I Can See Evolution Paths

The students were gathered outside the Wyvern Carriages while the professors finished organizing everyone. Professor Roland stepped forward.

"Listen carefully. We will not be entering the Everglades today."

The students reacted with surprise. "What?"

"Why not?"

"But we’re already here!"

Roland explained that they would spend the day in Greenroot Frontier. They’d enter the Everglades tomorrow morning after everyone had rested, checked their supplies, and received their final instructions.

This immediately created excitement, because the students realized they had an entire day to explore a frontier city.

Some students immediately started making plans. "I’m going to the Hunter Guild!"

"I’m finding the best blacksmith!"

"I’m buying a relic!"

"I’m going to the Beast Market!"

Arthur looked around. "So we have the whole day?"

Mithra already knew where this was going. "Yes."

Arthur smiled. "Then I’m exploring."

Sun sighed. "Of course you are."

Athena adjusted her glasses. "We should probably stay together," she said.

Arthur looked at her. "Why?"

Athena paused. "Because you’re you."

Mithra laughed.

Arthur realized everyone was splitting up. Mithra, Sun, and Athena were preparing to explore different parts of the city.

Arthur smiled and summoned Vedas and Eden from the Mana Realm. Eden immediately looked around, her silver eyes widening. "We’re in a city!"

Vedas looked toward the enormous walls. "Greenroot," he said, going quiet for a moment. This place was very different from Greenleaf.

Eden noticed. "You’ve been here before?"

Vedas shook his head. "No. But I’ve heard stories."

Arthur looked at him. "Then let’s make some of our own."

Eden immediately grabbed Arthur’s neck. "Let’s go!"

Arthur laughed.

Mithra smiled. "Try not to disappear."

Arthur paused. "I’ll try."

Sun immediately said, "That’s not reassuring."

Arthur walked through Greenroot with Vedas and Eden. The Beast Markets stretched out before them, massive stalls selling monster fangs, beast hides, mana crystals, beast cores, strange plants, ingredients, monster weapons. The entire street smelled of monster meat, herbs, leather, and smoke.

Merchants shouted from every direction.

"Fresh Beast Core! Taken this morning!" "Perfect quality Drake hide!" "Three Mana Crystals for one gold!"

Eden’s eyes moved from stall to stall. "There’s so much!"

Vedas looked around as well. "I’ve never seen this many monster materials in one place."

Arthur stopped at a stall selling enormous fangs. "What are those?"

The merchant proudly held one up. "Beast Chief."

Arthur’s eyes brightened.

Vedas immediately looked at him. "Don’t."

Arthur blinked. "I didn’t say anything."

"You were thinking about it."

Arthur smiled. "...Maybe."

Eden was fascinated. She saw a tiny Beast sitting on a merchant’s counter. "Can I touch it?"

The merchant immediately said, "Don’t."

Eden froze. "Why?"

The Beast opened its mouth and chomp.

The merchant pointed. "Because it bites."

Eden slowly pulled her hand back, and Vedas laughed.

Arthur looked at the Beast. "It’s cute," he said.

The merchant stared. "That’s how it gets people."

Arthur nodded. "Very clever."

Vedas sighed.

Arthur saw Hunters returning from expeditions. Some were exhausted. Some had bandages. Some had damaged armor. Their Beast Partners helped them along. One Hunter limped through the street while his Orge walked beside him, the Orge kept glancing toward his injured leg.

"I’m fine," the Hunter muttered.

The Orge growled.

"I said I’m fine."

The Orge stopped.

The Hunter stopped too. "...What?"

The Beast pointed toward a nearby healer, and the Hunter stared at it. "You want me to go?"

The Beast nodded.

The Hunter sighed. "Fine."

Eden watched them disappear into the crowd. "His Beast was worried about him."

Vedas smiled. "Of course."

Arthur watched quietly. "They’re partners."

Eden nodded. "Like us."

Arthur smiled. "Exactly."

Another Hunter was slumped on the ground and laying on top of the belly of his Panda beast, while another one was sweating all over while his Beast crocodile kept showering him with water.

Eden then tilted her head and whispered, "They look tired."

Vedas nodded. "Expeditions aren’t always exciting."

Arthur looked at them. "But they still came back."

Vedas smiled. "That’s what matters."

Arthur passed a quieter section of Greenroot. Children were playing with tiny Beasts. One child rode a small horned Beast. Another tried to teach a slime to jump.

Eden immediately became interested. "Look!" She rushed over.

Arthur followed. Eden crouched beside the slime. "Can you jump?"

The slime wiggled. Nothing happened.

Eden waited. Still nothing.

She looked at Arthur. "It’s shy," she said.

Arthur nodded seriously. "Probably."

Vedas looked at the slime. "Or it can’t jump."

Eden looked offended. "Don’t discourage it!"

Vedas raised his hands. "I didn’t."

Arthur laughed.

Eventually Arthur noticed an old merchant sitting away from the busier market stalls. Most people walked past him. His stall was filled with junk.

Broken tools. Old books. Rusty objects. Cracked mana stones. Strange trinkets.

Nobody seemed interested.

Arthur stopped.

Vedas looked at him. "You found something?"

