tl/n: sorry for the sudden change to the 3rd person, but i’m more comfortable this way…

Nervously, Duroa followed Aaron’s lead.

Fortunately, there was a small cave nearby.

Although the cave was shallow enough that the inside could be seen from the entrance, it was obscured by leaves and bushes, and it was large enough for three people to enter.

“I think something happened. Both of you, please stay here for a bit.”

“All of a sudden?”

“I’ll have to go for a while. Luckily, the nearby beast—”

Aaron said vaguely, putting his hands on his waist.

Following that ominous movement, something huge jumped out of the bushes.

The black figure, which was over two meters tall, looked like a scorpion.

However, before they could properly recognize the strange appearance, the bright blue blade sparked red.

What was supposed to be the neck of the beast fell down and blood splattered everywhere.

Aaron’s platinum blonde hair was now covered in red.

The red liquid flowing down his face along with the rain looked eerie, and he took a deep breath.

It was the first time Duroa saw that cold expression on his face.

Aaron wiped off the blood from his sword and continued from where he was interrupted.

“That was the only one, so it’ll be fine. The beasts are going wild and the other animals won’t come out, but even if they do, the entrance is covered in bushes so you’ll be fine.”

“A beast? Sir Claymore, what do you mean? Are you saying there’s beasts in this forest?”

Without saying a word, he pulled the vines over the entrance of the cave, hiding it even more.

He looked to be in such a hurry that Duroa didn’t even think of catching up to him.

A bizzare beast appeared in the forest suddenly.

Moreover, judging from Aaron’s words, it didn’t seem like there was only one or two.

Duroa wondered,

who did this?

Was it the enemy of the current emperor or someone with a different plan?

The rain was getting stronger.

There was no thunder, but the sound of the raindrops crashing onto the leaves was deafening.

Even at the hour when the sun was at its brightest, the forest was so dark that it seemed as if a huge shadow had been cast over it.

It was already cold because it was winter, but when the rain poured down like a waterfall, she couldn’t help but tremble.

In addition, the unpleasant stench from earlier grew stronger and stronger that even someone with a bad sense of smell could tell that the current situation was ominous.

It was bad in many ways.

Duroa was very anxious, but Alice looked more nervous than her.

Duroa didn’t know what to do. Her hands were shaking and her eyes couldn’t focus on anything.

And eventually.

“I’m sorry, Duroa. I’ll go out for a while.”

Alice’s eyes showed her determination.

“What are you talking about?”

“Kantana is in the forest. We’re not like the Claymore’s. Kantana is an ordinary person who’s never been knighted.”

“The Emperor must’ve attached a secret escort or something. And your sister said she can wield swords before—.”

“You can’t rely on such uncertain speculations!”

“But—.”

“I learned a little bit about magical beasts while looking for black magic. Those beasts weren’t low-level that a regular knight could deal with.”

“What would change if you go?!”

She tried to soothe Alice as calmly as she could, but being in a sensitive state Duroa unconsciously raised her voice.

Instead of answering the question, Alice opened her robe and showed what she was carrying.

There were dozens of magic scrolls attached to her robe, including her amethyst necklace.

There were also some Duroa had seen before.

Attack magic that burns the opponent and defense magic that reflects curses.

As she opened her mouth, thinking of how Alice could afford a mansion with that money, Alice said in a cold voice.

“The beast won’t be able to touch me.”

“…Alice, You.”

“I’m sorry, Duroa. I’ll leave this behind. I won’t be able to sense you around those high-level beasts. It hides your presence from creatures that use black magic.”

Alice wrapped the object around Duroa’s wrist.

It was a bracelet with blue jewels.

According to Alice’s words, it must have been an artifact.

“Don’t worry too much, I’ll return as soon as I make sure Kantana is okay.”

“Alice!”

She called out her name too late as Alice had already run out through the rain.

Watching the back of her robe flutter, Duroa had no choice but to hold onto the bracelet Alice left for her.

With a loud noise, it finally started thundering.

***

‘Kantana, Kantana!’

As Alice ran out of the cave, her head was filled with the name of a single person.

Kantana Limorand.

Her family, who took Alice in when she was struggling from the first day she came to the capital, taught her about feelings that Ernhardt didn’t.

They showed Alice love that Ernhardt never did.

If she could save Kantana from this crisis, it didn’t matter what happened to all the magical tools they’d collected.

It didn’t matter if it was all used up or burned out, they would still be defenseless in front of Nocton Edgar.

As long as she was safe.

Fortunately, Alice knew where Kantana was.

