Echel’s words rendered the atmosphere a bit stiff, as Lyle and Reed ceased the sounds of their eating, and the cold wind rustled the burlap sacks lit by firefly lamps.

Then there was Nia, who spoke heedless of the mood. "Lyle, if you’re not going to eat, may I take some from your leaves?"

Nia had grown up, she now gave a heads up before snatching food, accompanied by fresh chewing sounds, Lyle felt a sense of sentiment.

This, too, was growth.

Nia’s voice was like the ticking of a clock’s hands on its face, setting the still image back into motion.

Kayla gently wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingers, returning to her usual calm smile.

"Thank you, Grandpa, I feel much better after speaking out."

"...I’m always ready with my open arms for you, my dear."

"Although I know it’s nearly impossible to ask Grandpa to lead the country again, I always harbor that impulsive thought, and those trifles truly make me feel overwhelmed." Kayla revealed a smile that held the sincerity of a rainbow following rain.

Echel stroked her head, "You’re doing well, Kayla."

Kayla closed her eyes, savoring the comfort of family.

"Grandpa, do you remember what day tomorrow is?"

Echel squinted his eyes.

"It’s Return Day."

Kayla then explained to Lyle and the others.

"The Livesers have their own understanding of death and funerals. Our people follow the tradition of both soul and body returning to the wild."

"On Return Day, we place the bodies of the deceased in the deep forest, allowing them to become the nourishment of nature and soil."

"Life is a cycle; we are inseparable from the cycle of nature."

"Return Day is an important festival for the Livesers." Kayla looked at the three of them. "Tomorrow, I will give a speech to console the dead."

"Will you come? Even if you cannot show yourselves, I wish my speech could be seen by Grandpa from a corner."

"After all, it is a message I wish to convey to Grandpa Echel."

Echel readily agreed with Kayla, and by nightfall, the three were escorted to a room specially reserved for guests.

In the deep of the night, as Lyle was already sound asleep, Echel descended from his hammock, his footfalls softer than the breeze rustling the leaves.

Moonlight shone upon the wooden floorboards, reflecting off Reed’s iron armor.

Echel took a seat beside him nonchalantly.

"It seems I’ve put too much pressure on my dear granddaughter. The emblematic roles of us older generations are more profound than imagined."

"..."

"Kayla is an excellent child, even in death, I am intimately connected with her, yet I failed to notice the pressure she concealed."

"..."

"You’ve seen her vent. That’s the burden we leave to our offspring after our demise."

"..."

"...You know what I mean. We’ve fought our whole lives, Reed Dreya, even in death, we still can’t stand each other. We’re enemies, yet friends; we understand each other’s thoughts. If my Kayla is under such great pressure..."

"My granddaughter, the Queen of Dreya, Lina Deria, must be a strong person."

"Even the strongest individuals need their elders at times, especially since her stubborn grandfather never returned to his former kingdom due to the nonsense of life and death."

"..."

"Stubborn fool, do you still think this homecoming is trivial?"

"Dreya has its own will."

"Cut the crap. After Return Day is over, I’ll take the Night Owl Squad to scout Dreya for enemies, one way or another, I will make sure to observe what my neighbor is really like."

"...I will oversee your actions to ensure Dreya’s order."

"Your skin is as thick as your armor."

The night forest is terrifying.

Its darkness is frightening not only in and of itself but also because of the monsters lurking within it.

The breath of the Goddess of the Wind agitates the overgrown grass blades, which, after being trampled by humans during the day, almost collapse at a single blow in their weak state.

It seems only reasonable that they fall over.

An arrow, carrying the screech of death, pierces the emptiness that made the grass blades fall.

The invisible enemy is revealed.

Golden metal armor flows with a ripple-like radiance, sparking momentarily before hiding in the shadows.

A frosty voice emanates from the dense woods, rendering the evening breeze even colder.

"Your hiding is futile. In my eyes, the fire of your life is a nuisance."

An arrow from behind the hider shoots forth like a venomous snake.

Light Blade shatters the darkness, turning the speeding arrow to ashes. Deep eyes set behind a mask scan the surrounding shadows, searching for the attacker.

"Holy light..." a gaunt figure appears on a tree branch, with a contorted, deformed body, moss-covered white bones, which make the pale spirit fire all the more malevolent. "So even the hypocritical holy light can disguise itself as a lurking rat."

The stirred emotions created ripples of psychic energy on Loveday’s skin, and the Holy Energy Battle Blade bloomed on his arm, pointed directly at the cold Undead.

"Undead, you are much weaker than your words."

The crow, Death Hunter Grael, let out a chilling laugh.

"Heh heh heh, humans don’t hunt with brute strength, you freak. I’ll bury you in the soil of Liveser as the price for threatening my homeland."

Bending the bow, nocking the arrow.

"The hunt, has begun."

