"So, you’re the ones who brought in that wild Skywolf Mushroom yesterday, aren’t you?"

The chubby man swaggered over with an air of arrogance, giving us a scrutinizing look as if appraising goods.

"Uh, no, that wasn’t us."

"Hmph. You can’t fool me. It was you, wasn’t it?"

Feigning ignorance didn’t work; he snorted derisively.

Who is this guy? His thinning hair and ostentatious attire made him look more like a merchant than an adventurer.

"Regardless, we were just about to leave the village," Rio interjected politely, trying to hint we didn’t have time to spare.

But the man didn’t seem to care. He stepped closer, undeterred.

"If you have information on where you found it, the Mimina Company will pay handsomely for it. And if you’re holding onto more wild mushrooms, I’ll buy those as well."

"Excuse me?"

His high-handed tone made me inadvertently blurt out an incredulous response.

Where we found it? Honestly, I wasn’t even sure. Somewhere deep in the forest, maybe. And yes, we still had some, but those were reserved for us. Yesterday’s sale was purely out of curiosity about the price.

"Moreover, I’ll personally commission you for a special gathering request. A direct request from the Mimina Company means generous compensation."

This guy wasn’t taking no for an answer. His persistence was irritating.

"No thanks. Try someone else."

"What?"

He froze in disbelief, clearly not expecting a refusal.

Grabbing Rio’s hand, I sidestepped past him. That’s when he raised his voice in a last-ditch attempt to intimidate us.

"You’re refusing a request from the Mimina Company? Do you even understand what it means to have one of the Six Great Merchant Companies take notice of you in the Commercial Nation—?"

Whatever else he shouted, I didn’t bother to listen. Once outside the guild, his voice faded into the background.

What an unpleasant man. If we ever decide to sell, it’ll be to a more agreeable merchant.

"He kept going on about the Six Great Merchant Companies," Rio said, frowning.

"Did he? I wasn’t really paying attention," I admitted with a shrug.

If I recall, the Six Great Merchant Companies essentially govern this nation. Not that it mattered to us—we were leaving this village and wouldn’t be dealing with him again.

"I just hope this doesn’t turn into trouble later."

"It’ll be fine, at least for now."

Rio’s concerned expression softened slightly as I tried to reassure her.

"We’re taking a shortcut through the forest anyway. It’s not like we’re sticking around."

"True, but stay vigilant."

"Always."

I wouldn’t make the same mistakes as before. This time, I’d stay on guard.

The trek ahead was straightforward. The village was a day and a half from the border town by carriage, with an additional three days east to the commercial city and two more south to the craftsmen’s city, Raven. By flying, we could save about a week.

Our destination wasn’t public knowledge, and we’d already checked out of the inn and settled everything at the guild. No one could predict where we were headed.

"Let’s go," I said.

"Yeah."

We left the village through the eastern gate and headed deep into the forest. Once the path disappeared, we took to the air, gaining speed. Our goal was to cross the forest by the end of the day.

As we flew higher above the dense canopy, the trees obscured us from view. Occasionally, we sensed faint traces of magical beasts below, but none noticed us soaring overhead.

"Flying above the trees makes it easier to keep a good pace," I remarked.

"Yeah, no dodging branches up here."

Ahead, the forest stretched on endlessly. But a faint mist began to appear, thickening as we progressed.

"This fog’s going to slow us down," Rio noted.

"Yeah, I’d hoped to clear the forest by tonight."

It was sunny above the mist, so where was this fog coming from? The last time we ventured deep into the forest, it was similarly misty—perhaps the area was prone to it.

"What’s that...?"

Out of nowhere, a towering structure emerged through the mist.

A massive tower, about twenty meters in diameter, rose high above the treetops. Its smooth surface had no visible entrance or windows.

"What is this? Some kind of wizard’s tower?"

"I’ve never heard of it," Rio replied, her voice tinged with curiosity.

The villagers hadn’t mentioned a tower in the forest. Its presence was unsettling.

As intriguing as it was, this wasn’t the time to investigate. The mist thickened, and the air grew heavier with the presence of magical beasts.

"This tower’s a mystery, but we can’t afford to stop. Let’s stick to the plan and head to Raven."

"Yeah, let’s not poke at things we don’t understand."

"Right. Besides, the powerful presence I sensed earlier is getting closer. We don’t want to stick around."

"What? You mean the one near the Silver Wolf carcasses?"

"Yeah. It was moving slowly before, but now it’s speeding up. Fast."

"What?!"

Rio’s eyes darted around as she activated her detection skills.

"You're right. It's heading straight for us!"

The creature must have noticed us. It was now closing in at an alarming speed.