Episode 20

Hestia arrived at the edge of the mountain range that separated the town of Silio from the town of Lost on the other side.

A hot breeze whipped through Hestia’s hair, unlike the forest on the Silio side of town, which still hadn’t gotten over the summer.

“It’s still summer in this part of town.”

Hestia tied her wavy auburn locks into a rough ponytail and accepted the basket from the beast.

“I’ll be back.”

She couldn’t take Roo with her, as the herbs she wanted to gather today were only occasionally traveled by humans.

Leaving Lu behind, Hestia walked slowly along the ridge.

After humming the same note over and over again, Hestia stopped and looked around.

There was no sign or scent of anyone else nearby. Only the sounds of the forest filled the silence.

Once she was sure of her surroundings, Hestia veered off the path and dug, in, in, through the thick undergrowth.

“Who would have thought they’d be in a place like this?”

She finally set the basket down in a small ravine.

A clear stream trickled through the moss-covered rocks, and every rocky outcropping was dotted with modest green-flowered herbs.

“Let’s get this done before the sun rises!”

Hestia rolled up her sleeves, tucked in her skirt to keep it dry, kicked off her shoes, and dipped her feet into the cold stream.

She was an expert at picking herbs and stepping over slippery rocks to keep the flowers from falling.

Hestia had no intention of getting greedy and throwing them all away.

“This will do.”

When the small basket was filled with a reasonable amount of herbs, Hestia climbed out of the water and leaned against a tree.

“This will be perfect for a nap.”

As usual, the rest after labor was too sweet. The birds chirping like musical instruments, the leaves rustling, the mountain animals talking, the breeze cooling her sweat in the shade, the smell of the grass, everything was good.

“Theo will wait for you.”

I opened my eyes, which had closed involuntarily. The sun shot through the trees, stronger than when I’d arrived.

As the light grew stronger, the blue petals on the rocky outcroppings fluttered. In an instant, the clear water of the stream was filled with blue petals, creating a flower trail.

The fallen petals would flow down the stream and take root somewhere else.

“Reynolds will like this.”

Hestia smirked as she thought of Reynolds, who would be grinning from ear to ear at the sight of this herb.

Hestia pushed herself up from the tree, slipped on her shoes, checked her clothes, and picked up her basket.

“Let’s go!”

She pushed her way through the overgrown bushes the same way she came.

As she reached the last bush, her hand flipped open.

The brim.

The cool blade touched Hestia’s neck.

“Who is it?”

A low voice, warning.

Hestia rolled her eyes, taking in the newcomers.

Two men, one holding a sword to her throat, the other glaring at her, ready to draw it at any moment.

One, two, and three are cloaked in black with only their eyes showing.

“……That’s what I want to ask you.”

A red line drew across Hestia’s throat as the bladed sword touched it.

“Identify yourself.”

Hestia could have screamed or flinched at this point, but she merely rolled her eyes.

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

“Why are you here?”

Words failed her.

Hestia flicked her head away in annoyance as if she didn’t care if the sword cut her throat, and turned to face Masked One, the emerald-eyed figure peeking through the mask.

The solid line of her throat where the sword had touched her grew darker and traced a sticky red path along the line of Hestia’s neck.

Like someone who felt no pain. Like someone who doesn’t fear death. Like someone who believes in something, maybe.

That was what the hooded men felt Hestia was.

“You think this mountain belongs to you? I don’t know since when you deserve to be stabbed for climbing it.”

Hestia made a face, not wanting to waste her time with this. Her tone wasn’t kind either.

“Don’t you realize that this is off-limits?”

Hestia’s eyes lit up with disbelief at the question.

“Since when? And what’s the reason for the ban? Do you think I’m going to believe you?”

Hestia snapped, whether or not she realized she was in a threatening situation.

“It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not.”

The sharpened blade of her sword caught the sunlight, illuminating the menace of the Cipheran.

“I ask again. Who are you, and what have you come to find?”

Masked One’s last words were strangely energized.

“Ha. I’m just here to gather herbs. I came in the wrong way and didn’t realize it was off-limits, and.”

With an irritated sigh, Hestia took a step back, wondering if she should turn back.

But she didn’t let her suspicion fade.

“Who are you people to say this is off-limits, I don’t think you’re bureaucrats by any stretch of the imagination.”

Hestia looked the masked man up and down.

