DMHS 50

“……”

“Do you not care for snacks, uncle? Then should we change it so when the sun rises, new magic tools fall instead?”

“……”

“Surely there isn’t something you like more than magic tools?”

“……”

Still no answer came from Frederick. Kian, feeling it strange, slowly raised his head.

In front of him stretched only the green forest. Frederick’s figure, who had just been walking ahead, was nowhere to be seen.

“Sir Frederick?”

Kian quickly turned his body back.

“Princess?”

“Yes?”

Fortunately, those following behind him were still there. Lucien, the princess, and Daisy all looked at Kian in surprise.

Kian opened his mouth, trying to hide his unease.

“Sir Frederick must have been in a hurry and gone ahead. He said we only need to go north, so let us keep walking the same direction. We will meet him again on the way.”

“It is absurd that the one with the compass vanished. If I had known the forest maze was like this, we should have each brought our own compass.”

Daisy pushed her tied hair back with an irritated motion.

But this was not Frederick’s fault.

‘The magic in this forest only alters the terrain. It cannot move people inside the forest.’

Yet Frederick was nowhere near. The field of mana Kian spread over the nearby distance did not detect his mana.

‘That means he was forced far away…….’

Which meant some other spell overlapped on top of the original forest magic. He felt an ominous feeling.

“We do not know if this will happen again. Shall we hold hands as we walk?”

“Hands?”

The princess looked at Lucien in front of her with open displeasure. Though his face could not be seen with his back turned, it was clear Lucien’s expression would not be pleasant either.

“If you dislike hands, then at least hold onto some object between you.”

“Alright.”

The princess opened a small bag tied at her waist and took out a branch. Kian could not tell what kind of branch it was.

“Why is a branch coming out of your bag?”

“This is not an ordinary branch. It is an oak branch from Lavender Palace. It is my charm that brings me luck in travel. Thanks to this, I have been safe until now.”

“Ah, I see……”

Kian reached his hand toward Lucien.

“Take my hand.”

“Mm.”

Kian and Lucien, and the princess with Daisy, walked linked by hand and branch.

Because Frederick’s disappearance was too suspicious, no one spoke this time. Only the loud sound of their feet crushing grass rang out.

Swish. Swish

After walking some distance, a white fog surrounded the party. At last the princess whimpered.

“Where could uncle have gone?”

“Sir Frederick must know we are missing too, he may be looking for us. Maybe we ended up missing each other further.”

“Then what should we do? Should we not be looking for him too?”

“At such times it is better to head toward the original destination. Sir Frederick will search for a while, and if he fails he will also head for the tower.”

“So it comes down to the tower after all. How much further to the tower?”

Before an answer could come, the princess continued.

“Sister? Why did you suddenly let go? You startled me.”

Kian turned back. But in the thick fog, all he could see was Lucien’s vague silhouette right behind him.

A moment later came the princess’s trembling voice.

“Everyone, what do we do…… Sister Daisy is gone too.”

This time Kian could not keep his expression.

‘I did not even feel the trace of mana.’

The fog thickened around them. Kian drew in a deep breath, pulled himself together, and spoke.

“Those left must stay together. Especially you, Princess, you must stay with us……”

At that moment the hand he had stretched back went empty. The warmth of Lucien’s palm was gone, leaving only chill.

Kian spoke, though he hoped it was not so.

“Princess?”

“……”

“Lucien?”

“……”

Kian pushed back into the fog, retracing his steps.

But things were exactly as expected. In the dense fog of the forest, Kian stood alone.

Kian quickly set his priorities.

‘Frederick and Daisy will be fine. Lord Lucien too. The problem is the princess.’

Unlike the others who could protect themselves, the princess was likely to trip and hurt herself wandering through the misty forest.

‘I must find her quickly.’

Kian closed his eyes and spread his senses. But the mist contained magical elements, and the wide field of mana spread through the area blocked his search.

‘Better to search with my own feet.’

Just as Kian was about to push off the ground and run north, a strange sound reached his ear.

Grrrrrr.

