015 - Arcadia Forest

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The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

( Proverbs 12 : 7 )

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"Buy some fruits."

"We have the best cornrolls in town."

"Buy some flowers for your lady, young man."

In the crowded market street of a small town called Lore, the vendors shouted to attract the customers who were walking by. It was a beautiful day, filled with sunlight and a cool breeze. Men and women went about their work, young men took their ladies on dates, and children ran and played. The town was especially peaceful, with no sorrow in sight.

"It's peaceful," said Ze.

"Yes, and so many people," replied Zeru.

They had left the north a few days ago and were traveling back home in a curved route through the east, avoiding the capital. They could have teleported, but both wanted to wander. Now they found themselves in a small town called Lore.

They were checking out the market street, and so was the market street. People who saw them moved away cautiously. Not because Ze looked like a barbarian, he was wearing void black t-shirts and jeans, but because of the hound walking beside them.

Calling it a hound is an understatement. It stood at nearly 4 feet, just a few inches shy, and instead of fur, it had blue scales. Its reptilian blue eyes were sharp, and it had two small, sharp horns on its head. It looked more like a reptile than a dog.

"Nala, don't you want to change into a cute form?" Ze asked.

"No," replied Nala.

"Really?" Ze asked with a defeated look.

He wanted to be subtle, but Nala's form was eye-catching. Even though there were monster tamers who used monsters for fighting by binding them, Nala didn't want to be treated like a slave.

"Haaa... *sigh* You look cool anyway," Ze said as he caressed Nala's head.

Nala snorted at his comment but lifted her head when Ze called her cool. She was proud. She was a dragon born alone in the harsh lands of the north. After being defeated, she became bound to the human next to her. Unexpectedly, she gained advanced knowledge of using magic and wasn't commanded like a slave.

Ze smiled as he read her thoughts on her face.

They reached a busy restaurant, filled with many people having breakfast. Ze entered with Nala by his side, and people moved away when they noticed her. Ze sat at a table near the window, and Nala settled on the floor beside him. His t-shirt stirred, and Ignit jumped out.

Ignit looked at Ze with an angry face, though it was still cute. It had learned to express its feelings more as it traveled with them. It was probably angry because it had to be kept inside the shadow.

"Come on, Ignit. Don't be angry. It's dangerous for you outside," Ze tried to calm it down.

But Ignit floated toward Nala, sat on her head, and looked at Ze hatefully. Ze looked at Ignit with tears forming in his eyes.

"Son, are you hating your father?" Ze cried.

Ignit panicked when it saw Ze cry and floated toward him, rubbing away his tears. It snuggled against his cheeks to comfort him, as if saying not to cry.

Ze stopped crying and hugged Ignit, going through another session of being comforted by Ignit. The young elemental couldn't see through his crude acting. Nala sighed at the sight of them cuddling; she had seen this many times.

But the trio didn't care that the restaurant was silent. Everyone in the restaurant, from the old to the young, had their eyes on them. Although spirits were extremely rare outside of elven territory, people still knew about them. The people in the restaurant didn't know whether to be shocked by the presence of a spirit, the fact that a 14-year-old child called it his son, or the monster that was sighing.

Amid the frozen crowd and Ze, who was hugging Ignit, a single person moved closer to them.

"Sir, what would you like to have?" the waitress asked.

With her question, the frozen atmosphere in the restaurant began to thaw. Ze, who noticed that she had done this intentionally, looked at her. She had brown hair and eyes, and fair skin tone. Her face could be described as beautiful. Ze smiled at her.

"I would like to have the biggest one on the special," Ze requested.

"Well, sir, based on your description, we have roasted wild boar and grilled bear soup. Which one would you like?" she asked without flinching.

"Both, please," Ze answered with a pleased smile.

The waitress made a slight bow before leaving for another table. Ze watched her as she moved, a smile forming on his lips.

"So, that's your taste, (^_^)' Zeru teased.

"Well, if I were in my original body, it would be your mother," Ze struck back.

"HEY! (*•^•¶)" Zeru shouted in fury.

"Shut up!" Ze replied.

"You b*stard! (°√^°)/" Zeru shouted.

Ze ignored his rambling and continued caressing Ignit, who sat on his arm. He sat there for thirty minutes before his food arrived from the kitchen. Six people carried a huge plate with a flatly laid boar, and another six carried a huge pot of bear meat and soup.

Looking at the food, Ze and Nala drooled.

"Let's dig in," Ze started eating and shared it with Nala.

The food, which was meant for a group, vanished from their plates in a matter of minutes. Only the bones were left behind. The cook, upon hearing that a teenager had eaten the food, came out to look, and the onlookers were left in disbelief.

