“Eri, are you sure about this?…”

Del said it as she began to look at Eri with a worried face.

“Yes...Please go ahead without me.”

……..

“I see...Well then, good luck! I will see you back in town.”

“Uhm,thanks and you too.”

Eri was finally ready to move on as the carriage is now no longer in her sight.

…….

I didn’t imagine things to end up being like this….Eliz-san is probably going to hate me now…

*Sigh*

What am I even doing here all alone!?! There is no point in staying here when she doesn’t even remember me… Is there?

Eri made another sigh as she slowly walk toward Zerak’s mountain without noticing it…

Several minutes later…

W-w-where the heck am I???

Uuu… This bad habit of mine..-

Eri looked around to see where she has ended up to.

This forest...Am I under a mountain?……

She looked up and noticed the change in the landscape, then looked back again to confirm something.

I am already this deep in??

*Sigh*

It seems like, that I have to sleep here tonight…

Eri took a look at the sun as it slowly goes down.

…...

After a few minutes of walking Eri finally found herself the perfect camping spot for the night.

“P-pretty..”

She spoke out her thoughts while looking at the enormous tree right in front of her.

The tree’s leaves has been dyed orange by the sun light, as the sun itself slowly goes down behind the mountain. Some of the light passed through the gaps between the tree’s branches and leaves which ended up creating rays of light from big to small around the tree itself.

T-this place is perfect!!

Eri said it to herself as she took out a water bottle, a piece of meat and a medium size tent from her old looking purse storage.

This should be enough...All there's left is a bonfire…

One after another stones with the size of a head each, were found and placed into a small circle right under the tree by Eri herself, together with a bunch of dry branches in the middle of it.

This size should be good enough…

“Fire…”

A small fire appears on the tip of Eri’s index finger as she finish her word, the fire began to spread and eventually was big enough to hold her warm for the night.

Eri stuck the meat on top of a branch that she has found earlier, she then place it under the fire to cook it.

*Sigh*

Eliz-san didn’t remember me…it’s only a natural thing for her to do right? It was 7 years ago after all…She even has a family to worry about now, there is no way that she can remember me.

……..

What do I do now?... Not only that I wasn’t being able to thank her properly, I even destroyed her village’s gate...And made her my enemy.

Maybe I should just give up?…There is no point in thanking her if she doesn’t even remember saving me…

……..

No! Get a grips on yourself, Eri Tania!

Eri said it to herself as she clapped on her own cheeks.

I will make sure that she remembers me! There must be at least something that she remember from that time, righ-?!?!

Crap!!!!!

As Eri looked up she finally noticed that her dinner has turned into charcoal...

That night she ended up having a dry leftover piece of bread and water for dinner, as it was the only thing that she had left in her purse…

(Author note: Even I feel bad for her...Sorry Eri.)

Next morning…..

The growling sound of Eri’s stomach get louder and louder as she walked through the forest.

*sigh*

So hungry…

*stomach growl*

…………

After several minutes of walking Eri finally found something that she could eat for breakfast.

“Sterio fruit!?!”

Eri shouted out as she rushed toward the location of the plant..

Yummy!!!

Ahh~~ I feel alive again~

But… At the same time I kinda feel bad for the plant…

Eri look at the sterio plant as it slowly began to wither.

……...

*stomach growl*

…..

With her stomach still being empty Eri began to search for more fruit in her surrounding.

After a long time of searching for food Eri finally found herself a field full of sterio fruits but there is only one problem…

The field was heavily guarded by a bunch of one eyed monkey.

“T-this is not good….”

“GIIIIIIIII!!!!”

The leader of the one eyed monkey group let out a terribly loud growl to inform the other monkey around him of the uninvited guest.

“Fire spear!”

20 spears made out of fire suddenly appeared at Eri’s side as she finished her words.

One after another was fired toward the group of the one eyed monkey which killed them off instantly…But the fight is still far from over.

“That was clos-!?!?!”

The figure of hundred or maybe even thousand of the one eyed monkey can be seen rushing toward Eri as she was about to finish her line.

At this point Eri has no other option left than to run away…

How did it come to this!?!?

“GIIIIIII!!!!”

Give me a break already!!!

“EPLOSIO-!……”

I can’t even use it here!!

After realizing that her spell can burn down the whole forest Eri had no choice but to continue running away, which eventually lead her to the middle level of Zerak’s mountain…

*Huff huff huff*

Somehow...I managed to get away from them…But to burn this much of my mana…

Eri took a deep breath as she let herself fell onto the grass.

