Chapter 18

Ｒ​ead́ &o;n& ;Ka&t;R‍&e;adi​​ngＣａfｅ

With the feeling of the ground crumbling beneath his feet, Ed began to plummet down the cliff.

“Ahh!”

Ed flailed his arms and legs, but there was nothing to grab onto.

The scenery rushed past his eyes.

The blue sky, white clouds, and the trees lining the cliff.

Everything seemed to be rapidly moving upward.

The sound of wind roared in his ears.

His heart pounded wildly, and it felt like all the blood in his body had frozen.

I’m really going to die.

Ed clenched his eyes shut in fear.

Just then.

He felt something gently wrap around his body.

“…?”

When Ed opened his eyes again, he saw Lucy’s face.

Ed’s gaze met Lucy’s red eyes, and it felt as if time had stopped.

Lucy’s arms were softly wrapped around Ed’s body.

Lucy’s white hair fluttered in the wind, brushing against Ed’s face.

Ed was still falling rapidly along the cliff, but strangely, he felt a sense of calm.

Lucy’s warm embrace felt safer than anything else.

Without realizing it, Ed nestled deeper into Lucy’s arms.

A sweet, fruity scent emanated from Lucy’s body.

Thud.

The Death Mount landed lightly on the ground.

Despite jumping from a dizzying height, it was completely unharmed.

Lucy quickly lowered Ed, who was in her arms, to the ground.

Holding a boy larger than herself was a bit of a strain.

Once on the ground, Ed looked at Lucy with a slightly regretful expression.

“Th-thank you for saving me…”

As Lucy nodded quietly, Ed pointed at the Death Mount.

“So… is this horse yours?”

“Yes.”

“But this horse… it doesn’t seem alive…”

“It’s an undead.”

“…”

Ed’s expression stiffened.

Undead.

A being that does not die.

Or, more accurately, a being that has died and come back to life.

Ed recalled a book he had read in the castle titled The History of Witches and Heretics.

The book contained the following passage:

———

…Witches wield dark powers and possess the ability to control the dead.

They raise armies of undead to raid villages and steal the life force of the living to strengthen their own power.

Witches are known for their white hair and red eyes, and at one time, anyone with such features was considered a witch.

They could not escape the punishment of being burned at the stake, and even their families, homes, and belongings were all burned.

However, later generations argue that these acts were tragic mistakes born of ignorance and fear.

White hair and red eyes may simply be genetic traits and have nothing to do with being a witch.

Nevertheless, the fear and wariness of witches remain.

Those who wield dark powers and control the dead…

———

‘Gasp!’

Ed swallowed hard.

The witch’s features described in the book—white hair and red eyes.

They matched Lucy perfectly.

Although it was later revealed that such traits might not be related to witches, Lucy was currently controlling an undead.

If she could control undead, wasn’t that proof enough?

“Uh, hey…”

Ed gathered his courage and asked.

“Are you… a witch?”

“…”

Lucy didn’t answer.

She simply sat on the Death Mount, quietly staring at Ed.

A moment of silence passed.

Only the sound of the wind blowing through the forest and birds chirping filled the peaceful air.

“Yes.”

Finally, Lucy answered. Ed’s eyes widened in shock.

‘I knew it…’

Lucy was a witch.

“Th-then, that monster that appeared by the river earlier… was that also…?”

“Yes. I summoned it.”

“Ah…”

Ed understood.

No wonder the monster had seemed to protect him from Hoff’s sword.

“You saved me… Thank you…”

Ed bowed his head respectfully to Lucy.

When he thought about it, he owed her his life three times now.

Once from Hoff, once from the wolf, and once from falling off the cliff…

Ed spoke again.

“Hey, then… the late Knight Baldric and the soldiers… was that also you?”

“Yes.”

“Why…? Knight Baldric and the soldiers were only trying to eliminate the bandits…”

“They killed the rabbit and caused harm to the village. And I had already taken care of the bandits.”

“Ah…”

Ed nodded quietly, then flinched in surprise.

Lucy had openly admitted to being a witch.

Not only that, she had summoned the monster and killed Knight Baldric and the soldiers.

It seemed she had no intention of hiding anything.

In that case…

“What’s going to happen to me now…?”

Perhaps Lucy planned to kill Ed.

