Blizzard looked behind them and said, "Master. He is still following us."0

"Yeah, I noticed," Kai replied.0

Just as Blizzard said, Icarus was persistently following behind them. He probably thought he was being secretive, but against Blizzard and Kai, his attempts at hiding his presence were far from effective.0

"That’s strange." Kai tilted his head, puzzled by Icarus’s behavior.0

Gust clearly said that the birdfolk fear leaving the forest.0

Yet, Icarus showed no signs of fear, continuing to follow them even as they reached the forest’s outskirts.1

"What would you like to do?"0

"Just leave him be for now. Once we leave the forest, he’ll give up and turn back on his own."0

"Understood."0

The two resumed walking. The forest they were in was vast, which was no surprise, considering that most of this large island was covered in dense trees.0

"From here on, I’ll take the lead," Blizzard said.0

"Go ahead."0

Blizzard drew a curved blade and took the lead. The outer regions of the forest weren’t visited by anyone, and were overgrown with bushes and vines, occasionally showing traces of wild animals.0

Blizzard cut through...0