Chapter 21: The Agony of Lord Strauss

“Well, I suppose there’s no help for it. As an adult, I need to be responsible.”

Matilda once again summoned a fairy from her right hand.

A small creature, resembling a mass of energy, flew out.

Matilda then spoke to the fairy.

“Tink, which direction has fewer monsters?”

The fairy flew around for a while, then pointed in one direction and transformed into particles, being absorbed into Matilda’s right hand.

“Let’s go that way.”

Matilda began moving in the direction she indicated.

—Indeed, it seems reasonable.

Matilda’s magic allowed her to sense the presence of monsters in her surroundings.

Naturally, fewer monsters meant less danger.

Furthermore, my father, Robel had mentioned before that the farther they went into the forest, the more monsters there would be. So, the direction with fewer monsters was likely to lead to the village in the opposite direction from deep into the forest.

Olivia followed reluctantly, a step behind Lucius and the others.

The rain continued.

Though it didn’t directly fall on them due to the shelter provided by the forest trees, some things still got wet. It was fortunate that it was summer. If it were a colder season, they might have been immobilized by this point.

Olivia looked around, searching for clues.

“Are you still looking for the griffon?”

“Yes,” Lucius sighed.

Perhaps based on the rumors that powerful monsters were emerging even in the shallow parts of the forest, he believed there was a possibility of encountering a griffon even in a location close to the village.

After that, conversation became sparse, and they walked in silence.

Their stamina was limited.

Everyone refrained from speaking and simply continued their march.

However, they still didn’t reach the village.

By the time the sun began to set, everyone started to think that something was definitely wrong.

Thanks to Matilda’s magic, they rarely encountered monsters, but they couldn’t leave the forest.

This was not a simple predicament.

They were completely lost.

And they were in a forest teeming with crawling and wriggling monsters.

Nevertheless, fortunately, the three of them quenched their thirst with spring water from the forest and managed to satisfy their hunger with autumn fruits like figs and peaches, although they lacked sweetness.

In the evening, the surrounding light gradually disappeared.

“Matilda-san, let’s spend the night in the forest today. It’s dangerous to walk in the darkness of the night.”

“…You’re right.”

Matilda’s face, with her approval, clearly showed signs of fatigue.

Olivia, on the other hand, lacked the vigor she had in the morning due to tension and exhaustion.

The worst-case scenario would be to prepare for camping after the sun had completely set.

They would have to find a safe place in the darkness, without any light.

There was even a possibility of unknowingly camping in the feeding ground of the monsters.

And in that case, there was no need to mention what the food would be.

“Please wait here.”

Lucius searched the surroundings.

He was looking for a place where they could take shelter from the rain and hide from the monsters.

After about 10 minutes of searching, he found a hollow in a silver tree, where a person could fit if they bent their knees.

Indeed, it was a famous silver tree as a great tree. The size of the hollow was extraordinary.

While gathering fallen branches around, night fell at last.

Even though their hands couldn’t be seen, they hurriedly created a cover using branches and vines to completely conceal the hollow.

“Lucius-sama, that’s amazing. I never thought of hiding in the hollow of a silver tree.”

The guidebook I read in my previous life mentioned that small animals

The idea itself is something that would come to mind quickly if you knew about it, but there wouldn’t be anyone crazy enough to camp in a forest inhabited by monsters. It’s innovative, to say the least.

“…Well, we can’t just sleep on the ground.”

The three of them huddled together and entered the tree hollow, sealing the entrance with a lid.

It was crude, but it was better than nothing.

Being attacked by monsters while sleeping would be unbearable. It’s better to hide as much as possible.

In the summer forest, insects were buzzing in a grand chorus, but Lucius woke up early in the morning, causing his eyelids to feel heavy.

Matilda was fumbling around beside him, but he was too sleepy to be bothered.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, Matilda whispered in his ear.

“Lucius-sama, please take off your clothes.”

He couldn’t believe his ears.

“Huh? Why?”

“Wet clothes steal away heat. Despite it being summer, it can harm your body.”

Matilda was right.

The clothes that had been rained on all day were soaking wet.

He hadn’t noticed it while he was moving around, but when he stayed still, he felt the cold.

However, being completely naked was embarrassing.

“I’ve already undressed.”

He couldn’t see anything in the darkness, but he could only sense Matilda’s warmth against his skin.

And Matilda continued speaking.

“Olivia-sama too.”

“W-What? I’m fine!”

Her voice revealed her embarrassment, enough to know that she was blushing.

“No, you can’t. Rather than risking your life, it’s better to do something and not collapse due to lack of self-care.”

Matilda responded with a resolute attitude.

“Uuuu..”

Reluctantly, Lucius and Olivia took off their wet clothes.

“Absolutely don’t look over here.”

Olivia warned Lucius.

However, it was complete darkness.

Moreover, a 10-year-old child wasn’t of any interest.

“I know.”

Everyone had been awake since early morning, with Olivia having pulled an all-nighter. After walking throughout the day, they had little time for conversation. They huddled together in their natural state, falling into a deep sleep, like mud.

The next day, when Lucius woke up, Olivia and Matilda were already not in the tree hollow.

In case of any unexpected situation, Lucius pushed aside the lid and hurriedly went outside, where he found the two of them in the middle of getting dressed.

“Go over there!”

Olivia tossed Lucius his clothes.

“Ah, okay.”

Not knowing how to respond, Lucius accepted the clothes and reluctantly went around to the back of the tree.

The thought of spending another day in wet clothes was disheartening, but the clothes that had been hung overnight had dried.

Taking advantage of this, he put on the clothes and spent some time passing before heading to the front, where Olivia and Matilda had finished preparing.

