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.........

What? Narrating?

Narrating what? The ceiling? It was made of stacks of hay strung together to form a decently durable roofing.

The softness of the sleeping bag? How its warmth wrapped around Stella's skin like the embrace of a mother she could never hope to have?

Yeah, I don't think so. I should've entered Asra's perspective, in hindsight.

But you know, it isn't so bad. We can't live in constant action all the time! Boredom is part of life! Especially mine...

Like Stella, I never apologized for my previous outburst, have I? It was unfair dumping my frustrations onto you. You're not at fault for the nightmarish nature of my existence.

Sometimes, it isn't easy to imagine I exist at all. However, in a few realities, there's the saying "cogito, ergo sum." Most of the time is a French philosopher, weirdly enough.

However, when my presence isn't in question, its meaning is. Why would anyone put a sentient being on Nothing? Unless no outside influence gave birth to me. But that only leads to more questions!

...Wow, I'm rambling about myself again. I can't help it, can I? I'm sorry.

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Do you want to hear about-

"HERE I AM! THE SILVER KNIGHT, BACK TO HIS FULL GLORY!"

Thank whatever god that's out there!

The hero burst the door open with a flying kick, clad in his pristine blue spandex, silver armor, golden cape, and emoting visor! Stella missed the goofy big eyes so much!

"Yo! You look good!" Stella got herself out of the bag.

"Not as good as you'll look wearing THIS!" Stella noticed his hand carrying a bundle of clothes. That would be her first wardrobe change in MONTHS!

As the girl skimmed through her options, she saw predominantly tunics similar to what Lien wore. They were brown, black, and grey.

There weren't many vibrant options, she thought.

Oh! This ochre one was eye-catching enough, granting her style a bit of personality without standing out much. It was perfect. It would go great with these brown pants, although now she would look like a nerd wearing a peasant cosplay in a Renaissance fair.

Huh. There weren't any shoes in the bundle...

"Oh!" The Knight fidgeted sheepishly. "They didn't have any shoes. Wolves prefer to walk on their bare paws. Sorry."

That explained the sand floor everywhere. Since the girl was going full-native on her look, she might as well go all the way.

"It's alright. I'm tired of these boots anyway." She turned to the hero with an awkward stare while pointing at the door. "Uh... Would you mind-"

"Oh! Of course!" He chuckled. "I just want to inform you that the elder Wolf desires to speak with you after you change!" His fake eyes were bursting with enthusiasm.

Stella cocked an eyebrow. "I assume that's a good thing."

He snickered like a mean schoolgirl. "I can't say anything else, but I assure you it will be quite the introduction!"

Why was she having a bad feeling about this?

Asra opened the door while flashing a thumbs-up at her. "It will go great, trust me!" He waved. "I hope it all fits on you!"

Right, there was still that to consider... What were the chances the guard would guess her size and body type?

It turned out he was surprisingly on point. Stella felt so light on this medieval clothing! Her previous rags were constricting most of the time, but she obviously had few options, if any at all.

There was no mirror in sight, but she needed none to know how much of a breath of fresh air this look was. A new life in Sayama demanded a new Stella.

Should she let her hair down? Mmmm...

Screw it, she was tired of this hair tie, regardless. Her curly locks needed freedom, too. Such a shame she hadn't brought a comb, though. It broke a few days before her voyage.

Whatever. Stella knew her hair would be the last point of contention among the Wolves. Lien definitely wouldn't mind.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Right. Staying here meant the pup was only a few houses away from the Human. The former eagerly expressed her desire to show the latter to her Wolf friends, almost like someone introducing their girlfriend to their friend group.

Wait, that was wrong! Lien and romance together felt like an unsolvable paradox. Her invasive touches were only her way of expressing herself. Nothing more.

...But, damn! That realization doesn't stop them from making Stella's heart race at hundreds of miles per hour! She should set some boundaries on how the pup treated her, but she DOESN'T WANT TO! Ugh! Was she a masochist?!

"That's the WORST time to be horny, Stella! Get your shit together!"

She took a deep breath, then went for the door, steeling her resolve as if she were about to enter a bloody battlefield.

"There you are!" Asra was even more chipper than before. "As I thought, I've captured your style flawlessly!" He puffed his chest.

A snarky smile graced Stella's lips. "What can I say? I got the drip!"

Two question marks flashed on his visor. "You got the what?"

She snickered. "Lead me to the elder, dude. I ain't here to rizz anybody."

His confused emote didn't waver. "S-Sure?" Then he regained his confident posture, spinning like a ballerina and dramatically pointing, "This way!"

At the edge of the village, one of the exits from the mountain had a painting of four begonias in different colors on top.

Red, blue, green, and white. That was suspiciously similar to Kaku's book cover, except it lacked the big triangle around the flowers.

The sunlight radiating from the entrance created a feeling of holiness to whatever awaited the girl. It was like she was about to enter a sacred chamber where she'd meet Namadi herself.

