Kays Translations

Chapter 20: Into the Forest Again

It was still early dawn when Lucius woke up.

Perhaps due to his excitement from encountering the advanced-level monster yesterday, he had been awakened by the distant sound of thunder.

Looking out the window, he saw someone walking in the rain without an umbrella in the distance. The person had long, light blue hair.

"Olivia?"

There was no one in the village with hair color like that.

"I wonder where she's going?"

Still groggy with sleep, Lucius remained bewildered on his bed for a while.

But as time passed and he gradually woke up, he realized the strangeness of the scene he had witnessed earlier.

It was not ordinary for a high-ranking noble's daughter to be walking alone without an umbrella so early in the morning.

Thinking about it, the answer was clear.

She must be going to the forest.

After all, that was the reason she had come to Silverheart.

――Did she silently go alone because Father told her not to go?

Lucius's mind started racing, and he quickly changed his clothes before rushing out of the room with his sword in hand.

As he ran through the hallway, he ran into Matilda, who had woken up to prepare for the morning.

"Sir Lucius, where are you heading so early in the morning?"

Matilda asked while still in her nightgown.

"Olivia went to the forest alone! We have to bring her back quickly!"

"Huh?"

Matilda, who had just woken up, seemed to have trouble understanding what he was saying.

But there was no time to waste.

"Anyway, please tell Mom and Dad! I'm going to bring her back."

Leaving those words behind, Lucius ran towards the forest in the light rain.

On the bed, it had been about 10 minutes, maybe 20 minutes, since I woke up in a daze.

I regret not realizing it immediately at that time.

I wonder if she has already entered the forest.

Yesterday, Olivia wasn't carrying a sword.

Perhaps  she entered the forest where monsters reside without any weapons.

—An act of suicide.

Among the monsters, there are many who prey on children and women.

Women are seen as vessels for reproduction, and children as tender flesh.

Either way, Lucius knew from experience that she wouldn't meet a good end.

—I need to hurry.

Even though it's summer, it's still before dawn, and the body will chill when soaked in rain.

While warming his trembling body with the heat of running, Lucius reached the edge of the forest, but he didn't cross paths with Olivia along the way.

Upon seeing the mud at the boundary of the forest, he noticed small fresh footprints.

—I didn't make it in time...

Disappointment surged in his mind.

However, he couldn't afford to dwell on it.

What should he do next?

Seeking help from his father, Robert, and returning home seemed like the initial idea.

But Matilda, the maid, should have already taken care of that.

As Matilda's face came to mind, he remembered how she was attacked by goblins on the way back from the "Appraisal Ceremony." Her terrified face, contorted in fear as she was overwhelmed by the goblins, overlapped with Olivia's.

"...There's no time. It's a child's trail; she shouldn't have gone too deep."

Lucius made up his mind and stepped into the forest.

He headed toward the Silverwood Forest, which he had been repeatedly warned never to approach by the adults.

The memory of being attacked by monsters yesterday resurfaced.

It wasn't as scary when he was with his father.

In times of need, Robel always came to his rescue.

But now he was alone.

Whatever happened, he had to handle it all by himself.

His heart chilled at the thought of monsters leaping out from the nearby bushes.

With each step, his desire to get out of the forest as quickly as possible grew stronger.

Still, his determination to move forward didn't stem from courage.

The Dragon family was responsible for managing the Silverwood Forest.

Baron, the noble title that Lucius aspired to, also entailed governing the forest as part of the job.

A child had entered that very forest; there was no other option but to move forward.

Although formally it is now under the jurisdiction of Lord Strauss, in reality, the Dragon family still manages the area. It has always been a challenging place, as even Viscount Gaeden, who once managed it, couldn't handle it well and was quickly replaced.

After walking through the forest for a while, suddenly a girl's scream echoed throughout the entire forest.

"Aaahhh!"

Lucius ran at full speed towards the direction from which the voice had sounded.

