Part 4: Discovery

If there was some way to prove that she was able to Awaken her Soul, then perhaps she could convince Ottfried to take her along. Even if he couldn’t, maybe she could persuade another group. Even if it was only to the nearest city, it was still a wider horizon than this village.

But how?

Ottfried was sleeping right now, and he wouldn’t wake up until he left at midday. Perhaps the other travelers?

Although they seemed unreliable and one of them seemed more than a little lecherous, they were all still Seekers, after all. Erika made up her mind and went off to find them.

But first, she still had to do the tasks Objar had for her. It was simple today, too. She only had to do the dirty dishes that had piled up and take care of the garden in the backyard. There was also weaving to do, but she finished quickly, falling into the rhythm-trance at will.

After applying the herbs to her face, the bruise had changed to a sickly yellow while the open wound healed over completely.

She found the group of travelers returning to the village from the wilderness with yet another dead monster dragged behind them. She scowled.

The inn and the butcher hadn’t even finished the first kill they brought in, yet here came another one. The pricing for monster meat was ludicrous, so there’s really no reason to have so much. Were these travelers planning to drain all their coins before they leave?

However, her first impression of them told her that they weren’t bright enough to even consider this possibility, thinking only about the money they could get.

She waited until they deposited the monster at the butcher before approaching them.

“Excuse me, travelers,” she said.

“Oh, you’re that girl from yesterday,” one of them said. “Oh…” he stopped suddenly. “Sorry… who are you again?”

This traveler hadn’t spoken to her, so Erika’s memories of him were hazy. Of all of them, he had the most normal hairstyle, simply brown wavy hair cut short so they looked like the curls on a lamb. He wore leather armor, but she could see no weapons on him. However, Erika knew from watching Ottfried that regardless of whether a traveler carried a weapon or not, their War form did if they needed one.

She curtsied to him, about to introduce herself when another traveler butted in.

“Hey Almar, are you stupid? How can you not remember her? That’s Erika, that girl the person was talking about. The unmarried one,” the second traveler said.

She remembered this traveler much more clearly for more than one reason; he was the lecherous one and had ridiculous red hair smoothed back into spikes. He too wore leather armor, with flames dyed into the surface, but he had a sword at his hips, unlike Almar.

The corner of her mouth twitched at the latter part of his words. The unmarried one? Her gaze grew colder until she was half glaring at him. The lecherous traveler seemed to notice her gaze but grinned at her.

Shameless! she seethed inwardly.

“Stein, don’t be rude,” a third traveler warned. “Remember the iron rule of this…” he trailed off. Erika looked at him, curious about what he was about to say. However, he seemed to have no intention of continuing.

Of all four travelers, this third one seemed more mature. While he wasn’t exactly the leader, he was probably the glue that held this group of travelers together and prevented them from dying to stupid things.

That left only the last one, the traveler than the others bullied into giving her the herb. He was the pushover, the one that came to her with a blush.

Erika sighed, then introduced herself. “Good days, travelers. My name is Erika. Erika Yaelin.”

The travelers began to introduce themselves as well. First was the lecherous one.

“My name is Stein!”

“Almar here...”

The most mature traveler’s name was Styr, and the last pushover was Ymir.

“So, do you need something from us?” Styr asked.

Erika nodded. “It’s nothing much. I just have some questions.”

Styr’s eyebrows raised, then nodded.

Erika took a deep breath. “How can I Awaken my Soul?” she asked.

The travelers stared at her, then turned away. Except for Ymir, who was unanimously elected to answer her question. Erika looked at him with pity, but she wanted answers. However, of all the things she expected, she didn’t expect him to say—

“We don’t know.”

“What? How can you not know? You’re all Awakened, right?” Erika asked.

“Y-yes, but we don’t know. It… just happened,” Ymir said.

“So all four of you Awakened your Souls, but not a single one of you know how you did it?”

All four of them nodded.

Erika stared at them, then understanding set in along with disappointment in herself. It was she herself who had earlier claimed this group of travelers had the power but didn’t earn it. What was she doing, asking them?

Then again, even she hadn’t expected that this group would be so clueless.

Ottfried, even though he was just one person by himself, was better than all four of them combined. She sighed and shook her head. “Never mind then, I’ll ask someone else.”

It was at this moment when the traveler named Almar seemed to have an epiphany of some kind. “Oh…” he paused. “Wait! I think I remember something!”

