Chapter 32: The First Independent Mission
946 Words
The campfire had burned low by the time dawn arrived.
Golden rays slipped between the towering trees, painting the forest in warm shades of amber and green. Dew clung to every leaf, sparkling like tiny crystals as the morning breeze carried the scent of pine through the clearing.
Echo stretched his arms with a loud yawn.
"...I don't think the ground likes my back."
Kodie glanced at him while calmly folding his blanket.
"The feeling is mutual."
Echo stared.
"...You're getting better at jokes."
"I've been learning."
Mira laughed quietly while stirring a small pot hanging above the fire.
"Breakfast is ready."
The comforting aroma of vegetable stew drifted through the camp.
Echo's stomach answered before he could.
Grrr...
He sighed dramatically.
"My stomach really has terrible timing."
Dorothy, already awake and sipping herbal tea, smiled over the rim of her cup.
"I believe your stomach has excellent discipline."
"It never misses breakfast."
Echo grinned.
"...I'll take that as a compliment."
---
After breakfast, Dorothy gathered the three students beneath the old oak.
She placed a small cloth pouch on a flat stone.
Inside were three polished wooden tokens.
Each carried the symbol of a single leaf.
Echo picked one up.
"...What are these?"
Dorothy answered calmly.
"Your first mission tokens."
The smiles on the students' faces disappeared.
"Mission...?"
Dorothy nodded.
"From this point onward, your training will no longer remain inside this forest."
She unfolded an old map.
A small circle had been marked several kilometres away.
"There is a forgotten watchtower hidden beyond the eastern ridge."
"It once belonged to travelling rangers."
"Today..."
"...it belongs to no one."
Echo leaned closer.
"So we're going there?"
Dorothy nodded.
"You'll travel together."
"You'll map the safest route."
"You'll identify useful herbs and dangerous terrain."
"And..."
She looked at each of them in turn.
"You'll return before sunset."
Echo scratched his head.
"...That's all?"
Dorothy smiled.
"If you still believe a simple journey is easy..."
"...you haven't been paying attention."
---
Before leaving, Dorothy added one final instruction.
"I will not accompany you."
Silence.
Echo blinked twice.
"...You're serious?"
"Completely."
"But what if something happens?"
Dorothy's expression remained calm.
"Then you'll decide what to do."
Mira looked uncertain.
"...Without your guidance?"
Dorothy nodded.
"One day..."
"...I won't be beside you."
"I'd rather you discover your own judgment while I'm still close enough to help if truly needed."
Those words settled heavily upon the three students.
For the first time...
They understood.
This wasn't merely another lesson.
It was trust.
---
The journey began beneath a cloudless sky.
At first, the road was wide and easy to follow.
Echo walked in front with endless enthusiasm.
Mira carried a notebook, carefully recording unfamiliar plants and landmarks.
Kodie silently observed the surrounding forest, occasionally marking trees with small pieces of coloured thread so they could retrace their path if necessary.
Echo noticed.
"...You planned that before we left?"
Kodie nodded.
"I don't enjoy getting lost."
Echo smiled.
"...Remind me to keep you around."
Mira laughed.
"I think that was Master's intention."
---
After nearly two hours of walking, the forest changed.
The trees grew taller.
Sunlight barely reached the ground.
The cheerful songs of birds gradually faded.
Echo instinctively lowered his voice.
"...It feels different."
Mira nodded.
"The mana here is heavier."
Kodie crouched beside a patch of disturbed earth.
"There were wolves here recently."
Echo immediately gripped the handle of his wooden sword.
Kodie calmly shook his head.
"They've already moved on."
Echo slowly relaxed.
"...I'm beginning to understand why Master wanted us together."
No one answered.
Because they were all thinking the same thing.
---
Not long afterwards, they reached a narrow ravine.
The old wooden bridge shown on Dorothy's map had collapsed years ago.
Echo frowned.
"...Well..."
"...that's a problem."
He looked at the rushing river below.
"We jump?"
Mira stared at him.
"Absolutely not."
Echo looked disappointed.
"...It was worth asking."
Kodie quietly examined the surrounding cliffs.
"There."
He pointed toward several fallen trees lying across a narrower section of the ravine.
"They'll support our weight."
Echo smiled.
"I would've never noticed that."
"You weren't looking."
---
The crossing wasn't easy.
The fallen trunks were slippery from moss.
Halfway across, Mira lost her footing.
Before she could fall, Echo grabbed her wrist.
"I've got you!"
Mira steadied herself with a deep breath.
"...Thank you."
Kodie immediately checked the trunk ahead.
"It's stable."
One careful step after another...
The three safely reached the opposite side.
Echo laughed with relief.
"I officially vote against rivers."
---
By midday...
The forgotten watchtower finally came into view.
Its stone walls were cracked.
Vines climbed almost to the roof.
Part of the staircase had collapsed.
Yet despite the years...
The tower still stood proudly among the trees.
Echo looked up in amazement.
"...Someone really built this in the middle of nowhere?"
Mira gently brushed moss away from an old carved emblem.
"It must have protected the trade road."
Kodie quietly walked around the structure.
"No recent footprints."
"No campfires."
"No signs of occupation."
Echo smiled.
"So..."
"...mission accomplished?"
Just then...
A loud flutter echoed from the tower.
Hundreds of birds burst into the sky at once.
The three students instinctively stepped closer together.
Echo whispered,
"...Please tell me birds don't usually do that."
Kodie slowly looked toward the dark entrance.
"...No."
Silence settled over the forest.
Something...
Was inside.
The three exchanged determined glances.
For the first time...
Dorothy wasn't there to tell them what to do.
The decision...
Belonged entirely to them.
---
End of Chapter 32
«A teacher can prepare you for the journey...
But there comes a day when every student must choose the next step alone.»
- Writer
