『Neizan: «Is it still so early?» 』
Neizan woke up, rubbing his eyes as he glanced at the clock to check the time.
He felt rested after a peaceful night.
『Neizan: «I guess I slept well last night. Lina still seems to be asleep... Well, I'll go prepare breakfast.» 』
He looked at Lina's face, peacefully asleep in bed, and decided to leave the room quietly, trying not to make any noise.
After a while, he returned with a tray of breakfast for her.
『Neizan: Good morning, sleepyhead. 』
『Lina: Mmm... Good morning, Neizan. 』
She responded, stretching slowly.
『Neizan: Here's your breakfast. 』
『Lina: Thank you. 』
She said with a smile as she sat up in bed.
Neizan returned the smile, but his expression soon turned more serious.
『Neizan: I'm going out for a bit to get some firewood. I want you to stay here and wait, okay? 』
Lina looked at him with concern.
『Lina: Can't I come with you? 』
Neizan shook his head, his voice firm but tinged with worry.
『Neizan: No, Lina. It's dangerous. 』
The tone of his voice and the seriousness in his eyes made it clear what he was trying to convey.
『Lina: That only makes me worry more... why are you telling me this way? 』
She asked, frowning.
Neizan sighed, stepping closer to help her understand the situation.
『Neizan: I need you to understand something. We're alone, in the middle of the forest, near a mountain, and far from the nearest village. Arthur took the two horses and the carriage this morning to go to town. We don't have transportation, so if something happens to you, the only help I can provide is basic first aid. 』
Lina listened silently, her expression showing that she understood the risk.
The nearest town, Gastor, where she lived, was almost two full days away on foot, assuming they didn't stop at night.
And after what had happened between them and the tax-collecting soldiers, they knew they couldn't return to the village for a while, at least until things calmed down.
『Lina: ... «But then, that's dangerous for him too. Why is he so worried about me?» 』
Conflict and uncertainty filled Lina's mind as she watched Neizan prepare to leave.
『Lina: Are you afraid something might happen to me? 』
She asked, trying to understand his reasoning.
Neizan looked at her seriously, making his stance clear.
『Neizan: I'm warning you, don't follow me. 』
『Nana: Woof! 』
Barked the dog, as if supporting her owner's words.
Lina frowned, offended by Neizan's attitude.
『Lina: You're not my father. Why are you acting like this? I can take care of myself. 』
Neizan sighed, his tone firm but with a hint of understanding.
『Neizan: I'm not your father, and this isn't your house. But these are my rules. I'll be taking Nana with me; I need her on the way. So, please stay here and don't go outside. 』
Lina crossed her arms, reluctantly giving in.
『Lina: Fine, but I expect a better explanation when you get back. 』
『Neizan: Alright, we'll talk later. 』
With a large backpack, an axe strapped to his back, and a sword at his waist, Neizan left the house to gather firewood, accompanied by Nana and a wooden cart.
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『Neizan: Good girl, Nana. Now I need you to stay alert. 』
They arrived at the place, a vast forest where thousands of trees offered good firewood.
Neizan and Nana stopped, ready to begin their work.
Neizan scanned the area, mentally preparing for the hard task ahead.
The dog remained silent, watching every move of her master.
As the evening grew late, Neizan finished cutting the last tree he would take home on the cart.
He paused for a moment, gently petting Nana with a tired smile.
『Neizan: Sorry for worrying you, Nana. You're a good girl, come here. 』
Nana wagged her tail gracefully, enjoying the affection from her owner.
On their way back home, the clock showed 9:30 PM, and the sky, painted in a deep orange, signaled the sunset.
Although they were close, the atmosphere grew darker as the day faded.
Amid the thick vegetation of the forest, Nana heard something.
Walking a few steps ahead of Neizan, she abruptly stopped, first twitching her ears and then turning her head toward the source of the sound.
『Neizan: What's wrong, Nana? 』
『Nana: Rrrr… Wauf! 』
The dog quickly turned in the direction of the noise, adopting a defensive and threatening stance as she growled.
Seeing this, Neizan immediately let go of the cart and unsheathed his sword.
『Neizan: We've got trouble. 』
From the darkness of the foliage, small figures began to appear, moving swiftly.
Then, as if an explosion had burst through the silence, several beasts suddenly leaped out, aiming straight for Nana.
Neizan reacted instinctively, moving swiftly to defend his companion.
With a quick motion, he slid his sword toward the first beast, cutting off its head.
Blood splattered onto his white shirt and stained the blade of his sword, but there was no time to pause.
The three remaining beasts surrounded him, now focusing their attack on Neizan.
They were bipedal lizards, with dark scales marked by a yellow line running down their bodies and blue spots along their backs, signaling how dangerous they were.
Their large eyes, with completely black pupils surrounded by a yellowish iris, gave them a piercing gaze.
On their heads, they had small horns, characteristic of their species.
Although they were slender and light in build, they were taller than Nana, but considerably shorter than Neizan.
These reptiles had long necks, narrow jaws filled with small sharp teeth.
Their forelimbs were short, with three fingers tipped with claws, while their hind legs, much longer, were adapted for running. Of the three creatures, all were black with patches of plumage, except for one that was almost completely white, suggesting it could be the alpha, and the only female in the group.
Its long, thin limbs indicated it could move with great speed, and its large, retractable sickle-shaped claws on the second toe of each foot remained raised off the ground when running.
With swift movements, Neizan swung his sword at high speed, using his body and waist to create a defensive zone that kept the beasts at bay.
However, one of them was injured after getting too close, while the other two took advantage of a small gap in Neizan's defense.
『Neizan: Damn it! 』
He barely managed to dodge the second attack, but he inflicted a cut on another beast, leaving it temporarily out of combat.
At that moment, the third creature seized the opportunity and sank its sharp teeth into Neizan's leg.