As the royal procession passed, Lightning swiftly escorted Maxie to a secluded corner of the hall.
"Whoa?" Her hair cascaded to the floor, moving like a ghostly shadow. When she brushed aside the white strands blocking her cheeks, Maxie's face was puffed out, her small mouth still holding a half-eaten pork chop bone.
"I've spotted something intriguing," Lightning whispered. "It's in the Hide-and-Seek Forest. We're heading out tomorrow—would you join me?" "Gurgle," Maxi munched on her food and nodded. "Sure, sure. What do we need?" "Three essentials... Wait, three must-have items," Lightning realized she was using RolandYour Highness's signature catchphrase. "A flint, dry rations, and a dagger. We're not far—just enough for a full day. Don't pack your pockets like last time." "Alright, good." Maxi patted her chest. As she was about to leave, Lightning called her back.
"Don't tell anyone about this adventure—it's our secret," the little girl warned. "We'll set off early tomorrow morning." Watching Maxie's eager approach to the dining table, she pouted and began planning for the day ahead.
Though the bombing mission succeeded and met Your Highness's expectations, she found her flight far less agile than before, as if something were restraining her movements. Whenever she accelerated, Lightning felt as though a Devil was always chasing her from behind.
This was the barrier of fear. She realized the root of it lay in that stone tower journey. When she saw the terrifying figure at the basement door, she lost her composure and only thought of escaping as quickly as possible. After that, she began to doubt her identity as an explorer.
"Fear is not the real danger; the unknown is what truly terrifies. To conquer it, one must first confront it head-on." Lightning silently repeated her father's words. Tomorrow might bring real peril, but an explorer should neither fear danger nor retreat. If she failed to master this lesson, she might never again soar freely through the skies.
This explains why Lightning chose to act without informing Your Highness. Her plan was to schedule the stone tower exploration after the dark moon, deploying the First Army and Witch squad for a joint mission. She feared that by then, even if she returned to the stone tower, the 'conquest fear' would have faded—relying on others to muster the courage to approach danger would hardly qualify as an adventure.
Afterwards, Her Highness might scold her and confiscate her ice cream, which would worry the witches' sisters, yet she remained resolute.
Lightning, daughter of Thunder, the greatest explorer of the fjords, could never accept her own cowardice.
Yet this decision was far from rash. Unlike her unprepared state months ago, she now had the revolver gifted by Your Highness, a deeper understanding of Devil, and the steadfast support of Maxie by her side.
Especially the last point... If you actually encounter a group of Devils in the tower, even if Maxi can't transform into a demonic beast to drive them away, she can at least escape with herself.
The explorer doesn't need a large group of people to boost her courage, she thought, but she can have a few trustworthy teammates.
After the banquet, Lightning packed the honeyed meat slices he had collected into a cloth pouch, followed by weapons, torches, and water bags.
The successful bombing mission restored her confidence, while Her Highness's encouragement and her slightly mustache-studded cheeks further boosted her courage. As the saying goes,' Strike while the iron is hot'—tomorrow would be the perfect time to set off.
Early in the morning, she flew up to the castle's top, where Maxi was crouching on the wall, waiting for her.
"Check your package." "I've already taken everything you asked for," she said, reverting to her original form. She opened the backpack slung across her waist for the girl to inspect. This time, the food inside had been halved, but at least a dagger and a flint were stuffed in.
"Alright, you've passed this time... Let's go!" Lightning shot up into the sky, carrying the dove toward the Forest of the Hidden.
...
The path had been retraced countless times through the sea of lightning, yet one could still find the way even with eyes closed. Today's weather was slightly overcast, but far better than the last time when the sky was thick with dark clouds. The color patches of the earth moved slowly backward, and the closer they got to the stone tower area, the more the lightning grew tense.
"Did you say last night that the interesting place was the new eagle nest?" asked Maxie.
"No, this is way more interesting," Lightning shook his head. "Our target is an ancient ruin—a stone tower from over four centuries ago. The basement hasn't collapsed yet, so we might find some ancient texts describing the past." "Ancient texts?" Maxi shook her wings. "Sounds less exciting than digging up eagle eggs." "An eagle's nest holds only two or three eggs at most," the little girl explained patiently. "If you actually find such books and bring them back to Your Highness Roland, he'll reward you with a basket of eggs—boiled or steamed, you choose. Three a day will last you forever." "Really?" Maxi suddenly had an epiphany. "Then let's hurry to find those ancient texts! Goo-goo!" By noon, the two had successfully arrived at their destination.
The half-tower of stone, still standing in the woods, was covered with vines and moss. Everything around it looked just as it had been months ago, unchanged. Lightning descended, circled the stone tower once, and only then gently touched the ground after confirming its safety.
"Is this the place?" the pigeon perched on her head called out.
"Shh—" Lightning made a sound to silence the forest. Their voices stood out in the stillness, "Hush, there might be a Devil here." "A Devil?" Maxie's tail shot up.
"Wait up there for me," she whispered, her voice low as she pointed to the broken tower's peak. "I'll scout ahead." Her footsteps rustled across the withering grass, the stone entrance still open, where she could still see the cluster of vines she'd severed with her dagger. Holding her breath, she crept back into the tower, inching toward the basement passage at its core. As she gazed at the darkened staircase, she could even hear her own thumping heartbeat.
Fear springs from the unknown. To conquer fear and embrace the unknown... The young girl kept cheering herself on, lighting the torch, and steadily descended the stairs.
As she reached the corridor's corner, she peered stealthily. The wooden door had crumbled into fragments, and Devil's figure was nowhere to be seen at the basement entrance—only the abyss of darkness behind the door, like a gaping maw that devoured all who stood in its path.
Just then, she heard a faint, almost imperceptible sound drifting from the darkness—utterly familiar. Lightning shuddered uncontrollably, her hair standing on end, and she nearly turned to flee. Clenching her teeth, she suppressed the overwhelming fear, covered her mouth, and strained to hear again.
This time the call was much clearer and the tone was exactly the same as last time.
" help me ..."