The Young Scholar clenched his fists tightly.
"Answer me!"
The Young Scholar shouted.
"Hey!"
The Young Scholar couldn't help taking a step forward.
His head tilted up a little higher.
"Hey!"
Frustration welled up in the Young Scholar, and he raised his foot and kicked the tree in front of him hard.
"Answer me!"
The Young Scholar showed a rare, crude side of himself.
The tree trunk swayed slightly.
The branches and leaves above it swayed much more violently.
A rustling sound spread through the forest.
For a moment, the Young Scholar thought every tree in the forest was swaying.
In the stillness of the night, the disturbance was quite imposing.
The Young Scholar was somewhat stunned.
A sense of unease rose in the Young Scholar's heart.
But when he looked at the Black Monster, which was smaller than his palm...
His heart settled a little.
Even if it was a monster...
It couldn't ignore the difference in size.
A venomous snake was frightening.
But a rabid wild boar was even more terrifying.
The Young Scholar pressed his lips together.
He took a deep breath.
He tried to keep his voice calm.
"Are you still affecting me?"
"...You're leaving anyway."
"Could you let me go?"
He was sick of his emotions swinging wildly and his mind being in turmoil.
He wanted to return to his stable life as before.
There was only one thing he needed to do.
That was to study hard.
Pass the imperial examinations.
Bring honor to his family.
That was what he, his older brother, his sister-in-law, and his late parents hoped for.
Many people mocked him for dreaming big and not knowing his place...
He didn't argue with them.
Words could be powerful.
But sometimes, words were utterly useless.