They walked for a while without much conversation afterwards. The path curved gently between the ancient trees, passing glowing mushrooms clustered along roots, shallow streams running across smooth stones, and strange flowers that closed their petals as the group approached.

Birds called from somewhere high above, though Elion could not see them, and once or twice, he caught movement in the distant brush, vanishing before he could identify what it was.

The retainers had gone quiet.

Especially Peter.

Alexander walked near the front with the elf commander, his expression serious, occasionally asking about patrol patterns, demon sightings, and the condition of the forward camp.

It was strange how quickly Haven already felt so far away.

After nearly an hour of walking, the path opened briefly into a wider clearing where several carved stones stood in a circle. Runes of some sort glowed faintly across their surfaces, and soldiers stationed nearby bowed toward the commander as the group passed.

"A warding point," Alexander said, noticing Elion’s gaze. "They keep the safest paths stable."

It seems she had decided to educate his uninformed ass once more. Perhaps she didn’t like to speak when prompted to, but she would rather do so when she felt like it.

"Stable?" Elion asked.

The elf commander answered without turning around. "The Great Forest shifts if left alone."

Peter stopped walking for half a second. "The forest... shifts?"

"Yes."

"...As in, paths change?"

"Yes."

"And nobody thought to mention that before we walked in?"

"Well, you were told to keep close."

Peter looked toward Gareth in silent horror. Gareth looked back with the expression of a man who had just discovered that every fear he had ever held was justified.

Elion smirked faintly. "Do you still miss the open sky?"

Peter nodded. "With every breath."

The commander continued, "The deeper regions are far worse. Old paths vanish without reason, and new ones open, so maps are of no help. The forward camps are built within the stable fringes, so you need not panic."

"I wasn’t panicking," Peter said quickly, even though nobody believed him. The elf commander’s lips twitched faintly at his antics, though she said nothing.

They moved on.

The deeper they went, the more signs of military activity began appearing. Hidden platforms in the trees, narrow trenches concealed beneath woven branches, as well as supply caches covered in moss. It was subtle, but everything looked very efficient and well thought out.

The coalition had turned a portion of the living forest into a defensive network without fully angering whatever ancient force seemed to dwell inside it, unlike what Elion had seen on the front lines.

He could still remember the hailstorm of fire that had rained down on his first day here; perhaps it was meant to actually destroy that part of the forest and make battling easier, without having to fight the forest as well as your enemies.

Soon, the smell of smoke reached them, accompanied by the sound of voices.

A few minutes later, the trees finally opened into a massive hidden encampment built around several enormous trunks. Tents and wooden structures spread across different levels of the terrain, some on the ground, others built into the sides of trees or connected by elevated walkways.

Blue and green warding lights glowed along the perimeter, and soldiers of every race moved through the camp with weary purpose. Humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen, and even a handful of vampires, beneath shaded awnings.

It was larger than Elion expected, and also more battered.

Several tents bore burn marks. A portion of the outer barricade had clearly been repaired recently. Wounded soldiers rested near a long medical pavilion, and the air carried the faint metallic scent of blood beneath the smells of woodsmoke and damp earth.

The moment Alexander entered, word spread quickly. Soldiers turned, and several messengers hurried off to notify whoever needed to know.

But Elion’s attention was elsewhere.

Near the centre of the camp, beside a training ring carved into the dirt, three familiar figures stood together.

Aeron was the first to notice him.

The young man turned, narrowed his eyes for half a second, then immediately broke into a kind smile.

"Well, well, well!" Aeron called out loudly enough for half the camp to hear. "Look who finally decided to return after living like a pampered palace pet!"

Maya turned at once, her tired expression brightening with visible relief.

Zenovia, leaning against a post with her arms crossed, merely opened one eye. Her gaze swept over him from head to toe, pausing briefly on his tied-back hair, then on the sword at his waist.

