Chapter 17

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“Huff, huff…!”

Ed ran frantically.

What on earth was happening now?

He had been fishing with some kids he met by chance in the forest when suddenly, Hoff tried to attack him.

Hoff had swung his sword, trying to kill him.

Ed couldn’t understand why Hoff, his own bodyguard knight, would do such a thing, but what happened next was even more important.

The moment Hoff swung his sword, something wrapped itself around Ed.

It was a cold, slithering black figure, seemingly trying to protect Ed from Hoff’s blade.

Ed stared at the black figure in shock.

It looked like a demon.

A demon made entirely of black shadows.

Could it be the monster that was said to roam nearby?

Ed’s face turned pale as he stared at the creature.

The overwhelming fear it exuded made him feel like he might wet himself.

And Ed wasn’t the only one terrified.

“Ah, ahhh!!”

Hoff also screamed and began to run away.

Ed was slightly shocked to see Hoff, the dependable bodyguard knight who had protected him since childhood, abandoning his sword and fleeing.

Thud-

But Hoff didn’t get far before the demon-like creature grabbed him by the ankle.

He was dragged back, and the creature devoured his head.

With a crunch, Hoff’s body went limp.

“Ugh, it’s a monster!”

“Run!”

The kids who had been fishing together screamed and ran away.

Of course, Ed ran too.

He was so scared that his body wouldn’t move properly, but if he stayed still, he felt like the demonic creature would devour his head just like it did to Hoff.

“Huff, huff…!”

Ed ran desperately.

He was running so frantically that he didn’t know where the kids had gone. He didn’t even know which direction he had run to.

Thud!

His ankle got caught in a vine.

Ed was flung forward and tumbled down the forest path.

As he rolled, his body hit various things, and finally, his head struck a rock.

Fortunately, the custom-made armor from the castle prevented him from getting seriously injured.

“Ugh…”

Ed grimaced as he got up.

The armor was dented, making it hard to move.

Eventually, he threw it off.

His body felt lighter, and a strange sense of relief washed over him.

“Phew…”

Ed looked around.

The area was densely overgrown, and there was no sign of a path.

It seemed he had wandered deep into the forest, where no one usually went.

‘What happened to the kids…?’

Ed began to worry about the children.

It seemed he had managed to escape, but he had no idea what had happened to them.

‘I hope they’re safe…’

Even though they were of different social statuses and hadn’t known each other for long, Ed already considered them friends.

‘And that girl…’

Ed thought of Lucy.

She had striking white hair and red eyes, but she was incredibly beautiful.

She seemed even prettier than his half-sister Ellie, who was rumored to be the most beautiful in the castle.

‘Though her expression was a bit stern…’

Ed’s face flushed slightly as he thought of Lucy.

‘Oops.’

But Ed quickly shook his head to snap out of it.

Now wasn’t the time to be blushing while thinking about a girl.

‘I hope she’s safe too…’

Ed started walking.

He didn’t know exactly where he was, but if he kept moving forward, he was bound to find his way out.

After pushing through the bushes for about ten minutes,

“Grrr…”

A low growl came from ahead, and Ed stopped in his tracks.

“…”

Cold sweat dripped down Ed’s back.

A pair of yellow eyes stared at him from between the bushes.

Slowly, the figure revealed itself.

It was a large gray wolf.

“Gasp.”

Ed swallowed hard. His heart began to race.

‘Calm down… I need to slowly back away…’

Ed slowly stepped back.

Then he stepped on a twig.

Snap-

The wolf’s ears perked up.

The next moment,

“Growl!”

The wolf lunged at Ed.

“Ahh!”

Ed screamed and rolled to the side.

The wolf’s sharp claws grazed his clothes.

Had it been a good idea to take off the armor?

‘I need to run!’

Ed jumped up and started running.

This was already the second time today he was being chased.

Branches scratched his face, but Ed ignored them and kept running.

Surviving was his top priority now.

“Help! Is anyone there?!”

Ed shouted desperately, but there was no response.

Only the wolf’s growls grew closer.

“Huff, huff!”

Ed ran with all his might.

After a while, he broke through the bushes and arrived at a small hill.

“…”

The sight before him was pure despair.

Below the hill was a steep cliff.

