Chapter 136: The Calm After The Battlefield

After the exhausting battle, Ikarus and the other Sylvara warriors finally returned to the settlement. Most of them looked completely drained, their bodies covered in dirt, sweat, and blood.

Ikarus didn’t look any better. His blue skin had grown noticeably darker beneath the stains of the Obryx’s black blood, making it almost impossible to tell which blood belonged to him—since the black covered the gold—and which belonged to the enemy.

"Ikarus, are you hurt?" Maeve asked worriedly.

She immediately began circling around him, checking his body from every possible angle. Her eyes carefully searched for any wounds, no matter how small they might be.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to find anything when most of his skin was covered in bloodstains.

"I’m fine," Ikarus assured her. "I just need to rest for a while, and I’ll be alright. Besides, I think the Sylvara Tribe has something that can help us recover our energy faster."

Just as he said, Elthira had already started handing out clay cups to the exhausted warriors.

Maeve glanced curiously at the liquid inside them. It seemed to be some kind of herbal mixture made from plants and other ingredients she didn’t recognize.

She had no idea what exactly was inside, but according to the Sylvara people, it was very effective at helping their bodies recover faster after using too much energy.

Maeve watched as Elthira handed one of the clay cups to Ikarus. He accepted it without hesitation, but before he could bring it to his lips, Maeve suddenly reached out and took it from his hand.

"I’ll hold it for you," she said without hesitation.

Ikarus looked at her in confusion. "Maeve, I can still hold a cup."

"I know." Maeve moved closer to him. "But you’ve been fighting for so long. Just let me take care of you for a little while."

She also fought alongside them on the battlefield, but thanks to the Mother Tree’s abundant Aether Energy, she barely felt anything that made her too tired.

A small smile appeared on Ikarus’s face. He didn’t argue anymore because he didn’t think she want to hear it.

Maeve carefully lifted the cup to his lips, and Ikarus obediently drank from it. However, after only one sip, his expression immediately changed.

Maeve blinked. "Is it bad?"

Ikarus swallowed with some difficulty. "It’s... very bitter."

Maeve couldn’t help laughing. "You fought dozens of Obryx without making that face, but this is what finally defeated you?"

"I would rather fight another Obryx."

Maeve laughed even harder. Not far away, Axan had just received his own cup when he heard them. Unlike Ikarus, he stared at the dark liquid with clear suspicion.

After hearing what Ikarus had said, he seemed even less interested in drinking it.

Maeve quickly noticed. "Axan."

Axan immediately looked at her. "Drink it."

Axan looked down at the cup before looking back at Maeve. "I’m not injured."

"That doesn’t mean you’re not tired."

"I can recover by resting," he stated.

Maeve narrowed her eyes at him and Axan fell silent. A few seconds later, he quietly raised the cup and drank.

Maeve smiled in satisfaction. "Good."

Ikarus glanced at his brother. "You listened quickly."

Axan wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "She was going to keep staring at me until I drank it."

"The medicine is good for you two!" Maeve complained.

Neither of them could argue with that. Once they had finished drinking, the three of them went to sit beneath the Mother Tree.

Maeve sat between Ikarus and Axan, leaning her back against one of the enormous roots rising from the ground.

For a while, none of them spoke and after such a long, exhausting battle, the settlement was much quieter than usual.

All around them, the injured Sylvara warriors were being treated. Some were sitting beneath the trees while their wounds were cleaned and wrapped. Others were lying on beds made from leaves and soft grass.

The battle was over, but its traces were still everywhere.

Maeve slowly lowered her gaze to her hands. She was relieved that they had won, but seeing so many injured people made it difficult for her to feel completely happy about their victory.

Suddenly, something warm covered her hand.

Maeve looked to the side and Ikarus had placed his hand over hers. "What are you thinking?" He asked softly.

Maeve stared at him for a moment before letting out a small sigh. "I just wish fewer people had gotten hurt."

"I also hope that."

Before Maeve could say anything else, she felt something touch her other hand.

Axan had quietly placed his hand beneath hers, so now one of her hands was being held by Ikarus, while the other rested inside Axan’s big palm.

