Chapter 7
Episode 7: Do I Really Hate Humans?
“Why does the young master dislike humans?”
A knight of the Lodwick estate pondered deeply upon the question of the new recruit before responding.
“Because of their smell…?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but there’s a foul smell emanating from human breath.”
“From their breath?”
“Lodwick family’s abilities allow them to control the respiration of other creatures, so perhaps he’s sensitive to that. It’s something to boast about, really. Our young master’s latent ability surpasses that of all previous Lodwicks.”
“Ah, I’ve also heard rumors outside. Due to his overwhelming strength, the late lady became weakened after giving birth to the young master-”
“Enough chatter. The lord is present.”
They fell silent upon receiving a reprimand from the knight commander.
The gathering place for the knights of the Lodwick estate was at the entrance of the Demon’s Forest.
About thirty minutes ago, while searching the castle for the two missing children, they received a report from one of the knights on forest patrol duty.
“We found the young master’s horse at the forest entrance.”
Upon receiving the report, Blake immediately led the knights towards the forest.
‘Even though I specifically told him not to enter the forest.’
He was angry at his son’s reckless behavior.
The assumption that Deon had taken Riche into the forest only added to his worries.
As a powerful Ability user, Deon could probably take care of himself, but Riche was only seven years old and had no abilities.
Blake glanced at the pocket watch in his hand.
Jed spoke with a worried tone, “It’s almost six o’clock. The forest is about to close.”
“I know.”
The Lodwick Duchy, situated in the southern outskirts of the Roksha Empire, had been guarding a forest where demons appeared since the beginning of the family.
The forest, as vast as a city, had been moving as if alive ever since a massive meteor with tremendous magical power had fallen into it a long time ago.
As the sunset and darkness fell, the forest changed its appearance multiple times.
The entrance to the forest closed, and tree-like formations shifted their positions.
Crossroads turned into dead ends, and paths that had been walked suddenly reappeared in front of them.
When the sun rose, the forest returned to its original state, but the problem lay with the demons.
The forest at night was their hunting ground.
“There’s no other way. We’ll have to wait here and enter the forest as soon as daylight breaks… M-My lord, what are you doing?”
Jed looked at Blake in surprise.
Blake had the demeanor of someone about to enter the forest right away.
“You’re going in?!”
“We have to. The child is in danger.”
“We have to go,” he said.
‘He’s determined.’
Jed didn’t want to argue about Blake’s decision to use his ability.
Blake was 32 years old this year.
The previous head of the family died at the age of 36, due to the accumulated energy from using his ability.
Furthermore, Blake had used his ability quite a lot during the war when he was younger.
If Blake wanted to live a little longer, it would be better for him to use his ability as little as possible in the future.
‘But won’t he end up using his ability again if he goes into the forest?!’
Riche was cute, but Blake was more important.
“But still, Young Master Deon is with her…”
“She’s the child I brought back. I have to take responsibility.”
Stubborn as a mule. Jed sighed and rubbed his forehead.
He relayed Blake’s instructions to the knight commander to wait until morning, then hurriedly followed Blake into the forest.
“I could handle this alone.”
“Is it really just for my lord’s sake?”
Jed playfully responded to Blake’s words.
“I’m worried about the young lady and Young Master Deon too, you know.”
Meanwhile, at the same time,
Riche was piggybacking on Deon as they walked along the forest path.
“Oppa, how much longer do we have to walk?”
“Don’t call me that.”
Deon responded irritably, but Riche found him quite cute when he acted like that.
Although he spoke and behaved like an adult, being only nine years old, he easily succumbed to provocation.
Even now, he complained about being called “Oppa” too much, yet here he was, giving her a piggyback ride.
“He won’t tell me where we’re going.”
Surprisingly easy to handle, but Deon’s mood seemed heavier than she expected.
“Oppa, the forest is dangerous. Lord Blake will worry.”
“…”
Deon remained silent.
It seemed he had decided not to respond to being called “Oppa.”
Riche stared at Deon’s back, then spoke up.
“You said you hated humans yesterday.”
“…”
“To be honest, I hate something too.”
Since Deon didn’t respond, it felt like she was talking to herself.
But that was okay.
“I hate being hurt.”
Honestly, the fact that Deon was a child put her somewhat at ease.
In the past, all those who had hurt her had been adults.
When was the last time she was with a child? Perhaps it was when she was still inside the innards of the slave trader’s carriage. Even then, she couldn’t comfortably converse.
Slave traders hated noise, and talkative children disappeared soon enough.
“I tried to run away because I hated being hurt. But I couldn’t escape. I knew I’d suffer even more if I got caught, but I had no choice but to run away.”
Even after returning to the past, it had been days of constant tension.
Running away from her uncle, being picked up by the Lord of the Rodwick Estate…
“That was my only hope.”
Was Deon silent now because of that?
In the quietness where only the sounds of footsteps and the forest could be heard, Riche gradually began to pour out her heart.
“I nearly died once, but I survived.”
“…How did you survive?”
For the first time, Deon asked me a question.
Surprised, Riche decided not to miss the opportunity and continued the conversation as if nothing unusual had happened.
“I don’t know. Maybe I prayed to a god?”
“A god?”
“Yeah. I asked them to make the pain go away.”
Did the gods listen to my prayers and send me back to the past?
Riche recalled the final day.
