Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord

Chapter 93 - Quest In The Burning Dungeon, Part 11

'He should be around here somewhere...' Sylva thought as she walked deeper into the woods.

'I shouldn't take too long. Else... ELSE... UNICUS WILL REALLY THINK I LIKE VAN...!! NO...!!!!' She shook her head in panic, lips pressed into a firm line as she frantically scanned the area. Finding a tree, she leaned against it, her gaze dropping as regret crept into her thoughts.

'...Airi was his wife.'

'I won't go back to the Elven village. He... must be so lonely and sad. I'll... I'll stay for him.' Her resolve firmed as the faint sound of running water reached her ears.

'A river... It might be less dense there. I could get a better view.'

She followed the sound, clutching her hands nervously. 'I wanted to summon Alifa, but she'd be furious if it wasn't an emergency... Why does she hate me so much?! Didn't she like my mom!?' Frustration bubbled within her as she neared the river, the soft blue glow of moonlight shimmering off the water's surface.

As she emerged into the clearing, her breath caught. A jacked figure stood by the river, buttoning his pants, his movements casual but precise as he appeared to be sighing deeply; almost as response to Sylva's sudden presence.

"Alright, you can come out now," Van's voice rang out, cutting through the silence.

'..!!! DID HE NOTICE ME!? Who is that!?' Sylva ducked behind a tree, her heart pounding.

"Alright," another voice answered. "The meat's halfway cooked."

"Nice," Van replied.

Sylva peeked out, her eyes widening at the sight of a colossal creature lying near the fire where the other voice originated from, its skin removed and folded neatly beside it. Muscles and bones gleamed under the firelight, the sheer size of the beast nearly matching the party's camp's clearing.

'What the...? Did they... hunt this thing?' she thought, her gaze shifting between Van and the purple-haired girl seated by the fire. 'That has to be the biggest C-Ranked monster in the forest. How did I not hear anything? It must've been quite the struggle...' Her eyes swept the area, noting the absence of dragging marks. 'And there aren't any signs it was moved. Did they kill it right here? But how? Neither of them could've lifted the beast after such a clean kill... Right?'

"Why'd you come back so early?" the girl—Ami—asked, tilting her head as Van sat down beside her.

"...Because we have a visitor hiding behind that tree," Van sighed, nodding toward Sylva's hiding spot. "I'd rather not give them more of a show than necessary. Besides, I washed enough—head, arms, feet. Good enough for today. And I haven't sweat at all throughout the whole day."

'.!!!!' Sylva froze, her face paling. 'How did he notice me!? I concealed myself perfectly!'

"An intruder?!" Ami jumped to her feet, her ears twitching beneath her purple hair. "Who dares?!"

'That's... the thief...!' Sylva thought, noting the girl's brown hood that was ever present throughout the day.

"Can you just come out already?" Van asked, pulling a short-sleeved shirt over his head.

Sylva hesitated before stepping into the moonlight, her gaze wary. "Who are you? And... how did you notice me?"

"I'm Van 'Jr.' You were louder than you think," he replied with a sigh.

'Van...?' Sylva thought, approaching cautiously. She studied his face in the flickering light. 'He looks so much like him. The one I remember from 12 years ago.' Her gaze lingered on his physique. 'He's pushed himself hard... I've never seen muscles this toned, even among our finest warriors. Not overly large, but dense, refined... I wonder how Unicus's body—' She shook her head furiously, her face flushing.