Ch.6464. ····That One’s Excluded.

“Hah… I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”

As I exhaled briefly while sitting in the study chair, Federicks tilted his head curiously.

“Are you that pleased about your father returning to the family?”

“Of course. Father-son relationships are best when you see each other occasionally.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. If you see each other too often, conflicts keep arising.”

Federicks smiled as if agreeing with my point, but then hesitated.

“But why isn’t Lady Miria going with him?”

“Sigh… Why are you asking me that?”

“I thought she would return to the family estate with him, but she said she wasn’t going…”

When we were hunting the ogre last night, should I have hidden my abilities better?

Miria Alphonse seemed suspicious of me.

Honestly, I had let my guard down.

Even if she’s suspicious, how could she possibly know that I’ve possessed “Selden Alphonse”?

Even my father, Baron Byron, was pleased, thinking I’d turned over a new leaf.

But.

Could blood ties really be this powerful?

Well, even with identical faces, one can’t ignore differences in aura and feeling.

I looked at Federicks with a disinterested expression.

“So what is my sister doing now?”

“She’s talking with the servants.”

“With the servants?”

“From what I heard, she’s been asking them strange questions.”

“Hmm, questions about me, I suppose?”

“Yes, she mostly asked when Young Master Selden began to change.”

If Miria Alphonse were to directly ask me about memories she shared with Selden Alphonse, I’d have no answers.

How could I possibly know things that weren’t even described in the original work?

“Just understand that my sister has her quirks.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“What about the ogre we caught last night?”

“As you instructed, I kept it hidden until Baron Byron returned to the family. I’ve separated the magic stone, and the corpse will be disposed of by tomorrow.”

I feel like absorbing the ogre’s magic stone would significantly boost my stats.

Miria Alphonse’s suspicion is concerning, but that’s not the priority right now.

Now, only half a year remains before the monster wave.

It’s a pressing matter.

“Federicks, we’re going to the Forest of Death today.”

“…What?!”

“I said we’re going to the Forest of Death. We’ll depart as soon as Rio brings Jawil Wilson.”

“The Forest of Death?”

Federicks stretched his neck forward as if he’d misheard, listening intently.

I cleared my throat and continued.

“Don’t worry, we won’t go too deep.”

“Isn’t the Forest of Death a forbidden zone where people enter but never return?! Why on earth are you going there?”

“Last night, a group of ogres came from Lake territory. Don’t you find that strange?”

“W-well, yes, but… it’s not an impossible phenomenon. And what does ogres appearing have to do with you entering the Forest of Death?”

I adjusted my posture while remaining seated.

“It suggests the possibility of a monster wave occurring.”

“A-a monster wave, sir?”

“Yes, a monster wave.”

“Then why did you hide the ogre corpse from Baron Byron?”

“Because it’s not one hundred percent certain, so I couldn’t worry him unnecessarily.”

“Even so, if there were signs of a monster wave, you should have reported it.”

It’s natural for Federicks to be concerned.

Although monster waves occur rarely, once they start, they pour out massively enough to devastate territories.

While the knights are now training diligently due to my influence, it’s true that they’re still insufficient to stop a monster wave.

“That’s why I’m going to check out the Forest of Death. It’s for reconnaissance, not hunting.”

“Young Master…”

“No matter how desperately you call me, it won’t change anything. If I don’t go, someone else will have to. Who would willingly volunteer to be sacrificed?”

Federicks stared at me intently before heaving a deep sigh.

“Let me be honest with you. I’ve been incredibly happy and proud since you began to change. But that’s not always a good thing. You act as if you have multiple lives, just like Baron Byron did in his youth.”

This was a side of Federicks I hadn’t seen before.

I kept quiet and listened, and he continued speaking.

“You’re right. If you don’t go to the Forest of Death, someone else will become the sacrifice. But you should know this: all the knights and servants in Lake territory, including myself, are prepared to give our lives for ‘Selden Alphonse.'”

His firmly pressed lips showed his determination.

Just as I was about to be moved, Jawil Wilson was dragged into the study by Rio.

“Y-Young Master!! Why are you taking me to the Forest of Death?! Haven’t I repeatedly apologized for the Lucien incident? Please spare me!! I’m still young! I don’t want to die!!”

The atmosphere instantly turned bone-chillingly cold.

Federicks looked at Jawil Wilson and slowly spoke with vacant eyes.

“…He’s the exception.”

*

“We’re entering now.”

“Alright, Rio. Let’s go in.”

Just standing at the entrance released an eerie energy that made one’s knees weak.

With each step, the air changed.

As Rio and I took another step toward the Forest of Death, Jawil Wilson ran up from behind and blocked our path with outstretched arms.

“Young Master, this is truly the Forest of Death. Please reconsider!”

“Why are you so afraid?”

“I’m not just afraid—this is literally the Forest of Death. No one has ever returned alive!”

“Then today we’ll earn the title of being the first to return alive from the Forest of Death.”

“…We’re going to die.”

Jawil Wilson muttered with a dumbfounded expression.

I too felt uneasy about entering the Forest of Death.

That’s precisely why I brought Rio Sergang along.

Why?

Because he’s the protagonist’s companion who can’t die.

I needed at least some hope that if death approached, the author would twist the story to save us.

Why keep twisting the story?

Bull crap. The reason I didn’t want to mess with the original work was to survive and enjoy a sweet life. What good would it do if I died miserably here?

I had to be selfish when necessary.

Especially when my life was at stake.

“We won’t die, so stop worrying and look ahead.”

“Eek! M-monster!”

“It’s a spider web, you idiot.”

“S-sorry.”

Unlike the panicking Jawil Wilson, Rio Sergang—truly befitting a protagonist’s companion—silently surveyed the Forest of Death.

He was clearly a valuable asset.

“Rio, what do you think of the atmosphere?”

“It definitely feels like the air has been changing constantly since we entered.”

“Seems you’re sensing the same thing I am.”

“But surprisingly, there are no monsters in sight.”

It felt like the calm before a storm.

Despite the atmosphere suggesting monsters could jump out at any moment, it was eerily quiet.

As this situation continued, Jawil Wilson’s frightened expression seemed to relax slightly.

“Y-Young Master, could it be that all the monsters have died over time?”

“Some monsters have longer lifespans than humans, you know.”

“Or maybe they fought among themselves and all perished?”

It might have sounded absurd, but upon reflection, it was entirely possible.

Even humans fight until nations collapse, so why would monsters be any different?

Additionally, the last exploration of the Forest of Death was at least 20 years ago.

Anything could have happened here during that time.

However.

The Forest of Death was the starting point of the monster wave.

Since monsters wouldn’t suddenly pour from the sky, there should be some preliminary signs by now.

Discovering those signs was the purpose of this reconnaissance.

“Well, not finding monsters would be a good thing.”

“I wish with all my heart that this atmosphere continues.”

“Enough, just keep moving.”

Perhaps because human hands hadn’t touched it, dense trees and massive branches obstructed our path.

The deeper we went, the thicker the fog became, and the silence grew more terrifying.

As strange sounds carried by the wind began to disturb my clear mind, Jawil Wilson grabbed my arm tightly.

“…Young Master.”

“Ugh, why are you being so creepy?”

“I feel very strange right now.”

As I turned to snap at him, I saw Jawil Wilson’s face had turned bright red.

“What’s wrong with your face? Are you okay?”

“I love it.”

“…What?”

“I love you.”

Then Jawil Wilson collapsed to the ground.

Rio and I quickly lowered our posture, scanning our surroundings with vigilant eyes.

Then, from somewhere, came a woman’s voice.

“H-help me! Is anyone there?!”