He brought the newly refreshed Sylphy with him.
They arrived at the forest on the outskirts of the village.
A small tower used to keep watch and observe the movements of monsters stood there all alone.
The tower was not tall, only two stories high.
It was built entirely from rough, unpolished stone and hard ironwood.
Its architecture was sturdy and plain.
Before Cui Ciyou could approach to find someone,
a young man's anxious voice, full of unmistakable worry, came from the top of the tower:
"Rufi... Rufi..."
Rufi... Luffy? Are you One Piece?
Unbidden, an image flashed through Cui Ciyou's mind.
It was a sunny boy wearing a straw hat, drawn from his memories of Earth.
So, are you the man who'll become One Piece?
I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll become One Piece!
A nonexistent soundtrack from another world began playing in Cui Ciyou's mind.
Then a blond figure hurriedly poked his head out of the second-floor window.
When the blond man saw his daughter, Sylphy, standing safe and sound below the tower,
he visibly breathed a sigh of relief, then hurried down the narrow stairs.
The man was Sylphy's father, Rols Yeat.
He was a handsome half-elf with smooth, short blond hair, pointed ears, fine features, and a slender but clearly muscular build.
At that moment, his handsome face was filled with worry and lingering fear.
"Rufi! Thank goodness you're all right!"
Rorze rushed forward and pulled Sylphy into a tight embrace, his voice catching slightly.
"Daddy was worried sick! Where did you go?"
"Just now, three troublemakers from the village came running over and said..."
They really ran a long way. Are they that afraid of me?
Cui Ciyou found the thought rather amusing.
"...They said some scary-looking, really nasty villain had taken you away!"