Chapter 43
Plod, plod.
Plod, plod.
We kept walking.
Endlessly walking.
But…
“…Are we actually going the right way? We’re really getting out of this forest, right?”
No matter how hard I dragged my heavy body forward, there was no sign of escaping the forest.
I shot Ethan a suspicious look.
As usual, our “mad dog” did not disappoint.
“You seem rather dissatisfied.”
“Huh?”
“If you’re so dissatisfied, then stay here. I’ll go check by myself.”
Ethan sounded so cold, it was as if he might actually leave me alone in this eerie, frightening place.
Part of me thought, He wouldn’t really leave me like that… but it is Ethan Clovis, so I guess it’s possible.
“…Wow! If we keep walking together like this, we’ll be out of the forest in no time! Let’s hang in there a little longer!”
I forced a playful smile in response to Ethan’s cold threat.
Still, worried that he might actually leave me behind, I gripped the edge of his coat tightly.
Ethan glanced briefly at my hand clutching his coat, then silently resumed walking.
…But is this really okay?
Despite Ethan’s cold reaction, I turned my head, scanning the surroundings carefully.
Soon, my gaze fell on something familiar.
“Wait, Ethan!”
I tightened my grip on his coat and gave a small tug.
Normally, I would never have done such a thing, but startled as I was, I had unconsciously pulled him.
I worried that I might have upset him, but he surprisingly followed my hand without protest.
Not wasting the opportunity, I quickly spoke.
“Look at this! This is it! This is the one!”
“The one?”
Ethan tilted his head slightly and looked at what I was pointing at. Then he let out a low, soft exclamation.
There, a faintly red flower bloomed.
It looked familiar.
“Wow! Ethan, do you know this flower?! It’s imbued with magic, so if you brew it into tea, it temporarily boosts magical power! What was its name… Fray flower?”
“That is a Redinia flower. If someone eats even a part of it, their magic temporarily dies—it’s extremely dangerous.”
“…Ah, I know. I just made a brief mistake.”
“Hmm. Whether it was a mistake or not, the Magetower master would know. After all, he’s the one who taught it incorrectly.”
“…I’m sorry. About that, at least. Ugh!”
I felt my face burn with embarrassment.
“I said it was a Fray flower earlier, and Ethan scolded me for calling it Redinia…”
“Scolded?”
Ethan repeated my words in a cold tone, though his lips formed a faint smile.
His gaze completely ensnared me, and I felt shivers run over my body as I quickly looked away.
“…No, I meant, that was the place that taught me such an important lesson!”
“Hmm.”
“But why have we come back here? I feel like we’ve passed this place several times.”
I couldn’t tell if Ethan was satisfied with my quick thinking or just ignored it.
For now, he merely surveyed the surroundings, seemingly noticing something strange.
Suddenly, Ethan frowned.
Sensitive to his change, I instinctively shrank slightly, trying to act nonchalant.
“…Could it be…”
“Could it be what?”
I couldn’t read his mind, so I asked with a curious tone.
Ethan didn’t answer, taking a few steps forward instead.
He looked around with a serious expression, seemingly unaware—or unconcerned—that I was watching him.
Then, without warning, he bent one knee and lightly placed his hand on the ground.
Watching him, I ran over and crouched down similarly, studying his reaction.
“Something is infused with magic.”
“Huh?”
When I tilted my head questioningly, Ethan spoke without looking at me.
“It seems something has been hidden with magic. That’s why the space was warped, causing us to circle the same area repeatedly.”
Ah.
I nodded, exhaling softly.
If Ethan was right, it explained why we had wandered in the forest for so long.
A sudden unease prompted me to lightly grip his coat again.
My hand trembling slightly, I said,
“Then let’s release the magic and get out of here. I just have a bad feeling.”
Ethan turned his gaze toward me. His eyes were still cold, but there was a subtle difference in his expression.
Before I could analyze the strange feeling, he enveloped my hand holding his coat in his own.
“Ah!”
Ethan helped me to my feet, placing me firmly beside him.
Then he let go of my hand and silently began to draw out magic.
The energy was strong, a deep red, radiating power.
I could only watch, unable to speak.
