Chapter 37

A few years ago, she had ventured into the Fairy Forest in order to quickly defeat an enemy garrison.

It was through that that she found out the Fairy Forest's defensive illusion fog didn't have any effect on her. Knowing how potentially useful this skill could be, Kalia had hid it as tightly as if she had obtained a secret weapon. Thanks to this, she was able to end the battle quickly; it was a real ace up her sleeves.

'Oh my God.'

Kalia looked out the window to the sky without answering once. It was still light out right now. The afternoon sun shone brightly in the sky but, in just two hours, the sun will start to set. When the sun goes down, there would be no hope of finding the children.

Even for extraordinary people like Kalia, the Fairy Forest was a little dangerous after sunset, not to mention ordinary young children. Of course, if she was in her normal state right now, it wouldn't be so dangerous for her. But now, she was pregnant and she couldn't guarantee her complete safety.

Soon, the sun will set.

There was not much time to think or hesitate.

Kalia lowered her gaze and stroked her round belly. Inside the bulging belly was the unborn Shasha, sound asleep.

Her actions now not only affected her own life.

For safety's sake, it would be right not to go, even at the risk of moral discomfort1.

No one would say anything even if she were to do nothing now and just wait for news of them all from the comfort of her home.

'But I'm the only one in this town who's not beguiled by the Fairy Forest's fog.'

No one else knew it but herself.

'That I abandoned myself2.'

Can she do that?

The lives of children, who may be trembling in the fog's darkness, were at stake. If she wasn't pregnant, she wouldn't hesitate at all.

Kalia gently stroked her stomach, still very torn and a heavy cloud seemed to hang over her head. Just then, her stomach bulged and seemingly returned Kalia's touch. Like the baby was tickling the bottom of his mother's hand. She smiled at the ticklish feeling against the palm of her hand.

Then she suddenly thought, 'How would I feel if Shasha was the one trapped in the Fairy Forest and yet, I couldn't do anything?'

Her heart tightened.

Just thinking about it made her heart stand on edge.

If it were her, she would have been miserable and woeful beyond misery.

(T/C: not really the time sorry but *ahem* this brings to mind a certain mage)

If there's even 1% of hope that they can be found…She would gladly wander through the Fairy Forest in the dark. And, Mrs. McCanna, she knew, would be willing to do so too. She always smiled sweetly when she spoke about her family.

'…but.'

Nevertheless, Kalia still hesitated, understandably so. It didn't matter if something bad happened to her, but she was just worried that her actions might strain the child in her stomach.

Tap, tap, tap-

Once again, Shasha exerted force on her stomach, seemingly as if he were trying to pat his mother's hand. It may be an illusion but the child seemed to tap his stomach as if he knew his mother's heart and her worries. Kalia caressed her stomach once more and raised her head.

She had worried enough.

"Allen, wait for me in front of the forest."

"Miss Kalia!" Allen roared, his complexion instantly blanched to a ghostly white.

Kalia knew what Allen was worried about.

Reaching out and grabbing the back of his hand, she smiled lightly and said, "I'll be fine. It's said that if you don't venture deep into the forest and watch out for the fog, there's nothing dangerous about it. Besides, there should be no monsters either3."

"Isn't that fog dangerous?!"

"Don't worry about that. Its illusions don't work on me."

"What…." Allen's brows furrowed in confusion.

Kalia abbreviated the explanation with a slight smile, simply telling him, "State secrets. Anyway, I have a teleportation scroll so don't worry too much. Besides, I'm not going in alone."

Kalia's gaze turned to Humming. "I'm sorry to ask this heavy responsibility from you but you're the only person I can trust right now. Will you come with me? Will you guard my back?"

Huming's eyes widened in shock. Her round eyes glinted with unexplained emotions and there was a feeling welling up inside of her that couldn't be explained in words.

Soon, Humming replied passionately, her head nodding furiously. "I'm willing!"

She was determined to protect the hero who saved the world and gladly carry that burden with her skinny shoulders.

Kalia smiled graciously, retrieving a sword that she'd kept in a cabinet and spoke plainly, "Now. Let's hurry."

***

Amidst the festivities, the western vicinity of the Fairy Forest was full of people.

The annual festival had a profound impact on the village's economy, so it was not possible to make a fuss such as abruptly halt the festival over the disappearance of children. Although there was an emergency due to the disappearance of the children, there was nothing unusual or noisy because there were some accidents every year.

"Hey, back off! You're not allowed to approach!"

Upon learning that the children had entered the fairy forest and disappeared, the Defense Department set up guards around the perimeter of the stone walls that enclosed the Fairy Forest closest to the festival square.

