She was silent for a moment, looking toward the forest ahead. Then she nodded.

“Yes. There is another route.” The wanderer glanced toward the men hidden near the Kingdom's entrance.

“At least that option should keep us from being spotted.” He paused, considering the situation.

“I'd prefer to avoid a direct confrontation if I can. That way, we can make use of this situation later...” His gaze briefly shifted toward the group.

“...and avoid unnecessary bloodshed.” The lady looked at him with slight curiosity.

“Then I think we should go with option one.” She pointed toward the deeper part of the forest.

“There's another route to the Kingdom not too far from here.”

“Okay.” He looked at her.

“But are you sure about this? We barely know each other.” A faint smile crossed his face.

“For all you know, I could be a smuggler, an assassin, or a lunatic.” He shrugged.

“Showing me a secret path into the Kingdom could pose a threat.”

“C'mon. It's not like I'm an idiot.” She gave him a look.

“I know what it means. But the path isn't one just anyone can pass through.” She paused before adding:

“Besides, the only reason I'm suggesting it is because you're still in one piece.” He raised an eyebrow.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing much.” She looked away.

“The animals would have devoured you if you were any of the things you just mentioned.” He stared at her for a moment before smiling.

“Now, that's not something you hear every day.” She realized how her words might have sounded.

“Don't worry. So long as I'm here, I'll protect you.” She hesitated.

“All you have to do is stay close, okay?” The words slipped out before she could think about them.

The wanderer's smile widened.

“Close, huh?” He looked at her.

“That shouldn't be a problem.” She smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. She hadn't meant anything by it. At least, she didn't think she had.

The truth was, she knew he probably could have passed the men without being noticed. She had seen how quickly he moved through the trees, even after she'd warned him about the snakes. Yet he had stayed. He had chosen to help her hide. She assumed he was simply humoring her. She didn't notice the faint amusement in his eyes.

A short distance away, the Boss had finally calmed down. He returned to the rock where he had been sitting and glanced toward one of his subordinates.

“How long has it been?” The subordinate looked toward the forest entrance.

“A few minutes past the time we were given, Boss.” The Boss clicked his tongue. He gathered some saliva in his mouth and spat onto the ground.

“Why don't we just enter the forest and look for her?” Another subordinate spoke up.

“I mean, that would be easier than waiting around here if the information we were given isn't reliable.” The Boss slowly turned toward him.

“What did you just say?”

“Have you seen how huge that place is?” He shook his head.

“Searching for her would be impossible. We'd get lost before we even found her.” He glanced toward the trees.

“Besides, that forest is practically her second home.” His expression became darker.

“Capturing her there would be difficult enough. Doing it while her friends are around?” He shook his head.

“Forget it.” The subordinate swallowed.

The Boss continued. “She knows the forest too well. And then there's the forest itself.” His expression became uneasy.

“We don't know enough about what's inside that place to go wandering around.” The others became quiet.

They remembered the stories. The forest wasn't simply a stretch of trees. It had been spoken of for generations as one of the natural barriers protecting the Kingdom. Invaders had entered it before. Many had never returned. The men exchanged uncomfortable glances. The Boss noticed.

“Am I surrounded by idiots?” He rubbed his forehead.

“Do none of you think before you speak? Or do you all just look for the worst possible way to annoy me?” His voice rose.

The wanderer and the hooded lady could hear them clearly from where they were hiding. The conversation had given them something important. They finally knew the truth. The men were waiting for her. The wanderer glanced at the lady. He had suspected it already.

No one knew he was coming to the Kingdom, so there was no reason for these men to have gone through all this trouble for him. And the description they had given matched her too well.

The hood.

The forest.

The timing.

She was the one they were after. He didn't show any sign that he had figured it out. Instead, he turned toward her.

“They're distracted.” He lowered his voice.

“We should use the opportunity and head for the exit.”

“Oh...” She looked at him.

“Yes. I'll lead the way.” She couldn't tell whether he had understood what the men were saying. He seemed far too sharp to have missed it. Yet he acted as though he hadn't heard anything. She decided not to question him.

They crawled farther into the forest, keeping low until they were far enough from the entrance to stand without being seen. Once they had enough trees and bushes between themselves and the men, they began walking.

She led the way west. The wanderer followed beside her. For several minutes, neither spoke. The tension that had been building inside her slowly faded. She began paying attention to something else. Him.

At first, she noticed his footsteps. Or rather, the lack of them. She looked down. He was walking beside her, yet she could barely hear a thing. No crunching leaves. No snapping twigs. Nothing. Her eyes narrowed.

She remembered the forest. The animals hadn't reacted to him when he first arrived. Neither had she sensed his presence before seeing him. Even when he fell from the tree, the creatures nearby hadn't reacted. That shouldn't have been possible.

