Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Witch's Woods
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A million different thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant.
“What the hell is this crazy bastard talking about?”
Seren's irritated voice dismissed one of those possibilities.
“It was you, wasn't it? The one who's been sending those creepy letters ever since I got here. And you even threw in a threat at the end.”
So, they weren't accomplices.
I let out a sigh of relief.
If Seren had really been hiding her true nature, just acting like an idiot, and I had fallen for it completely...
‘I wouldn't have been able to face my fourth martial brother.’
Seren continued.
“I don't know who you are, but if you're tired, stop spouting nonsense and go get some sleep.”
“…You don't know who I am?”
“Nope.”
“Why? From that day on, I've thought only of you, acted only for you.”
“What in the world are you talking about?”
“I was the one who made Ruan Bednicker sell the treasured sword.”
‘What?’
Hariba's words made even me pause.
Obviously, I had no memory of receiving a treasured sword from a guy like him.
“I bribed the servant who was with him and guided information about the treasured sword to his ears. I thought he'd at best just steal it and run, but I never expected him to actually sell it.”
‘Hah…’
To think I'd learn the truth of what happened in my past life like this.
Anyway.
As I watched, I started to get a grasp of the situation.
So that guy, without anyone asking, drove me into a corner on his own and thought he was helping Seren by doing so… what should I call him.
“A pervert?”
A fitting description.
“My Seren. Don't say that. Thanks to me, your engagement to that inferior brat was broken, right? Hmm?”
“What are you saying, you crazy ba—”
“Why!”
He startled me.
“Why are you looking at me with that expression?”
“…”
At this point, I narrowed my eyes.
There are a few types of people you should never associate with in life, and the most prominent among them are the mentally unstable.
Just like that guy.
“Why should I care? I always make this face when I see bastards like you.”
“Don't say that.”
“I don't want to.”
The atmosphere was growing more serious, but even so, I didn't reveal myself.
I thought it would be better to watch how things unfolded a bit longer.
That was definitely my thought.
‘…’
Still, this was Bednicker territory.
It's not that I felt any sense of belonging to this family, but watching someone from the Goodsprings get caught up in Bednicker affairs…
How should I put it.
It didn't sit well with me.
So I just revealed myself.
“…!”
“You!”
The two of them, deep in a serious conversation, looked at me simultaneously.
The attention was a bit much, but I started with a greeting.
“Yeah, it's me.”
“Why are you here!”
“Shouldn't I be the one asking that? This area isn't open to outsiders.”
Of course, it was probably forbidden not just to outsiders, but to me as well…
But there was no way she would know that.
As expected, Seren seemed to have no comeback and shut her mouth.
I looked at Hariba.
“I heard you loud and clear, you son of a bitch. You're so desperate to kill me your eyes are practically rolling back in your head, huh?”
“…Ruan.”
“Yeah.”
“Ruan Bednicker.”
“What is it?”
I felt like I'd had a very similar conversation quite recently.
“Ruaaaan—!”
What's with him all of a sudden?
Hariba suddenly screamed and twisted his entire body bizarrely.
Crack, creak.
A chilling sound echoed from Hariba's body.
It was literally the sound of his bones and muscles twisting.
“Ruaaaaan—!”
What the hell is wrong with him?
Does he have something against me?
‘He does.’
Immediately after, Hariba's body swelled up like expanding rubber, and I was dumbfounded.
‘It's not a curse, though?’
Despite this grotesque phenomenon, I couldn't feel any malevolent energy from Hariba's body.
Right. If he were a demonkin in the first place, he wouldn't have even been able to enter the Bednicker main estate.
Then what was this change happening to Hariba's body?
“Tch!”
At that moment, Seren shot forward.
A gust of wind wrapped around her charging body.
It was a power I knew well.
Seren was using her Blessing.
Whoosh!
The fallen leaves covering the ground scattered violently.