Erika turned back to him while the other three travelers looked at him incredulously.

“To Awaken your War Soul, you must have mastery over a certain style of combat. Like, your War form suits your combat style perfectly so you got to master it first.”

Mastery over a certain style of combat… Erika never fought in her life, yet that was the most basic requirement to Awaken.

“So you’re all masters at a certain style of combat?” she asked them.

Unexpectedly, they all looked uncomfortable. Erika looked at them in confusion. “Are you a master at the sword?” she asked red-haired Stein.

Stein hesitated, then was about to say something when Styr smacked him in the back. What he was about to say died in his throat and he changed his answer to a small “no.”

“... Are you making fun of me?” Erika growled. “Bah! I don’t know what I was thinking!”

“Wait! The truth is, we used something else to Awaken our Soul!” Stein shouted. Erika didn’t look back.

“I’m serious! This sword! When I touched it, my Soul Awakened on its own!” he said, unsheathing his sword.

“Will it work for me?” Erika asked.

“Well, no. This sword only works for me…” Stein admitted.

“And that staff only works for Ymir, right? The daggers you have hidden, Almar. That bow on your back, Styr?” At her words, the travelers looked at the ground one by one.

Erika curtsied to them once again and excused herself. “Thank you. You’ve been very… helpful. Many things have become clear to me,” Erika said honestly.

“Um… we’re glad to help,” Stein said before Styr stomped on his foot. He shouted in pain, but Erika didn’t pay him any mind as she left.

Her assumptions were wrong.

She had taken Ottfried’s words too literally and twisted their meaning to suit herself. Indeed, her destiny was decided at birth. If she was born here, there was little she could do to develop her combat skills. None of the other villagers really had the drive nor a reason to do so either. Why sacrifice a good future to pursue a life of danger?

In a way, she was the one closest to Awakening her Soul in this entire village, yet even she was still far off.

Even if this body formerly had an Awakened War Soul, the moment she entered this body, all that disappeared.

From what she knew, honing good combat skills required people to start at a young age. She was already seventeen years old, so it was probably a bit late. Moreover, she had no teacher.

Her only other option was to somehow get her hands on those weapons that group of travelers had. It’s just that her instincts told her that door was closed to her. Those weapons were unique to those travelers, and she’d never get one in her life.

She was missing something crucial, something that could Awaken her Soul, yet she didn’t know what.

The only person she could ask was Ottfried, but to do that, she’d have to interrupt his rest. She might even delay his departure tonight, or even the next morning. Considering she had already kept him for two days, she really was reluctant.

However, of all the travelers so far, Ottfried was the one that understood her the most.

After a moment, Erika decided to risk it. Ottfried might lose a day, but if she missed this chance, she would lose a lifetime. She silently apologized to Ottfried before knocking on his door.

The door opened after a long time and an annoyed Ottfried stared down at her.

“What do you want? I told you I’m leaving at midday,” Ottfried said.

“I want to ask if there is a way to Awaken your Soul aside from mastering a style of combat?” Erika asked.

Ottfried’s face scrunched in disgust and opened the door further for her to enter. “Mastering a style of combat? Who told you that?”

“That strange group of travelers,” Erika said. “I asked them how to Awaken my Soul, but none of them knew. One of them said he vaguely remembered that the normal way consisted of mastering combat, and another way involved using a special weapon.”

Ottfried sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

“The second part is right. Sometimes, a weapon will react to a person’s soul and become a Soul Weapon that can Awaken that person’s Soul. However, afterward, it can be melted down or whatever since it’s just a normal weapon.

“The first method, however, is wrong. War Soul Awakening has nothing to do with how well you mastered the weapon, rather, it’s an intense desire.”

Ottfried reached for the sheathed sword sitting by his side and drew it. He angled it so that Erika could see her reflection in the mirror-like steel.

“That is the essence of Soul Awakening. Of course, having a fighting style helps, but it is not required. I Awakened when my friend was killed. My goal is to slaughter, to avenge, and not to protect. Thus, my Soul Awakening grants me pure physical killing power. I didn’t have a fighting style except for mundane swordplay, yet my Soul Awakened to such a wondrous War form.”

“Then… how can I Awaken my Soul?” Erika asked.

