The area where the girl and the sword spirit were located belonged to the outer third ring of the Forest of Fate.
It would take about half a day to walk out of the forest.
If they set out in the morning, they could reach the border town by evening.
After walking for who knows how long, Yvette was starting to feel exhausted, like a deflated balloon, trailing weakly behind Eleanor.
She didn’t want to lose sight of Eleanor, especially since Eleanor had mentioned earlier that she wouldn’t be responsible for finding her if she got lost.
It wasn’t her fault, really—being only at the third tier, still at an ordinary human level, it was common for her stamina to run out from walking.
But Eleanor stopped on her own, sneaking a glance at Yvette before using earth element magic to create a simple stove.
She spoke loudly to herself:
“It’s noon, isn’t it? Let’s eat something and rest.”
The skill of “cooking” was something Eleanor had mastered as well.
As a daily life skill, cooking had a maximum level of LV4, and Eleanor, in her sword spirit form, just happened to reach that level.
While not the best in the world, she was certainly at the level of a world-class chef.
The meat of the double-headed tiger was quite good too, though it lacked seasoning.
Fortunately, Yvette didn’t mind; in fact, she found it a rare delicacy.
For a slave, meat was something they rarely got to eat.
Let alone the meat of a sixth-tier double-headed tiger—even a first-tier Tamei chicken was something she might never see.
Yvette tried to control her table manners, as Teacher Eleanor was right beside her, exuding such an air of nobility.
She wanted to mimic Eleanor’s demeanor to gain a bit of her approval.
But the results weren’t ideal, mainly because Eleanor’s cooking was just too extraordinary.
And then~~~
She saw Miss Eleanor sitting to the side, devouring the food with gusto and a hugely satisfied expression.
“Not bad at all! This double-headed tiger has a wild flavor, like living in the mountains!”
From the tiger’s head to its tail, she didn’t stop, though she only sampled each part lightly.
But even after one round, Eleanor would start again from the bottom up, sampling lightly once more.
Eleanor’s movements were precise and elegant, eating quickly and abundantly yet without the slightest hint of gluttony.
Noticing the girl staring at her, Eleanor enthusiastically handed over a neatly cut piece of rib.
“Here, eat with me!”
“Okay~”
Why did she suddenly feel like a resentful little wife?
Wondering if her tone had been a bit harsh, Yvette started eating in the same manner as Eleanor.
It didn’t seem like a big deal.
Oh well, never mind.
The little one’s resilience shouldn’t be that fragile.
They devoured everything like a whirlwind.
When the pot was completely empty, Eleanor stood up, stretched lazily, and called Yvette to continue their journey.
“Let’s go, little one. Time to keep moving.”
“Okay~”
Yvette’s voice was noticeably more lively than before.
The magic sword Eleanor was much easier to get along with than she had imagined.
After all, Eleanor called herself a magic sword.
In Yvette’s mind, a magic sword should be the cold, evil type—or at the very least, a haughty, glamorous, and slightly unhinged beauty, or perhaps an elegant yet ruthless femme fatale.
Theoretically, she should be difficult to get along with, and Yvette had always thought so, especially given Eleanor’s refined and outstanding demeanor.
Until that rainy night when the gir held her tightly in her panic.
And now, too—though her voice was a bit loud, the concern hidden in her words was unmistakable.
So…
Is this what a magic sword is like?
Perhaps because it was past noon and she was full, the girl’s posture was relaxed yet carried a hint of playfulness.
Yawning, her soft white hair swayed with her movements, fluttering in the wind.
Like a ragdoll cat, elegant and adorable.
Yvette slowly got up, careful not to move too vigorously after eating so much.
But… her body felt surprisingly light.
Not only had her fatigue vanished, but the discomfort from overeating had also been alleviated.
Who could have done this?
Looking at the carefree girl leading the way, her fingers lightly flicking.
Hmm… who could it be?
Who could it be?
Surely it wasn’t the legendary evil and ruthless Miss Magic Sword, right?
Even before Yvette had gotten so tired, Eleanor had been quietly keeping an eye on the girl’s condition from behind.
But the girl hadn’t noticed, still thinking that Teacher Eleanor was some unapproachable demon-like figure.
The girl shook her head with a soft laugh, apologizing in her heart for her prejudice.
She looked up at Eleanor, who was still leading the way, and stepped up to walk side by side with the sword spirit.
She felt that saying “thank you” was too light a gesture to express Eleanor’s help—it felt like “taking advantage” of her kindness.
Yvette was a “filial” child.
Even if her abilities were limited, she wanted to do something within her power for Eleanor.
