Reasons to Protect the Witch's Son

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The letter came from one of Killiard’s informants.

It was the first trace of Walter they’d discovered since he went missing. That day, Ash set out for the place where Walter’s traces were said to have been located. His only companion was Elaine, his escort knight, since this was a personal matter.

Their destination was unknown to the outside world. Very few people knew that Ash was looking for Walter. Aside from the informants in charge of the investigation, there was only the Vice-Captains, Lowell and Hilaire.

The place where the traces were discovered was a rural village called Maltaigne, located at the northernmost tip of the continent. They traveled to Maltaigne using horses and a teleport portal. Teleport portals were very expensive to use and only a small number of people could move at one time and they were only installed in fairly developed locations.

Therefore, they traveled only to the major city closest to Maltaigne by portal, and the rest of the journey would be traveled on horses they’d purchased locally.

How long had they been on the move for? Elaine stopped her horse about halfway through the forest leading to Maltaigne. Ash, who’d stopped first, looked at the darkening sky and spoke.

“I guess we’ll have to stay here for the night.”

Ash jumped off his horse and walked to a nearby tree to tie the reins.

Because it rained the day before, the ground was a little wet. There was a crunching sound as leaves were crushed under their feet. Elaine asked, tying her horse next to his.

“Shall we set up camp first?”

“Sure.”

She unloaded their materials from the saddle.

The tools to set up camp were bought from the city they’d visited previously. After setting up their own tents, the two gathered dry tree branches and lit a small fire.

The crackling sound of the burning wood mixed with the sound of insects buzzing in the grass. As Elaine listened, she remembered what’d happened in the office a few days ago.

Immediately after receiving the informant’s report, Ash explained the situation to Elaine. She’d known that Walter was missing, but she didn’t know that Ash was still looking for him. Therefore, she had very complicated feelings when she’d heard the story.

“I’m sure you’ve heard about him from Dame Hilaire by now, right?”

“I guess so.”

When the letter was received, Hilaire was away on another mission. He said that if she’d heard the news of her father, she’d have wanted to come along…

The fire that was burning at that time gradually began to weaken. Ash, who was sitting across from Elaine, spoke.

“It’s dying because the branches are still damp.”

Even though they were looking for dry twigs, there was still some slight moisture left all over the forest. Because of this, the flame did not last long and weakened quickly.

Elaine spoke as he was about to take the fire starter out of his luggage.

“Oh, wait a minute.”

She stretched out her hand over the fire and lightly snapped her fingers. The dying campfire suddenly came back to life.  Seeing her actions, Ash spoke unsuprised, as if he’d just forgotten.

“I thought you might be able to use magic.”

It reminded him of the fireworks Elaine showed him on the day of his birthday in Valendor.

“Who did you learn magic from? You’re also quite skilled at swordsmanship.”

“From the one who taught me swordsmanship. They were also excellent at magic.”

“And you were better at swordsmanship?”

“”I prefered swordsmanship to magic. Did you prefer swordsmanship to magic, as well?”

“Well, it was more of a means than an end. I had to learn to protect myself first.”

He was exposed to the threat of assassination from a young age, so the sword was a necessary means of survival.

“And I had no other choice. There was no one to teach me swordsmanship or magic.”

“Didn’t you learn from a teacher at the palace ……?”

“There was nothing to learn from those who had no desire to teach me. It was Walter who taught me to wield a sword properly.”

Even then, he’d taught himself after Walter disappeared.

It meant that Ash had reached this level of mastery without a proper teacher.

Elaine had been taught by a witch, but he had done it all on his own. In terms of talent alone, he was more frightening than she was.

However, Elaine was more bitter than surprised. When she thought of the young man who’d lived fiercely to protect himself alone, she felt as if she’d bitten something bitter.

The flickering bonfire reflected onto their faces. While she was lost in her thoughts, face sunken, Ash retrieved the food and canteens she’d already unpacked from their luggage and handed some to her.

“Oh, thank you.”

“Eat something, even if it’s simple. You’re probably pretty hungry after all that riding.”

It was a little after dinnertime. Elaine accepted what he offered. Butter to spread onto soft white bread and a pouch with the jerky that also contained dried fruit. It was a small but filling meal.

Elaine took a bite of bread while Ash spoke.

“It’s not that I didn’t tell you on purpose.”

Elaine, who had been looking down, raised her head.

“Huh?”

“It’s not a particularly pleasant story, and listening to it doesn’t change anything…”

Seeing him talking while avoiding eye contact, Elaine understood what he was referring to.

