It's Troublesome That My Doting Dad Became A Villain

From a distance, I saw the light that I had noticed earlier flicker again.

It definitely seemed to be shining from here earlier, so why was it over there now?
Could it be moving? As I focused on it, I realized the light was indeed wavering.
"We need to head that way."

Saying that, I swung my sword. Just before the vines could regenerate, Meteor and I sliced through them again with our swords.
At that moment, a loud crack echoed as another stem shot out.
Cutting through the slithering vine like tentacles, the impact caused the surrounding vines to disappear completely.

But in the blink of an eye, they were regenerating again.
Before I knew it, the tip of a vine was right at my chin.
I was about to swing my sword when clang, the vine’s neck was cut. It was Meteor’s sword.

He tightened his grip on his sword and said,
"It seems like the more we cut, the more they grow."
"It does seem that way."

These plants from the Demon Realm definitely didn’t just stop at one trick.
The more we cut, the more the vines multiplied.
It was becoming clear that following the light would be difficult at this rate. Just as I thought that, Meteor spoke again.

"Here’s what we’ll do. Crescent, you go after the light. I’ll cover you and make sure the vines don’t attack."
"Got it."
That made it a lot easier.

Without wasting a second, Meteor and I broke into a run.
I slashed constantly at the vines that lunged at me, clearing my path as they regenerated, only for Meteor to cut them down just as quickly.
Crunch, crack.
The sound of the vines twisting and coiling like serpents around us rumbled through the air like thunder.

Our swords, too, crackled with divine power, glowing brightly with each swing.
Finally, the light was within reach.
Upon closer inspection, I saw that the light was surrounded by what looked like antennae and a body.

A bug? Was it a bug?
Then, I instantly recognized the source of the light.
"It’s a firefly!"

What were fireflies doing in a place like this?
The firefly flickered, beating its wings. After lingering in the same spot for a while, it suddenly flew off to somewhere else in the blink of an eye.
"!"

It moved as if it had shifted spaces.
When did it fly that far?
"Crescent!"

Just then, I heard Meteor’s shout.
At the same time, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. My body lurched backward.
At that moment, a vine shot past me, so close that it barely missed my nose.

My eyes widened in shock.
I had barely avoided being split in two.
This translation is the intellectual property of .

My body was lifted off the ground, and I crashed into the earth with a thud. The sky was full of twisting vines, leaving no gap to escape through.
My vision was filled with Meteor’s face.
He, too, looked just as shocked as I felt.

Had we ever been this close before?
Without realizing it, I held my breath. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.
The sound of the vines scraping and crackling around us was deafening, but my heartbeat rang the loudest in my ears.

This wasn’t the time for this.
Why was my heart pounding like this?
It was hard to breathe, and I couldn’t move a single finger.

I could even see my reflection in Meteor’s blue eyes, as clear as day. In those eyes, I almost didn’t recognize myself.
Then, it snapped into focus.
Just as I was about to push him away, he too seemed to pull back to widen the space between us.

At that exact moment, the vines wrapped around him tightly.
We had only just barely managed to avoid being caught when it happened.
The vine struck with a harsh crack, wrapping around Meteor’s body.

"No!"
My shout echoed sharply in the dark space.
Divine energy erupted from my hands, and in an instant, the vine that had been restraining Meteor was burned away.

Quickly rising to my feet, I noticed more vines from all directions coming toward us.
Without a moment’s rest, Meteor and I kept swinging our swords, charging them with divine power.
But why?

Thump, thump, thump.
My heartbeat wouldn’t settle down.
That close moment was still lingering in my chest. The memory of his breath brushing against my cheek was burning in me.

But now wasn’t the time to think about that.
"Are you okay? You didn’t get pricked by a thorn, did you?"
I slashed through the vines and asked Meteor.

Meteor gave me a sidelong glance, his face neutral.
"Are you okay?"
"I’m fine, of course."

"Well, then."
With a short reply, Meteor cleared the way again. As I followed, I couldn’t shake the feeling of confusion.
‘Well, then.’

What did he mean by that?
Was my well-being the only thing that mattered?
Well, I guess it’s a /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ good thing, but…

I was overthinking a simple comment.
Meanwhile, the distance between us and the firefly had narrowed.
The firefly hovered in place, flickering like it was dancing. It was poised to fly off again any moment.

At that moment, I realized something.
What if that firefly was leading us to our destination?
Just as I thought that, Meteor spoke up.

"It looks like that bug is acting as our guide."
"Ah, I was just thinking the same thing."
It would be great if it led us to the habitat where the Thorn of the Soul exists.

For now, I thought we should follow it and see how far it would go.
So, Meteor and I continued pushing through the thick vines. The firefly moved ahead, its path steadily guiding us.
Would a new location appear?

Just as doubt began to creep in, the ground beneath us suddenly disappeared.
"…?"
My knees buckled, and I fell forward.

From the air, Lorelein’s roar echoed, faint but fierce.
The sound of earth crumbling was like a massive waterfall crashing down.
The vine-like tendrils twisted through the air, flailing in all directions. They, too, seemed to have lost their footing, surprised by the sudden change.

Everything—including me—plummeted.
I wasn’t too alarmed. This was likely part of the process, as the firefly was guiding us. I wasn’t about to try to avoid it.
Instead, I was curious about what awaited us below.

Could we really find the Thorn of the Soul here?
I wanted it so badly.
If I could get my father back, I would do anything.

How far had we fallen?
At some point, the fall stopped with a sudden thud.
I blinked several times, my eyes wide. Everything around me was dark. I couldn’t make out what was around us.

But I could feel something soft under my knees and back, supporting me.
That sensation lifted my view.
What is this...?

Then, I heard a familiar deep voice close to my ear.
"Be careful. You almost died there. What would you have done if your bones couldn’t handle it?"
"…"

I turned my head toward the voice.
My heart sank.
Prima, wearing his hood, was smiling at me.

His blue eyes shone brightly, full of mirth.
This bastard...
Did he catch me here?

I suddenly felt a rush of blood rising to my head. Was this what it meant to be agitated?
"Crescent."
Just then, another familiar deep voice echoed from the distance.

I looked toward the source of the voice.
Meteor was standing, facing me and Prima.