Ottfried shrugged. “Who knows? Perhaps you can sacrifice a friend. Throw yourself into the jaws of death and see what happens? What is your most intense desire? How will you fight for it?”

“What I wish most is to see the world,” Erika muttered, but Ottfried shook his head.

“That is too broad. Dreams can conceal what you truly wish for. Some dreams are what your desires become after many things have been layered after you. Some people never find out, and those will never Awaken. Others’ desires aren’t strong enough, and neither do they Awaken, as is with the case of most villagers.”

He sheathed the sword, cutting off Erika’s reflection of herself.

“So even if my dream is to see the world, that’s not my desire?” Erika asked.

“Correct. My dream was always to become a commander of Caerau’s army. Perhaps, if I Awakened then, my Soul would’ve looked like something different. However, my friend’s death affected me too much; when my desire was strongest, it was to kill all that stood against me and vengeance.”

“What if your desires change?” Erika asked.

“Simple. Your Awakened Soul evolves as you live. Maybe one day, when I stop being a messenger, I will join the combat arm of the army and rise to become a commander. By then, my Soul would have changed to match.”

Erika fell silent. This Soul Awakening process was too complicated. While having the desire to chase after and fight for her greatest desire sounds easy on paper, it was as hard or harder than becoming a master in a style of combat. It wasn’t something with a definite finish line.

Rather, it required her to know what she wanted, to dig deep into her being and recognize what drove her at her core. Without an event to bring it to a surface like what happened with Ottfried, this sort of introspection was difficult.

“If you had to guess, what is my greatest desire?” Erika asked.

Ottfried shrugged. “Beats me. I don’t know you well enough. To me, your greatest desire is to see the world. As for how you’ll Awaken your Soul by acting upon that desire, it’s all on you.” He took the pipe out of his mouth and emptied it on a tray.

“Now, it’s time for me to go. I take back my words, girl. You might be brave after all. If you truly are brave and not stupid, then I hope to see you in the wilderness one day.”

Ottfried picked up his sword and hat then disappeared out the door. Erika didn’t follow him and instead ran to the window just in time to see him walk out of the inn below her. He looked up and their eyes met for an instant before he disappeared to the stables.

Erika’s brain was a mess.

All this information came too much, too fast. Her first thought was to go to the fields, but when she thought about her meeting with the group of clueless travelers, the information that they told her mixed with the things Ottfried taught her.

In the end, Tabitha’s house was the best place to go. Talking to Tabitha helped her sort out her thoughts, and Tabitha always had some advice that helped.

Before she left the inn room, she cleaned it so Ronja didn’t have to later. To her disappointment, Ottfried didn’t leave anything like a secret letter for her in a secret compartment or under the pillow.

She rebuked herself a moment later. To him, she was just a girl with big dreams; he’d probably seen plenty of people like her during his travels. It was dumb of her to entertain the idea that she was special.

When she left the inn, she let Ronja know that she already cleaned the guest room. As she walked out the front door, footsteps followed close behind her and she whirled around, coming face to face with Styr.

“Oh hello, miss Erika,” the archer said, stepping back. “Did I scare you? I’m sorry we parted on such bad terms last time.”

“No, we didn’t part on bad terms. Why would you think that?” she asked.

“Because we couldn’t help you. It’s natural to feel a bit guilty if you’re unable to be of assistance,” Styr answered.

Erika blinked. Styr seemed like a different person. While he was definitely the most mature of the clueless group of travelers, he never struck her as a sauvély person.

Based on her observations, she came up with a theory. People in a group act like the group’s average. In a group of four, Styr’s behavior changed until he was just mature enough to keep the others in check. Man was by nature a social animal after all, and most strove to conform.

Alone, he could show his true social face, which was one as smooth as his hair that reached his back, so white it was bordering on platinum. How did that group afford to keep their hair in such an impractical style all the time?

“Where are the rest of your group?” she asked.

“Oh, they just… are resting. I’m staying out a bit longer, since I’m not tired yet,” Styr answered. “By the way, just now, Almar was thinking hard about your question and he found that he was wrong. Awakenings aren’t triggered by becoming a master at fighting, but rather from the resolve to fight for what you believe and want. In other words, Awakening is more mental than physical.”

Erika nodded. “I see. I consulted another traveler earlier and he told me the same thing.”

“Another traveler? Oh, the one that just left? He is very powerful. Do you know him?”

