Episode 5: Outside the house Is Dangerous.
Walking through the forest alone every day was one thing, but doing so with someone else made the familiar scenery feel different.
Ar found himself suddenly wanting to show off every corner of the forest, her domain, but she reined in her overly excited feelings.
The places where hunters set traps are a secret. Just as herbalists don’t share the locations of their precious herbs, the paths and habitats of prey are assets to the hunter who first discovers them.
Suppressing the impulsive urge to reveal all her hunting spots, Ar instead followed Leon’s request and introduced him to the areas within walking distance of the house. She also warned Leon of the places he should avoid to stay safe.
“If you go further that way, you’ll enter the wolves’ territory. They’re on edge these days because they’ve got pups in the den.”
“So, I shouldn’t go that way.”
“That direction is where bears often pass through. You wouldn’t want to meet them—they’re as big as that log over there.”
“Got it. That way’s dangerous too.”
“And over there, snakes tend to hide. Some are venomous, so always watch your step.”
“…So that’s off-limits as well?”
By the time Ar finished listing all the dangerous places, there wasn’t anywhere safe left to walk. Leon realized he might as well stay inside the house.
“Outside the cabin is dangerous,” Ar concluded.
“You go out every day, don’t you?”
“It’s fine for me.”
Ar could manage because she’d spent her entire life in the forest. She knew where to hide and how to deal with any threat, even a bear.
“But not for you.”
Leon, with his unblemished face and a life that looked free of hardship, was a different story. He might get lost in the disorienting forest or fall victim to predators before Ar could save him.
While Leon pondered just how fragile he seemed in Ar’s eyes, Ar noticed a patch of hidden flowers in the bushes.
Plucking a few blooms, Ar caught up to Leon and tapped him on the back.
“Bend down.”
“Huh?”
As Leon lowered his head, Ar popped a flower into his mouth.
“…?”
Leon, now holding a flower in his mouth, glanced at Ar with confused blue eyes.
“You can eat it this way.”
To demonstrate, Ar sucked the nectar out of a flower, savoring the familiar sweetness.
Following her lead, Leon tried the flower he was holding and then tossed the petals aside.
Seeing him obediently follow instructions, Ar picked another flower and handed it to Leon, who instinctively took it into his mouth again.
Ar watched him with satisfaction.
“Yeah, you look like a flower.”
Leon couldn’t decide whether to be annoyed or amused.
Feeling oddly conflicted, he flushed and chewed on the flower to distract himself. Though it only tasted like grass, it oddly felt sweet.
As he absentmindedly chewed, he observed Ar, who was happily exploring the forest.
Her rich, chocolate-colored hair swayed with each step, glinting in the light. It reminded him of a pendulum, and the golden flame of her eyes, which had burned into his memory, lingered in his mind like an unshakable afterimage.
***
Ar glanced back at Leon, who was trailing behind her.
Sunlight filtering through the leaves illuminated his hair, which now seemed to glow like autumn leaves.
Initially, she’d found his golden hair unusual, but now it reminded her of the vibrant colors of fall.
After exploring their surroundings, the two headed back to the cabin. The tranquil forest grew noisier as they approached home.
“Wait… Is someone here today?”
It was an intruder. Villagers didn’t venture this deep into the forest.
Without hesitation, Ar drew the dagger from her belt and ran toward the house.
“Wait! It’s dangerous to go alone!”
Leon called after her.
They sprinted toward the cabin, where the sound of rummaging grew louder.
Bursting through the door, they found thieves looting the place. One of them held a leather pouch Leon had left in the cabinet, pulling out the jewels inside.
Ar’s brow twitched at the sight.
“Who are you?”
“You are…!”
It didn’t take long for all the thieves to end up unconscious on the floor.
Ar had swiftly subdued them with tranquilizer needles and a few well-placed strikes.
The one holding Leon’s pouch got an extra heavy blow.
After tying them up, Ar turned to Leon, who stood dumbfounded.
“Thieves,” she explained curtly.
“Does this happen often?”
“Recently, yes. It didn’t use to before.”
Strangers rarely ventured into the forest in the past, but lately, outsiders had been appearing more frequently—and they were usually thieves.
Ar didn’t mind; they were just another source of income.
However, Leon’s expression darkened as he mulled over the situation.
