Coincidental Meeting

( P.O.V )

As the rescue team's leader, I, Erica Hambell, must look out not only for myself but also for my teammates.

We take a leisurely walk through the forest, enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Wait… This is too calm..."

Despite having been walking for about 3 hours, no monsters have attacked us.

I could not fathom the feeling that something was wrong with this place.

Zura Forest is known as a den of powerful monsters, so how come we have not seen any for the past few hours?

"Hey, Erica. Is there a problem? "You are biting your thumb again."

"Oh, Rea. There is no problem. maybe…"

"Is this about the absence of monsters? That is something we have all noticed. So, do you know why?"

"Well, I am not sure either. I was looking for clues as we walked, but I could not find anything. Like…"

"Like?"

"Like every monster here vanished."

"Is that actually possible?"

"I do not know, and I am still not sure, but after we return, I need to inform Lina. I have a bad feeling something will happen."

It is just conjecture, but I believe I know what will happen.

Monster Wave.

I heard some rumors about monster waves in some small villages, but I did not investigate because it was only a small monster wave.

I regret not looking at it sooner.

However, I must prioritize our mission right now.

We need to cross the river, as indicated by the red dot in my hand.

We were quite close to the location indicated by the red dot after passing that location.

*scratch

As soon as we heard the scratches in the bushes, we leaned back against each other and took out our weapons.

We are listening to the surroundings and waiting for what lies beyond the noises.

"Ooh, other visitors... Alastor, you lied to me. I assumed he had already killed all of the adventurers here, except for a kid. Well… I am bored of waiting, so I might as well get some exercise."

A man with long white hair emerges from the bushes, apparently speaking to himself.

What is the deal with him?

I felt no aura from him, as if he did not exist in front of us.

Despite this, I have a feeling that one of us will die unexpectedly.

Furthermore, his rant suggests that he is not alone.

"Be careful, everybody; this guy is strong."

As soon as they heard me, they frowned and became even more serious about the situation.

"Strong?"

Our gazes locked as we realized that his smile had significance.

"I appreciate your compliments. If it is worth your time, could you please tell me your name?"

This…

I see…

He is that type of person... lucky.

"Oh my goodness, this is the first time a handsome guy like you has asked for my name. I am too shy about it. Of course, I am willing to give you my name. My name is Erica, and I am just an ordinary adventurer. Could you also tell me your name?"

Gathering information through conversation.

With my skill, I can buy everyone some time to prepare for the battle or flee.

"Erica, such a fitting name for a lady like you. My name is Aleister. Ms. Erica knows how to convey what I want to hear. For that, I will let your party go."

What does he mean?

Huh? Hold on a minute!

"Please wait—"

But he has already vanished.

"This will only happen once. I am not going to show you any mercy the second time we meet, Ms. Erica."

We heard his voice everywhere, but we could not figure out where he was.

However, we can tell he is no longer here.

"Who exactly is that guy?"

"I am not sure, but his presence... I did not feel anything..."

"Yes, it feels like he is a ghost."

"Do you believe you can defeat him?"

"I have no confidence."

Our five guys are discussing what happened earlier.

"Let us move quickly! We need to finish our mission right away."

I tell everyone to keep going because I have no idea how strong that guy is.

Personally, I also have no confidence against him, which is why we must complete the mission quickly and report what happened to Lina.

…

( Back to normal.)

Eventually, after several hours, they reached the location marked by the Red Dot.

They looked around, but they did not find anything particularly noteworthy.

"WE FOUND SOMEONE!"

Erica and Rea, approaching from the other direction, head straight to the source of the yell.

"Oh, thank goodness. She is safe."

Rea jumps to Aqua's side and throws her an embrace.

"Ack! Who the hell is this?"

Aqua is still half asleep, but Rea's hug causes her to awaken quickly.

She was unable to continue speaking because tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Is this a dream?"

*Slap

"Why did you slap me, moronic woman?"

"Do you still feel like this is a dream?"

Erica slapped Aqua's face despite the fact that she was crying.

Aqua just could not stop crying.

Even though she despises Rea, she requires someone she can hold right now.

Rea, the elder sister, finally feels rewarded because her sister is hugging her.

This would be a heartfelt event if not for her lustful expression.

"Stop breathing so hard!"

"Ouch! Why did you smack my head?

"Your sister is constantly crying on your chest, but your expression throws the mood off."

Despite their argument, Aqua did not stop crying until she fell asleep.

…

When they arrive in May City, they take Aqua to the clinic, and Rea remains by her side.

The rescue team disbanded in front of the guild building after receiving their payments.

Despite this, Erica does not have time to celebrate as she returns to the guild building.

Many things have happened, and she needs to inform her friend.

After all, if her hunch is correct, she does not want to see her home destroyed.