(POV ROYCE)

Since walking past the apple tree, for some reason my attention has been fixed on him. Every now and then I glanced at his face from the side, but immediately turned to the front when he began to notice my glance.

“Hihihi…” he chuckled covering his mouth.

"Is there something funny?"

His head moved left and right, "nothing, it's just ... I want to laugh ..." a sweet and seductive smile he showed me.

"Ugh! Very beautiful!" my mind is seduced by his face that I rarely find.

"Ah, we've arrived!" he exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a large and majestic house that stood firmly in front of it.

"Hey! Very funny. In the middle of a forest like this… a house this big… are the inhabitants of this house all animals?” I said then as I continued to walk in the direction of Mai's path.

Hearing my chatter, Mai, who had been walking forward without paying attention to anything, now stopped her steps and turned around to look at me.

Her small but slightly puffy face, she turned into a rounder and cuter one. With his mouth tilted and chubby cheeks, “huh! There aren't any animals in there! There was only Mr. Woody who was kind and wise there...." After that he turned his body again to walk straight ahead.

"What?! Mr Woody? I think I've heard that name before… but where…?” I mumbled with a frown.

A few minutes later we arrived in front of the witch's house. Before entering,

"You said we have to come up with a strategy just to get into this house," I said sarcastically at Mai.

However, he instead replied to my annoyed remark with a grin, “hehehe... that's true. We should be vigilant and always suspicious of all objects that move around us. Whatever that is. Animals… plants… let alone… humans.” He said then, then he stared coldly at the door of this house.

"It's up to you what you want to say. I won't care anymore. I'd better go in now. I've wasted so much time because of you!"

"WHAT?! Why are you blaming everything on me? There must be another reason, right? And I'm not one of those!”

"HA! Very funny! Just look now! I didn't go in right away because you keep talking to me!"

“Ha… really you huh! I have been kind to you!”

He kept on babbling as I walked up a few stairs to reach the door of the mansion. I just ignored him without turning back to look at him. My eyes are now fixed on the big and wide door in front of my eyes.

I did not feel my throat swallow his saliva, nervousness began to overtake me.

"Stupid! Why should I be nervous at this point!” I was annoyed at myself for not grabbing the doorknob right away.

"What are you waiting for? Let's open it!" Mai shouted, and I still didn't look at her.

My mind is now only centered on this house.

Suddenly, the two teak planks that were used as the door moved inside. Slowly but surely this door opened.

After a few seconds, someone who opened this door I can see his reflection. My eyes were dumbfounded just seeing his reflection. He was so big and tall, it seemed that this man's size was three times my body which was the largest of all the men in the house.

"Who are you?" he asked after the door was wide open. Then he walked slowly towards us, until he saw the true form of the shadow I had just seen.

My eyes widened greatly knowing the true appearance of the magician, "Master Emen?!"

"Who ...? This voice… seems familiar to me.” He muttered as he looked around and passed my position just like that.

"What ...? Why did he just walk past me? Mr. Emen… it's me, Royce!” I tried to stand right in front of him, but as if I wasn't real, he didn't even notice my existence.

"Hey Mr Woody!" warm greetings Mai. I was surprised by the way he called my father's friend.

“Oh, Mai… what are you doing here? And who did you bring with you?” Mr. Emen replied in a friendly manner, his feet stepped through several stairs to approach Mai.

"I was helping a friend, and now he's right behind you, Mr Woody."

"Behind me?" the old man looked back, “oh well, he's a knight? Can you tell him to temporarily take off the sword he's wielding?”

Mr. Emen really surprised me. Everything he said just now, I really don't understand. Why do I have to take off my weapon when danger will always be targeting from all directions.

"Tell him he'll be fine here." added Mr. Emen later.

I thought to myself, "Could it be that he can read my mind?"

"He's agitated, Mr Woody. I'm sorry," replied Mai. Then the girl turned to me, “You heard what he said didn't you? Can you obey now?” a beautiful smile painted beautifully on his face.

Instantly all my anxiety and confusion disappeared, "ah well ...."

I untied the belt that tied around my waist, then the sword that was in the scabbard that had been released from my body, I just put it under the side of my left leg.

After that, I can feel that the air around the house is completely different from before I took off my weapon.

Then, Peter's father turned around and looked behind him clearly, a happy smile on his face that was shriveling with age.

"I miss you so much Harfi...."

“Master Emen… I'm Royce. Not my father..."

“Yeah I know… because you look so much like your father, it's hard for me to tell the difference between the two of you. Oh Royce ..." he approached me with his arms wide open, like a father who has not seen his son in a long time.

He hugged me tightly, “Royce… how did you get here? what happened?" he asked as I caught my neck in his shoulder.

"Hihihi ..." Mai who saw me uncomfortable being hugged by Mr. Emen, just laughed a little while covering her mouth with her hands and closing her eyes.

And I, I'm just resigned to the situation. It's true that it's very uncomfortable to be hugged like a baby, but I also have to understand it because he probably hasn't seen his son for a long time and he also misses his old friend, namely my father.

A few seconds later, Mr. Emen let go of his embrace. Then he held both of my shoulders with his face full of love.

“You… really look like Harfi.”

"They are in danger, sir...their lives are in danger."

Instantly his eyes bulged and his mouth seemed locked unable to say anything else.