An Absurd Situation
Everyone present wore stunned expressions at the ridiculous turn of events. Even the other unicorn that had been nuzzling against Claire. It was that shocking a sight.
The white hide began to dye black. The roughly split horn parted slightly to either side, tracing a curve, and the eyes that had sparkled under the moonlight now gleamed with a yellow light like flames of sulfur.
"…A bicorn!"
Claire unwittingly took a step back. A ferocious monster that loved virgin flesh. Wherever rumors of a bicorn appeared, the young women of that area wouldn't dare step outside.
As the bicorn's entire body turned covered in black fur, the sheen highlighted the striations of its muscles. It was the very incarnation of violence—brutally savage and utterly menacing.
Eden instinctively reached for the axe handle at his waist. What the hell is this now?
He had no idea why a perfectly fine unicorn had transformed into a bicorn, nor was it his business. But Neb, standing so close to it, worried him.
"…?"
Neb looked up at the massive bicorn with question marks practically floating over her face. She still hadn't grasped the situation, her dazed expression oddly endearing. She had no clue why the cute unicorn's color had turned black.
The only one here who knew the truth was the unicorn—no, the bicorn itself.
The choice had been impulsive, but now the bicorn's heart was as calm as the sea. It slammed its head straight into the ground. So deeply that breathing looked labored. It had originally planned to nuzzle affectionately like the other unicorns, but now it felt no such urge.
The bicorn silently awaited the touch of the goddess's hand.
"…Uh, um."
No hostility could be felt. Eden released the axe handle and observed the situation.
Neb swallowed dryly and cautiously extended her hand. She slowly stroked the bicorn's head.
…Contrary to its frightening appearance, the bicorn's fur was incredibly soft. Insanely so.
035. An Absurd Situation
Claire had snapped off the unicorn's horn without any major crisis. She hadn't even needed the iron net; the unicorn had willingly bowed its head to her (a virgin) and offered up a fairly large horn. Apparently, unicorn horns regrew even after breaking. Tough little unicorn.
But a new problem had arisen.
Hiiing.
The bicorn with its two horns had no intention of leaving Neb's side. Even when the knights swung their swords to threaten it, it just snorted dismissively and held its ground.
"Even lowly beasts recognize this goddess's charm. What a nuisance."
Contrary to her words, Neb's face was full of smiles. She seemed to find the bicorn kinda cute after all.
"Eden, how about bringing this one along on our journey?"
Neb looked at Eden with eyes brimming with expectation.
But Eden's decision was ruthless.
"Obviously not."
"…Why?"
Pity stirred at the sight of Neb puffing out her cheeks, but Eden didn't waver.
A bicorn was different from a unicorn. It was a monster, plain and simple. Just having one around would stir up all sorts of vicious rumors.
Eden briefly imagined what traveling with a bicorn would bring.
—How debauched must they be to travel with a bicorn…? Almighty Sun God, have mercy on us.
—W-what is that? A bicorn? And behind it… Eek! A barbarian! R-run!!
—A barbarian traveling with a bicorn…! Hide all the village girls! Hurry!
For some reason, his imaginations kept making the barbarian the bigger problem rather than the bicorn, but Eden didn't let it show. He was used to it.
"Anyway, no means no."
"…Even like this?"
Neb clenched her fist and pressed it to her chin. Less like a Pikachu punch and more like Puss in Boots. Eden's resolve, forged in harsh medieval life, nearly wavered at her sparkling, trembling eyes—but not quite.
In the end, Neb gave up first.
"…You say no, huh."
Upon hearing the goddess's tearful reply, the bicorn snorted and approached Eden. Its massive hooves thudded against the ground. So huge that even Eden, who towered two heads over most men, met its gaze at eye level.
The bicorn shook its mane irritably. How dare this insolent human reject traveling with it. Still, since he seemed close to the goddess (or goddess-like woman), it wouldn't hurt him badly.
The bicorn puffed up its body and thrust its head toward Eden.
Hiiing—!
It stared right into his eyes up close. Utterly threatening. The watching knights instinctively reached for their sword hilts out of habit.
But Eden's reaction was nonchalant. He met the bicorn's gaze with a blank stare. His dark eyes fixed on the insolent beast. No fear in them—just the inorganic look of eyeing a hunk of meat.
…Haven't had horse meat in a while.
As Eden lightly smacked his lips, the bicorn naturally backed away. An instinctual retreat. The barbarian's eyes were like bottomless pits.
Feeling its mane bristle, the bicorn lowered its head.
In the end, the terrified beast could only rely on Neb—but even she couldn't overrule the barbarian.