Axan kept his eyes on the injured warriors in front of them as he spoke. "But everyone is still here."

Maeve followed his gaze and realized that he was right.

There were injuries. There was blood. There were exhausted people everywhere.

But they were alive.

The Sylvara warriors were talking to one another. Some were even laughing despite their wounds. Families were bringing food and water to the injured, while the plant users moved around helping those who needed them.

Maeve’s expression slowly softened. "You’re right."

She leaned slightly toward Ikarus until her head rested against his shoulder. Then, after hesitating for a moment, she stretched out one of her legs until it lightly bumped against Axan’s.

Axan looked down at their legs before turning toward her.

Maeve smiled innocently. "What?"

"Nothing."

But he didn’t move away. Instead, Axan shifted slightly closer.

Maeve smiled even wider. Above them, the Mother Tree’s leaves moved gently with the wind, casting small patches of light and shadow across their bodies.

After everything that had happened, sitting quietly like this felt strangely precious.

Maeve squeezed both of their hands. "Let’s stay here for a little longer."

Ikarus leaned his head lightly against hers. "As long as you want."

Axan didn’t say anything, but his fingers slowly closed around Maeve’s hand and that was enough of an answer.

===

A few hours later, after most of them had recovered their energy and Maeve had also explored Mount Troja, although she hadn’t gone too far, all of them were sitting around the campfire.

The campfire wasn’t very big since the Sylvara Tribe really wanted to minimize their use of wood, but it was enough to provide light during the night.

Some of the great cooks of the Sylvara Tribe had prepared food for everyone. There were roasted vegetables, fruits, nuts, and several dishes made from plants that Maeve had never seen before.

Perhaps because they had just survived a battle together, the atmosphere around the campfire felt warmer than usual.

Everyone ate while talking about what had happened earlier. From time to time, Maeve could hear laughter coming from the warriors. Even those with bandages wrapped around their arms or legs seemed to be in a much better mood.

Maeve was happily eating something that tasted like roasted potatoes when Anna suddenly placed a clay cup in front of her. "Here. You should try this too."

Maeve looked inside the cup. The liquid was dark red, and there was a slightly sweet smell coming from it. "What is it?"

"Wine," she replied almost quickly.

Maeve blinked several times. "Wine?"

"Yes." Anna nodded as if there was nothing strange about it. "We make it from fruits that grow near the mountain."

Maeve stared at the cup in silence. Then, very slowly, her expression changed. ’Pinky.’

Pinky immediately appeared in front of her. [Yes, Host?]

’They have wine.’

[It appears so.]

’I spent my coins buying special seeds from you.’

[Yes, you did.]

’When there was free wine here.’ Maeve said bitterly.

Pinky became silent for a moment before replying, [To be fair, Host, it would be hard for the fruits that grow on Mount Troja to grow in the Lumivale Forest.]

[The habitats are very different.]

Pinky had a point, so Maeve stopped being bitter toward it.

"What’s wrong?" Ikarus’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Maeve looked at him with a heartbroken expression. "Nothing. I just remembered a terrible financial decision, or maybe the right thing to do."

Ikarus clearly didn’t understand what she meant, but he still patted her head.

Maeve sighed before finally taking a sip and her eyes immediately widened.

It was so good!

Axan, who was sitting on her other side, glanced at her cup. "Do you like it?"

Maeve nodded. "Yes! This is the best thing ever that happened today!"

Not long after, Pinky suddenly chimed in.

[Congratulations! You have completed the side mission: Eyes of the Forest]

[Conditions Completed:

Use your connection with the plants to detect the Obryx’s movements and warn the Sylvara Tribe before the enemy reaches the Mother Tree.]

[Reward:

- 35,000 Coins

- Skill Unlocked: Nature’s Network (Epic) — Effcect: Allows the Host to temporarily connect with multiple plants within a large area and share their senses.]

[Additional Reward: 1,200 Coins]

[Remaining Coins: 137,350]

[With the combination of the Nature’s Network Skill and the Heart Tree, there’s nothing in the Lumivale Forest that can escape your vision, Host!]