How far had he run?

Normally, he wouldn't even be out of breath after running ten laps around the estate. But now, his throat was dry, and he began to breathe heavily through his shoulders. Finally, he caught sight of the girl.

She was desperately running away from something, her sleeves torn, and the skirt of her tunic in shreds. She ran while desperately trying to stop the bleeding flowing from her shoulder. The blood dripped onto the prosthetic hand, the "Beast Rider's Arm," worn on her left hand.

But she was alive.

—Thank goodness.

If he hadn't made the decision not to enter the forest, he might not have made it in time.

With relief, Lucius tightened his grip on the sword he had been clutching since earlier.

Behind Olivia were four hairy figures. Their height was that of adults, but their entire bodies were covered in green fur, and only their shining eyes and dirty claws could be seen beneath the hair.

—Trolls, huh?

Lucius slipped in between Olivia and the group of trolls.

"Lucius!?"

Olivia's surprised voice leaked out.

Ignoring Olivia, Lucius raised his sword. A faint light imbued the blade as he infused it with magical power. He kept the magical power to the necessary minimum to avoid using all his strength, as he wouldn't be able to handle any future incidents if he depleted it completely.

"Step back!"

He wasn't speaking to Olivia.

He was addressing the trolls.

Monsters weren't just beasts. Many of them possessed high intelligence and could communicate with humans. Although their different values and ethical perspectives made successful negotiations rare, they shouldn't be killed simply because they caught one's eye.

In cases where they returned with their companions, like goblins almost always did, minimizing the impact on the entire group might require disposing of a few individuals without hesitation. But that was a special case.

Management wasn't just about killing.

It involved protecting the boundaries.

Lord Robel would say that humans and monsters coexist.

Their power could bring calamity, but it could also bring benefit to humans.

The most significant example was the formula.

If there were no monsters, humans would lose the power of the formula and, at the same time, lose the power to live.

The trolls' movements came to a halt. They made strange cries, "Grooo," repeatedly.

Perhaps it was because of the rain, but a strong bestial smell emanated from the hairy trolls.

"Step back!"

Lucius infused even more magical power into his sword, and the light intensified.

Smoke rose from the trolls' long hair.

One of the trolls bared its fangs and growled.

—Damn, is it not working?

As Lucius aimed his blade forward, the growling troll vanished into the shadows.

The remaining three followed suit and disappeared into the rainy forest.

"Phew, that's a relief."

The forest was unpredictable, and Lucius wanted to minimize the consumption of his magical power and stamina as much as possible.

When he turned around, he saw Olivia sitting on the ground as if her legs had given out. She still didn't possess any weapons.

While feeling relieved by her appearance, anger surged within him.

"Why would you do something so reckless? Do you want to die?"

"..."

Olivia didn't answer. Her expression was tainted with fear, but at the same time, it harbored a strong determination.

Olivia glared at Lucius, pressed her wounded shoulder, stood up silently, and started walking again.

"Hey! Where are you going!?"

Without looking back, Olivia murmured her response.

"...To the griffin."

"Weren't you listening to what my father said? This forest is different now. Strong monsters that usually reside deeper in the forest are appearing near the village. Going to search for them alone at a time like this is as good as seeking death."

"...Many people have already died. And not just recently. I can't just hide in the depths of the castle all by myself."

"What are you talking about?"

Lucius couldn't comprehend Olivia's words.

"Even if you think you've saved me like a hero, you haven't done anything to help. If you want to help the North, then let me go. Lucius Norris Dragon."

Olivia's dirt-streaked face carried a certain nobility that made Lucius feel something.

But that was a separate matter from this.

"That's impossible."

"Then fine."

Olivia started walking again.

"Wait!"

Lucius followed after Olivia and tried to persuade her as they walked through the forest.

Due to the rainy weather, the morning sun hadn't broken through, but the surroundings gradually grew brighter, and it was already well past sunrise.