Come to think of it, someone in the mansion reached out to me back then.
“Maybe it was Deon.”
The immense and dreadful aura, even larger than Blake’s.
Could it be related to the war mentioned by Duke Gerwer when he last visited the basement?
“…My request wasn’t granted.”
Perhaps it was just her mood, but Deon’s voice sounded a bit melancholic.
“The gods?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you ask for?”
“…”
He fell silent again. Why does he have so many secrets?
“Should I ask for you? Since my request was granted, maybe they’ll listen this time too.”
Seeing his dejected demeanor, Riche found herself unconsciously stroking Deon’s head.
Her fingers ran through his silky black hair.
“Huh.”
Startled, she tried to pull her hand away, but surprisingly, Deon didn’t get annoyed.
Could it be that he’s opening up to me, even just a little? Maybe this is my chance to get an answer.
“Oppa, why did we come into the forest?”
“…Do you have to know?”
Here is the translation of the text into English:
Riche, persistent in her questioning, finally got Deon to speak after a while.
“To give to the monsters coming out of the forest.”
“What?”
Tight. Monsters. Riche’s hand tightened with surprise.
Deon, with his hair caught, exclaimed, “Ah!” in pain.
“What are you doing?”
“Sorry.”
Riche let go of his hand.
Then she felt a surge of anger.
No, do I even need to say sorry? Deon was trying to give himself to the monsters?
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“….”
“Why? Because you hate humans? Because I got the title of Ludwick?”
She tried to get angry, but her voice trembled.
What did I do wrong?
He fled to his uncle to live. He said he would follow the duke to live.
He accepted the name in hope of living a new life.
“I never thought I would become Ludwick.”
But Ludwick. He became family with the talented people he never wanted to be associated with.
I can’t know what Blake is thinking. Deon blatantly showed that he doesn’t like me.
The peaceful feeling disappeared and sadness took its place.
Riche burst into tears, which she had been holding back since morning.
“Was it so unbearable for me to enter the mansion? Threatening to kill me with a sword? Trying to throw me to monsters as bait?”
“Wait, just a moment.”
“I had nowhere else to go but the mansion! Even if you didn’t drive me out, I was going to leave on my own a few years later…!”
It’s heartbreaking. Riche, overcome with intense emotions, slapped Deon while crying.
Deon, taken aback, stopped in his tracks and tried to calm Riche down, but there was no calming her.
“I was just trying to scare you. Just to show how scary monsters are and make you leave our house… I was trying to save you, you dumb dog. Are you even listening to me?”
“Do not call me a dumb dog!”
Now I’m not even a dog anymore!
As they argued, a strong wind blew. The sound of leaves brushing against the trees around the children was audible.
Ssss.
Riche’s crying subsided at the ominous sound.
Sniffling, she looked around with tear-filled silver eyes.
Deon, as if bewildered, hardened his expression.
“The trees are moving,” Riche murmured.
The forest was changing. The path they had been taking was blocked, and new paths were emerging.
The sunset sky, faintly visible, was completely obscured by the leaves.
In an instant, the surroundings became as dark as night.
Kuuuuuung.
In the distance, the ground shook at the footsteps of something huge.
Howls of beasts echoed from all directions.
In the tense atmosphere, Deon said to Riche, “Grab onto my shoulder. Don’t let go.”
“Okay.”
As Riche’s hand tightened on his shoulder, Deon began to run with all his might.
Monsters emerging from between the trees chased after them.
* * *
Heaving, panting heavily, Deon leaned against a tree.
There were dozens of fallen monsters around him.
All of them had stopped breathing.
“…Are you okay?”
Riche, supported by Deon, asked in a worried voice.
Deon’s energy, used to exert his power, was fluctuating unstably.
Even to someone unfamiliar with Lethium, Deon’s condition was serious.
Already pale, his face turned even paler, like that of a patient.
“Get down.”
Deon released the hand holding Riche’s leg with force.
As Riche descended, supported by Deon’s hand, he collapsed on the spot.
“Hey…!”
Forgetting to call him brother, Riche held Deon’s arms with her small hands.
Deon’s half-closed red eyes turned towards her.
“I think I’m going to sleep.”
“Uh, yeah!”
In response, Riche rolled Deon over half a turn, straightening him out.
Then she took off her outer garment, rolled it up, and tucked it under Deon’s head.
Who asked for a bed?
Deon narrowed his eyes but didn’t rebuke her.
“If monsters come out again, just run away. Don’t worry about me.”
“Why? I don’t want to!”
Riche’s reply came out firmly.
Deon was puzzled.
“Did you forget that I was trying to give myself to the monsters? Leave me behind. If you run until morning, you’ll be able to leave the forest.”
In his usual confident tone, Deon was sweating profusely, his hair drenched with sweat.
There were more monsters gathered than he had anticipated, requiring him to exert more power than he could handle.
“I thought I could hold out until morning with my abilities. This is why Father warned me not to enter the forest.”
His eyes stung as sweat dripped into them, blurring his vision.
He wanted to apologize to the fearless dog-like girl beside him, but he feared that doing so would truly make her leave him behind.
He felt like he could lose consciousness at any moment. Warning Riche almost threateningly, Deon said:
“Hey, when you wake up, stay by my side. I’ll use my abilities then.”
“….”
Thwack.
Riche’s palm struck Deon’s forehead.