“No. However, he did teach me many things, so I’m very thankful.”

Styr nodded. “I’m glad you learned what you needed to, Miss Erika. Before I sleep, I’m planning to go hunting in the forest. Would you like to come with me for an outing if I keep you safe?”

Erika shook her head. “No, I have something to do. I have two questions, though.”

“Please.”

“Are you aware that you constantly selling monster meat to us is draining all the coins from this village?” she asked.

“No… I’ve never thought about it,” Styr replied, thinking. He seemed to be reconsidering his activities. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll be more mindful.”

“I see. Then, here’s the second question. It’s actually a request.”

Styr’s eyes seemed to light up, and Erika felt a glimmer of hope, and she rushed to continue.

”Will you take me with you to wherever you’re going? I want to leave this village. I don’t have much to pay you, but I have some skills that can be helpful while traveling,” Erika said, lowering her voice pitifully. “I overheard that your cook can’t cook.”

Styr grimaced. “I’m afraid I can’t. We have certain circumstances that prevent us from taking anyone with us,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Erika nodded. She’d expected the refusal, but no many how many times she was rejected, it was always depressing when it happened. “In that case, I won’t bother you anymore."

She and Styr went their separate ways. When she arrived at Tabitha’s house down the road, Styr was already nowhere in sight. Hopefully, he’ll take her words to heart and stop selling monster meat they could easily obtain to this village that had to work hard for every coin. Monster meat was a luxury and one this village couldn’t afford too much of. Ronja didn’t seem to want to stop buying it until she ran out of money, either.

Tabitha answered the door almost immediately when she knocked. “You’ve been coming at strange hours, Erika. Did you find out something new?”

“I did. Did you know what’s the difference between us and travelers?”

“Beyond the obvious?” Tabitha asking, thinking. “No, I don’t. Maybe they’re better at fighting.”

“Yes. The reason they’re so good at fighting is that of something called Soul Awakening. War Soul Awakening. Their Soul manifests over their physical body in full regalia and all aspects of their combat ability are increased in some way or another.”

Perhaps Ottfried might be a seasoned warrior, but Erika did not believe for one second that he could use that same burst of speed he killed the panther with while in his normal body.

“My, that’s certainly a big advantage. So, what’s the catch?” Tabitha asked. “What’s do you have to do to… Awaken your Soul? See me in danger?” she teased.

“No, of course not. If that was required, I’d rather stay in this village forever,” Erika said, glaring at Tabitha. “No, it requires me to want to act upon my greatest desire. However, I don’t know what it is.”

“Hm. Is it not going out to see the world?” Tabitha suggested.

“That’s what I thought too, but the traveler I asked said it was too broad. When I asked him, he said he didn’t know me well, which is why I came to ask you. In this whole village, you know me best of all,” Erika said.

Tabitha fell silent, then reached forward to pat Erika’s head, as if she was awarding a small child. Erika pushed down the protest and accepted the affection obediently. Tabitha’s smile grew. “I’m happy you think that, Erika. Unfortunately, I don’t know you well enough either, though I have a small idea. All I can do is help you along the path. Here’s a hint: ask ‘why.’”

“Why I want to see the world?”

Tabitha shook her head. “Too broad. A little narrower.”

“Why I want to leave this village?”

“Closer! A little narrower,” Tabitha encourage.

“Why I don’t want to live this like…”

“And why is that? Why don’t you want to marry anyone? Why won’t you settle down?” Tabitha asked. “Why don’t you want to be like me? I believe the answer to these questions are your innermost desires.”

“I… want…to…” Erika began, hoping to miraculously blurt the answer, but it didn’t work.

Why didn’t she want to live this life? It wasn’t hard. She had friends. She had half a family in Tabitha, she even took her surname. If she settled down in this village, she had a good life ahead of her.

Now that she thought about it, the answer was simple.

All these things put chains on her. It locked her to this land, stifling who she was. Once she settled down, all of these futures would be closed off to her. She would never be free again.

“Tabitha, my deepest desire… is to cast off these chains I live under, and to control my life and future!”

Part 5: Reunion

After her talk with Tabitha, Erika had a clearer path to her Awakening and future. She had her desire, but triggering her Awakening was a whole different question.

Beyond that, there was only the small problem that her only way out of this village was to leave the village. For now, the only way she could think of Awakening her Soul and control her life was to leave the village, but to do that safely, she first needed to Awaken her Soul. It was a dilemma she couldn’t find a way past.

