The Tower King

"What's this about three months?" Sora asked, catching his breath.

Jarek remained silent for a few moments, watching Sora and Nerris in turn. He seemed to hesitate, searching for the right words to express himself without telling them the whole truth. "I can't explain everything right now, because events beyond your control are happening on this floor. These three months of training are intended to prepare you for the upheavals to come."

Sora and Nerris looked puzzled, unable to grasp what Jarek was getting at. However, they soon realized that he had no intention of saying anything more on the subject.

Sora clenched his fists. He hated this feeling of being left out, as if he were too insignificant to understand. Yet Jarek didn't underestimate him. No, it was something else. A mixture of caution and necessity.

"Very well." Sora let go after a heavy silence. "So, what am I supposed to do for these three months?"

Jarek sketched a smile, half-amused, half-satisfied. "Work. Get stronger. And above all, learn to survive. Because believe me, if you're going to climb that Tower, you can't afford any more weaknesses."

Nerris, hitherto silent, frowned. "Don't you want to explain yourself instead of being enigmatic? You told me to train Sora, but even I know almost nothing about what you're up to. "

Jarek simply shrugged, the shadow of an enigmatic smile floating on his lips. "I'll explain most of the plan to you. The rest you'll understand soon enough."

A shiver ran down Sora's spine. He knew that look. The look of someone who knew a lot more than he wanted to say. But this time, he had no intention of remaining passive.

"In that case, let's get started."

Jarek's smile widened, "That's what I wanted to hear. To put it simply, for one month, Sora, you'll accompany Nerris to the Brumenoire Forest. And the following two months... We'll deal with that later, if you're still alive."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I'll be much use to Nerris if I go there."

Jarek let out a short laugh, as if he'd been waiting for just such a reaction. "Indeed, you won't be. However, you won't have much choice."

Sora gritted his teeth. He couldn't bear the thought of being a burden to anyone, least of all Nerris.

"And what exactly am I supposed to do?" asked the latter, crossing her arms.

"Absolutely nothing," replied Jarek with a smirk. "Or at the very least, save him from an untimely death."

Nerris raised an eyebrow. "You mean I don't have to train him? Just keep him from dying?"

Jarek nodded. "Exactly. If he wants to progress, he has to learn on his own. Holding his hand won't make him stronger."

Sora felt a slight irritation rise up inside him. He'd never asked to be treated like a child.

"Very well." He planted his gaze in Jarek's. "I'm going to survive. And I'm going to get stronger, whether you like it or not."

An amused twinkle crossed Jarek's eyes. "I hope so. Because if you fail..." He paused, his smile fading slightly. "It won't be the Brumenoire Forest that kills you."

Sora felt a shiver run down his spine. He wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but refrained, already knowing the answer Jarek was going to give him.

Nerris sighed and turned to Sora, who looked puzzled. "Do you even realize what you're getting into?"

Sora clenched his fists, "I'm going to find out."

Nerris shrugged. "Good. Because there'll be no turning back."

The atmosphere was heavy. The air seemed heavy, as if Jarek's words had left an invisible imprint on the place.

Sora took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on Nerris. She seemed neither worried nor enthusiastic, simply resigned.

"When do we leave?" he asked in a firm voice.

Jarek sighed while keeping a big smile plastered on his face. "Now."

The sharp tone of his reply surprised Sora. He had expected to have a little more time to prepare, but he quickly realized that these three months would give him no respite. As a simple answer, he looked in the direction of Nerris, who seemed almost as surprised as he was. Jarek had apparently told her almost nothing about his role in the training.

Jarek, still leaning against the wall, a smirk on his face, rummaged in a small satchel hanging from his belt. He pulled out a package wrapped in brown cloth, which he tossed to Sora.

The young man caught it as best he could, surprised by its weight. He unwrapped the cloth to reveal its contents: a small hunting knife with a sharp blade, three vials of a greenish liquid, a piece of dry bread and some dried fruit.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Is that all?"

Jarek shrugged. "You wanted armor and a sacred sword? Sorry, but no."

Sora gritted his teeth but remained silent.

Nerris, for her part, received a simple scroll of parchment which Jarek handed her without a word. She unrolled it quickly, her expression remaining impassive.

"Instructions?" she asked.

Jarek nodded. "A map of the forest. Well... more like a rough sketch. I assume you know a bit about this forest, but unfortunately things are moving in Brumenoire, so don't rely on it blindly."

Nerris rolled up the parchment and slipped it into his jacket without a word.

Jarek watched them for a moment, then his smile widened. "Good luck."

Sora didn't like the way he watched them go, as if he already knew how badly things would turn out.

Without another word, Nerris turned on his heels and headed in the direction of the building. Sora followed, his heart beating faster than he would have liked.

The sun now high in the sky bathed Grimpoint in a golden glow as Sora and Nerris left the town. The air was still fresh, carrying with it the familiar smells of dawn-warmed stone and the market stalls surrounding them. Yet the atmosphere was far from relaxed.

Sora walked in silence, his thoughts clouded by Jarek's words. Three months. Why precisely this lapse of time? He glanced at Nerris, who was walking at a measured pace, her face impassive. He supposed she didn't know the answer to his question either, and even if she did, he doubted she'd tell him.

