Looking at the farthest inside the forest of the unknown made me look away. If we continue further, we don't know what will happen to us. We may have shrugged our minds from fear, but it will be different as we walk through this path. 
    
    No, I might be able to escape the temptation since I know myself and how I discard fear, so I should be fine but I do not know about Adrian and Dores who are vulnerable as victims. 
    
    The forest of fear. Just like I said, a simple word (fear) and the forest will devour you. In the old legend before, a great disaster occurred, bringing abnormality to this world. What could that be? Mysterious places, things undiscovered, and exceptional events that don't acquire a normal one. 
    
    Example will be, Forest Of Fear. It is alive but it feels like dead, tree's grow and grass reproduce. The soils may be healthy, but the roots are covered in burned ashes. They are called demonic trees that grew from one place after three decades. 
    
    They sneak into your darkest secret, unveil your darkest fear and manipulate your mind to think that you are scared before they will devour every single thing that you produce. I can never know the feeling since the day I died as Mei Chen, so fear has left me since then but I become Seira whose mind is basically innocent and unsaid. 
    
    I held my forehead and looked at the sky. It was clearly cloudy, yet it was clear when we were preparing to leave this morning. "We will become vulnerable if we continue like this, " I mumbled, facing the sky before looking at them. 
    
    "Fear is accommodated by many things, if we continue further, these demons will surely eat us alive. " I have no choice, but to alter the plan a little bit and now that I have become a child, my knowledge is just simply unrefined. How many mistakes will it take me to realize that I'm relying too much with my past knowledge. 
    
    I gritted my teeth in disappointment and stood up. "Remember when I said, to become strong, learn the art of patience? " I ask them. 
    
    Both Adrian and Dores nodded. "Yes, milady. You said, having patience for everything is mastering the art of patience and discipline, without it everything is a mess. " 
    
    I nodded and sighs. "Then answer my questions properly and honestly, " Adrian nodded and Dores smiled. "What are you fighting for? " 
    
    There is a reason why I ask this. The art of patience must be mastered through processing into a mental thinking, blowing up your expertise as a person. The art of patience is for both who have discipline and self awareness, now this will make them rethink their minds and the fear will slowly disappear.
    
    Because, cowards are only useless when fear strikes them. I do not say that fear is bad, what I'm implying is that they should have self-awareness and confidence.
    
    It took us about a few seconds of silence before Adrian stood up and he looked at me. "Your question is difficult, milady, most of us don't know what we were fighting for."
    
    I intentionally made it hard for them to respond. The harder the question is, the clearer I can get the results. There's no such thing as an easy response, I get that alot. 
    
    "Ah, mastering our thoughts over the battlefield is a good way to respond to a question of 'why are we fighting?' or 'who are we fighting for?'," I want to watch Dores and Adrian's reaction. Unexpectedly, they were confused and uncertain that they gave off a sad impression.
    
    I shrugged my head and held my forehead. "Look, why did you join the knights order? " I ask. 
    
    "At first, we didn't seem to be serious about our job. We didn't think much about the battlefield, and I just wanted an honorable job that helps my village. " Dores said, grinning over his little imagination before I looked back. 
    
    "Milady, I didn't know why I joined. I only think that being a knight, I can leave my poor life as a commoner. I never wanted to go on the battlefield, I never had something to protect or hold on but I idolize the marquis very much. "
    
    Then that's the case, is it not? Dores joins the knights' order to protect his village, and I think Sain is the same. While Adrian wanted to become a knight because he followed my father up the ranks, to become rich probably. Although this reason is very much an ordinary one compared to those scumbags telling me that they wanted to kill, Dores and Adrian are one of my best men. 
    
