Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Ashley bit her lips when she came out of the cave. She had seen ominous black clouds on the cave wall a while ago. She had checked it again several times, but there was no other form at all.

I have to hide it. Ashley had properly thought about it for a long time. If I say the truth about the image I saw, bad rumors would spread and my marriage with Hizen would be compromised.

Ashley stopped walking while heading to the carriage, supported by her maids. Then she shouted out loud so that Leasis and the group of knights could hear her.

“I saw a beautiful riplia on the wall of the cave.”

Riplia was a blue flower symbolizing the Dratius family. The maids flatted Ashley to gain her favor.

“As expected, Her Highness the Princess and Count Dratius are meant to be together.”

“The good news will spread to the Empire soon!”

“Hoho. Wow, for sure.”

More, more! Ashley smiled gracefully, ordering with her eyes.

Of course, the already hectic Leasis did not hear her, and Hizen was not interested. Hizen was simply preparing to lead the knights back to the Imperial Palace silently.

The sight made Ashley more anxious. Entering the carriage, she nervously bit her thumbnail.

If she went back to the Imperial Palace like this, she would no longer have an excuse to be with Hizen. She had to postpone her return to the palace at all costs.

Is there a way? When Ashley agonized over it, the superior maid carefully said.

“Your Highness. Two members of the Imperial Elite Knights have been in bad condition since earlier. Why don’t you camp here for the night under the pretext of caring for them?”

“Oh, my. Come to think of it, that kid’s stomach was hurting earlier. But who’s the other one? Oh, never mind.”

Ashley gave up after trying to remember. It did not matter who was sick, as long as that person could allow her to stay one more night here. And Count Dratius would never be sick

“Okay, do it.”

“Yes!”

The superior maid ran straight to Hizen and told him the plan.

Fortunately, Hizen readily accepted it.

“Let’s do that.”

“All right.”

When the superior maid disappeared, Hizen sighed and turned back. In the distance, under a huge tree, Leasis was crouching down.

She was trembling like she was terrified ever since she got out of the cave. Leasis was already covered with blankets and her colleagues’ jackets, including Hizen’s.

Iddahak was next to her, but she was showing no sign of improvement. Her face was pale and her hands and feet were colder than ice.

Hizen’s face looking at her was full of worries. He ordered Max and some knights to prepare for the camp and approached Leasis.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

Leasis replied with a forced smile. Her voice was not sincere, so Hizen’s concerns did not go away.

Hizen bent slightly and caressed Leasis’ cheek. She slowly closed her eyes, feeling the tension getting relieved by his warm body temperature. The mere presence of Hizen by her side seemed to stabilize her.

A friendly voice entered her ears.

“We’re going to camp here today. You’re resting.”

Leasis unconsciously grabbed the hem of Hizen’s clothes as he was raising himself up.

Hizen’s blue eyes grew slightly.

“Leasis?”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Leasis hurriedly removed her hand and looked away. Hizen was worried and embarrassed because she was cute.

Leasis kept staring at the ground like a sinner. Hizen stretched out his arms and hugged her tightly.

He heard a buzzing sound, and Iddahak spit out some swear words next to them, but he did not stop. Hizen said soothingly to Leasis, who was embarrassed.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Whatever it is, I’ll do it in your stead.”

“…”

“Get some rest.”

His friendly words warmed a bit her frozen heart. After hugging Leasis for a long time, Hizen got back up and headed somewhere.

There was a sweet smell at the tip of Leasis’ nose. She mumbled, curled up.

“Yes. Nothing is going to happen…”

Iddahak glanced at Leasis. The faint lingering scent of magic from her belonged to the Yvette family.

‘Did you see the future… I don’t want that.’

Iddahak’s mouth was very bitter. He angrily grabbed the empty pocket in his hand.

Looking at her reaction, he seemed to be right. The evidence was that Leasis was continuing to tremble anxiously, and she could not face Hizen properly.

‘If I had gone inside with her…’

Stupid. Iddahak blamed himself for failing to carry out his plan for fear of being blamed.

“Iddahak.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to go get some fresh air.”

What? Iddahak’s golden eyes blinked. Contrary to his expectations, Leasis quickly got up.

She muttered, folding the uniforms of the knights.

“Nothing will change if I continue doing this. I will do what I can, I will be strong, and I will stay with the Commander-nim.”

Like making a promise, Leasis talked to herself and went into the forest. Iddahak opened his mouth blankly.

Someone’s image seemed to overlap with her back. It was an impressive boy with burning red hair.

[Iddahak. Why are you so down? Nothing will change if you stay still. Start by doing what you can.]

[I don’t care, human.]

[Don’t keep calling me human. I have a very nice name.]

[My name is… Ren Berman.)

The boy had a smile brighter than the summer sun.

[…Ren Berman.)

What is he even talking about? That name is really difficult. Iddahak snorted with a ‘Huh’.

[Berman. I’ll remember that.]

