Chapter 9: The Spirit Eyes

"You're really a ball of surprises, Princess," Aron said. He clapped and chortled, sounding like he already had expected everything.

However, the sharp senses I honed throughout my corporate career via my daily encounters with habitual liars, both clients and colleagues, tingled otherwise. Seeing through his bluff and counterfeit poise was nothing but a piece of cheesecake.

Aron's hands quivered, his eyes refusing to run into mine. Though he smiled outside, I’m sure he a panic wreck inside. Those obvious mannerisms couldn’t escape my trained eyes. Hah, what now? From the looks of it, something weird happened in my eyes. At least, I sensed it's not in a bad way.

"Let's go," Aron said, guiding his moody black horse. "We can't let our client wait too much. Andre, take Eyad with you."

"Leave him be." Andre shook his head, refusing to carry the mage. "Let the undead take him. One less person to share the gold with is better. I'll take a bigger cut for him. The other guys would also be so happy that they'll light candles for his soul."

From the moist brown dirt, Eyad hoisted himself up with haste, mounting back onto his red stallion-like nothing had happened at all. The mage raised his eyebrows, glaring daggers at the monkey-faced man. "Who's going to scrap my share! Heh, not you, monkey."

"See?" Andre said, a finger pointing at the mage, a grin threading his lips. "Let's go, you greedy mage. No drama or I'll tell the archmage. Oh, don't monkey me, you frigging horse-face."

I grinned at Eyad’s reaction. His expression twisted as he flushed like a man with a fishbone stuck in his throat. He mumbled as he moved towards me and Aron, ignoring the monkey-faced man. His face was a little gaunt as he joined and moved ahead of us. "Let's go."

Andre threw a funny look at Eyad, then at me. "No time to envy. The princess is special… and weird."

Oh, so I am the strange one now? And I know I'm special. My mom and dad had always told me so. That's nothing fresh.

Anyway, something worth envying for that human flamethrower? And for this monkey to call me weird. Your face is the epitome of a creep, monkey. Of course, I won't say that out loud. The important issue comes first, let's check what's up with my eyes.

I looked at Aron to confirm the current status of my eyes. "What happened to me? Do my eyes look strange now?"

Aron released a stale cough before offering a wry smile. I sensed the other two guys turning their heads away. "Hm, I don't know what's your definition of weird. But if you ask me, Princess."

He took a deep breath and scrutinized my two eyes before nodding to himself, "Your eyes… raise more questions than you can ever imagine."

"Ah, what do I look like, a cross-eyed freak now?" I gasped. Well, not that I cared.

"Well, you got some bizarre language, Princess. I can't answer you since I don't know what a cross-eyed freak is." Aron said. His words were gentle, but sounded a bit guilty for some unknown reason.

"Oh."

It seemed like we still have a language gap. Wait!? Why do I sound weird? This is not English? But why in the world do I understand this?

"System," I purred under my breath. Soft enough that I'll be the only one to hear.

Status Panel

Name: Victoria Rothfield Rosenberg
Level: 1
Job: Princess (Fallen), Spirit Mage (New!)
Title: Witch of Rothfield

General Skills:
[Etiquette]
[Language of Another World]
[Spirit Eye Lvl. ↑2 (New!)]

[System notifications. You have opened the legendary magic class—spirit mage. Behold and start your new life. Discover your class on your own, but tread carefully, for great power comes with greater destiny. May the tides of fate be with you, oh, you lucky wind.]

My eyes went wide open after seeing the weird interface appearing before my eyes. I'm a cheat after all. Yeah! I’m getting new skills as if it's nothing!

Enlightened, I was. My eyes turned into saucers after catching what was happening. I thanked Antarctica for at least giving me some useful skills, especially the otherworld language. I truly appreciate it. If I did not have etiquette, maybe the trio won't recognize me as a princess. And without the different world language, I'll be as good as mute.

"Princess? Princess? Princess?! Are you okay?" I shook my head left and right. I lapsed too much in thought. Until now, I still don't know what happened to me. Quite a lot of questions were piling up, and it seemed like no one knew the answers.

I tilted my head, meeting the worried gaze of the uncle-like Aron. He looked like he ate some crap due to worry. "I'm okay, just a little sleepy"

"I see. Thank goodness." A sigh of reprieve flowed. He placed his hands on his chest. He had successfully passed through several shocking events today.

I tilted my head, and I changed the topic. "Where are we going next?"

"Follow me, Princess." Aron guided his stallion while the duo continued to bicker with each other, trailing behind us.

Soon enough, Aron threw a look at Eyad and Andre, rendering them silent.

A few minutes later.

It felt like we were looping. Are we lost? I think I saw this place before. I hope it's just my imagination. The forest was also getting more and more difficult to transverse. The thick tree roots reaching above the surface had spelled trouble for our tired horses.

"Let's get down. We will continue on foot." Aron said. Although he acted like everything was normal, I could feel the tension and anxiety rising within his voice. I knew trouble was ahead, but I trusted Aron. After all, he knew this dreary forest better than an auntie like me.

I tied my horse to a rotten tree, and just like the other two, I proceeded on foot.

A few more minutes passed, and we arrived in front of a unique, scary tree. No, rather than we arrived, it's more that we stopped.

The hairs on my arms stood as I raised my head and looked. Interlocking branches, about 100 meters tall, with some weird twisting bark that sent shivers down my spine. Damn! This is not a tree.