At the very least, they should have caught his scent. Yet it was almost as if he didn't exist. Like a ghost. She glanced at him. Has he been here before? That would explain why the animals didn't react to his presence. But he clearly didn't know his way around. So that couldn't be it.

Her curiosity grew with every step. Who exactly was this man? She began examining what she already knew.

His clothing was simple, but unlike anything commonly worn in the Radiant Kingdom. He could have been a traveler. But his skills didn't fit an ordinary traveler.

He moved too well. He noticed too much. He was capable of concealing his presence. And he had sensed the danger before she had. He didn't seem like a merchant. He didn't seem like an ordinary soldier either. So who was he? She stole another glance at him. The wanderer noticed. He didn't comment.

Instead, he found himself amused by the turn of events. He had entered the forest looking for the source of its strange energy. Now he was walking beside the very person whose presence seemed to be connected to that mystery. And, perhaps more importantly, he finally had a chance to talk to her. He thought for a moment about how to begin.

“So...” She looked toward him.

“What brought a lady like you to this presumably mystical forest, if you don't mind me asking, ma'am?”

“Huh?” He smiled.

“I don't mean to pry. I'm just curious.” He looked ahead.

“Why would a lady come all the way out here without an escort?” He glanced around.

“Especially when the forest is miles away from the Kingdom.” He paused.

“Although...” A faint smile returned to his face.

“I'll admit, the view here is to die for.” His voice remained light, but there was something beneath it. Concern.

She couldn't tell whether he was genuinely worried about her or simply curious. His expression was relaxed. But his voice seemed to ask for more than an ordinary answer.

She hesitated. “It's... a bit complicated.”

“Oh.” He nodded.

“I see.” A few moments passed. Then she looked toward him.

“What about you?” He glanced at her.

“I can't help but notice that you're not from the Kingdom.” His eyebrow rose.

“What gave you that idea?”

“Your attire, for one.” She looked at his clothes.

“It doesn't look like anything worn in the Radiant Kingdom.”

“And you know this how?” He smiled.

“If you don't mind me asking.” She looked slightly puzzled.

“Most of the attire in the Kingdom has a distinct marking.” She gestured toward his clothing.

“Yours doesn't.” Her eyes moved over him.

“It's plain, and the quality is somewhat different.” He nodded slowly.

“Okay.” Then he looked at her.

“But are you by chance a merchant?”

“Not exactly.” She glanced toward his backpack and water sack.

“But you have a traveling bag and a water sack. Most travelers use them.” She continued walking.

“And you don't seem familiar with the tales of the forest.” She looked at him.

“That would explain why you're here with little to no fear.”

“Hmm...” He considered her words.

“I can't dispute that.” He adjusted the strap of his bag.

“But the bag and sack are common because they're durable and affordable.” He looked toward her.

“A bag is still a bag. You can't simply give it one label.” He shrugged.

“Farmers use them. Workers use them. Anyone traveling a long distance might use them.” He smiled.

“So what does that make me?” She narrowed her eyes.

“So you're saying you're a farmer?”

“Every farmer knows better than to enter this forest.” She shook her head.

“They consider it suicide.”

“I didn't say I was anything.” He looked at her with an amused expression.

“You're the one jumping to conclusions.” She stopped walking for a moment. She took a breath.

He was frustrating. Every question she asked somehow became another question. He didn't exactly avoid answering. He simply turned her questions around and found another way to approach them. It almost felt like he was schooling her. And yet... She wasn't angry. If anything, she found herself enjoying it.

The conversation felt strangely natural. Almost like she was speaking with an old friend. That thought unsettled her. She had never met him before. So why did he feel familiar?

Her mind returned to what had happened earlier. The way he had fallen from the tree. The way he had caught her. The warmth of his arms around her.

The strange sense of comfort she had felt despite barely knowing him. She looked at him, momentarily lost in thought.

He noticed. “Dare I say...” He smiled.

“You look stunning even when you're confused.” She blinked.

He chuckled softly. “It's quite the sight.”

She quickly looked away.“Focus.”

He smiled. “Fair enough.”

His expression became calmer. “To answer your question...” He looked toward the trees around them.

“I came here because I was curious about the forest.” He paused.

“I was drawn to the energy it emits.” His voice was sincere. There was no joke in his expression this time.

She stopped walking. The words struck something inside her. She had heard them before. Not those exact words, perhaps. But the meaning. The feeling. She stared at him.

For a moment, the forest around her seemed to fade. Where have I heard that before? She searched her memory. Nothing. She couldn't remember. Yet the familiarity remained. And for reasons she couldn't understand, she suddenly felt that his arrival in the forest was not a coincidence.