Ch.106Promise Keeper (4)

Cold, afraid… lonely.

These were the emotions I was feeling right now.

I couldn’t even tell where I was. Whether I was still in the Naita Forest where I had been attacked, or if I had fled to a different forest while escaping.

I had no time to worry about any of that. I was simply running away.

I didn’t even know how many nights I’d spent in this forest. Running whenever I heard the pursuit team, stuffing anything edible into my mouth while fleeing, finding places to hide and catching brief naps—I didn’t care whether it was day or night.

The one fortunate thing was that today I had found a place that seemed truly safe. A large tree on a steep slope. I laid my body down in the small space that appeared after climbing up the tree.

From here, I could spot anyone approaching from a distance, and even if someone did come… well, I could put up a fight for a while.

The sun hadn’t completely set yet.

I removed my equipment piece by piece from my tired body and examined myself.

“….Hah.”

It feels like just yesterday I was full of stab wounds, and now I’m a mess of injuries again.

Fortunately, there were no major wounds that would be life-threatening… but the number was concerning. With injuries all over, I worried about blood loss. The wounds had fortunately clotted and stopped bleeding, but they could easily reopen with the slightest exertion.

I unwrapped the bandage I had tied around my leg a few days ago.

“……Huff..”

The injury on this leg was my biggest concern. I wasn’t a doctor, but… it was clearly not in good condition. It seemed to be festering, with fluid oozing out… and the color was extremely dark.

I needed to see a doctor quickly. The only silver lining was that the wound was only about a finger’s length and not particularly deep. I could still walk, and that was the most fortunate thing.

I slowly relaxed my body and began to rest.

As the heat of battle cooled, the pain from my injuries intensified, but… I still needed to rest like this.

I didn’t know how much longer this situation would continue.

My first goal was to escape the forest, evading Shallon Payne’s pursuit, and head to the nearest city.

How did my plan to go to the Hexter Family turn into this…?

…No, I should be grateful to be alive.

It was a miracle that I survived that day.

Clearly, the battle had gone much more smoothly than expected.

When Shallon Payne ordered the attack and three of the guards were taken down instantly, the remaining guards fought desperately, and we were able to hold our ground.

After I took down three of the Payne Family’s soldiers, the guards who had begun to respect me started following my orders, and with better organization, the momentum gradually shifted in our favor.

Though defeat still seemed likely, the enemy was struggling.

But then Shallon Payne intervened again.

She ordered our desperate guards to sacrifice me, and they betrayed me without hesitation.

That change in their eyes is still etched in my mind. Especially… Yoren’s eyes.

I thought we had become quite close, sharing meals and stories… but in the face of death, it all meant nothing.

Thinking about it now, I can’t really blame him. It was foolish of me, but still.

Everyone except me surrendered and laid down their weapons, then moved over to Payne’s side. Immediately after, Shallon, who had no intention of keeping her word, ordered their execution.

She exploited the gap of anxiety in their hearts and took their lives.

From that point on, I thought I had no chance of winning… I was about to give up.

But several faces flashed through my mind. Even the words we had exchanged came back to me.

The promise to meet Judy again.

The promise to return to Daisy.

And the promise I thought was already broken—to be a pillar of support for the twins.

Perhaps it was all just an excuse. Maybe I just recalled those memories to squeeze out the strength to fight because I didn’t want to die.

Either way, when I thought of them, my body began to move again. As if I had taken some kind of drug, the pain and fatigue disappeared.

After that, I kept running.

I quickly subdued a Payne soldier right in front of me and thrust my sword into his body.

The soldier grabbed my sword even after being stabbed, forcing me to abandon it.

That was actually better for someone on the run. It was better to decide on one thing—either fight or flee.

And that brings me to now.

I’m still alive, but I can’t say I’m in good condition.

Neither mentally nor physically.

With things having gone this way, I’ve newly realized how important it is to have someone by your side.

I wonder if I was always this kind of person.

I thought I would prioritize my life and focus on how to overcome this crisis.

But what I’m longing for now are the people who stood by me.

Someone to tend to my wounds when I’m hurt, bring me food, offer encouraging words, and worry about me.

I miss these things.

I realized this was the first time I’d been suffering alone since being transported to this world.

I haven’t been sick that often, but whenever I was, the twins took such good care of me… I was quite shaken by the difference.

If I were to close my eyes and never open them again, would anyone find my body?

Would anyone miss me?

Judy and Daisy would probably miss me.

But the twins…? We parted on bad terms, so wouldn’t they feel relieved that I’m dead?

Deep down, I knew they would be very sad, but… my body’s weakness seemed to have weakened my mind as well. Why else would I be having such thoughts?

I feel regret too. I didn’t expect to feel this way so soon, but the threat of death changes everything.

If I were to really die like this—for example, if the wound on my leg festered and I suddenly didn’t wake up the next day.

Wouldn’t I regret parting with the twins this way? Our relationship may be broken, but we were incredibly close for ten years. We were healthy nourishment for each other’s growth.

That past will never change. So for such beautiful memories to end like this…

My eyes gradually closed. My body was too exhausted. I began to fall into a deep sleep, a sleep without any dreams.

****

I opened my eyes to the sound of rustling.

The first thing I felt upon opening my eyes was a deep chill. The forest was now embracing the night and beginning to reveal its sharp claws.

It wasn’t just Payne’s soldiers I had to be wary of in the forest. Wild animals and poisonous insects were all equally dangerous.

I raised my upper body and turned to survey my surroundings.

Sure enough, soldiers carrying torches like will-o’-the-wisps were visible here and there.

I didn’t need to confirm that they were Payne’s soldiers; it was obvious.