Arthur pointed toward a strange compass, old and scratched, its needle refusing to point north, spinning instead.

The merchant laughed. "That?"

Arthur picked it up. "What does it do?"

"Nothing."

Arthur looked at him. "Nothing?"

The merchant shook his head. "Broken years ago."

Arthur studied it and saw the needle suddenly move slightly. His smile faded for half a second.

The needle stopped. Then it moved again, like it was pointing toward the western side of the city.

Arthur tilted the compass. The needle moved with it. He lowered it. It turned again.

Arthur stared. "Hmmmm."

Vedas looked over. "What?"

Arthur closed his fingers around the compass. "Nothing."

Vedas narrowed his eyes. "You definitely found something."

Arthur smiled as he called the merchant’s attention and asked, "How much?"

The merchant was surprised. "You’re actually buying that?"

"Yes."

The merchant laughed. "Fine. Twenty gold."

Arthur paid without arguing or trying to haggle, to the merchant’s surprise.

The merchant looked amused. "You know, you’re the first person to buy something from me today."

Arthur smiled. "Then I’ll come back."

The merchant laughed. "Come back tonight. I’ll give you something to eat."

Arthur paused. "Tonight?"

The merchant blinked. "You don’t know?"

Arthur shook his head.

The merchant laughed. "The Venti Festival!"

Arthur’s eyes immediately brightened. The merchant explained that the Venti Festival was normally held at the beginning of every month, but December’s celebration had been delayed by a week because of problems in the city.

Arthur smiled. "I like festivals."

The merchant grinned. "Then don’t miss it."

Arthur nodded. "I’ll look for you."

The merchant waved. "I’ll save you something."

As they left, Eden was practically vibrating. "Arthur."

"Hm?"

"What’s a festival?"

Vedas laughed. "You’ve never been to one?"

Eden shook her head.

Vedas explained that it was similar to the bonfire celebration they’d had with the Goblins, but much larger. Then he added, "My first festival was in Greenleaf."

Eden froze, her eyes brightening. She immediately flew toward Arthur and wrapped herself around his neck. "I can’t wait!"

Arthur laughed. "You haven’t even seen it yet."

"I know!"

Vedas smiled. "She’s already excited."

Arthur looked at the compass in his hand. The needle was still moving. His expression became curious.

Later, while exploring, Arthur noticed something. The compass wasn’t random. It was slowly pointing in a consistent direction.

Arthur followed it.

Vedas noticed. "You trust that thing?"

Arthur smiled. "Not really."

"Then why are we following it?"

Arthur looked at him. "Because I want to know where it goes."

Vedas sighed. "That answer is somehow exactly what I expected."

Eden flew ahead. "I found a shop!"

The compass pointed directly toward it. Arthur’s eyes brightened.

Arthur entered the shop. The interior was packed with old expedition equipment. Nobody paid much attention to him. The compass needle pointed toward a pile of dusty objects.

Arthur searched. Then he found an old rolled up map buried underneath several damaged items. He opened it.

Arthur froze as he realized it was a map of the Everglades. And not a normal tourist map, but it looked like an old one made long ago.

His eyes slowly moved across the parchment.

The routes were old. Some crossed regions that no longer appeared on modern maps. Several landmarks had completely different names.

Arthur’s expression became serious. He had spent days studying the Academy’s Everglades records. This map showed places those records didn’t.

Places that had been forgotten.

Arthur immediately rolled the map back up. He didn’t ask the clerk about it. He didn’t even mention what he’d found. He simply added it to the pile.

Ten gold. A ridiculous price for something like this.

Arthur paid.

Once they were outside, he stored the map away.

Vedas glanced at him. "You bought something interesting."

Arthur smiled. "Maybe."

Eden tilted her head. "What’s inside?"

"We’ll find out later."

Vedas sighed. "You really enjoy keeping secrets."

Arthur looked at him. "Only the interesting ones."

Arthur, Vedas, and Eden continued walking. The sun began to lower. The frontier started changing. Lanterns appeared. Merchants decorated their stalls. People gathered in the streets. Music began.

Eden kept looking around.

Then, boom! A massive firework exploded above Greenroot.

Eden froze. Arthur stopped walking.

Another firework exploded. Boom!

Arthur’s eyes lit up. He smiled. "It’s starting," he said.

Eden grabbed Arthur’s arm. "THE FESTIVAL!"

More fireworks erupted above the walls.

Red. Gold. Blue.

Their light reflected across the windows and mana crystals of Greenroot. The streets erupted with cheers. Musicians began playing. Merchants shouted and Beast Tamers walk through the streets with glowing lanterns.

Eden stared upward, completely mesmerized. "Arthur..."

"Hm?"

"It’s beautiful."

Arthur looked up. For a moment, he forgot about the Everglades. Forgot about the Mirrors. Forgot about the ancient map hidden in his bag.

He simply smiled. "Yeah."

Vedas looked toward the festival. "It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one."

Arthur glanced at him. "Then let’s enjoy it."

Eden immediately grabbed his hand. "Let’s go!"

Arthur laughed. "Alright, alright."

The three disappeared into the crowd as another firework exploded above Greenroot.

BOOM!

And somewhere beneath Arthur’s clothes, the strange compass quietly turned.

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