Nala laid on the floor with her seemingly bulged stomach, and Ze sat okay as his body digested and absorbed food at an inhuman rate. Ignit fed on Ze's golden mana that covered his hand. In the end, they were all full.

The waitress who took their order came back.

"Sir, would you like anything else?" she asked with a smile.

Ze looked at her amazed. Could she not see the mountain of bones left on the plate? How could she ask so unfazed? Even though he could eat more, it was enough.

"No need," Ze replied.

"Then, would you like the bill?" she asked.

"But I have no money, though," Ze answered.

"It's a problem if you can't pay. We would have to hand you over to the knights," she replied with a hint of threat.

"Well," Ze put his hand inside his pocket, "I will pay with this," and he placed a mana core on the table.

The waitress's eyes widened a bit in surprise at the bright orange core on the table.

"Yes, this will do," she said, taking the core with a bow.

"Wait," Ze stopped the waitress from leaving.

"Are there Elves nearby?" he asked.

Her gaze sharpened for a moment at Ze's question.

"They say you can meet them at Arcadia Forest, which is quite a distance away from Lore, but they hate humans," she answered.

"Ah, then do you know about the first wife of the Swordmaster, Callista Flameheart, and her child?"

The waitress's gaze scanned Ze again.

"The Swordmaster and Lady Callista don't have a child. It's been 15 years since she disappeared from public view after giving birth, but her child died. And there was news that she contracted a terrible illness," she replied.

"Those b*stards," Ze muttered.

"Thank you for the information," Ze said as he got up from his seat with Ignit in his hand.

"Please visit again," the waitress said before she left.

Ze exited the restaurant and headed towards his next destination—Arcadia Forest, also known as the Man-Eating Forest. It was a thick forest that covered the eastern part of the Arzen Empire. If one ventured too deep, they might never find their way out, and various monsters and organisms inhabited it, primarily the long-eared race—elves.

After the rebellion, the elves moved into the forest to live in harmony with nature. They were a long-lived race compared to humans and preferred not to interact with humans, who tended to disturb the natural balance. They especially despised violence.

Ze stood before the dense forest, which looked beautiful from the outside, adorned in lush greenery. However, Ze could sense many monsters waiting for them to enter, as well as a complex array set up to disorient intruders.

"Man, it's going to be a pain, haaaa*sigh*," Ze said with a bothered expression.

"Can't we just fly, (• _ •)?" Zeru suggested.

"Ugh, I don't want to," Ze yawned. "It's too bothersome."

"We can just fly, (=_=)"

"Nala, open a path," Ze commanded.

"Ah, why don't you ever listen to me? You b*stard(/°^°)/"

Ignoring his complaints, Ze looked towards Nala, (¢∆¢) - Ignit looked at her with sparkling eyes. Nala stepped forward with pride. She would show them the might of a dragon.

She opened her mouth, and mana gathered around her. The mana particles condensed to form symbols, and the symbols arranged themselves to form a spell. Many spells formed near her mouth, and her breath charged as the spells took shape.

Ze looked at the spells that had formed near her; each was a support spell of a different kind that would amplify her breath by a notch. Unless someone was an Arch-mage, they wouldn't be able to control the mana flow. But dragons were born Arch-mages.

Nala's breath charged, glowing brilliantly blue, causing the surroundings to turn freezing cold. The destructive power behind it was not to be messed with. Ignit shrunk into Ze's arm, unable to withstand the bone-chilling cold emanating from Nala. Ze covered both Ignit and himself with his aura, repelling the cold. He then pointed towards the forest.

"Nala, use Frost breath!" Ze shouted.

Nala released her breath, and the condensed breath roared forward. Instead of being a flame, it shot out like a laser, obliterating the terrain as it traveled. The supporting spells glowed brightly as they enhanced her breath. The breath she used now was tens of times stronger than the one she used to blow up her house.

The beam destroyed everything in its path and froze those who came near. It stretched about ten kilometers before it collided with a barrier. The barrier, shrouded in green, blocked the blue beam without losing its power.

Nala's breath came to an end as the skill usage time finished, but her breath had created a straight path to the Elves' village, leaving it adorned in frost. Nala turned towards Ze, who gave her a thumbs-up, and Ignit, who jumped up and down with excitement (¢∆¢). Nala snorted at their reaction but couldn't hide her smile.

Ze stepped forward; it was his turn to take the lead. His shadows moved and covered him as he activated his skill, [Shadow Stitching]. A long coat materialised above his t-shirt, giving him a business-like and dignified appearance.

He confidently moved forward and said, "Shall we go make a deal?"

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