They were the very definition of suspicious.

“They say they’re here to gather herbs……. You don’t expect me to believe that now, do you?”

The man squinted, too, as if he didn’t believe Hestia’s words.

“Don’t you see this?”

Hestia held up the basket full of herbs, unconcerned that the sword was digging into his flesh.

Startled by her carelessness, the sword flinched and stepped back.

All eyes of the men turned to the basket. Masked Man 1 gestured to the others with a receiver signal.

At that moment.

Bam!

Masked Man 2, who was facing Hestia, threw the basket at her.

The basket flew into the air, scattering the herbs that Hestia had carefully placed in it into the air.

Tsk. Degurr…….

It hit the floor, empty.

The blue petals lost their dainty appearance and fell to the ground in a heap.

“Ah…….”

Hestia froze, frozen by the swirling emptiness, and could only squeeze her eyes shut, her brown pupils filling with a sight she didn’t want to believe.

“I apologize.”

The masked men sheathed their drawn swords only after they realized the identity of the basket. Their tone changed to respectful.

“But this place is dangerous, and you’d better get back to town, young lady.”

Masked Man 3 offered the same advice.

“…….”

He added, his emerald eyes fixed on the trembling Hestia, head bowed low.

“We’ll get you there safely, so don’t be so scared. Use this to treat your wounds.”

The man who had wounded Hestia pulled a gold coin from his arm and handed it to her.

“Take this.”

“You don’t have to thank us, we’re at fault, too.”

Hestia’s muttered thanks sounded like gratitude, but Sasa saw the red streak running down Hestia’s white neck and shook her head apologetically.

Hestia ruffled her hair roughly, breathing heavily, and spoke again.

“Ha. Pick it up. You bastard.”

Politeness flew out the window, along with reason, as her low-set brown eyes flashed.

The men froze in their tracks as they faced that menacing gaze.

The roar of the beast in the distance added to the tension that binds them together.

“Now, what…….”

Masked 2, standing across from Hestia, repeated in a voice tinged with panic.

“Now. Pick it up. Not a single petal. All of them.”

Hestia pointed her index finger straight at the empty basket, her molars clenched tightly together.

The men sifted through the herbs that littered the floor. More than half of them had already lost their petals.

“I apologize for ……, but you were in the wrong for entering the forbidden area, so why don’t we just end this on a good note.”

Masked 3 stepped forward to intercede.

“If that’s not enough, I’ll give you one more.”

Hestia’s anger only increased as Masked One rolled his eyes as if he’d been caught in a tricky situation, then graciously pulled another gold coin from his bosom.

“……twenty.”

Hestia’s eyes turned cold. The warmth they had always contained was nowhere to be seen.

“Ten? Do you mean ten gold coins? I thought you were fearless, but you have no conscience.”

There was a faint contempt in the masked men’s eyes as if they judged Hestia to be a trickster intent on making a quick buck.

“One hundred and fifty gold pieces.”

Hestia spat out, forcing each syllable. Her small, white hands trembled as if she were holding something back.

“What’s that…….”

Before Masked 2 could finish, Hestia’s words burst out with a harsh sigh.

“Hah. I paid full price for this, and you should have at least left the basket untouched. If you knew how many lives it would save, you wouldn’t have said such bullshit. This is why stupid people shouldn’t be in business.”

The voice sounded bitterly sarcastic.

“Ms. ……, I don’t think you understand the situation. Money is not more important than life, is it?”

Masked One’s emerald eyes narrowed slightly.

Perhaps he felt he wasn’t worth dealing with, and his respect was gone again.

Masked Two and Three paused to consider whether they had heard Hestia correctly, and then let out a sneer.

“So you’re the ones who value money more than lives?”

Hestia’s voice was dry. It was devoid of any emotion, like someone who had made a troubling choice.

“I’m not one to fight pointless battles.”

Hestia looked at the ground and picked up a long, slender branch lying on the ground.

“You mean to tell me, young lady, you’re going to fight us with that?”

Masked 3 chuckled and took a step forward.

Snap!

“Aaah!”

The spiky branch suddenly slams into the man’s calf and disappears.

The man let out a short cry of unexpected pain, grabbed his calf, and jerked his head up to look at Hestia.

“Watch your step. One more petal and we’re in for a real mud fight.”

Hestia spat out the words of warning, looking as unruffled as ever.