There should still be quite some time before Elliot’s illness becomes severe…
Before her regression, Rebecca had killed Elliot and Fleur through Diana when Elliot collapsed from his illness. Rebecca planned to blame their deaths on a mysterious illness that Elliot supposedly passed on to Fleur, causing them to die together. However, Elliot’s collapse from the illness was still several years away from now on.
I’ll need to keep an eye on this, just in case. Diana resolved herself. After all, many things had already changed since she had returned to the past. She couldn’t ignore the possibility that these changes might have affected Elliot as well.
Fortunately, thanks to Diana’s comfort, Fleur quickly regained her usual cheerful demeanor. At that moment, she noticed something and quickly put her finger to her lips.
“Diana, look over there,” Fleur whispered softly.
Diana tilted her head in curiosity and turned in the direction of Fleur’s gaze. Through the bushes on the other side of the forest, a small rabbit was twitching its ears. The rabbit hadn’t noticed them yet and was sniffing around, unaware of their presence.
‘Should we catch it?’
‘Let’s try.’
Diana and Fleur exchanged silent glances. They quietly, carefully reached for their arrows, barely making a sound. But then, rustle!
“Huh?”
Fleur let out an involuntary sound of surprise. Before her hand even touched the fletching of her arrow, the rabbit suddenly flinched and bolted away.
“That’s too bad.”
“Yes, it is…”
Diana was just about to agree with Fleur when they heard more rustling noises, followed by several herbivores like squirrels and deer suddenly darting out from behind them.
“Kyaa!”
Fleur screamed in surprise, and Diana instinctively wrapped her arms around Fleur’s shoulders. But the animals just raced past them, not stopping.
Diana blinked in confusion. Do animals usually move in groups like this…? Or are they being chased by participants…? Diana pondered as she turned her gaze in the direction the animals had come from. The moment she did, her face went pale, and she grabbed Fleur’s hand, taking off at a run.
“Fleur, run!”
“Diana? What’s—Gasp!” Fleur, bewildered, glanced back as Diana dragged her along, and she stifled a scream.
Kieeeek! From the direction the animals had fled, a monstrous creature that was undoubtedly a magical monster spotted them and let out a terrifying cry. Fleur shrieked at the sight of the monster, which resembled a deer but was drooling green slime from its mouth.
“What is this…! They said the magical monsters couldn’t come near the edge of the forest!”
“It must be a mutant monster!” Diana shouted back as she jumped over a tree root.
Meanwhile, screams began to echo throughout the forest like ripples. Diana shuddered as she felt brief, intense bursts of mana from the other side of the forest.
…It seems the barrier has been broken. And that’s not the only magical monster here. Were there multiple mutant monsters of the same type?
Diana quickly shook her head, dismissing that thought. If there had been a large number of mutant monsters, those who scouted the forest before the hunting festival would have found evidence, especially for a monster that drooled green slime like that. Then it means that different types of mutant monsters have appeared.
Multiple mutant monsters, not just ordinary ones, had appeared simultaneously. Could this really be a coincidence? The answer ‘No’ flashed in Diana’s mind.
At that moment, Fleur tripped over a rock and stumbled badly. “Ugh…!”
“Fleur! Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine.”
Diana quickly caught Fleur before she fell, and Fleur spoke in a trembling voice.
Kieeek! The mutant monster chasing them was now even closer.
Diana and Fleur desperately ran, trying to find someone who could defend them better than they could defend themselves. But it seemed that others had scattered due to the monsters, and they couldn’t find anyone even after running for quite a while. And entering the deeper part of the forest, where the barrier had fallen, to find Kayden seemed too dangerous—they were more likely to encounter additional monsters before they found him.
Just then, Fleur stumbled and fell again. Diana quickly helped her back up, but the monster was now so close that it could reach them with just two or three more leaps.
Fleur glanced back at the approaching monster and squeezed her eyes shut. “Diana, leave me. Go on without me.”
“What did you say?”
“I think I twisted my ankle when I fell earlier. I can’t run anymore. So just leave me—”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Diana cut her off sharply, not allowing Fleur to finish her sentence.
Although Fleur’s claim of twisting her ankle was a lie, the part about not being able to run anymore was true. She was gasping for breath, looking as if she might faint at any moment. Seeing this, Diana bit her lip. With a determined look on her face, she suddenly stopped running and let go of Fleur’s hand.
“Diana?”
Fleur called her name reflexively. At the same time, Diana pulled out an arrow and, without hesitation, stabbed the sharp arrowhead into her own palm.
“Diana! What are you doing?!” Fleur’s shout quickly turned into a scream.
She tried to grab Diana’s hand in shock, but Diana took a step back, evading her. Then, gritting her teeth, Diana smeared her bleeding palm against the bark of a nearby tree.
“Fleur, you need to get out of the forest and inform everyone about what’s happening. But don’t make a sound until you’re out of the forest, or you’ll attract the monsters.”
“Wait, Di—!”
“If you understand, run! Now!”
Fleur tried to reach out to Diana, but Diana pushed her away forcefully and sprinted toward the deeper part of the forest.
Kieek! The mutant monster, which had nearly reached them, caught the scent of Diana’s blood and let out a long, excited howl. Sniffing the air, the monster turned sharply and started chasing after Diana.
By the time Fleur, who had been momentarily frozen with fear, came to her senses, both Diana and the monster had disappeared.
“Ah…” Fleur clenched her trembling hands into fists. Biting her lip, she turned and began running toward the edge of the forest.
Everything had happened in less than five minutes. And in that short time, the number of screams echoing through the forest had multiplied.
* * *
Meanwhile, it was just before the chaos erupted. Kayden was deep in the forest, almost slaughtering the magical monsters and predators with an efficiency that was close to ruthless.
Thunk-! Kwaaaak! Kayden’s sword pierced through the back of a monster. The tiger-like creature thrashed for a moment before it stopped moving and collapsed onto the dirt.
Standing atop the monster’s back, Kayden pulled out his sword and swung it lightly. Purple droplets of blood splattered through the air. Patrasche, who had been standing on the ground beside the monster, grimaced and dodged the blood.
“Ugh, aren’t you tired? Can’t you take it easy for a bit?”
“Why should I take it easy when I’m still fine? It’s better to secure the victory quickly.” Kayden shrugged as he jumped down from the monster’s back. He clenched and unclenched his fist lightly.
I’m definitely in top condition. His energy seemed unusually high. It was likely because some of the magical pressure that had been weighing him down had eased.
Keeping up with Kayden as he darted around the forest was exhausting for Patrasche. Desperate to rein in his superior, Patrasche spoke up, looking worn out. “No matter how I see it, Your Highness seems more like you’re venting frustration than aiming for victory. Did something happen with Her Highness?”
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