An Extra’s Rise in an Eroge

Chapter 212: Heartwood Forest

The teleportation circle glowed brilliantly, surrounding Arthur, Alicia, and Cedric in blinding light as their bodies were pulled through space. The sensation was almost instant—one moment, they were in Cheasall City, and the next, they were stepping onto the cold stone platform of Nando City's Magic Tower.

Arthur barely flinched.

His Space Affinity made teleportation feel as natural as breathing. But the same couldn't be said for Alicia and Cedric.

Alicia staggered slightly, one hand pressing against her stomach as she took a deep breath. Cedric, on the other hand, looked far worse, his face pale as he leaned against a nearby column.

"Ugh…" Cedric groaned, clutching his forehead. "Every damn time… I swear these teleportations are getting rougher."

"Quit whining, Ced," Arthur said, jabbing a finger at him. "You look like a kid who can't handle a carnival ride.

Before Cedric could retort, a robed attendant approached, carrying a silver tray with three small cups filled with a pale blue liquid.

"Dear noble guests," the attendant said with a respectful bow, "please drink this. It will help ease the effects of teleportation."

Without hesitation, Arthur picked up a cup and took a sip—cool, refreshing, and slightly minty. Alicia and Cedric followed, and within seconds, the nausea and dizziness faded away.

Cedric sighed in relief. "Damn… I should've just asked for this first instead of suffering."

Arthur grinned. "Or you could just get used to it."

Cedric rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

Exiting the Magic Tower, they stepped into the city's bustling streets, the air crisp with the scent of damp earth and fresh timber. Nando City was the last major settlement before Heartwood Forest, known for its wood exports and beast-hunting guilds.

Waiting just outside the Magic Tower gates was a large entourage of knights—heavy cavalry, donned in thick steel armor, their banners fluttering in the morning breeze. The sheer number of knights gathered made them look less like an escort and more like a battle-ready battalion.

One of them, standing at the front, dismounted from his warhorse and approached with a firm salute.

"Greetings, young master Cedric," he said in a strong voice. "I am Knight Captain Raoul, assigned to escort you through Heartwood Forest."

Arthur's gaze swept over the knights—warhorses armored in reinforced barding, soldiers carrying enchanted weapons, and a disciplined formation that spoke of battlefield experience.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Escort, you say?" Arthur remarked, amusement lacing his tone. "By the size of this envoy, it looks like you're preparing for an invasion. It would be a miracle if you don't get mistaken for the enemy."

Raoul let out a hearty laugh. "Ha ha~ You have quite the sense of humor, young master Arthur." His eyes glinted with understanding. "But I assure you, this is necessary. Heartwood Forest is teeming with demonic and dangerous monsters. If it were up to me, I would have brought even more knights. Unfortunately, this is all I was allotted."

Arthur smirked but said nothing.

Even without an army, he was confident that he alone would be enough for whatever lurked in the depths of that forest.

But for now, he would play along.

"Then," Arthur said, stepping forward, "shall we get moving?"

Raoul nodded, giving the order for the knights to prepare the convoy.

Their journey into Heartwood Forest was about to begin.

*****

The convoy entered Heartwood Forest, the towering ancient trees casting dappled shadows over the winding dirt path. Lush greenery stretched in every direction, the chirping of unseen creatures and the occasional rustling of leaves filling the air.

Arthur, Alicia, and Cedric rode horses instead, sandwiched in the middle of Raoul's forty-knight convoy. Alicia sat snug in front of Arthur on his massive black stallion, his arms looped around her waist, fingers gripping the reins. The knights clanked along in full armor, eyes darting to every rustle, while Raoul led the pack, his lance ready for anything.

Arthur didn't give a shit about the danger. He leaned in close, lips brushing Alicia's ear. "You know," he murmured, voice low and teasing, "this forest's nice, but it's got nothing on the view right here." His hands slid a little lower on her hips, squeezing just enough to make her squirm. She laughed, soft and breathy, leaning back into him.

"Arthur, behave," she said, but the way her head tilted to give him more access said otherwise. He grinned, nipping at her neck, not caring who saw.

"Fuck behaving," he replied, loud enough for Cedric to hear. "Got my fiancée right where I want her—why waste it?" He tugged the reins, making the horse sway, pressing her tighter against him. "Bet I could make you scream louder than any monster in here."

"Ugh, get a room!" Cedric groaned from beside them, riding his horse with a scowl.

Arthur only smirked, pulling Alicia even closer. "Why? Does it bother you, dear brother-in-law?"

Cedric rolled his eyes. "It bothers my eyes, my ears, and my soul."

