Chapter 17
“……!”
Startled, Easton hurriedly twisted the direction of his hand.
As a result, the sword that had been aimed straight at Rosente’s neck clattered onto the ground.
Clang.
With the sharp noise of the sword, Rosente frowned slightly.
The sting on her shoulder revealed the cause.
‘…It’s a wound.’
Rosente clutched her shoulder and let out a sigh.
But at that moment, an unfamiliar warmth covered her hands.
To be precise, both of them.
“Princess!”
“Rosente!”
The first voice was Easton, the second was Locus.
Dizzy from the simultaneous calls, Rosente blinked repeatedly.
She was the one injured.
Why were these two men so flustered over her?
In the end, she brushed them off and rose to her feet alone.
‘Still, it was worth coming.’
As expected, Easton was attacking Locus just as she had predicted.
Locus, for some reason, seemed defenseless.
Rosente took a deep breath and spoke calmly.
“…Deputy Commander, this person is my benefactor. So I ask that you lower your sword.”
“Your benefactor?”
“Yes. He saved me when I was in danger here.”
Rosente looked at Easton politely.
Easton froze at her formal tone but then obediently sheathed his sword.
However, the seed of doubt remained, and he looked at Locus as he said,
“Yet, Princess, there’s something strange. There was not a single family spirit stationed near where you were.”
“…….”
“Then how did he know you were in danger and appear here?”
Easton’s expression stiffened.
“Couldn’t it be closely related to that monster?”
“Absolutely not!”
Locus appealed to Rosente at Easton’s words.
“No, Princess. I have nothing to do with the monsters.”
“Then how did you come here alone?”
“That is….”
Locus clenched his teeth.
Watching him, Rosente felt her heart strangely stir.
Was it because he resembled her brother?
“…Stop it, both of you.”
Rosente finally stepped in front of them and began to take control of the situation.
“Deputy Commander, the fault in this incident lies with me for crossing the safety line.”
She had walked alone despite being aware of nearby monsters.
And, by unlucky chance, there were monsters that could distort vision around her.
As a result, being deceived by the monsters, this incident occurred.
She sighed and began to speak.
But at that moment:
“It’s not the Princess’s fault!”
“Exactly! You were deceived by a monster that distorts vision!”
Locus and Easton shouted simultaneously.
It was the first time they had agreed on something.
“…….”
Rosente widened her eyes in surprise.
‘Hmm, this isn’t right.’
It seemed she might have fueled a fight rather than resolving the situation.
Seeing events unfold differently than she expected, she hurriedly continued,
“Still… it’s my fault for going alone…”
“If that’s the reason, then it’s strange to hold a competition in a place like this in the first place.”
At Locus’s words, Rosente went silent, dumbstruck.
For some reason, she felt as if everyone here was protecting her.
‘This is a first.’
Rosente forced an awkward smile and said,
“Alright. Then the monster must have appeared just passing by…”
“That’s impossible. Such high-level monsters cannot appear without the help of a sorcerer.”
Easton interrupted her words this time.
Yet, instead of being annoyed, Rosente felt a chill run down her spine.
Thump.
Her heart skipped a fearful beat.
Could it mean this was someone’s plot?
Why? Who would release a dangerous monster just to kill someone?
And a high-level monster that’s difficult to control…
“…Then, Deputy Commander, are you saying this person is a sorcerer?”
Rosente asked cautiously.
Easton nodded in response instead of answering.
Seeing this, Locus gently grabbed Rosente’s sleeve.
“No, please believe me, Princess.”
His voice turned desperate.
“I have never walked the treacherous path of controlling monsters.”
“If investigated, it would be revealed.”
“But it wasn’t me—why should I be investigated?”
“Enough!”
Finally, Rosente shouted, cutting through the tense atmosphere.
The conversation was returning to square one.
“…There’s something everyone’s overlooking. If someone had truly used a monster to harm people, they would have targeted me first.”
She was the only one passing by, and she was far from the tent.
“But what sorcerer kills their own monster? Especially a high-level one. There’s no benefit at all.”
Rosente held Locus’s hand on her sleeve.
“Again, this person is my benefactor.”
