We continued along the road, slowly leaving the kingdom behind us.
Step by step, the tall white walls disappeared into the distance. The noise of the capital faded. The air became cleaner. Freer. It felt like we could finally breathe properly.
Nothing strange happened for a while.
No monsters.
No danger.
No sudden tests.
Just… a road.
Honestly, that alone felt suspicious.
We could have rented a carriage. We had enough money now. More than enough, actually. But both Lucas and I chose to walk instead.
Training had changed us.
Walking didn't feel tiring anymore.
It felt natural.
Mirei followed beside us, sometimes quiet, sometimes observing everything like she was analyzing the world itself.
After some time, we realized something surprising.
"…You know," Lucas said, counting coins again for the third time, "we're actually kind of rich now."
I blinked.
"Wait… seriously?"
Mirei nodded.
"For children your age, yes. You possess far more than most adventurers starting out."
That felt… weird.
We weren't poor anymore.
But we also weren't strong yet.
And that difference mattered.
Not long after, we reached a small village.
At first glance, it looked peaceful.
Small wooden homes.
Fields stretching behind them.
A well at the center.
Children playing quietly.
It should have felt warm.
Instead…
It felt heavy.
The villagers' faces looked tired.
Not the kind of tired that comes from work.
But the kind that comes from losing hope.
Lucas leaned closer to me.
"…Something's wrong here."
I nodded.
"I feel it too."
Then we saw it.
At the center of the village stood an enormous apple tree.
It was massive.
Far too large to be natural.
Its branches stretched like they were trying to grab the sky itself. The apples hanging from it shimmered with an unnatural golden light.
It looked beautiful.
But the closer we got…
The more uncomfortable I felt.
Mirei suddenly stopped walking.
Her expression hardened.
"…This is not natural," she said. "This village has been cursed."
I turned toward her.
"Cursed? By what?"
Lucas crossed his arms.
"And why would anyone curse a random village?"
Before Mirei could answer, an elderly woman approached us slowly.
Her back was bent with age.
But there was something unnatural about her.
She looked far older than she should have been.
"I heard you speaking," she said softly. "You noticed the tree, didn't you?"
We nodded.
She looked back at it with sadness.
"A hero came here once," she explained. "He told us the tree would bless us with endless food. That we would never know hunger again."
At first, that sounded amazing.
Too amazing.
Lucas frowned.
"…Let me guess. There was a catch."
The old woman gave a weak smile.
"At first, it was wonderful. The apples could become anything we wished for. Bread. Meat. Soup. Even sweets for the children."
I swallowed.
"And then?"
Her voice trembled.
"The more we ate… the more something changed."
Silence fell.
"The next morning… we had aged."
Lucas' eyes widened.
"…Aged?"
"Years," she whispered. "In a single night."
My stomach dropped.
"Our elders died first," she continued. "Then others began weakening. We realized too late… it was not a blessing."
Lucas scratched his head angrily.
"That 'hero' sounds like an idiot."
Mirei shook her head.
"No. This wasn't the hero's doing. He was deceived too."
She looked directly at the tree.
"This is Dark Magic."
I frowned.
"…Okay, what exactly is Dark Magic?"
Lucas groaned loudly.
"You seriously didn't study anything?!"
Mirei sighed.
"Dark Magic is forbidden power. It grants miracles, but demands a price no one can repay."
She placed her hand near the tree without touching it.
"It is like a cursed fruit. Some who use it gain strength. Most lose themselves."
I crossed my arms.
"And the ones who use it… what happens to them after they die?"
Mirei answered quietly.
"They belong nowhere."
"…Nowhere?"
"Neither heaven nor hell accepts them."
That answer sent a chill down my spine.
Lucas suddenly looked at Mirei.
"…Hey. Can you turn into a human? People are staring."
Indeed, the villagers looked terrified just sensing her presence.
Mirei blinked.
"…You should have asked earlier."
Light wrapped around her form.
Her body shifted.
And suddenly—
A woman stood there.
Green hair like flowing leaves.
Sharp green eyes.
Calm posture.
Lucas leaned toward me.
"…Okay. That's unfair."
I nodded.
"…Yeah."
Mirei smacked us both lightly.
"Focus."
She then told us to hold out our hands.
"Press your palm like this."
We followed her instructions.
At that moment—
Our vision changed.
A massive tree appeared before us.
Not the cursed one.
This one was transparent.
Endless.
Glowing faintly.
"This," Mirei explained, "is your Power Tree. It represents your abilities."
Lucas stared.
"It's… empty."
"Because you haven't awakened your power yet," she said. "But you possess the potential. That is why we must officially form a party."
I grinned.
"So from today… you're our sensei?"
She sighed deeply.
"…Yes."
Lucas laughed.
"A beautiful sensei. Not bad."
Mirei glared at him.
"Do you want training to become harder?"
"…I apologize."
We turned back toward the cursed apple tree.
The villagers watched us with hope.
We weren't heroes.
Not yet.
But we weren't helpless anymore either.
We had strength.
We had guidance.
And now—
We had responsibility.
I looked at Lucas.
He nodded.
Mirei stepped forward.
"First," she said, "we become a proper team."
I clenched my fists.
Then we would save this village.
And this time—
We wouldn't run away from the problem.
This journey had truly begun.