Laughter rippled through the knights, but their amusement was short-lived.

Cedric gritted his teeth but before he could retort, Raoul, the knight captain, suddenly raised his hand.

"Stop! Something's approaching!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the ground trembled.

The ground shook violently as three hulking figures emerged from the dense foliage.

Minotaurs—but not normal ones.

These beasts stood at four meters tall, their muscles grotesquely overgrown, veins bulging unnaturally beneath their skin. Their horns curved like jagged blades, their red eyes blazing with bloodlust. Each one gripped a massive war axe, the blades chipped and stained with dried blood.

The lead minotaur roared, the sheer force shaking the leaves from the trees.

Then, they charged.

"DEFENSIVE FORMATION!" Raoul bellowed.

The knights reacted instantly, shields locking together in a tight wall as the first minotaur crashed into them like a rampaging beast.

BOOM!

The impact sent a shockwave through the air, pushing the front-line knights back several steps.

One knight, slower than the rest, barely managed to raise his shield before the second minotaur's axe came down, cleaving through the wood and sending him flying into a tree. He collapsed in a heap, groaning in pain.

"Spears! Now!" Raoul ordered.

The knights in the second line thrust their spears forward, stabbing at the minotaurs' exposed flanks. One of the beasts howled in pain, stumbling as a spear pierced its thigh—but it did not fall.

Arthur watched with mild amusement, his chin resting on Alicia's shoulder.

"They're tough," he murmured.

"They're relentless," Alicia corrected.

The battle continued, the knights using group tactics to bring down the minotaurs. While individually weaker, they overwhelmed the monsters with precise teamwork, striking the beasts in their vulnerable spots—the joints, the throat, the eyes.

After several minutes of brutal combat, the last minotaur collapsed, gurgling blood as a knight drove a sword through its skull.

The knights sighed in relief, some leaning on their weapons.

"First wave down," Cedric muttered. "Not bad."

Arthur simply smiled, knowing more was coming.

****

The convoy moved forward, but the knights' relief was short-lived.

As they traveled along a narrow ridge path, a chilling howl pierced the air.

Alicia's eyes narrowed. "That sounded close."

"Too close," Raoul muttered, his grip tightening on his sword.

Then, they came.

From the shadows of the trees, black-furred direwolves emerged—silent and ghost-like, their red eyes glowing with unnatural hunger.

But they did not charge.

Instead, they circled the convoy, moving with eerie coordination.

The knights tensed, gripping their weapons.

Arthur smirked. "Smart little beasts."

Raoul's face darkened. "They're testing us."

Then, in a coordinated strike, the wolves lunged.

One knight screamed as a direwolf tore him off his horse, its fangs sinking into his shoulder. Blood splattered as the beast shook him like a ragdoll.

The other knights reacted swiftly, swords flashing as they slashed at the wolves, the air filling with growls and battle cries.

Alicia watched, her expression unreadable. "This is different from the minotaurs. These wolves are coordinated… almost like they're being directed."

Arthur nodded. "Someone—or something—is pulling the strings."

After ten minutes of intense combat, the last direwolf collapsed, its throat slashed open by a knight's dagger.

The convoy regrouped, the knights checking their wounds.

They had barely moved forward when the trees rustled above them.

Alicia glanced up. "Something's watching us."

And then—

A massive serpent dropped from the trees.

Its emerald scales shimmered in the light, its fangs dripping with a thick, glowing venom that sizzled against the ground.

The knights barely had time to react before the snake lashed out—

One knight wasn't fast enough. The serpent's jaws snapped shut, crushing his upper body instantly.

The others attacked quickly, their swords stabbing into its massive form—but the serpent was unnaturally fast, twisting through their ranks with deadly precision.

A knight swung at its head, but the beast coiled around him, squeezing.

CRACK!

His bones shattered, and he collapsed lifelessly.

Raoul gritted his teeth. "Focus on the head!"

The knights rallied, one of them throwing a spear that pierced the serpent's eye, making it thrash violently.

Using the moment, another knight drove his blade through the serpent's throat. The monster convulsed, its body slamming into the ground before going still.

After hours of relentless battle, they reached a small clearing, deciding to rest.

The knights, exhausted and bloodied, collapsed into tired heaps. Some tended to their wounds, while others sharpened their blades, expecting more attacks.

Arthur sat beneath a tree, Alicia beside him.

Cedric let out a heavy sigh. "Six knights lost their life and 4 are seriously injured. How can someone live in such dangerous place."

"Hah! These dangers are the very thing that is keeping them safe from foreign invasions" Arthur commented.

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