“Iyue, wake up!”
“…Lian.”
Opening her eyes, Iyue saw Lian and the Ranger Corps members already packed and ready to leave.
“Did you not get enough sleep yesterday? You look terrible…”
Lian looked at her with concern.
The feeling of the dream still lingered too vividly in the depths of her consciousness… as if it had just happened.
She took dozens of seconds to take deep breaths, then picked up the hat that had been set aside and stood up.
“It’s fine. Let’s go.”
This was just a midday nap. Now, facing the bright sunlight filtering through the forest, that terrifying dream of a pitch-black sun gradually faded away.
—May you never need to use the last one.
But the warning at the end of the dream echoed repeatedly in her mind.
Although she had fallen into a near-death state after releasing three Demon Bullets that day… she didn’t think the Demon King’s voice was an illusion—
“No matter where you point it, it will pierce the soul of your most beloved.”
She slowly exhaled, trying to banish the words from her mind.
“…You really are acting strange.”
Lian, who had been riding alongside her, was watching her expression closely.
“Your condition has been getting weirder these past few days.”
Iyue was taken aback, instinctively raising a hand to touch her face.
“I’m fine.”
Iyue didn’t plan to tell Lian about this for now… because knowing her personality, she would definitely take it seriously.
Besides, Iyue had never taken that warning to heart before—after all, it came from the Demon King, the sworn enemy of the brigade.
And in the journey to search for relics after the war, there was basically no situation that required using the Demon Bullets… until recently, when she healed that worker in Jingye Village.
But why am I feeling so uneasy now? That person… the Demon King, why did she warn me? How much does she actually know about this thing?
She reached down and touched her waist pouch… the last two Demon Bullets lay there.
‘I just need to avoid situations where I have to use them.’
She thought so.
“…Hmm… I can’t take it anymore!”
Lian suddenly jumped off her horse with a pout, plopping down on a large stone by the road.
“What’s wrong?”
Iyue and the Ranger Corps members all stopped and looked at her.
“Tell me clearly what’s going on with you! If you don’t explain, I’m not moving! Look at that gloomy expression of yours!”
She pointed at Iyue’s face. The Small Captain of the Ranger Corps, Iyue’s disciple Reiya, chimed in:
“That’s right, Instructor. You haven’t seemed very happy the past couple of days…”
“…Do I really show it that much?”
“I have to say, your ability to control your emotions is far inferior to your archery.”
Even Captain Alexis said so. Iyue hesitated for a moment, then came up with the best explanation:
“It’s because we’re almost at the city.” She made a pained face at everyone. “I don’t want to be recognized. They’ll definitely mob me and ask for autographs.”
Lian was silent for a moment.
“…You’ve been frowning all day over that?”
“Is that not allowed? When I returned in triumph back then, the whole city was packed with people. If I have to go through that again, it’ll be a real headache. Besides, we’re supposed to be stealthy to catch that kid off guard, remember?”
“Full of yourself…!”
“If you were to make a grand return, it would probably be like that.”
Lian rolled her eyes at her… Just as she was about to continue complaining, Captain Alexis showed a thoughtful expression toward Iyue.
“Really…?”
“If you show up like that, the Royal Court will know immediately. Her Majesty the Queen will likely summon you like she did the Hero’s daughter.”
“That’s exactly what I want to avoid.” Iyue nodded at her. “Do you have any ideas?”
“First, change this eye-catching outfit of yours—you can disguise yourself as a member of the Ranger Corps. Then we can take a different path around the Central Plaza and go directly to the Nelf family.”
Iyue and Lian exchanged glances.
“That’s a good plan.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Reiya, give her your spare clothes.”
“Ins-Instructor wants to wear my spare clothes? I’ll go wash them first…”
“…No need.”
A moment later, the group stepped into the territory of Fenglin City. It was a city built on ancient trees, but it also had a ground-level district.
“…This has changed so much.”
Walking through this district, Iyue sighed.
The Under-Tree District of Fenglin City had a distinctly human appearance.
Straight stone-paved streets had replaced the vines and plank roads from her memory.
Low, dense brick-and-stone buildings lined the streets, their roofs covered with dark tiles or metal sheets, with pale gray steam rising slowly from chimneys.
Shopfronts along the street bore signs written in Elven, Church National, and Iransian languages.
Workshops, repair shops, and inns with Elven-style decor stood side by side.
And walking through the market were not only elves, but also humans and a few demi-humans.
Although it wasn’t as bustling as Cyrus, it was still quite lively.
‘I wonder if my house is still there…’
Iyue thought about her former residence as she advanced with the Ranger Corps.
They wound through the market streets and then turned onto an uphill slope.
“Past this road is where we need to go. There’s a lift that goes straight to the tree platform near ‘Nelf’—”
Alexis was leading the way, but her steps and voice stopped midway.
“What’s going on…?”
The slope ahead was not empty. Layers of figures stood there, curious citizens lining both sides of the street.
They craned their necks, trying to peer at the faces of the group—
“A Alexis…!”
Iyue quickly pulled down the brim of her hat.
“This has nothing to do with me. Don’t make a sound, and keep walking.”
Alexis frowned deeply. She tried to lead the group forward, but the crowd had already surrounded them, blocking the way.
“Wh-what do these people want? Is it really that exaggerated?”
“Everyone, step back! The Ranger Corps is on official business!”
The members led by Reiya formed a circle around Iyue and Lian, trying to push through the crowd.
But contrary to their wishes, more and more people gathered in the street—
Finally, someone even used Wind Magic to blow off the cloaks and hoods of the Ranger Corps.
“Damn…!”
Iyue quickly lowered her head, but it was too late.
“Look at that person… it’s her, right?”
“I’ve seen portraits and statues.”
“No mistake… it’s her, it’s her! Our hero is back!”
The excited voices of the crowd spread rapidly, forming waves in the street.
Emotions spiraled out of control in an instant.
The once somewhat restrained crowd surged forward, and the Ranger Corps was scattered in the sea of people—
“Waaah…!”
“Lian… grab my hand—”
Iyue couldn’t catch Lian’s hand. She tried to chase after Lian, who was being pushed away by the tide of people, but the fanatical crowd blocked her:
“Lady Iyue!”
“Please, please accept my flowers! And give me an autograph… ah, my pen got knocked away!”
“Please let me through…!”
In this situation, Iyue couldn’t use Magic Power to push them away.
Though she knew that these citizens, who had prepared flowers and autograph pens in advance, must have been tipped off by someone about her return and arranged here—
Just as the situation was about to spiral completely out of control, a clear command rang out from the top of the slope.
“Everyone, step back.”
The crowd froze for a moment. Then, a group in high-ranking Ranger Corps uniforms parted the crowd.
At the head, an elf woman strode forward with a solemn expression.
“Levianther Nelf…?”
“Hello, my dear niece. Welcome back.”
Seeing that Iyue recognized her at a glance, Levianther, the Captain General of the Ranger Corps and Acting Head of the Nelf Family, slowly broke into a smile.