'I can't seem to get my head straight.'
It was difficult to gather my thoughts.
His feet kept trying to head towards the forest.
The truth is...
'The young lady is in danger.'
I wanted to immediately chase after Aen into the forest and save Lucia, who must be in danger.
But...
Ligrin made an effort to keep his feet on the ground and looked at the Duke.
And he said.
"Master, if it's true that only the Ogre Man has appeared, it may be related to the magic carrier pigeon that was recently discovered."
A broken magic carrier pigeon that the gardener had picked up some time ago.
Ligrin immediately reported it to the Duke, but what came back was...
'No investigation.'
A notification that he would not search for the person who stole the carrier pigeon and communicated with the outside.
Ligrin couldn't understand his decision at all, but since he wasn't one to be understood in the first place, he tried not to pay attention to it.
But the timing is too coincidental.
A magic carrier pigeon that secretly communicated with the outside was discovered, and soon after, only the Ogre Man made a sudden attack.
Lodebel's security is thorough.
Moreover, the Ogre Man is a giant over 4 meters tall.
It is impossible to bring such a giant into Lodebel secretly.
Unless through magic or magical tools.
But if it's magic to summon an Ogre Man, ordinary wizards residing in the family are not capable of it.
Magical tools are also managed under strict security.
That means the culprit is inside Lodebel.
And in a very close place.
Ligrin moved his lips, then closed them.
'There's no way Master couldn't have guessed what I guessed.'
Even so, not investigating must be for a reason.
Then the remaining task is...
"...I will immediately organize a subjugation team and join Commander Aen Rickser."
After bowing his head, Ligrin hurriedly left the spot without even hearing an answer.
The place where everyone had left.
In the midst of the silence that filled the air, only the Duke stood upright.
Looking at the blood-stained forest with eyes that seemed to have died.
Nod.
"...!"
I opened my eyes in surprise at the sensation of my body tilting.
"Ah..."
I rubbed my heavy eyes and looked around.
Inside a narrow cave.
I belatedly realized that I had dozed off.
'I only meant to close my eyes for a moment.'
I was a little dumbfounded that I had slept in this situation.
But oh well.
'Thanks to that, I've recovered some strength.'
I was so tired a while ago that my vision was blurring, but now I feel much better.
'By the way, how much time has passed?'
It can't be night already, can it?
I carefully poked my head out of the cave.
A landscape of sunset-colored sky came into view.
Thankfully, I didn't sleep for long.
'It seems like I safely shook off the Ogre Man too.'
At this point, I think I can go back on my own without waiting for the search party.
'It's better than just waiting.'
"Ugh."
I struggled to get up and looked around for a moment.
The forest was still eerily quiet.
First of all...
'Let's get my head straight first.'
My head was still hazy, probably because I just woke up.
I approached the lake and knelt down.
The moment I brought my hand over the surface of the water to wash my face.
...Splash.
The sound of water droplets splashing broke the silence.
And I saw.
On the calm surface of the red-tinged lake, ripples spreading out in a circle...
Behind the waves that seemed to foretell something.
Thump...
A shallow, heavy reverberation spread.
Koo-oong...
How.
Koo-oong...
No way.
─Thump...!
How did he find where I am?
I turned my creaking head.
As soon as I did, I saw a swamp-colored face stained and hardened with green blood.
A terrifying eye staring at me with only one eye open between the trees.
Behind a fleeting moment as if even the air had stopped.
Uwooooo-!!
The Ogre Man began to run towards me, letting out a roar.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
He swung a club tangled with finely cut thorny bushes.
"Ugh!"
Kwaaaang!!
The spot where I had been was dented as soon as I threw myself.
"Huff, huff..."
Guwoooo!!
Whether he was enraged that he didn't hit me, the Ogre Man raged in place.
Thump thump thump!
The ground shook with his jumping movements.
'It's hard to keep my balance!'
My body was swaying, and I felt like I was about to fall.
'Let's get a grip.'
I put strength into my legs and looked around.