This time, she went to the fields. A fluffy ram ambled over, nuzzling her hand. “Sorry, no salt this time,” she said, rubbing its horns. “I’ll bring a bit the next time I come over.”

The ram butted her a few more time insistently before finally stopping. It didn’t leave though, but lowered its head and began to graze, looking over every so often as if waiting just in case she really was hiding a treat. Erika sighed helplessly.

Suddenly, a loud bang sounded in the air, high in the sky. It wasn’t thunder, it wasn’t nearly as sonorous. She scrambled to her feet while the ram by her side skittered away in surprise at her movements. Did it not hear the explosion?

She looked toward the source, and in the forests of the west, a red light flickered and faded, falling apart in little crimson sparks.

Something in her howled, pulling her. A small flame ignited within her.

Caerau lay in the west, and that was the direction Ottfried went!

She took off sprinting, leaving the fields behind and headed for the western entrance to the village.

“Where are you going, running so fast?” a villager called behind her, but she didn’t answer. As she passed a few more houses, more people idling on the streets asked her the same question, but her mind was already jumbled.

No one else knew of it! She was the only one who saw and heard the mysterious explosion. The word ‘flare’ appeared in her mind.

She skidded to a stop at the edge of the village, just behind the fairy rings. She couldn’t take another step forward. Multiple sources of threatening pressures crushed against her, but one of them was familiar. It was Ottfried’s Awakened form.

Slowly, it moved closer to the village, but the other pressures seemed to be trying to obstruct him. Monsters!

Somehow, she had to help him, but she couldn’t. She was just an ordinary village girl! Even if she gathered all the men in the village, they still wouldn’t stand a chance against so many monsters at once. It was a miracle that Ottfried was still standing while holding off so many by himself.

Besides, even if she could rally the men, what would she say? “I saw a red flare that none of you saw, so you have to go into the dangerous forest and fight some monsters.” They’d probably laugh her out of the village.

Why did she have to be the one to see it anyway? That strange howling and tugging within her… It’s like the flare is calling her soul. If she could see and hear it because she partially Awakened by finding her desire, then the full Seekers nearby should have felt it too.

So why did none of the other travelers reply? Because the only other group of travelers in the village was currently resting. If she ran to wake them up, would she make it in time?

Before Erika even finished asking herself the question, she was already running toward Ronja’s inn. Lifting her dress so that she didn’t step on it and fall, she ran up the stairs. She ran to a door and knocked on it loudly.

“Hello? Is anyone in here?” she called.

When no one answered, she opened the door. It was completely empty, almost as if no one lived in here, if not for the disturbed covers on the two beds.

The other room that the group of travelers booked was the same: disturbed but empty.

If they went out, then that meant they’re awake, and they should’ve seen the flare too. However, she didn’t feel that pressure of any non-monsters aside from Ottfried.

Thinking about it, it’s not that strange. Why should they help another traveler at the risk of their life, especially one that they’d likely never see again? It was pragmatic, but also in their best interests.

Her best option was to just sit tight and pretend nothing happened and simply let Ottfried die, but she refused to even consider it.

She owed Ottfried too much to even consider being a bystander. But no matter how much she wanted to help, she was powerless.

A stupid idea came to her. It was suicidal.

She ran down into the inn, almost bumping into Ronja.

“What’s the rush?” she asked.

“Ronja, can I borrow a wheelbarrow, the monster boar’s skin and fur, and some of the meat? I promise I’ll pay you back.”

Ronja looked at her, confused, but nodded. “Sure. What do you need it for, though?”

Erika smiled at her mysteriously. “It’s a secret. Thanks, Ronja!”

Next, she found rope, which she tied to chunks of leftover boar meat. It smelled strong, and while the crushing threat of monsters was no longer present, she could still sense the life essence that made monster meat so much more valuable than normal.

This was without a doubt the dumbest idea she ever had. It wasn’t even a plan; it was just something she thought of out of the blue. But she didn’t have any better ideas.

It occurred to her to question why exactly she was putting in so much effort for Ottfried, but she couldn’t answer it beyond “to return a debt.” If Ottfried died there, then what she owed him will never be returned.

It was a silly thought. Foolish. Utterly stupid.

