Hilde slowly opened her eyes.
Golden sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves and fell across her face like scattered scraps of gold foil, carrying a trace of warmth that made her body feel dreamlike.
Yet the faint soreness coming from all over reminded her that this was not a dream, but reality.
That absurd, unruly dream had finally ended.
Hilde subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
For some reason, that dream had always given her an ominous feeling, and as the scenes within it continued to unfold, that sense of foreboding only grew stronger.
If possible, Hilde never wanted to have a dream like that again.
Being this tired just from sleeping, seriously...
"Hmm?"
Hilde's eyes suddenly widened.
She abruptly remembered that she had brought Rudeus and Eris with her, using the sudden downpour to wash away their tracks as they silently made their way to Isolte's home in search of shelter.
But now that she had opened her eyes, a spring breeze brushed against her face, and warmth filled the air.
There was not the slightest trace of a rainy night.
She immediately tried to sit up, but the moment she moved, every inch of muscle in her body erupted in intense pain, leaving her completely without strength.
"Ah, you're finally awake."
A familiar voice came from behind her.
Hilde barely managed to turn her head and saw Isolte approaching with a tray in her hands, an irrepressible smile on her lips.
"Isolte..."
"Hmm? I'm here."
"Where is Rudeus?"
"..."
The first thing she cared about upon waking was Rudeus.
Well, he was her biological brother, after all.
Isolte set down the tray in her hands and knelt beside Hilde.
"Don't worry. Your brother and the others are safe. They've already left Ars City. They might even be