The Author's Viewpoint

Tave settled into a steady meditation as Fang silently roamed the forest beyond. And through the bond he shared with his shadow wolf, he saw with perfect clarity what Fang saw.

Something's wrong here. I can feel it.

Fang moved swiftly, fluid between the shadows, never touching open ground longer than a breath. The sky above had begun to dim. The soft light of late afternoon gave way to dusk, and then to night.

Sylara's warning wasn't idle servant chatter. Something had killed those scouts. And whatever it was, it hadn't left a trail that elves as skilled as the forest scouts could follow, or survive.

The forests of the Vensalor Kingdom were vast, and their ecosystem deliberately left wild. Creatures of multiple tiers roamed here freely, from Tier 1 to the Tier 5. Forest elves hunted only what was necessary.

They would never tread into areas known to harbor greater threats… would they?

Aura, of all people, should know this forest best. She ventured more than most, far beyond the reach of the average Imperial Knight. She should have known.

And yet.

A pack of Dire Boars, Tier 2 beasts, grunted and scraped at the forest floor, but their ears flicked constantly.

Further ahead, a Thornback Lizard, venomous and perfectly camouflaged, clung to the trunk of a massive oak. Tier 3. Yet it didn't hunt. It didn't move. It just waited.

The night grew darker, cooler. Fang pressed deeper into the eastern woods.

Then, at last, he reached an opening.

A small lake lay nestled in a clearing, its surface mirroring the pale silver moon above. A slender stream fed into it. The stillness here was calming.

From his place in meditation, Tave felt a sudden, quiet pull.

This place…

He wanted to go there himself. It looked like a place worth visiting. Especially under moonlight.

Movement in the distance snapped Fang's attention toward the far edge of the clearing. Through the wolf's keen vision, Tave narrowed in on a figure stepping from the shadows.

Long hair. Poised stance.

A woman…?

No. Wait. That wasn't just anyone.

It was Aura.

Why is she out here? This late, in this part of the forest?

Tave stilled his breath, focusing through Fang's eyes. Moments later, three more figures emerged from the treeline to meet her. They approached with bows of respect. Forest elves, that much was clear. Likely scouts. Or hunters.

They exchanged quiet words. Too quiet. Even with Fang's senses, Tave couldn't make out what they were saying across the water.

A secret meeting. In the dead of night. What are they hiding?

And damn it, Aura was only becoming more suspicious by the moment. Tave's instincts itched. He didn't like this. Not one bit. And he still hadn't even met Aura's infamous younger brother. The strongest Imperial Knight in the entire kingdom.

Through Fang, Tave sharpened his focus, watching for signs in their movement.

Their body language told a tense story.

One scout gestured sharply toward the eastern forest, further in. Deeper. Another shook their head, a firm and resolute gesture. Aura stood stiffly, her usual serene poise giving way to something harder to read.

Worry? Tension?

Aura shook her head once, then pointed back. Toward the house.

Are they talking about us?

"Stay hidden, Fang," Tave thought fiercely. Don't let them see you.

But then. Aura's head snapped toward Fang's position.

No!

She didn't speak. Didn't move. Just stared into the shadows where Fang lay hidden.

But Tave felt it. The pressure.

She knows?

She definitely knows!

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Tave's eyes snapped open, his meditation abruptly broken.

"Who's there?" he called out, startled by the sudden knock on his door.

"Tave, are you in there?"

Damn it.

Aura.

His eyes darted to the window. No sign of Fang. The shadow wolf was still out there… or so he thought.

He stood, smoothing his composure as he walked toward the door. It wasn't strange for Aura to teleport, not at all. But he hadn't expected her to come to him this quickly.

When he opened the door, doing his best to maintain a calm, Aura stood just outside. And in her left hand, she held a wolf, no larger than a house dog, by the scruff of its neck.

"I found your wolf wandering alone in the forest," she said.

