No way.
As my heart pounded with a gradually increasing sound, I managed to calm it down, and then asked cautiously, “Could it be that the direction in which the monster appeared is… West?”
“How did you know? Yes, it is the west. However, I am not sure where it might be at the moment. I am just on my way after being informed that the monster appeared near the western part of the forest and that His Majesty ordered to evacuate the people while he deals with the monster.”
“Does that mean His Majesty didn’t request any support?”
“Yes, yes. That’s what I was told.”
Hmm?
I watched the man who was murmuring with fluttering eyelids and tilted my head in confusion. Although I was glad to gain certainty on the matter I was doubtful about, the man’s subsequent answer was strange.
Even if Ruth could freely use magic, his opponent was a monster.
And according to the content of a book I read before, monsters are made of magical energy that enables humans to use magic, so magic wouldn’t work on them.
Therefore, Ruth would have to resort to swordsmanship, which he was so reluctant to use. Primarily, I didn’t know how skilled he was in swordsmanship, and secondarily, if Ruth had decided to deal with the monster using swordsmanship instead of his usual magic, it would be unlikely that he didn’t ask for support.
Typically, commanders of the knight orders request support when facing an enemy, and even more so for Ruth, who had not wielded a sword for a long time.
Moreover, the words communicated by the man were all things he had ‘heard’ from somewhere. Therefore, their credibility was uncertain. After all, news through someone’s mouth is almost never entirely without falsehood.
“Could you possibly tell me who you heard it from, just between us?”
“Ah. It was a close friend of mine who came to serve during Lord Gerlington’s hunt who told me.”
“Lord Gerlington, you say.”
“Yes, without a doubt.”
As expected.
I felt the name uttered by the man perfectly fitting the context.
The mentioned Lord Gerlington is known publicly as a close aide of Duke Hazel. To exaggerate a bit, where Duke Hazel was, there was Lord Gerlington, and whatever Duke Hazel did, Lord Gerlington supported him.
If a servant of Lord Gerlington conveyed that Ruth had no need for support and only to evacuate the people immediately, it added credibility to the doubts blossoming in a corner of my mind. This is because if Lord Gerlington had manipulated this situation at Duke Hazel’s request, then everything would make sense.
If that’s the case, the appearance of monsters might also be false. It could be a plot to threaten, or even go further to kill Ruth more easily.
I got up from my seat, thinking of another possibility. Then, after a quick glance at Cayena, who was still shivering behind me, I extended a hand to her.
“Stand up, Cayena. The floor is cold. I’ll find your brother for you, so don’t worry too much and just wait here.”
“What? You mean the Lady herself will go into the forest…?”
“Yes. I’m planning to go. Something seems suspicious.”
“Oh, no! There are monsters! It’s dangerous, my Lady.”
“But still…”
Ruth is out there.
Alone.
Fighting on his own.
I forcibly suppressed the plea that naturally followed, curving my eyes into a slight smile.
“People who can be saved, should be saved.”
Even if death inevitably comes for everyone, we can still delay that moment for someone. For that alone, it’s worth facing the danger.
Cayena, who was dumbfoundedly listening to my declaration, was nibbling on her lower lip. I wanted to tell her to stop lest she bleed, but there was no time for that. It was urgent.
“Could you bring me a sword?”
“Do you really intend to go in? Entering the forest now is madness! It’s too dangerous! Please seek refuge in a safe place instead…”
“Did I look like I was asking for a favor just now? If so, I’m sorry, but I’m actually giving you an order. So,”
I suppressed my smile, looking at the man who kept trying to dissuade me, and with a cold gaze, I said,
“Go fetch a horse immediately. If we let time slip by until no one can be saved, you’ll be the first to suffer the consequences.”
***
Whether my threat worked or not, the man hurriedly brought a brown horse and then disappeared as if he had run away to a safer place first. Fortunately, before he vanished so quickly, I had asked him to request reinforcements, which somewhat eased my mind.
I was worried about leaving Cayena alone as I mounted the horse, but I couldn’t hesitate to go because of that, so I hurriedly got on the horse and kicked my heels into its flanks. Then, the horse neighed softly and started to run quickly towards the forest.
