Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 204: The Suffocating Forest (Part-1)
"Nothing special"
Sensitive by nature, she immediately caught the subtle shift hidden in Alaric Von Seraph’s words as he shook his head lightly and replied. "I just feel relieved seeing that you no longer carry that psychological burden from the past."
The sentence was calm, almost casual, yet Sylvandria’s expression still darkened.
A ripple passed through her gentle, watery eyes. Emotion surged, then was forcibly pressed down, leaving only quiet restraint behind.
Raphael, Marcus, Tifanny, and Zora exchanged glances. They all understood what Alaric Von Seraph meant.
Sylvandria’s admiration for Alaric Von Seraph had never been a secret. What made things awkward was Alaric Von Seraph’s attitude toward her.
He had never truly harbored romantic feelings for Sylvandria. His closeness had always been rooted in responsibility and protection, even after Julian’s involvement.
Back then, Alaric Von Seraph believed that Sylvandria’s entanglement with Julian stemmed partly from himself, so he had stayed by her side, guarding her almost subconsciously.
Now that Julian no longer existed, the source of that fear was gone.
Naturally, the reason for Alaric Von Seraph’s constant protection was gone as well.
That single sentence just now was, in effect, a quiet line drawn between them.
Reesa and Baldwin looked around in confusion. They didn’t know the past, and naturally couldn’t understand the sudden heaviness in the air.
Prince Kael, meanwhile, sat lazily to the side, eyes half-closed in the sunlight, looking as though none of this concerned him in the slightest.
Seeing this, Zora calmly walked over and sat beside him.
Even if they understood the full story, this was not something they had the right to interfere in. Some knots could only be untied by the people who tied them.
Marcus and the others followed suit, each finding a place to sit. Emotional matters were always the most complicated. Staying nearby would only make things more awkward.
Before long, Alaric Von Seraph and Sylvandria walked off together, speaking quietly at a distance from the group.
On the other side, Prince Kael tilted his head slightly, his eyes smiling as he glanced at Zora. "It seems the lady is getting used to being by her husband’s side."
Zora thought for a moment and slowly said. "Not bad."
The curve of Prince Kael’s lips deepened. His right hand slowly reached out, naturally clasping her small hand resting on the ground.
"It’s not easy to find someone pleasing to the eye... and even harder to grow accustomed to them," he said lightly. "Wouldn’t it be better for the lady to stay with her husband forever?"
Zora turned her head, meeting that flawless face at close range.
Sunlight bathed his features, soft and warm. Even from this distance, there wasn’t a single pore to be found. Perfect, as though carved by the heavens themselves.
For a brief moment, she simply looked at him, speechless.
Zora’s red lips curved faintly, her dark eyes sharpening with quiet resolve.
"I am Zora," she said calmly. "I never make promises I cannot keep."
In her world, there was no such word as forever.
Prince Kael paused for a heartbeat. Then the smile at the corner of his lips deepened, unhurried and confident.
"In that case," he said lightly, "this husband will simply have to continue his long journey of chasing his wife."
The words sounded casual, almost teasing, yet there was a certainty in them that left no room for doubt.
Zora lifted her gaze and looked at him. For a moment, neither spoke. The air between them fell into a brief, meaningful silence.
Soon after, Alaric Von Seraph and Sylvandria returned, their expressions composed, as if nothing had happened at all.
"It’s getting late. Let’s move," Alaric Von Seraph said evenly.
Everyone nodded. Julian’s sudden interference had already disrupted their plans once. Now, there was no reason to delay any further.
Zora rose and prepared to continue with the group.
Just as she took a step forward, Prince Kael suddenly reached out and pulled her back.
In a blink, her back pressed against a tree, the familiar posture repeating itself as effortlessly as before.
He leaned close, his breath brushing her ear, his voice low and amused.
"I don’t like waiting too long," he murmured. "But I’m sure that one day, the lady will be willing to be a wife, and not a namesake."
Before she could respond, he straightened, glanced at her once more, then turned and strode ahead to rejoin the group.
Zora stared at his tall, straight back, a faint ripple passing through her clear eyes. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺
*
Once they resumed their journey, everyone soon noticed the change in Sylvandria.
The gentle smile that usually lingered on her lips was gone. A thin layer of gloom seemed to hang over her, her watery eyes dull and unfocused, her spirits visibly low.
No one commented on it. They all understood.
Some truths, once spoken, cut cleanly like a saber.
Without Julian and the others interfering, their progress was swift. Three days later, the group finally reached the outskirts of the Suffocating Forest.
The closer they drew, the more spirit warriors they encountered.
Ordinarily, the depths of the White Mountains were sparsely populated. Seeing so many people gathered here made it clear just how tempting the mystery of the so-called Suffocating Forest truly was.
"So many people?" Reesa exclaimed in surprise. "They’re already here? Then won’t the mission rewards be taken by someone else?"
Judging by their posture, these spirit warriors had clearly arrived quite some time ago.
Baldwin chuckled softly. "Do you really think uncovering the secrets of the Suffocating Forest is that easy?"
He gestured ahead. "The suffocating miasma has always been deadly. Look at them lingering outside. Obviously, they haven’t found a way in."
Reesa’s eyes lit up in realization.
"So we still have a chance!"
"Master," Black said solemnly, sensing the air ahead, "this suffocating miasma is extremely dense. Entering won’t be easy."
White nodded in agreement, worry flickering in its gaze. "The range is enormous. No wonder the Mercenary Union offered such a high reward."
Zora’s eyes settled on the scene ahead.
Not far away, the entire forest was shrouded in thick, rolling white miasma. The suffocating aura was overwhelming. Visibility within it was less than a meter.
From the outside, it was impossible to discern anything about what lay within.
The Suffocating Forest stood before them, silent, sealed, and full of danger.
Tifanny’s eyes widened with undisguised shock. She had seen suffocating miasma before, but at most it was like morning fog, thin and drifting, something that could be dispersed with caution and time.
What lay before them now was entirely different.
The white haze was so dense it seemed solid, swallowing light itself. Beyond a single step, nothing could be seen. Even stretching out one’s hand felt useless. It was as though the forest ahead had been erased.
Alaric Von Seraph and the others wore similarly grave expressions.
"This level of suffocating miasma," Alaric Von Seraph said slowly, "I’ve never heard of anything like it."
"Let’s gather information first," he continued. "Once we understand the situation, we can decide what to do next."
Everyone nodded. Those who had arrived earlier must know more, and acting blindly now would be courting disaster.
As they moved closer to the edge of the miasma, fragmented conversations from nearby spirit warriors drifted into their ears.
"The concentration of this miasma is terrifying. It’s expanding every day. Who knows how far it’ll spread?"
"Did you hear? The group that went in yesterday... not a single sound since. They probably won’t be coming back."
"It’s too strange. There were noises at first, then nothing at all, like they vanished into thin air."
"I think the Mercenary Union underestimated this completely. This mission is far beyond a simple blue-tier task."
Sighs and murmurs filled the air. Fear was written plainly on many faces.
Hearing this, the group’s mood grew heavier. The danger was clearly far worse than they had anticipated.
