Rian, who waited for nearly an entire day, was at the end of his wits. He looked rather calm, but on the inside, he was screaming, cursing nonstop. Since he went to that stupid event, nothing went his way... not a single thing.

  The small girl was also still there, looking at him curiously. She occasionally went around to gather berries to eat.

  She seemed like a good-natured child. She offered him berries she had, but he rejected her like the brick he was.

  The girl wasn't sad, seemingly used to mistreatment.

  He felt hunger biting at his insides but still kept gritting his teeth in anger. His seemingly calm fa?ade was about to crumple.

  Just a moment before he started screaming at the top of his lungs, he felt a movement across the forest. Pakpok, now at his majestic four meters in height, was walking by the boy's side.

  He also felt Finn Twist's presence due to his connection to nature, not that he actually knew they had such names.

  He sprinted forward at his top speed and bowed to Pakpok.

  "Oh great and leafy Forest Lord, would you kindly direct this lost elf back to civilization before he eats dirt out of desperation?"

  Pakpok sent a faint string of mentality to Rian, and a voice echoed in his head.

  "I'll guide you, but you have to guide this child to the Academy of the Badass."

  Rian's face was in pain. He kept his head down. He only wanted to leave, not to get entrusted with another task. He didn't want to take care of kids. He was a kid himself. He winced.

  "I shall obey with gratitude. Thank you for everything."

  He was a kid with a few screws loose but not an ungrateful bastard.

  He couldn't take action because the knight would have killed him on the spot without mercy. It was only thanks to the lords of the swamp forest that he could make it out alive.

  He looked at the boy and forced a smile — a surprisingly ugly smile for a pretty elf.

  "May I know the name of this young hero?" Rian asked.

  The boy, feeling disoriented, like his vocal cords were unusable anymore after a long time of silence, opened his mouth and spoke in a hoarse voice.

  "Jean."

  Rian didn't like his reaction or speech mannerism, so he asked,

  "What about your age or family name?"

  Jean was deep in thought for a moment, then shook his head. Rian felt insulted, but he couldn't smack a kid who had just been a patient until recently. He forced himself to calm down.

  He asked again,

  "You don't know your age or family name?"

  Jean nodded but didn't explain. Speech was something hard for him now.

  The next World Tree Guardian is a guide for a nameless beggar now... could it get any worse?

  "All right, let's get moving," Rian said, waiting for the terrakin to guide him, but Jean looked at the girl. He spoke in his broken, hoarse speech again.

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  "You... coming?"

  "Un," the girl nodded. She hugged the berries she had and came close to Jean. She extended her small hands.

  "Eat?"

  Jean didn't reject her. With a nod, he took one and started chewing slowly.

  They started their journey across the forest until, far on the horizon, they saw a city — a human-populated city.

  As they approached, the landscape began to shift. The wilderness fell behind them as the dense, tangled growth of the swamp forest made way for a clearing. The city rose in the distance, an odd and lively sight standing strong against the dark backdrop of trees. Small, wooden buildings dotted the landscape, their two- and three-story frames giving the city a homespun charm. The structures were built from weathered timber, each with a slanted roof and walls that seemed to grow naturally from the earth, fitting seamlessly into the wild terrain around them. The city felt alive, its streets bustling with activity, its colors bright even as night drew near.

  The journey took a little over a day, and Pakpok stayed with them, guiding their path even through the darkness. As night fell, they reached the outskirts of the city, and they finally stopped to rest. The swamp forest was infamous for its labyrinthine paths and hidden dangers, but this particular zone, where Pakpok resided, was untouched by even the fiercest of beasts.

  In the morning, they resumed their journey.

  Jean cried for the first time in a long time, watching Pakpok go back to the forest. His urge to read the books he'd been dreaming of grew stronger than ever. But Pakpok's voice rang into his head, to his surprise.

  "It's fine. I like it here. Visit when you have time... and... grow up well."

  Jean didn't feel any better; his pain in his heart grew stronger. He felt... guilty. He was the one leaving him behind now.

  It was also the first time he ever knew Pakpok could communicate.

  He felt an urge to throw away the bag and run back to the forest.

  "Jean, focus... Live a good life. You never belonged to the forest. Next time you come, come by choice, not because you're weak and running away."

  Jean wiped his sleeve across his eyes, trying to hide the fact that he'd cried at all.

  No longer trying to run back.

  After saying that, Pakpok disappeared among the trees. A gentle hoot sounded, fading into the horizon.

  The girl patted him on the back gently.

  He suppressed his tears, turned his back on the forest, and walked toward the city. Rian was glad the drama didn't take too much time.

  They started walking the rest of the few hundred meters to the city gates.

  At the gate, the Guards stopped them, a huge man with a frightening face and untrimmed beard.

  Rian was quick to use his Tree Guardian insignia to ensure their safe passage, his tone sharp and dismissive.

  "They're my servants. Is there a problem with my identity, Sir City Guard?"

  The guard, shaking now, held it carefully.

  "Sir Young Guardian, welcome to our city. Please enjoy your stay."

  The guard handed it back while bowing with both hands extended.

  He turned his head back to Jean, giving him a look that screamed:

  Impressed, right?

  Only to find Jean looking elsewhere.

  'This little bastard.'

  Rian, as always, had a foul mouth and mind.

  He huffed with a few veins visible on his forehead and neck, but kept moving forward into the city.

  They entered the city, where the scent of freshly baked bread, roasting meats, and spices filled the air. The market beyond the city gates was a cacophony of voices, the stalls overflowing with strange, wonderful goods. Knives, clothing, artifacts, and trinkets that seemed both familiar and foreign lined the pathways, while people haggled over prices, adding to the lively atmosphere.

  The buildings, still made of timber but more refined here, stretched taller than the ones they'd passed through, giving the city a feeling of bustling life, even at this early hour.

  They moved deeper, crossing the outer market where nearly every item imaginable could be found.

  They saw aside from the trinkets, clothes, weapons, some strange, foreign tools. Jean was genuinely surprised. The vastness of the market, and the sheer variety of goods, left him feeling overwhelmed. But it wasn't the market's offerings that held his attention.

  It was the knives, the insignia, and the weapons with a snake engraving that seemed to be the newest trend.

  Were they replicas, or had something else been hidden in their designs?

  Jean moved toward a stall selling the knives. His parents had taught him a little about money, so he pointed at one of the blades.

  "How much?"