Silas jumped down after the tree. Although Cici shouted not to leave her alone, Ariante did not hear her.

In an instant, Ariante climbed the tree and, sitting on a thick branch that had already spread out, leaned forward and shook the branch.

“Silas! Catch what’s falling!”

“What? Whoa!”

Smaller than an adult fist, green fruits dropped from above. Ariante, who had descended faster than when she went up, rushed down to the tree.

Looking down at the fallen fruits, Ariante, who picked them up, said, “Silas! Hold onto what’s falling!”

“What is this, Ariante?”

“It’s a pear. Not something grown by humans but one that grows in places like this.”

“This is a pear?”

Silas touched the smooth surface of the fruit with a surprised expression.

“The skin is smooth?”

“Maiana said that wild pears from the mountains are all like this. She said they might not taste great, but you can eat them. It should be okay when you’re thirsty.”

Saying that, Ariante glanced briefly at Cici beyond Silas’s shoulder. Although she would often be stubborn and difficult to handle, after coming to a place like this and injuring her ankle, she couldn’t act recklessly.

Ariante picked up two pears. Silas also picked up one, and the two returned to Cici.

“Here, eat this.”

Looking at the green pear in Ariante’s hand, Cici frowned and said, “It’s dirty! How can you eat something that’s not washed!”

“What can we do! You said you were thirsty! If you can’t drink water, you might die!”

Silas interjected, “Ariante is right, Cici. The teacher taught us that if a person can’t drink water for too long, they will die.”
Having heard what he said, Cici, with a pale face, finally started chewing on the pear.

It left only a faint mark after just one bite, but now Ariante and Silas, reassured, also each ate a pear. Though not very hydrating, it was somewhat sweet, giving them a boost of energy.

Looking up at the sky, Silas, with a worried tone, muttered, “The weather has become cloudy. What if it rains?”

Ariante replied, “Before the rain comes, Maiana will find us. I’m sure she will.”

Meanwhile, in the flipped nobleman’s estate, Cediloy immediately called the employees and divided the search team into groups. Gemero, Maiana, Vainty, and Cediloy himself formed four teams, each searching a different direction of the forest.

Maiana said, “We don’t know who might be injured and unable to move. Please pay attention to any cries or children’s voices.”

The employees nodded. If they were inside the nobleman’s estate, and if it were any other time, they could easily figure out where Ariante might have hidden. But now the situation was different.

Although they heard that there were no dangers in the forest of the nobleman’s estate, that was a story limited to wild animals. Maiana knew that there were many things in the forest that could harm or injure a person. Eating strange mushrooms or fruits out of curiosity could cause serious illness, and tripping over something could result in a sprained leg or ankle.

‘Please, let no one get hurt, and let everyone be safe.’

Maiana thought.

Cediloy, anticipating the darkening of the day, instructed each search team to carry two lamps. One of them he held himself as he took the lead.

“Let’s go!”

Gradually, Maiana, Vainty, Gemero, and Cediloy, each accompanied by their respective team members, scattered in all directions.

Watching this scene, Lady Alt, with her face covered, breathed as if sobbing. The missing children were a source of concern, but more than anything, the eerie thought of whether Silas might have been seriously injured kept troubling her.

She was not the only one captivated by the same unease.

“Lady Alt!”

“Ariante!”

“Lady Alt Ariante! Master Silas!”

“Miss Cici!”

Separated at the entrance to the forest, each of them shouted, raising their voices, trying to find the children. Although it was still early for the sun to set, the gathering clouds made it dim, and the sunlight was not visible.

“Lady Alt! Where are you!”

“Silas, Ariante! Answer if you hear us!”

As the shadows deepened and solidified overhead, Maiana was almost dozing off, worried about Ariante. If it weren’t for Cediloy, who was walking beside her, she might have screamed.

What if it starts raining, and they can’t find Ariante until then? What if the night becomes completely dark?

Even though it was not winter, if it rained, the temperature would surely drop sharply. Ariante and Silas, dressed in thin clothes, would not be able to withstand the cold.

If the thoroughly wet children were to catch pneumonia, she couldn’t do anything. Knowing well that there was no proper treatment for pneumonia in this place, Maiana was even more terrified.

“Lady Alt!”

In the midst of Maiana’s crying-mixed voice, a faint unfamiliar voice was heard. It seemed like the voice of a child talking or crying.