The Silent Forest's Mischief
The Silent Forest lived up to its name. A profound stillness hung in the air, so complete that not even birdsong could be heard. The only sound was the whisper of wind brushing through the leaves, creating the eerie illusion that time itself had frozen in place.
"Whoa... the air's incredible," Hans muttered, taking a deep breath. The crisp, clean scent of phytoncides filled his lungs. It was a purity unimaginable in the smog-choked cities of his previous life.
"So this is why Eila recommended it. It's a total healing spot, isn't it?"
Hans hummed a little tune as he walked, his steps light and bouncy. Even the clatter of the bow and quiver on his back sounded like a cheerful rhythm. He pulled out the request form and checked it again.
A blue flower that grows in shaded, damp areas.
"Shaded and damp, huh..." Hans scanned his surroundings. The dense canopy of ancient trees blocked out the sky, turning the entire forest into one massive shadow. Damp, moss-covered rocks littered the ground everywhere.
"What the—it's like they're everywhere. This should be quick."
With a confident stride, Hans ventured deeper into the woods. Back at the academy, he'd always finished dead last in every practical exercise, but this seemed like something he could do with his eyes closed.
I'll finish this fast and head back to brag to Eila. "Look, I found them all in just one hour!" The thought of her surprised expression made the corners of his mouth twitch upward.
"Hehehe."
Hans chuckled foolishly as he pushed through the underbrush. At that moment, he had no idea he was being watched by countless pairs of eyes.
From behind trees, between rocks, and atop branches—small, translucent figures giggled as they trailed after him.
'A new toy has arrived!'
'He looks so dumb!'
'Let's have some fun with him!'
The playful whispers of the forest spirits, the nymphs, scattered on the breeze.
"Huh...?"
One hour later, Hans stopped in his tracks. Cold sweat had already beaded across his forehead.
"This is... definitely the same place I passed earlier."
Before him stood a rock split cleanly in half—the exact same one he'd seen ten minutes ago, and thirty minutes before that.
"This is weird. I swear I just kept walking straight north..."
He checked his compass, but the needle was spinning wildly like it had lost its mind.
"Is it broken? Guess you get what you pay for."
Hans tapped it a few times, but it was useless. He started walking again, this time deciding to mark the trees. Using his dagger, he carved an 'X' into the bark and kept moving forward without deviation.
But...
"......"
There was that same rock again. And right beside it, on the tree, was the fresh 'X' he had just carved.
"Hah..." Hans let out a hollow laugh. A chill ran down his spine. Was this what it felt like to be possessed by a ghost? The surrounding scenery began to feel strangely alien. The ordinary-looking trees now seemed twisted and warped, and the forest's silence had transformed into something terrifyingly oppressive.
"Is anyone there?!" Hans shouted.
The only reply was his own echo. Instead, he thought he heard a clear, ringing laugh from somewhere. A childish giggle. Kyaruruk. Kikikik. The laughter of children. But there was no one around.
"Hiiik...!"
Terrified, Hans stumbled backward. His legs nearly gave out beneath him.
"W-wait, calm down. Stay cool..."
He tried to take a deep breath, but his chest felt tight. The sun was setting. The forest's shadows stretched longer, and darkness swallowed everything in an instant. The woods at night were a whole different level of terror. In the gloom, tree branches looked like monster claws, and the wind sounded like ghostly wails.
"Mom..."
Hans crouched down, leaning his back against a tree trunk. Tears welled up in his eyes. He felt a surge of resentment toward Eila. She'd said it was safe. That nothing would happen.
"Liar... you scammer..."
He buried his face in his knees and sniffled.
At the same time, in the Ludel Adventurer's Guild.
"Haa..." Eila let out a heavy sigh. The clock on the wall already pointed to eight in the evening. It had been ten hours since Hans left. Gathering herbs? A round trip should have taken two hours at most. Even if he'd gotten a little lost, he should have returned before sunset.
"Don't tell me... he actually got stranded?"
Eila bit her nails. Anxiety crept up on her like a shadow. The Silent Forest had no monsters, but at night the temperature dropped sharply. And if the spirits' pranks grew too intense, one could suffer hallucinations or be lured toward a cliff.
This is my fault.
It had been a simple joke. She'd thought the seemingly clueless man would wander in circles, suffer a bit, and come back with a pitiful face so she could tease him. She never imagined it would drag on this long. What if something had actually happened to him?
"No way."
Eila shot up from her seat. She had to take responsibility. This was her doing. She hung a [Staff Only — Out] sign on the door and dashed toward the security headquarters.
[Out — Back Soon]
"Missing?"
In the Security Chief's office, Karen paused while flipping through documents and looked up. Before her stood a panting Eila.
"Y-yes! An adventurer who went into the Silent Forest this morning to gather herbs hasn't returned yet!"
"Hmm."
Karen responded with clear disinterest. "Don't worry. He'll crawl out on his own when the sun rises tomorrow. The security force is busy."
She turned her attention back to the paperwork. Karen hated troublesome matters. The idea of combing through the forest in the middle of the night just to find one lost idiot was ridiculous.
Eila bit her lip. This wasn't working.
"That person... he's a graduate of the Imperial Valhalla Academy."
