The forest had gone quiet.

  Not the peaceful quiet of nature, but the stunned silence that followed violence.

  Thirty men lay scattered across the clearing—groaning, unconscious, or struggling to crawl away. Broken weapons littered the ground. A few trees bore fresh dents where bodies had struck bark with unforgiving force.

  Cale exhaled slowly.

  He slid his sword back into its sheath and rolled his shoulder once.

  “I hope none of you were seriously hurt,” he said lightly, turning toward the knights.

  Only then did he realize they were all staring at him.

  Six armored knights stood frozen, weapons still drawn, eyes wide beneath their helmets. Their expressions were not of relief.

  They were of disbelief.

  Behind them, the door of the elegant carriage creaked open.

  A young woman stepped down onto the forest path.

  She wore a refined traveling dress of deep sapphire blue, embroidered with silver patterns along the sleeves and hem. Long ruby-blue hair cascaded over her shoulders, swaying gently as she moved. Her eyes—clear and bright like polished crystal—fixed themselves on the young swordsman standing a short distance away.

  Cale smiled politely.

  “I really hope no one got injured too badly,” he repeated.

  The knights exchanged glances.

  This boy…

  He had taken down thirty bandits without killing a single one.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  And he spoke as if he had just helped push a cart out of mud.

  From the bushes behind him, leaves rustled softly.

  Before anyone could react, a large silver-furred wolf stepped out with calm, elegant strides. Its coat shimmered faintly in the light, and its posture was so composed that it resembled a well-trained companion rather than a wild beast.

  It walked to Cale’s side and sat.

  Quiet. Obedient.

  The knights tensed for a moment, but the creature made no threatening move.

  Cale gently scratched behind its ear.

  “This is Fang,” he said. “My partner.”

  He paused for a heartbeat.

  “My fami— I mean, my companion.”

  The young woman blinked.

  The correction didn’t go unnoticed.

  The knights immediately straightened and formed a disciplined line.

  One of them stepped forward and spoke with formal precision.

  “We are royal escorts of the Kingdom of Estralia. We were returning to the capital when we were ambushed.”

  The young woman stepped forward gracefully.

  “I am Sylvia Katherine Coldberg,” she said, her voice calm yet refined. “Second Princess of Estralia.”

  She extended her hand toward him.

  Cale froze for a split second.

  Etiquette?

  Right.

  He remembered something his father had once mentioned.

  He took her hand in a firm, sincere handshake.

  “I’m Cale,” he said cheerfully. “And this silver guy is Fang. Nice to meet you!”

  The contact made Sylvia’s breath hitch.

  Her hand was small, delicate.

  His was warm. Strong. Calloused from years of training.

  A sudden breeze passed through the clearing, lifting Cale’s short brown hair gently. He smiled without any trace of pretense.

  For Sylvia, the moment stretched into something strangely slow.

  Her heart fluttered.

  She pulled her hand back slightly too late and coughed to recover.

  Cale immediately let go.

  “Anyway,” he said, “you should be safe now. They’ll be out for a while, so if you head out soon, you should reach your destination without trouble.”

  He turned around.

  “Come on, Fang.”

  They had taken barely a few steps when—

  “Wait! Please!”

  Cale stopped and looked back.

  Sylvia stepped forward quickly.

  “Would you… perhaps escort us to the city border?” she asked. “As you can see, my knights are exhausted.”

  Cale looked at the knights properly now.

  They were battered. Bruised. Breathing heavily.

  He glanced at Fang.

  The silver wolf gave a slow, approving nod.

  Sylvia continued, slightly flustered.

  “I assure you, your help will be properly rewarded.”

  Cale scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin.

  “Actually… Fang and I were heading toward the city anyway!”

  Relief washed over the knights’ faces.

  If someone like this walked with them…

  Nothing in this forest would dare come close.

  None of them realized that the most dangerous being in the forest was already calmly walking at his side like a tame pet.

  And so, together, they began moving toward the capital of Kingdom of Estralia.

  Some arrive gently — through conversation, presence, or simply being seen.

  Volume 3 is very much about connections forming across worlds and roles.

  Your support truly means a lot.