That he was still looking for Walter. Recently was the first time Elaine heard about it. He knew he could have told her sooner, like the time Walter’s son, Edwin, had been kidnapped, but he hadn’t.

He wasn’t in a position to tell her then, and besides, it was something few people knew about. Now it’s all out in the open, though. For him to tell Elaine, even if she was his escort, meant that he trusted her.

 

That made her happy. Still, it was a little surprising that he’d cared if she felt bad, and…

“…Why are you smiling?”

Ash narrowed his eyes as he looked at her small smile.

“Nothing, it’s just…”

Elaine, suppressing laughter, averted her gaze, hesitating. She felt like her heart was pounding for some reason. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, but quickly returned his attention to the campfire.

The sky became even darker. As the night wind blew, the flame burned stronger. Embers floated in the wind, sparkling like fireflies. They ate their meal in the warmth of the campfire.

After that, they went into their respective tents. If they wanted to leave at dawn, they had to go to bed early.

Elaine went into her tent and lay down, but she could hardly sleep. As she continued to toss and turn, several thoughts came to mind.

But the one thing that wouldn’t leave was the thought of Walter, and why they were traveling so far. She had met Walter only once. When she went to meet Bella and Lloyd, she introduced him as a close friend of hers.

After that, the Seveka incident occurred. Therefore, that was the first and last time Elaine saw him.

‘But what if… Walter remembers me.’

If they find Walter, if they meet him, will Walter remember her face?

Of course, she only met him once, and it’s been 20 years… But her face hadn’t changed a bit since then, so if he recognized her, worst case scenario, Ash would find out everything.

 

Maybe she should just hope that Ash doesn’t find Walter. but… Still, she hoped he was alive.

Walter was the only person who’d stayed by Ash’s side after the Seveka incident. For nearly ten years, he chose to protect Ash, even giving up on looking over his own family.

No matter how much of a genius Ash was, there was no way a three-year-old could protect himself. If it weren’t for Walter, she might never have heard Ash’s voice again.

‘He’s that kind of person, but how…? Let’s hope he’s still alive.’

If he recognizes her, she will no longer be able to stay by Ash’s side.

It would be better for Ash to have Walter by him than herself, whom he had only recently met.

“Is it too early to worry?”

They hadn’t found Walter yet, all they found were traces of him. Above all, they don’t even know if he’s alive or dead.

‘Well, let’s just think about this later.’

Elaine shook her head as if to dismiss the thought. For now, it was better to get to bed early to prepare for tomorrow’s schedule.

She’d be fine without sleep, of course, but at least when she was asleep she wouldn’t have to think about anything else.

She turned on her side to try and get some sleep. Exhaling slowly, she closed her eyes again. Her breathing was quiet in the stillness of the forest.

At that time, a faint sound came from somewhere. It was barely above a whisper, but was clear to her sensitive ears.

It was coming from Ash’s side. It was his voice.

‘Is he talking in his sleep…?’

Her and Ash’s tents weren’t far apart, so she could hear his every move. Frowning, Elaine opened her eyes for a moment, then closed them again. But it didn’t take long for her to spring up.

Elaine left the tent immediately and ran over to Ash’s tent, opening the entrance. As the light from the fire flooded in, Ash was seen sleeping, sweating profusely.

“Your Grace!”

Surprised, Elaine ran inside. The sounds she thought were light snoring were actually moans. When she listened closely, she could tell. Ash was moaning with his eyes closed, as if he was suffering from a terrible nightmare.

She shook him awake.

“Sir, wake up…!”

At that moment, his eyes opened. A fierce hand reached out, grabbed her by the neck and pushed her to the ground, followed by a sword, raised sharply toward her throat.

However, the blade stopped without touching her.

“…Elaine?”

The purple eyes, blinking slowly, widened.

 

Elaine didn’t struggle in his grasp. Her white face stared up at him defenselessly. She hesitated, then spoke awkwardly.

“I thought you might be having a nightmare, so I thought I’d wake you up…”

He understood the situation immediately and let go of her neck with a wince.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”

Restraining her was almost a reflex. It was an instinctive reaction developed due to constant exposure to assassination attempts.

He was very sensitive to movement. Normally, he would have woken up the moment she stepped into the tent, but her movements were hardly threatening, and his nightmares had caused him to react a step too late. That may have contributed to his more aggressive behavior.

Elaine told Ash that it was okay and tried to get up. But just by raising her upper body a little, her face suddenly moved closer to his. She held her breath without realizing it.

Only then did she comprehend the position they were in. Their bodies were close, his reflexively suppressing her movements. He was on top of her, trapping her from top to bottom.