A man emerged from the forest—tall, brown-haired, dressed in a black shirt beneath a layer of leather armor, black trousers, and reinforced leather boots. A sword hung at his waist.
He walked straight toward Maylona before speaking.
"Cleared out all those bandits by yourself, huh? Interesting… very interesting, young lady."
Maylona's expression hardened.
"Who are you? What do you want? And why are you blocking our way?"
The mysterious man stood still for a moment, then replied:
"I am a Holy Knight. My name is Pheak. I've witnessed your power myself… Princess of the Elven Tribe."
Maylona folded her arms, staring at him with a sharp, almost mocking gaze as if she already knew something about him.
Behind her, Gueda began preparing a spell, but Maylona lifted her arm to stop her.
"It's fine, Gueda. I'll handle him myself."
Maylona looked directly at Pheak.
"So that's how it is. The one pulling the strings behind those bandits… was you, wasn't it, Holy Knight?"
Pheak smirked faintly. He placed his hand on his sword's hilt.
"Sharp girl. But even so… I'm still going to kill you and take everything you have."
He drew his sword and charged.
Maylona instantly cast a massive flame spell and hurled it straight at him—but Pheak swung his blade, slicing the flame cleanly in half, and dashed toward her at incredible speed.
His sword swung down toward her, but Maylona conjured a protective barrier just in time.
His blade struck the spherical barrier surrounding her, forcing him to leap backward and reposition.
He swung again, sending a blade of compressed air straight at the barrier—but it didn't even scratch it.
Shocked, Pheak shouted:
"What?! You blocked my Air Slash? Impossible! I'm a Rank Four Holy Knight!"
Maylona stood unharmed, not even a scratch.
"That's all you've got? Let me warn you… You should run while you still can. I haven't even gotten serious."
Pheak sprinted around her in frustration.
"Don't you dare underestimate me, brat!"
He launched himself at her with killing intent—hoping to end it in a single blow.
But suddenly, an unseen force struck him violently, sending him crashing back.
He stabbed his sword into the ground to slow himself, blood spilling from his mouth as wounds opened all over his body.
Through blurred vision, he looked at Maylona.
He finally saw it—the overwhelming magical power surrounding her—before collapsing to the ground.
His vision went dark.
He lost consciousness.
Maylona turned to the coachman and Gueda.
"Let's go. We're heading to the city of Sema."
The two boarded the carriage, and the horses began moving forward.
Gueda thought quietly:
"I hope we don't run into any more bandits…"
Arrival at Sema
The carriage rolled into Sema—a city painted entirely in clean, radiant white.
Elegant buildings shimmered softly under the sunlight, and lively crowds filled the streets.
Vendors and shops lined both sides of the road, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Maylona and Gueda walked toward the Adventurer's Guild.
Maylona paused, placing a hand under her chin, staring at the guild building.
"I'll be staying in this city, Gueda."
Gueda blinked in surprise.
"May I ask why, my lady? I don't understand… Why leave your own kingdom just to stay here?"
Maylona answered with a serious expression:
"I'm waiting for them. Those two will come here. I'm certain of it—no matter how long it takes."
"Who, my lady? I've been with you since you were young, and I've never seen you have friends."
"I do. Two of them. Even though I don't know if they're alive… I'll wait for them here."
Gueda threw an arm outward dramatically, the other hand over her chest.
"My lady! You intend to wait for people you're not even sure exist anymore?"
Maylona smiled softly.
"They're not dead. I know they're still out there… and I'll wait. No matter how long it takes."
Gueda sighed but calmed down.
"Very well, my lady. I'll help you search for them."
Maylona took Gueda's hand, smiling gratefully.
"Thank you, Gueda."
Twenty Years Later
Maylona sat in front of the Adventurer's Guild… just like always.
Every day she woke in the small castle she had bought, walked to the same chair, and waited until sunset.
Her expression grew sadder year after year, though her eyes still held a faint glimmer of hope.
Gueda watched helplessly as her lady suffered day after day—but continued searching.
She formed a team dedicated to finding Maylona's lost friends, offering two gold coins per week to anyone who helped.
Still, not a single clue appeared.
One day, Maylona sat in the usual seat, her head lowered.
"What are those two doing now? Don't tell me… they reincarnated and forgot everything. That would be terrible. I don't want to be left alone in this world…"
A bitter expression crossed her face.
"Another day with nothing… It's been twenty years already. Why haven't they appeared? Did they forget me? But I'm sitting somewhere so obvious—surely they would—"
Before she could finish, a man quietly sat beside her.
In his hands were a bottle of water… and a huge piece of grilled meat.