17 Loeri Part One (1/2)

Alicia continued on after her ”sparring match” with the water bear, she felt more confident now as she made her way deeper into the woods. Never in her two lives did she ever think she would be fighting demonic beasts and casting magic while using a sword. This was all too good to be real but it truly was all real. She had to deal with quite a few new experiences as soon as she came to this world from needing to stave off hunger, having to kill two men so she would not be sold off, and narrowly escaping death when she was attacked by the magma lion. But after meeting Blake and then Berlin her life had a new meaning and she had a new path to follow. A path that will lead her to her dream of becoming a knight.

”A knight! I can not wait!” Alicia yelled her thoughts out loud causing Berlin who was behind her to be startled.

He had been following her closely from behind for a while and saw how she was dealing with the demonic beasts. Surprisingly she had not killed a single one as of yet. She was only ”sparring” with them. Berlin could see the look of anger and humiliation in their eyes as the little girl walked all over them. Berlin did not complain about her not killing these demonic beasts. Mainly because they were a deterrent that stopped the other kingdoms from invading each other. So it was never good to kill needlessly in this forest. There were many other forests that had just as many demonic beasts that one could go into to get resources and bring back to the adventurer guilds in exchange for cors. It was even a law that adventurers could not enter these woods unless they were tasked by the crown to do so. This was one of the reasons that Berlin used this place as his hideaway to get away from things.

Alicia slowed her pace as she came to a small pond that was decorated with many lily pads and pink and white lotuses. There were many naturally aligned flat rocks that looked like steps on one part of the shore that were covered in green moss. On other parts of the shore, many different kinds of tall grass could be seen. Rising off the water's blueish glowing surface were little balls of light that floated up into the tree canopies above.

The sight before her was breathtaking to Alicia she had never seen such a beautiful pond out in nature before. Even Berlin who was a little way away was surprised to see such an exquisite naturally formed pond. He watched as Alicia walked towards the shore but when she was only a few meters from the shoreline she disappeared from his sight! Startled, Berlin quickly ran forward to find that there was a strange magic barrier here! It was not made by a human, demihuman or demonic beasts!

While Berlin was in a state of panic because he could not see Alicia any more due to the barrier, Alicia walked to the shore's edge and squatted down. She looked at the bluish glow of the pond and smiled. ”Just like out of a fantasy novel. To think I would actually get to see such a place with my own eyes.”

”Who's there!? How did you enter my territory!?” A young girl's voice yelled out from nearby the location where Alicia was at.

Alicia was startled to hear the voice and looked around but could not seem to find where the voice was coming from. ”Hello? Am I not supposed to be here? I just came to enjoy the view of the pond...”

A rustling was heard in the nearby grass that caught Alicia's attention. ”Leave this place before I force you out!” The words were supposed to be threatening sounding but when said with such a young female voice it sounded more like a little girl pouting while she angrily stomped her feet.

Alicia swept the area with a bit of detection magic to find a small life form not too far off in the tall grass. She could not detect what it was but it was as small as a cat from Earth. Which surprised Alicia since this life form could talk! Alicia picked up a rock and tossed it at the life form in the tall grass.

”Ouch! Ahh!” A small ball rolled out from the tall grass and bumped into Alicia's foot.