Starlight Guiding the Way and the Place Where This Ends

The stars, with their tiny presence, lead the way, bestowing upon the chaotic sky a future adorned with brilliance.

Thus, it is named Starlight.

Within the forest, milk-white mist enveloped the trees, obscuring them in a hazy silhouette. The branches, slowly withering and blackening with time, formed spectral figures within the white fog—boundless darkness, muddy ground, damp air, and indistinguishable enemies. These were the things adventurers disliked the most.

"Huu... huu..." A hand, tightly gripped by a leather glove, suddenly seized a tree branch. With ragged breaths and the force of her grip, the small tears in the leather glove filled with dark yellow particles—though wearing gloves was more uncomfortable, it was better than bare hands grasping rough surfaces and inflicting unnecessary damage.

Survival was always more important than comfort—and not just in the forest.

This gasping sound came from a small, thin figure hidden within a large hood—it was hard to imagine that in such gloom, she would even hide her hair completely within the hood.

Therefore, it was not surprising that she found the uneven path difficult to navigate.

"Are you alright?" Fortunately, she still had a companion—a female adventurer who had slightly pulled open the collar of her cloak due to the heat, revealing her leather jacket. She cast a concerned glance at her companion, "Lonai."

"Huu... I'm fine," Fatenai replied softly, her breathing still catching up. She then took a waterskin from her waist, and with a trembling hand, brought it to her lips, a drop of water slipping from the corner of her mouth as she drank.

Such a path was too much of a test for adventurers new to the forest—those who couldn't keep up with their stamina would find it incredibly strenuous.

"If you're finding it tough, you should say so. Why make things difficult for yourself?" Ed's voice came from above. This young, frail mage floated in the air, moving with a lightness that made him seem effortless—but this was no simple feat. Only Ed and Forresten could achieve this level; Helise and Hubert had to rely solely on their own stamina.

Fatenai felt nothing from his words—or rather, she was already accustomed to it. "I can feel your concern for the patient; it's truly touching."

She never argued with the genius mage, her tone polite yet distant. Ed, in turn, stopped paying attention to her; his concern was indeed only expressed through words.

"Every time I see you talk to him like that, I'm surprised. I always thought you two had a deep bond," Helise remarked with a mix of admiration and confusion. Fatenai and Ed seemed to have a good relationship due to knowing each other for a long time, yet their interactions felt more distant than those of ordinary friends.

"Excessive emotion leads to hurt feelings," Fatenai replied with a well-known saying among nobles.

"Your inner world is truly complex," Helise said. Sometimes she felt Fatenai wasn't just a twelve-year-old child, but more like a thirty or forty-year-old adult—especially at times like these.

The hardship of the journey and Fatenai's deliberate reserve brought the conversation to a quick end, until Forresten spoke, "A familiar scent."

Forresten's words drew the attention of Helise and Fatenai—a flicker of curiosity flashed in Fatenai's eyes. Before them stood a beech tree, looking no different from the others, equally rough and ancient, blackened by the erosion of Rose Month.

Forresten landed before the tree and spoke—clearly addressing Fatenai: "The stars, with their tiny presence, lead the way, bestowing upon the chaotic sky a future adorned with brilliance—thus, it is named Starlight. Starlight exists in mediocrity, so small that a bard must gather the finest fragment from a forgotten corner, and after countless embellishments, only then can it be placed within the most ordinary verse."

"Ah, perhaps that is also the beginning of an epic praise. This is already quite good," Fatenai replied, still catching her breath, her tone unexpectedly calm.

Forresten's staff was held by a withered hand. He lowered his head, his appearance obscured by the large mage hat he had been wearing for several days. All they could see was the mage's tall silhouette; his dark robes and the faint shadow on the ground merged into one, making his form appear unreal.

The staff suddenly "fell" from his side, striking the tree trunk. The surroundings fell silent, and then—light appeared.

From the tip of the staff, yellow-white light particles floated, constantly overflowing and drifting in the air—enveloping everyone. Fatenai felt these lights with surprise, sensing faint "emotions" within them, gradually forming a river of stars.

Forresten walked forward, his figure disappearing into the light. The others followed him, and then it was Fatenai's turn—she felt the light before her as a kind of captivating temptation.

"I remember there's also a saying, 'Curiosity is the true poison'," Ed's voice suddenly appeared behind her. He landed beside Fatenai.

Fatenai frowned, while Ed continued forward, his figure quickly disappearing into the light—he never considered Fatenai's feelings.

Taking a deep breath, Fatenai stepped into it.

Her vision blurred.

The chill and dampness of the forest suddenly turned into heat—the scent had completely changed. The sudden shift, without any warning, even her senses hadn't caught up, making everything she saw seem illusory and unreal.

Especially when Fatenai found herself in an alley, with a faint but warm fire burning outside.

What is this...

"Welcome to Starlight." It was only when she heard a familiar voice that she began to adapt to the fragmented sense of reality—Helise turned back, waiting for her.

This is... Starlight?

Fatenai was somewhat surprised, her body moving forward on instinct. Several layers of images solidified before her eyes. In just a few seconds, the moment she stepped out of the alley, the world came alive.

The ground was paved with simple stones, matching Forresten's description of mediocrity. This was a town, a town like Helurando—but with fewer taverns and instead filled with alchemical items considered taboo in ordinary cities. People cloaked in various ways walked the streets, with things Fatenai recognized or didn't recognize floating around them...

A place where the ordinary and the peculiar intertwined, a place whose significance seemed unclear at this moment.

"Here..." Fatenai couldn't help but speak.

"The real destination is ahead—" Helise pointed to the sky, "—our home, the hall of mages—the most dazzling existence among the stars."

Fatenai looked up, her gaze drawn the moment she lifted her head. The sky of Rose Month was devoid of stars and moon, but now it was covered by countless stars. The white fortress at the end, even if only a sliver was visible, allowed one to feel a sense of beginning and end from the towering white structure.

Thus, this was the place where stars guided the way and served as the conclusion.