CORDELIA - AKI POV

The guardian deity of the forests stands tall, her eyes locking onto the party members before her. Her tail sways gracefully behind her as she descends, catching Aki off guard. He realizes that she isn't as towering as he initially thought; she's actually levitating. Her true height matches Yumi's, only an inch or so shorter.

As her bare feet softly meet the ground, she crosses her arms and assesses the party before her. Cordelia's gaze sweeps across each of them, commencing with Azzle.

In a quick moment, her expression sours as she scowls at the goblin. Azzle's gaze drops to the ground, his fear almost tangible.

Next, her attention shifts to Landale, and Cordelia's lips curl into a small smile, her tail wagging slightly faster.

With a shift of focus, she then fixes her eyes on Yumi. "Oooh," she utters with a playful lilt, her smile broadening.

Finally, her gaze locks onto Aki. Her eyes widen in surprise, and she gasps softly before a warm smile spreads across her face. Her tail wags with the exuberance of a joyful dog spotting a squirrel.

"Perfect," she declares, her hands clapping together.

The four of them exchange quizzical and wary glances.

"I got a quest for all of ya," Cordelia announces. "Enter and take down the altar along with the artifact within!"

Cordelia raises her hands, and the ground beneath them quivers. A wooden door emerges from the earth before them. "Step inside and forge ahead, my champions!" she proclaims, a wide grin spreading across her face. Aki can't help but notice her tail wagging with excitement behind her.

The group exchanges uncertain looks. Landale takes a step toward the door but quickly hesitates, shaking his head as he mutters about the sheer absurdity of the situation.

"Why would we do that?" Aki inquires, his brow furrowing. He blinks and quickly shakes his head, surprised by his audacity. He realizes that he might have put Yumi in danger; after all, a deity could easily wipe them out with a snap of her fingers.

Cordelia's exuberant grin freezes, twisting into an indignant pout. Her tail stiffens in the air, its wagging ceased. "What do ya mean 'why'? 'Cause I asked, and I'm the guardian deity of these here darned woods!" she retorts with a touch of indignation.

"I apologize, but it seems you've skipped a few vital explanations," Yumi interjects, her tone gentle as she offers a slight smile.

"Such as?" Cordelia inquires.

"For starters; the why, the how..." Yumi gestures toward the door, "and the where?"

"I done tackled all them queries already!" Cordelia counters, stomping her foot in frustration.

"No, you haven't," Aki states, surprising himself once more with his directness. This time, however, he can't entirely blame himself; the deity's request is recklessly audacious. They're new adventurers, ill-equipped for such a dangerous quest.

A fiery anger ignites in Cordelia's eyes, her mouth opening to respond, but Aki senses that the conversation would likely be futile. He swiftly intervenes with a more pointed question.

"Then, please tell us why should we do this?"

Cordelia's once broad grin transforms into a disgruntled frown. Slowly, she takes on a more somber tone. "Y'all are adventurers, ain't ya?" she retorts. "This is what y'all do... perform acts of heroism, rescue the innocent, battle monsters, and collect treasures."

"We are adventurers, but..." Aki pauses, blinking at the door. "Wait, is there someone trapped inside there?"

"Well, not exactly," Cordelia admits with a hint of sheepishness. "In a manner of speakin', ya'd be savin' me. These woods been witherin' for decades now, and if it keeps up, I'll be in quite a pickle with Mielikki."

"The goddess of the forest?" Yumi clarifies.

Cordelia rolls her eyes. "Impressive, the pretty girl actually paid attention in class. Bravo. You're a rare blondie."

Yumi shoots Cordelia a pointed glare, her brow furrowed. Aki senses a sharp retort coming, so he swiftly poses another question.

"So, where does this door lead?" Aki motions toward the entrance.

"Why y'all takin' so slow?" Cordelia huffs, her ears twitching. "It leads to the main temple of the Cult of the Withered Tree."

"So you want us to go inside there and destroy the altar and an artifact?" Aki clarifies.

"Yes," Cordelia replies simply.

"But won't that be dangerous for us?" Aki presses.

Cordelia nods vigorously, a wide grin once again spreading across her face, and her tail wags with renewed enthusiasm.

Left momentarily speechless, Aki can only gaze at her, momentarily at a loss for words. It seems his companions are equally taken aback, as Cordelia eventually halts her wagging tail. The grin is replaced by a mournful frown, which fails to deceive anyone.

"Indeed, it's a pity, but it must be done," she laments, adopting a melancholic tone.

"You're tail is still wagging," Landale points out, gesturing just behind her.

"Ah!" Cordelia exclaims, making an attempt to grab her tail. Her efforts prove futile; the tail continues its exuberant sway. She eventually surrenders, reverting to her earlier mournful tone. "It's 'cause I'm genuinely concerned for all y'all," Cordelia confesses.

"We are not doing it," Aki declares, his patience with the conversation thinning. He glances at his companions. "Let's go."

"What?" Cordelia says, indignant once again. "Why?"