    I guess this reason is enough to boost their understanding. This made me smile and I patted Adrians hands, before I nodded. "Good job! That reason is enough for you to fight and survive. Think about this, you are fighting because of them, aren't you? " 
    
    I look at Dores. "Dores wanted to be honorable and protect his hometown, if you're gone because you hesitated and feared like a coward, they will lose you, not just their protector but their family. " 
    
    Then I pointed at Adrian. "You still haven't proven your worth as Crambells Squad Captain, so as your master, you have to survive no matter what. I cannot allow you to die, while I am here, so get together and fight! Captain of our knight! " 
    
    I give them a smile before turning back. I didn't watch how they reacted, but I hope this method helps them to survive and have courage as a knight. That is what I want for them so they can overcome fear, they need courage not bravery, discipline and not strength.
    
--+-•-+--
    
    Moments passed and we were able to overcome fear, much more nervousness and the living tree has gotten nothing from us. However, we are nearing the end of this haunted forest and a new scenery has broken out from our sights.
    
    It was a mountain, but the mountain is not normal. There is a huge hole below it, and this was surrounded by the haunted forest filled with mist. At the top of the mountain, there are trees that aren't alive anymore, and the soil is covered in dead black. 
    
    Is this it? If I am right. A hideout is just in this place, where no man can reach. As how it was described from the actual information that we got. There is a hideout that man cannot reach, a place that can't be pinpoint by any compass or a place that no one would dare to visit. 
    
    I hope we didn't waste time.
    
    We headed through the cave, it was as dark as it seemed but we bought lighter and oil, as a light. Although, I did not expect this kind, as we further and further this dark cave. The feeling and smell of stinky corpses and blood is nearing our path. 
    
    "Milady, I heard someone, let's hide, " Adrian called and he pointed down the rocks, which was enough for the three of us to hide. 
    
    We hid and the unknown voice had finally reached our ears. 
    
    "Did you hear? " 
    
    "What? About the count demanding too much money? Or our boss, beating the shit out of Captain Harzen? "
    
    "No! I mean, there are rumors of a strange noble lord that came to ask the folks about the East Port. I think the boss knew about the rumor so he beat the captain. "
    
    "Ah, that, it's another wannabe lord, I hear that too but he's just 10 years old with two weak bodyguards, what can they do? Fight against us? "
    
    "You sound so full of yourself, Callahan. "
    
    "Jeez, Alfred, we are the Three Legged Bandites, why should we fear kids playing the role of a hero. " 
    
    "You are probably right, let's just hope they'll leave the town, we don't need men, right? "
    
    Wannabe lord? Weak bodyguard? Trying to act like a hero? I instantly looked at both Dores and Adrian, they seemed to understand that they both were talking about us. I didn't think word spread that fast, even in this secluded place. 
    
    Eventually, this is the right place. They mention Three Legged Bandit, so it would be easy to knock out two of the main guards. 
    
    "Adrian, stealth mode, knock them off, " I whispered in command and so Adrian and Dores nodded. 
    
    As silently as they can, Dores and Adrian quickly grab both of the two bandits and initially shock them with cloth. Two of the bandites soon fell, and their breathing stopped but Adrian seemed to have frozen from the image of a dead man in front of him. 
    
    Dores seems fine so I thought he had already killed, but I didn't think that Adrian, the Crambell Squad Captain, seemed to be inexperienced at killing. So I have already known that Adrian has to get used to killing, I don't think he is qualified to become a captain with his lack of experience.
    
    "Adrian, " I called and looked at two bandites. 
    
    "Killing is normal, don't think that it is bad or good, just think that they are enemies and nothing of your consequences can change that. " I coldly said in a serious bust, and I put my hands around my waist. 
    
    "Milady, I? "
    
    *Sighs*
    
    That's right, killing is minimal and normal. We can't avoid it, the only thing we have to think about is to survive and think of others as enemies— it's not like I think about those I slaughter. Therefore, I'm just telling them to get used to it, because one day, they might kill somebody and they will be the one to survive.
    
    It's the reality. Filling them with hopeful words is useless, it's better to fill them with reality which will save them in the future. 
    
    "Adrian and Dores, let's move along and hide the body. "