All the while I was running west, I tried to ignore the voices that cluttered my mind.
Being someone who could neither wield a sword nor use magic, I knew I would only be a burden, but I wanted to see with my own eyes that Ruth was safe. And, if by some chance he were to close his eyes forever, then…
No. Let’s not think about that yet.
Before any more foolish thoughts could take hold, I quickly shook my head to clear the unnecessary worries, and then, far ahead, I spotted the protruding old tree roots. It seemed to be the ‘tree roots’ that Tommy mentioned in his note.
Feeling relieved that I was on the right path, I continued to ride without pause, and soon, I could hear the faint sound of a waterfall. The sound of the water falling ferociously was almost like a dragon shedding tears.
This must be the ‘Tears of the Dragon.’
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I sped up the horse even more. Just the thought of Ruth being ahead made my toes tingle with anticipation.
As I ran and ran, finally arriving at the waterfall, what came into my view was Ruth, standing with a sword in hand, facing a gigantic beast. His physical condition seemed overall fine except for some dirt on his clothes, but the fact he was gasping for breath with his shoulders relaxed showed he was probably more than just a bit tired.
“Ru…!”
I almost called out to him loudly without thinking but then I came to my senses. Making noise here would only attract the beast’s attention and make things worse, besides, Ruth had no idea that I knew his nickname.
With both hands covering my mouth, I observed the beast Ruth was facing. I was hoping the rumors about a monster appearing were false, but it seemed to be true.
The beast, with all its fur matted and a tail that was an ugly hook shape, and eyes slit vertically emitting a blood-like glow, was definitely not from this world. Given its size, which seemed about three times that of an adult male, it looked like it could be an upper-middle tier monster, though I couldn’t be sure.
It was my first time facing a monster directly, so instead of trying to figure out what it exactly was, I slowly moved my gaze, searching for Cayena’s younger sibling. I had promised something to her upon coming here, so I hoped fervently that Cayena’s sibling was safe.
Whether my wish reached the heavens or not, I spotted a child hiding behind a tree not too far away, shivering.
The child, resembling Cayena, seemed a bit chubbier than before, but their clothes were in disarray as if they had suffered quite a bit because of the monster.
I checked on the child’s condition and clenched my fist. It was good that I had located the child, but since there was quite a distance from where I was, it was uncertain if I could rescue the child without the monster noticing. It was too dangerous.
Let’s just wait until Ruth fights and deals with the monster. That would be safer for both of us.
I came to that conclusion and hid behind a tree, watching Ruth confront the monster. I had asked someone for reinforcements, so help would arrive soon. All Ruth had to do was to hold on until then.
“Haa, ha…?”
Ruth, who charged at the monster several more times and failed all his attacks, gasping for breath, glanced towards me belatedly as if he had just noticed someone. Then, his eyes widened and his brows furrowed, as if asking why I was there.
In response, I gestured for him to focus on the fight, promising to explain everything later.
I was worried Ruth might not understand me properly due to the distance between us, but fortunately, he seemed to get my message and immediately went back to fighting mode.
As I watched him confronting the monster again, I turned to look at the child.
“…Huh?”
But the child was no longer there.
Panicked, I unwittingly stepped out from behind the tree and started looking around for the child.
After looking around for a while, I was able to spot a child not far away. The child, who had seemingly emerged from behind a tree at some point, was sitting down on a flat area where two bodies were laid. One was presumed to be of a noble, and the other, a servant. The bodies were completely covered in blood, so much so that their faces were indistinguishable.
Even as my brow furrowed at the grim sight, soon my eyes fully captured the face of the child watching them. The face, bearing a complex mix of shock, fear, sorrow, anger, and emptiness, appeared stoic as if barely holding back tears.
For some reason, it felt eerily familiar.
So familiar that my heart pounded.
Ah.
A low sigh emerged into the world, unfinished.
Do you really think you’ve become an adult?
A voice from my long-lost subconscious echoed in my ears after a long absence.
Don’t lie.
That voice, mingled with a sneer, rebuked me for not wanting to face something that surfaced upon seeing the child’s despair.
You haven’t changed at all.
You’re still…
“…Father.”
It’s Selena, trapped in the memories of that day, at twelve years old.
