The dirt path stretched endlessly before Yuuya as he walked, his fingers unconsciously brushing against his cheek, the very spot where Flora had slapped him. The sting had long faded, but the memory lingered like a shadow. He had wanted to answer her, to tell her the truth, but how could he? How could he deny or confirm something he himself wasn't even sure of? The uncertainty gnawed at him with every step, an ache that refused to fade.
He adjusted the straps of his bag and sighed. Birds chirped overhead, their cheerful songs offering little comfort to his troubled mind. The sky was clear, painted in hues of blue and white. Despite the heaviness in his chest, the world around him remained stubbornly peaceful.
He had left Arcadia Academy behind, and with it, the only life he had ever known. Days passed in a quiet blur, marked by little more than the crunch of his boots on dirt and the rustling of wind in the trees. Occasionally, he'd pass a stream or rest under the shade of an old oak. He tried to enjoy the simplicity of it, but his thoughts always circled back to the same place… Flora's teary eyes, having lunch with the group in the academy cafeteria, morning sparring with Christina.
"Should've at least told her goodbye properly," he muttered, tugging a loose thread from his sleeve. "Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much."
He lost track of how many days had passed until a sharp sound broke the monotony. A rustling in the underbrush.
Yuuya stopped, eyes narrowing. Something wasn't right.
From the trees ahead, five men emerged… mercenaries by the look of them. Dusty armour, worn weapons, and faces that had seen far too many battles. They looked at Yuuya like wolves spotting a wounded deer.
"So, you're the brat we were sent to deal with," one of them sneered, cracking his knuckles. "Didn't think you'd be traveling alone. Makes our job easier."
Yuuya blinked. "You talk too much."
Yuuya let his bag slide off his shoulders and when it hit the ground with a soft thud. His body moved automatically.
The first mercenary charged, blade swinging in a wide arc. Yuuya pivoted smoothly, avoiding the strike with ease. His hand shot out, grabbing the attacker's wrist mid-swing, and twisted. A sharp crack echoed through the trees.
The man barely had time to scream before Yuuya drove a knee into his gut, then turned and hurled him into a tree. The man's body slumped to the ground, unmoving.
The others rushed him at once.
The second came from behind, hoping for a blind spot. Yuuya ducked low, the swing of an axe barely missing his head. He swept his leg out, knocking the man's feet out from under him.
"Damn it"
Before the mercenary could hit the ground, Yuuya was already up, his palm glowing faintly with mana. He slammed it into the man's chest, an explosion sending the body crashing into a nearby boulder with a sickening crack.
"You little… How dare you!"
The third was smarter, keeping his distance, slinging throwing knives with practiced precision. Yuuya's eyes narrowed. One flick of his hand and a pulse of wind rippled outward, knives deflected mid-air, spinning harmlessly into the dirt.
"Oh no"
Yuuya surged forward. The man tried to draw a short sword, but he was too slow. Yuuya grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back, and drove him into the ground. The crack of bone was immediate. Yuuya stabbed his heart with the sword.
The fourth attacker was already chanting, a mage, cloaked in black. Fire erupted from his staff, roaring toward Yuuya in a cone of flames.
Yuuya didn't even flinch.
He raised one hand, A blast of compressed wind magic tore forward like a spear, shattering the mage's staff and sending him flying backward. The man hit the ground hard, gasping for breath—until Yuuya's foot came down on his throat. One sharp press. Silence.
Only one remained.
He stood trembling, sword shaking in his hands, a gash already bleeding down his cheek. He hadn't even moved, too shocked by how effortlessly the others had been dispatched. His knees threatened to buckle.
Yuuya walked toward him, slow and steady.
"W-Wait," the man rasped, eyes wide. "I… I surrender. Please…"
Yuuya grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against a tree.
"Who sent you?" His voice was calm, almost cold.
The man hesitated, jaw clenching tight. A flicker of defiance sparked in his eyes.
Then, he bit down. Hard.
Yuuya saw the foam at the corners of his mouth and cursed.
The man convulsed and slumped, blood and poison dripping from his lips.
Yuuya let go, letting the body fall with a thud. His hands trembled just slightly, not from exhaustion… but from the cold certainty forming in his mind.
"Figures," he muttered.
Only one person would go that far. Cedric.
He dusted himself off, slung his bag back over his shoulder, and turned his eyes to the path ahead. The forest loomed in the distance, dark and thick with shadows.