Hariba's eyes were still fixed on me, but it seemed he hadn't completely forgotten about Seren, who had charged right up to him.
In that instant, he swung a fist, now several times its normal size, at Seren.
A direct hit wouldn't end with just a minor injury.
Seren must have thought the same, as she dodged the attack fluidly instead of meeting it head-on.
The violent movement knocked her hood off, and her silver hair swayed.
Whirl. Dodging Hariba's fist with a spin, Seren instantly closed the distance and delivered a magnificent spinning back kick.
Thwack!
“…”
The attack itself was clean.
Just from the sound, I could tell how much power was behind it.
But Seren's expression was grim.
She retreated in an instant, then suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“Huh?”
“This way!”
And just like that, we left Hariba behind and ran through the woods.
“Ruaaaan—!”
The grating voice followed us persistently from behind.
***
Exactly how large the Bednicker main estate was,
no one knew except for the Family Head and the Council of Elders, but I did know it was ridiculously huge, enough to require a carriage to get to distant buildings.
Because of that, I had no idea where exactly on the estate we were now.
‘I think I heard that the northern area doesn't have an outer wall.’
They say if you keep walking, you'll leave the estate grounds and end up in the [Butterfly Forest].
Indeed, the trees and plants around us were growing wild, giving it none of the feel of a garden.
“What about that bastard?”
“I don't know. Can't see him for now.”
“Really? Phew…”
Only then did Seren let out a sigh and release my wrist.
She had gripped it so tightly that it left a mark.
I rotated my sore wrist and asked,
“But why did you run?”
“What kind of stupid question is that? You wanted to fight that monster?”
“We should have at least sized him up. It wouldn't have been too late to run after that.”
“No. It would've been.”
Then Seren looked at me.
As I met her gaze, I could see what she was thinking.
‘She sees me as dead weight, doesn't she?’
I was flabbergasted, but then I realized it was only natural from her perspective.
After all, I'd only ever shown her my pathetic side, like when I was humiliated by Hector.
She must have judged that the risk of fighting Hariba while protecting me on the spot was too great.
“Hey, I know what you're thinking, but I'm not that weak. I'm actually strong.”
“Don't give me that crap.”
“…”
“You think you're something special just because you got a Blessing? Didn't you see that guy's body twisting? He made an ogre look cute. So if you want to live, just shut up and listen to me.”
It was sad that I had nothing to refute her with.
I couldn't exactly fight Seren in a situation like this just to prove my strength.
And speaking forcefully felt awkward too.
I'd vaguely sensed it before, but this girl, Seren.
‘She's kind.’
Her mouth is a bit, no, extremely foul, but.
Anyway, I think she's fundamentally a good person.
Just look at what happened a moment ago.
She could have escaped on her own, but she insisted on fleeing with me, the dead weight.
And she did it for a Bednicker, someone a Goodspring should despise.
‘She's a peculiar one in many ways.’
I'd heard the children of the Goodspring family were all obsessed with maintaining their dignity and refinement, but I saw almost no trace of that in her.
Even her appearance lacked the typical Goodspring feel, and her way of speaking was so rough you'd believe she was a mercenary.
Does she have some kind of backstory?
‘Then again, who doesn't?’
In any case, I decided to listen to Seren for now.
It wasn't just out of gratitude…
Seren Goodspring.
The hero who would one day be called [Silvermoon].
Before that hero had blossomed. I became curious as to how she would handle a crisis like this.
“By the way, where are we? It feels like we've completely left the main estate.”
“Not quite. This is probably the northern sector.”
“What's the northern sector?”
“A place you're not supposed to enter carelessly. I overheard the servants talking. They say a witch lives here.”
“Hah.”
Seren twisted the corner of her mouth.
“A witch on the main estate grounds? Just like the gloomy Bednickers to have all sorts of rumors floating around. As if the Iron-Blooded Duke would ever let that stand.”
