The sun was slowly setting as Lusian and the heroes crossed the forest near the Duchy.
The scouts' reports spoke of minor creatures, but even that was dangerous. Herbivorous beasts did not hunt humans, though a stampede would be enough to wipe out any village in its path.
And the carnivorous monsters were even worse.
To them, a human was nothing more than food.
"We can't allow them to reach the villages," Emily said, adjusting her staff of light while watching the trees creak unnaturally. "If those creatures arrive before we evacuate the people, it'll be a disaster."
Lusian nodded silently.
For days they had been doing the same thing: crossing contaminated territories, rescuing trapped citizens, and containing creatures displaced by mana saturation.
The change in the world was already impossible to ignore.
Even in regions where mana had once been almost nonexistent, energy now floated through the air like an invisible mist.
Plants were evolving at an abnormal speed, and creatures that should never leave the forest wandered aimlessly near villages and roads.
Alejandro leapt toward the bushes and unleashed a fire-covered slash against a buffalo-like creature.
The sword failed to pierce its hide.
The impact repelled him immediately.
The enormous animal charged furiously, and the other beasts surrounding it reacted at the same time.
Alejandro was nearly crushed.
He only survived because one of the priests grabbed him from behind and pulled him away at the last instant.
Lusian, mounted on Thunder, reacted quickly.
With an agile movement, he grabbed Emily before one of the creatures could reach her.
The monster brushed against Thunder's body and convulsed violently. The electrical discharge was not strong enough to injure it, but it was enough to frighten it away.
The beasts began running together, disappearing among the trees.
"What the hell are you doing, idiot?!" Kara shouted at Alejandro.
"At least they're heading away from the village," Alejandro grumbled.
Lusian did not even respond.
In his thoughts, he only regretted that the idiot had not been crushed.
Well... it didn't matter.
If a hero died, the gods would simply choose another one.
So what did it matter?
Upon returning to the camp, Lusian was greeted by Adela, who approached with a radiant smile.
"Happy birthday, my lord!" she exclaimed, bowing respectfully.
For the first time in hours, Lusian smiled.
Emily, who had arrived right behind him, froze for a moment in alarm.
With everything that had happened over the past few days, she had completely forgotten the date.
Blushing, she slowly approached him.
"Happy birthday... Lusian," she said softly.
That night, Emily nervously approached the duke's tent.
Outside, the beasts rested silently while the distant murmur of the camp blended with the night wind.
Inside the tent, only the two of them existed.
Emily took a deep breath.
Lusian did not understand her intentions immediately.
Emily was too nervous to speak clearly, and for a moment he believed she had simply come seeking refuge from the tension of the camp.
But then she took another step toward him.
And another.
Her hands trembled slightly as she avoided meeting his gaze. The silence inside the tent slowly became heavy, intimate.
Lusian felt his breathing become slower. Denser.
Emily's dress slowly began slipping from her shoulders.
That was when he understood.
For days he had tried to keep his distance.
To be kind to her. To help her however he could. To slowly earn her trust.
His goal remained the same: to prevent Emily from eventually killing him in the future.
The other heroes did not concern him too much. Even if all of them turned against him someday, he could still face them.
But Emily was different.
Only she, with the power of light, possessed the ability to truly harm him.
But now, having her so close, his will began to give way.
His mind stopped functioning with its usual clarity.
Emily's lips, soft and slightly parted from nervousness, were too close.
The delicate perfume of her skin, the uncertainty in her movements, the way she avoided looking directly at him… all of it pierced through the defenses he normally kept intact.
Lusian tried to think clearly.
To remember responsibilities. Consequences. The inevitable future conflict with the Heroine of Light.
But Emily took another step toward him.
And all of those thoughts began to crumble.
And he stopped thinking.
And Emily could no longer keep ignoring it either.
Her eyes always ended up searching for him.
With everything that had happened during the last few days, she had not prepared any gift.
So she decided to give him something more important than any object.
She gave herself to him.
Without witnesses. Without gods. Without outside obligations.
Only the intimacy of their bond, the shared warmth, and the silent certainty that this moment would change their lives.
That night, Duke Lusian received his birthday gift.
And the Heroine of Light opened a new chapter in her life.