Another rustling sound was heard.

I held my breath. This sound came from surprisingly close by.

Again, I slowly moved my body to look in the opposite direction.

Two soldiers were passing by at close range.

I could hear their conversation.

“…Sigh… Shouldn’t we consider that we’ve lost him by now? We’ve been searching for four days already.”

“…You idiot, do you still not understand how serious this is? We need to catch that guy if we want to live…!”

“…I know, damn it..! But… I just wonder how things ended up like this.. That guy, isn’t he Caden Praester?”

“Yes…! Caden Praester, I tell you, Praester! Don’t you know the Praester Family?”

“No, I’m asking because I do know. He’s no longer a Praester, is he? In every city, there’s news that he’s been expelled from the family, so why are Praester soldiers here? Shouldn’t he be unrelated to them now…?”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

Praester soldiers? Had they heard news about me from my homeland? This quickly…?

“I don’t know. Looking at the situation, that doesn’t seem to be the case, which is the problem. Either way… right now, we’ll die if we’re caught by the Praester soldiers, and we’ll die if Caden Praester lives. We have to hope that he’s either dead somewhere in this forest or that we catch him….. Sigh, if I had known things would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have messed with him…”

“…Bullshit. Was that your choice? What else could we have done? We do what we’re told. If you want to blame someone, blame Shallon Payne…. No matter how vengeful she felt… we need our heads attached, don’t we…”

“If we had taken him out in one go, this problem wouldn’t have happened. Besides, how could Lady Shallon have known the Praester Family would react like this? Everywhere you go, there’s news of his expulsion, and originally that Caden was a commoner… I thought they had abandoned him, how could they think differently?”

“….Are you still defending Shallon Payne even as we’re about to die? Oh my, will she spread her legs for you if you do that?”

“Who says I’m going to die? Find that guy, kill him, and get out of here. If you want to give up, go ahead and offer your neck. If the Praester Family finds out the Payne Family is behind this…. you know how they’ll react.”

“……What’s the use? Let’s just find him quickly. While the Praester soldiers are searching the Naita Forest.”

They soon passed by me.

Besides them, many torch-bearing soldiers came and went, forcing me to remain hidden while holding my breath.

****

My eyes opened suddenly. I hadn’t realized I had fallen asleep. Startled by the fact that I had dozed off without knowing, I raised my head, but surprisingly, I had no strength in my body compared to before I fell asleep.

Crawling, I pulled my body to survey the surroundings. Dawn was beginning to cast a blue light, and there was no one around.

First, I was extremely thirsty. Before running away, I needed to moisten my throat. Having survived a day, it was time to leave this shelter.

With difficulty, I began to climb down the tree.

Then the world spun, and strength left my grip. The soldiers last night had said four days… now it was five. After five days of fighting, running, and not eating properly, my body was reaching its limit.

-Thud.

I came down from the tree, almost falling.

And then, a chilling voice was heard.

“Found him!!”

Before I could identify who it was, I stood up with my dizzy body. Giving up here would mean death.

In that moment, I saw the people who were believing in my promises.

As I started moving my stiffened body, it began to loosen up. My body, which had been creaking and refusing to move, became fluid again.

I began running through the forest as always.

.

.

.

.

How long had I been running?

My vision was flickering, and my legs were gradually giving out. The pain throughout my body was returning.

I thought I had escaped far enough, but one pursuer stubbornly stuck to me.

“…Haa…haa…”

I eventually stopped running. Actually, it could be said I stopped walking.

I couldn’t move anymore.

Sitting down on the ground, I looked at the person chasing me.

Seeing me sitting down, he too stopped rushing.

He placed his hands on his knees and caught his breath for a while.

How much time had passed?

Silently, he drew his sword and began walking toward me. This was the extent of our relationship. I didn’t know this man’s name or story, but no conversation was necessary. We were in a relationship where we would take each other’s lives.

Just because I sat down didn’t mean I had given up. I simply couldn’t squeeze out any more strength to run.

I racked my brain for what to do.

When he first swings his sword, I’ll have one chance.

Can I predict the direction of his swing? No, can I muster the strength to block and counterattack?

The soldier was still panting as he walked toward me.

He raised his sword high.

-Thud thud thud thud…

Simultaneously, the ground trembled.

It was a sound that neither of us, exhausted as we were, could hear.

“…Goodbye. Don’t resent me.”

Perhaps aware of our strange relationship, he spoke calmly.

And at that moment, a cry tore through the forest.

“Caden!!”

As I turned my head, a massive black horse appeared before my eyes and kicked the soldier in front of me with its front hooves.

The shocked soldier was instantly sent flying, crashing into a nearby tree and collapsing. But the black horse didn’t stop there.

It trampled the fallen soldier, not stopping until he lost consciousness.

Gradually, I could recognize the identity of this violent horse.

“….Rush?”

While I was looking at Rush, someone leaped down from the horse.

She immediately knelt in front of me as I lay collapsed, and held my cheeks.

“Found you..”

And then she pressed her lips against mine.

“……”

For a long time, we shared our breath. Her soft tongue moistened my dry mouth.

“…Haa..”

As the long kiss ended, she pulled away from me and exhaled her breath softly onto my face.

Then, in a voice that seemed about to cry, she whispered.

“…..I knew you’d be alive, Caden….I knew you’d be alive..”

Her voice was full of relief. Contrary to what she said, it was a voice overflowing with worry.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. The face I least expected to see here was right in front of me.

“….Judy.”

As I called her name, teardrops began to fall from her eyes. She held my face to her chest.

“…Why did you make me keep my promise!!”

She cried out as if throwing a tantrum.

Our promise to meet again. It was Judy who had kept it.