If they ventured further, they might lose their sense of direction completely.

When Lucius attempted to forcefully take Olivia back with him, thunder rumbled.

Lightning struck a tree very close to Lucius and Olivia.

In the light rain, flames suddenly erupted from the tree.

"It's dangerous."

Despite the rain, the entire forest wouldn't catch fire, but there was a possibility of ignition in the immediate vicinity.

Lucius grabbed Olivia's hand and ran to escape from the flames.

Running aimlessly in the forest was dangerous, but at the moment, they needed to protect themselves. After running for a while, they stopped when the smell of smoke disappeared completely.

As they caught their breath, something pale and bluish passed by them.

Lucius stepped forward to shield Olivia and readied his sword.

—There's something here!

Lucius carefully scanned the surrounding forest.

Then, a nearby thicket rustled.

He tightened his grip on the sword's hilt, wary of slipping in the rain.

Immediately after, a woman dressed in a maid outfit made of white and black fabric emerged from the thicket.

"Huh?"

Upon closer inspection, it was Matilda, the chambermaid.

"Oh, Matilda-san?"

"I'm relieved. I was able to find both Lord Lucius and Lady Olivia."

Matilda let out a heartfelt sigh of relief.

Something shimmering and flying approached near Matilda.

It was a small humanoid with wings.

However, it didn't have the texture of skin or any organic matter; it seemed to be composed of a mysterious energy cluster.

The small humanoid was absorbed into Matilda's right hand.

"I used my familiar to search for Lord Lucius."

"Is that your familiar, Matilda-san?"

"Yes, it's a fairy. But let's leave the forest quickly. I've been sensing the smell of fire and strong magical presence in certain areas since earlier."

"You can sense the presence of magical beings?"

"Yes, fairies are very sensitive to stronger magical beings. They're extremely perceptive to the presence of magical beings stronger than themselves."

Upon closer inspection, Matilda also didn't carry any weapons.

Although she entered the forest unarmed, unlike Olivia, her clothes were untouched despite being dirty.

Having a familiar made such a significant difference.

Humans can only sense external magical power through familiars because they lack organs to detect magic. However, magical beings are born with the ability to sense the magical power in their surroundings.

Maltida's familiar seemed to possess sharp, keen abilities, and her familiar likely had a sharp spell.

"Is my father nearby?"

"No, Lord Lucius hasn't returned since last night. I informed the mistress and immediately came after you, Lord Lucius."

"Why did you, Matilda?"

I really couldn't understand.

"Lord Lucius, I must tell you, even if it scares me."

Matilda took a deep breath.

"You're still a child! Even though you ventured into this forest alone, it's unreasonable to expect adults not to follow you!"

Matilda raised her voice.

Indeed, it was a perfectly reasonable thing to say.

"Yes, I'm sorry."

Satisfied with Lucius's apology, Matilda let out a sigh.

"Now, let's go back."

"..."

Even Olivia, who had just been attacked by a monster, didn't offer any objections.

"Yes, let's go back."

However, the two of them suddenly stopped in their tracks.

"Now, Lord Lucius, please lead the way. I have rarely ventured into this forest."

"Me? But wouldn't it be better to have your fairy guide us, Matilda-san?"

"No, the miasma in this forest is too strong. Even if the fairy can sense it nearby, it won't be able to detect you outside the forest. And even after entering the forest, I searched quite a bit for you, Lord Lucius."

As a prerequisite, Lucius himself had hardly entered the forest.

He mostly dealt with monsters that wandered onto the main road, and his few experiences in the forest were always with Loberl.

There were few landmarks in the forest.

The landscape changed with each passing season.

Even the most reliable landmark, the sun, was currently concealed by rain clouds.

"Probably that way?"

Lucius vaguely pointed in the direction they had been fleeing.

"Are you sure?"

Matilda looked at Lucius with a skeptical gaze.

"...I might not know the way back."

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