She forgot to take the scepter with her in her haste to hide. She didn't know the reason, but the man seemed to be very interested in the object, to the point of falling into its mystical charms. She couldn't blame him, after all, it was very eye-catching.

This was made of different materials, with an intricate and delicate design. The staff made of bone was long and straight, measuring just under two meters. The height difference was comical when she carried it, but luckily, it was much lighter than it looked.

The surface was also well-polished and smooth. When she touched it, a cool current ran through her entire body. It was strange that an object could give her such a gratifying feeling as if something inside her was soothed. There were various decorations made of gold, molded in the shape of roots and small flowers, climbing along the staff. There were also tiny jade stones embedded in it that sparkled every time they were touched by the sun's rays, reminding her of the crystalline surface of the water.

The top end was much more fascinating. A large pale-green wave had been carved, serving as the center of the piece; it was so detailed that one could vividly feel the relief of the white foam the wave created in its wake.

Behind it was a golden crescent moon that seemed to be engulfing it, and in turn also seemed to be propelling it. Intricate engravings ran across the upper half of the moon like a labyrinth with no way out. On the other hand, the lower half was being devoured by the raging waves, giving the impression that both —the moon and the wave— were trying to swallow each other in an endless cycle.

A flower with pale pink petals sprouted in the center, where the rushing waters and the majestic moon coincided like a catastrophic maelstrom. It could be implied that this flower had been born from the coalition of both forces and now fulfilled the function of balancing them, thus preventing them from completely devouring each other.

Finally, three ornaments hung from thin chains on the back of the moon. The first two were unremarkable, but the last was a precious jade stone. The color was pale and limpid, giving it a creamy appearance that drew attention.

At first, this jade was pure white, but it gradually changed into what it was now. After wandering around the island for several days, she realized that the white jade had begun to react to something. She didn't know how to put it into words, but she could feel a peculiar energy emanating from it.

To her surprise, that very morning the gem had taken on a greenish color. The beasts on the island were also more boisterous than usual, arousing her curiosity. What started as another morning walk, ended up being a race to find the intruders who had sneaked onto the island. Luckily, she came across one of them before it became breakfast for a hive of carnivorous insects.

‘Could it be that it was reacting to them?’ But looking at the scepter, the jade still maintained a pale green color like before. That is to say, those people weren't what it was leading her to.

The paladin walked towards the scepter, marveling at the amount of aether that emanated from it. It was so abundant that approaching it without giving in to the pressure was difficult. Mara, who was in his arms, complained in pain, and Zagan backed away for fear of worsening her condition.

It was impossible for him not to recognize it after memorizing every detail. From its shape, the colors, the engravings; each one was faithful to the old painting kept within the Hall of Glory in the Sacred Creed.

Now, however, he was in a dilemma.

Should he return to the apostle to heal Mara? Or should he stay there to guard the scepter in case it disappeared? Would the second hilmir realize that what he longed to find was closer than he thought?

‘It's still hard for me to believe it…’ He was so fascinated that he thought he was hallucinating, but the sensations were real. This was the very scepter, the mythical Legacy of the 'Eloah of Spring', and the reason they decided to enter the Milbong rainforest even at the cost of their lives.

The woman behind the trunk was debating whether to reveal herself or not. In her eyes, the purple-haired man looked like someone brave enough to come to his companion's rescue and was even very considerate in wrapping her in his clothes.

‘I don't think he's a bad person,’ she concluded after studying his actions. She then checked that the veil was securely fastened, gathered courage, and stepped out of her hiding place.

Suddenly, roots from the ground grabbed her ankles, and the vines hanging from the palm tree forced her to hide again. The woman felt a loud humming sound coming from the scepter and she looked in its direction. The jade had darkened to an aqua-green color.

"Sir Zagan!" Shouted a man with teal-colored hair who appeared in the distance along with a blue-haired woman.

‘Were there more people?’ The woman shot a startled glance at the vines holding her wrists and stroked them with her fingertips in gratitude. 

It would have been easier for her to talk to the man alone since he couldn't act recklessly with the injured woman in his arms. But, now that more people had appeared, the situation had become unfavorable for her. It would be best to hide until she could get more information and also find an opportunity to retrieve her scepter.

Zagan looked over his shoulder and saw the two familiar figures approaching quickly, wondering why they had decided to leave the safety of the rune barrier.

‘Did the apostle...?’ His face lit up with hope, believing that Elisha had come to her senses and convinced the second hilmir to rescue Mara, but that thought vanished as quickly as it appeared when he noticed that both of their gazes were focused on the scepter.

Zagan pursed his lips and swallowed hard, feeling his throat constrict in frustration. How long would he continue to be disillusioned? In an attempt to hide his emotions, he lowered his gaze to Mara and pretended to be re-examining her.