He lifted his eyes. Something stood across from him.

Kian drew his dagger and swung it. Aura extended from the blade, clearing the fog around him for a short moment.

The opponent had a bear’s body, a lion’s head, and the wings of an eagle.

‘A chimera.’

It was not a naturally born creature. Perhaps some mage’s failed experiment.

Whatever it was, he had confirmed that a dangerous thing was roaming inside the forest. There was no time to hesitate.

Kian’s eyes turned red and his figure disappeared.

Thud!

The chimera collapsed to the ground. Kian, standing on top of it, slid the unstained dagger into his chest pocket.

‘I must hurry.’

Kian’s figure vanished again. Flash, flash, flash. Like lightning striking, he appeared and disappeared throughout the fog-filled forest.

Even so, he could not find the princess. Frederick, Daisy, and Lucien were nowhere either.

‘Could they have been sent outside the forest…….?’

At the ominous thought, Kian bit his lower lip.

‘No. If the spell reached outside the forest, rumors would have spread in the village too. I must search the forest more first.’

Kian moved his legs quickly, strengthened with mana.

Shhh. Shhh. Shhh.

As he moved like the wind, a shadow flickered above his head.

‘What is that?’

Kian stopped and looked up at the sky. As it noticed he had stopped, a black shape descended from above.

What had been small grew larger, and soon a huge bird covered from head to wingtip in white feathers showed itself.

‘An eagle?’

The great eagle flapped its wings and circled above Kian’s head. Seeing it look for a place to land, Kian held out his hand.

The eagle perched on the back of Kian’s hand and bent its head to look at him. The bird’s eyes shone with a blue emerald color like the East Sea.

‘What a curious creature.’

Kian had never seen an eagle covered in white feathers before, and the eye color was unusual too. It felt, though a different species, like looking at the goat of the Freesia Palace.

Treating it like the goat, Kian stroked the eagle’s head. The eagle suddenly let out a cry.

Kyak kyak kyak kyak kyak.

……Had eagles always sounded this silly?

Like Kian, the eagle too seemed startled by its own voice. It raised its wings to cover its face. Kian could not hold back a laugh.

“Ha, hahahaha.”

The white eagle lifted its other wing to cover its face too. Kian stopped laughing and patted its head again.

“I wasn’t laughing in a bad way. You were just too cute.”

At those words, the eagle lowered both wings and looked at him. Its gaze asked, ‘Am I really cute?’

“Yes. Very cute. Your cry…… even cuter.”

The eagle tilted its head from side to side.

“Where did you come from? Did you fly all the way from Freesia Palace?”

When Kian touched near the bird’s neck, his fingers caught something hard. It was the same emblem of Freesia Palace that hung from the goats.

“It’s real. How did you get all the way here?”

Kyak kyak……

The eagle shut its beak, embarrassed by its own answer. Kian chuckled and changed the topic.

“On your way here, did you see the princess?”

Kyak.

“Can you guide me to where she is?”

Kyak.

With a few wingbeats, the eagle soared high into the sky.

Soon, beyond the fog, its outline faintly appeared. Kian ran in the direction the eagle flew.

As he ran, he cut down trees and grass in the way with his dagger. Then he saw the eagle circling one spot.

The princess lay unconscious among the tall grass.

“Princess!”

Thankfully, she only seemed to have lost consciousness. Her pulse beat steadily, and there were no visible wounds.

Kian carried her onto his back and looked around.

As if reading his thought of searching for the others, the eagle started flying in another direction again.

‘Are all the animals raised in Freesia Palace this smart?’

Running after the eagle, Kian let his mind wander for a moment.

‘Or maybe Walter gave them special training.’

It was easy to imagine Walter sitting several animals together, teaching them “hand,” “foot,” “come here,” with his usual blunt expression.

Swoooosh.

A wind blew from ahead. It was so strong that not only the wild grass but even giant trees swayed.

Leaves blown by the wind blocked his view. Carrying the princess on his back, Kian shielded his face with his free arm and pushed forward step by step.