By the time I came back to my training ground, it was already around 5 pm.

On my way back, I took my time to explore the surrounding area, after all, knowing your surroundings can be very useful in fight or flight as it was earlier.

Okay, I admit it was optional for the fight earlier but who knows what other wild animals or even maybe monsters are lurking deep within the forest.

Come to think of it, I still don't know if it was three beasts or just animals that got a little too big.

If so, Then did I just kill my first monsters?

No, I highly doubt that.

After all, monsters are said to hate the barrier and tend to live the farthest can from the barrier. If it was only from the book, I wouldn’t have come here but I even got Cyrus's confirmation, so I assumed that I should be safe as long as I don’t go too deep within the forest.

Then if these three were just over buffed animals it would mean that the barrier doesn’t affect animals but only monsters.

I see that would make sense.

But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any other stronger animals around here, and On top of that I can't afford the slightest injury if I don't want to get caught by Maa or Syrus, so I'd better play it safe.

So as I was saying.

On my way back, I took my time to inspect the surroundings, and during that inspection, I was lucky to stumble upon a tree hollow filled with water.

It was a truly lucky discovery since the thing is that my whole body was covered with blood.

Obviously not my blood but the warthog's blood.

For me, that discovery was really a gift from the gods, since I brought spare clothes but no water to clean myself.

I started to be scared because I didn't know how I was going to get all this blood out, I still couldn't come home like that.

And then paf I stumbled upon the most natural water this forest has to offer.

Well, it must be said that it was not just “water” in a tree hollow, it was more a soup made from water, dead leaves, mosses, and mosquito larvae.

But hey, I had to with the means at hand.

Once I was done with it.

I resumed my investigation with the hope to find other similar tree hollows filled with water.

After a while, I’ve found eight in the area I’ve covered. These things would be very useful when I encounter any other creatures like those again.

So when I came back to the training ground I thought that it was enough for today, so I headed back to the barrier.

Once the barrier was in sight, I removed my backpack and retrieved my clean clothes, and put them on.

I then hid my backpack in a tree.

I couldn’t afford to get caught carrying two daggers and bloodstained clothes on my back, on top of that there is literally no safe place in the manor other than the library, and that is only if I’m not caught midway.

So I decided to leave my backpack here.

I then headed to the barrier.

When I was about 5 meters from the barrier something strange was happening from the barrier.

Earlier this afternoon the barrier was like a watery wall but right now it looked more like a fog wall.

I immediately enhanced my body with aina and as soon as I did a lightning bolt flew from the barrier to me.

I dodged the lighting but it was a close call.

The first lightning was soon followed by five others.

I ran with all my might and managed with great difficulty to avoid them all.

I ran with all my might back into the forest, after a short while I saw that the barrier no longer sent any lightning bolt after me.

From here I still could see the barrier and I noticed that the barrier slowly returned to its usual water-like appearance.

“What was that?”

I knew what happened with the barrier but not why it used me as a target.

What happened earlier is what happens when a monster is trying to come close to the barrier.

The primary objective of the barrier is to protect humanity and to do so the barrier operates in 3 ways.

Défense: Thanks to the force field nothing can go in or out.

Répulsion: This is more of a byproduct rather than something done on purpose. The monsters loathe the confinement feeling produced by the barrier.

Offense: Any monsters approaching the barrier are automatically attacked by the barrier. When being offensive, the barrier loses its invisible property and turns into a massive fog wall. It can shoot elemental attacks depending on the invader's weakness.

These shots were clearly aiming at me.

So now I’m an invading monster huh?

The barrier must have made a mistake this can’t be.

I once again approached the barrier but this time I carefully to kept her within sight

The barrier kept her watery appearance until I reached a distance of 5 m away from it.

It immediately turned into a foggy mess like it was earlier.

I immediately fell back into the forest.

Once I reached the place where I was earlier the barrier has already regained its watery appearance.

Dammit. If it continues like this I won’t be able to go back to the manor.

Haaaaaaaa Dammit

I need to keep my cool and think, over-panicking won’t help.

It’s clear that the barrier is reacting to me.

When I entered the barrier, nothing like this happened.

Then there is something that might be different between me earlier and me now.

“Think, think, think Ronandt what could have caused the barrier to reacting like this, I can’t have just turned into a monster in a mere afternoon am I?”

Aaaaaaaa~

I can’t think of anything.

Oh no, wait.

If I remember well when I entered the barrier I had my backpack on.

Could it be?

I rushed to the tree where I hid my backpack.

I put it on and went once again to confront the barrier.

I slowly approached the barrier clearly the very moment it began to shift into its foggy appearance.

When I reached the spot.

Nothing happened.

I carefully approached the barrier and once I reached a distance where I could reach it with my hand, my hand passed through it.

