Above the vast expanse of the green forest, Alvein, Kaydan, and Calverd continued to explore the southern area of the Astoria Kingdom's capital, shaded by a remarkably clear daytime sky.
While Alvein was tasked with navigating the direction and maintaining their altitude, Kaydan continued to work in silence.
The youth focused all his senses downward. The billions of sand and dust particles he had released earlier descended like invisible raindrops, slipping through the gaps in the leaves, seeping into the pores of the damp soil.
Not a single object escaped the detection of his sand magic radar.
Every time his sand particles touched a tree root, a rock, or even the movement of a monster hunting in the forest, Kaydan could feel its shape and position with utmost accuracy.
The sand acted as an extension of his own tactile nerves. The vast southern forest area was mapped perfectly within his mind.
Time continued to creep by. After sweeping area after area for so long without any meaningful results, the flow of information in Kaydan's head suddenly changed.
His fine grains of sand far below them suddenly seemed to disappear, sucked into a massive empty space amidst the dense forest.
"Alvein, can we go down now?" Kaydan said, breaking the silence that had enveloped them. "My sand suddenly detected a massive hole right below us. The soil structure is unnatural. It could be the cave we are looking for!"
Hearing the precise report from their husband's tenth spouse, Alvein's instincts immediately reacted.
"Don't lose your focus, you two!"
Without giving a countdown, Alvein immediately maneuvered and took a sharp dive, gliding down through the air toward the specified forest coordinates at a high speed, like a bird swooping down on its prey.
"Waaaaaa....!!!!!!"
Kaydan and Calverd screamed hysterically in unison. Their hearts felt as though they had been left behind in the sky. The stomach-churning sensation caused by the sudden loss of gravity truly shocked them beyond measure.
That completely unpredictable sharp dive truly tested their mental fortitude. Even the telekinesis magic that had been enveloping Kaydan and Calverd's bodies almost slipped away when his focus shattered from being startled half to death. The indigo-haired youth had to grit his teeth, desperately holding onto his mana flow so that he and Kaydan would not truly fall and crash to the ground.
As if paying no heed to the hysterical screams of his two family members, Alvein continued to shoot through the dense tree canopy, dodging large branches with absolute agility, until he finally headed toward the area believed to be where the cave was located.
Just a few meters before hitting the ground, Alvein flapped his wings forcefully and fired a cushion of wind magic downward, dampening the entirety of their falling force.
As soon as they arrived in the dim forest, the three of them landed perfectly smoothly on the ground.
However, that smooth landing did not ease the pounding of Calverd's heart. His breathing was ragged.
"What did you just do, Alvein?!" Calverd exclaimed in annoyance, trying to restrain the volume of his voice so it would not echo through the forest. "Why did you suddenly take a sharp dive downward like a madman? I almost lost control of my telekinesis magic because of what you just did!"
Hearing the exclamation laden with annoyance and panic, Alvein merely blinked his eyes, then could not hold back a small chuckle escaping his lips.
"Hahaha... I apologize, truly." Alvein said while covering his mouth, trying to stop his crisp chuckles. "I absolutely did not mean to scare you. I thought, because you possess magic related to gravity manipulation, the two of you would already be accustomed to it and would not be startled if I took a sharp dive like that."
"Where is the logic in that?!" Calverd retorted, still unable to ease his shock. "Even though I can resist gravity, this is the very first time he and I have flown that high in the sky, only to suddenly be dropped like a rock! Anyone would have a heart attack if you suddenly maneuvered like that!"
However, realizing his mistake in not accounting for their flight experience, the fairy lowered his head slightly and sincerely apologized to the two of them once again.
The indigo-haired youth finally closed his eyes, taking a long and heavy sigh to normalize his heartbeat and cast away all his lingering annoyance.
"Come on, that's enough. Let us just forget about it!" Kaydan chimed in suddenly, patting Calverd's shoulder. His eyes swept across the surrounding forest. "We cannot waste time and linger around arguing in this quiet forest. We must immediately complete the mission entrusted to us!"
The words Kaydan had just spoken instantly reminded them of the head of their family, working like a magic spell.
Alvein and Calverd's facial expressions changed instantly. The two of them refocused on the main objective given by their husband.
"Alright. Show us the way, Kaydan!" Alvein requested as he grasped the hands of the two youths again while reactivating his invisible magic.
Without thinking twice, Kaydan took the first step. He walked toward the exact coordinates where his grains of sand had been sucked down, acting as a guide for Alvein and Calverd amidst the lush forest.
Still in their invisible forms, they crossed through the shrubs and intertwined roots sprawling over the damp soil, following the clues Kaydan had mapped out.
Upon arriving at their destination, the three youths halted their steps in unison.
Right in front of them now, hidden behind the density of the thick forest, gaped the mouth of a massive cave. A cold and damp aura wafted from within its darkness, giving off a mysterious impression, isolated from the outside world.
"Is this the cave we will destroy later?" Calverd spoke in a low tone. His eyes stared intently at the darkness behind the cave mouth, feeling slightly amazed by its size, which was large enough for a dozen people to enter at once.
"Isn't that obvious?" Kaydan quickly replied, his eyes radiating seriousness. "The absolute task from our husband is to investigate and destroy all caves, or anything suspicious we find around the forest."
"Yes, Kaydan is right!" Alvein chimed in, confirming. "But we must investigate its interior first to make sure whether there is life in there or not!"
"Yes, let us go inside!" Calverd invited.
Without the slightest hesitation, the three youths walked together into the dark mouth of the cave. Their hands gripped each other tightly, maintaining the connection of the invisible magic so that their existence would remain unknown to whatever might be hiding inside.
The air inside instantly felt colder and stuffier. The afternoon sunlight fading from outside was unable to penetrate too deeply into the cave passage.
"It's too dark in here. I will scatter tiny grains of sand dust to detect any structures ahead of us." Kaydan whispered as he continued his steps deeper inside.
"Yes, do it!" Alvein whispered, granting full permission and trust to the youth.
Calmly, Kaydan focused his mana. From his left hand, he produced a swirl of extremely fine dust and sand, almost resembling a thin mist. He scattered the fine sands to float forward, letting them enter the depths of the dark cave passage.
Every grain of sand moved to touch the cave walls, flowed over the uneven floor, and levitated in the air. Through that sand, Kaydan could see clearly every obstacle ahead of them. Be it a mound of rocks blocking the path or a corridor bend hidden behind the darkness.
With Kaydan's earth element that could manipulate sand as an absolute tactical radar, the three youths were able to walk down the dark passage without experiencing the slightest hindrance. They moved like shadows, stepping deeper toward the depths of the cave to accomplish the command of the man they loved the most.