Watching Rachel Lan’s cheerful face, I realized it had been a week since we’d entered the depths of the forest. Uncle Horne’s knowledge of medicinal plants and animals was astonishing; he explained everything to Rachel in vivid detail.
Rachel studied diligently, carefully jotting down notes with pen and paper. Yet, the medicine needed to cure the Stilled remained elusive.
Although Uncle Horne was highly experienced, those three medicines were extremely rare and could only be found by sheer luck. To improve our chances, we had to search every inch of land we crossed.
“Little Rachel, your memory is impressive. You learn quickly and never get anxious. Well done.”
Uncle Horne spoke with admiration. Rachel smiled, her happiness evident these days. Deep down, I was glad—she’d found a teacher willing to share everything.
We were camped on a gently sloping mountainside, where a small hollow provided a temporary shelter. Uncle Horne planned to use this spot as a base to search as far as possible in all directions.
Hunting had gone smoothly these past days, and we’d caught plenty of small game. Rachel had grown more skilled and capable, even starting to process the animals herself.
Uncle Horne also taught Rachel some techniques—how to deal with wild animals and what to do in dangerous encounters.
I kept hoping that voice inside me would speak up again. There was so much I wanted to ask about this place, about the thoughts that had haunted me these past few days.
The artificial souls implanted by the Dark Banquet were strangely similar to certain aspects of this forest. If I wasn’t careful, my memories could be wiped and I’d become just another part of the woods. But the effects here weren’t as strong as those of the artificial souls. Suddenly, a chill ran through my heart.