Before he could voice his thoughts, another thief, who had been hiding in the backyard, burst into the cabin.
“Stay where you are!” he yelled, aiming to take Ar hostage and escape with the loot.
The thief swung a woodcutter’s axe, but Ar had already anticipated his move. She calmly sidestepped and prepared to strike.
But before she could, Leon, wielding a makeshift weapon, struck the thief on the head, knocking him out cold.
Ar frowned.
“Why did you interfere? It was dangerous.”
“I’ve had some training in swordsmanship,” Leon replied smoothly, using the broomstick in his hands to clean up the mess.
Meanwhile, Ar piled the tied-up thieves into a cart.
As she prepared to haul them away, she stole a glance at Leon, who seemed deep in thought.
She wondered why she’d gone out of her way to show off her strength, only to feel unsure about his reaction.
Finally, Leon looked up, meeting Ar’s gaze.
“?”
He tilted his head at the amber eyes silently pleading with him, alternating his gaze between Ar and the cart, before breaking into a smile and praising her efforts.
“You were impressive earlier. Judging by how quick your movements are, you could probably even match the Master of Quick Swordplay.”
“The Master of Quick Swordplay?”
“Oh, one of my companions, whom I got separated from, is a knight famous for their swift blade. They’re one of the most promising talents of their generation, but I’d say you wouldn’t lose to them in speed.”
At the mention of someone else being praised, Ar bristled.
“I’d win.”
Leon merely chuckled and continued to commend the way Ar had handled the thieves and subdued them to the point they couldn’t move, even after the effects of the tranquilizer wore off.
Ar, trying to conceal her flushed cheeks, listened to Leon’s voice.
“In any case, if these recent thieves are connected, it’s likely they’re refugees from the territory newly annexed into Northwood.”
Leon shared his deductions with Ar.
The forest where Ar lived was part of the Kingdom of Fortis.
Surrounding the forest was an abundant breadbasket region responsible for much of the kingdom’s food supply. However, due to a misstep in getting involved with a succession dispute in the neighboring Kingdom of Nijenia, Fortis had lost much of that fertile region to Nijenia.
The annexed land had been renamed Northwood, governed now under Nijenia’s laws.
“Nijenia handles things differently from us; they even take responsibility for matters outside their territories,” Leon remarked.
The Kingdom of Fortis was often referred to as the ‘land of nobles’ by outsiders. The power nobles wielded over their lands was immense, to the point where even the king couldn’t intervene directly except in matters of taxation or royal law.
With rights came responsibilities, and maintaining order within their lands was entirely up to the ruling lords, who funded security forces or knightly orders to ensure safety.
However, the roads between lands fell into a gray area, with no clear owner or guardian, often becoming hotbeds for bandit activity.
Some lords even left the roads in disrepair intentionally, hoping to discourage their peasants from fleeing by making travel perilous.
In contrast, Nijenia approached governance differently.
After annexing the land, the nobles sent by Nijenia first established roads between territories and eradicated bandits, even those deep in the mountains.
Surviving bandits fled Northwood, spilling into neighboring lands and causing a surge in bandit activity along the borders.
Leon theorized that the intruders recently entering the forest were likely remnants of those displaced bandits.
Ar was genuinely impressed by Leon’s insight, amazed at how he could unravel such a detailed story from a single fact.
“So we’ll see more bandits for a while, then?”
“Chances are high.”
“Great. More side income.”
Ar casually concluded, tying up the cart loaded with subdued bandits.
“I’ll drop these guys off and be back before dinner.”
With that, Ar disappeared with the cart and her mule.
Watching her leave, Leon began cleaning the messy house and preparing dinner. The slightly chaotic day gradually came to an end.
As promised, Ar returned home before sunset. The two enjoyed a warm meal together, finishing with some fruit.
Content and full, Ar lazily sprawled like a satisfied cat before heading to bed.
***
“…!…”
Ar woke up to an unfamiliar sound. Her half-asleep mind couldn’t pinpoint what felt off, but her instincts screamed that something was wrong.
“Haah… haah…”
The strange sound came from beside her. It wasn’t Leon’s usual steady breathing when he was deeply asleep but short, labored gasps.
Ar quickly sat up to check on him.
“…!”