She continued in a firm voice:
“I will no longer tolerate rude behavior toward my benefactor.”
“…….”
Easton remained silent.
At the same time, Locus and Rosente’s joined hands tightened.
Locus flinched slightly from the pressure.
Being trusted by someone else felt like this.
His cheeks flushed as he covered his mouth with one hand.
To an outside observer, it could have been described as a stunning sight.
Meanwhile, Easton raised one eyebrow, showing slight displeasure.
“…….”
Easton let out a faint sigh.
“I apologize.”
He bowed sincerely and corrected himself.
“I reacted sensitively to the appearance of a high-level monster. Please forgive my rudeness, Princess.”
“You should not apologize to me…”
“…I also apologize to the unknown spirit.”
Easton reflected genuinely.
‘Everything is settling down so smoothly?’
Then what had all that fighting earlier been for?
Rosente was surprised at how easily the situation had been resolved.
“May I ask one last question?”
Easton’s tone was markedly more polite than before.
“I want to know the name of the spirit.”
It was a potentially critical question for Locus.
“…….”
As expected, Locus fell silent, as if his lips were sealed with honey.
What to do?
He couldn’t introduce himself as Noah, but should he give his old name?
But…
‘I don’t want to.’
For some reason, the name didn’t feel right.
Even though it was just a name.
Regardless of its meaning, even if it had been a mocking name.
He had used it in his previous life…
Perhaps being spoiled under Rosente had just made him clingy for no reason?
And it wasn’t just that.
‘She’ll find out.’
Rosente knew that the name Locus used was his old name.
So Locus remained silent, lips tightly shut.
Then, at that moment:
Ah-choo!
A sound that didn’t fit the tense silence echoed.
“…….”
“…….”
Noah and Easton turned their heads simultaneously as if on cue.
Rosente covered her mouth with both hands, embarrassed.
Startled at disrupting the flow, she gave an awkward smile.
It was likely the most blushing moment of her day.
At the same time:
“Now that we know there’s no problem with the situation, let’s wrap it up.”
“Not yet……”
“Stop. The spirit looks troubled.”
Rosente hurried to manage the situation.
Partly to protect the one who resembled Noah, but really because it was getting risky.
She bit her lip while looking up at the sky.
The previously clear sky was gradually losing its color.
The day was fading.
If they delayed, other monsters nearby might attack them.
Suspicion was fine, but the situation was unfavorable.
“The hunting competition seems to be ending soon.”
Rosente started nudging Locus’s back.
“Next time.”
“…….”
“If it’s really not someone suspicious, we might meet again at the next social gathering.”
After the hunting competition, perhaps at a debutante ball.
Or at the academy.
If they met again then:
“Next time, please tell me your identity, spirit.”
She whispered simultaneously.
“Please, promise me.”
Locus simply nodded, as if entranced.
After Locus left, Rosente let out a light sigh.
She felt drained and exhausted.
Somehow…
Getting involved in other people’s conflicts was probably more draining than hard exercise.
She was sure of that.
“…….”
Rosente held her trembling legs as the tension left her.
Only then did she notice the dead monster’s body not far away.
The red contrasted sharply against the green grass, unpleasant to the eye.
And once she noticed it, a faint metallic smell reached her nose.
Rosente asked nervously,
“How should we move this monster?”
“…….”
No answer came.
“Deputy Commander…?”
Flustered, Rosente looked up at Easton.
She met his pale blue-gray eyes.
Usually soft in tone, the color now seemed empty.
Though it was only a brief instant.
“Ah.”
Easton quickly composed himself and answered hurriedly.
“Sorry, I had something on my mind… I’ll call the knight squad waiting nearby.”
“No, I’ll go.”
‘Was he tired?’
After all, Easton had spent the whole day managing the knights and guarding the forest.
He had more than enough to worry about.
‘I shouldn’t have said anything earlier.’
Rosente felt a twinge of guilt for her behavior.
“Deputy Commander, you stay here and rest.”
The monster’s body was unpleasant, but better than adding to his fatigue.
Moreover, who knew if he was still troubled from her earlier defense of Locus.
Rosente smiled faintly and passed by.
All that remained in her wake was the faint scent of spring.
