Kael succeeded in calming the fear-stricken princess, who was still trembling, if only slightly. The princess, whose heart was a little steadier, immediately turned her gaze upon Kael's face, which was right beside her. It was in that instant that she realized the person standing before her was no ordinary man. She noticed that despite the horrors they had just endured, his face held not the slightest flicker of emotion—it was utterly blank. When she dared to look into his eyes, she saw only a profound void and a crushing loneliness. She then swiftly rose from the safety of Kael's arms and immediately drew back.
"What in the world are you?"
"As I said before, madam, I am simply someone looking for directions. But if you must know my name, it is Kael."
"So he doesn't have a surname? Then he cannot be a noble.If you are simply a traveler passing by, why did you go to such great lengths to save me?"
"It's a long story; I'll tell you when we are in a more suitable environment. For now, we must find a place for you to spend the night. It gets dark quickly in this forest; within an hour, you won't be able to see a thing."
"You are right. If my mana level were sufficient, I would create a place for you to spend the night out of plants, but I am quite exhausted and have used too much mana. I apologize."
"Don't worry, just leave that entirely to me."
Kael immediately points his hand toward a nearby tree. Suddenly, a magical circle, similar to one the princess had made earlier, forms before his hand, and from a branch ten or fifteen meters high on the tree he targeted, leaves and vines abruptly burst forth and began to intertwine. Ultimately, a hollow, cocoon-like structure, one and a half meters high and two meters wide, is formed. This spell cost Kael five percent of his mana, but they now have a shelter to survive the night.
Kael immediately grips the waist of the princess, who is once again watching the events in astonishment, and leaps toward the shelter. As they step inside the shelter, they see that the interior is quite spacious.
The princess was not uncomfortable with being gripped around the waist a second time, but she was blushing and deeply embarrassed.
The two are sitting inside the leaf shelter.
The princess keeps her head turned to avoid looking at the man sitting across from her. When she glances briefly, she sees his expressionless face looking down at the ground, and she immediately looks away again, blushing.
This continues for ten long minutes; finally, the princess breaks the silence.
"You told me your name was Kael, didn't you? Mine is Layra Serayn; you can just call me Layra."
"Alright."
"So... aren't you going to tell me why you came here?"
"Now is the perfect time to talk about the egg. I was looking for this thing."
Kael takes the egg out of his inventory and places it right in front of them. Layra is utterly astonished by what she witnesses.