Gone? … Glenn sharpened his senses and swept his surroundings once more, yet indeed, no one remained.

  “She left without a word? Is she actually upset?” he murmured softly. Tucking the small sphere away, he turned and continued on his way.

  As he walked, he wondered whether he should tell the puppet siblings what had happened today.

  But after some thought, he chose to keep it to himself. The mysterious woman’s demeanor made it abundantly clear she didn’t want the siblings to know. He had no wish to meddle and ruin things.

  After all, he had accepted her favor.

  The horizon was already paling—another night, survived.

  Still, Glenn needed a short rest. Staying up all night was never a good habit.

  After dozing for an hour and a half atop the deer carriage, he once again set out alone.

  Along the way he passed many places, traveling and amusing himself as he went.

  If he heard someone reciting poetry, he would stop to listen. If he happened upon a local festival, he’d join the bustle. When a circus troupe was performing, he’d slip inside to watch.

  Encounters like the one with the enigmatic woman were rare—almost nonexistent.

  But run-ins with bandits or beasts in the wilderness were frequent enough, serving as unexpected spices to his travels.

  At last, after asking directions from a kindly passerby, he finally entered the borders of the Abyssfall Gorge.

  Da'off had mentioned that once he arrived, Glenn would be able to catch his scent.

  So Glenn inhaled deeply—and indeed, Da'off’s aura lingered in the air.

  But mingled with it was an even stronger scent—one belonging to magical beasts.

  Why were there so many here? Were these Da'off’s chosen sentinels guarding his dwelling? … Glenn wondered as he followed the trail forward.

  And as if to confirm his suspicions, he had barely walked a short distance when a hulking, coal-black beast burst from the trees. It resembled a rhinoceros, but its jaws opened in a horrific cross-shaped split.

  Its roar was thunderous. The great deer pulling the carriage dropped instantly, white foam spraying from its mouth as it collapsed.

  Glenn had no time to tend to his fainted mount. He struck out with a single Wolf-Fang Fist, killing the charging beast in one blow.

  Only then did he kneel to check on the fallen deer.

  But as soon as he approached, the deer’s rolled-back eyes snapped forward again. It rose calmly to its feet as if nothing had happened.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Glenn was utterly stunned.

  “Brother Deer… have you achieved enlightenment?” he blurted.

  The deer merely turned its head aside with cold hauteur—whether from embarrassment or disdain, Glenn couldn’t tell.

  Laughing, he patted its belly in reassurance, climbed back into the carriage, and prepared to continue.

  But a childish voice drifted down from above: “You actually killed Denburo! You’re amazing!”

  Looking up, Glenn spotted a tiny figure perched among the branches—a small being with delicate, dragonfly-like wings. It held a little wand and stared at him with bright astonishment.

  “What are you?” Glenn asked without thinking.

  The creature shrank slightly behind a leaf before replying timidly, “I’m Sili.”

  “Hello, Sili. I’m Glenn. A pleasure to meet you,” he said politely.

  “I’m happy to meet you too!” the little one said, nearly trembling with excitement.

  “I’m going to look for my teacher now. Goodbye.” Glenn wasn’t in the mood to linger, curious as he was. He offered a brief farewell.

  The small creature waved. “Goodbye!”

  Passing over a downward slope ahead, the thick foliage parted, revealing a breathtaking portion of Abyssfall Gorge.

  Majestic cliffs. Waterfalls pouring from lofty heights. Vast plains and forests. Crying birds. Growling beasts.

  All of it crashed into his senses at once, filling Glenn with an urge to break into a wild sprint.

  But above all, the dense magic saturating the air caught his attention. Perhaps this was exactly why Da'off had chosen to settle here.

  Drawing a deep breath of the crisp air, Glenn adopted a more comfortable posture and whistled a light tune as he rode on.

  Naturally, foolish beasts still tried to ambush him along the way—somewhat spoiling the mood.

  The deer, having learned its lesson, no longer pretended to die like before and instead carried itself with remarkable calm.

  At last, a tall, peculiar-looking house appeared atop a distant hill—it could only be Da'off’s residence.

  And shortly after he noticed it, as though expecting Glenn’s arrival, a bird with shimmering blue tail feathers alighted on a nearby branch. It transformed into a girl of thirteen or fourteen.

  “Are you Teacher’s new apprentice, Glenn?” she asked, eyes wide with innocent curiosity.

  Another apprentice? … Glenn paused before answering, “Yes, that’s me.”

  Her eyes lit up, though she exaggerated a mature pose. “My classmates call me Little Leaf. I spotted you long ago, so I came down to fetch you. Impressive, right?”

  “Wow! Truly impressive,” Glenn said, playing along.

  Her nose nearly tilted skyward. Hands on hips, she declared, “You’ll be just as capable as me one day.”

  She shifted into bird form again, flapping her wings. “Follow me. You’d never reach the house on your own.”

  “All right,” Glenn replied, steering the carriage after her.

  The once-clear scenery blurred into mist. The farther they went, the thicker it grew, until visibility shrank to less than an arm’s length.

  Only Little Leaf’s avian form remained sharp and unobstructed by the fog.

  Occasionally, scraping sounds brushed past the carriage. Moving vines drifted in and out of view.

  Glenn suspected the entire region ahead was shifting—likely the “Confounding Maze” that guarded Da'off’s dwelling.

  From the bird came the girl’s voice: “If you tried to enter alone, you’d just circle back out. You could wander forever without reaching the magic house. Only someone from within can guide you.”

  Not necessarily… Glenn thought, unconcerned.

  With enhanced perception, this enchantment wouldn’t trouble him.

  When the fog finally dispersed, the strange, colossal house stood before him once more.

  Below it, several apprentices—each about the same age as Little Leaf—watched with open curiosity. At their forefront stood a young man about Glenn’s age.

  Little Leaf returned to human form and gestured toward them. “These are our classmates.”

  “Hello, I’m Glenn,” he greeted them with respectful courtesy.

  The apprentice in front stepped forward. Clad in a dark-violet robe, he removed his pointed soft hat and offered a graceful bow.

  “My name is Lucas, Teacher’s fourth apprentice. I’m the senior here. If you need anything in your daily life, you may come to me.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’m still just an entry-level apprentice, so there are many things I’ll need guidance on,” Glenn replied brightly.

  Lucas smiled. “Anyone taken under Master Da'off’s wing is destined for great achievement.”

  He stepped aside slightly. “Come, let me introduce you to our classmates.”