Chapter 7
The forest was deathly silent.
Not even a single bird chirped.
In this kind of eerie setting, it would be cliché to hear the haunting cry of a crow—caw, caw—but even that was absent.
Only two silver moons quietly shone between the dense trees.
She regretted not cutting the skirt off entirely above the knees—it kept getting caught.
Wearing a skirt in the forest was both impractical and inconvenient.
It constantly snagged on branches, leaving scratches on her legs.
Rix had already disappeared far ahead without a trace.
She brushed her hair behind her ear. Even now, the softness of her hair didn’t feel like her own.
How long would it take to get used to this body?
She stared at a strand caught between her fingers, shimmering like it had been spun from moonlight. Even to Ren, it looked as beautiful as the Milky Way.
Suddenly, moonlight began to gather into her gun on its own. She hadn’t called for it. But as the light collected, she instinctively knew: a monster was nearby.
Was it her instincts as a former national athlete? Or was even that part of this divine blessing? She couldn’t be sure. What was certain was that her fingers had already disengaged the safety and loaded the gun with swift precision.
There was a faint rustling sound.
Ren quickly aimed her gun. Through the thick trees, she fired. A white beam shot forward like a bullet.
Bang! A crisp sound echoed.
The hit seemed certain. Excited, she ran toward it. Firing a gun and running—it all made her feel like a child again.
Her skirt caught in the underbrush with a loud rip. But she didn’t care if it tore. Sure, it had cost 10,000 gold, but oh well.
What mattered was that by the time Ren arrived, Rix was already there.
And there was nothing.
Rix chuckled.
“Looks like the Saint just fired into thin air.”
“No, I swear—!”
Suddenly, last night’s events flashed through Ren’s mind.
She had fired her gun, and the monster vanished into ash—leaving no trace behind.
Eyes wide, she stared at Rix.
He only shrugged.
“It’s fine. It’s still zero to zero.”
He set her up!
Ren couldn’t even lift her head in shame.
She bit her lip, furious at being tricked.
No wonder he had been so confident.
Of course, if only the Saint could kill monsters, the country would’ve been destroyed by now.
But for him to start a wager using her ignorance—it was infuriating.
Her long-buried competitive fire as a national athlete flared up.
To prove the truth, she’d have to drag Fernandez around to verify her kills—but he was too scared to leave the carriage.
At this rate, she’d lose the wager with zero points.
Ren forced a smile and spoke sweetly.
Like she did when dealing with rude customers at the convenience store.
“Your Highness. Every time I shoot, the monster disappears without a trace, and since the bullets aren’t real, there’s no evidence left. How about we change the rules a little?”
Rix looked down at her, intrigued. He was a head taller than her, and his innocent-looking face made his cunning all the more infuriating.
“What do you suggest?”
Still forcing a smile, Ren replied,
“Let’s go together.”
“Together?”
“That way, we’ll both see the target, right?”
“Right.”
“And we’ll both know who kills it first.”
Surely, he wouldn’t refuse like a cheapskate? He was a prince, after all.
Thankfully, Rix only smiled mysteriously and nodded slowly.
“That’s actually a good idea.”
“Great!”
Before he could change his mind, Ren quickly moved.
“So, where shall we go?”
Just then, a large hand landed on her shoulder. In that instant, Ren froze instinctively—her body and mind both.
It felt so foreign to have someone touch her.
She couldn’t remember the last time she felt another person’s warmth.
Especially after she was burned, no one dared approach Min Suji’s scarred skin.
No one had ever come to visit her at the orphanage either.
Coach? Teammates? All of them perished in the shooting range fire. She had watched them die with her own eyes.
Min Suji was the only survivor.
She didn’t feel pain anymore, but the sight of her scarred flesh made others recoil in horror.
That subtle discomfort made Ren twist out of Rix’s grasp. He frowned slightly.
But quickly masked it and spoke casually.
“Then let’s get serious with the hunt.”
As her feet lifted and touched the ground again, a chill ran through her. It was an instinctive fear.
Rix stepped deeper into the forest.
Ren suddenly realized she was still only at the edge of the woods.
Her appearance was already a mess.
And now she had to go even deeper?
Looking up, the black trees swayed ominously with the wind.
Even the leaves seemed darkened by shadow.
The gloomy cliché had finally begun.