Of course, I don't think the rumor is true either, but…
I have no idea why this northern sector has been neglected like this.
If it were a forest beyond the walls, I could understand, but this is still technically part of the main estate.
Seren seemed lost in thought for a moment, muttering to herself.
“Going back is… tricky. We might run into that pervert again. But just waiting here…”
I watched her for a moment before asking.
“By the way, you.”
“…What is it?”
“Do you really not remember who that guy is?”
At my words, Seren paused, then let out a deep sigh.
“…It's not that I don't remember.”
“Then why did you pretend not to know him?”
“Because I didn't want to acknowledge him. He's disgusting.”
I wonder what happened.
When I narrowed my eyes, pressuring her, Seren opened her mouth as if she had no choice.
“Was it two years ago? I met him at the First Prince's birthday banquet at the imperial palace. That's it.”
“Really?”
“…I think I nagged him a bit because he was being all hesitant and annoying, but I don't really remember the details. I have no clue why he's acting like this.”
“Hmm.”
Love at first sight?
It's not entirely out of the question.
After all, Seren is quite pretty.
“Anyway, in this situation…”
I brought a finger to my lips and said,
“Wait, be quiet.”
“What is it?”
“I hear something.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Just listen carefully.”
With a displeased look, Seren clamped her mouth shut and listened.
Clank… clank…
The unpleasant sound of metal grinding against metal echoed.
Finally noticing, Seren was startled.
Without a word, we quickly hid behind a large tree…
A moment later, the source of the unpleasant sound revealed itself.
Clank… clank…
It was a knight.
A knight in black armor was strolling through the woods with a bizarre gait.
‘What is that.’
As I narrowed my eyes at the knight, Seren whispered.
“Hey, that thing…”
“I know.”
The armor the knight was wearing looked unstable, as if it would slide off at any moment.
A person with bones and muscles couldn't take that form.
In fact, an ominous black smoke-like substance was seeping from the joints of the armor.
Is it an undead?
But this is Bednicker territory, isn't it?
And it's not a low-level one, either.
‘If we get caught… this could be dangerous.’
Fortunately, its senses didn't seem to be that sharp, and the creaking knight's figure slowly moved away.
“…How did you hear that? I didn't hear a thing.”
Seren said, her eyes filled with a complex emotion.
“My hearing is pretty good. More importantly, I think the situation is worse than I thought. This place seems really dangerous.”
“Mmm.”
After a moment of thought, Seren spoke.
“…Still, if we just hunker down and wait here, won't people from your family come looking for us?”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, 'why'? A child of the Goodsprings and a child of the Bednickers have gone missing.”
“That's true. But you skipped the banquet today, didn't you?”
Seren answered with a flustered look.
“Well, yes, but…”
“Or did you tell a servant you were leaving before you came out? That you were just stepping out for a bit?”
“…No.”
“Does anyone check on you in your room before you go to bed?”
“…I don't like that sort of thing.”
“Then they won't know you're gone until tomorrow morning, will they?”
“That might be true for me, but you—”
“Haven't you seen how I'm treated? I'm the incompetent of the Bednicker family, the outcast, the madman who sold the treasured sword. They probably won't even notice I'm gone.”
“…”
Strictly speaking, that was a lie.
Others might not, but my mother, Arjan, and Keian would realize I was missing.
“I think it's better if we get out of here on our own.”
“…Isn't that too dangerous?”
“It's the opposite. I predict that getting caught having entered this place is far more dangerous.”
“Why?”
“…”
I kept my mouth shut.
A place absolutely forbidden not only to outsiders but even to members of the family.
A strangely gloomy atmosphere, land with no signs of maintenance.
And crucially, an undead wandering within the family grounds.
Could the Bednickers really be unaware of this situation?
It's more likely that they know but are intentionally leaving it be.
And the absurd thought that followed was…
If we were discovered to have entered this place without permission.
There was a possibility that they might silence not only Seren, but perhaps even me.