"Mr. Kai?" Stella's surprise was evident as she noticed Aether following her.
"Well... I couldn't just let a girl suffer alone, right?" Aether replied awkwardly, unsure if she bought his excuse or not.
[+1 Affection]
'Well, she is easy..' Aether thought to himself before following her a step behind.
As they walked through the dark forest, Aether couldn't shake the worry gnawing at his mind. He half-expected to encounter some sort of monstrous creature at any moment, but to his surprise, none appeared.
"Can you tell me where we are?" Aether suddenly asked as he tried to gather some information.
"Hmm? You don't know?" Stella responded incredulously.
"No, I'm a bit lost," Aether admitted sheepishly.
Stella regarded him sceptically as if questioning how anyone could be lost in such a dangerous place. Nevertheless, she answered as they continued to hurry along,
"We're in a forest called the Hunting Place."
"Oh... I see," Aether nodded, inwardly cringing at the ominous name 'Hunting Place'.
"What exactly is this Hunting Place?" Aether inquired, his curiosity piqued.
Stella came to a halt, turning to face Aether with a puzzled frown. "You really don't know anything, do you?"
"....hahah..." Aether chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head in embarrassment.
Stella's frown deepened, her curiosity piqued, but before she could inquire further,
"BOOM!!"
Another deafening blast reverberated through the forest. Reacting swiftly, she darted towards the source of the commotion, with Aether sighing and following closely behind.
He trailed after her not out of blind heroism, but rather to gain a better understanding of his surroundings and gather valuable information about this unfamiliar world.... and might as well get the reward!!
Soon, they stumbled upon a group of individuals, many of whom were gravely wounded, and.... some lay lifeless on the forest floor.
"POFFF---" Aether instinctively covered his mouth as the stench of blood and decay assaulted his senses, the thick air saturated with the sickening odour. He wasn't sure why he hadn't fallen faint seeing the grotesque and yet something tells he saw worse than this.
"Is everyone all right?" Stella's voice rang out, breaking the tense silence as she cautiously approached the group.
Initially startled, the group tensed up and braced themselves, weapons at the ready. However, upon seeing a woman, their demeanour softened, and they lowered their guard.
"M-Miss, do you guys have a healer?" One of the members asked, their voice trembling as they cradled a heavily wounded man in their arms.
"Yes, and I am the healer," Stella replied with determination, swiftly retrieving a white, feathery batch and showing everyone before hurrying towards the injured individuals.
Aether, suppressing his urge to vomit, followed her closely. However, his presence did not go unnoticed.
"Hey, who are you?" questioned a black-haired man, eyeing Aether suspiciously.
Before Aether could respond, Stella intervened, "He is my helper."
Accepting Stella's explanation, the black-haired man nodded, though he continued to cast wary glances in Aether's direction before stepping back.
"Sigh," Aether sighed inwardly, resigning himself to the role thrust upon him, and trailed closely behind Stella as she approached the wounded.
"Hold him," Stella instructed, crouching down beside the man whose leg had been grievously injured.
With steady hands, Stella touched the man's flesh, her hand now stained with blood. Unfazed, she muttered under her breath,
/Recovery/
As a luminous, ethereal glow emanated from her hand.
"Arrrrhhh!" The man groaned in pain as the healing magic took effect, eliciting a gasp from Aether.
Despite the discomfort, Aether raised his eyebrows in astonishment as he witnessed the miraculous sight of the broken leg slowly regenerating, resembling the regrowth of a starfish.
"It's beautiful..." Aether muttered, his voice barely audible as he found himself fully immersed in the serene, white ethereal light. It enveloped the wounds and slowly healed... Aether felt he wanted to touch the Purity!!
After what felt like an eternity, but was likely only a minute or so, the broken leg had been completely regrown. The man, overwhelmed by the excruciating pain of the regeneration process, had passed out.
"It seems healing magic doesn't have a painkiller effect..." Aether observed silently, his thoughts lingering on the nature of the magic he had just witnessed.
With Stella's guidance, they continued to assist those in need, Aether carefully following her lead as they tended to the wounded.
After an hour or so,
Everyone gathered around the campfire, their faces etched with worry and exhaustion. They shared solemn glances, each grappling with their own fears and uncertainties in the aftermath of the ordeal.
"So, what did you guys encounter?" Stella inquired as she settled down among the group.
"It was a 2-Star Silver Orc" the black-haired man replied, his expression grim with dread.
"2-Star Silver!!" Stella exclaimed in shock, her features reflecting the gravity of the situation. "Did you guys defeat it?"
The black-haired man shook his head solemnly, and the others followed suit.... their faces drawn with pain and sadness.
Stella didn't press for further details, sensing the time needed to heal their sadness.
However,
"Shouldn't we move away from here first if the monster is still alive?" Aether interjected, voicing the concern that lingered in the back of his mind.
It seemed like the logical course of action ...staying in a place recently ravaged by a powerful monster was surely perilous.
However, instead of receiving acknowledgement or agreement, Aether was met with blank stares from the group, their expressions akin to those of dead fish.
".... What?" Aether asked, bewildered by their reaction.
The group then turned their incredulous gazes towards Stella, as if she had committed some unfathomable offence.
Aether didn't understand what was happening but seeing their expression he wasn't sure what was wrong...
Their inexplicable behaviour left him feeling uncertain and uneasy as they dispersed to their tents, their faces clouded with sadness and gloom.
As the others retired for the night, the black-haired man remained on guard duty, vigilant against any potential threats.
"Mr. Kai," Stella's voice broke through Aether's thoughts.
But Aether remained silent, his attention drawn to the mission prompt, pondering over the seduction aspect and unsure of how to proceed.
"Kai?" Stella tried again, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Startled, Aether jerked back, a reflexive response born of tension and apprehension.
"HOO!!"
Stella too was taken aback by Aether's sudden reaction, but she couldn't help but giggle at his terror-stricken expression.
"Ahahaha... Why are you so tense? I'm not going to snatch you up and claim you as my stray slave-- Oh, shit!" Stella's words trailed off as she realized she had said more than intended.
Aether was stunned, his mind racing with questions 'How does she know?' as he opened his mouth to speak, "How?"
"Sigh..." Stella sighed heavily, her gaze turning skyward as she reluctantly explained, "There's a slave mark on the back of your neck."
"What?"