The creature stepped out from between the trees.
Luciana froze.
A large grey tiger emerged from the shadows, its powerful body covered in thick silver-grey fur.
Dark stripes ran across its back and legs, blending almost perfectly with the dim forest around it.
Its golden eyes fixed on them.
Luciana slowly swallowed.
“Oh.”
The tiger lowered its head.
A quiet growl rolled through the forest.
Luciana took one careful step backward.
“That’s a tiger.”
Raizen nodded.
“I noticed.”
“It looks angry.”
“Yes.”
“Very angry.”
“Yes.”
Luciana glanced at him.
“You’re not helping.”
The Grey Tiger moved forward.
Luciana’s hand immediately went to the small sword at her waist.
She had carried it ever since beginning her travels, mostly because every experienced adventurer had told her that a traveler should have something for self-defense.
Until now, it had mostly felt like an accessory.
Suddenly, it felt very useful.
The tiger growled again.
Luciana slowly drew her sword.
The blade wasn’t large.
It wasn’t impressive.
But it was enough to make her feel slightly less helpless.
Raizen remained beside her.
His posture barely changed.
Luciana noticed something.
His eyes weren’t fixed on the tiger’s face.
He was watching its shoulders.
Its paws.
The movement of its tail.
Almost as if he already knew what it was going to do.
“Raizen…”
“Yes?”
“Have you fought something like this before?”
“Something similar.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
The tiger suddenly crouched.
Raizen’s gaze sharpened.
“Move.”
Luciana barely had time to react.
The Grey Tiger launched itself forward.
She jumped sideways.
The creature passed where she had been standing only a moment earlier and landed heavily among the flowers.
Luciana stumbled but managed to stay upright.
“Whoa!”
The tiger spun around.
Luciana tightened her grip.
“Okay…”
Her heart was pounding.
This wasn’t a harmless forest creature.
This wasn’t a collection quest anymore.
The tiger charged again.
Luciana raised her sword.
She tried to remember what one of the guild instructors had told a group of beginners.
Don’t fight strength with strength.
Watch the movement.
Don’t panic.
Very useful advice.
Extremely difficult to follow when a tiger was running toward her.
Luciana waited until the last moment.
Then she moved.
The tiger’s claws scraped the ground beside her.
Luciana swung her sword.
The blade only grazed its fur.
“Sorry!”
She didn’t even know why she apologized.
The tiger turned sharply.
Luciana backed away.
It was faster than she expected.
Much faster.
Raizen stepped forward.
The tiger’s attention shifted toward him.
Luciana immediately said,
“Raizen, be careful!”
He glanced at her.
“I am.”
The tiger lunged.
Raizen moved.
He didn’t attack.
He simply stepped aside, letting the creature’s momentum carry it past him.
The tiger landed and immediately turned again.
Luciana stared.
“That was…”
She couldn’t even finish the sentence.
Raizen looked completely calm.
The tiger charged once more.
This time, Raizen’s hand moved toward his leg.
Luciana caught a brief glimpse of a small blade concealed near his boot.
Her eyes widened.
“You have a sword?”
Raizen glanced down briefly.
“A small one.”
“When did you get that?”
“I’ve had it.”
Luciana blinked.
She looked at his boot.
Then at her own sword.
“Oh.”
Raizen’s voice remained casual.
“I’m a traveler.
Carrying something for self-defense is basic.”
Luciana nodded.
That made perfect sense.
She turned back toward the tiger.
“Right.”
The creature growled.
Luciana raised her sword again.
“Then let’s both survive this.”
Raizen gave a small nod.
The Grey Tiger suddenly sprang forward.
This time, Luciana was ready.
She stepped to the side instead of retreating, avoiding the claws.
As the tiger landed, she struck toward its shoulder.
The blade made a shallow cut.
The tiger roared.
Luciana’s heart jumped.
“I actually hit it!”
The tiger spun.
Luciana immediately realized she had perhaps celebrated too early.
“Oh.”
It charged.
“Again?!”
Raizen moved between them.
His small blade flashed once.
Not toward the tiger’s body.
Toward the ground.
The strike hit directly in front of its paws.
The Grey Tiger stopped abruptly, startled by the sudden movement.
Raizen’s eyes met its golden ones.
For a moment, the forest went completely silent.
The tiger growled.
Raizen didn’t move.
He didn’t need to.
Something in his presence made the creature hesitate.
Luciana stared.
The tiger took one step backward.
Then another.
Finally, it turned and disappeared into the trees.
Silence returned.
Luciana stood frozen with her sword still raised.
She slowly lowered it.
“…It ran away.”
Raizen returned his small blade to its place near his boot.
“Yes.”
Luciana looked at him.
Then toward the trees.
Then back at him.
“That was strange.”
Raizen said nothing.
She sheathed her sword.
“Maybe it wasn’t hungry.”
“Perhaps.”
Luciana nodded thoughtfully.
“That makes sense.”
It was clearly the easiest explanation.
She looked down at the flowers around them.
Then suddenly remembered why they had come here.
“Oh!”
She hurried toward the Crystal Petals.
“The last one!”
She carefully picked the final petal.
Then she counted the collection pouch.
Fifteen.
Luciana smiled.
“We did it.”
Raizen nodded.
“Fifteen.”
She held the pouch up proudly.
“Fifty silver coins.”
“Twenty-five each.”
Luciana grinned.
“Exactly.”
She looked back toward the forest where the Grey Tiger had disappeared.
“Still…”
She rubbed her arm.
“That was definitely more exciting than my last two quests.”
Raizen looked at her.
“You enjoyed it?”
Luciana thought for a moment.
“No.”
She shook her head firmly.
“Not while the tiger was chasing me.”
Then she smiled.
“But afterward?”
She laughed.
“Maybe a little.”
Raizen’s expression softened.
Luciana had been frightened.
He had seen it.
But she hadn’t frozen.
She had moved.
She had fought.
She had protected herself.
It wasn’t much compared to what she had once been capable of.
But that wasn’t the point.
She was learning.
And Raizen would let her.
He wouldn’t turn every danger into something she never had to face.
He would simply make sure she survived long enough to become stronger on her own.
Luciana tucked the Crystal Petals safely into her bag.
“Let’s go back before another tiger decides we’re dinner.”
Raizen nodded.
“That sounds reasonable.”
They started walking toward Silvermere.
Luciana walked beside him, occasionally glancing toward his boots.
She didn’t ask about the little blade again.
It was just a traveler’s weapon.
Nothing unusual.
At least, that’s what she believed.
And Raizen was perfectly happy to let her believe it.