The Marna Valley in Rith was dotted by pockets of plenty: behind an unassuming boulder one could often times spot a fully ripe Spiral Anis shrub, and finding a hollow tree easily meant obtaining dozens of Carnous Ganoderma lobes growing in there. It was as if adventurers had never read a book on the local flora and simply strip-gathered every wrong spot in the area. Kaede didn't imagine he would be having a hard time carrying back the haul, yet that was how things were turning out.

"Oh, we have a colleague here." A party of three approached Kaede. One of them, a gaunt elf with a stupid look on his face, was talkative: "Say, would you mind leaving this spot to us?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Oh? Sweet answer. Also, leave here everything you've gathered so far."
The valley was plentiful enough, and, even though the three of them were far weaker than Caedith's body, one could easily imagine the kind of crybully they would reveal themselves to be in case the aggression wouldn't work. Engaging with them could only result in trouble.

"Rest easy, Caedith. Now that I'm here I won't allow anyone to harm nor disrespect you in the future."

That reminder was so powerful Kaede realized his body already started fighting only by the time he felt the stupid elf's abdomen hit his knuckles. The elf was sent flying a couple of meters backwards by the hit, followed by a trail of his own puke. The girl of the group didn't really follow what was happening at all, assuming that it was Kaede the one on the ground. She barely managed to utter some unintelligible syllable in realization, before being hit in the face by Kaede's palm. The third guy had just enough time to hide behind a tree and start rummaging in his bag. Kaede punched him through the tree, which unexpectedly revealed another hollow brimming with Ganoderma.