The road east was nothing but dirt and roots. My new boots were already caked with mud, and I was convinced the forest was actively trying to kill me.
"Elira, how do you walk on this stuff so easily?" I complained, tripping for the fifth time.
"Because I lift my feet," she replied dryly.
[Observation: You have tripped exactly 17 times since leaving the village.]
"LIES! It wasn't that many okay, maybe 12."
" Who is he talking to?"
Elira Wondered
---
We weren't traveling alone. The Nerulian chief had insisted on sending a small escort three young warriors and a healer named Lyra, who looked like she was one stiff breeze away from fainting.
"Protector," she said softly as she adjusted the pack on her back. "Are you certain it's safe for us to come?"
"Not at all," I admitted cheerfully. "But if we're going to figure out what's going on, we'll need all the help we can get."
That earned me a nod of approval from Elira… and a muttered, "Idiot," when I tripped again.
---
Of course, Advisor never missed an opportunity to ruin my dignity.
[Analysis: Current probability of you faceplanting into Elira's chest while tripping: 64%.]
"Excuse me?!"
Elira raised an eyebrow. "…What is it now?"
"NOTHING!" I barked quickly, cheeks burning.
Naturally, I tripped again not two minutes later.
And yes, I fell right against Elira.
Her face went redder than a bonfire. "Y-Yuto! Watch where you !"
"I swear I didn't this was physics, not me!"
[Confirmation: Ecchi Flag #3 triggered.]
"SHUT UP, ADVISOR!"
The Nerulian warriors coughed awkwardly. Lyra looked like she might faint for a different reason.
---
We camped by the river that night. The Nerulians prepared fish stew, and the warmth of the fire made the tension fade.
Elira sat across from me, cleaning her blades. Her silver hair caught the firelight, and for a moment, she didn't look like the cold warrior she tried so hard to be.
"…You're different than I expected," she said quietly.
"Huh?"
"You're reckless. Clumsy. And you talk too much."
"…Wow, thanks."
Her lips curved ever so slightly. "But you make people smile. That's rare."
My chest tightened a little. "…Elira…"
She immediately turned away. "D-Don't misunderstand. I'm just stating a fact."
Right. Just a fact. Sure.
[Analysis: Probability of romantic development has increased.]
"Advisor, I will throw you in this river."
---
But the warmth didn't last.
Near midnight, a sound rumbled through the forest.
A low, guttural roar that made the river itself tremble.
The Nerulian warriors jolted awake, spears raised. Lyra clutched her staff, eyes wide with fear.
Elira stood instantly, blades in hand. "That… wasn't a normal beast."
[Correction: That was a Corrupted Entity. Estimated threat level… catastrophic.]
My blood ran cold.
Because even from here, I could feel the corruption pressing in like a suffocating fog.
And tomorrow, we'd be walking straight toward it.
---