Ed turned around, tears welling up in his eyes.

The wolf was slowly approaching.

Ed stepped back to the edge of the cliff.

Behind him was a deep abyss, and in front of him was the wolf.

Ed clenched his eyes shut.

Was this the end?

Then, he heard a neighing sound.

It sounded like a horse.

When Ed opened his eyes again, something pale broke through the bushes.

“?!”

It was a giant horse.

Its entire body was made of white bones, and its eyes glowed with a flickering blue light.

On the horse’s back was a girl.

The girl who had made Ed’s face flush.

It was Lucy.

Lucy looked at Ed and said,

“Hi.”

◈

By the riverside, Lucy tilted her head as she watched Hoff draw his sword.

Hoff’s expression was unusual.

He wore a grim look, as if he was about to do something terrible.

Hoff approached Ed and raised his sword high.

“Stop.”

Lucy shouted at Hoff.

Of course, she didn’t expect him to listen. She just wanted to buy a little time.

Hoff glanced at Lucy briefly, and in that moment, Lucy summoned Amon.

At the same time, she conveyed her will to Amon.

‘Protect that child.’

Amon moved swiftly.

The moment Hoff swung his sword, Amon wrapped himself around Ed.

Hoff’s sword struck Amon’s body.

Clang—!

“Keke…”

Amon wasn’t harmed at all. He simply deflected the sword with ease.

Lucy conveyed her will again.

‘Deal with that thing.’

Amon’s red eyes flashed.

“Keke, what a delicious-looking head.”

“A-Ahh!!”

Hoff, terrified, tried to run away. But Amon quickly reached out and grabbed his ankle.

Crunch—

Amon devoured Hoff’s head in one bite.

“Ugh, it’s a monster!”

“Run!”

Peter and Sam also started running. Ed, his face pale, hurriedly fled as well. Of course, Amon didn’t bother chasing the children.

“Lucy, let’s go!”

Peter and Sam grabbed Lucy’s hands and ran.

“If we stay here, the monster will eat us!”

Lucy ran along with Peter and Sam for the time being.

As she ran, she dismissed Amon’s summon.

After running through the forest with the children for a while, Lucy stopped and looked back.

Ed was nowhere to be seen.

It seemed he had run in a different direction.

“Peter, Sam.”

Lucy spoke to Peter and Sam.

“Go to the village and tell the adults. Say a monster appeared by the riverside.”

“Lucy, what about you?”

“I’m going home.”

“Ah, okay. That’s probably safer.”

“Hurry.”

“Okay!”

Peter and Sam ran toward the village.

Lucy watched the two children disappear into the distance and then cast a skill.

[Undead Summon: Death Mount]

Neigh—!

A giant skeletal horse appeared before Lucy.

Without hesitation, Lucy mounted the Death Mount. Her white hair fluttered in the wind.

“Let’s go.”

Lucy said, stroking the Death Mount’s neck.

The Death Mount began to gallop across the land.

Whoosh!

The Death Mount raced through the forest like the wind.

From atop the Death Mount, Lucy scanned her surroundings sharply.

Her goal was to find Ed.

Soon, she heard Ed’s desperate voice.

“Help! Is anyone there?!”

Lucy turned the Death Mount in the direction of the voice.

Pushing through the bushes, she soon found Ed.

Ed was standing precariously at the edge of a cliff.

In front of him, a gray wolf growled as it approached.

Ed’s gaze turned to Lucy, and Lucy said to him,

“Hi.”

Lucy guided the Death Mount slowly toward Ed and the gray wolf.

“Yip, yip!”

The gray wolf tucked its tail and slinked away.

It seemed frightened by the Death Mount.

Lucy didn’t chase the fleeing wolf. Instead, she gestured to Ed, who was standing at the edge of the cliff.

“Come here.”

“Wh-what is that horse…?”

Ed’s face was still filled with fear.

“This horse is…”

Just as Lucy was about to explain,

The edge of the cliff where Ed was standing crumbled.

“Ahh!”

Ed screamed as he fell over the cliff.

Thud!

Without hesitation, Lucy urged the Death Mount forward.

The Death Mount raced toward the edge of the cliff like lightning.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Who needs to lie when you have a protagonist like this? Heh.