Then a faint sound reached the quiet forest.
Footsteps.
At first, it was distant and slow, like something carefully moving through the trees. The sound grew clearer with each passing second. Leaves rustled softly under weight, and small branches cracked under pressure.
It wasn't just one person.
There were many of them.
Soon, several shadows began to move between the trees. A group slowly emerged from the forest, stepping cautiously as if they were still on guard.
They were demi-humans.
There were sixteen of them in total. Some looked older, their expressions tired and serious. Three were children, staying close to the adults. The rest were young adults and middle-aged members of the group.
Among them, seven were cat demi-humans, their ears standing upright as they carefully scanned the surroundings.
A few of them wore the same outfit, something similar to the clothing of guides or soldiers. Those ones carried weapons—swords, short spears, and daggers. Three were girls and four were boys, clearly acting as protectors for the others.
The remaining people looked very different.
Their clothes were simple, like villagers, and many of them showed signs of injuries and exhaustion. Some walked slowly while others supported the wounded as they continued forward.
Step by step, the group passed through the thick trees.
Then they saw her.
Under a tree, Miyuki was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the approaching group.
The demi-humans stopped.
For a moment, they simply stared at her, surprised to see someone lying alone in the forest.
After a brief exchange of quiet glances, one of the cat demi-human soldiers, a young girl, stepped forward carefully.
Slowly, she approached Miyuki and knelt beside her.
Then she gently reached out, trying to wake her.
The cat demi-human girl gently tapped Miyuki's shoulder.
"Hey… wake up."
When Miyuki didn't respond immediately, the girl shook her lightly again.
"Hey."
Slowly, Miyuki began to stir. Her eyes opened little by little, still heavy with sleep. She lifted one hand and rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the remaining drowsiness.
But the moment her vision focused—
She froze.
In front of her stood many demi-humans.
Her body stiffened in shock as she quickly sat up. Her eyes moved across the group standing around her. Some of them looked injured, others tired, and a few held weapons.
Then her gaze stopped on the person closest to her.
A cat demi-human girl stood there, her ears slightly twitching as she observed Miyuki carefully. A weapon was strapped to her back, showing she was clearly one of the group's guards.
Miyuki looked at her for a moment.
Then her eyes quickly searched the area.
She looked to the left.
Then to the right.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Haruto wasn't there.
For a brief moment, worry flashed across her face. Had they already found him? Had they captured him?
But she forced herself to stay calm.
The cat girl noticed her searching around.
"Are you looking for someone?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "And… why are you sleeping alone here in the forest?"
Miyuki took a slow breath.
That reaction could only mean one thing.
Haruto had hidden himself before they arrived.
Relief quietly passed through her mind, though she didn't show it on her face.
The cat girl crossed her arms slightly and continued speaking.
"Are you lost or something?"
Miyuki looked at her but didn't answer immediately.
Seeing her hesitation, the cat girl's expression softened a little.
"Don't worry," she said. "We won't hurt you."
She pointed behind her toward the group.
"We actually save people."
Then she straightened slightly.
"We are soldiers from a village nearby. My name is Emi Tanaka."
She paused and looked at Miyuki again.
"And you?"
"Miyuki," she replied quietly.
Emi nodded once.
"So, Miyuki," she continued, "what are you doing alone in this forest?"
Miyuki lowered her gaze for a moment before answering.
She explained that her village had been attacked and destroyed. She was one of the few who had survived, and since then she had been living alone in the forest.
However, she carefully avoided mentioning Haruto.
Emi listened without interrupting.
When Miyuki finished, the cat girl sighed softly.
"I know that kind of pain," Emi said.
Then she gestured toward the people behind her.
"Look at them. Their village was also destroyed. We found them and rescued them."
Some of the villagers lowered their heads quietly, their expressions filled with exhaustion.
Emi looked back at Miyuki.
"You should come with us," she said kindly.
"Our village takes in people who have nowhere else to go."
She glanced around the forest briefly before continuing.
"This place isn't safe. There are monsters… sometimes even demons."
Her ears twitched slightly as she added,
"And recently we've seen many human soldiers moving around this area too."
Then she looked directly at Miyuki again.
"That's why it would be better if you came with us."
Miyuki remained silent for a moment after Emi finished speaking.
Her eyes lowered slightly as she began thinking.
If she refused to go with them, it would only make them suspicious. They would start asking more questions, and that could become dangerous.
More importantly…
She didn't want to leave Haruto behind alone.
Miyuki quietly shook her head to herself.
No… I should go with them.
If these demi-humans were really heading back to their village, then Haruto would be able to follow them from a distance. They still didn't know the exact location of the demi-human village, and this might be the only chance to reach it.
Haruto would probably want this too, she thought.
And… I'm sure he's watching somewhere nearby.
She lifted her head again.
"I'll go with you," Miyuki said softly.
Emi seemed relieved when she heard that.
"Good," she replied with a small nod.
But as Miyuki shifted slightly, Emi suddenly noticed something on her chest—a faint mark, partially visible through the fabric of her clothing.
Emi's expression changed slightly.
"What is that?" she asked, pointing toward the mark.
Miyuki froze for a brief moment.
Her mind quickly searched for an explanation.
After a short pause, she spoke again.
"…It's a slave mark."
Her voice was quiet.
"After my village was destroyed, I tried to run away. But I wasn't lucky."
She looked down slightly as she continued.
"Some human soldiers found me… and made me a slave."
For a moment, her voice trembled faintly before she forced herself to continue.
"But somehow… I managed to escape."
Miyuki slowly looked back at Emi.
"I'm sorry," she added. "I didn't say this earlier."
Emi immediately shook her head.
"It's okay," she said gently.
"You didn't have to tell us something like that right away. You probably had your reasons for hiding it."
Her ears lowered slightly, and her expression became serious.
"People who are turned into slaves… are often tortured."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"And sometimes they are forced to go through things they never wanted."
Emi looked at Miyuki with a bit of regret in her eyes.
"I'm really sorry for asking about it," she said quietly.
"I didn't mean to remind you of something you were trying to forget."