Gardenia’s Heart

When both girls beheld the breathtaking landscape before them, there was no conceivable way they wouldn’t be impressed.

“This... is this really real?” Lily murmured, her wide eyes filled with disbelief.

If the elven forest was already colossal in size, what stood before them now was beyond comparison to anything they had ever seen.

“For outsiders, it must be quite a shock, huh?” Still supporting her partner on her shoulder, Zaylin turned to Lily, a small chuckle escaping her lips. “Thanks to the World Tree’s ability to absorb mana, all the trees in the forest receive far more nutrients than ordinary ones, making them grow this large.”

Hearing this, Lily recalled what she had learned during dinner at Selene’s house.

Unlike any other tree, the World Tree was imbued with mana, granting it unique properties. Lily remembered that even its sap alone could be used to produce advanced healing potions, but she hadn’t imagined that its very existence could have such a profound impact on the surrounding nature.

As the silver-haired girl stood lost in thought, staring at the landscape, the pinkish sphere in front of her began to sway even more rapidly, as if protesting her delay.

“Sorry, let’s go.” Snapping out of her daze, Lily looked at Maple and gave her a small nod, signaling her to continue leading the way.

Seeing the fairy and the human moving again, both elves resumed walking as well.

In the area Zaylin had referred to as Area 1, despite the towering trees around them, the plains were relatively flat, with no tall grass or overgrown vegetation. Within minutes, the group reached a trail.

“When we arrive, could you introduce me to someone who knows the location of the labyrinth?” Lily asked, relieved to finally be walking on a proper path instead of sneaking through bushes.

Between the cliffs that formed the city's natural walls, Lily could already see a massive wooden gate rising imposingly among the many jagged rocks protruding from the ground.

“Yes, of course,” Zaylin responded calmly.

Though the journey had been somewhat chaotic, the elven girl couldn’t help but sigh in relief as she saw the city gates growing closer. However, it was only at that moment that she realized she had overlooked something crucial.

Had she forgotten because everything had unfolded exactly as she needed it to?

The reason didn’t matter—she had to act before it was too late.

“Wait, Miss Lily, we need to turn back! We can’t enter through here—!?” Zaylin shouted, only to be met with the sharp whistle of something slicing through the air.

With immense speed, a single arrow cut through the sky above the plains, hurtling toward the group before striking the ground with such force that it left a small crater upon impact.

Recognizing it as a warning shot, everyone’s eyes followed its trajectory to where it had landed—just a few dozen centimeters ahead of Lily’s feet. Yet, despite the impact, the silver-haired girl didn’t flinch, her gaze locking onto the approaching figures.

“Stop!”

The command was shouted in unison by more than ten soldiers.

From every direction, elven warriors emerged, weapons drawn, closing in slowly to ensure their target had no chance of escape.

It had only been a few seconds, but in that brief moment, everything had changed.

“W-Wait! She’s not an enemy! Please, listen to me!” Letting go of Kelios’s shoulder, Zaylin rushed forward, spreading her arms wide to shield Lily.

It wasn’t too late yet. The human hadn’t retaliated, even in this tense situation. No blood had been shed. There was still a chance to resolve things peacefully.

Her pink eyes darted around, assessing their surroundings. Every approaching elven soldier had their face concealed by a camouflaged cloth, and their metal weapons and armor made it clear—these were elites.

The soldiers guarding Area 1 were always on high alert and would immediately notice anyone entering the trails leading to the gates. Zaylin knew this, yet she had still let the situation escalate to this point.

Even though she had been a soldier for decades, she was at the lowest rank of the military. There was no way she would recognize any of them to ask for help.

Her pink hair was disheveled, and cold sweat covered her face. She was standing before the soldiers of her own people, yet Zaylin did not back down.

“We found her while patrolling! She just got lost in the forest!” Zaylin shouted with all her strength. Her legs trembled violently, but her voice never wavered.