Blood Root Forest.
Several days later, Yuuya finally stood at the inner part of the forest. The tall trees stretched high into the sky, their leaves forming a dense canopy that blocked much of the sunlight. Yet, something about it felt... comforting.
He knew this place. The path was etched into his memory.
The walk to Regis's house was quiet but peaceful. Birds chirped above, and somewhere in the distance, a squirrel dashed across his path. When the old cottage came into view, Yuuya slowed.
His chest tightened.
The small house stood as it always had, simple, sturdy, and surrounded by nature. The wooden fence was half-broken, and the roof looked like it needed a bit of patchwork. But it was home. It would always be home.
"I'm back, Regis."
He rolled up his sleeves and got to work. The inside was dusty, cobwebs decorating the corners like forgotten ornaments. He swept, scrubbed, wiped, and dusted. With each task, memories came flooding back… Regis tossing a pillow at him for sleeping in, the smell of stew wafting from the kitchen, the quiet laughter that sometimes filled the evening air.
By the time he finished, the sun had dipped low in the sky. The orange light cast long shadows across the cottage.
Yuuya stepped outside with a second plate of dinner and walked into the garden, where a lone stone figure stood beneath the open sky.
It wasn't a memorial.
It was Regis.
Petrified in his final moments, his expression frozen in that same familiar, warm smile. One hand reached outward, as if to comfort someone. The stone was weathered slightly from time, moss just beginning to form along the base, but the features were unmistakable, his mentor, captured in stillness.
Yuuya knelt down and gently placed the plate before him, the aroma of food rising into the cool air. Then, slowly, he stood and stepped closer to that outstretched hand.
Without a word, he leaned forward and rested his cheek against the cold stone palm… just like he had during Regis's final moments.
It was then Yuuya noticed something.
He had grown taller.
Back then, Regis had towered over him. Now, Yuuya's head easily rose above his shoulders. The realization hit him like a quiet wave, time had passed. He had changed. But Regis remained the same.
Still smiling.
Still reaching out.
"I got expelled," Yuuya said, now sitting cross-legged in front of it. "I'm banned from Araulia. Pretty impressive, right?" He let out a small laugh. "I'm going to find Dia-neesan. It's been a while since we meet."
He paused, staring at the statue.
"Flora… slapped me. She hates me now. And I don't even blame her. I couldn't give her the answers she wanted."
The wind picked up, rustling the nearby trees.
"I really wish you were here. You'd tell me to stop sulking and get moving. Probably throw a boot at my head."
A smile tugged at his lips.
He sat there for a long while, telling Regis everything. About the Academy, about Alfred, about the time he burned a hole in the training room ceiling and blamed it on the wind. When he finally got up and returned inside, his chest felt a little lighter.
Sleep came easily.
That same night, Far from the quiet of Blood Root Forest, in a dorm in the academy, another figure couldn't sleep.
Flora sat alone in her room.
Her fingers traced the edge of her blanket as tears welled in her eyes.
"Don't ever appear in front of me again."
The words echoed in her mind. She had said them, yelled them, even. But now, in the quiet, she couldn't understand why.
"Yuuya wouldn't do that," she whispered. "He'd never..."
But she had still slapped him. Still driven him away.
Tears welled in her eyes as guilt wrapped around her heart like a vice. She should have at least wished him luck on his journey.
Now, he was gone, and she might never see him again. A choked sob escaped her lips as she buried her face in her hands.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, hugging her knees. "Please come back."
The sun rose gently over Blood Root Forest, painting the sky in soft oranges and pinks. Yuuya woke early, his body still half-tangled in the warmth of sleep. Breakfast was quiet—just some bread and fruit he'd picked along the way.
As he ate, his eyes drifted toward the thick woods beyond the clearing.
Lorentis Kingdom. Dia-neesan was there.
He had questions. She had answers.
But first, he had to cross the Blood Root Forest.
Though he'd lived on the forest for years with Regis, he had never dared to explore its most inner parts. The forest was wild, filled with magic beasts strong enough to make even seasoned knights hesitate. Even the weakest of them were C-rank.
Still, he wasn't the same boy who first stumbled into the academy gates.
He tightened his pack and adjusted the straps. The air was crisp, the scent of pine and earth grounding him. His heart beat steadily, not with fear, but determination.
"I'm not running anymore," he said aloud.
With that, Yuuya stepped into the forest, the trees swallowing him whole.
His journey had only just begun.