Magic

The journey into Black Berry Rainforest was much easier than they had expected.

Perhaps it really was because someone had cleared the way ahead. Sean and the others hadn't run into any major trouble along the way.

For seven days, the hardest thing they had to deal with was a pack of nocturnal forest wolves. The wolves living in the primeval forest were fiercer and stronger than ordinary wild wolves, and there were more of them. Fortunately, Gennardo knew their habits and had set up traps for large beasts in advance, so...

In the early hours of the eighth day, everyone got to enjoy some chewy roasted wolf meat and a pot of fresh, rustic wolf soup.

Wolf meat had a strong gamey smell, but Gennardo had clearly come prepared. He'd brought a pile of bottles and jars, all filled with seasonings: chili oil, bean paste, pepper, mustard sauce, and so on. Most had strong flavors. Forget wolf meat—even a shoe insole would taste good roasted with those.

Gennardo also had a notebook devoted to recording what could and couldn't be eaten in Black Berry Rainforest. Forest wolves were just one of many kinds of game, so there was no need to worry about getting sick from eating them.

So far, their journey had gone smoothly. Every time something happened, they'd come through without harm. It was exciting yet safe—in short, a perfect forest-adventure experience. In that regard, Wilson had kept his promise to Conina.

But he still wasn't happy.

Because he wasn't just looking after Conina. He had to look after Sean, too.

He'd been taking care of two people the whole time!

Whenever something happened, he'd immediately shield Conina behind him, and Conina would then shield Sean behind her.

It was the same when they slept at night. To keep Conina safe, he'd made sure to pitch his tent close to hers. But her tent was even closer to Sean's, almost touching his, as if they'd made a double tent.

Before the expedition, the two of them had already been neighbors, separated by only one wall and living right next to each other. And now, it was still the same.

Even now, while they were having soup, he'd served Conina a bowl, only for her to hand it straight to Sean and say to Wilson in an imploring voice, "Mr. Wilson, I'd like some more. Could you get me another bowl?"

Wilson was trembling with rage.

Wasn't this just bullying an honest man?

He'd figured it out. Conina was simply exploiting his feelings and treating him like hired help.

And she didn't even give him any sugar for it. Even the capitalists who'd been hanged from lampposts hadn't been this unreasonable!

He'd decided that this time, he'd respond to this woman with the utmost resolve!

"Of course!"

Wilson answered firmly.

Conina smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Mr. Wilson."

Sean, holding his bowl of soup nearby, couldn't help shaking his head.

At this rate, there was probably no saving him. He was already terminally ill.

During their chats over the past few days, Sean had learned that Conina hadn't hidden the fact that she was married from the big group chat at the club. At least she was honest about that. He'd found it strange, so when he and Wilson were talking privately, he'd asked why Wilson was still pursuing her when he knew she had a husband. Wilson's answer had left him speechless—

"I wouldn't like her if she didn't have a husband."

Sean: "..."

All he could do was wish them well.

The bonfire crackled. The cold night breeze stirred the flames and shadows, bringing a touch of warmth to the chilly stillness.

Everyone sat around the fire. Johnson blew on Jenny's soup for her, and the young couple were still as close as ever.

Gennardo wandered around nearby, looking for markers left by the club's previous teams. When he returned, he picked up the map and said, "We're still on course. Once we get through the forest of wild birds ahead, we'll see that little grove."

"I suggest we take a detour."

The forest of wild birds was the last stretch before they reached their destination, and the final high-risk area. Their trail had already grown indistinct at the last campsite, so they couldn't tell whether the group they were following had entered the forest of wild birds. Even if they had, it would still be dangerous.

Because in a big forest, you could find all sorts of birds.

According to the information they'd gathered, one kind of bird, shaped like a young eagle, was especially difficult to handle. It had a strong territorial instinct, which meant it was highly aggressive, and it was clever, too. When dealing with intruders, they never all attacked at once. They sent out a "vanguard" each time. If it couldn't win, it would flee and hide. But if it thought it had the advantage, it would call for its companions, and you'd be faced with a swarm of young eagle birds.

"So they're the kind that pick on the weak," Johnson said.

Gennardo nodded. "That's a good way to put it."

"Then let's go around," Jim said, taking a sip of soup. "We're almost there. No need to take risks."

He said this while looking at Johnson. Of everyone there, Johnson was the most excited about the little grove. He'd been enthusiastic the whole way, talking about how once he became a wizard, Jenny would be his witch queen. They'd claim a mountain and grant themselves noble titles, have a whole bunch of babies, and establish the empire's first wizard family, and so on...

At one point, Jim had wondered if the guy had been bitten by an insect carrying some kind of neurotoxin.

Johnson hadn't actually lost his mind.

He'd said he would listen to Gennardo, and he wasn't going to go against him now.

"I agree we should take a detour."

That said...

Johnson added with a sly smile, "I think we could set out tonight and make up for the time we'll lose by going around."

It was obvious he was in a hurry.

Sean wanted to get there soon, too. After all, the Water of Enlightenment was just ahead. To Johnson, it might only be a key that would let him touch the mysterious, but to Sean, it was something that could save his life. He just knew how to keep his cool and didn't show it.

