2nd Day (11) | The Waterfall in the Garden (1)

Roar!!!

"Hiyaah!!"

The knight, Martha, swung her sword down upon the approaching monstrous boar, stabbing the charging beast's temple straight—!

Roarr!!!

The boar thrashed violently, trying to shake off the sword embedded in its head, but—

"Not a chance!"

Martha pushed back against the beast's overwhelming strength! And then finally... she plunged her sword deeper into its skull—killing it instantly! The large, tusked creature fell with a heavy thud... its lifeless body sprawled across the dirt ground of the forest.

"Hah... hah... hah..."

Martha steadied her breath, gripping the hilt of her sword still lodged in the dead boar's head. Even with her body still battered and bandaged, she had managed to fight and slay a powerful beast all by herself.

"Good work, Miss Knight~," came the voice of praise from Sebas.

The butler stood watching from a distance, his own longsword dripping with the fresh blood of the beasts he had slain.

Around them lay the carcasses of many monsters—the remnants of the battle he and the female knight had fought together.

Farther away, hidden behind one of the many large trees of the forest, Anastasia and her maid, Bella, observed with bated breath.

For these two... the scene before them was gruesome—far too much for non-warriors such as themselves, especially for the anxious maid.

"I-Is it over yet...?" Bella asked, her voice trembling at the sight of so many slain monsters.

Her question was soon answered by the butler, who turned toward them and waved cheerfully.

"Lady Ana~! All of the monsters have been slain~."

"...It seems so, Bella," the mistress murmured, exhaling softly.

Anastasia then promptly walked toward the butler and her knight's side.

"W-Wait for me, my lady...!" Bella yelped, hastily following after her mistress, struggling slightly with the cloth backpack on her back—courtesy of Sebas himself.

On the other hand...

Martha finally managed to calm both her breathing and her racing heart. The adrenaline that had pushed her past her limits was fading... and now, she could feel it again—not just the fatigue but the lingering soreness from last night's training.

She pulled her sword free from the beast's skull... and silently stared at the result of her battle.

"..."

The knight's gaze lingered on the lifeless boar's corpse as a question gnawed at the back of her mind.

Had she truly improved?

Her grip on the sword tightened as she struggled to comprehend her own accomplishment...

Because when she turned her head, her eyes inevitably fixated on the enigmatic butler—his sword resting casually on his shoulder...

And behind him... lay the numerous monsters he had slain.

If she tried to count the beasts she had defeated against the ones he had, then his number was at least five times greater than hers...

And yet, he had dispatched them all with relative ease compared to her.

"Ugh..." Martha grumbled, irritation bubbling within her.

But—

"Martha! Good work~!" Her mistress called out, smiling warmly.

Anastasia's words soothed her frustration... and, with that, the knight's vision became a little clearer.

"Miss Martha~!" Bella waved enthusiastically, her own cheerful smile brightening the tense atmosphere as she beckoned her over.

Even the butler—the very man she had been quietly resenting—was giving her a proud nod of approval.

Eventually... she let out a sigh, finally releasing her pent-up frustration. A small, tired smile etched its way onto her face.

"Yeah, coming!" she called back, jogging toward the group.

And with that, the four resumed their journey deeper into the forest.

< | X | >

"Is this truly the path to the river, Sir Sebas?" Anastasia asked, following her butler's lead.

"Of course, my lady. But it's not just the river... there's much more to see~," he teased, a playful lilt in his voice.

"Sigh, please do not take us somewhere strange, Sir Butler," Martha interjected, slowly growing accustomed to his antics.

"Haha, don't worry, I won't. Where I'm taking you gals is the best spot by the river."

"T-The best spot of the river, Sir Sebas?" Bella echoed curiously.

Sebas simply nodded with a reassuring smile.

The group continued their trek deeper into the dense forest...

But then... they heard a peculiar sound.

"That sound...!"

The knight's ears perked up—she recognized that sound!

As they walked further, the noise grew louder, its rushing force undeniable.

And then, finally... they arrived at their destination—

A grand waterfall!

A towering waterfall stood before them, its cascading waters roaring as they crashed into the river below. Mist rose from the impact, drifting through the air like a veil of white.

The warm noon sunlight filtered through the thick foliage of the trees and made the water glisten, shimmering like countless tiny jewels...!

The river beneath flowed strong and clear, carrying the cool scent of fresh water, but soon turned into a calm, gentle flow that meandered through the landscape, weaving between rocks and lush greenery before vanishing into the forest beyond.

"How wonderful...!"

"Amazing...!"

Both Anastasia and Bella gasped in awe as they witnessed the spectacular waterfall.

This was the first time they had ever laid eyes on an actual waterfall in their lives. They had only heard about them through tales and such, and they were quite pleased that their first experience was with something this amazing.

"Never thought I would see a better waterfall in my life," Martha murmured, recalling her previous experiences.

"Glad you gals like the view~," Sebas chuckled, a smile of satisfaction on his face. The butler then stepped closer to the calm side of the river, crouching down by the water. "A good resource of clean water for us to use and replenish our supply."

He showcased it by scooping up the river water with his palms, letting the ladies see its clarity, earning a chorus of amazement from them.

"So clear...!" Bella marveled, her eyes sparkling. "S-Sir Sebas, is the water here drinkable as well?"

"Well, it is mostly clean, and if you must, you could drink it directly too, but..."

"You need to properly purify any source of water before it can be safely consumed, Bella," Anastasia interjected, recalling the lessons she had learned in the academy. "Even clean waters could still contain harmful germs."