There was nowhere to hide here, and no corners to run away to.
It was an open field.
No, that's not right.
'There's one place.'
I turned around.
The red shimmer looked like finely shattered sparks.
The surface of the lake, with ripples spreading one after another, was like an entrance to another world.
One I could never return to...
'Would it be cold?'
Since it's early winter, it would be very cold, even if the lake hasn't frozen.
'Would it be deep?'
I've never been in that lake, but it would be deep enough to swallow my small body.
'Will I die?'
I don't know.
But wouldn't the chances of survival be higher than being hit by the Ogre Man's club?
'Then that's fine.'
If there's even a small chance of survival, that's enough.
I stared straight at the Ogre Man, who was pounding the ground as he approached, and lifted a fallen branch from the ground.
Halt!
Whether the memory of his eye being pierced by my spear remained, the giant's movements stopped for a moment.
I held the long branch like a spear.
And threw it with all my might in the opposite direction.
The Ogre Man's one remaining eye followed the trajectory of the branch.
In that gap, I looked back at the lake.
I bit my lip tightly to endure the chilling pain that would hit me directly and took a step forward.
─Heeeee-ing!
The sound of a horse neighing was heard in the distance.
Clatter, clatter...!
Soon the sound of hooves grew closer.
Through the bushes, something silhouetted against the sunset was running.
I stared blankly at that place.
'...That person...'
I stared blankly at him, appearing as if in a dream.
Platinum blonde hair dyed with sunset light, blue-grey eyes resembling a cloudy sky.
How is that man here...
The boy's eyes met mine in the air.
At that moment, my foot slipped and my body leaned over the lake.
Even in the situation just before falling into the lake, I couldn't take my eyes off him.
His lips moved.
'Catch.'
I reached out to him as if possessed.
At the same time, Thud -
I was fished up.
"Ah!"
The man who sat me on the horse as it was, fixed my waist tightly and said.
"Good job."
'...Nice voice.'
I know it's not the kind of thought to have in this situation, but the Crown Prince's voice, heard up close, was gentle enough to relieve the tension for a moment.
It was a perfect, not too low, not too high, beautiful voice.
'Get a grip.'
Now is not the time to appreciate voices.
"The Ogre Man..."
I looked at the Ogre Man, who was chasing us with a thumping sound over the Crown Prince's shoulder, with terrified eyes.
He was recklessly swinging his giant club and chasing us with the momentum to tear us apart.
'At this rate, we'll be caught.'
I lowered my gaze and was lost in thought for a moment.
From what I've seen so far, that Ogre Man was only chasing me.
Moreover, I don't know how he did it, but he knew the location where I was hiding.
If this goes on, even the Crown Prince will be in danger.
My thoughts were quickly organized.
I made a decision and parted my lips.
"Your-"
I was about to call him 'Your Highness'.
"Shall I guess what you were thinking just now?"
Interrupting my words, the Crown Prince told a completely irrelevant story.
I looked at the Crown Prince with bewildered eyes.
He said without paying attention.
"Self-sacrifice, or something like that, right?"
My eyes widened.
How did he know?
"You know, I don't really like noble sacrifices or anything like that, Princess. Where is there a noble sacrifice in the world? It's just a plausible packaging of a dog's death."
"Ah..."
I was surprised again this time.
Because my thoughts are the same as his.
But...
"The Ogre Man is chasing me. If we go on like this, we'll both be in danger."
I looked straight into the Crown Prince's eyes.
Whether lightning will strike, heavy rain will fall, or it will pass quietly.
The mysterious color of the eyes resembling the sky, whose weather cannot be known, felt strangely foreign.
It's as if it's not from this world.
So I felt like I would be sucked into those eyes even more.
"I have no intention of sacrificing myself. However, I know the geography of this forest well, and Your Highness has confirmed my location, so please call people while I attract the Ogre Man's attention."
"..."
After finishing speaking, the Crown Prince looked at me with a blank expression for a moment.
Then suddenly.
"Puhahahaha!!"
He burst into laughter.
"....?"
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