Her brow rose for half a second, then she seemed to realise she had put on the wrong expression. She seemed to immediately become very annoyed at the sight of him. Elion heard her click her tongue and mouth bastard beneath her breath before she looked away with a hmph.

Elion laughed faintly at her antics. If only she knew that her tantrums made her look adorable in his eyes, maybe she would consider readjusting.

"Miss me?" Elion said out loud as he walked toward them.

Aeron snorted as he walked closer. "Miss you? We were enjoying the peace."

"Liar," Elion said.

Maya hurried forward before Aeron could respond, stopping just short of throwing herself into a hug, perhaps remembering there were far too many eyes around them. Instead, she simply smiled warmly, which struck Elion as odd.

"I see you’re alright, I’m glad," she said softly.

Elion nodded as he looked her up and down. "Mostly."

’Wasn’t she the most reserved of the three? What happened while I was gone?’

Maya had been making a point of avoiding him since the incident at the waterfall, so it confused him how her attitude had suddenly flipped. Perhaps she had forgotten about it, or she had decided to put that incident behind her?

Elion put it at the back of his mind and managed a welcoming smile. It didn’t look like this trial would go on for longer if all went to plan, so these may be the final moments he would get to have with these guys, so why not cherish them instead of overthinking?

Zenovia pushed herself off the post and approached at a slower pace. "You look different."

"I got more handsome."

Zenovia gagged to express her disagreement.

Maya laughed lightly.

Zenovia stared at him for a moment longer, then her eyes drifted to Kurogoroshi. "That sword is new. Finally got your own legendary weapon?"

The moment she said it, Aeron seemed to notice as well. His grin faded slightly as he studied the black scabbard at Elion’s side. Even Maya’s expression changed, her eyes narrowing with curiosity and something close to caution.

Elion’s hand rested lightly on the hilt.

"Not exactly, but I guess so," he said, and he could see that his words confused them. "Long story." He said simply, instead of elaborating.

Aeron crossed his arms. "I bet it’s powerful, and it looks even more impressive than mine. Was it expensive to make?"

"Very, I’m glad I didn’t have to send a dime to have it made." Elion chuckled lightly, making Alexander’s brow twitch.

"How expensive?" Zenovia chimed in curiously.

Elion smiled at her. "Enough that you should kneel before it."

She gave him the middle finger with a deep scowl on her face. "Fuck you."

"Good to see you too."

Alexander stepped between them, laughing lightly in an attempt to lighten the mood. Aeron, Maya, and Zenovia greeted the prince properly, though Zenovia’s greeting was, unsurprisingly, a little lazy around the edges.

Alexander either didn’t notice or chose not to care. He looked tired enough that ignoring disrespect had probably become a survival mechanism. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"We have much to discuss," Alexander said. "The council has finalised the operation."

That immediately sobered the three heroes.

Maya’s smile faded. "Then it’s time?"

"Yes," Alexander replied. "Soon."

Zenovia’s gaze sharpened. "How soon?"

"As soon as the pieces are fully in place. We leave from here toward the front lines after a short rest, and then we explain everything properly."

Aeron glanced at Elion. "You know the plan?"

Elion sighed deeply. "Unfortunately."

"Is it that bad?"

Elion looked at him.

Aeron’s grin slowly faded.

"...That bad."

Before anyone could say more, a familiar voice sounded from behind them.

"Hero Elion!"

Elion turned and saw Commander Tristan approaching from one of the tents. The man looked more tired than before, with faint shadows under his eyes and a healing scar along his cheek, but he carried himself steadily.

Behind him, however, was Yakuza.

Elion’s expression softened slightly.

The man looked like a ghost of himself. His armour had been repaired, but something about him seemed hollow now.

The wild, fierce aura he had carried before was still there somewhere, but buried beneath exhaustion and grief. His eyes moved to Elion, and for a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Yakuza gave a small nod.

Elion returned it quietly.

No words were needed.