It was a day like any other.

Lonely as always, and needing to move diligently to avoid starving to death, but not wanting to, having to do chores reluctantly… wait, isn’t this exactly the same as when she was in the modern world?

Haniel giggled as she walked out of the logging site.

But what was this?

Squeak! Squeak! Whimper!

“…?”

Leaving the logging site, Haniel discovered animals from the area gathered waiting for her.

“Why are you all out here? Go back inside.”

Squirrels and deer that had been sitting closely together, endlessly waiting, came running at the sound of her footsteps.

Even those that weren’t normally pack animals were all gathered together, squeaking, and the deer kept pushing their muzzles against Haniel.

What’s going on? Haniel narrowed her eyes at the deer’s muzzle touching her face and looked down at her feet.

Yap! Not just squirrels, but foxes, weasels, badgers, and other animals had also come out to greet her.

They kept scurrying around her feet as if trying to block her path, constantly rolling their bodies.

‘What’s happened to the food chain in this neighborhood?’

What made this possible, though no longer surprising, was Haniel’s ability…

“What’s wrong with you guys? Do you want to be my dinner? Have you finally decided it’s time?”

Even normally, various animals would hover around trying to get Haniel’s attention, but something was different from usual.

The animals were trying to block Haniel’s path more desperately and persistently than expected.

As if crying out that she shouldn’t go that way…

Suddenly feeling goosebumps rise on the back of her neck, Haniel hesitated.

‘Could it be an intruder?’

Perhaps there was some tremendous monster nearby that was making these animals tremble with fear…

Basically, these animals were more intelligent than expected, and above all, they were beings that loved Haniel dearly.

So if they sensed a threat, rather than fleeing alone, they would admirably try to look after her and warn her of danger.

Besides, wasn’t this logging site almost adjacent to the territory boundary?

With their keen senses, the animals might have detected something nearby that Haniel hadn’t noticed?

Flutter.

At that moment, a blue bird that had built its nest near Haniel’s house appeared from the darkness and gently landed on her shoulder.

Chirp. A clear sound burst from between its blue beak.

“Saedol.”

Ding!          

It was about a year ago. A baby bird collapsed outside her territory. After treating it with a potion and placing it on a tree, it soon became a resident of the area, following Haniel around—this was “Saedol.”

Strangely, it had another pair of wings sprouting from the upper part of its wing joints, so she thought it might be a mutant abandoned by its mother, but the status window said that wasn’t the case. Apparently, this bird species called Reginas naturally had such characteristics.

Anyway, even Saedol is coming out like this? Haniel stroked Saedol’s glossy beak with suspicious eyes.

‘This one has such a picky personality that it wouldn’t come close when other animals were around.’

What kind of day was today?

Chirp. Chirp chirp.

Saedol, turning his head this way and that with an inscrutable expression. When Haniel tried to move again, he suddenly started pecking her with his sharp beak.

Peck peck peck!

“W-wait, no, s-stop pecking.”

The raptor’s beak striking down on Haniel’s shoulder and collarbone.

“Are you sure you love me?!”

Chirp chirp! Chirp!

Startled by the fluttering sound near her ear, Haniel grabbed Saedol to stop him.

As if asking, ‘I love you, why are you stopping me?’ despite having pecked her first, the blue bird stared at her with questioning eyes.

It was as big as an owl, and it was quite annoying how it kept pecking without realizing how threatening its beak was… wait a minute.

‘Has Saedol ever pecked me like this before?’

…No!

Come to think of it, Saedol had been a very good bird since they first met.

He was a very kind and loyal bird who even tried to share what he hunted.

Looking closely, the parts of her body Saedol pecked were in the direction she was trying to walk.

Feeling a sudden chill, Haniel shivered slightly.

‘Saedol is also telling me not to go this way. It’s clear!’

And there she was, not realizing this, ducking her head, thinking Saedol might peck her eyes out.

What on earth was happening in the forest?

That’s when it happened.

EEEEEEEE————

“What’s that?”

A blaring alarm sounded, indicating something had touched the territory boundary.

A sound only Haniel, the owner of this place, could hear!

Moreover, the status window appeared in her vision like a notification, drawing her attention.

“W-what!”

Intrusion? Into my home? My land?

Not knowing what it was, Haniel turned to the animals, heat spreading through her with sudden anger.

Could they have predicted this?

Whimper…

‘Is it true?’

The animals gathered near Haniel were visibly agitated.

Wide-open ears and twitching noses, as if detecting some commotion inaudible to her hearing.

A stag that had been pacing anxiously nearby came in front of Haniel and blocked her with its body.

Zing. It felt like her heart was resonating with emotion…

But…

“I understand what you’re worried about, but I can’t just leave it be.”

Haniel said, stroking the deer’s head and Saedol, who kept pecking.

Seeing them so agitated, it was clearly something serious. And that made her heart shrink with fear, too.

However, she needed to find out what was happening.

“My home…”

Haniel sent Saedol flying and stretched her feet toward the location the system indicated.

‘If I stay within the territory boundary, I should be fine. The system guaranteed it, and the boundary has kept dangerous things from coming inside until now.’

D*mn, that’s right, isn’t it?

Suddenly remembering the strangely formed flora and fauna far from her territory, Haniel took a deep breath.

With almost no combat skills.

What if I encounter something my ability doesn’t work on?

“I can do this. I can do this. This is my home.”

Not my home! My home that I’ve cultivated so carefully!

Yes, that’s right. Haniel contorted her face and ran quickly.

Like a beekeeper chasing away hornets. Or like light.

There was no one but herself to protect this territory, her home.

EEEEEEEE————

“I-I’m almost there.”

Before long, Haniel arrived near the place the system indicated.

Beyond this point was outside the territory boundary.

Outside that boundary, where no evil thing could enter if she, the owner of the land, opposed it.

And there, an unprecedented anomaly was waiting for Haniel.

Perhaps an anomaly where she might truly be able to utilize her “constitution that is loved” ability, which until now she had only used for hunting and gathering.

“Huh?”

Outside the fence, a large wolf covered in blood had collapsed.