Seeing her act this way, Kelios, though still not fully recovered, stumbled to her side, gripping her shoulder tightly. His eyes were filled with confusion, silently asking what she was doing.

Zaylin knew he didn’t understand why she was lying like this, why she was putting herself on the line to protect that human. She wished she could explain it to him, but the fact that Kelios hadn’t worsened the situation further was enough for her.

“Please, listen to me!”

But even with her desperate pleas, the soldiers continued advancing. Her words did not affect them—she knew that.

Her cries were like wind crashing against a steel wall, dissipating uselessly into the air without leaving a trace.

Clenching her teeth, she felt the handle of the dagger on her thigh sliding beneath her fingers. Her weapon, always so light, now carried a weight so immense it made her whole body tremble. Was fighting her only option? What would happen to her if she did?

These thoughts pounded in her mind. Somehow, she had only seconds left to make a choice that would change her life forever.

Biting her lips so hard that the metallic taste spread in her mouth, Zaylin gripped her dagger tightly. But just as she was about to do something irreversible, a voice echoed across the plains.

“Halt!”

That single command was all it took.

In unison, all the soldiers sheathed their weapons, stomping their feet against the ground before standing completely still. Their synchronization was flawless.

Seeing the guards lower their weapons and no longer point them in their direction made Zaylin’s racing heart settle—if only slightly. But she knew it was still too soon to relax.

Turning toward the source of the voice, her entire body tensed as she felt the overwhelming pressure of mana steadily approaching.

“General Riari...” the elven girl murmured, her body now struggling to remain upright.

The man strode toward them with unwavering confidence, a sharp smile playing on his lips.

Half of his face was covered by an obsidian eyepatch, while his exposed eye, a deep shade of black, gleamed with an intense curiosity about the situation unfolding before him. His dark hair, already starting to turn gray at the tips, fell over his shoulders, framing a face marked by a relaxed, almost careless charm.

His formal attire blended shades of green and white, with a flowing coat adorned with white fur draped over his back like a regal cloak. He wasn’t overly muscular, but the small scars scattered across his skin were proof that he had seen many battles.

Each of his steps made the pressure in the environment rise, any thought Zaylin once had of resisting vanishing from her mind.

"Infantry soldier of the first barracks, Zaylin, reporting to the general!"

With a single movement, Zaylin brought her feet together, placed both hands behind her now perfectly straight back, and shouted with the little strength she had left.

When the man's footsteps finally stopped, he observed the group, resting his chin on one of his gloved hands.

"Zaylin, well done on your patrol mission. Your group was the first to return."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a presence impossible to ignore.

Riari watched as the elf saluted, respecting his presence, even though her slender body trembled. Amusement flickered in his eye as he shifted his gaze to the next member of the group, who immediately tensed.

"Infantry soldier of the first barracks, Kelios, reporting to the gener—!?"

Kelios attempted to mimic the elf’s actions beside him, but unlike her, he failed to finish his sentence.

"The delay in presenting yourself before a superior officer is a violation of the code. As punishment, you will be responsible for cleaning the stables of all four barracks for the next week."

When Riari spoke, there was not even a hint of curiosity or amusement in his cold voice. His eye did not linger on the boy for more than a second.

Kelios grimaced and staggered half a step back, but Riari paid him no further attention. His focus was entirely on the lone woman standing before him.

"So, a human got lost in the forest... how intriguing." Riari murmured, tracing his fingers along his chin.

Even as his soldiers advanced, even as he himself stepped closer—until he was no more than a meter away from her—she did not move a single inch.

When confronted with the mana aura of a mage, the obvious response would be to expand one’s own aura. Yet, as if his pressure meant nothing, the woman merely stared at him with an indifferent expression.

There was no nervousness as if she were utterly unfazed.

"My name is Lily." She finally spoke, her voice low as she addressed him directly. "I am merely an independent mercenary. I heard rumors of an unexplored labyrinth within the elven forest and would like to request permission to explore it."