"'Cause I'm injured," Aki replies. "Our chances of success are slim. Even without my injury, the danger posed by this mission surpasses our current skill levels. Furthermore, we see no tangible benefits."

"I-I could kill all y'all instead!" Cordelia protests, though her voice lacks conviction.

Azzle looks at Aki with concern, "I've noticed," Aki observes. "Your aura's almost gone. In fact, it almost disappeared when you summoned this door. How much energy did you use to conjure this entrance?"

"Um... not a lot?" Cordelia replies, glancing away in embarrassment. Aki looks behind her, his eyebrow raises as he sees her tail actually tucked behind her legs.

"We'll come back," Aki promises, turning his back on Cordelia, the others follow suit. "Once we are stronger."

"You can't!" Cordelia pleaded. "I ain't got much time left! The egg's about to crack!"

Aki turns arounds to face her, "Then explain everything."

"Fine!" Cordelia says, gritting her teeth.

She takes a deep breath and launches into an explanation, laying out the plan in detail—the temple's layout, the artifact's importance, and how the altar is tied to the forest's decay. As Cordelia speaks, Aki's frown grows deeper, his skepticism taking center stage. By the time she finishes outlining the strategy, he slowly shakes his head.

"Cordelia," he begins, his voice unwavering, "This plan sounds outrageously dangerous. We'd be charging into an enemy stronghold, facing unknown threats, and confronting an artifact with wild, unpredictable power. We can't even predict what kind of opposition we'll be up against. Have you considered seeking help from our professors? Maybe we could bring you back to the Academy with us."

Cordelia's response is silence, her fists clenched, her face a battleground of conflicting emotions. "We can't. And no, I can't tell you why."

"And you!" Cordelia snaps abruptly, her focus suddenly on Landale, who flinches involuntarily. "Enough with your meddling in my thoughts, you perv!"

Aki follows the trajectory of Cordelia's intense gaze, catching Landale with a guilty smile and raised hands, a mock surrender. Aki's expression remains neutral, but he is now even more certain that Landale has a habit of invading Yumi's thoughts. If time allows, he needs to warn her and Azzle to be on guard.

But for now, more pressing matters are at hand. Aki takes a step forward, bridging the gap between him and Cordelia. "If you truly believe in this cause, Cordelia, then you should join us. We can't charge in blindly. Having a genuine deity on our side, with your wisdom and guidance, could be the key to our success."

Cordelia's hesitation is palpable, a mixture of emotions in her gaze as she looks at Aki. Finally, a defeated sigh escapes her lips, laden with ****. "Alright, I'll accompany you," she concedes.

Stepping closer, Cordelia unexpectedly pulls Aki into a kiss. Time seems to freeze for a moment, Aki's eyes widening in surprise. The kiss is fleeting yet intense. As Cordelia withdraws, a glint of sadness lingers in her eyes.

Aki stammers, his cheeks flushing as he tries to make sense of the moment. "Wha—what was that for?"

Cordelia's lips curve into a bittersweet smile. "A reminder that I'll do whatever it takes to safeguard the forest," she cryptically replies.

Before Aki can respond, a commotion catches his attention. Yumi, flushed with a blend of jealousy and anger, is being restrained by Landale and Azzle. She fights against their hold, gripping her mace tightly.

"Release me! She has no right to kiss Aki like that!" Yumi's voice drips with rage.

"Settle down, ya jealous cow," Cordelia retorts. "The kiss means nothin'. It's merely a condition for my presence."

"Cow?" Yumi exclaims, her shock mixing with her ongoing struggle. "I'll show her! I'm going to turn that pretty white dress of hers into a red mess!"

Cordelia raises an eyebrow, hand on her hip, as if daring Yumi to try. "Now," she says, regaining her composure. "You need patchin' up, right?"

Aki nods slowly, instinctively leaning back to avoid further provoking Yumi's anger. He is well aware of Cordelia's power, but he is equally attuned to Yumi's capacity for anger.

"No need to be so distant," Cordelia remarks with a bitter undertone, her bright eyes revealing that she is offended by his action. She raises her hands, gently touching Aki's ribs. "I'll make you whole, but after that, we gotta march on. I'm throwin' all I got into this - by this time tomorrow, I'll be drained... for good."

Aki nods, shifting his attention to Yumi. "Yumi, calm down." Yumi scowls, but eventually relents, breaking free from both Landale and Azzle. She huffs, glaring daggers at Cordelia.

"You, goblin," Cordelia commands, pointing at Azzle. "Stay here, guard the entrance."

Azzle nods in compliance, prompting Aki to inquire, "Can that door be broken?"

"Not exactly," Cordelia replies. "The goblin just can't accompany us. Now..." her hands glow as they touch Aki's ribs. After a brief moment, he feels his strength returning. He takes a deep breath, relishing the sensation. He realizes how much he's missed the feeling of being able to breathe without pain.

"Are ya alright?" Cordelia asks. "Ready to roll?"

With his renewed energy, Aki nods. He is about to give a determined smile, but he thinks better of it when he senses the heat coming from Yumi. Instead, he mutters, "Let's proceed."