So, she decided to help the sword spirit, who had been sealed for three years, unwind a bit.
“Hey~ Teacher Eleanor, is there anything you want to do right now?”
“Something I want to do? …Not really.”
“What? Does Yvette have something in mind?”
“I do, but~~~ I want to hear Teacher Eleanor’s first.”
Eleanor and Yvette chatted idly, and the process wasn’t without gains.
At the very least, Eleanor learned the reason for the girl’s journey—to find her parents who had gone out and never returned.
Yvette also figured out what Eleanor wanted to do most right now—figure out what was up with that darn sword sheath.
Eleanor didn’t consider herself an emotional person.
But whenever the topic of the frilly bubble dress transformed from her sword sheath came up, she’d puff out her cheeks in frustration.
Being only 150 cm tall was already annoying enough, and this blasted sheath had turned into an absurdly cute bubble dress that she couldn’t even take off.
It made her look like an innocent, clueless loli—completely at odds with her ideal self.
She liked cute lolis, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be one.
“Tch.”
Eleanor pouted unhappily and kicked a random stone off the path.
[Stupid sword sheath, one day I’ll get rid of you.]
Thanks to their chatting, the journey didn’t feel too dull.
Flipping through a simple map found in a storage pouch, Eleanor soon discovered a long-awaited path.
It was a narrow, muddy trail without any stone paving, but it was fairly flat, perhaps because so many people had walked it.
There were even faint traces of wagon wheels—a sign they had reached the fifth ring of the Forest of Fate.
The Forbidden First Ring, the Deadly Second Ring, the High-Risk Third Ring, the Moderate-Risk Fourth Ring, and the Low-Risk Fifth Ring.
That was the map’s simple annotation for the Forest of Fate.
The route markings only covered the fourth and fifth rings, as this was a relatively accurate map sold publicly.
More detailed routes for the inner rings were likely only recorded by private high-tier adventurer groups.
After all, aside from high-tier adventurers who made a living exploring, no one would willingly venture into a dangerous place like the Forest of Fate.
The slave traders’ caravan was an exception, having run into a double-headed tiger from the third ring that happened to wander into the fourth ring.
That gave Yvette the chance to escape and pick up Miss Eleanor, who was grumbling in the mud.
Fate is a curious thing, isn’t it? No wonder this place is called the Forest of Fate.
Eleanor let her thoughts wander aimlessly…
And then~~~
She picked up some interesting information.
There seemed to be a gathering of creatures nearby, and they didn’t seem human.
“Feeling okay, little one?”
Her voice rose slightly.
“What’s up, Teacher?”
Yvette was a bit puzzled, so she stopped and looked at Eleanor, whose face was full of intrigue.
“I sensed the presence of some low-tier magical beasts up ahead on this path. Let’s go take them out and sell them for money.”
“Okay~”
Yvette nodded without much talk, pulling out a simple blade crafted from the teeth and bones of a double-headed tiger.
Eleanor didn’t like being in sword form, and blood would dirty her body.
She didn’t like the sticky feeling of blood on her, and Yvette didn’t want to soil the pristine sword spirit either.
So, the girl took the “tiger blade” made from the tiger’s teeth and stepped in front of the sword spirit.
The obstructing magical beasts were fourth-tier Mid Tigers, the base form of double-headed tigers, and there were only three of them.
With Yvette equipped with sixth-tier gear—a “tiger hide coat” and “tiger blade”—it shouldn’t be a problem.
Well-balanced in offense and defense, it wasn’t a bad deal for her. Even sixth-tier adventurers might not afford such a set of sixth-tier gear.
The girl raised the tiger blade, striking a standard combat stance.
Though a bit stiff, her timing was spot-on, suggesting she’d practiced plenty before.
The Mid Tigers weren’t afraid, but they didn’t attack immediately either, instead circling the girl.
They could sense that the girl was only at LV3.
Under normal circumstances, the three of them would have pounced and devoured her in no time.
But…
They caught a familiar scent on Yvette—the scent of a higher-ranking member of their kind, with an intimidating aura that surpassed even their leader, the saber-toothed tiger.
The tiger group hesitated, and Yvette was also unsure.
She had never faced so many magical beasts at once, and Mid Tigers were among the fiercer of the fourth-tier beasts.
But with Teacher Eleanor watching from behind, she was eager to prove her abilities to Miss Eleanor.
She wasn’t useless.
She was worth nurturing.
Following Miss Eleanor was definitely not a mistake.
And so…
The slave girl Yvette raised her blade, unleashing her own arc of light.
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