The forest grew strangely quiet.
Not the peaceful silence of nature, but the kind that warned experienced travelers to keep a hand on their weapon.
Kael folded the mysterious letter and slipped it inside his coat.
"So…" he said, glancing at Elara. "You recognized that symbol."
Elara's expression became unreadable.
"I did."
"But I won't tell you everything."
Kael sighed dramatically.
"Everyone in this world loves answering questions with more questions."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Because knowledge is dangerous."
"And sometimes… ignorance keeps people alive."
She turned and continued walking.
"If you're wise, you'll learn the difference."
The Emerald Forest
Hours passed as they journeyed deeper into the ancient woodland.
Kael couldn't help but admire everything around him.
Flowers glowed with blue and violet light.
Butterflies made of pure mana fluttered between the trees.
Crystal-clear streams flowed uphill instead of downhill.
Floating rocks drifted lazily through the air.
"This place is unbelievable…"
"It wasn't always this beautiful," Elara replied.
"Five hundred years ago, the Great Mana War scarred these lands. The forest healed itself over centuries."
Kael frowned.
"The Great Mana War?"
"The war that destroyed the Kingdom of Aetherion."
The name sent a chill through him.
"So that's when my kingdom fell…"
Elara looked at him.
"You accepted that rather quickly."
He smiled bitterly.
"I woke up in another world, got chased by a dragon, and fought bandits before lunch."
"I'm running out of energy to be surprised."
For the first time, Elara laughed openly.
"You truly are an unusual man."
A familiar chime echoed in Kael's mind.
Relationship Update
Lady Elara
Trust: 12%
Affinity: Friendly
"So it really updates itself…"
Kael muttered.
"What was that?"
"Talking to myself."
"You do that often?"
"Only when magical windows appear in front of me."
"…"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
A City Hidden Among Trees
As the sun began to set, the forest opened into a breathtaking sight.
A city had been built around the trunks of colossal ancient trees.
Wooden bridges connected towering homes suspended high above the ground.
Crystal lanterns illuminated every path.
Children chased glowing sprites through the streets while merchants sold enchanted weapons, herbs, magical books, and colorful fruits Kael had never seen before.
His jaw dropped.
"It's… incredible."
"This is Sylvandor."
"The City of the Emerald Forest."
Kael noticed something unusual.
People were staring.
Not at Elara.
At him.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"Who is he?"
"Is he a noble?"
"Look at his clothes."
"He doesn't look like he's from any kingdom."
One little girl tugged on Kael's sleeve.
"Mister…"
"Are you a hero?"
Kael crouched down.
"I don't know yet."
She smiled brightly.
"I hope you become one."
Her mother quickly apologized and led the child away.
Kael watched them disappear into the crowd.
"…I hope so too."
Dinner at the Archmage's Home
Elara's residence stood atop the tallest tree in the city.
Unlike the extravagant mansions surrounding it, her home was simple.
Warm.
Peaceful.
Bookshelves covered every wall.
Magical artifacts floated gently through the air.
A fireplace burned without wood.
Kael sniffed the air.
"That smells amazing."
Elara placed a steaming bowl of stew before him.
"You've been staring at everything except your own hunger."
He smiled sheepishly.
"Guilty."
He took one bite.
His eyes widened.
"This is incredible!"
"What meat is this?"
She answered casually.
"Sky Deer."
Kael nearly choked.
"…There's deer that fly?"
"They glide."
"That's somehow worse."
She laughed softly.
Dinner passed with easy conversation.
Kael shared amusing stories from Earth—carefully leaving out details that would be impossible to explain.
Elara, in turn, told him about the kingdoms of Elyndor.
The Holy Kingdom of Solis, where the Church held absolute authority.
The Frost Empire in the north.
The Dragon Peaks beyond the eastern mountains.
The Demon Dominion across the Ashen Sea.
And finally…
"The ruins of Aetherion."
Kael looked up.
"No one lives there?"
"No."
"Everyone who enters eventually disappears."
Midnight Visitor
That night, Kael couldn't sleep.
Moonlight poured through the window.
He quietly stepped onto the balcony.
The city looked peaceful beneath the stars.
Then—
The King's System suddenly appeared.
Emergency Quest
The First Royal Throne has awakened.
Distance: 600 meters.
Time Remaining:
00:59:47
Failure:
The throne will disappear for another hundred years.
"A throne?"
Kael glanced back toward Elara's room.
She was asleep.
"I'll be back before morning."
He climbed down the tree and quietly made his way through the sleeping city.
The system guided him toward the outskirts.
Soon, he reached an abandoned shrine consumed by vines.
Ancient stone pillars surrounded a weathered staircase leading underground.
As Kael approached…
The vines began to move.
Not because of the wind.
They were alive.
Hundreds of thorn-covered tendrils burst from the ground, racing toward him.
"What now?!"
Kael leapt backward as razor-sharp vines slammed into the earth where he had been standing.
The shrine trembled.
An ancient voice echoed from below.
"Only the true king…"
"…may claim the throne."
The entrance slowly opened.
Deep beneath the shrine, a golden light began to shine.
Kael tightened his fists.
"I guess there's no turning back."
He stepped into the darkness.
Behind him, unseen among the trees, a mysterious woman in a crimson cloak watched silently.
Her ruby-red eyes glowed beneath the hood.
"So…"
"The King has finally found the First Throne."
A slow smile spread across her face.
"Interesting."
She vanished into the shadows before Kael ever sensed her presence.