"......!"
Karen's hand froze mid-motion. She slowly raised her head. Her blue eyes gleamed sharply.
"Valhalla?"
"Yes. He said he graduated..."
Karen's mind spun rapidly. Hans. An academy graduate. Even if not a noble, he was a talented individual who deserved corresponding treatment. If such a person went missing in her jurisdiction and met with misfortune? She'd face disciplinary action at minimum, and any hope of returning to the capital would vanish forever.
"Ahem."
Karen stood up with an exaggeratedly serious expression. She grabbed the sword hanging on the wall.
"On second thought, this is no ordinary matter. It could be the work of magical beasts or kidnappers."
"Ah, no... there aren't any magical beasts in that forest..."
"One must never let their guard down! I will go personally."
Karen cut Eila off with a resolute shout. Eila could only stare blankly at her retreating back.
"This damn...!"
Karen hacked violently at the foliage. She wasn't cutting down enemies—she was slicing through vines blocking her path. She too had become trapped in the forest's maze.
"Why do I keep coming back to the same place?!"
She was fuming. Her pride as an elite knight had taken a serious hit. She'd always been confident in her sense of direction, but something was clearly wrong with this forest. And then—
Thud.
An acorn fell from above and struck her helmet.
Ting—!
The clear sound echoed through the woods.
"Who goes there! Show yourself!"
Karen leveled her sword with murderous intent. But all she saw were swaying branches. From somewhere came the sound of snickering laughter. It was the nymphs. To them, this strong but rigidly honest knight was the perfect plaything. They kept stuffing bugs into the gaps of her armor, yanking her hair and running away, driving Karen halfway to madness.
"I'll kill you all... every last one of you..."
Her eyes were bloodshot. That was when she spotted a familiar figure crouched at the base of a tree. It was Hans. He was trembling, hugging his knees tightly.
"Hey! You!" Karen shouted.
Hans jerked his head up in surprise. "Hiiik! A g-ghost?!"
"Don't talk nonsense. It's me, the Security Chief."
"Ah... Chief Karen?"
Hans's pitiful expression brightened instantly. He jumped to his feet and ran toward her.
"I'm saved! Sob sob, I really thought I was going to die! You came to rescue me!"
Hans was on the verge of tears from sheer relief. Karen took a step back, looking thoroughly annoyed.
"Stay back. You smell like sweat."
"Y-yes, ma'am. Sorry. But... where's the exit?"
"......"
Karen fell silent. She couldn't bring herself to admit she didn't know. Her pride wouldn't allow it.
"Ahem. We are currently conducting a search. I sensed enemy presence and took a detour."
"Enemies? I heard there weren't any monsters here..."
"Be quiet! Just follow me!"
Karen marched ahead. But thirty minutes later, the two of them found themselves right back where they had met.
"......"
"......"
An awkward silence fell. Hans cautiously spoke up.
"Um... did you happen to get lost—"
"I did not!!" Karen yelled, her face flushing bright red.
That was when it happened.
Oooooooong—!
The sound of a horn echoed throughout the entire forest. Dozens of torches cut through the darkness, approaching rapidly.
"Chief!! Chief!!!"
A familiar voice. It was Deputy Chief Leo. When Karen hadn't returned, the man had lost his mind and led the entire unit into the forest.
Overwhelming numbers. The nymphs' prank magic lost its power against such a massive force. The twisted paths straightened, and the forest returned to its original state.
"Chief! You're safe!"
Leo ran forward with tears in his eyes and dropped to one knee before Karen.
"I thought something had happened to you... I was so—"
"Shut up! Stand up!"
Karen shouted even louder to hide her embarrassment. But her ears had turned bright red.
Hans stood there blankly amid the chaos.
I'm alive...
Now that the tension had broken, his legs finally gave out.
Ludel Adventurer's Guild. Past ten at night.
A heavy silence filled the lobby.
"I've never seen anyone like you before."
Karen's icy voice sliced through the room. She glared at the dirt-covered Hans and pointed an accusing finger at him.
"You mobilized the entire security force over a single herb-gathering quest? Do you think the Empire's taxes are your personal toys?!"
"I-I'm sorry..."
Hans hung his head. He had nothing to say in his defense. Technically the forest had been the problem, but the atmosphere made it clear that any excuses would get his head chopped off.
"I had expectations since they said you were from the academy, but you're just a big kid. Don't let me see your face again. Understood?"
Karen spat the words and spun on her heel, storming out. The guild door slammed shut with a thunderous bang!
Only Hans and Eila remained in the lobby. Silence.
Hans let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his messy hair.
"Haa... nothing ever goes right for me."
He staggered toward the exit. That was when—
"Um... excuse me."
A small voice came from behind. Hans stopped and turned around.
She stood beside the desk with her head lowered. The usual confident, haughty demeanor was gone. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, and she fidgeted nervously, biting her lip.
"Hans... I have something to tell you."
"Huh? What is it? I'm pretty tired right now..."
"It'll only take a moment. Follow me."
Without waiting for his reply, Eila led the way. She headed toward an old wooden door tucked in the corner of the lobby. A sign reading [Authorized Personnel Only] hung on the storage room door.
Hans followed her hesitantly, completely confused.