"If we want excitement, we might as well see it through," Conina said with a smile, having read Sean's thoughts. "We've already traveled at night several times. One more won't make a difference. What do you think?"

"Fine," Gennardo said. "Let's eat our fill, then get moving."

The trees in the forest of wild birds were dark purple, making them easy to recognize. Once everyone had packed up the pots and pans, they set off on the detour.

This time, Sean and Conina walked at the back.

His cheerful neighbor kept trying to whisper to him.

Sean still held up the torch, driving away the poisonous insects and beasts that feared fire. But unlike the previous nights, he wasn't simply holding it up. He was also trying to control the flames with his mental power, coordinating them with the movements of his hands. It looked as if he were teasing the fire, coaxing it with his fingertips into all kinds of shapes.

And characters.

The firelight illuminated Conina's face. She gazed at Sean with watery eyes. "Your fingers are so nimble. I want them."

Sean: "..."

No.

"Doesn't it burn you?" Conina asked.

She'd tried touching the fire the night before last when Sean had been playing with it. Thinking it was fake, she'd ended up yelping from the heat, nearly reaching an orgasm.

She really couldn't understand why Sean wasn't afraid of it. She hadn't seen him apply any special essential oil to his fingers, either.

Sean replied coolly, "If you could tell how it worked, would it still be magic?"

"All right, then I'll ask you something else." Conina came straight out with it. "Why don't you like me?"

Her voice held a hint of resentment and a little woundedness.

She'd tried all sorts of ways to sneak into Sean's tent over the past few days, but every time, he'd sent her packing. Once, she'd even dressed up as a fishnet-stocking bunny girl, but all Sean had said was that her clothes were very white. Then he'd said nothing more, making her wonder if she'd lost her charm.

Sean was just as confused. "We've never done each other any wrong. Why should I like you?"

"Because I'm slutty."

Sean: "?"

"Don't all men like slutty women?" Conina asked.

Sean couldn't answer that. He couldn't speak for every man.

"Don't tell me you don't like women, either." Conina glanced at Gennardo up ahead.

"Congratulations, you're right," Sean said. But in his mind, he pictured the Flame Crow Girl who'd saved his life before. When would he see her again?

Sean hadn't dreamed these past few nights, and he still hadn't figured out what the Void Arts Space was. But he wasn't in a hurry about that. There was something more urgent he needed to worry about right now. He looked up at the night sky. The crescent moon was cold and hazy, and for a moment, a black shadow seemed to pass across it.

He was certain it wasn't his imagination or a trick of the light. Something had been following them.

After chatting for a little while, Sean stopped paying attention to Conina and focused on playing with his torch, practicing his "magic."

The whole group was quiet, too. It was best not to make noise while moving through the forest at night. Even if they had to talk, they should keep their voices down as much as possible. Otherwise, they might not hear anything unusual nearby and could be attacked before they even realized it.

Gennardo was especially cautious at the front of the group. Before every step, he tested the ground with the branch in his hand.

But the unexpected still happened.

"Caw!"

Without warning, a cry like that of a red-tailed hawk suddenly rang out right beside them.

It was extremely close. Caught off guard, everyone's eardrums hurt from the sound.

Gennardo's expression changed. "Young eagle birds?!"

"Damn it, how did they get here?" Wilson cursed. He recognized the sound, too, but they'd clearly gone around the forest of wild birds. Why had they run into young eagle birds anyway?

Another cry rang out, and a young eagle bird burst from the darkness with a hoarse screech, giving them no time to prepare.

"Get down!" Gennardo roared.

As the shadow flew toward her, Jenny was so frightened she forgot to call for help. Fortunately, Johnson reacted quickly and tackled her to the ground. At the same time—

"Bang!"

Jim fired his shotgun.

Young eagle birds picked on the weak. They had to kill one as a warning right away, or the consequences would be disastrous.

Jim was an old hunter who'd worked as a mercenary and seen battle. One reason he'd transitioned to being a man was that his shooting skills were too good. He was rough around the edges, and no one liked a crude woman. Men also had all sorts of strange competitive urges, which had made him unpopular back then. His shooting skills often left his opponents feeling so inferior that they were ashamed of themselves.

But this shot went wide.

It was night, so visibility was already poor, and young eagle birds were fast. Unless one flew at them head-on, it was hard for human eyes to track their movements.

After the gunshot, more young eagle birds cried out, sounding just like a pack of wolves surrounding their prey.

There were at least a dozen of them.

The sudden attack threw everyone into disarray.

Gennardo forced himself to stay calm and shouted, "Get down behind a tree trunk and protect your vital spots!"

Young eagle birds weren't poisonous. As long as their sharp beaks didn't pierce any vital spots, they wouldn't kill you.

Compared to that, figuring out how to drive the birds away was the real problem.

"Maybe we should run..." Jenny said fearfully as she got up and hid behind Johnson.

"We can't run!" Wilson immediately stopped her.

