CHAPTER 161………………………………..
“Oh my, you’re here~!”
Donald spread his arms wide, expressing his delight. As I stepped down from the carriage and slightly lifted my robe, he instinctively reached out his hand for a handshake.
I also moved to grasp his hand in return.
“Where do you think you’re going.”
“Ugh!”
Another figure intervened, striking my hand away. In an instant, a dagger pressed tightly against Donald’s neck.
The guards standing behind Donald froze, hands hovering over their sheaths. They judged that any rash move could cost him his life.
The atmosphere instantly chilled to a deadly silence.
I exhaled a long sigh.
“Shuhil.”
I spoke while watching the back of the child, who had grown almost as tall as me.
“That’s enough. You know he’s not the enemy.”
“Hmph.”
Shuhil snorted but sheathed the dagger and tied it back to his waist.
Overprotective, indeed.
As soon as he heard I would be leaving for some time, Shuhil had immediately declared that he would follow me without hesitation.
There were no knights like Zik or Huril, but it seemed he had been training consistently at home, so I told him he didn’t need to come. Still, Shuhil was relentless.
“I’ll protect you, my lady.”
“I said it’s fine.”
I patted Shuhil’s hair, as if calming an angry beast. And like any large feline predator, he closed his eyes and seemed to enjoy the gesture.
He may be tall, but he’s still a child.
Of course, anyone else hearing this would probably be horrified, but at least in front of me, that was the case.
“I’m sorry. My guard is a bit sensitive.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine. Ha ha. Ha ha…”
Donald, who had suddenly had his life threatened, forced a smile. He was probably cursing inwardly by now.
“By the way, what about that place?”
“You must be tired after such a long carriage ride. Wouldn’t it be better to rest today and check it tomorrow?”
“No. I want to see it with my own eyes. Is it far from here?”
Even the nearby area was rugged enough that a carriage could barely pass. The place with the buried corpses must be much further in.
“Yes. Even an adult male would need at least five hours of hiking. If we delay any longer, the sun might set, so it’s best to rest today…”
At that moment, Shuhil cut in abruptly.
“Coordinates?”
“Pardon?”
“It’s a secluded area, so there likely isn’t a marked path. You must have shared the location via coordinates.”
“Well… yes, but—”
“Just tell me the coordinates.”
Donald seemed to hold back another string of curses at Shuhil’s bluntness. A blue-faced kid talking like that could easily provoke anger.
I patted Shuhil’s head again and whispered, “You should use honorifics with adults.”
“The coordinates… are this way.”
Donald took a note from a nearby guard and handed it over.
Unfolding it, I saw a string of unfamiliar numbers. It was difficult to make sense of it…
“Thirty minutes should be enough.”
“Huh?”
Before I could ask, Shuhil suddenly scooped me up! Whoa?
“Hold on tight!”
With a rush, I felt my body lift, and the scenery around us changed in an instant. Reflexively, I hugged Shuhil’s neck tightly.
The wind brushing past my ears sent shivers down my spine.
Am I moving like this so often? That thought flashed through my mind.
“How did you do that?!”
“I distributed my strength appropriately! I can do this now too!”
I felt the pendant hidden in Shuhil’s clothing shimmer.
It wasn’t the brute force that could smash walls like before; he had learned to apply it properly. Perhaps it was thanks to Zik’s special training.
Seeing this, I realized just how much Shuhil had grown—it was a striking feeling.
“You learned how to read coordinates?”
“Even though I’m a kid, I used to be a pirate! To navigate the open sea, you have to know coordinates. I’ve learned quite a bit by watching others!”
Ah, that explains it.
“There!”
Shuhil shouted, but all I saw was forest. I had no idea what he was pointing at.
As Shuhil landed, the previously hidden horrific scene in the dense forest was revealed.
“This is…”
I had already seen it through the vision orb, but seeing it in reality was far more gruesome. Bodies piled in a deep pit, and magic circles drawn around them.
Footprints from many people had slightly smudged the circles, but they were still recognizable.
Comparing with the dark magic tome, I should be able to identify which demon it was.
As I examined the area, Shuhil frowned and grabbed my hand tightly.
“Shuhil?”
“Don’t come closer, my lady. It could be dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
“You’re handling it better than I expected. This smell is giving me a headache.”
What…?
I noticed that Shuhil was pinching his nose.
Looking more closely, I realized the corpses were decomposing—but why couldn’t I smell anything?
The scent of death was strong, but it didn’t feel like a normal “smell.” In fact, it was almost… pleasant in comparison.
“Corpses release toxic gases as they decay. There’s no reason to get closer.”
“Mm.”
I memorized the pattern of the magic circles, so that was fine. But the sensory difference felt heavy in my chest.
I’ve never had to smell a corpse before. I never realized it.
I realized that in this, too, dark mages and humans differ.
Ah… I need to focus on this first.
The reason we hadn’t rested at all and came straight here was this.
I opened my eyes, and traces of multicolored magical energy were visible. Colors swirled like spilled paint.
Even after several days, it’s still like this. Definitely the work of dark mages.
It was worse than I had anticipated. The traces left behind were far more vivid.
Among them, some familiar colors appeared.
This red is Penelope, that gray is Hermann… is this Anixy? And lastly…
A deep navy trace sparkled like stars in the night sky.
Even the traces of magic reminded me of him.
Claude…
As I suspected, he had been here. Compared to the others, his traces were faint, but I could still follow them.
Multiple traces led into a secluded corner of the forest.
“My lady?”
Shuhil asked from behind, but I had no time to answer. I followed the magical trail forward.
It seemed as if the traces themselves were telling me to follow.
Before I knew it, the trail abruptly ended.
“Ah…”
I looked up and realized I was alone in the deep forest. This was just like last time.
A familiar pattern—this was the method Claude used to summon me.
Crunch, crunch.
I heard footsteps approaching from behind and cautiously asked,
“…Shuhil?”
But the reply confirmed my dark premonition.
“Well, well, if it isn’t my darling again.”
My heart pounded. I clenched my fists and steadied my breathing.
It was the first time I had seen him since that day. Until now, I had dared to sympathize with him, even imagining myself in his position, marked by his fate.
But everything had changed.
From the moment he took my precious ones, he was no longer my ally, but my enemy.
Slowly turning around, Claude smiled faintly at me.
The setting sun framed his face, casting a surreal glow.
It was as if he brought the night sky into the world.
The once bright world plunged into darkness with his presence, hinting at the coming era of shadows.
Claude spoke with an unnervingly calm expression.
“Sorry, that little lady must be lost out there.”
“……”
“Why that face? Didn’t you want to see me?”
He smirked slyly, twisting his eyes in a way that showed he knew exactly how he appeared.
My heart raced at his brazen provocation—but for another reason entirely.
“Claude.”
I looked him straight in the eyes.
“Did you come back here because you want to die?”
“Puhuhu… hehehe….”
Claude covered his face with one hand, laughing—or perhaps sobbing.
He staggered and flung his laughter about, then abruptly stopped and fixed his gaze on me.
Through the gaps in his fingers, his deep blue eyes shone with clarity.
Their gaze, mesmerizing as if melting me, sent chills down my spine.
“Receiving such a passionate confession… I don’t know how to respond.”
He murmured lazily.
