The tempting aroma from the pot wafted into the air. I didn't know if the dish was genuinely delicious or if it was just because my hunger was so acute.

I quickly poured the dish into a bowl and then woke up the deeply sleeping Draven.

"Oi, Draven! Don't tell me you want to die of hunger?"

Draven immediately woke up and looked at the delicious meal waiting for him. He eagerly reached for it, quickly finishing it, and then went back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Elara and I enjoyed our meal in a relaxed manner. "Elara, if you're feeling tired, go ahead and sleep. I'll keep watch."

Elara replied, "I already know. Every time we camp, you always say the same thing."

The next morning, Draven and I, while Elara watched our belongings, went to find the nearest river to clean ourselves.

"Haha, it feels so refreshing! How long has it been since we've bathed?" I asked.

Draven immediately answered, "Two weeks." Even so, my handsome charm was, of course, still charming, nothing had changed, right?

After soaking for a while, I thought it was enough.

Elara approached us before her bath, warning, "Don't you dare peek!"

I quickly assured her. "Don't worry, Elara, I'm a man of morals!"

Meanwhile, Draven remained silent, but I could see that he was hiding his evil intentions behind his serious expression.

Draven and I kept watch over our belongings while Elara bathed.

Not far from the river, Draven saw something he shouldn't have. "Look at that, Gunnar! Her perfectly sculpted body is so sexy!"

Without holding back at all, he began to get wild with tantalizing fantasies.

But instead of reprimanding him, I agreed with him. "You're absolutely right, Draven. We're lucky to have her in our party."

Although I said that, I still tried not to turn and avert my gaze. I am a person who always sticks to morality!

Hearing bits and pieces of our conversation, Elara suddenly started chanting a serious mantra. A fiery ball formed in her palm, and she threw it in our direction. Fortunately, none of us was hit by the attack, but its impact caused several trees to fall.

"Draven, are you insane!?" Elara shouted angrily.

Draven responded loudly, "Damn it! You're the crazy one! Are you trying to kill us!?"

Elara refused to back down and replied firmly, "What do you mean!? Stop looking at me!"

Actually, Elara could use her magic to conceal us from her. I always advised her not to do it, why? Because every time she bathed, she tended to linger and had a hard time stopping!

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

It was as if she was drowning in the refreshing water and in her own world. Given the chance, she might stay in the water without stopping until the sun set and the moon appeared in the sky.

On the other hand, I wanted her to conserve her magical energy to face future possibilities that could come suddenly and unexpectedly.

Seeing the situation heating up, I quickly took action and hugged Draven. "Enough, Elara. This is my fault, forgive us." And I dragged Draven away from Elara.

In the midst of the silence, I felt hungry because I hadn't had breakfast.

"Draven, go hunting while we wait for Elara to return," I said.

Draven looked at me for a moment before becoming silent again. He nodded slowly and then left to hunt. Damn pervert.

The evening had arrived, but Elara still hadn't returned. She was always like this!

From a distance, I tried calling her name loudly, "Elara, come back now, quickly!"

The gentle wind blew against my face as I waited for a response from Elara. Finally, her soft voice was heard from behind the trees, "Yes, I'm done!" It seemed like she wasn't done at all.

Not long after, Elara finally appeared, approaching us.

Draven also appeared shortly after, carrying wild boars.

"Haha! Good job, Draven!"

Then, we cooked and ate.

We prepared to return to the city. The dense forest and towering trees had made us lose our way.

Draven said, "Make me float, Elara."

Draven floated above the trees, observing the surroundings. His face became serious as he saw something. "Gunnar, something is burning, and the smoke is very thick."

Draven paused for a moment to take a closer look. "The thick smoke is coming from a village."

Could it be a raid that's happening?

After Draven came back down, we decided to discuss the situation. I asked them a question, "Do you want to investigate?"

Elara stated, "I will always follow your choice, Gunnar. The decision is yours."

But Draven refused. "We should just go back. The situation there might be dangerous, and the three of us alone aren't enough to help them," he said, walking away.

I felt offended by his response. "Wait a minute, Draven. If we report it now, they may have already lost their lives!"

Draven looked at me sharply. "We should report this to the authorities," Draven said firmly.

"In that case, you go get help. Elara and I will go investigate what's happening in that village."

Draven remained skeptical. "You're too impulsive, Gunnar. Think it through. Your plan is too risky!"

But I asserted my authority. "I'm the captain of this team, and I won't die that easily. Elara will support me, that's enough."

Finally, Draven left to report this incident to the authorities, while Elara and I followed the trail of thick smoke.

Darkness began to envelop the sky, and my steps halted as I stumbled over something. "Elara, use your light magic," I requested.

Elara chanted the mantra, "En skótō, phére phôs, dialûson skótos," while reciting the mantra, light began to appear and gather into a bright point in the palm of her hand.

"Isn't this too bright? If the enemy sees us, we could be in danger," I said.

Elara reduced the range of the light enough to illuminate just our surroundings without attracting unwanted attention.

We started walking again.

A few moments later, we heard something from the front. I quickly got ready with my sword, pointing it towards the source of the sound. "Elara, there's something up ahead heading our way," I whispered.

Elara got ready to support me from behind.

* * * Runa's POV

"Now, Runa! Run!" shouted Kaelan.

I ran as fast as I could; it felt like the villain would catch me in a flash!

But then Kaelan, like a hero in the stories my mother often told me, appeared and tried to block and fight them.

Because of that, I managed to escape, but for a moment, I saw Kaelan fall from a distance.

I kept running as fast as I could, even though I was in pain. Tears streamed down my face, but Kaelan had told me not to stop running.

"Kaelan, hang in there."

I was confused; where was I now? I followed the directions Kaelan had given me, but was this the right path? I was scared.

I looked around with wide eyes, and finally, I saw a faint light in the distance.

Even though I was scared to approach it, I gathered my courage and stepped toward the light, hoping to find someone who could help Kaelan.