For Alistair, Melina was a mystery he couldn't solve. She tamed an ember wyrm with nothing more than a tart and readily accepted it as her familiar just a few minutes later. She stabilized a passageway to the Monster Realm in a way Alistair couldn't begin to understand. He still wanted to ask for an explanation of how a System user who wasn't even a mage could do that.

In his opinion, a girl who could do that should have nothing to fear. Yet it was clear to him that she was scared of the Church. He didn't understand why. Why hide the fact that she was a System user? It would bring her nothing but recognition, fame, and good fortune. Yet the thought of being discovered almost sent her into a panic.

Alistair could not ignore that. He gently placed his hand on Melina's shoulder, forcing her out of her panic. She looked at him nervously, and he could feel her shiver underneath his touch. "It'll be alright. I'll make sure that they don't even come close to the bakery."

"You can't exactly keep them tied on a leash," she countered, a bit of her usual strength returning to her eyes.

"Perhaps not, but their goal isn't to search for System users, remember? They came to inspect my skill," he tried to reassure her, but she lowered her gaze and took a step backwards. "Besides, currently they are up to their ears trying to settle matters with the new passageway."

"The passageway?"

"Yes. I was asked to assist in inspecting it later today—once they gather the necessary resources."

"You're going into the Monster Realm?" Her voice was growing more panicked again, and this time Alistair didn't have to wonder why. It was a dangerous place, and normally an expedition was required to explore the surrounding passageway properly.

"Only at the very entrance to determine the overall dangers. The expedition that will come here later will do a proper investigation," he explained, but Melina's expression was twinged with worry. For some reason it made him feel happy. "I'll be careful. First sight of danger, and I'm getting everyone out of there."

"You better keep that promise! Otherwise Sienna and I are going after you," Melina said resolutely. Sienna let out a puff of smoke, indicating that she would do nothing of the sort.

Alistair chuckled. "Give me some credit. I'm a trained warrior. It'd be quite embarrassing if a baker's apprentice kept saving me."

Melina flushed. "I'm sorry."

"As long as you understand," he said in jest, thoroughly enjoying the sight of her rosy cheeks. "Now, sit back, relax, and let me protect you this time."

"You've already protected me before!" She objected.

"Pertia doesn't count. I was hired to do that. You've saved me without any compensation in return. Not to mention the healing roll, thanks to which I am back in top form in less than a day."

"No, you've—" she began but stopped abruptly. A bittersweet smile crossed her lips, and she nodded. "I'll be counting on you then."

"Good. I'll be going now, so you can continue making your pastries. I'd love to try something new when I return," he hummed, remembering the delicious shimmertart she made for him before. True to her word, it had made it much easier for him to sleep. He suspected that some of her magic had made its way into it, and he was honestly touched that she'd go out of her way to put him at ease.

"Alright. I'll be sure to make something good," she said resolutely, and he could see her eyes deep in thought, no doubt already trying to work out some new, delicious recipe. Not all of her nervousness was gone, but at least she wasn't panicking.

Alistair returned to the Guild, dressed in full armor and ready to head into the passageway. Contrary to the previous bravado he showed in front of Melina, he wasn't actually comfortable with the idea of venturing into the Monster Realm. Monsters near the vicinity of Sunglow had already proven themselves to be dangerous enough opponents. Going inside the source of them, where evolved monsters were commonplace—sent a shiver through him.

But he didn't want Melina to worry, and it was true that they would only be taking a quick look inside. Not to mention, that a high-level [Bishop] would be together with them, providing invaluable support with their healing magic and protective spells.

I just need to keep them off Melina's back. They will surely grow curious about the girl with an ember wyrm for a pet and one who can make healing rolls, but perhaps I can divert their attention with my skill. That is quite interesting in its own right.

Or at least so he told himself. If too many people talked about Melina in front of the Church members, then they undoubtedly would go to check on her. What could he do then?

It's no use coming up with scenarios that might never happen. Whatever they do, I'll make sure that they don't find out about Melina.

With this conviction in mind, he entered the Guild where a small crowd of people had gathered at the entrance hall. Among them stood Barrett, Leon, and Guildmaster Arianne along with several priests dressed in all white. At the very center stood a rather young woman—Alistair guessed she was maybe a few years older than himself. Oddly enough she was the bishop, not the other much older priests next to her.