*stomach still growling…*

“S-shut up!”

Right now Eri is lying on top of a grassy field to relax after a long run, but her sweet time was soon interrupted by something else than just monkeys...

“GYAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

“!?!?”

Wha-? F-f-fire Phoenix!?!?

Give the a break already!!!!

“EXPLOSION!!”

“GYAAHHHHH!!”

This doesn’t looks good...It’s barely taking any damage!

“GYAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

“!!!!!”

After noticing the fire phoenix’s upcoming attack Eri immediately pour most of her remaining mana into her mana shield in order to survive.

Ughhhh…..I am going to die at this rate.. should I run away??

No.. It will surely catch up to me in no time!

“GYAHHHHHHHH!!!”

It’s no good...I can’t move my body.. What do I do!?! I don’t want to die here!

Eri fell on her knee as her consciousness slowly faded away.

Mom...Dad..I am sorry.

*Whosh!*

“Wha-!?!”

W-who??

“Y-you!?!”

Isn’t he Eliz-san’s son!?! What is he doing here???

“Hi there…”

H-h-he is carrying me like a princess!?!

“L-l-let me off already!!”

D-d-does he has no shame!?! Isn’t that only something you do as lovers???

“Y-yes!”

…….

Tokidoki…

What is happening to me???

Eri placed her hands on her cheeks as she had the feeling of her face is getting hotter.

“GYAAAHHHHH!!!”

!!!!

I completely forget about the phoenix! At this rate both of us are going t-.

“Agh!!?!”

Am I dreaming!?! I am dreaming right!?!?!

How is he being able to finish it in one hit like that!?!

This boy… Is he a master class as well? No that is impossible!

“Y-you! What was that!?!”

“Wh-what do you mean??”

Is he trying to play dumb!?

“Don’t even try to hide it I saw everything!”

…...

“Sorry, but that is a secret…”

After seeing Kai’s serious face, Eri realized that she is being rude to her savior.

“I see… Sorry...For being rude.”

Eri said it as she turned down the volume of her voice.

“N-no...It is fine.”

Uuuu...That was rude of me, he said it was fine but….He is not mad right?...

“So...Ehm Onee-san?”

O-onee-san?? Why is he being awfully polite??

“Eri is fine…There is not much age difference between us anyway.” (Eri)

“Eri then… What are you doing here alone?”

…

He is definitely going to laugh at me if I told him the truth! W-what do I do!?!?

“What I am doing here is none of you business, also I could ask you the same question you know?!”

Eri flipped her hair with her right hand as she ended her line…

THAT WAS SO EMBARRASSING!! He is totally going to think of me as an weirdo now!!

Kai let out a sigh while looking at Eri with an amazed face.

W-what do I do now!?!

Anyway! I have to thanks him before it’s too late! I will not repeat the same mistake...

“T-t-th-thank you for saving me!”

……..

“Ah..uhmm, you are welcome…”

Uhhh…For some reason that carefree face of his is pissing me off...He should be more thankful for having Eliz-san as his mother!

……

Aghhhhh!!! He is pissing me off!!

“D-don’t get the wrong idea! You are still my enemy, humph!”

“Ehhh???”

…….

“You are Eliz-san’s son right?…”

“Uhm...What about it?”

“That alone is enough to make you my enemy..”

That is right! Realized how lucky you are already! Dummy...

….

What is wrong?? Why is he being quiet all of a sudden?…

“Isn’t that what you call being jealous?”

Wha-?!

“W-w-wh-what are you?!”

“Humph!! There is no way that I am jealous of the like of you!”

……

H-he does have a point…Isn’t this feeling what you call for being jealous?……To have Eliz-san all for himself...That is not even fair in the first place.

“I see…”

………

W-wait a second… Isn’t he also my savior!?! I mean he just saved me right!?! How is that any different than when Eliz-san saved me?? Yet.. Why am I..

Aghhhhh!! This is so frustrating!!!

“A-anyway...I am done for today, So..See ya!”

W-wha?!

“W-wait!”

…….

“What is it?…”

I have no almost mana left...There is no way that I can make it out alive...Notices it already you dummy!

“I hate to say this but… Can we go together?....”

Eri said it with a shaky voice and a flushed face.

“U-uhm...Sure.”

“T-thanks you…”

*Sigh*

A gust of wind suddenly passed by, as Eri slowly walk toward Kai which removed her hair bangs away from her left eye.

The eye that has the ability to see the dead.

“!?!!?”

Chapter 16 end...