Feeling that I was safe, I walked through the barrier.

Once I was on the other side, I fell on my knee.

“ Fuuuuu”

I wasn’t injured or anything.

I was just exhausted for a moment, I thought I was going to be locked in this forest forever.

The chase earlier was nothing compared to this.

I never missed so much the human goddamn continent.

I wonder what inside my-

You know what fuck this.

I’m gonna take care of this tomorrow.

I’m done with both the forest and the barrier for today.

I hid the backpack in a nearby bush and made my way to the manor.

The fence was soon within sight but I immediately noticed that two or three manly voices were talking on the other side of the wall.

“You sure she saw something?” said one voice surely belonging to one of the guards.

“How am I supposed to know, it was her who saw it, not me.” replied a second voice.

“Make sense. And even if it was true, how are we supposed to deal with that, a column of smoke rising to the sky huh! We’re guards, not firefighters.” I recognized the voice. It belonged to the newbie who replaced the guard who was fired.

Oops, it seems that the smoke column could be seen from the manor.

“Hahaha, yeah but you better watch your mouth in front of the harpy.”

I wonder who this “harpy” can be.

“Yeah yeah she won’t have any regret to fire you if she sees you slacking off.” retorted a third voice.

I see now who is the famous “harpy”.

“Yeah, you guys don’t have to worry, I know that already.”

“Okay, guys, I think that should do it.” Declared solemnly one of the voices.

After a while, they all just left.

It seems that these guys were sent to check if the fence was okay I suppose. Because otherwise, I don't understand what they had come here to do.

Seriously, what were you guys trying to do? Wasn’t the problem coming from outside the domain? Then why are you just stopping on the fence?

Ah whatever, time to go home.

I jumped over the fence and made a perfect landing on the other side.

I immediately began to check my surroundings.

No one at sight. I ran with all my might to the manor.

Once I got closer I noticed that the window I got out of was closed, no actually it's all the back windows that were closed leaving only the door to the kitchen open at least only at this side of the manor.

I stopped running and began to casually walk.

I walk through the door and quietly walk through the kitchen. I could have gone unnoticed but I think I've exhausted my lot of luck for today.

“Monsieur?” said someone with a not-very manly voice.

“Oh~ Mathéo, how are you doing?“

Matheo is the name of the cook.

When I was younger, the perfect word to describe the man was beer-bellied, but he has evolved.

The beer-bellied Matheo is no more.

Today’s Matheo is what I could call a chubby man.

“I couldn’t be better Sir,” He said while caressing his belly.“What brings monsieur in my humble cuisine?”

“Oh, I was just passing by,” I said while pointing to the door leading to the adjacent room.

“I see,” said Matheo with a nod.

“And now that I think of it Matheo. Have you ever cooked a warthog?”

“Warthog? There are two or three recipes that come to my mind but I've never personally cooked one.

“I see, but I’m sure that as long as it’s Matheo who is cooking it, it will be tasty.”

"Merci Monsieur, It makes my day to hear that.”

I gave Matheo a two-finger salute and made my way to the library or my room.

Just when I was about to climb the stairs I stumbled upon Maa who was just about to go down.

“A~ma I thought that you were still in the library. May I inquire where exactly the Young Lord was all this time ?” Said Maa in a rather inquisitive tone.

“I left the library earlier to relieve the bosom of mine, and then went to the kitchen to have a little chat with Matheo and here I am.”

“I don't really like the order in which you did all this but whatever. You better stay in the manor I’ve seen something strange coming from the barrier earlier,” she said as she descended the stairs.

“Something strange?”

“Yes, a wall of fog. it happened twice but it didn't last long before it disappeared into thin air.”

When she said that she had already reached the ground floor where I was.

“I wish I could’ve seen it. it must have been very impressive to see” I said with a smile.

“Yes, it wa-.” She stopped mid-sentence and began to sniff around “what is this smell ?”

“What smell ?” I said innocently.

“It smells like wet dog,” said Maa with disgust painted all over her face.

“You know what I think I-” My sentence was cut by the noise of the entrance door being opened.

The ones who opened the door were the three guards from earlier.

“ We’ve investigated the place and we haven’t found anything strange, mam.”

Seizing the opportunity I start to climb the stairs with the intent to go straight into my room and take a bath before Maa notices that the wet dog smell came from me.

“I see. You may go but stay vigilant during your rounds, I have a bad feeling about that thing.”

“Yes mam.” said the three of them in unison.

They were about to come out the door through which they had entered when I asked Maa out loud.

“Say Maa, do you know what a Harpy looks like?”

When I said that I saw the back of the three guards straightening.

“I do, what of it?”

“Oh, nothing I just wanted to share my knowledge if you were to happen to ignore what harpy was.” I said while addressing a gentle and warm smile to the guards.