How did Melina even know that she has the <Identify> skill? Does she know this woman personally? Is she perhaps the reason why she's so keen on keeping her gift a secret?

The bishop's pale pink eyes landed on Alistair and a serene, yet unnerving smile spread on her lips. "Lord Sinclair, it is an honor that you would guide us on this mission."

"Of course, it is my duty," he bowed respectfully before her, as was customary for the members of the nobility.

"Then let us not tarry. There are a lot of things to settle in this town and so little time," she said, but her voice portrayed no sense of urgency. She said it as if they were just going out for a picnic in a nearby park.

"Very well," Alistair said, but then noticed that Remi was not among the adventurers at the entrance hall. Nor were any other elves for that matter, although they were some of Sunglow's best fighters. "Is Remi not coming?"

"They do not want to take elves along," Guildmaster Arianne clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Why not?" Alistair asked in confusion. Their enhanced eyesight and hearing were invaluable in battle as they could often deal damage to enemies before others had even noticed them.

Bishop's eyes narrowed, and her pleasant smile faltered for a moment. "I believe that shouldn't require an explanation, but I suppose there's a reason that you were sent here as punishment."

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Alistair's fist clenched. He didn't like being reminded that his time in Sunglow was in fact a punishment set down by the Church. Part of him still couldn't believe that his father sided with them instead of his son.

"The reason why we are not taking elves along is because they come from the Monster Realm, which makes them monsters. Why would we take spies with us to get ambushed in their home territory?" she said with a derisive look.

Alistair wanted to object and say that elves weren't monsters. In the short time he had spent together with them, he became convinced that they were much like humans. Of course, there were some odd differences in their behavior, but they were far from monsters.

"We already had this debate before. Let's go into the passageway and get this mission over with," Arianne growled before anyone could say anything else. From the amount of clenched fists and gritted teeth, Alistair could see that he wasn't the only one who objected.

"I couldn't agree more. Let's get going then, shall we?" The bishop smiled.

Alistair nodded and took the lead of the party. The bishop and priests followed after him and the adventurers took various positions around them, making sure they were in the safest place in the formation.

I can see why Melina would want to avoid this woman in particular. I get a chill down my spine whenever she looks at me.

He was more convinced than ever to keep this snake away from her, so instead of leading her through the quickest path to the passageway following the scorch mark trail that Sienna had left, he decided to take a detour. Besides, if they never saw any signs of the wyrm, they'd be less likely to ask questions about it.

If anyone from the Guild noticed that Alistair was taking a rather long detour, nobody said anything about it. In fact, at one point he caught a rather amused glance from Arianne, looking pleased by the development.

"Is it much further? It feels like we're going in circles," one of the priests complained, huffing and puffing from physical exertion.

"Yes, I felt that way for the first time too, but we're not far now. Just a bit further," Alistair reassured. But he made sure to circle around the passageway first, just to give them something a bit more to grumble about. Much to his surprise, Bishop Heiliger didn't appear bothered by the long trek, with no signs of exhaustion on her features.

When they emerged in the clearing with the invisible passageway, Alistair said, "We're here."

The priests looked around indignantly. "There's nothing here! Are you trying to make us into fools?"

"It is here," the Bishop said, her expression eerily calm. It was like looking at a snake that had injected venom into its prey and waiting for it to slowly die. It baffled him that somebody like that could become a Bishop.

"A-Are you sure?" One of the priests asked nervously.

"I'm absolutely certain. Get ready, everyone. We are going in," she ordered. However, nobody was eager to take the first step into the unknown world. The Bishop smirked. "Aren't you the brave defenders of Sunglow? Suddenly, nobody is brave enough to take a few steps into their own backyard."

"Let's go, you lot!" Arianne ordered, her fist clenched in anger. Alistair feared that if things continued at this pace, the Guildmaster might just snap. She didn't hold her punches against those who disobeyed her in the Guild.

"After you, Lord Sinclair," Bishop Heiliger said, motioning Alistair to go first. He didn't say anything but withdrew his sword and shield. Arianne and other adventurers stood by his side, looking at the space where the passageway was hidden.

"You cover my back, I'll cover yours," he whispered to her.

"I don't expect it to be any other way," she said, swinging her mace in her hand, preparing to attack.

They gave each other one last look before stepping forward into the passageway. Alistair's body tensed up, expecting some kind of resistance but instead, it felt like he was stepping into mist, mild dampness sticking to his skin.