"I'll come visit again someday…!"
All it could leave was a promise with no set date.
Watching Neb stroke the bicorn's head, Claire spoke with a hint of sincerity.
"Do you plan to come fetch it later?"
"Pigeon-toed it away."
"…Pi, pigeon what?"
"Just mumbling to myself."
Muttering a joke no medieval folk would get, Eden leisurely watched the scene. Neb, no longer stubborn, waved a small hand at the departing bicorn's back.
And so.
As the group returned to camp carrying the broken unicorn horn—the alicorn—Eden sensed a massive horse stealthily trailing them from far away.
"……."
He considered hurling an axe to chase it off but held back. If it became a problem later, he could deal with it then.
Unaware, Neb moped and muttered.
"My Squishy…."
Squishy…, yeah. It also revealed the goddess's naming sense wasn't great.
The journey was remarkably peaceful. Since Eden and the group traveled by carriage, Neb—who hated walking—naturally smiled the whole time.
"A bit disappointing not riding Squishy, though."
She'd clearly planned to ride it if they'd brought it along.
Of course, first-time riders usually suffered muscle aches and pains, but Neb, oblivious, just missed her Squishy.
And the bicorn was still stealthily following from afar.
Anyway.
With knights in heavy armor guarding the carriage, plus servants and squires, no bandits dared interfere.
Eden yawned, savoring this first taste of comfortable medieval travel. Just a tad boring, though.
So he asked Claire, seated ahead of him.
"What's the name of the book you're reading?"
Simple icebreaker.
But Claire's reaction was anything but.
"Y-yes? …I didn't catch that. What did you say?"
Always maintaining her poker face smile, Claire was caught off-guard by the barbarian's strike.
She jolted up about 5cm into the air like a hiccup, slammed the book shut, and covered the title with her small palm. Smooth as silk.
"Asked what the book's called."
Eden had zero ulterior motive. His barbarian senses could've let him peek at the text from afar, but that defeated the point of conversation.
Claire's mind raced. She'd never imagined the barbarian asking this.
For reference, the book was the same as yesterday's: The Beast That Came in Winter.
Claire fought to stay composed. Answered in her usual tone.
Couldn't do much about her pounding heart, though.
"I-it's called The Beast That Came in Winter."
"Ho ho."
Why's her heart racing like that?
Still clueless, Eden grew curious and probed further.
"What's it about?"
Back before isekai-ing to the medieval world, Eden's hobby had been webnovels. He pictured genres a noble lady might read: romance, historical, mystery. Or maybe poetry, unexpectedly.
Claire answered cautiously.
"…A plain romance novel."
"Hm."
Eden nodded, expectations met. From the title, probably a tale of a wild knight's battles and love.
Books were precious in the medieval era. Especially since they recorded all sorts of info. Not as rare as parchment ones, but still a hobby for wealthy commoners or nobles.
"Mind if I borrow it after you're done? If it's not too much trouble."
Claire couldn't respond.
"W-well."
Forget the barbarian reading—the real issue was her tastes getting exposed.
She agonized, oblivious to her own stammering. She'd stayed calmer with arrows whizzing past her head in battle.
Then, mercifully, the carriage halted abruptly.
"—Ungh."
Neb, dozing against Eden, tumbled forward. He caught the nearly colliding goddess safely, then stood to check outside.
"Stay put, just in case."
He seated the dizzy-eyed Neb and warned Claire before stepping out for fresh air.
Just an ordinary forest path. Bandits?
"What's the situation?"
"Well…."
A servant—or squire?—nearby blurted out.
"Looks like a huge tree fell and blocked the road. No storm last night or anything, though…."
Eden peered ahead at the man's words. A massive tree blocked the entire path. Hundreds of years old, at least.
The knights looked troubled. No easy detour in the woods, and brute force wouldn't clear it. Abandoning the carriage would let them pass, but they couldn't ask the Duchess of Ksaruna to ride horseback.
In that moment.
Eden wordlessly trudged toward the fallen tree.
What's he doing?
The knights smirked and watched.
Then their jaws dropped.
"Hup."
With a short grunt, the tree's base lifted. Dirt crumbled, sending faint smoke billowing.
"W-what the."
Strength beyond imagination.
Eden moved to shift the tree aside.
A low voice echoed from somewhere.
Eden turned toward the voice. Everyone else was staring the same way.
At the far end of the massive tree's canopy, an elderly face gazed at Eden. As huge as the tree itself.
"T-tree ghost?"
The monster—or tree spirit—responding to someone's mutter shifted its gaze back to Eden, who held its entire body.
"……."
For now.
Eden set the tree back down.