Yet, she was pushing that wheelbarrow loaded with skin, meat, and rope toward the western entrance of the village.

She stepped out of the boundary of fairy rings and into the forest, ignoring the calls of the villagers behind her.

All the monsters in the region had been drawn to Ottfried, so her path was clear. Although the wheelbarrow was hard to maneuver, she finally made it to where the sound of fighting could be heard, the crashing of metal on claws ringing through the trees.

The idea was simple but idiotic.

First, she cleared the ground of leaves. In the cleared area, she piled pieces of the boar’s body, then dragged a few dead, dry branches over the pile. Then she struck a flame with a flint and dumped a burning branch onto the piled meat and wood.

The hungry flames licked at the meat, searching for fuel, and found it in the glistening fat of the boar. The flames exploded into a roaring inferno.

For an instant, the fighting stopped and the forest fell into silence except for the snapping of breaking branches, sizzle of the burning flesh, and the roar of the flames.

Erika’s reasoning was simple: there was no animal that didn’t fear fire, especially in a forest. Although she picked a clearing with a long distance to every tree, there was still the very real risk of the fire going out of control and growing into a forest fire.

Every animal was afraid of this, and monsters should be no exception.

However, Ottfried probably knows what this fire meant, especially since it was spring and the weather was still cold. A fire wouldn’t start for no reason at this time of the year. Combined with the smell of burning monster, it was practically a beacon.

One of the warring pressures broke away during the lull in the battle and charged toward her. It was Ottfried. The monsters behind him gave chase, but most of them were much slower, more hesitant, than before.

The smell of burning flesh should be a huge deterrent.

It didn’t take long for a humanoid silhouette to appear in the gloom of the forest, charging into the firelight. It was Ottfried, but dressed in armor even heavier than when she saw him kill the panther.

In return, he was much slower.

Erika guessed he was probably getting overwhelmed in his lighter armor, so he somehow switched into heavier armor and just bunkered down to wait for help.

She couldn’t see his expression through his full-face helmet, nor did his movements betray anything. Instead, he simply ran beside her and wheeled around, facing the monsters that followed him.

The monsters paused by the trees and began circling them slowly. Their eyes reflected the writhing bonfire in the center of the clearing.

Erika sensed that less than half of the monsters followed them here. Assuming that Ottfried could hold off all of the monsters before, then he should be able to start whittling down the numbers now.

“Erika… right? What are you doing here? Aren’t there any other Seekers nearby? There should be four in town, so why are you here alone?” the question echoed out of Ottfried’s helmet.

“I couldn’t find them so I came alone. Can you handle the remaining monsters? Half of them didn’t chase you here.”

Ottfried turned to look at her, but she couldn’t read his expression behind the helmet. His armor seemed to sag.

“I can kill or drive them all off eventually, but I can’t protect you. I’m afraid that before it all ends, you… I’m sorry, even though you came to help me.” The helmet distorted his voice, and Erika couldn’t make out his emotions. Still, the words were enough. She helped him.

Besides, it’s not like she came totally unprepared. From the bottom of the wheelbarrow, she took out the bundle of boar skin. It was stiff, hard, tougher than leather, and much thicker.

The boar meat bonfire was something she thought through, but the real challenge was surviving afterwards. This part of the idea was the dumbest part.

She pressed herself into the loam and put the boar skin over her.

She really couldn’t think of a better idea except hiding herself and her scent under the heavy odor of the monster boar. The skin was thick enough to pad against impact and heavy enough to protect her against the claws of monsters that didn’t realize she was there.

The real danger would be getting crushed.

Despite the idea being crude and stupid, it was all she had.

The fighting began anew when one of the threatening pressures circling them suddenly sharpened like a spear point. It always did that the instant before it attacked. A dozen more followed in staggered intervals, all seeming to sharpen their pressure before dashing forward.

Ottfried stood his ground. His pressure seemed to flatten into a shield. The spear point crashed against his wall and was flung away.

From the images in her mind, Erika tried to piece together the scene. That monster that attacked first might’ve been redirected with a parry. A second monster’s pressure weakened and it staggered away. That one was hurt in the exchange with Ottfried.

Ottfried’s strength seemed to grow as he fought and his pressure became more and more overbearing. The shield of pressure seemed to morph into a spear point the instant before a monster’s pressure weakened.