Running would show weakness. The moment they bolted and exposed their backs, they'd be swarmed by young eagle birds within ten seconds. Then there'd be no escape at all.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The gunshots rang out one after another, but with little effect.

They managed to take down only two or three of the dozen-plus young eagle birds, nowhere near enough to intimidate the rest of the flock.

The scene descended into chaos.

"Damn it, how can these birds fly in formation, too!" Wilson was about to fire two more shots when he saw several young eagle birds line up. Their hard wings fitted together, gleaming coldly in the moonlight like a guillotine blade turned on its side. They easily sliced through the branches in their path as they swooped toward him, nearly taking his head off.

Wilson hurriedly ducked back behind cover.

The young eagle birds missed him, but their momentum carried them onward.

Wilson looked back instinctively, only to realize that the flock wasn't targeting him. It was targeting Sean.

Because Sean was still holding up the torch!

With everyone crouching behind trees, the flames were the only brightly visible target in their eyes.

"Sean! Put out the fire!" Wilson cried anxiously.

But it was already too late.

From where Wilson and Gennardo were standing, they couldn't even shoot at the flock. The odds of hitting Sean and Conina by mistake were higher than the odds of hitting a young eagle bird.

Hearing the cries and the rush of wings drawing closer, Conina, who was with Sean, turned deathly pale. The only thing she could do was cover her perfectly cared-for face with both hands. She'd rather be pecked to death than disfigured.

Then, in the next instant—

Conina suddenly felt the light grow brighter.

When the light was bright enough, she could feel it even with her eyes closed.

She couldn't help opening one eye to peek through her fingers.

Then her eyes grew wider and wider.

Not only had Sean failed to put out the flames, he'd somehow made them burn even more fiercely than before. The blazing firelight almost illuminated the entire area around them.

"Sean, they're not afraid of fire!" Gennardo hurriedly warned him.

"I know," Sean replied.

Gennardo didn't need to tell him. The young eagle birds had followed the light to find him, which clearly meant they weren't afraid of fire.

But after tonight...

"They will be."

Sean crooked a finger.

And then everyone saw it: the huge mass of fire seemed to be pulled apart thread by thread. As Sean moved his fingers, it split into several strands, and right before their eyes, each strand turned into a sharp arrow and shot toward the onrushing young eagle birds.

"Boom!"

"Caw!"

The blazing arrows exploded as soon as they hit their targets, bursting into a string of small fireballs. A series of shrill screams echoed through the forest, accompanied by the faintly mouthwatering scent of roasted meat.

Sean sniffed. "Hmm... It smells like it might taste better than wolf meat?"

Conina: "?"

Gennardo: "??"

Johnson and Jenny: "???"

Jim: "?????"

Everyone's eyes bulged, their mouths wide enough to fit two grilled sausages.

After seeing Sean play with fire in the car the other day, Jim rubbed his eyes again.

Good grief, what had he just seen?

Sean had turned the flames into arrows and shot them, killing the flock of young eagle birds??

Conina was completely dumbfounded. "Sean, how... did you do that?"

Sean gave the same two-word answer. "Sleight of hand."

"Isn't it normal for a magician to control fire?"

Everyone: "???"

They looked at the young eagle birds falling from the air, their feathers burned off and their skin charred...

What the hell did he mean, magic?!

Sean ignored them. He picked up a roasted bird, brushed off the ash, tore off a leg, and tasted it.

It tasted ordinary, like chicken breast. It wasn't as good as it smelled, maybe because it hadn't been seasoned?

After one bite, Sean tossed it away, looking a little disgusted. He clapped his hands and called to everyone, "Shall we keep going? We're almost there."

Young eagle birds really did pick on the weak and fear the strong. Seeing that all their companions had been roasted, the few birds that had been lucky enough not to join the attack on Sean and escape the same fate shrieked and flapped their wings as they fled in a panic, flying as fast as they could. One of them even crashed into a tree trunk in its haste and went "splat" as it fell, catching on a branch. Then, in a very humanlike manner, it looked back at Sean before flapping its wings and fleeing again.

Johnson came to his senses, his face flushed with excitement. "So you can use magic!"

That proved the rumors about that grove were true!

Sean had just turned fire into an arrow. How cool was that?!

But he wasn't jealous.

Because it would soon be his turn to be cool!

Sean knew there was nothing he could say now to change Johnson's mind, so he stayed quiet.

The Spring of Enlightenment really was close. They'd walked all night, and judging by the distance, they should be nearly there.

The horizon had already begun to pale, as if to symbolize that hope lay just ahead.

But Sean knew things weren't that simple.

He was becoming more and more certain that this was a trap.

Young eagles were supposed to nest in the Wild Bird Forest. Why had they come here?

On a whim, decided to move house?

No. Birds were more attached to their nests than people were.

Sean was more inclined to believe another possibility: a more powerful enemy had invaded the place that should have belonged to them.

Someone had moved into another's home and made it their own.

Especially after they finished the last stretch of the journey and finally spotted, just before dawn, the grove Chris had visited, Sean became even more certain of it.

Because he saw more than just the grove.

There were also crows, circling above the trees like dark clouds.