Chapter 64
We tumbled out of the running wagon and rolled straight into the dark bushes.
The impact from jumping off a wagon at full speed was intense.
It felt like my body had become a ball kicked by a foot.
But none of the three of us screamed—or even groaned.
“……!”
Keeping my breathing as quiet as possible, I closed my eyes tightly and held the two children close, bracing for impact.
Drdrdrduk—!!!
The rough wagon sounds scraped the ground as they receded.
Hiiing—!
The terrified screams of the horses followed.
Peeking slightly, I saw the wagon’s light blazing even brighter. The fire had spread across it.
All the sounds and chaos were moving toward the burning wagon—exactly as I had predicted.
‘Nothing could draw attention better than a loud, flaming wagon.’
I hugged the two children tighter and pressed myself flat into the bushes.
‘Please, let nothing happen!’
I prayed desperately, over and over.
We stayed still for a long time.
Perhaps to avoid provoking any monsters that might still be nearby.
We couldn’t even risk dozing off—our nerves were far too tense for sleep.
We communicated silently with only our eyes through the night.
Finally, as dawn broke, we could start moving again.
‘Monsters move slowly while the sun is up.’
And by now, the monsters in this area had likely been drawn away by the burning wagon we abandoned yesterday.
Of course, we confirmed this with Juto, who had the sharpest senses.
“Any sign of monsters or suspicious movement nearby?”
“…No, none.”
Juto pressed his ear to the ground, sniffed the air, and confirmed it.
Edmund asked in a hoarse voice,
“How do we find the direction? We seem far from the main road we entered.”
When we first entered Lamberto territory, we had moved along a well-kept road.
But after fleeing from monster attacks, we had lost all sense of its location.
‘It might be more reliable to just head for Lamberto Castle, which is a recognizable landmark.’
I suggested this, and Edmund nodded.
“Good idea. My mother said Lamberto Castle is white as ice. It should be easy to see.”
But the white castle wasn’t visible yet.
‘Nothing ever goes this smoothly.’
I pulled out something very important from the items I had brought carefully.
“Ta-da!”
A compass!
Edmund’s expression brightened instantly.
“Right! We brought a compass and a map!”
“Yes. I have a map too, though it doesn’t cover Lamberto territory. Still, it’s better than nothing.”
It had been impossible to get a map of Lamberto territory from the Cohen villa or nearby areas.
Even the compass alone was a blessing.
We began moving, heading north. We didn’t know the exact location, but at least we were going in the right direction.
‘Please, don’t let Lamberto Castle be too far…’
We walked without rest until the sun began to set.
We had barely any food—just a few dry rations and some biscuits.
We shared water from a small canteen, and luckily Juto found a spring nearby to refill.
Our formation was:
- Juto at the front, with sharp senses and fast movement.
- Me in the middle.
- Edmund at the back, fast and capable of magic.
‘Hm. Neither physical strength, speed, nor magic helps me at all.’
But there was no time for self-pity. That luxury would wait until we safely reached Lamberto Castle.
My best bet was to avoid getting tired or falling behind, so I wouldn’t be a burden.
After a long walk, the first to reach their limit was unexpected—Edmund.
Thud!
He simply collapsed behind me.
Fortunately, I caught him before he hit anything seriously.
“Are you okay, Edmund?”
His red eyes were unfocused.
“I’m… fine….”
Even though it was obvious he wasn’t.
Cold sweat drenched him, and his limbs were weak. Holding his icy hands sent chills down my spine.
I quickly checked the color of his ring fingernails—they were deep purple.
‘Mana exhaustion.’
A slightly unfamiliar term.
In the original story, Edmund had no connection to such exhaustion, being so magically strong.
But now—even a genius like him was still a growing child.
He had only practiced magic for a few months.
Using so much magic while fighting monsters in Lamberto territory, exhaustion was inevitable.
‘He’s lasted beyond his limits.’
I watched Edmund carefully while remaining alert.
‘The sun is setting.’
The monsters’ active time was approaching again.
The burning wagon from last night wouldn’t still be affecting things.
We couldn’t rely on it for tonight.
“Juto, find a safe spot for the night. Narrow, deep, somewhere we can hide. No other animals nearby, but strong lingering smells are better.”
“Got it, Cassia!”
I explained the conditions and what we needed.
Juto nodded and swiftly went to scout the area.
Meanwhile, I searched through the emergency medicine and herbs Willace had given me.
‘It should be here somewhere…’
I pulled out all the purple leaves from my pocket.
The herb with mild numbing effect—Kashacho.
I knew another property of it as well.
‘Kashacho is one of the ingredients for a mage’s mana recovery potion!’
It wouldn’t work as a full recovery, but even a tiny help was valuable now.
But even if I put it in his mouth and moved his jaw, Edmund couldn’t properly swallow.
He was barely conscious—expecting him to chew raw leaves was impossible.
“Hm.”
I had no choice.
I chewed the Kashacho thoroughly—bitter and strong—and forced it into Edmund’s mouth, making sure he swallowed safely.
Edmund’s hazy eyes slowly opened.
“Cassia…?”
“Are you awake?”
He tilted his head in confusion and muttered strangely.
“Weird dream… if not, then… how is this possible…”
“…He really can’t think straight.”
Mana exhaustion could be severe if untreated.
I patted Edmund’s chest gently.
“If you keep this up, something bad will happen…”
“I’m fine. Now sleep, Edmund.”
Even half-conscious, he could sense being treated like a child and frowned amusingly.
“…I’m not a kid… I’ve told you….”
But there was no time to argue with him.
Juto had found a suitable spot for the night and rushed back.
I tried to carry Edmund, but Juto shook his head.
“No. I’m stronger than Cassia.”
Being a beastkin, that was no surprise.
Juto half-forcibly took Edmund from me and carried him on his back.
Despite being younger and injured, he lifted Edmund effortlessly.
And so, we spent our second night in the dangerous forest.