From afar came the eerie howl of a wolf. Black birds flapped their wings and lined up on thick branches.
The birds tilted their heads in unison. Any moment now, they might start singing a cursed tune.
The deeper forest was pure darkness.
It felt like stepping willingly into a black hole.
As if sensing her hesitation, Rix glanced back and gestured for her to follow.
Ren fiddled with her gun, then stepped inside.
Strangely, of all people, she didn’t want Rix to see her fear.
She took a deep breath.
A habit she had before shooting.
Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.
After a few cycles, her restless mind calmed.
“Let’s do this.”
Ren clenched her free hand into a fist and steeled herself.
With Rix watching, she took her first step into the unknown.
White light began to gather at her gun’s muzzle.
5 to 4.
Thankfully, Ren was ahead by one kill.
Rix looked up and suggested they catch one more before heading back.
She glanced up too—the moons had vanished, and a golden dawn was creeping in.
With her old skills restored, Ren’s aim was flawless. Each kill restored a piece of her lost confidence.
“Did you always know how to use a gun?”
“Well…”
She mumbled. She didn’t really know who this body belonged to.
“It’s mostly instinct…?”
Rix’s brow remained furrowed, possibly from falling behind.
He muttered under his breath.
“You’re too good for just instinct.”
Of course, Ren scoffed inwardly.
Suddenly, they heard something. Far off—rustling leaves.
Both of them turned simultaneously. Rix’s regular bullets and Ren’s divine light shot out.
A thud sounded as the creature fell. Ren’s shot missed and hit a tree instead.
Today, she’d learned that her divine bullets couldn’t harm anything that wasn’t a monster. Sure enough, the tree bore no marks.
They approached the fallen monster together.
“I’ll ask again. Are you sure you’ve never learned to shoot?”
Rix asked as he cut through thorny vines with a small knife.
Ren rolled her torn skirt up so it wouldn’t catch and followed the path he cleared.
“Hmm.”
Rix waited for an answer.
After a pause, Ren replied,
“A few years ago.”
It was vague, but not a lie.
“So you remember that much.”
“A little.”
“You’ve got talent.”
You’re lecturing a former national athlete, she thought wryly, but didn’t reply.
Rix glanced back.
“Guess I owe you a new outfit.”
“It cost 10,000 gold.”
“That’s fine.”
Right. He’s a prince, Ren reminded herself.
“If you’re going to get one, make it shorter. All the clothes here are too long—it’s hard to move.”
“You’re the Saint. It can’t be helped.”
“But the Saint needs to move around. If my dress gets in the way, I’ll be dead before I can even shoot!”
Ren grumbled, and he chuckled.
At the spot they reached, a monster lay with a bullet lodged in its forehead. It thrashed, letting out strange groans.
Its entire body was as black as a shadow.
Rix grabbed its tattered rags and dragged it along.
Ren followed behind.
Everywhere the monster was dragged, leaves scattered, forming a trail.
There was no need to help.
Rix’s strength was enough to subdue the monster even as it flailed. If it resisted too much, he simply pressed his gun to its forehead and fired twice more.
Then it quieted.
In a clearing, the five monsters Rix had slain were stacked like bundles of straw.
“5 to 5.”
“We’re tied.”
“So, no wishes granted?”
Ren stayed silent. She really wanted that horse. And she was curious about Rix’s story too.
While she hesitated, Rix spoke first.
“Why don’t we grant each other’s wishes?”
“My story and the horse?”
“It’s not a bad trade, is it?”
He spoke so casually.
After thinking for a moment, Ren nodded.
She felt bad for the original owner of this body, but she could always make something up. And she really wanted that horse now.
“Alright.”
Rix smiled, seemingly pleased. Caught off guard, Ren quickly looked away.
Ugh.
That handsome face right in front of her—she had no idea where to look.
If only he weren’t so smug, he’d be perfect.
Especially when those golden eyes locked on hers—she got goosebumps.
“S-So what are you going to do with them?”
She changed the subject awkwardly.
Rix answered nonchalantly.
“Burn them.”
“Here?”
“Where else?”
A chill ran down her spine.
Ren turned away.
“I’ll head back now.”
Rix grabbed her arm.
“You’re the Saint, aren’t you?”
“So what?”
“Even if they burn, who knows what could happen? That’s why I need you.”
“I—!”
She bit her lip.