"The elder of Pantsti will meet you there." The Knight explained. "He's an important figure in Pantsti history. The oldest Wolf there is! A true master of Saniya with centuries of experience!"

All this hype was akin to Veghaan's about the Chōkō, so Stella couldn't help but take the hero's words with a grain of salt. Well, no better way of judging than meeting the guy.

After taking the first step, the Human's eyes were bombarded by the overwhelming light. After taking a minute to acclimate, she went from feeling frustrated to basking in awe. A clearing, delimited by the dense woods of fir trees, blessed her sight. Four rows of flowers, the same colors as the painting, are perfectly pruned straight, each ranging from each corner of the green area to the enormous tree at its center, where all hues joined in a colorful garden around it.

Stella walked disoriented between the red and lime-green begonias. Where was the elder? Was this a prank? The Knight's suspicious behavior pointed to the possibility.

She was about to give him a piece of her-

"Come, Stella."

She stiffened. Who said that? And why did it feel more like a rogue thought than actual words?

"The pego tree, child."

The pego what? Oh, the tree! Where else could he be? Silly Stella...

The massive plant covered about three-quarters of the clearing with its long, crooked branches and vibrant green leaves. A few purple spots grew from its bark, bringing a captivating shade to a majestic lifeform.

"That's it, child. Come closer."

Okay, this telepathic bullshit was getting creepy.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. When you're as ancient as me, it's practically impossible to raise your voice."

Was he... reading her mind?

"Yes."

"Please, stop doing that. It's invasive."

"Don't worry, child. I'm only reading your surface-level thoughts. I assure you I won't dig deeper into your greatest shame."

"Good."

At least he wouldn't see all her dumb fantasies about her and Lien living in a cottage with a garden.

"Oh, my! You AND Lien?!"

"You just SAID-"

"It wasn't my fault that your daydreams resurfaced."

Stella strongly doubted that.

"If you wish to speak to me orally, you've reached your destination."

"Wha-"

Her face had another unfortunate encounter with the tree trunk. The Déjà Vu hit strong right now.

"Your nose has suffered quite a bit, huh?"

Stella clenched her snoot. "Dude, STO-" Wait, he was actually talking?

The faint sound of the rustling leaves, guided by the silent wind, created a soothing atmosphere. The Human had forgotten her frustrations by only taking a deep breath of the fresh air that pervaded the glade.

"Feeling better?" The scratchy voice of the elder could be finally heard.

Stella nodded, then her eyes widened. "Wait, where are you?"

"Do you see this hole?"

After the elder mentioned it, the girl noticed a sizeable cavity on the pego tree's bark. However, it was certainly out of her reach. What was the catch here?

"I see it! What about it?"

He explained. "Inside this tree lies your destiny. Who will you be, and your impact on the fate of this world shall be revealed when you plunge into this hole."

Her... destiny? Fate of the world? What was up with this "Chosen One" gobbledegook!? Yes, that's an actual word.

"Where are you?! I'm not moving an inch until you appear!"

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......

No response. Radio silence.

Stella crossed her arms. "Nice try! But I won't fall for it! If you don't show up, I'll stay here until you do!" She huffed, then sat on the grass.

And so, she waited for one, two, three minutes...

"I'm not giving in..."

Ten minutes...

"Making a little girl wait that long, huh? How heartless can you be?"

Twenty...

"You know, I can't possibly reach up there! Tree-climbing isn't on my skill set!"

Half an hour has passed, and no sign of the elder. Fuck, that guy was committed!

Stella threw her arms in the air. "Fine! How bad can this possibly go?!"

After standing up again, she detected weirdly shaped lumps in the wood. Were these for climbing?

"Ugh. I don't care how important you are! I'll kill you if this is a prank!" She firmly grasped one node, then planted her foot on the other. Slowly but surely, she reached the hole. Her heart accelerated with adrenaline every time she looked down. Was she stupid? This was the thing the movies said you couldn't do!

Finally! Her two hands were firm on the edges of the cavity. Only a little push and-

"BOO!" A fluffy, white head poked out of the hole!

Stella's hands slipped. That was it, then. That would be how her journey would end...

Her heart threatened to turn her ribcage into powder, her body grew cold, and flashes of her journey flashed before her eyes. It barely registered to her how loud she was screaming.

Lien, The Knight, The Squad, even those bozos who kidnapped her. She regretted not cherishing her memories with them further. All would fade to black the moment her back hit the ground.

...Which should've already happened...

Wait...

Stella spun her entire body at 180° midair, realizing she fell as slowly as a feather. The wind that soothed her senses before acted like a parachute, enveloping her in its protective embrace.

As her feet touched the ground again, a hoarse laughter vibrated through the branches. It was the head in the tree, a white Wolf.

"Oh, child! You are so dramatic!"

And the elder finally revealed himself.