Chapter 76
“We’re trapped.”
At the voice that pierced through the heavy silence, everyone turned their gaze toward one person.
Ignoring the stares, Heraise walked straight toward me.
“Trapped…?”
“I told you, didn’t I? There’s black magic cast over this forest.”
Heraise swept his hand through the thick fog as he continued.
“This fog blinds us. It hides the exit so we can’t find it.”
So this fog was the remnants of black magic…
“Then the priests who went searching for the exit ended up wandering deeper inside instead?”
“Exactly. Since they had no trouble entering, I’d say there’s a special condition set specifically on leaving.”
The others couldn’t follow the conversation between me and Heraise.
Of course not—besides me, only Lina, who had entered with us, knew anything about black magic.
Noah was the first to regain his composure. Listening to what we’d said, he quickly pieced together the situation.
“If Heraise is correct, then this place is like a labyrinth.”
Pleased with his accurate deduction, Heraise smiled and drove the point home.
“This forest wants us to remain here until we die.”
Because the land is dead, there’s nothing edible, and no water to drink.
If we don’t find the exit in time, we’ll starve to death.
“Truly annoying. We’ve been trapped in a troublesome place.”
Heraise clicked his tongue about whoever had created such filthy magic—then suddenly turned his eyes to a particular spot.
“Sis. What do you think? Did the villagers know about this?”
“…They must have. That’s why they were so wary of us.”
At last, the puzzle pieces fell into place.
Their distrust of outsiders, the way their attitude shifted when I asked about the Duke’s whereabouts—
‘Father must have stepped into this forest, been trapped by the fog, and never returned. And the villagers chose not to save him.’
They probably wanted to bury the matter quietly.
And when we came searching for him, of course they grew uneasy.
“They must have wished all of us would wander into this forest and never come back—just like Father…”
“But if that’s true, something doesn’t add up.”
Noah turned toward the priests.
“Leaving us aside, why trap the priests?”
He was right. Tainted land must be purified—if only for the villagers’ sake.
“Exactly. What would they do if something happened to the priests…?”
“Let’s ask that fellow,” Heraise cut in, as though expecting someone.
Puzzled, I tilted my head.
“Who’s coming?”
“Mm, some fool who willingly crawled in here.”
He pointed into the distance.
And at that moment, a human figure emerged from beyond the mist.
Fwoosh!
Cutting through the fog, a man appeared.
“…Priest!”
It was Lucas.
I blinked blankly at the sight of him, panting as he approached.
“Wait—why is he here…?”
Wasn’t he on the villagers’ side? Why would he come here?
“Phew… I’m glad you’re all safe together.”
Relieved at the sight of the group huddled close, Lucas approached me.
“Before you departed, did you not hear my voice—urk.”
But he was stopped short, blocked by Noah’s arm.
“What business do you have with my sister?”
“Eh? S-sister?”
Lucas’s eyes went wide—he had only ever known me as a priestess.
“B-but Lady Winter is supposed to have flowing pink hair…”
He looked suspiciously back and forth between Noah and me, racking his brain for any memory of a hidden illegitimate child of the ducal family.
‘Ah… I never dispelled the magic.’
As I hastily released the spell, my hair and eyes shifted back to their true colors, as if being washed clean.
Gone was the plain brown hair—replaced by cotton-candy-like pink strands, and eyes that shifted from blue to a vivid red, like Heraise’s.
“L-Lady Winter…?!”
Recognizing me, Lucas gasped and recoiled as if he’d seen a ghost.
At that, Heraise stepped in front of me protectively with a sigh.
“Sis, is there anywhere you’re not known?”
“Apparently not. Even in this backwater village, I didn’t expect someone to recognize me.”
“My lady is too famous—it’s troublesome.”
“I guess there’s no helping it. Popularity is a curse.”
“Both of you, stop it.”
Scolding us for joking in such a situation, Noah shot us a glare.
“I… truly…”
At last realizing just who he had been so casually addressing, Lucas’s face turned pale.
“M-my lady, forgive me…!”
He bowed low, while Noah coldly demanded:
“Why are you here?”
Now that it was clear the villagers were all in on this, his words carried no courtesy.
Under that icy tone, Lucas faltered nervously.
“I only wished to warn the lady—that once you enter the forest, you cannot leave. But you had already departed, so I rushed after you…”
So he had been desperately searching for me?
I’d thought he was just being a nuisance again, but… he’d meant to help?
‘So when they said he had his head screwed on straight, it wasn’t a lie.’
Surprised for only a moment, I narrowed my eyes and pressed him.
“But to tell me that, you entered again yourself?”
Wouldn’t that trap him too? Fool.
Seeing my skeptical look, Lucas waved his hands.
“No, of course not. I can leave.”
At that, every gaze in the group snapped toward him.
We had assumed escape was impossible—yet he claimed he could walk out?
Dozens of eyes gleamed sharply.
Noah spoke for them all:
“How?”
“With this.”
Shrinking under their stares, Lucas lifted his arm. A bracelet dangled from his wrist.
“This shows the way. Every villager has one, so they can freely come and go.”
Heraise nodded at the sight.
“With that, the fog means nothing. Their vision is entirely different from ours.”
“Ah!”
Quickly snatching the bracelet away, Heraise held it out.
“Sis, put it on—no, wait. Young Lord, you try it.”
Changing his words at the last second, he handed the bracelet to Noah, then exhaled as though relieved from disaster.
“I almost gave it to you after it touched another man’s skin. Yuck. No way.”
“…That’s quite the reason.”
I let out a dry laugh at his absurd excuse and turned to Noah.
“Well?”
“Indeed. I can see the path through the fog.”
With his own eyes confirming the artifact’s power, Noah’s suspicions deepened.
Owning such a device meant one thing: collusion with the black magicians.
He swiftly drew his sword and leveled it at Lucas’s throat.
“What are you plotting?”
“P-plotting? No! I—I only…”
Shaking, Lucas squeezed his eyes shut and shouted:
“Please, Young Lord, help me! This village is doomed!”
“Doomed?”
“The villagers have all gone mad. None of them are in their right mind anymore!”
His voice cracked, close to tears.
“You seek Duke Winter, don’t you? They all denied it, but he was here. I saw him with my own eyes.”
With trembling hands, Lucas pointed into the distance.
“He went that way.”
“And where exactly is that?”
“To the church of the Lightbringers.”
“…!”
“He never returned after going there.”
From where I stood a step behind, my jaw dropped.
That was the last place I ever expected to hear.
Why… why would that come up here?
