"If only we had some cumin!" Su Fei said with slight regret as she chewed on the charred yet fragrant meat skewers. The others had never tasted meat prepared this way, of course, and had no idea that proper skewers were supposed to be seasoned with cumin.
After finishing the skewers, Su Fei instinctively reached for some fruit, but then she remembered—wasn't there research back on Earth that said eating fruit right after a meal was bad for digestion? *Whatever!* She shoved the thought aside. *Might as well indulge.* The people on this planet were clearly different from Earthlings anyway—how else could wounds heal so fast? A little fruit couldn't kill her.
Full and satisfied, Su Fei decided to lead the group deeper into the forest for an adventure. Maybe they'd stumble upon some rare fruit trees! The stuff sold in markets was so bland compared to what she used to pick back in the wild. Since this was a forest too, the produce couldn't be *that* different, right? Besides, the people here had status—they wouldn't strip trees bare like she used to. And who knew? Maybe they'd even find one of those easy-to-catch critters Sam had mentioned.
*Wait, why am I thinking about Sam again?* It had been so long since he crossed her mind. Maybe the familiar surroundings were bringing back old memories. *Forget him. Dwelling on the past just hurts.*
After walking for a while without encountering any large beasts, the guards relaxed slightly. Maybe this place wasn't as dangerous as rumors suggested.
"Ah! Berries!" Su Fei suddenly spotted clusters of cherry-like berries nestled among the shrubs. Before Milta and the others could catch up, she and the nimble Charles dashed ahead. Su Fei plucked one, gave it a quick rub on her clothes, and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm, so sour." Her face lit up with delight, while Charles scrunched his nose in disgust.
Charles abandoned the berries and went searching for something sweeter, but Su Fei kept plucking and eating them one by one. She *loved* sour flavors, and this was the most satisfying treat she'd had in ages.
"Teacher Su Fei, what kind of berries are these?" Yakus asked as he caught up. Seeing Su Fei enjoying them, he quickly picked one and tossed it into his mouth—without even wiping it.
"Don't eat those!" Milta, who had shorter legs, finally arrived and paled when she saw what they were snacking on. But it was too late—Su Fei had already devoured who knew how many, and Yakus had swallowed his.
Su Fei froze mid-bite. *Poisonous berries?! Oh no, did I just doom myself? I should've asked a local first! Am I really going to die like this?* She stared miserably at the berry still in her hand.
"Teacher Su Fei, why would you eat *these*?" Milta looked torn between laughing and crying.
Su Fei's stomach was already cramping. "What is this? Some kind of toxic fruit?"
"Not exactly." Milta's answer eased Su Fei's panic—until she continued.
"It's called Dragon's Lament. Eating it causes *violent* diarrhea. Even dragons can't handle it, so no one touches these. Only alchemists collect them for potions. That's why you'll find them everywhere—not even animals are dumb enough to eat them." Milta gave Su Fei a pitying look.
"Uh, excuse me, I need to step away!" Su Fei clutched her stomach and bolted.
As she rushed off, the kids burst into laughter, and even the usually composed guards struggled to keep straight faces.
"Let's keep going! Maybe we'll find something better," Yakus said, leading the group deeper into the forest.
Hidden behind a tree, Romus watched Su Fei's hasty retreat and the others' carefree advance. He hesitated, then quietly followed.
He had come to the Yalixiya Forest searching for rare alchemical ingredients but instead stumbled upon this group. They must hold high status in Qilixiya to enter the forest so boldly—and with guards. But ahead lay the territory of the Shadowfang Wolves. Without help, they wouldn't survive. *If I intervene, maybe...*
Unaware of the danger, the group happily gathered more wild fruit, even the guards joining in under Milta's orders.
Suddenly, Captain Peg froze mid-reach and drew his sword. "Battle positions!"
The guards instantly formed a protective circle around the children, weapons ready.
Though confused, Charles and Yakus quickly pulled the girls behind them, trusting Peg's instincts.
Romus leaped into a nearby tree, watching the approaching wolf pack. *Not yet.*
Glowing green eyes emerged from the shadows. Peg's breath hitched—*Shadowfang Wolves.* He'd only sensed danger, but this was worse than he imagined. These beasts were one of the few predators the king allowed for noble hunts. How had they wandered this deep? Calling for reinforcements now was hopeless, but he had to try. As a spellblade, he unleashed a brilliant healing spell into the sky.
A beam of light pierced the canopy, visible even to the bored guard watching clouds at the forest's edge. For the royal guards, that was enough.
Though magic and steel wove a deadly net, the wolves pressed forward, driven by hunger and generations of hatred for human intruders. A mere dozen prey meant nothing to them.
Peg's mana was nearly depleted. The occasional wolf that broke through fell to the outer guards, but they couldn't hold much longer. Guilt gnawed at him—this failure would cost more than just his life.
Seeing their desperation, Romus finally smiled and dropped from the tree, joining the fray.
His sudden appearance eased the pressure, but the relentless wolves showed no sign of retreat.
Meanwhile, Su Fei finally staggered out from behind a bush, weak from her fifth round of diarrhea. *Never again,* she vowed. This was worse than her last bout in Pamil Village. *Trouble doesn't just come from careless words—sometimes it's careless eating!*
Returning to the berry patch, she found it deserted. *Those brats didn't wait for me?!*
Following the trampled grass, she hurried forward until faint sounds of battle reached her. *Trouble!* Ignoring her exhaustion, she broke into a run.
By the time she arrived, the wolves had mysteriously retreated like a receding tide. The group remained tense—was this a trick?
But no more wolves came.
Exhausted, everyone collapsed—even those who hadn't fought. Mental fatigue was just as draining. Su Fei, of course, was drained in *every* way.
Peg urged them to retreat before the wolves returned.
Meeting up with the reinforcements finally brought real relief.
Charles and Yakus, already forgetting the danger, eagerly recounted Romus's heroic deeds to Su Fei, with Iva filling in gaps.
*So this is what a hero looks like,* Su Fei mused, studying Romus as he spoke calmly with Peg, unfazed by the royal guards.
*Maybe he's an option.* The perpetually single Su Fei began scheming again.
**Will Romus prove to be Su Fei's knight in shining armor—or just another complication?**