For the dramatic effect of her ritual, she said she would catch the beast in a small temple in the middle of the forest.

It was her first time being in the forest while it was raining, and it was difficult to accurately pinpoint the temple’s location.

But the forest wasn’t that big so if she headed deeper into the very middle of it, she would find Kantana somehow.

Immersed in irrational thoughts, Alice kept walking.

As she headed further into the forest, the number of demonic beasts increased, but there were more items similar to the stealth artifact she gave to Duroa, so they couldn’t see her.

However, from time to time, she tripped on a stone and fell into the mud, scratching her skin on the tree branches.

Even so, Alice, as if possessed by something, ignored her breathlessness and ran endlessly.

Although she didn’t know the way, whether it was a feeling or she just got lucky, Alice finally arrived at the small temple in the middle of the forest.

She was told it was a sanctuary for the Old Gods.

The building made of white wood hadn’t been maintained for a long time, so it was covered with moss and vines.

It was built in a rainforest, so it looked eerie.

It was a bit of a terrifying sight, but Alice looked around intently instead of being distracted by the temple.

‘This way, it must be somewhere around here.’

She grabbed her pounding heart and called out Kantana’s name loudly, but the scream was quickly drowned out by the heavy rain.

Alice stopped crying and held her breath to hear the sounds around her. But that was meaningless, all she could hear was the sound of her breathing, the sound of the rain, and the sound of branches breaking and leaves crumbling as she walked.

She couldn’t see a single trace of Kantana.

‘Where is Kantana? Is she hiding? Has she moved to a safe place? Or, as Duroa said, the emperor must’ve already sent an escort knight…’

As the tension faded and she relaxed, Alice saw something strange in the corner of her eye.

Something could be seen behind the temple.

It looked like purple fire.

There couldn’t have been a fire because it was raining so hard.

What was that?

Alice approached it involuntarily, reaching out to the suspicious phenomenon.

Just before her fingertips touched the fire.

“Alice!”

Someone grabbed Alice’s arm and dragged her away.

Her body was pulled back in the man’s tight embrace.

Her mind, which had been somewhat dazed, was awakened by the sudden movement.

‘Why did I try to touch that?’

She blinked her eyes in embarrassment at her previous actions, but a moment later, Alice realized that she was in the arms of a man she didn’t know and at the same time, she felt a sense of déjà vu.

Alice’s eyes widened.

She had encountered a similar situation before.

“Are you okay?”

It was around the time she was in Ernhardt, before coming to the capital.

As she climbed the ridge behind her to admire the scenery, she inadvertently leaned over it more to try and take a closer look, but when she almost fell, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her in their embrace.

The scent and firm body brushed against the tip of her nose, and the urgent and friendly hands were so rough that Alice could remember the moment as vividly as if she had fixed it with a nail in her mind.

What might have been nothing special was so clear because the person who held Alice’s arm and the person who saved her was Alice’s first love.

Someone’s name rolled off the tip of her tongue.

‘Ed?’

But before she could speak the familiar name, Alice’s body spun around.

The man who had rescued her was now holding her by the shoulders.

Red eyes glowing.

A bright red color that does not dim even in the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the raining forest.

The beautiful color seemed to be mixed with a desperate feeling.

“Calm down, you’ll get caught!”

“…Sir Claymore?”

“That’s right, Lady Limorand.”

With a long sigh, Aaron Claymore released his hold on Alice.

She blinked and slowly lifted her head.

Alice Limorand knew nothing about Ed, clearly.

Because of the anti-recognition magic tool, Alice couldn’t remember his face, voice or physique.

However, she clearly remembered his very knightly tone, the tone which was rare in Ernhardt.

That’s why she has asked Duroa, too.

‘Do knights always speak so… stiff like Sir Claymore?’

Contrary to what she expected when she was in Ernhardt, that the tone of all knights would be the same, when she arrived in the capital, such a tone was not common.

“Lady Limorand? Is there something wrong?”

“Oh, no. How the hell did this happen? That purple smoke…”

“Perhaps it is the source of where that beast suddenly appeared. Someone opened the gate connected to the beast’s lair.”

Alice dropped her shoulders in surprise, looking at the smoke.

She said she wasn’t a wizard, but she studied magic so she knew a little bit about the gates.

Suddenly, she threw herself back.

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Alice trembled as she felt a chill run down her spine.

But if that’s a gate connected to the beast’s lair, shouldn’t it be left alone?

If they make a mistake, beasts can even go to a place where people are…

“Huh?”