In the outskirts of Eldoria, Haruki stood in the open field, plucking a handful of grass blades. “How do we spot the Aurumleaf among all this?” he pondered aloud, examining the grass between his fingers.

Roderick, scanning the area with a thoughtful gaze, replied, “I’ve picked up quite a bit about herbs on my travels,” his voice brimming with a confident air.

“Ehh?” Lila’s tone held disbelief. “Are you certain, you airhead?”

Roderick’s face tensed up, displaying a nervous expression. “Oh crap,” he stammered, his voice faltering. “Uhmm—I- I- It’s true—I know some handy herbs, Lila-san.”

A heavy sigh escaped Lila's lips. ”Haa—”

“Now, now, since we’re setting out, why not let Roderick have his shot?” Haruki suggested, trying to diffuse the tension.

“Hmm!” Lila exclaimed, her response indicating her skepticism.

Haruki couldn’t help but wonder what had transpired between the two.

Outside the Eldoria Empire lay vast grass fields, where the wind carried a gentle sweetness. The trio traversed the landscape until they reached the edge of a dense forest and ventured in. Initially, the forest was eerily quiet, but with every step deeper into its depths, various creatures lurked around them.

Within the woods, lurking creatures appeared on both sides, their presence palpable. Suddenly, a pack of wolves blocked their path, growling menacingly at Lila and Roderick, causing both of them to feel nervous. However, Haruki, positioned behind them, remained alert to the creatures surrounding them.

“What’s the matter? You two?” Haruki inquired, noting the apprehension of his companions. Curiously, he inspected the source of their fear, discovering it was the wolves. Yet, he remained composed in the face of their intimidation.

Strangely, upon sighting Haruki, the wolves abruptly withdrew. Lila and Roderick, perplexed by the sudden retreat of the wolves, followed their gaze to find Haruki, his demeanor notably calm amidst the situation.

“Haruki-san?” Roderick stammered, his voice trembling with fear.

“What’s wrong? Why are both of you shaking?” Haruki inquired, noticing their anxious state.

“It’s… it’s nothing,” Lila said, trying to appear brave despite her trembling.

“Even though we’ve faced monsters during our training, why are you two scared of just some wolves?” Haruki questioned, puzzled by their reaction.

“Just some wolves!?” Roderick exclaimed, his voice quivering with fear. “The monsters we faced earlier were nothing compared to the dangers here. These creatures might seem ordinary, but they could be incredibly powerful!”

“To be honest…” Roderick trailed off, hesitating as he looked at Haruki. “I haven’t… I haven’t fought real monsters until now,” he admitted.

“What!?” Lila’s voice rang out in disbelief. “This was your first time fighting a real monster!?”

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“You’re trembling too, aren’t you?” Roderick pointed out, noticing her slight quiver.

“I’m not trembling! It’s just your imagination!” Lila hastily retorted, trying to mask her nerves.

“Seriously, what’s going on with these two?” Haruki pondered to himself, surprised by their unexpected revelations.

“Anyways, let’s find this Aurumleaf quickly and head back to Eldoria, it’s almost noon,” Haruki suggested, trying to divert their attention.

The bickering between the two stopped abruptly as they faced in opposite directions.

“Hmm!” exclaimed Lila.

“Haa…” Haruki sighed, perplexed by their behavior. “What’s going on with both of you?”

“Nothing!” they exclaimed simultaneously, dismissing any notion of distress to Haruki.

As they ventured deeper in search of the Aurumleaf, they stumbled upon a large rock with a gaping entrance.

“Whoa!” exclaimed Haruki in amazement.

“Maybe it’s best not to enter, Haruki,” Roderick cautioned.

“Why?” questioned Haruki.

“We don’t know if it’s infested with monsters,” Roderick warned. “Plus, I see an Aurumleaf right there,” he pointed to a tree nearby.

The trio approached the Aurumleaf, that Roderick had spotted from a distance, and Lila quickly examined it. To her surprise, it was indeed Aurumleaf.

“I must commend you, Roderick, for spotting it from afar,” remarked Lila.

“Heh, don’t underestimate me, Little Girl,” Roderick replied playfully.

“Haa? What did you say?” Lila questioned.

“Nothing,” Roderick quickly added, trying to avoid any further confrontation.

“Now that I’ve seen what it looks like, let’s search the area. It’ll be faster if we split up,” suggested Haruki.

“Split?”

“Up?” echoed the two.

“Are you both chickening out on me?” Haruki teased.

“We’re not!” protested the two.

“Alright, let’s just stick together then." Haruki conceded.

As they gathered a sufficient amount of Aurumleaf, Lila remarked, “I believe this is enough.”

“Seems like it. Let’s head back,” Haruki concurred.

Exiting the forest, they encountered a circle of creatures, hemming them in completely. Lila and Roderick quivered with fear.

“Focus, now is not the time to panic!” Haruki shouted, unsheathing his sword. “Think of this as a training exercise!”

“Training?” Lila murmured.

With swift movements, Haruki engaged the creatures alone. As one of the creatures lunged at him, an arrow swiftly halted its advance. It was Lila, spurred by Haruki’s words to confront her fears. Soon after, Roderick joined Haruki in repelling the encroaching creatures.

The trio synchronized seamlessly, reminiscent of their training sessions, effectively dispatching all the creatures surrounding them.

“It’s… over?” Lila breathed out, astonished.

“Yeah. Great job, everyone.” As the defeated creatures disintegrated into dust, the particles were absorbed by the trio, imparting small increments of power.

“All that fighting has made me famished!” Roderick exclaimed, his stomach growling.

“Me too! I’m starving,” Lila chimed in.

“Well, let’s make our way back to Eldoria quickly,” Haruki suggested, ready to return.