The scenery before him shifted, the forest surrounding them disappearing. They stepped into what could be best described as a tunnel. There were no trees or bushes or grass or even ground beneath their feet. Instead, they were surrounded by thick mist.

"Now this is creepy," Arianne said, her voice echoing around them as if they were standing at the bottom of a deep canyon.

"Is this the Monster Realm? Rather underwhelming if you ask me," Leon spoke up, but his voice sounded a bit shrill. Predictably his knees were shaking, but to be honest, Alistair was surprised the mage had the nerve to go inside with them in the first place.

"No, this is not the Monster Realm, but merely a passage between the two worlds," Heiliger explained, walking through the fog without any fear or hesitation.

"A passage? So this is like a space between worlds?" Barrett asked, looking around the mist. There were no distinguishing features anywhere and if it weren't for the slightly less misty trail that allowed them to see each other, they probably would have gotten separated already. "What if you get lost?"

"Then you shall forever roam the space between worlds unable to find a path forward. So be careful not to stray from the trail," the Bishop warned, and the whole group huddled closer together.

Luckily for them, the foggy space between realms wasn't long, and in a few minutes, Alistair felt the same gentle transition as he stepped into the Monster Realm. His eyes were at first blinded by the brightness, and he tightened the grip on his sword, fully expecting to be confronted with some sort of a monster.

But as his eyesight adjusted to the light, he was greeted by a completely alien world. The vegetation surrounding them was unlike anything he had ever seen. It felt like a forest but the trees were not tree-shaped at all. Some resembled giant mushrooms, some looked like seaweed weaving through the wind at a lazy pace and some looked like stone if stone could grow like plants.

The variety of colors was also staggering ranging from gentle yellow all the way to deep purple. In the Human Realm, the greens and browns of the forest seemed calm and muted, then here the world looked like it was screaming for attention. Perhaps, it was merely because he wasn't used to seeing such bright colors.

"Wow! It's amazing," Leon exhaled and some adventurers nodded along, gaping at the new world around them.

"Do not let your guard down just because it looks pretty! We are in enemy territory," Arianne warned, and everyone strengthened their grip on their weapons.

"You are right. This world is filled with predators beyond your wildest imagination. One second of distraction could be lethal," Bishop Heiliger added. She appeared calm, but Alistair could sense that the woman felt a little bit unnerved.

"How far do we need to go?" he asked, scanning the strange forest for any movement. Bird-like song erupted from somewhere nearby and everyone turned to it at once. Another creature returned the call—high-pitched like a whistle but also melodious. Then another and soon they were surrounded by the noise.

"Look over there!" Barrett pointed to one of the closest stone trees. Alistair stared at the spot, initially not noticing anything. However, then a loud song came from the same spot and he noticed a bright pink bird the same color as the tree it was sitting on. It had a long neck, too long for its body in Alistair's opinion, and also long tail feathers which gently blew with the wind just like the seaweed trees.

"Whistlewisps," Bishop said grimly. "Do not let their tail feathers touch your skin. It is highly toxic."

"Aww… Why do even the pretty birds have to be murderous?" Leon whined.

"Because this is the Monster Realm. We are nothing more than food for these creatures," she said and raised her hands up, muttering some sort of an incantation. Small glowing motes of light erupted from her fingertips and began circling their group. "This should make us harder to detect, but do not stray too far away or the magic won't work on you."

"You heard her. Now mark the passageway and let's explore the nearest surroundings," Guildmaster ordered.

It felt odd, walking through this strange world surrounded by whistling songs of toxic birds. Alistair had the urge to explore it further and discover what other wondrous things were hiding here. Only his sense of duty kept him in check.

"Oh, look at that!" Leon suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a small cluster of bushes. Alistair assumed these were Monster Realm equivalent of bushes, but they actually looked like giant light yellow vats of cotton. "Isn't this the same fruit Miss Melina won in the competition in Pertia?"

"Melina? Who is that?" Bishop Heiliger asked, her eyes poised on Leon.

"Oh, she's only the best baker's apprentice. The pastries she can make are to die for. Not to mention that she is undoubtedly the bravest girl I've ever met."

"Oh? Do tell me more about her."

Alistair never had a high opinion of the mage, but at that moment, he was ready to strangle him.

Fool! Why do you suddenly have to involve Melina in this? If the Bishop gets too interested in her, Melina is done for.

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