The sky was a soft yellow, accompanied by the morning calls of birds, when Noel woke up from his sleep, his head still a little hazy.
He looked around, wondering why he was inside the treehouse. Yesterday, he clearly remembered passing out.
Who had brought him back inside? While Noel was grateful to whoever carried him in, did they really have to leave him on the table? That was a bit much.
Then it hit him—he had done the same thing before. Right, yesterday, in his half-conscious state, he thought he saw Tias.
Seeing the basket of tree fruits placed neatly to the side confirmed it. Tias had definitely come by yesterday and looked after him for a while.
"You're up early. I thought you'd stay in bed until the sun was high in the sky." A familiar voice called out.
It was Mond. He was already deep in the forest this early.
"So, kid, how was living out here these past few days? Did you get used to it?" Mond couldn't help but ask.
"It was fine. Look, I'm standing here in one piece, aren't I?" Noel said proudly, showing off his unharmed body.
"That's all thanks to my Wilderness Survival Guide being well-written," Mond said, praising himself shamelessly.
Who would have thought he had a talent for writing books? His wilderness survival skills really were top-notch, and seeing Noel return unscathed after following his guide only proved it.
Maybe he should get the book published and make some money from it!
"Looks like you've been living pretty well out here." Mond grabbed one of the tree fruits and took a bite.
He had come early in the morning without eating anything, so his stomach was empty, and a fruit seemed perfect.
He bit into it and chewed thoughtfully. The taste was unusual, and the effectiveness was remarkable.
"Where did you find these fruits? They're extremely rare alchemy ingredients. Kid, you've got some serious luck to have found so many." Mond exclaimed while quickly finishing the fruit, even swallowing the pit.
Noel was stunned. He could barely manage to nibble the flesh off the fruit, but his master just crunched down the entire pit like it was nothing. That was a bit much.
"What are you staring at, kid? Never seen an adult eat fruit before?" Mond barked when he saw Noel's gaping expression.
"It's just… slow down, there's plenty more." Noel explained, trying to calm him down.
"There's more? You have a whole stash of these rare fruits? Don't tell me you found a red fruit tree! By the gods, you actually found a red fruit tree!" Mond shouted in shock.
He knew how rare even a single red fruit was, and seeing so many of them here meant his apprentice had stumbled upon an incredible stroke of luck.
But there was another reason for their rarity—they spoiled easily and couldn't be transported long distances, making even a single intact red fruit extremely precious.
"No, that's not it," Noel hurriedly explained. He had no idea where a red fruit tree was. All of these fruits had been given to him by Tias.
But he couldn't mention Tias to Mond. Matters involving the elves were best kept secret.
After all, Tias was his friend, and there was no need to tell his master about her. Besides, Tias didn't like humans much, and keeping this to himself was a way of respecting her.
"Well, I actually rescued an animal, and it started dropping these fruits off for me every day as thanks." Noel quickly fabricated a story.
Mond looked at him, half-believing it. It was clearly an excuse, but he could tell the boy didn't want to share the truth.
That was fine. Mond didn't push it any further.
Everyone has their secrets. There was no need to pry into them. Although discovering others' secrets could be fun, it often led to unpleasant endings.
"I see," Mond said, nodding in understanding.
Noel was a bit surprised. His master was usually strict and sharp, never letting things slide so easily.
Perhaps he had noticed Noel's reluctance to speak and chose not to press the matter.
"Come on, let's go home." Mond grabbed Noel's hand and started walking toward the edge of the forest.
Meanwhile, Tias was hiding behind a tree, peeking out, feeling as if something important had been taken from her.
She had told herself she wouldn't come, but she couldn't help it in the end. Noel turned back to glance behind him and silently mouthed, "Goodbye."
Tias mouthed back, "Goodbye."
"What is it? Something wrong?" Mond asked.
"Oh, I just saw a cute little animal back there and got distracted." Noel lied smoothly.
"So, did you learn anything during these past few days? Give me a summary." Mond's tone became strict again, slipping back into the role of a demanding teacher.
"Learned something… well, I guess I did." Noel scratched his head, unsure of what to say. These past few days had been quite the adventure, but he had definitely grown in his use of magic.
Seeing Mond's strict expression, Noel could only ramble, "I learned a lot, like how to survive in the forest, what to do when you encounter wild beasts…"
Noel gave a lengthy summary, mixing in a few harmless lies, but most of it was true.
Mond listened seriously. These were moments of growth for Noel, and as his teacher, Monde felt a quiet sense of pride. Youth truly is a beautiful thing, Mond thought.
"Oh, right, Master. While I was in the forest, I found a mysterious place, and someone very kind gave me this." Noel took out the vial of Water of Life.
"Keep that safe. That's Water of Life, a very rare alchemy ingredient. Guard it well." Monde's eyes sharpened as he inspected the vial.
"Don't you need it, Master?" Noel asked, looking at him.
"I don't need it, and besides, it's yours. I'd rather pay money than take something that belongs to you. That's a matter of principle." Monde said firmly.
"But you really are lucky, getting a gift from the wood elves. They're known for hating humans."
"Is that so?" Noel murmured, suddenly understanding why Tias had acted the way she did when they first met.
But she turned out to be a kind elf, not nearly as difficult as people said. She was gentle, a bit stubborn, but once you understood her, it was easy to become friends.
Noel looked down at his hand. This was the power Tias had given him—a bond that would never break.
"Did you hurt your hand?" Mond noticed Noel staring at it.
"No, it just reminded me of a story." Noel said softly, still staring at his hand.
"Want to tell me the story?" Mond asked, his interest piqued.
"No… it's my secret." Noel replied, eyes distant.