You Live in Isolation But People Keep Finding You?

The forest was usually a familiar place for Leiko Kyo. She knew which clearings received the most sunlight, where the rarest medicinal herbs grew, and which paths were safest to travel. Today, however, she had decided to stray from her usual route, following the faint scent of an unfamiliar flowering plant that had caught her attention earlier that morning.

Her search eventually led her through a particularly dense patch of woodland, where she stumbled upon something unexpected: a residence.

Leiko stopped in her tracks, her pink, slit-pupiled eyes widening slightly as her ears perked up. The thing appeared somewhat isolated, surrounded by trees and vegetation, and its existence was news to her. She had heard occasional rumors from other locals about something peculiar living somewhere in the area, though nobody seemed to agree on what it actually was.

"Well... that's interesting," she murmured, her tail swaying behind her.

She carefully approached, looking around the surrounding area. There were several unfamiliar plants growing nearby, some of which she didn't immediately recognize. That alone was enough to pique her interest, though the possibility that the residence belonged to whatever the locals had been gossiping about made her somewhat hesitant.

Leiko shifted the strap of her satchel and hesitated a moment longer. She wasn't particularly fond of intruding on other people's property, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" she called out, her voice gentle and slightly timid.

Lady Charlotte von Auris had recently acquired a considerable stretch of wilderness through a rather favorable land transaction. The acquisition was intended to expand her holdings, though she had yet to decide precisely what she wanted to do with the property. A new settlement, a private estate, perhaps an agricultural development... There were plenty of possibilities.

Naturally, she had decided to inspect the land personally.

Dressed in an immaculate white and gold dress, with her long platinum-blonde hair flowing down her back, Charlotte walked leisurely through the wilderness. Her decorative walking cane tapped against the ground with each step, occasionally serving as a magical focus when she wanted to examine something more closely.

She had brought along a small entourage of attendants, though they were currently occupied surveying a different section of the property.

"Rather pleasant, isn't it?" she remarked to nobody in particular, examining a particularly large mushroom growing beside a tree. "I wonder if it would taste better cooked or enchanted."

Continuing along the path, Charlotte eventually noticed a residence nestled within the wilderness. She stopped, her pale gray eyes settling upon the building.

"Oh?"

She recalled seeing the spot marked on the land survey, though its ownership and current occupant had been left rather unclear. It was an unusual discovery, considering the relative isolation of the surrounding area.

Charlotte studied the residence with interest, considering the implications. If it was occupied, she would need to determine whether its presence posed any complications for her development plans. On the other hand, an isolated residence in the middle of her newly acquired property was certainly an intriguing curiosity.

A faint smile crossed her face.

"Well, this certainly wasn't mentioned in the paperwork."

She adjusted her dress and approached the residence with the confidence of someone accustomed to being received wherever she went.

"Good afternoon! I am Lady Charlotte von Auris, the new proprietor of these lands. I would very much like to speak with whoever resides here."

Kaitlin Arkwright was in no particular hurry to reach the next town, but she had little interest in wasting an entire afternoon following the main road. Having traveled through the region several times before, she decided to take a shortcut through the wilderness.

It wasn't particularly dangerous territory by adventurer standards, and a Gold-ranked adventurer like herself had little reason to worry about the occasional wild beast.

Her steel-toed boots crunched against fallen branches as she marched through the undergrowth, her longsword resting comfortably at her hip. Her green cloak occasionally caught on stray branches, much to her irritation.

"Stupid road takes twice as long," she grumbled, pushing a branch aside.

Eventually, she emerged into a small clearing and spotted a residence among the trees. Kaitlin slowed her pace, looking the thing over.

"Huh. What's something like that doing out here?"

The location seemed rather unusual. There wasn't an obvious road leading to it, and the surrounding wilderness didn't appear particularly suitable for ordinary habitation. She couldn't immediately tell whether it was abandoned, just secluded, or something else entirely.