The traveler balanced between offense and defense perfectly, defending until he found an opening to strike. The spear appeared more and more often until Ottfried was dashing all over the battlefield, but never too far from her, dispatching monsters wherever he went.

Her worry of being crushed never came to be. Ottfried was close enough to stop any monster from coming near her, and the monsters had no real interest in a seemingly dead boar corpse anyway.

It was like her existence faded from their minds the moment the battle started.

In this battle, Erika realized that she could sense Souls. The things that she always referred to as a ‘crushing pressure’ was actually the being’s Awakened Soul.

All monsters are what animals become after Awakening, triggered by their instincts instead of their desires.

By observing these Souls, she could track travelers and monsters. She could tell whether when they were about to attack the instant before they do by reading their Souls.

This was an ability unique to her as Ottfried seemed not to understand when she first mentioned it.

Slowly, the battle came to an end as Ottfried’s greatsword slaughtered the monsters until every single one that chased him here was either dead or escaped.

The smell of blood that filled the air flooded into her nostrils as soon as she pushed the boar pelt off her body, and she doubled over retching. Ottfried came to her side, hand poised to rub her back, but she put her hand up.

Spitting out the last of the vomit, she looked at Ottfried’s helmeted face, then at the carnage around her.

Erika counted five Souls that escaped, and seven dead bodies in the clearing, not counting her boar pelt.

That meant that before she started the bonfire, Ottfried was facing over twenty monsters alone. A certain traveler’s boast came to mind.

‘That boar was so weak. Even if ten of them came at once, I could still take ‘em!’

All of a sudden, it didn’t seem so silly anymore. What seemed like an idle boast held a hint of the merciless truth. Even if that traveler, Stein, couldn’t take on ten monsters at once, he might still need to if he was ever separated from his companions one day. Then, he would die.

Ottfried’s blood splattered armor disappeared in a flash along with his greatsword, leaving just his normal longsword in his hand. His attire was pristine as if he wasn’t just in a pitched battle. He caught her staring in confusion and explained. “A Seeker’s War form replaces or manifests over the normal form, so even I got dirty in my War form, my normal form will still look normal after I dispel it. More importantly, are you hurt?”

Erika looked at herself. She looked like a mess, her dress covered in mud and ashes. Some blood that seeped into the ground got on her body as well. “Yes, thanks to you.”

Ottfried sheathed his sword. “Keeping the monsters away after you did so much was only natural. If you hadn’t come, I’d have died. If you didn’t bring that boar skin with you, you would’ve traded your life for mine.”

He looked away. “And I’m not sure I can handle having your blood on my hands after calling you a burden so many times, only to have you save my life.”

“I’m just repaying a debt I owe,” Erika said, curtsying.

A smile lift the corners of Ottfried’s beard, then quickly faded. Erika blurted out her thoughts at the same time.

“What happened to your horse?”

Ottfried blew a long breath. “He died.”

Erika hesitated. Some questions were better left unasked, but her curiosity won. “How?”

The traveler in front of her shook his head. “We were attacked. He panicked and broke his leg when he fell. When I checked, the monsters had already surrounded us. I had some breathing room to retreat at first, but only at the cost of him being torn apart and eaten. That’s when I set off the flare.”

Erika’s hand flew to her mouth in horror. “I’m sorry…”

“Why are you apologizing!” Ottfried said, looking at her wanly. “You have no part in this. It was my fault. I wasn’t perceptive enough. I should have been more alert, and now my Shade who had been with me so many years is dead.”

Erika shook her head. “No, it’s also partially my fault. I shouldn’t have interrupted your sleep. Because of that, you weren’t as alert as you could be...”

“Interrupted my sleep? Wasn’t alert as I could be?” Ottfried growled. “No, I was careless, pure and simple. You had nothing to do with it. If an interrupted night’s sleep could leave me so useless after I’ve had two whole days of lazing around, I might as well retire now.”

Reentering his War form, Ottfried destroyed the bonfire with a swing of his sword and stomped out the small piles of flame, seemingly venting. However, the worst of his grief seemed to have passed.

“Come on, let’s go back, Erika. It looks like I’ll have journey on foot, and there’s no point in camping out in the wild with the village right there.”

Erika pushed the promise to Ronja to replace the boar meat she borrowed to the back of her mind and quickly ran after Ottfried. He could take care of it later.

The sun had already begun to set.