~Chapter 128~
Flames burst up from all sides at once.
It was as if huge pillars of fire were rising straight from the ground, completely surrounding us.
I instinctively stepped back—but the path behind us was already blocked by fire as well.
In this hell of flames, Melona, five knights, and I were completely cut off.
“Th-the fire… it spread this fast?”
One of the knights muttered blankly.
I thought so too.
The flames had burst out like special effects in a movie, then circled the tent in an instant.
“Your Highness! Are you alright?!”
“We’ll try to hold back the fire! Please wait just a little longer!”
From beyond the wall of flames, other knights shouted urgently.
Putting out a fire like this would take time.
I steadied my breathing and looked around.
Sparks flew like fireworks, scattering in every direction and feeding the fire.
Some embers even landed on the side of the tent, which was slowly starting to burn.
“Melona, water. Is there anything like water barrels nearby?”
“Here! There are water containers!”
Melona pointed to barrels prepared for the horses.
There were only four, but they were enough for the seven of us.
“It’s too dangerous to just wait—the fire is spreading too fast. Soak your robes or coats in water and get out of here quickly.”
“There should be more knight robes inside the tent. They’re made of special fabric and can withstand fire to some extent. Your Highness should use one too.”
“Going back into the tent now is dangerous! We don’t know when it might collapse!”
“I’m already wearing a robe, so I’ll be fine. I’ll be right back—don’t worry!”
Despite our protests, Melona ran straight into the burning tent.
The entrance had not fully caught fire yet, so she seemed able to get in—but I was worried it might collapse at any moment.
“Your Highness, please take my robe first. The heat is intense.”
One of the knights handed me a robe soaked in water.
Right. This was not the time to hesitate.
We had to reduce the time we stayed here, no matter what.
Trusting Melona, I took the robe and pulled it over myself.
The other knights quickly soaked their robes and wrapped themselves as well.
Soon after, Melona came out of the tent, carrying more robes. Half of the tent had already burned away.
“Good job, Melona! I already have one, so give the rest to Sir Wiren.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Also, I checked—the back of the tent hasn’t burned as much. The wind is blowing the other way, so I think we can escape that way.”
“That’s our best option.”
Indeed, the flames behind the tent were much lower than those in front.
If only we could block the fire even briefly…
As I was thinking, I noticed one of the tent’s support poles was already half burned.
“Melona, is the tent fabric fire-resistant like the robes?”
“Yes. It’s even thicker and sturdier than the robe fabric.”
“Then let’s use that. If we cut the poles, the tent will collapse backward. That should block the flames for a moment. We’ll escape then.”
“Understood! We’ll move behind the tent and cut the poles as you say, Your Highness!”
“Yes!”
The knights answered loudly and formed a half-circle around me.
The smoke stung my eyes and made it hard to breathe, but not a single one of them left my side.
Moving together with them gave me strength.
As soon as we reached the back of the tent, the knights slashed the fabric with their swords.
Then they took out hunting axes and began striking the poles supporting the tent.
Crack—!
Boom!
When the third pole finally snapped, the entire tent collapsed backward with a loud crash.
“Now!”
At my shout, the knights almost lifted me as they shielded me and ran past the fallen tent.
The burning tent hit the ground, scattering ash everywhere.
Even though the flames were low, sparks brushed past my ears as we jumped over them, and the heat scraped against my cheeks.
If not for the soaked robes, we would have suffered serious burns.
We moved forward, almost crawling, keeping our bodies low.
I could hear the rough breathing of the knights right behind me.
The moment we broke free behind the tent, air rushed into my lungs.
I collapsed to the ground, gasping, one hand braced against the earth.
But the fire was still raging around us, and hot wind carried thick smoke straight toward us.
“Your Highness, we need to move a bit more—!”
Melona spoke in a cracked voice.
Just then—
The sound of pounding hooves shook the ground.
I lifted my head instinctively.
Between the darkness and the firelight, a group of riders charged toward us.
“Amelie!”
At the front, leading the knights, Richard rode toward me, calling my name.
Before his horse even fully stopped, he jumped down and cut through the smoke, reaching out to me.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
As Richard pulled me into his arms, all the tension drained from my body.
I could not answer properly—I was too short of breath—so I only nodded.
After taking a few more breaths, I finally managed to speak.
“H-how did you know I was here?”
“The front was blocked by fire, so we came around from the back. You made it out well.”
Richard smiled on purpose, trying to calm me.
“The northwest side is still relatively safe. We’ll evacuate there. Everyone, mount up.”
After glancing toward the direction where the flames were spreading, he gave a short command.
With Richard’s help, I climbed onto his horse.
The others who escaped with me also mounted the knights’ horses.
When I looked back, the area where my tent had been was burning fiercely, clearly visible even from a distance.
“Richard… what about the other knights near my tent?”
“They’re all safe. It’ll take some time, but reinforcements are coming, and the fire will be under control soon.”
“Thank goodness…”
“You don’t need to worry anymore.”
As he spoke gently, Richard took off his own robe and draped it over me.
“I’m already wearing a robe.”
“It’s soaked. If you stay like a drowned mouse in this cold weather, you’ll catch a cold.”
“And you’re not worried about yourself? Put it back on—hurry!”
No matter how much I protested, Richard refused.
He even fastened it tightly around my neck so I could not take it off.
Only now, with the tension easing, did I realize how cold my body was starting to shake.
“Lean on me. We’ll ride fast, so it’ll be rough.”
He held the reins in a way that shielded me completely.
The robe around me and the warmth at my back felt more reliable than anything else.
“Move northwest!”
At Richard’s shout, everyone urged their horses forward, leaving the forest behind.
The farther we got from the tents, the heat faded and cold air brushed against my cheeks.
Then suddenly, I thought of Yvonne, whose tent had been close to mine.
“What about Yvonne? She was also in Zone Four.”
“I heard her side caught fire too, but she evacuated safely. No injuries.”
“So Yvonne’s tent burned as well…”
For a moment, I wondered if this sudden fire was a scheme by Yvonne and the Empress.
But hearing that Yvonne had evacuated made it hard to be certain.
They could have set fire to her tent too, just as a smokescreen.
Even so—
My suspicion toward her did not disappear.