Part of the stone wall had collapsed during the last rainy season and from the looks of it, the children had gone through the cracks.

The guards were stationed around the crack.

Passers-by glanced at the guards with looks of curiosity, and sometimes gave looks of pity, but that was it. Beautiful glimpses of the flower field peaked out from behind the guards and through the crack in the wall. Those walking past were amazed and some even moved to the point of slowing their footsteps. Their looks of pity were more so for the beautiful expanses of purple flowers4.

The news that the children were missing only lightly crossed their minds – that is, if they had even heard the news.

"L-let me in! We have to find them! They're only 10 years old!"

But the parents of the missing children were different.

"Wait. We'll send a search party soon."

"The sun goes down in two hours, and by when would you be able to finish recruiting and dispatch a search party? Get out of the way! I'll find them myself!"

They did not hesitate to try to by-pass the guards and were protesting against the guards blocking them. The anxious parents stamped their feet, red eyes staring at the guards blocking them and then darting to the forest behind them, not knowing what to do.

"It's not possible. Please wait."

"It's right in front of me. How can I just wait!"

The disturbance between the guards who were controlling access into the area with indifferent faces and the panicked, troubled family, continued to brew.

Kalia watched the scene from afar for a few moments, then turned around and went to the other side.

The Fairy Forest was a huge forest at the heart of 3 countries. The forest, which was large enough to be called a country, stretched out from its center, a place dubbed as the deep forest. Small forests branched out from the core, like blood vessels of the heart. The forest radiated out and stretched into the three countries without bias on either side. Though it was troublesome to each of the 3 countries, it was something that could not be helped. Fairy forests were indeed a world home to many different species. It was almost like they were another world apart. The particular race that ruled that realm had a very special and frightening power.

She would try negotiating with the owner of the Fairy Forest if he could, but they didn't want to communicate with humans.

The Fairy King was especially hostile to humans. Or so they say.

Inevitably, the 3 countries have come to neglect and ignore the forest. Most countries took a neutral, somewhat nonchalant stance on the matter because the area of forest that did cross into their territory was not large and there was no particular harm unless one went inside.

The only actions they took to manage the threat of the forest was to build stone walls and walls and impose a restraining order. These measures were really only continuously maintained and reinforced in large cities. In small towns, the stone walls weren't maintained properly and were often in the process of collapsing or already collapsed.

Just like Loa city.

And because of this, every so often, stories of humans who would go missing circulated. These incidents were one of the most common to reoccur.

"I think we need to enter through the back."

Kalia, who was walking along the stone wall surrounding the Fairy Forest, suddenly stopped in front of a certain point.

The durability of the wall must've been weakened and spent during the last rainy season because the stone wall collapsed under her light touch.

'I'll have to notify the guards of this when I get back. Just in case kids who shouldn't go in find this. It'll probably be okay for now since everyone's busy with the festival and the missing children but, just in case….'

As Kalia's gaze was on the collapsed stone wall, Humming brought over a pile of grass from nearby to fill the gap in the collapsed stone wall.

"This will probably do, right? No one will know until we get out."

With a grin, Humming looked at Kalia.

Kalia patted Humming's hair as her eyes sparkled like a puppy that wanted compliments. Her cheeks were dyed a rosy hue and her big smile glowed with pride.

Kalia couldn't help but think she was very cute before turning quietly to take the lead.

***

Sarak sarak5.

A sound that did not match the wooded forest rang through the quiet forest.

Kalia's light-green dress, similar in colour to her eyes, made a soft sound whenever she brushed past bushes. The noise was enough to create the illusion of a lady taking a walk in the forest.

Appearance-wise, she was the image of a lady strolling through the woods except for one thing: the clean-edged sword she was carrying.

With no hint of emotion on her extremely serene face, Kalia made her way deeper into the forest.

Behind her, on the contrary, was the bundle of anxiety and excitement that was Humming following Kalia with an alert face.

"Aren't we going too far, Kalia?"

"It's okay. Fairy forests are not dangerous unless you get lost in the fog's illusions or until the sun goes down," Kalia answered slowly, surveying the area with a placid gaze.

Her alert eyes swept through the surrounding foliage. Though she had told Humming it was okay, the tension and alertness in her eyes didn't lessen. She made sure Humming wasn't too far behind and constantly scanned the surrounding area. It wasn't because she was afraid of the Fairy Forest itself but…

The footprints she had found at the entrance of the forest were very ominous.

Of all the things…. These footprints were in a shape that she knew and had seen before.