Why Do I Always Welcome Trouble?!

Mizuki decides it's best she doesn't ponder on it. She can't afford to think about little, insignificant things with the thinning time she can bear to spend in this world. Adjusting her frock, she shuts off the lights and windows, looking back into the house one last time before stepping out of the house.

On her way to the forest, she braces herself for what she's about to encounter, very well knowing she's still not a seasoned fighter capable of standing against all that the world has out for her.

Mizuki catches Miko outside the Wanderer's Union, wrapping her arm around a grown man teasingly. Wearing a bright smile, she nudges him with her knuckle. "Hm, I've known you for all these years yet you haven't managed to grow any taller," she teases, voice ringing loudly through the air. Mizuki is cautious not to get too close.

It's a surprise how she looks as if the previous incidents hadn't happened. Maybe it's a game thing, that characters aren't going to act as per their portrayal in quests as long as they're no longer a major role in it.

Maybe it's a thing about Miko herself, always wanting to put up a brave front. Mizuki passes in silence, though Miko doesn't fail to take notice of her presence. She doesn't speak up about it, only stealing a glance at the passing silhouette.

Mizuki treads along the streets, greeted warmly by Garden who's out with Jake and Mocha who walks hand-in-hand along the road with Sebastian. A warm smile creeps onto Mizuki's face. I've really made a lot of good friends in my time here. She doesn't think about how it's going to feel when she's no longer here.

The walk to the forest itself is a long one, so much so that Mizuki has to pick up her pace else it's going to be noon by the time she's in there. As she stands in front of the looming forest in front of her, she feels her heart fall to the pit of her stomach. An unfamiliar feeling of dread begins to dawn on her.

Goosebumps prickle against Mizuki's skin as she recalls her encounter with Valkyrie, hoping she won't get herself into yet another mess. "This would've been… easier if I wasn't alone…" she shivers, stepping into the cover of the forest.

The blue wisp arrow from before subsequently fades into view, leading her through the path and even the bushery once the dirt path stops at a foliage of bushes. Along the road, Mizuki stops by a couple of Boblin camps to rack up on materials and experience points.

It's a slow process, painstakingly slow, but she's at a point where she'll do anything to get herself more experienced. Fighting has also helped her memorise attack patterns, something she couldn't pick up from books. She leaves the forest a lot less wounded than she previously foresaw, only a couple of minor scratches and burns.

Mizuki makes sure to keep a fair collection of the plants around her, finding flowers she hadn't noticed before. She decides she'll keep a diary when she's home, more like an encyclopedia so she can track her findings.

Mizuki also collects a couple of Lanternsphere fruits to show to Adelia during her mentorship sessions. If she's lucky, sometime soon, she might even get to see how to make a potion step-by-step—or just the base, without the magic.

It feels like she's been walking for eternity by the time she sees any light past the foliage. Pushing past a set of leaves, she peers out, eyes widening in surprise.

Her cheeks dust pink with joy as she finds the outside, wide grass plains with a peaceful surrounding. On her right, there's a cliffside she hadn't previously seen, a miniature waterfall gushing loudly at her side. She can see as far as the horizon, vague structures on the far right of her vision and a blue-ish forcefield blocking how far she can travel.

Mizuki glances around in search of the blue wisp arrow, furrowing her eyebrows upon noticing it's gone. She pulls out the map instead, though it doesn't show any indication of where she should go.

I think I should just search the area. Keeping this in mind, she decides to scour the region, accidentally tumbling across enemies she hasn't seen before. One of the many weird things she sees are horned beasts, something like the Boblins' terrifying distant cousin.

If she neared it, she'd realise it's somewhere around her height, muscles as built as that of a bodybuilder's. Not far from the area are swarms of snake-looking beasts. They're called 'Virguis', nothing special from cobras with a patch of moss growing on their scales to disguise them in the grass.

Mizuki reads a brief panel of information on them, deciding she's better off getting into a mess with them. She analyses the rock structures around her, dilapidated buildings that used to reside in the area. She wonders why there'd be concrete out of nowhere if it's an untouched field. Soon, not far in the distance, Mizuki starts hearing the soft crackling of fire.

Careful, in case it's yet another camp, Mizuki approaches the sound. Her eyes widen at a patch of fire in the middle of the field, right behind a massive boulder. In its center, she spots what looks like a pendant. It's a gold necklace with a ruby stone in its center.

Mizuki treads with caution, carefully reaching a hand over it in her attempt to pick it up. With her presence, the fire dies down and all that's left is the pendant on a patch of charred grass. Surprisingly or not, when she holds it in her hand, it's not warm in the least. Mizuki feels an unfamiliar sensation burn at the tips of her fingers upon holding it.

She shivers, tucking the pendant away in the pocket of her shirt. She turns, awaiting the quest log to ask her to return to Miko with the necklace until she's met face-to-face with an unfamiliar man. She jolts, stumbling backwards.

The man in front of her wears a suit and tuxedo, a burnt cigarette tucked between his lips. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, revealing bandages that stretch up the length of his arm.

"Hello there," he greets slyly, grinning ear to ear.

Mizuki backs up. This can't be good.