After two hours of walking along the steep paths leading away from Grimpoint, the landscape changed. Daylight, hitherto clear and reassuring, began to fade beneath a light mist that seemed to rise from the ground itself. The tall, twisted trees formed a dense canopy that filtered the sun's rays, reducing them to pale, flickering threads. An earthy smell, mingled with that of stagnant humidity, filled the air.

"Welcome to the Brumenoire Forest," Nerris declared in a neutral tone, as if announcing something as banal as the color of the sky.

Sora paused for a moment, observing the strange landscape before him. Unlike the classic woods he'd already traversed, this forest seemed... alive. Not just animated by the wind or the rustling of leaves, but truly conscious. Every gnarled branch seemed to stretch in his direction, every root ready to grab the foot of the first unwary person. A fleeting shadow passed between two trunks, disappearing before he could discern its shape.

He swallowed. "Are you sure we couldn't start with a more... progressive training session?"

Nerris sketched a smile, his first since their departure. "You chose to come here of your own free will, so don't complain. If you want to survive here, there's nothing progressive about it. It's a good way to learn fast."

This was the first time Sora had seen Nerris outside her position as hostess at the Mercenary Order, and he noticed that her behavior was eerily similar to Emma's. He took a moment to analyze this thought that had just crossed his mind.

He took a moment to analyze the thought that had just crossed his mind. The comparison struck him more than he'd expected. He had never imagined that the kind, smiling Nerris could be associated with the image he had of Emma. But now that the idea was germinating, he couldn't help noticing the striking similarities in their behavior.

Both were relentless, devoted to their roles without ever allowing themselves to be troubled by emotion or apparent fatigue. Emma, though demanding and strict, had a kind of calm and discipline that commanded respect. Nerris, on the other hand, seemed just as determined, but in a more detached way, as if she knew that survival was only a question of pragmatism, not compassion.

Sora shook his head slightly, banishing this thought. This was no time to get lost in pointless comparisons. Yet he suddenly felt more nervous. Nerris hadn't yet shown him his instructor side, but he had a feeling his expectations would be just as high as Emma's. And that put him even more on edge. Perhaps he was still too inclined to think of himself as a mere young man with no experience.

But deep down, he knew he was no longer the unambitious high-schooler who had lived in the shadows. The Tower and the "Collection" were his new realities, and he could no longer afford to be weak. Nerris's gaze turned to him, as if she'd sensed his unease.

"Don't worry," she said with a slight hint of sarcasm. "We're not going to go any further for the moment. We'll settle here for today. Let's try to find shelter, gather some wood and make sure nothing surprises us for the rest of the day."

Sora frowned. "Is that all?"

She shrugged. "If you wish to survive, then yes, that's all. Let's see already if you're able to handle it."

"But in that case," he said in a puzzled tone, "why don't you use your Ushi so we can get some wood straight here?"

Nerris stared into Sora's eyes, as if he'd just said something bigger than himself. "I don't want to bring every bug in the forest down on us, so I don't use it. Everyone reacts to Ushi, animals included, and if they feel a foreign Ushi pouring into their habitats, they're bound to all come running here."

As he watched Nerris explain this to him, as she would explain it to a child, Sora remembered that Ushi was contained in every being living or not in this Tower, so obviously, the monsters in this forest were no exception. In fact, the only exception was himself.

"Oh yes, I understand. So we have to fend for ourselves?"

Nerris strode forward, sweeping his gaze around. "Exactly! We're going to get wood for a fire. The place we're going to set up won't be a five-star hotel, but we can at least avoid freezing to death."

Sora followed her without asking any further questions, lest he look like a fool again, his mind becoming increasingly occupied with providing the best possible help to Nerris. He knelt down to examine the fallen leaves around him, looking for twigs, broken branches, anything that could be used to light a fire. He had to prove to Nerris, and to himself, that he could survive in this hostile environment.

Meanwhile, Nerris weaved in and out of the trees, her eyes fixed on the ground. She seemed more at home here than he, as if she were perfectly at one with the forest. Sora couldn't help comparing her to Emma. She too had such self-control, the same ability to remain calm in all circumstances.

After a few minutes, Nerris returned to him with a small pile of dry wood she had collected. "Here," she said, placing it on the ground with a confident gesture. "Now it's your turn."

Sora looked at her, a little surprised. "Aren't you going to help me light the fire?"

She gave him an amused look. "If you want to survive, you're going to have to put some effort into it. You won't learn by waiting for us to do everything for you."

Sora swallowed and bent over the woodpile, digging into his pockets to see if he had a way of starting a fire. But as he reached into his pocket, Nerris handed him a small, flat stone.

"You can try this. It's better to save your resources for later."

Sora, perplexed, took the stone. He wasn't sure he understood what she wanted from him, but he wasn't going to let her be right without at least trying. He made a few attempts, striking the stone against another he'd found, until at last he heard the unmistakable sound of a spark. After a few tries, a small flame flickered in the air.

The young man turned back to Nerris and looked at her in amazement, almost incredulous that he'd managed to light a fire so quickly. The heat of the fledgling fire instantly warmed the atmosphere around him. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.