The greatest explorer in the world.That's me.Or, well—future me.It's a work in progress.
I don't care about fame, or gold (well, maybe a little gold).What I really want is to be the first to find the forgotten places. Ancient ruins hidden under vines. Tombs no one's dared to open. Dungeons lost to time.That's the dream.
So naturally, I picked the Thief class. Not because I like stealing socks or breaking into shops or anything weird like that. I picked it because it came with all the best tools: Haste, for sprinting across crumbling bridges. Detect Trap, for when statues start throwing darts at your face. And of course—Stealth.Stealth is my favorite. It turns every shadow into a challenge. And I love a good challenge.
* * *
When the summons came from the Elmwald estate, I almost didn't believe it. Apparently, I was "personally recommended" by Sir Alban. Yeah, that Alban. The scary one. Said I was good at staying quiet, tracking, surviving in the woods. All true, by the way. Not that I brag. (Okay, maybe a little.)
Lord Velward Elmwald gave me one job: follow his son.Tail him from a distance. Keep him safe. Don't reveal myself unless things got really bad.
I tried to keep a straight face while he explained the mission, nodding like a serious professional. But inside? I was already packing my bag.
A noble family. A secret mission. A lone traveler with who-knows-what kind of magic items in his pocket. This was the kind of quest that started stories.I accepted immediately.
I mean, come on. Secret mission? Noble kid? Mysterious solo journey? That smells like adventure!
* * *
Two days later, I was high in the trees, watching Arven Elmwald walk like he had all the time in the world.
He had brown hair that never stayed in place, and a cloak that somehow got snagged on everything. His skeleton dog—yes, really—trotted along behind him like they'd been together forever.
I liked the dog. It was kinda cute.
Which was weird, considering, you know... it's all skeleton.
Arven, though? He was weird.I mean that in the nicest way.
He'd sit under trees for hours with his eyes closed like he was meditating, then get up, stretch, and walk twenty more feet. I've never seen someone take so long to cross a forest trail.
If it were me, I'd have been in Elloria by now and halfway through my second meal.
But Arven? He moved like someone enchanted by everything. Like the world was brand new, and he didn't want to miss a single detail. Every mushroom got a second glance. Every birdcall made him pause.
Once, he stopped just to watch how dew slid off a leaf, eyes wide like it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Then he just smiled and kept walking—like everything was fascinating to him.
However, I caught him picking herbs—and not just randomly. He knew exactly which ones were edible. No sniff test, no hesitation. Just snip, bag, move on.
It was weird, honestly. One second he's starry-eyed over a dewdrop, the next he's harvesting herbs like a trained apothecary.
Most adventurers I've shadowed before were noisy—boots stomping, weapons jangling, yelling at their party. Arven was the opposite. Quiet. Focused. Almost like he liked being alone.
And Skele? For a skeleton, he moved with eerie grace. Like he wasn't just some summoned minion, but something... smarter.
And the way Arven treated that skeleton dog? Like a real pet. He even said things like, "Let's keep moving, Skele," or "Good boy."
I don't know. Something about it made me smile.
Also, I may or may not have stolen a bite of his stew.Just once!
He left it unattended while he meditated. I dropped down, tasted it, and disappeared before he opened his eyes. He didn't even react. No panic. No "Where's my stew?" Just... more talking to the dog.
So now I'm wondering if he knows I'm here and just doesn't care.
Because sometimes, Skele looks directly at the tree I'm in. He wags his tail, even. Like he's saying hello.
Arven never looks, though. He just keeps walking.
* * *
The next day, something changed.
It started with mist. Blueish-grey and cool, like morning fog, except it came out of nowhere. No poison. I checked. Just... weird.
It curled low to the ground, clinging to Arven's boots. He didn't seem bothered. In fact, he looked sharper than before. More focused. Like he was expecting something.
He started moving faster. Not running, but with purpose. Then he stopped at a tree that looked just like any other tree.
Except it wasn't.
He placed his palm against the bark, and mana—actual mana—pulsed from his hand. A rune shimmered on the surface, and a panel of bark slid aside with a soft grinding noise.
Behind it? Stone steps.Leading down.Down into something old.
My breath caught.
He found a ruin. A real one. A hidden one.
I pressed my fingers over my mouth to keep from squealing. My whole body buzzed. This was it. The real thing. Not a broken shed or a rat-filled cave, but something ancient and sealed with magic.
And Arven had just... found it.
He didn't hesitate. He looked at his dog, said something quietly, and stepped inside like he did this sort of thing every day.
The forest had gone still. No birdsong. No wind. Just the soft hush of mist curling through ferns. Even my boots felt louder than usual.
I adjusted my cloak, held my breath, and slid down from the branch like a falling leaf.
My fingers found the silver compass hanging at my neck—a gift from my mom before I left home.
The needle was cracked, but it always pointed me toward adventure.
"Alright," I whispered. "You've got my attention, Arven Elmwald."
I activated Stealth.
My body shimmered and vanished into the mist.
And with a grin stretching across my face, I followed him down into the dark.
The air was colder below. Damp. Heavy. I could hear Skele's bones clicking softly on the stone as they walked ahead.
I stuck to the shadows, footsteps silent, breath even.
Plink.
Dust stirred beneath my boots. The stone whispered with age.
The air felt sacred, like I'd stepped into a secret meant to stay hidden.
And yet, here I was—right where I belonged.
Most people think explorers chase treasure. But it's not the gold I care about. It's this.
That quiet second before stepping into the unknown. When your heart beats just a little faster.
That was the moment I lived for.
This wasn't just some side job anymore—this was my story now.
And I wasn't about to miss a single step of it.
Not only the twists and surprises, but also the wild turns ahead.
I wanted it all.