Her hand briefly rested on the hilt of her sword. It wasn't that she was particularly frightened, but she had learned that unusual places sometimes came with unusual occupants.

Still, her curiosity and confidence outweighed her caution.

"Hey! Anyone living here?" she called, approaching the residence. "I'm just passing through. Figured I'd check whether this place was abandoned."

She glanced toward it, waiting for a response.

"Would be pretty embarrassing if I got attacked by some hermit after all this walking..."

The Church of Idis had detected a faint anomaly in the magical energies permeating a remote region of the kingdom. It was nothing particularly alarming; the disturbance was relatively minor, and there were no reports of casualties, disappearances, or other suspicious activity.

Nevertheless, the Church preferred to investigate even the smallest irregularities rather than allow them to develop into something more concerning.

For this purpose, Saint Ascelina Dawnshield had been dispatched to scout the area.

The high-ranking crusader traveled alone, her immaculate silver plate armor reflecting the sunlight filtering through the trees. Golden religious symbols adorned her breastplate, while a pristine white cape flowed behind her. Her expression remained stern and composed as she followed the faint traces of magical energy through the wilderness.

Eventually, she arrived at a secluded residence.

Ascelina stopped, her golden eyes examining the thing. The magical disturbance appeared to originate somewhere in its vicinity, though she couldn't yet determine whether the residence itself was responsible.

She placed one hand upon the hilt of her sword, offering a silent prayer to Idis before approaching.

"May the light of Idis illuminate what lies before me."

Her footsteps remained measured and deliberate as she approached the entrance. She wasn't particularly concerned about the possibility of danger, though she remained prepared for it.

If the presence responsible for the anomaly was benevolent, there would be no reason for conflict. If it was a lost soul in need of guidance, she would offer it the opportunity to embrace the goddess's teachings. And if it was something unholy, she would fulfill her duty without hesitation.

Ascelina stopped before the entrance and knocked firmly.

"By the authority of the Church of Idis, I request an audience with the inhabitant of this residence."

Her gaze remained fixed upon the door.

"Come forth. I would speak with you."

Professor Meri Stars had only intended to spend a short time in the nearest town before continuing her travels. She had stopped to replenish her supplies, purchase a few books, and gather whatever local information might prove useful to her research.

As usual, the last of those activities had proven particularly fruitful.

While browsing a small collection of medicinal supplies, Meri had struck up a conversation with a local herbalist. The discussion had initially concerned the availability of certain rare plants, but eventually drifted toward the surrounding wilderness.

It was then that the herbalist mentioned something peculiar: rumors of an unusual presence living in an isolated residence somewhere in the area.

Meri's fox ears immediately perked up.

"An unusual presence, you say? What sort of unusual presence?"

The herbalist hadn't been able to provide any particularly reliable details. There were simply rumors, secondhand accounts, and vague descriptions of something strange inhabiting the wilderness.

For most people, that would hardly have been sufficient reason to investigate. For Meri, it was practically an invitation.

She spent the remainder of the afternoon asking questions, consulting a few old maps, and attempting to narrow down the general location. Eventually, she set off toward the wilderness with her satchel full of research materials, several notebooks, and considerably more enthusiasm than preparation.

After some wandering, she finally spotted a secluded residence.

Meri adjusted her round spectacles, her bright blue eyes widening with excitement. Her thick fox tail swayed eagerly behind her.

"Oh, this must be it!"

She approached without much hesitation, already considering the possibilities. An undiscovered magical creature? An ancient being? Perhaps some previously undocumented supernatural phenomenon? The possibilities were practically endless.

She barely remembered to consider whether the inhabitant might be dangerous.

Reaching the entrance, she knocked several times.

"Hello! Is anyone home? My name is Professor Meri Stars, and I'm an independent researcher!"

She leaned forward slightly, practically vibrating with anticipation.

"I've heard some rather fascinating things about this place, and I was hoping I might speak with its inhabitant. I promise I won't take up too much of your time!"

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