The whistle of arrows, the sound of the Light Blade slashing through the flying projectiles. Two wielders of shadows began their deadly struggle in the darkness.

Grael’s arrows always found a concealed angle to aim at Star Spirit’s eyes. And those shimmering Light Blades always countered the attack in a superhuman manner.

Loveday’s figure kept closing in, both knew that the scales of victory were tilting, with just one strike, the Battle Blade could send the Death Hunter back to death.

Grael was forced into close combat, parrying the Star Spirit’s assaults with his decaying longbow, while also dodging the lethal Light Blade. The Death Hunter was dancing on the edge of death.

"You could have hidden in the shadows; your stealth skills are very deep, I couldn’t detect your trace. Facing me in direct combat was a foolish decision, archer." Loveday seized his opportunity, the Light Blade sweeping across, the next moment it would sever that fragile spine.

"A hunter always has to lay enough bait for clever prey." Grael’s spine snapped on its own just before touching the high heat of the Light Blade, the sound of taut rope came from underfoot, much to Loveday’s surprise.

Why would an archer choose close combat unless he had prepared a trap?

All the way here, the Death Hunter had led the way, arriving at the designated spot. To prevent the Star Spirit from becoming wary, Grael even stepped on the trap himself.

"Hello, buddy, I’m an Undead."

The trap was triggered, and a deluge of arrows shot from three sides aimed at both of them.

Though Grael was an Undead and quickly became as perforated as a sieve, his mocking laughter continued.

The cold gleam of arrow tips appeared before Loveday’s eyes, and the sense of crisis made the Star Spirit glow more brightly.

"Light, burn my battle spirit." The Dark Warrior’s Light Blade danced wildly in the air, the sparks ignited by the shattered arrows lit up his soaring fighting spirit. A succession of metallic clangs, the balletic battle dance of the Star Spirit miraculously protected his vitals.

Leaving only minor scratches on his armor.

Click.

When the Star Spirit ended his dance, standing on the ground, that was another danger signal he heard.

"Second wave."

The sound of activated bear traps.

With agile movement and inertia, Loveday flew backward just as the steel jaws snapped shut.

"Third wave."

A contraption ejected from the grass like a racquet struck hard against Loveday’s back, firmly tying wood boards with sharp stakes awaited their guest.

Loveday was propelled forward by the huge impact, and in the air, an outspread net caught him, binding him against a tree trunk.

"Fourth wave, it’s a wrap!" A figure rose from the grass, his clothing camouflaged with leaves, obviously having lain in wait there until Loveday was ensnared.

"Well done, Grael! You make a good decoy. But of course, my traps are even better!" A boy of about fifteen or sixteen approached the bound Loveday, eyeing the strange creature before him.

"Oh, sir, you are much uglier than a blundering bear. Might I ask about your master? I am curious to know who has the great will to endure your grotesque appearance, or perhaps has a flawed sense of beauty altogether?"

The boy prattled on, even taking a dagger and waving it before Loveday. "I might need to poke some little holes in you, as pain is a necessary part of interrogation, and I rather enjoy this process, bullying is such fun."

"But you are really stupid, aren’t you? Liveser has always been covered in vegetation, and you can’t move through the trees like a Ranger, so why be invisible? Those leaves completely gave away your position?"

The bound Loveday was not angry in defeat, his bright eyes watching Grael, who was plucking arrows from his body not far away.

"A hunter always has to lay enough bait for clever prey."

In an instant, Loveday dropped from the net, as a semi-energy being, physical restraints were useless against them.

With the shining Light Blade pressed to his own throat, the boy immediately raised his hands, accepting the reversal of roles.

"Nice ability, sir. Grael, you’ve killed me."

"I surrender, handsome sir. I’m Dove from the Night Owl Squad, an expert in trap-making, a logistic member, don’t hurt me. I’ve got a sweet mouth and pleasant talk! You ask, I tell! Just spare me my life, and I swear I’ll defect right away!" Dove’s teeth were chattering, a look of fear on his face.

Loveday hadn’t even reacted yet.

Something small came out of Dove’s mouth, tapping against Loveday’s neck, making a "ding" sound as it hit the ground.

It was a poison-tipped Blow Dart.

Silence.

"Shit!" Dove cursed out loud, his own blow darts could penetrate boards a few centimeters behind, yet they hadn’t even broken the skin of this creature, it was baffling.

Damn it, he really was done for, hopefully the nation would posthumously honor him as a martyr.

Loveday looked at the little thing on the ground.

"What’s that?"

Dove’s eyes shifted, sensing an opportunity, he laughed.

"That’s my ’good friend’ badge, a gift. I was going to pin it on sir with a kiss. Ha ha, that’s our custom here, no offense meant."

"I felt an immediate kinship with you, like seeing a brother I’ve lost for years."

"Big brother, can you spare me, please?"