"......"
"What? Why are you staring like that!"
As I stared at him silently, he flinched as if he felt guilty, and instead questioned me.
'That's enough.'
Conversation is for those who can communicate.
Pointing out his attitude here would only prolong a pointless argument.
So, I concisely conveyed what I wanted to say.
"Let's go back now."
"Al, already?"
He asked back with a bewildered expression at my words.
"No, why are we going back already when we haven't even caught much?"
He seemed unwilling to accept my decision.
I almost brought up the Mumusae, but I stopped myself.
After all, he wouldn't listen even if I told him, and I might just waste time by having him get all worked up again.
So, I simply said,
"I'm scared."
"......Excuse me?"
Leville Weed stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.
I looked straight into his eyes and said clearly,
"The mana beasts are too scary. I want to go back now."
"No, what does that......"
He looked back at the heavy mana beast pouch with a bewildered face.
His expression seemed to say, 'You've caught that much and now you're saying you're scared. What nonsense are you talking about?'
He probably wanted to say that for real.
But well......
"So, let's go back now. Sir Leville Weed."
What can he do when I say I'm scared?
I'm the one hunting.
"Huh...... No, ha......"
Leville messed with his hair with a troubled expression.
"We can't go back already. I haven't even had a chance to really shine......"
I heard him mutter.
He must have thought I wouldn't understand what he was saying, so he didn't bother to hide it.
'Aha.'
Now I think I know why Leville was so troubled.
'He needed merits.'
Come to think of it, if he made a noticeable achievement in a place where all the prominent figures of the empire were gathered, he could receive better treatment.
A special promotion might even be possible.
'Didn't they say that the vice-commander of the 2nd Knights Order was also kicked out along with Zellac for bribery?'
It's easy to see.
Leville Weed is aiming for the vacant vice-commander position of the 2nd Knights Order.
Too bad, Sir Leville Weed.
"Let's go back."
I have no intention of sacrificing myself to fulfill your desires.
Leville Weed having a chance to shine means that I have to be in danger.
The situation he wants will never happen.
"Ah, seriously!"
He shouted in frustration as the situation didn't go his way.
Whatever.
"Let's go."
Hee-ing!
As if reading my mind, the horse immediately turned around.
I looked at the horse's head with a newfound sense of wonder.
How can we be so in sync?
'This horse probably belongs to Rodbel, too, right?'
What's its gender?
Does it have a name?
I'll have to return this horse when the hunt is over, right?
'It's a shame.'
I've never craved anything other than affection in my life.
I felt a deep sense of disappointment at the thought of having to part with this horse soon.
I stroked its black mane for no reason.
The feeling of the well-maintained mane flowing smoothly was nice.
The horse's body temperature, slightly felt beyond the mane, was warm.
"Warm......"
Feels good.
As I muttered softly.
Phoo-roo-
As if replying, the horse made a short snort.
I smiled slightly and glanced back.
Leville was grumbling a lot and reluctantly following behind me.
We were heading towards the test site like that.
......Thump.
I pulled the reins and stopped the horse at the sudden, faint vibration.
I looked around wondering if I had imagined it, then turned to Leville and asked.
"Sir Leville, did you feel any vibrations?"
"Vibrations, what-"
It was the moment he was about to answer with a still disgruntled expression.
......Koo-oong!
"......!"
This time, I definitely felt it.
Leville's expression also changed.
The ground, is rumbling.
'Earthquake?'
No, it feels a little different from an earthquake.
It wasn't that the ground was shaking, but it felt like something heavy was landing and causing it to heave.
But what could be so heavy that it would make the ground heave like that in this forest?
That's not all.
......Thump. Koo-oong. Thump-thump!
The rumbling was gradually becoming faster and stronger.
I realized immediately.
Something is approaching.
Something very dangerous, something that made the Mumusae run away.
This way......!
"......Quickly, let's go quickly!"
"Damn it! What the hell is it!"
Leville, who had finally realized the seriousness of the situation, turned pale and started running.
I, too, mounted on the horse, spurred it on to increase its speed.
─Thump...... Thump-thump-thump!
As if it had noticed that we were running away, the rumbling of the thing chasing us from behind was also gradually getting faster.
I felt anxious, as if we were about to be caught at any moment.
Then, finally, the edge of the forest began to come into view.
If we get out there, there will be a lot of elite knights, including Aen, waiting.
Even if we don't know what's following us, we'll be able to get help.
Leville must have thought the same thing, as he only looked ahead and ran.
It was then.
"Kyaaaa! Wh, what is that?!"
A girl's piercing scream echoed through the forest.
I reflexively stopped and turned to the side.
The owner of the scream was, as expected, Miracle.
Miracle must have also discovered something chasing us while returning after finishing her hunt.
"A, Miss!"
At the same time, the thing chasing us appeared between the trees.
The moment I saw it, I felt breathless.
'That, that's it.'
High-grade mana beast - Ogre Man.
Dusky skin as if covered in a swamp and a gigantic body like a mountain.
A three-horned back and a vicious club with protruding thorns tightly grasped with six fingers.
Among the high-grade mana beasts, it was one of the least intelligent, but it was a mana beast that was just as strong and had a tough life.
I know that mana beast very well.
Because.
'The mana beast that killed Aen.'
Aen lost his life to that mana beast.
The most hateful mana beast among mana beasts.
But...... Why is that, now, appearing here?
Without any warning, all of a sudden.
No, that's not what's important now.
What's important now is......
"Ah, Miss! You must go quickly!"
"Hng, my legs have lost strength and I can't move!"
It was the fact that Miracle couldn't move as she was sitting down.
To make matters worse, Miracle's white horse was surprised to see the Ogre Man and had run away.
Miracle's escort knight picked up Miracle and started running, but they would be caught up quickly if they kept that up.
At this rate, Miracle is in danger.
I was about to turn the horse's head straight towards Miracle when I hesitated at a thought that suddenly flashed through my mind.
"......"
Do I really have to help?
Because.
'Miracle pushed me into the Abyss, didn't she.'
The image of her pushing me into the Abyss and laughing and mocking me is still vivid in my mind.
So why would I have any reason to help Miracle?
I blankly stared at Miracle, who was crying in the knight's arms.
Soon, I clenched my fist tightly.
'It's not for Miracle.'
If Miracle gets hurt by the Ogre Man, the qualification exam will be suspended, and I don't know when another opportunity will come.
'It's an opportunity I barely managed to grasp.'
I must prevent that at all costs.
But how?
'I have to get the Ogre Man's attention.'
And Ogre Man has a habit of chasing after things that are running fast.
"Leville-"
The moment I turned to him to ask for Leville's help, I couldn't say anything more.
"Miss! I will save you!"
He had already abandoned me and was running towards Miracle.
"Huh."
For a moment, I was so dumbfounded that only a hollow laugh escaped.
Well, whatever. It wasn't anything new.
But......
'What is it?'
Leville was quickly running in front, but the Ogre Man was only rushing towards me.
As if it was aiming for me.
'No way.'
The Ogre Man doesn't have that kind of intelligence, and even if it did, there's no reason for it to target me.
'Let's check.'
I tore open the mana beast pouch that was hanging on the side of the horse and threw it away.
Then, the corpses of the lower-grade mana beasts that I had hunted so far fell out through the gap and scattered.
At the same time, the fishy smell of mana beast blood spread widely.
It would be an irresistible temptation for the Ogre Man, who preys on lower-grade mana beasts.
But......
Uwoooo!
Thump! Thump! Koo-oong-!
The Ogre Man used its club to knock away the corpse of the lower-grade mana beast that was flying towards its face and rushed towards me even more excitedly.
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