Leasis was practicing swinging her wooden sword deep in the forest. She was out of breath, forgetting all her thoughts. Training herself was the best she could do right now.

“Wow… Noona is so cool!”

Setchen, who had followed her, opened his mouth in admiration. She was like a god of swordsmanship practicing under the soft moonlight.

She wielded her wooden sword like crazy, and fell down. It was too much.

“Noona, Noona. Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

Setchen hurriedly ran to Leasis and helped her stand. She took a rough breath, thanking him.

Somehow his face got heated up. Setchen looked down with a cough. After Leasis became a knight, she was cooler and more beautiful.

Setchen stretched his hand and wiped the sweat off Leasis with his sleeve. She took a deep breath at the touch.

The forest was unusual. It was too quiet, and it was covered by a strange atmosphere.

Rumble. The ground vibrated slightly.

What was this sound? Leasis slowly closed her eyes and focused on the vibrations. Setchen was also puzzled, but he followed her and looked around.

Rumble.

The two turned their heads to the left at the same time. A huge skeleton soldier appeared among the trees soaring into the sky.

“What the hell is that?”

In the hand of the skeleton soldier, who had only bones left, was an old sword bigger than a human, and black smoke was slowly rising from its body. An unknown glow was coming out of the gemstone stuck in its head.

A supreme monster. Leasis’ expression hardened as she recognized its identity at once. She jumped up and blocked Setchen’s front, who was terrified.

“Cover my back.”

Setchen noticed that the situation was going strangely, and quietly lifted his sword.

Krrrr… Standing in front of the nervous two, the skeleton smiled strangely, twisting its mouth. Leasis’ sword shone with white energy.

The skeleton soldier swung his arm like a pillar. She bit her lips to the point of bleeding and stopped the attack with her sword. Then she quickly leaped to the other side and lowered the skeleton’s arm with her wooden sword.

Boom!

With an explosive noise, the wooden sword aimed at the skeleton soldier was half broken.

Leasis took a step back, biting her lips, and then swung again her sword.

However, all her blows were useless because of the strong defense of the skeleton soldier. Her wooden sword that hit the soldier’s sword and bones could not withstand the shocks, lost its shape, and shattered.

Leasis remembered a fact. The supreme monsters could only be killed by the hands of a swordsman like Hizen. However, it was impossible for her to completely use an intangible sword.

‘Then if I attack at the same time as Setchen with a real sword…

Leasis was always carrying a real sword to her waist that Hizen had given her. Of course, Hizen had ordered her not to use it, but under the current circumstances, it was better to disobey than to die.

Leasis was aware of the seriousness of the situation, so she pulled out the real sword right away.

Click. The sharp cry of the metal and the heavy weight gave her goose bumps.

She stepped back and shouted as hard as she could, while avoiding the skeleton soldier’s attack.

“Target its head! When I give the signal, we have to hit it at the same time!”

“Okay!”

Leasis and Setchen stood on either side of the skeleton and pointed their swords at it. The swords of the two emitted white and blue lights, and were aiming at the skeleton’s gaps.

The skeleton soldier alternated between the two and laughed wickedly. When the skeleton swung a sword at her, Leasis shouted.

“Now!”

Clank!

The attack on the skeleton soldier’s forehead failed when he blocked it with both arms. The two retreated and sought a gap again.

Tap tap.

The two turned their heads at the sound of leaves being stepped on. Was it Iddahak?

“Leasis, Setchen.”

But it was Hizen, walking leisurely. He narrowed his eyes, looking alternately between the skeleton soldier and the two.

“I don’t think this is the campsite.”

“C-Commander-nim…”

The two were sweating profusely and apologized. Hizen sighed with one hand on his forehead. They’re the ones I can’t take my eyes off for a second.

Krrrr… The skeleton soldier laughed unpleasantly at Hizen’s appearance. But the two smiled triumphantly. They could not be afraid with the strongest knight next to them.

Hizen stared at the two with his arms folded. He looked like a spectator.

“What are you doing?”

“…What?”

“That guy. What are you doing without cleaning it up?”

“What? Aren’t you helping us?”

When asked by Setchen, Hizen said coldly.

“Do your own work.”

“…I see.”

His words were not playful, so the two raised their swords again. But something was different.

Just now, the fear of death, which had been creeping on their backs, had completely disappeared. Just Hizen watching them gave them confidence.

Hizen carefully looked at the two rushing to the skeleton soldier. Setchen’s skills had been tested just a few days ago, but he could see that Leasis had grown a lot. Stable movements, breathing, excellent situational judgment, and swordsmanship.

He even thought that if he teached her well, she would surpass him.

‘A rival… is it?’

His blue eyes shone with interest. He looked closely at her, who was using a real sword against his orders.

She had not lost her mind like before. But rather…

“Setchen, now!”

Her red eyes burned darkly. She shouted a short word and hit the skeleton soldier’s head with Setchen.

Boom!

Black smoke spread through the forest with the sound of something exploding.