She let go, and Fang dropped to the floor with a soft thump before instantly melting back into Tave's shadow, returning to his smaller form like nothing had happened.

"Yes," Tave replied evenly, "I was planning a walk through the forest. That's why I sent Fang ahead to scout the area."

Aura's gaze lingered on him for a beat longer than necessary. Then, her lips curved just slightly, an elegant smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"If you want to take a walk in the forest, I'd be happy to accompany you. Interested?"

Tave's mind ran ahead, calculating. "I was just... curious," he said, casual. "I wanted to explore the area. The forest here is beautiful."

"Then let's go," she said softly. "The night is perfect for a stroll."

But then, another thought struck him. Wait. Maybe this is actually an opportunity.

In the original story, Aura had been... peripheral. A messenger, essentially. Someone who delivered orders to distant Imperial Knights and faded into the background. She'd had barely any screen time, no real character development, no significant role in the main plot.

But this Aura... she's completely different.

The fact that she'd personally trained Vanya in archery. None of that had existed in the original narrative.

If Vanya became an archer because of Aura's influence, what else has changed? What other information does Aura possess that was never explored in the original story?

This could be his chance to understand who Aura really was in this version of the world. And more importantly, to figure out whether she was an ally he could trust or a threat he needed to be concerned about.

They walked through the forest in what Aura probably considered comfortable silence, leaving Lily sleeping peacefully in her room. Tave's mind, however, was anything but comfortable.

Interesting that Aura didn't even ask about Lily. Most people would expect siblings to stick together, especially in an unfamiliar place. Either she didn't care, or she specifically wanted him alone.

"Was it you who taught Princess Vanya archery?" Tave asked eventually.

Aura glanced at him with raised eyebrows. "Huh?"

"The bow techniques. She's exceptionally skilled, so I assumed she had an excellent teacher."

"Yes," Aura replied after a moment.

If Aura was doing something that shouldn't exist in the original story, then that could only mean one thing. Something had shifted. Something, or someone, had influenced her to act this way. Could it be the original protagonist? Had they met her? Given her knowledge from before the world reset?

If that were true, then Tave was far closer to the core conflict of this world than he expected. Especially if Aura knew Vensalor Kingdom was fated to fall in the future.

And if she knew that… she would also know someone like Tave shouldn't exist here.

Should he confirm whether she knew about the pact he made with Vanya?

No. That was the exact reason he and Vanya had decided not to tell Aura anything about it. She hadn't shown any signs that she knew. But the way things were unfolding now… it put Tave in a dangerously vulnerable position. Especially if Aura had plans that ran against his own.

"Do you want to fight a monster?" Aura asked suddenly.

Tave turned slightly to glance at her. "What do you think?"

"I can take you to monsters of any tier, any level of difficulty you'd like. You want to train, right? I thought it'd be interesting if we hunted together. Besides," she added smoothly, "I was planning to explore the forest anyway. There's something I've been meaning to look into."

Tave was silent for a moment. Then, slowly, he said, "Sylara mentioned something. About screams in the forest. Something strange. Could that be a monster?"

"Oh, that girl…" Aura chuckled softly, shaking her head. "She really can't help sharing the most dramatic details with guests, can she?"

"So there is something out there?"

He was working hard to maintain the image, just a curious stranger, unfamiliar with this island and its dangers.

"It's a little concerning," he added lightly. "I'm rather fond of staying alive."

Aura laughed again, a low, relaxed sound. "Do you really think I'd let anything happen to you? You know how strong I am."

Tave looked at her carefully. He had to admit—Aura was good at this. Her words flowed naturally, her tone inviting. Not blunt like Elincia, who said exactly what she meant and nothing more.

But still… everything Aura said had to be weighed.

"Sure," Tave said, letting a grin tug at the corner of his lips. "I enjoy a challenge. Let's see what kind of monsters I get to meet tonight."

"You'll be surprised," Aura said, her smile widening just slightly.