In the morning, the rain had stopped, but it was still cloudy.

The position of the sun remained unclear as ever.

– Today as well, there seems to be no choice but to walk towards the direction with fewer monsters.

Just as he was starting to give up, a strong light briefly illuminated the surroundings from a distance.

It was only for a very short time, but a ray of sunshine peeked through the clouds.

“Matilda-san, did you see that just now?”

“Yes, I saw it. That direction must be east.”

Just to be sure, Matilda called upon the fairy’s guidance to confirm.

“It seems there are fewer monsters in that direction, and the orientation matches.”

The direction where the sunlight flickered earlier is likely the direction of the village.

Relieved that they might somehow make it without being stranded, Lucius felt a surge of energy.

“Let’s hurry!”

While Olivia couldn’t completely let go of her lingering regrets, she seemed to hold conflicting feelings of resignation.

But in the end, all they could do was keep walking.

The three of them started walking towards the direction where they saw the light.

Meanwhile, an uneasy atmosphere pervaded the Dragon mansion.

“Lord Dragon, can you explain?”

Count Strauss, his wife, and his attendants, who had just arrived, crowded into Baron Dragon’s office.

Lord Strauss, who was whispered to have lost his fangs in recent years, appeared unexpectedly grim and serious.

They sat on facing sofas, leaning forward for the meeting.

Robel, looking somewhat worn-out, responded.

“Miss Olivia disappeared yesterday morning in the Silverwood Forest.”

“And then?”

“We are currently gathering the village’s sorcerers and forming search parties.”

“I didn’t ask for that! I’m asking where Olivia is right now!”

“I still don’t know.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Find her quickly!”

Robel’s eyes filled with anger.

“…Is that all?”

“What?”

“My son Lucius followed Miss Olivia, who sneaked out of the mansion alone, into the forest. Even one of the maidservants did the same. Moreover, at a time when something ominous hangs over this forest.”

“If we trace it back further, it’s because you failed to properly monitor, isn’t it?”

“Well then, let me say this too! It’s because Lord Strauss failed to rein in that wild horse!”

“What do you mean by wild horse!?”

“A wild horse, of course!”

They grabbed each other by the collar.

“Robel, calm down.”

“Dear, this is not the time for a fight.”

Their respective wives interjected.

“Be quiet.”

“Both of you, be silent.”

Intimidated by the two women, they released their grips on each other.

“Truly, men are useless in times like these.”

“Absolutely.”

The two women sipped their tea.

Lady Strauss spoke up.

“So, do you think my daughter is still alive?”

Emily answered in a calm tone.

“While it would be ideal if my son and the maid could reunite with your daughter, it is likely that she is still alive. My son is only ten years old, but he is level-headed and capable. He won’t fall behind if they encounter low-level monsters, and he won’t act recklessly. Additionally, the maid has keen sensing abilities. Unless they come across significantly powerful monsters, they should be able to avoid unnecessary combat.”

“We must sincerely thank Lucius and the Dragon maid.”

“However, we must not jump to conclusions. I inquired with knowledgeable individuals in the village, and they emphasized that survival is a race against time. There are concerns about declining stamina, provisions, illnesses, and injuries. If they exceed five days, the chances of survival become bleak. Moreover, there is an unsettling presence in the forest.”

Lady Strauss maintained a composed expression as she continued speaking.

“Then let us organize a large-scale search party tomorrow or the day after. We won’t spare any expenses. Everything will be provided by our family. We should also request assistance from neighboring lords.”

“Wait! Hold on!” Lord Strauss’s face clouded over.

“If we do such a thing, our disgraceful conduct will become known to everyone. The heiress of the Norris Windsor family, who governs the northern region, running away and failing to obey the orders of the local lord, only to get lost in a forest infested with monsters. And to top it all off, involving the heir of the local lord.”

It doesn’t matter if the family name is damaged.

However, his daughter Olivia’s path to the throne is doomed.

Even Lord Strauss does not seriously believe that his daughter will be able to win the throne.

However, it is perfectly healthy for the heiress of a great noble family to seek advancement in politics.

If she can grab even one of the country’s most important positions as a result, the future of the north may even be connected, albeit by a thin thread.

He thought it would be a good idea to have her step down at some opportune moment, before she became the target of an attempt on her life.

Until then, he intended to support his 10-year-old daughter’s dreams in the shadows. But only to the extent that it would not affect her life.

However, the recent disaster was too ugly to be true.

Who would want to entrust the future of the country to a person who loses even her own way, even after being told to do so by those around him?

If people found out, her dreams and the future of the North would be completely shut down.

“Which is more important to you, Olivia’s life or the fate of the North?”

“That’s …….”

Lord Strauss hesitated, torn by the decision.

“I would choose Olivia’s life without hesitation.”

“But…”

For Lord Strauss, who oversees the northern region, it was a difficult choice. It was akin to saying that for the sake of one’s family, everything else, including other nobles and subjects, did not matter. Moreover, just like he once did, other nobles were swallowing their tears and sending their children to the battlefield.

Neither option was right or wrong. It was a matter of what one deemed important.

As Lord Strauss wrestled with his thoughts, Emily bowed her head.

“Lord Strauss, I beg you. Please save my son Lucius and the maid Matilda. You have the power to do so.”

Lord Strauss bit his lip.

“That’s why you’re no good. You’re a Windsor. You should bounce back from such a minor scandal.”

Lady Strauss piled on the pressure.

There was never really a choice.

If his daughter were to die like this, it would be a disgrace and a loss of honor. Even if her future and the future of the northern region were closed off, living was paramount.

“…Understood.”

Lord Strauss made a bitter decision.

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