As Theo walked away in the opposite direction, Luke suddenly slowed his steps, an inexplicable sense of being watched prickling at his awareness. He turned his head toward where the feeling originated, but all he saw were festival-goers enjoying themselves. Phael, who had been inspecting a nearby stall, noticed Luke’s pause and asked if something was wrong. Luke shook his head dismissively.

“Nothing. Just my imagination, probably.”

“Anyway, Phael, where do you plan on going during your vacation?” Luke asked, changing the subject.

“Huh?”

“I mean, you’ve got a long vacation. Why not travel around a bit while you’re at it?”

Luke recalled how, during his time as a soldier, he had rarely taken any time off. Between keeping up with Theo, the model soldier and his eternal rival, and the demanding nature of his duties, vacations had been a luxury he could hardly afford. Now, though, he lived a modest yet relaxed life, free from such obligations.

“Actually, I wasn’t planning on going anywhere. I just wanted to visit you,” Phael admitted.

“Really?”

“Yes. Is that… a problem?”

Phael’s eyes darted nervously as he began to gauge Luke’s reaction. Despite his improved circumstances, his timid nature hadn’t changed much, Luke thought.

“It’s fine. I just think it’s a shame to spend your entire vacation here,” Luke said, shrugging.

“I was hoping to help you out with things. You remember what I said, don’t you? I owe you, and I intend to repay that debt.”

The mention of the “debt” made Luke sigh. That incident had marked a significant turning point in Phael’s life. Before then, he had lived in constant fear, caught in the aftermath of being manipulated by a higher-up who had exploited his desperation. It was Luke who had extended a hand when Phael thought he was doomed.

“There you go again,” Luke muttered, exasperated.

Every time Phael expressed his gratitude, Luke deflected or changed the topic, unwilling to let the young man dwell on his feelings of indebtedness. Phael knew it was Luke’s way of easing his guilt, but it didn’t make him any less determined to show his gratitude.

The conversation drifted to other topics as they wandered through the festival until Luke noticed the sky beginning to darken.

“It’s already evening,” he remarked, looking up at the warm orange hues spreading across the horizon.

“There’s plenty of evening entertainment planned. Want to check it out?”

Luke mentioned that he intended to head home to check on his greenhouse, and Phael eagerly offered to accompany him.

As they headed toward the path back to the village, they were soon blocked by a dense crowd gathered in one of the narrower streets.

“Please don’t push!” someone shouted from the throng.

Luke tried peering over the heads to figure out what was causing the commotion. Turning to a nearby vendor, he asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Ah, it’s the ticket line for tonight’s theater performance,” the vendor explained.

Luke nodded in understanding. The theater troupe performing tonight was famous even beyond Kyleum, and tickets were highly sought after. He had heard about their reputation even during his time in the capital.

However, the disorganized crowd showed no signs of dispersing, and more people were arriving by the minute.

“We’re not getting through here anytime soon,” Phael noted.

Luke sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Yeah, this is going to take a while.”

The longer they waited, the worse the congestion seemed to get. Eventually, Luke turned to Phael.

“We’ll take another route,” he decided.

“Is there another way?”

“Yeah, through the woods over there. It’s a bit longer, but it should get us home.”

Although the forest path was slightly treacherous and would take extra time, Luke figured it was the better option. He wasn’t particularly worried about potential dangers in the woods—he was a former soldier, after all, and Phael, though part of an administrative unit, was still a trained soldier.

The two slipped away from the main square, scaling a low wall to reach the forest’s edge.

“Watch your step,” Luke advised.

“Yes, sir,” Phael replied, trailing behind him.

The path through the woods was narrow, forcing them to walk single file. Phael led the way while Luke kept a watchful eye from behind, ready to act if anything happened.

“Just keep walking straight ahead. The path’s pretty simple,” Luke explained, glancing up at the canopy above. The sunlight was fading fast, with only a few patches of orange sky visible through the dense foliage.

They picked up the pace, knowing that navigating in the dark would be much more challenging. However, just as they increased their speed, Luke froze mid-step.

“Wait.”

Phael stopped and turned around, concern etched on his face.

“What is it?”

“Did you feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“Someone—or something—is watching us,” Luke muttered, scanning the woods around them.

Phael shook his head, unable to sense anything unusual. Luke, however, remained tense. This wasn’t the same eerie yet familiar feeling he’d had back at the square—it was different. Unsettling. Inhuman.

Closing his eyes, Luke focused his senses, tuning out the ambient sounds of rustling leaves, chirping birds, and crawling insects. Among the natural noises, he caught the faint sound of something slicing through the air.

Luke’s eyes snapped open, his hand gathering a concentrated chill. A sharp icicle formed in his grasp, shimmering with latent magic. Without hesitation, he hurled it toward the source of the sound.

The icicle struck a large tree with a soft thunk, embedding itself deeply into the bark. Phael tilted his head in confusion—there was nothing there, just an ordinary tree.

Ignoring the apparent emptiness, Luke strode toward the spot. Phael hesitated but quickly followed. As they approached, a form began to materialize in front of the tree, slowly taking shape as though emerging from another dimension.

The creature resembled a round, furry orb with dark brown fur that blended perfectly with the bark of the tree. Its most notable features were its oversized wings, one of which bore Luke’s icicle.

“A monster?” Phael asked cautiously.

“Looks like it,” Luke replied, studying the creature closely.

Its small eyes darted nervously, and it let out a high-pitched whine, clearly distressed by the icicle lodged in its wing.

“Doesn’t seem dangerous. A low-tier monster, probably,” Phael observed.

“I agree.”

While the monster didn’t appear threatening, Luke’s furrowed brow suggested something was bothering him.

“Phael, have you ever seen a monster like this before?”

“No, sir. Not that I recall.”

“What about the Imperial bestiary?”

The Heiner Beast Codex was an exhaustive encyclopedia of all known monsters within the Empire, meticulously compiled over centuries. Nearly 90% of the creatures encountered within the Empire were cataloged there.

“I don’t think it’s in there either,” Phael replied.

“Then it’s an unidentified species,” Luke mused, plucking a strand of fur from the creature’s body. It whimpered softly, its tiny eyes welling with tears, an oddly endearing reaction for a monster.

“Monsters in the Empire adapt to their environment, right?”

“Yes, that’s what we were taught.”

“But this fur… It’s too dense and warm for a region like Kyleum. Even in winter, it’s never cold enough here to necessitate this level of adaptation,” Luke said, frowning as he examined the fur.

Something felt off. While the explanation of it being an undocumented species made sense, Luke couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it.

Pulling the icicle free from the tree, he lifted the furry creature with one hand and held it out toward Phael.

“Phael, I need you to do me a favor,” he said, his tone serious.