Maybe she was being so open because she intended to kill him anyway.

“I-I won’t tell anyone. Not about you being a witch, or about Knight Baldric and the soldiers… I’ll keep it all a secret…”

At Ed’s words, Lucy smiled faintly.

“You can tell if you want.”

“Huh…?”

“But everyone who finds out will die.”

“…”

Goosebumps rose on Ed’s arms.

Lucy reached out her hand to Ed.

“Let’s go back.”

“Ah, okay…”

Ed took Lucy’s hand and climbed onto the Death Mount.

The Death Mount felt larger and sturdier than any horse Ed had ever ridden.

Whoosh!

The Death Mount began to race through the forest.

Incredible speed.

The scenery of the forest rushed past his vision.

Ed tightly held onto Lucy’s waist to keep from falling.

After a while, the Death Mount came to a stop.

Lucy turned to look at Ed, who was sitting behind her, and said,

“You can go on your own from here.”

“This is…”

Ed looked around.

It was the place where he had first met Lucy.

From here, he could definitely make his way back alone.

“Get down.”

“Ah, okay…”

At Lucy’s urging, Ed quickly dismounted from the Death Mount.

“Hey, I’ve been thinking…”

Ed hesitated before speaking.

“If things stay like this, my father will definitely form a hunting party to kill the monster. Since a monster has appeared in this area, he can’t just let it be. Won’t that be a bit troublesome for you?”

Lucy narrowed her eyes and nodded slightly.

“It’s troublesome.”

A hunting party would likely consist of knights and soldiers.

If those guys kept searching the area, it would be quite a hassle.

Ed continued.

“So, here’s the thing… I’ve come up with a good plan. If we do it my way, my father won’t have to form a hunting party, and your identity as a witch won’t be revealed.”

Lucy looked intrigued.

“What’s the plan?”

“Well…”

◈

Crackle—

As he watched the soldiers’ bodies being cremated, Lord Leyton fell deep into thought.

Just as he had been informed, all the bodies were missing their heads.

The wounds didn’t look like they were made by a blade, but rather as if something had torn them off with immense force.

The only being capable of such a thing was undoubtedly a monster.

‘But a monster…?’

To Lord Leyton’s knowledge, monsters didn’t appear in this region.

For some reason, it had been that way for a very long time.

His father and grandfather had never seen a single monster appear during their reigns over this land.

Some nobles even called this region a “blessed land.”

Others believed that a guardian spirit in the forest drove the monsters away.

Whatever the reason, the current situation was unusual.

‘Did I do something wrong…?’

First, a bandit group appeared in this peaceful region, and now a monster had shown up.

The monster had mercilessly killed Knight Baldric and twenty soldiers.

Although Baldric’s body hadn’t been found, the fact that his sword was left behind made it clear that he was dead.

‘I’ll have to form another hunting party when I return. This time, I’ll bring a mage from the city to make sure…’

Just then.

“M-my lord, it’s terrible!”

A soldier came running, panting heavily, and spoke to Lord Leyton.

“A monster has appeared nearby!”

“What?”

“And according to the children who witnessed it, Young Master Ed seems to be in danger!”

“Ed?! No, but Ed should be with Hoff!”

“Well, it seems Sir Hoff was attacked. He was decapitated, just like these bodies. Young Master Ed managed to escape, but it seems he’s gone deep into the forest…”

“Oh no, we must find him immediately!”

Lord Leyton hurried toward the area where the monster had appeared.

Dozens of knights and soldiers followed behind him.

“We must find Ed, no matter what it takes!”

Lord Leyton shouted.

“Even if we have to search every inch of the forest, we must find Ed…”

At that moment, Lord Leyton stopped in his tracks.

Ahead, he saw a boy walking unsteadily toward them.

“E-Ed?”

It was none other than Ed.

“Father!”

Ed’s face lit up when he saw Lord Leyton.

Ed ran toward him, and Lord Leyton tightly embraced his son.

“Ed, you’re safe! I heard about the monster and was on my way to find you! Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good, that’s a relief. I heard about what happened to Hoff. That monster… I’ll never forgive it. I’ll find it no matter what…”

“Father.”

Ed spoke up.

“I killed the monster.”

“…What?”

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
These are 10 year olds, well… I guess one is a well-educated 10 year old.