Crimson Moon Forest 4

Yuna started to feel uneasy. For the past five minutes, a woman had been staring at her. From her toes to the top of her head, then back down to her feet. Occasionally, she would glance toward Rian.

"Alright, I approve of you both," said the woman, smiling widely.

"APPROVE OF WHAT?" Rian and Yuna shouted simultaneously.

"I'm just lost," Yuna added, trying to remain polite.

"Hmm. So you're not asking for blessings?" The woman looked at Yuna again. This time, Yuna studied her in return.

"Come on, Ma. Don’t imagine strange things."

Ma? Did I hear that correctly? Yuna thought.

"Is she your mother?" Yuna asked.

"Yes. Her name is Yuri, my mother."

Now, Yuna studied Yuri. From head to toe, back up to head. No matter how she looked at it, the woman before her seemed very young. Yuna estimated her age to be no more than 25.

"Is something wrong?" Yuri asked.

"S-sorry. I didn’t expect Rian’s mother to be so young."

"Oh, thank you. But I’m already 28. Wrinkles will be showing here soon," Yuri said, touching her forehead.

What? 28 years old? Yuna thought.

"Hey, Rian. How old are you?" Yuna whispered to Rian.

"I’m 12 this year."

12 years old? How young was Yuri when she had him? That’s too young. Is it normal here to have children at that age? What kind of parents marry off their child at that age? Yuna thought.

"Calm down. It’s not like you think," Rian said.

"I’m home..." A man’s voice came from the entrance. Soon, the door opened, and a man entered.

Is that Rian’s father? Yuna thought.

Rather than being called a man, he looked more like a young man. He looked just as youthful as Yuri, almost more suited to be Rian’s sibling. But seeing Yuri, Yuna was sure the man wasn’t Rian’s older brother.

"Welcome. Look, darling. Our son brought his girlfriend home."

Ah, so that’s Rian’s father... Wait, what did Yuri just say?

"Come on, Ma. Don’t jump to conclusions," Rian said.

"I’m just lost and stayed the night. Tomorrow I’ll leave the forest and continue my journey," Yuna said.

"Hmm, so it’s just that." Yuri seemed disappointed. "Alright, tomorrow, take this young lady out of the forest. Make sure she reaches her destination. It’ll be a good way to get close," Yuri added to Rian, with a strange expression. Rian covered his face with his hands.

What kind of family is this? Yuna thought.

"So, tomorrow, our child is leaving?" Rian’s father asked.

"I’ll just take her out of the forest."

"Why only outside the forest?"

Wait, I feel like something is wrong with that question.

"So? Should I take her all the way to Mantira?"

"You’re a man, right? Take this young lady to her destination. What if she runs into bandits again?"

Did we talk about bandits earlier? Yuna thought.

"Alright," Rian replied resignedly.

"No. No. I can continue the journey alone. Besides..."

"Enough. This young man has already agreed to escort you," Rian’s father cut off Yuna.

"Mantira, huh? Do you plan to join the Finalia Magic Academy?" Yuri asked.

"Yes. The Finalia Magic Academy registration will open in a few days."

"What a coincidence. Rian could join as well. What do you think, darling?"

"Of course. It’s about time this child starts his adventure," Rian’s father said, patting Rian’s shoulder.

Wait a minute. Is it just my imagination, or are these parents trying to get rid of Rian? Yuna stared at Rian.

What if Rian isn’t their biological child? Given their age, that makes sense. Yuna’s mind started to wander.

"Alright," Rian said, resigned. "So I’ll be leaving this forest after all," he added.

"Good. That’s how a man should be," Rian’s father patted his son’s shoulder again.

"But remember, make sure you come home at least once a year. Otherwise, you’ll be surprised when you suddenly have a sibling," he added.

"Darling, did you really have to say that to Rian?" Yuri asked, smiling. The murderous aura made Yuna shiver.

What kind of family conversation is this? Yuna thought.

"By the way, we’re entrusting Rian to you. This kid has a problem with magic. A few days ago, he was learning ice magic but ended up burning the forest. So, please help him," Rian’s father said to Yuna.

"I can take care of myself. Besides, that happened five years ago," Rian protested.

"Really? I feel like it happened just yesterday. Time flies for parents. It feels like just yesterday you were learning to crawl. Now, you’re ready to leave home with a girl."

Rian just shook his head and covered his face.

"Okay, Mom has prepared everything," Yuri said suddenly. "Food, clothes, and some of your personal items are already packed." Yuna didn’t know when Yuri had gotten a large bag.

"When did she prepare this? Were they planning to kick their son out from the start? Rian must be an adopted child," Yuna thought again. She still couldn’t figure out what was going on with this family.

"Alright," Rian said, resigned for the third time.

That night, Yuna stayed at Rian’s parents’ house. They slept in the same room. There were many things that puzzled her, but she decided to rest and forget about it. All the events of the day had made her body tired, and tomorrow she would still have a long journey ahead. She could already imagine how exhausting it would be to reach Finalia without a carriage.

"Sorry about my parents," Rian said.

"It’s alright. I understand. My father often acts like them. Maybe that's how parents show their love."

"Yeah, maybe you’re right."

"Rian, thank you."

"For what? I haven’t done anything."

"Until now, I’ve only known that this forest is filled with terrifying creatures. I’m grateful to have met you."

"That’s not entirely wrong. You were just lucky not to meet any monsters."

As the night grew late, Yuna tried to close her eyes, and soon she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, on the veranda of Rian’s parents' house, the couple sat and gazed upwards at the crimson moon. That was the origin of the forest’s name. The moon here always appeared red.

"Children really grow up so fast. It feels like just yesterday our child was learning to crawl," Yuri said.

"I also feel like it was just yesterday I was teaching him magic," Rian’s father replied.

"Do you remember the first time we taught him magic?"

"Of course. I’m his mother. He needed eight months just to move a pebble. At that time, I thought Rian would never be able to use magic."

"Everything has changed, hasn’t it? The Magic Academy will be a good place for our child to grow."

"Will he be alright?"

"Of course. He’s our son." Rian’s father patted Yuri’s shoulder.

"What I’m worried about is that girl..." he added.

"Yeah, she has an interesting fate line," Yuri said. "I hope Rian can protect her. She’ll make the perfect daughter-in-law." Yuri added with a smile.

"Yes. That girl is the main character of this story."

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