Whether he noticed or not, Ethan began etching the magic into the forest floor.
Red magic formed a complex magical circle.
“…Finally, this is it.”
Just as I thought we could escape the forest, the circle reacted with something, bursting into brilliant light.
“Ah, ah?”
The radiant light filled my vision.
Frozen, I couldn’t move, captivated by its glow.
“Step back, Yunice!”
Ethan grabbed my wrist, pulling me aside just in time.
I narrowly avoided being engulfed by the magical light.
Standing beside Ethan, I stared in disbelief at the scene unfolding before us.
“…Ethan, am I even sane right now?”
“You’ve never been fully sane, but in this moment, you are.”
For the first time, Ethan and I spoke in unison, witnessing the astonishing sight before us.
“Damn the Magetower master.”
I wasn’t going to let this slide. Theodore must be feeling the sting of his ears about now.
Again, this was the Forest of Beasts.
Not ordinary monsters, but beasts imbued with strong magic.
Which meant… even if something were hidden here, hiding it would be nearly impossible.
“…Are those… beasts?”
“Yes. Beasts.”
“The red energy coming off them… that’s the magic, right?”
“And a very dense magic at that.”
Beast after beast appeared.
I stood there, stunned, watching the overwhelming sight.
I murmured to make sense of it, and Ethan responded each time, showing that even he was somewhat surprised.
“Please tell me this is a lie. Even if it’s a dream…”
“Unfortunately, it’s neither a lie nor a dream. This is reality before your eyes.”
“….”
“Of course, reality drawn out by that damn Magetower master.”
I couldn’t deny the truth in Ethan’s words.
“Something has been hidden with magic. That’s why the space warped and we kept circling the same place.”
Ethan had been right.
His magical circle had drawn out the beasts hidden in the Forest of Beasts.
…Beasts concealed within immense magical power.
“Ha. This is insane.”
“For once, we’re in sync. I feel the same way, Ethan.”
We watched the tremendous horde of beasts before us.
There was no room for relaxation.
Our frozen bodies could barely move in shock.
“No wonder it’s called the Forest of Beasts.”
“Right? That Magetower master seems to ‘cherish’ you… by throwing you into a death trap.”
“If he were slightly sane, maybe he wouldn’t. But… Ethan, you know how insane Theodore really is.”
“….”
“Just making a flying broom from scratch—forcing us through this ordeal—that’s madness from the start.”
“…Ha. Never thought I’d agree with you on that.”
Ethan seemed frustrated, running a rough hand through his hair.
Even someone as composed and confident as him hadn’t expected this.
Grrr…
But that was only the beginning.
Before we could fully process the harsh reality, the beasts, sensing prey, began snarling aggressively.
Their sharp teeth and dripping saliva sent shivers down my spine.
“…Ethan, I don’t think this is the time to be standing around.”
I spoke seriously, and Ethan nodded in agreement.
“Right. First we deal with them, then figure out how to handle that insane Magetower master.”
“Ah, I’ll help with that too.”
For the first time in a long while, Ethan and I were perfectly in sync.
I clenched my teeth, muttering, “Damn Magetower master… I’ll tear that proud hair out.”
Seeing Ethan’s crimson eyes burn with fury, I knew Theodore wouldn’t survive this unscathed.
Sorry… no, actually, not sorry, Theodore.
This time, I was on Ethan’s side.
While silently mourning the fate of Theodore, I noticed the beasts before us beginning to radiate their magical energy—a signal that the battle was about to begin.
We dropped our playful conversation and turned toward the beasts.
The lighthearted expressions were gone.
“Get ready, Yunice.”
“You be careful too, Ethan.”
I didn’t want my magic to misfire.
Ethan seemed to sense my unspoken caution, replying with a low chuckle.
Shhh.
He drew the sword at his waist.
It was stained with yesterday’s fierce battle—a mix of crimson from beasts and blue from the Marz beasts—a gruesome sight.
I instinctively frowned, turning my head at the sight.
Don’t come near, Yunice!
That image of Ethan in danger flashed in my mind.
I won’t make a mistake today.
Resolute, I began gathering my magic slowly.
Before I could act, Ethan stepped forward first.