Riari raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to the two elven soldiers who had brought the woman here.

"Is what she says true?"

Her explanation was as good as no explanation at all. His expression made it clear that was exactly what he thought.

Stepping forward before Kelios could interfere, Zaylin straightened her salute even further.

"Yes, she is telling the truth. We found her near an emerald spider’s nest. She had already been lost for a few days. If we had left her there, we feared she would have been killed."

At those words, Lily tilted her head in confusion, and Kelios furrowed his brows, but ignoring both of their reactions, Zaylin continued, keeping her eyes only on Riari.

"So, you believed that bringing a foreigner directly into our city while we were in a state of alert was the best course of action? Is that what you’re telling me?"

The words were simple, yet they cut like blades.

Zaylin's entire body trembled, cold sweat pouring down her back like a waterfall, soaking her clothes until they clung to her skin. The only thing keeping her from collapsing to the ground was sheer willpower.

"After considering all our options, we determined that she posed no threat. We do not know if she holds any valuable information, so we brought her with us to seek your wisdom." Zaylin bowed, her gaze fixed on the ground beneath her feet. "She has committed no violations or disrespect toward the forest. I humbly request your leniency in handling this situation."

Seeing the elven soldier intervene so firmly on behalf of the human made a conflicted expression cross Riari’s face. He traced his chin with his fingers a few times. After a few seconds, he sighed before turning his gaze back to Lily.

"Indeed, merely crossing the forest’s borders is not a crime. Since my men have stated that you bear no ill intentions, we will not treat you as a criminal. However, we will have to detain you until we can verify your story and decide what to do."

As the general spoke those words, for the first time in that encounter, a faint chill ran down his spine... as if death itself were tickling his neck.

“-!?”

A low grunt caught in his throat as he instinctively assumed a defensive stance.

Scanning his surroundings, the elven general quickly searched for the source of his unease, his sharp gaze darting in every direction before finally returning to Lily.

The girl remained in the same spot, idly sliding a hand over the fabric of her dress at her waist. Her expression showed no sign of hostility, no indication that she intended to act.

Riari was intelligent enough to know that the bloodlust he had just felt was neither human nor elven—it hadn’t come from her.

But if it wasn’t from her… then what was the source of that killing intent that, in that single instant, had targeted his head?

None of the soldiers around him had noticed anything. For a moment, he considered that he might have been overthinking it, but he immediately dismissed the idea. There was no way something like that was his imagination.

"Restrain her and use detection magic to check for any concealed objects."

At his command, one of the soldiers broke formation and stepped forward, extending his palm toward the silver-haired woman.

A bluish glow spread through the air, and Lily felt a faint tingling sensation brush over her skin for a few seconds.

Glancing at the mage with his outstretched hand, she quickly understood that he had caused that sensation.

"There are no hidden weapons on her, sir."

When the elf finally spoke those words, Lily couldn't help but feel relieved that she had asked Nia to store her weapons elsewhere beforehand.

The fact that no physical search was conducted was another relief. She didn’t want anyone touching her body and would resist with all her strength if someone tried.

A moment later, another elven soldier approached, carrying two wooden rings adorned with intricate blue carvings. Lily didn’t need to think twice to understand what they were and extended her arms.

The moment the rings locked around her wrists, an uncomfortable sensation spread through her body, as if something beyond her physical movement had been sealed.

"My mana…" Lily murmured, her eyes widening slightly.

Though she didn’t rely on it daily, she was well aware of her mana’s presence after all her training. Now, it felt as if a lock had been placed between her and her reservoir of magic—it was impossible to draw even the smallest fraction of it.

A slight movement at her waist caught her attention, and when she glanced to the side, she saw Zaylin gently tugging at her cloak. The elf’s gaze was firm, as if silently urging her to comply.

Turning his back, Riari began walking toward the city gates, issuing one final command.

"Take her to the administrative cells in the first barracks."