The Evening Primrose
Chapter 9

In the middle of the dense forest, along with the noisy sounds of various insects during the day made his journey interrupted. At the same time, Nora along with her acquaintance walked through the bushes with her clothes that began to tangle and sweat.

"Is it really the place here, Theodore?" Nora asked Theodore but there was no answer from him.

Nora's feelings were bad for her and immediately put on a suspicious look at her. Until in the end, they arrived somewhere with an abandoned house in the middle of the forest. Their steps came to a halt after seeing the condition of an empty house that had partially collapsed.

"Miss, did you know that this house is a relic of the late father?"

"Dad?"

Nora is shocked when Theodore begins discussing her family's problems. Until when Theodore approached the house, Nora was immediately shocked after seeing a strange creature and drew her sword with a feeling of annoyance.

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The day had changed, Zahra and I were at the horse stop waiting for someone to guide us to the eastern forest. We left all the bags to the inn, and the owner asked to charge a fee to extend our rent for the next 3 days.

I don't know what Nora's doing right now until she's not back. I just hope he's okay until we get him.

I don't know what he thought, the journey to the forest takes a long time on foot. Therefore, we were planning to rent a horse carriage pulled by a coachman pack who was then looking at Nora in the forest

"Sorry, are you Emma?" A teenage boy called me from behind.

"Right, I'm Emma. Are you gonna drive us through the woods?"

"Yes!"

"Include me, he's Zahra, my travel companion. May we be familiar during the journey."

Zahra put on a disgusted face when she heard me call her my friend. Please be patient a little! It's all for your own good too!

"Greetings, my name is Hartmut. I hope we can work together."

He looked like he was the same age as us, dressed like an adventurer and the sword he carried around his waist. We have introduced ourselves to each of us then headed straight to the horse carriage we had rented.

Everything was ready, we left with the other passengers. The uncle told us about a white-haired woman who went into the forest yesterday during the day.

By day, that means he's been traveling the first night we stayed here, right? I can't believe he held back the drowsiness for that long.

We were engrossed in chatting during the trip, and what made him come with us was because of one direction. He was planning to head to the village across the forest, so he thought it would be fine if you had a chat.

He was great because he did it without bringing any supplies, not even with food. He felt that he would be fine as long as he had money in his pocket, whereas Nora herself had gold coins which meant enough to buy food for the three of us for several months.

We finally entered the forest. It didn't take long, we arrived at the place where the coachman saw Nora last time. I thank him for bringing us here.

"Wait, why are you coming with us, Hartmut?" Zahra.

"I told you I'd guide you. Mother said yesterday that you guys have just arrived in this country, so maybe I'll be useful here."

"Are you doing it for the money?"

He didn't answer my question, only his smile made me even more suspicious that he was helping us just because of money.

"So the news about the gold coin has been spread secretly, huh?" lamented Zahra.

We walked through the bushes with a lot of insects jumping around until one of them came into my clothes. I screamed because I hate insects.

Fortunately there is Hartmut who He has experience in this. In the end, we found an empty house in the middle of the forest.

"Are there really a lot of houses like this in the middle of the woods?" my many.

"There are already many empty places that are used as a place for bandits. But it looks like it's completely empty and abandoned."

"You'd better get out of your breath."

"Thank you, but I'm still fine with just this."

"The weak." Zahra started heating me back up.

It made me want to beat him up, but I had to hold him off until we found Nora.

"I guess this house has been abandoned by its owner for a long time." Pick up one of the books lying on the floor. "Is what my uncle said honest? I don't feel any trace of anyone here."

I also doubt the words of the coachman uncle just now, the person he was referring to was not Nora, but someone else. Whatever it is, we'll keep trying to find it.

I stood up and headed to the other room to check it out. But suddenly when I was about to look, someone came to surprise me with his pale skin. I screamed and left the room until my waist hit the table and groaned in pain.

Seeing someone, Hartmut pulled out his sword and cut his head into a roll towards Zahra's feet. He froze to look at the head in cold sweat, and what struck me just now was an undead with his pale green skin.

"Calm down, it's just the undead. Just don't ever touch her teeth 'cause there's a lot of germs that'll turn you like her." With ease he said that.

Experienced people are very different. This is my first time seeing such a creature, because on earth it is just a myth like this. Zahra kicked the head into the corner of the room with a feeling of fear.

"I'll check it out, you guys stay behind me."

That way we get protection from it. The smell inside the compound was so stinging that it made my nose itch. There seems to be nothing interesting here except a round painting with some letters that I can't read on the wall.

This painting seemed to be drawn using a brush so neatly that not a single ink dripped down.

"I just found out there's a magic formula painted here." Hartmut touched the painting.

"So, was this painted to summon beings from other realms?" Zahra stared at Hartmut.

"Between yes and no, because I'm not too familiar with magic. Maybe we should report this to the kingdom for observation."

"It's better if we leave this place soon." I immediately turned around.

"Are you going back so soon?" An old man stood blocking the door.

It seems to be what the coachman meant, an old man in a servant's suit. Hartmut who saw it directly pointed the sword at him while protecting the two of us behind.

"Who are you?" Ask Hartmut.

"Aren't you not polite to parents? I'm here to welcome you to my residence. And apparently..." The man glanced at us. "Ah, aren't you friends of Miss Eleonora?"

"Eleonora!?" Hartmut.

"Yes, Miss Eleonora. Isn't that name familiar to your ears, O brave young man?"

The atmosphere became tense, all the conversations paused after He heard the name Nora. Is that name really?

"I don't care about his name. Tell me clearly what's your business with us?"

"My business? Oh, teenager. Didn't I say that I would welcome you to my residence? The place where one would sleep soundly until the sunlight was extinguished was devoured by darkness." He stretched his hand towards us. "That's where you'll find your dream to find the long-lost light."

We bounced back until we fell on the floor very hard. A mansion that was so big and majestic that it made my head dizzy upon seeing it. That way, the three of us will be stuck here forever. I don't know where we're going, there's only this room wherever we are.

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...(.(.Illustration for Hartmut)...