Bryan’s face lit up with joy when he heard Adam’s promise, and for a brief moment, hope shone in his eyes. But that hope did not last long. Adam’s voice then rang out, cold and clear, cutting through the moment of relief."
But if I find out that you lied—if there’s no demon—then I’ll make sure you pay for every person you’ve robbed," Adam warned firmly.
At those words, Bryan stiffened. The excitement that had filled him quickly vanished, replaced by a flash of fear and nervousness.
His eyes widened, and his hands, which had been steady moments ago, now trembled slightly as he tried to hide his worry.
The promise of retribution hung heavily in the air, and the forest around them seemed to grow even quieter.
Adam continued without softening his tone. "Now, show me the way to your village. I’ll follow behind."
Hearing this, Bryan quickly nodded and hurried over to join Elan and Samuel. The two younger men looked up at Adam with wide, uncertain eyes.
Elan, the young boy with a gentle face, spoke up hesitantly. "Sir Adam, please follow us," he said in a small voice that carried both hope and fear.
Adam gave a small nod in reply. His eyes were hard but alert as he took in every detail of the scene. Standing beside him was Sophia, who glanced at Adam with a mixture of concern and uncertainty. "Are we really helping them?" she asked softly, her voice trembling with worry.
Adam did not meet her eyes. Instead, he began to walk forward, his steps steady and purposeful. Sophia sighed quietly, a look of resignation and care on her face, and she fell in step behind him.
After a few moments of walking in silence along a narrow path that wound between the trees, Adam finally broke the silence. "I need to see it for myself," he said, his voice low and serious. "I need to know if demons truly exist in this world."
Sophia’s eyes widened at his words. "Demons… I’ve heard of them before," she replied, her tone mixing curiosity and fear. "My father used to tell me stories about them. They’re supposed to be terrifying creatures."
She paused, glancing down at the path ahead before adding, "But very few people on this continent have actually seen one."
Adam nodded slowly, his mind clearly turning over the new information. "I’ve only heard about them in stories as well," he admitted. His voice carried a trace of uncertainty as he contemplated the possibility of something so fearsome lurking in their world.
Sophia’s expression grew even more troubled as she remembered more of her father’s words. "My father told me that anyone who lays eyes on a demon… never survives," she said, her voice quivering with both fear and disbelief.
Adam turned to look at her for a moment, his eyes hardening as he searched her face for a sign of jest, but found only worry. Flustered, Sophia looked away quickly. "I—I’m just telling you what I was told!" she stammered, unable to meet his gaze for long.
Adam and Sophia continued to follow the three men who led the way. The road they walked was rough and uneven, a dusty trail marked with deep grooves where old carts had once passed.
The dense forest on either side loomed like silent sentinels, their dark silhouettes adding to the uneasy atmosphere that seemed to press in on everyone.
Without warning, Bryan and his companions turned left, disappearing into the thick undergrowth of the forest. Sophia tensed and glanced at Adam, her eyes filled with concern. “What now?” she wondered silently, clutching her hands together as if in prayer.
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Adam, however, did not pause or look back at her. "Stay close to me," he ordered, his voice calm but laced with a hint of warning.
Sophia nodded quickly, and together they stepped into the deeper part of the woods.
Inside the forest, the light grew dimmer as the canopy thickened overhead, filtering the sunlight into soft, shifting shadows.
Adam and Sophia moved cautiously, their footsteps muffled by the soft earth and scattered leaves. After a short while, they noticed that the three men had stopped moving.
Bryan, still full of nervous energy, turned to his son Elan and spoke in a low, instructive tone, "Elan, stay close to them and guide them."
Elan hesitated for a split second before nodding in agreement. With that, the young boy removed his samurai-style outer robe, revealing simple leather clothes beneath.
His bare, honest appearance gave Adam a new impression. As he watched Elan, Adam made an observation: these men truly seemed like villagers.
Their clothes, their manner, and even their cautious movements did not match the hardened look of professional bandits at all.
Despite that observation, Adam’s mind was racing. It struck him that there was another village near his own—a small settlement that very few people in his village even knew about.
This hidden community, long kept secret, now might hold answers to the strange events unfolding around him.
Then, as if sensing Adam’s thoughts, Elan took a small step forward, coming to face him. His voice was quiet and cautious as he spoke. "Sir Adam… I’ll walk slightly ahead of you. I don’t want you to get lost," he said, his eyes downcast but determined.
Adam nodded in acknowledgment, accepting the boy’s offer. Sophia, standing right behind him, remained silent.
The atmosphere was heavy with expectation as Elan began to move forward once more, the others following him in a careful line.
Samuel and Bryan exchanged a brief, knowing glance before stepping forward, as if to show that they too were ready to lead the way.
They walked for what felt like an entire day. The forest stretched on endlessly, the dense canopy overhead blocking much of the sunlight and casting the path in a mixture of shifting shadows and pale light.
The rough, winding trail kept them on edge, every rustle and creak of the ancient trees echoing the secrets of the woods.
By the time night began to fall, the tired group was still on the move. Adam, who had been following closely behind Elan, finally spoke up, his voice echoing in the cooling air. "How much further?" he asked, glancing at the young guide with a tired, yet curious expression.
Elan turned to face Adam, his face earnest. "If we keep walking through the night, we’ll reach the village by morning. But if you want to rest, we can stop here," he offered, his voice carrying a note of hope for a safe pause in their long journey.
Adam glanced over at Sophia, noticing the weariness etched on her face. Her steps had grown slow, and her breathing was heavy, betraying her exhaustion. "Fine," Adam said finally, his tone softening just a bit as he made the decision. "We’ll rest for the night."
Not far ahead, Bryan and Samuel had been busy scouting the area. They had climbed a nearby tree to get a better view of the surroundings, and when they heard Adam’s decision, they quickly climbed back down.
Bryan approached once more, his tone respectful as he offered, "Sir Adam, if you wish to rest, we can set up camp here."
Adam nodded in agreement, appreciating the offer even though his mind was still troubled by the promises and warnings of earlier. The prospect of resting was a welcome relief after the long, tense day of walking.
At the sound of Bryan’s words, Sophia’s strength finally gave out. Overcome by exhaustion and the stress of the journey, she collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily as she sank down onto the soft earth.
Adam watched her silently, his heart tightening with concern. He thought, 'She’s pushing herself too hard… She didn’t really need to come along. She could have stayed safely in the village.'
Yet, even as he worried silently, a small, unexpected feeling of relief warmed him.
At least he was not alone on this journey. Though he would never admit it aloud, traveling with Sophia—even with all her worries and hesitations—was not so bad after all.
Her presence was a quiet comfort, a reminder that even in a world full of demons and forced paths, a shared journey could ease the burden of loneliness.
As the last light of day faded into the cool tones of night, the forest was alive with the soft sounds of nocturnal creatures, and a gentle wind whispered through the trees.
Adam, still alert even as he prepared to rest, surveyed the small clearing where they would spend the night.
He recalled Bryan’s urgent plea and the promise of revenge that hung in the air if they were lying about the demon. That promise was not one he took lightly.
The idea that demons truly existed, and that a cruel force was forcing these people into a life of robbery and misery, was almost too incredible to believe.
Yet, in this strange and magical world, nothing was ever as simple as it seemed.