The ginormous tree scared the hell out of me. Its ligneous bark looked like suffering human faces shouting in agony. Not going to lie. My breath started getting a little erratic as anxiousness crept. It was like those strangler fig trees I saw in my travels in the deep forest.

Those freaky trees looked mild as compared to this one. The massive tree in front of me was stupidly scary. Why? I guess…

It felt as if… it was alive. One wrong move and I would be in big trouble without a doubt.

"Mr. Aron. Are you sure this the right place? Are we lost?" Big doubts rising here. I had to voice out my thoughts. Things were getting out of hand.

I shook my head, wanting to ask a few more questions. Yet, I saw the three stooges trembling; the dripping sweat illustrating the law of gravity. Downward it goes.

"You got to be kidding me." Losing control of my emotions, my eyes dilated. No one knew this except my old colleagues. My nickname was 'hysteria' for a reason. "Hell, if it's dangerous here. Why did you even bring me here? To die!?"

From the sides of my eyes, I saw Aron's trembling hands pulling a rusted copper medallion from his hidden breast pocket. His shaky hands threw the coin-like item in front of the massive tree.

"D-Don't worry, Princess." Aron turned, his teeth clattered and shook. He then gazed at the dreadful tree. "F-fetch."

"Fetch?!" I watched the foolish man in horror. Doubt was even on his lips as he uttered the incomprehensible word. My eyes almost popped out in dread and shock. It was like my old boss saying 'surprise!' with his termination letters once in a while. It shook me to the core.

Of all the wild words he could say, this supposedly calm and smart uncle said 'fetch'? Heh! What's this freaking' tree? A cute dog?! Cute my ass!

Hahaha! This bastard wanted us dead. Shifting my gaze to Andre and Eyad, I see the same line of thoughts running through their minds.

How can I tell?

Eyad was on his knees, praying again. Not only his knees were bent, but his entire body was. He looked like a wriggling worm. Snot and tears adding texture to the moist soil. “Please make that myth work. Please make it work!”

Don't tell me we're trusting a myth now. Is the medallion coin thing part of the myth? Hah! Why are my saviors not so reliable?

Andre stood like a fierce warrior, glaring at the living giant tree. Wait? Why are you smiling? You shithead, what's so funny? Is our situation amusing? Anyway, at least he looks a bit more reliable than the bending worm.

Steps silent, my feet moved with the speed of a snail. I sneaked, scared to make the tiniest of sounds. I tiptoed towards him, soles first to minimize the noise, and then hid behind his back. I'll rely on this monkey's back. Putting a little weight, I pushed his back to find some comfort and…

Thud.

"Huh?" I lowered my eyes and saw Andre… playing dead.

"..."

Did he lose consciousness while standing? A goner far worse than the wriggling worm?

"Ha..? Hahaha." I let out a dry, shrill voice. Hell, my voice sounded drier than any desert.

Aron, the hateful and unreliable mercenary leader, glanced at me. "Don't worry Princess, we will be fine…"

Are you sure? Why do sound like your doubting your own words?

"Ohhh… Feeettcchhh?" A rumbling voice echoed in my ears. Hell, is that a tree? It sounded like Hades calling to me. The pitch is incredibly squeaky. It was terrible, eerie.

All of us, aside from Andre, raised our heads and saw the 100+ meter shaking tree monster. "It's a-alive."

It's a walking treehouse! And damn, it talked!

Casting a gaze towards Aron, I found no solid assurance that we would be fine at all. His doubts showing on his aging face. Thus, I gave a pure smile, squinting at him. "I hate you."

"It worked! The myth worked!" Aron turned his head towards me "No, I'm telling you, we will be-"

Chomp. Gulp.

"Eaten," I grimaced as I continued his words for him. A vine just took the unreliable merc leader into the mouth of the gigantic tree. I lifted a gaze, wallowing in despair. “It did not work!"

Aron got eaten whole, like a deluxe burger champ with a lot of cheese. I have nothing else to say. I'll leave my mouth gaping for a moment. I need some oxygen as a quick fix. "Huff. Huff.”

"Mama." Eyad choked, tears, snot, and soil decorating his face.

"Feettcchhh?"

In a moment, vines crept and danced on the ground, slithering like a snake. My eyes went wide when I witnessed the unconscious Andre ending up like a wrapped mummy. In a mere five seconds, the vines threw him into the air, and…

Chomp. Gulp.

Ah, he was gone. Now, I feel faint…

"..."

Soon, Eyad stopped crying. He stood up and glared at the 100-meter plant-based terminator. He appeared like he was ready to fight to the death. The mage pulled out his staff and aimed it at the plant monster before throwing it down to the ground.

"To hell with this, I'm running! Better alive th-"

But before Eyad could even run anywhere, a hateful vine whipped towards the poor mage.

Plat! It struck like a BDSM whip. "Ah!" He said.

Why does he sound so perverted?

The giant tree vines bundled him up like Andre. With a swishing sound, the dumb mage entered the mouth of the terminator tree. The massive tree also took his staff. Eyad was even flailing before he fell into the doggo tree.

"Save me! Save me!"

Chomp. Gulp.

Putting my hands together, I prayed for the praying mage.

Now it was just me and the whip-loving sadist tree. I closed my eyes, turning my head to the skies. It was time to face the music.

I took a deep breath and followed Eyad's example. I prayed.

ChronicleCrawler

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Credits and Thanks to Rydenius and MarkOfWisdom for the edits.