanding what the magical Falcon was saying, she asked, "What is it saying, Igor?" Her curiosity was evident.
Igor smiled and said, "He wants to eat Rainbow fish again. They're very delicious. You'd like it, Olivia." Recalling the taste, Igor also salivated. He could never get enough of those delicious feasts.
"Rainbow fish? Is he talking about the same magical fish that increases one's vitality and mana by a large margin upon eating it?"
"Where am I actually? Is this heaven?" Encountering such rare magical creatures and the beautiful view of the place, she couldn't think of anything else.
Her curiosity remained unanswered as she saw Igor become naked once again, turning her face flushed red. "How shameless! He is definitely a hooligan." She cursed Igor in her mind.
Igor dived into the water and caught another Rainbow fish quickly. It was over 5 meters in size, but Igor carried it on his back effortlessly.
"Oh heavens! Such a big Rainbow fish! Am I dreaming?" Olivia rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Such large Rainbow fishes were really rare at her place. One fish would definitely fetch 100,000 magic crystals for sure.
"If I could somehow gift it to my master, wouldn't she be pleased? Then, she would definitely treat me well, hehe!" She giggled inwardly.
Igor's physical strength surprised her a little. Despite not awakening his mana core, he was as strong as a novice mage. "What would happen when he awakens his Mana Core? How frightening!"
She felt goosebumps rising through her skin at the thought. Although she was not sure if he was fit for learning magic or not, Mana Cores are not just found in anyone. Only some exceptionally talented people are born with a Mana Core, which opens the path for the aspirants to pursue magical powers to become powerful mages.
After a while, all of them sat around a campfire to enjoy the delicious Rainbow fish. Olivia was curious about how they would cook such a large Rainbow fish. However, her thoughts completely changed when she saw the other two devouring one piece after another like true gluttons. "Yep, she should definitely break her common sense to understand them. They are not normal; she should have realized that by now."
Olivia hesitated before taking a piece of the Rainbow fish. She had never seen such a large specimen before, and its vibrant colors glowed softly in the dim light of the campfire. She took a tentative bite and immediately understood why Igor and Falco were so enthusiastic about it.
The flesh was tender, and each bite sent a warm wave of energy through her body, revitalizing her mana and easing her fatigue. She already felt a slight increase in mana inside her Mana Core after only a small bite.
"This is incredible," Olivia said, looking at Igor with newfound respect. "I've only heard stories about how good Rainbow fish are, but this... it's beyond anything I imagined."
Igor grinned, his mouth full. "Yes, I told you, you'd like it for sure."
Falco squawked in agreement, tearing into his portion with gusto. "Igor always catches the best ones."
Although Olivia couldn't understand Falco's language, she couldn't help but smile at the odd pair. Despite their initial awkwardness, she felt a sense of friendship growing among them. She glanced around, taking in the forest's beauty, which seemed less menacing now. The canopy above them was dotted with glowing insects, casting a gentle, ambient light over their makeshift camp.
"So, can you tell me the name of this place? Who knows, I might even recognize it somehow," she asked, glancing around before her eyes fell on Igor.
Igor hesitated. His mother had said never to tell others the name of this place. It was the only haven for these magical creatures, and the outside world was filled with bloodshed and schemes. That's why the idea of leaving this forest was dismissed by him, despite his curiosity about the outside world growing within.
After considering Olivia's need, he spoke the truth.
"This forest is called Dorland, our home." he smiled.
"Dorland?" Hearing the name, Olivia was astonished. "How did I get here? Isn't this the magical forest written in textbooks? They said the largest Evergreen Tree was here. She heard the old greedy people say, 'This was the place where they could gain their transcendent status,' though she didn't know what it was."
"Are you saying this is the same magical forest where the mythical Evergreen Tree can be found? And everyone thinks this place is nothing but a myth?" She said excitedly, her beautiful eyebrows rising in surprise.
Despite her enthusiasm, Igor remained calm. "Yes." He chose not to divulge his relationship with his mother as per her instructions to strangers. His mother's safety was his priority rather than gaining a new human friend.
"So, Olivia," Igor said between bites, "how did you end up here, anyway?"
Olivia calmed down and sighed, her eyes clouding with memory. "I was training with my master at the Academy. She told me I was progressing well, but I was eager to prove myself. I thought if I could capture a magical beast on my own, she would be proud of me. But... I was careless while riding a flying Griffin. I slipped and fell into a river, and was swept away by the current. The next thing I knew, I was here."
Igor looked at her, astonished. "So, you're a mage! That's great, I heard only a few humans could become one."
Olivia felt a little proud of the compliment, despite knowing only a few simple household spells.
"Can you do some magic for me to see?" Igor asked in anticipation. Igor heard about mages, but had never seen one. His mother's abilities were completely different from mages.
Olivia smiled and said, "Sure!" She chanted a spell and a small water sphere appeared on her palm.
Igor became engrossed at the sight. But realizing his mother's magic was on a completely different level, he became less enthusiastic.
Still, the thought of becoming a mage lingered in his mind once again. In the past, he had asked his mother to teach him magic, but she had said it was not the time yet. He still didn't know when that time would come.
As the afternoon progressed, Olivia and Igor continued to share stories, with Falco occasionally interjecting with squawks that only Igor could understand. The evening in the forest was serene, the glow of the insects providing a comforting ambiance.