The others had started to notice it too – that immense, thick plume of smoke rising up high in the sky, looking for all the world like it'd come from some kind of volcanic eruption. But there wasn't a single volcano anywhere in this forest, not by a long shot. Everyone knew volcanoes only existed way over in the Kingdom of Dertha, the southern realm belonging to the Semi-Monarch Kingdom of Juevia – though where they were standing right now was nowhere near that place at all.
Alright, enough getting hung up on kingdom borders and maps. After a short pause to take it all in, they started walking once again. This time though, Maximus had used the strange trees growing all around them to craft brand new boots and shoes for everyone in the group. The stuff was incredible – it didn't melt or catch fire no matter what, and when you slipped them on it just felt like wearing any normal pair of shoes you'd find back home.
"You're really smart huh?"
Jyle said it with a wide grin as he clapped Maximus on the shoulder, making him scratch nervously at the back of his head while shifting his weight from foot to foot.
"Yeah... I guess so. Ever since I ended up coming to this world, I've just been super interested in learning every single thing I can get my hands on y'know? The way your constellations line up in the sky, all the weird wildlife that lives out here, how to survive when you're deep in unknown territory – even things like catching food and knitting clothes. Seems like almost everything I put my mind to, I end up being pretty good at it."
Just then the princess came walking over to where they were standing, her long cloak swishing against the forest floor as she moved. She stopped right in front of Maximus and spoke up, her voice carrying clear through the quiet woods.
"Wow... so not only are you handsome, but you're actually a hardworking person too huh? I love that kind of thing in someone."
Maximus just quickly looked away from her, his cheeks flushing a bit as she tried to lean in closer and flirt with him. He was relieved when she eventually gave up and turned to walk off towards where the rest of their group was gathering. Jyle let out a loud laugh when he saw how flustered his friend had gotten, shaking his head at the whole thing.
"The princess really does love you huh? You can't even try to argue with that fact – everyone knows she never had any time at all for romantic relationships or anything like that until you showed up out of nowhere. That's what the king himself told me just the other day actually."
"Ah, well... how we actually first met is just... kinda vague when I try to think about it too hard. I could tell you the whole thing but it'd take forever, so let's just leave it at that yeah? No need to go digging into every little detail."
Before Jyle could say anything back to that, they all suddenly heard a huge explosion booming out from the direction where that big cloud of smoke was coming from. Right after the sound hit their ears, another massive batch of dark grey smoke came billowing up into the air, even thicker than before. The king's voice cut through the sudden panic immediately, loud and clear with authority.
"Follow the smoke! Everyone get ready for battle – we don't know what we're walking into!"
All of them tensed up right away, their hands moving to rest on whatever weapons they had at their sides as they took off running towards where the smoke was rising. With every step they took, the sound of explosions and screaming got louder and louder, until eventually they burst out of the forest treeline and into the edge of a small village – the very place where all that smoke was coming from.
What they saw there was nothing short of a total massacre. Fire elves were rampaging through the streets, killing not just the forest elves who lived in the village but even turning on their own kind as well. It was a brutal, devastating scene to take in, and every single one of them felt their stomachs drop at the sight. The king stood there for a moment just watching in complete awe, then his face hardened with determination and he immediately shouted out his orders to march forward and put their pre-planned strategy into action.
Jyle didn't wait for anyone else – he immediately sprinted head-first into the thick of the fighting, drawing his sword and cutting down every single fire elf that came at him with swift, practiced movements. But they were dangerous opponents; more than once one of them got close enough that their flames almost burnt his arm, so he had to stay sharp and keep moving carefully to avoid getting hurt. Behind him, the group of dark elves who'd come along as companions charged in next, clashing fiercely with the fire elves as they fought to protect any survivors they could find. Several of them took serious hits in the process, with some getting their faces, arms or even legs burnt badly as they risked their lives out there.
King Geshua stayed towards the back lines, using his powerful magic to unleash devastating air attacks that swept through waves of fire elves coming to surround them. He held tight to the dark orb that hung around his neck – a magical artifact that let his mana regenerate infinitely, making him almost unstoppable when it came to wielding air magic in battle.
The same kind of raw power applied to Princess Ferha as well. She moved gracefully through the chaos, unleashing invisible blasts of air that cut clean through her enemies without making them bleed much at all – it was instant death the moment she struck them. As the fighting got more intense, she let loose with everything she had, sending out waves of crushing air pressure and conjuring up invisible sharp objects that flew through the air all around her. Every single one pierced straight through a fire elf's mana core, dropping them where they stood without fail.
Maximus though, had split off from the main group and was searching through the dense forest just on the outskirts of the village, his eyes scanning every shadow and listening carefully for anything that seemed off or suspicious. He knew it might take a while before he found what he was looking for, but he was confident that if his suspicions were right and he played his cards well, his plan would end up succeeding in the end.
'With all the information I've picked up so far running through my head... I could actually pull this off. All by Myself!'