Chapter 62
“So, these are the famous nobles, huh?”
“There are no such nobles here. All I see are bundles of gold that just rolled in.”
The enemies that had been hidden under the shaded trees began to reveal their silhouettes, one by one.
They were the assassins I had seen with Bishop.
After the plan to take down Kenich with the carriage failed, they immediately moved on to the next step.
“Tsk…”
I cautiously lifted my head and watched them.
They were burly men.
Their faces were half-covered with black cloth, but I didn’t see the “man with blue eyes” that the Rose Guild workers had mentioned.
Judging by the chipped axes and twisted scrap-metal swords, they seemed like a gang of bandits with a hideout somewhere in the nearby forest.
Ruffians blocking a remote forest path, preying on travelers and merchants.
But the situation was far from optimistic.
“Three of us against a single squirrel…”
Gerard was more a scholar with a pen than a sword, and Kenich—our strongest asset—wasn’t in the best condition.
Meanwhile, the enemies filled the forest in overwhelming numbers.
“What should we do…?”
I gripped Kenich’s fingers tightly as I assessed the situation.
“Cherry, worried about me again?”
A low voice sounded above my head.
It was Kenich. Tilting his head toward me, he curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.
It was the usual, calm, confident smile.
“Do I look so weak that I can’t handle a bunch of scum like them?”
‘Not exactly…’
Even someone like me, clueless about swordsmanship, could tell Kenich was exceptional with the blade.
Even if the entire Knight Order and the Black Dragon Knights joined forces, they couldn’t have left a scratch on him.
But the situation now was different.
Though he smiled casually, each word came with rough breaths.
Beads of sweat glistened on Kenich’s normally smooth forehead.
It was clear that restraining his constantly surging mana was reaching its limit.
“Tsk…”
I pressed my lips shut, unable to speak.
It felt like it was all my fault.
But before I could say anything,
“Take care of Cherry.”
Kenich, who had been stroking my tail, placed me into Yelloyze’s palm.
Without waiting for a moment, he stepped forward toward the enemies.
“Well, this is serious. Looks like they want me.”
“They probably needed someone to vent their frustrations on. Cherry… it’s better you don’t watch.”
Gerard and Yelloyze’s hands blocked my view, and soon, only horrendous screams echoed through the forest.
Over the lingering smell of gunpowder came a wave of bloodstains, of an unknown origin.
Though my vision was dark, I could see the battlefield.
It was Kenich, carving through the bandits.
No matter how many enemies there were, none could match him.
Yet, our situation didn’t improve.
“Damn it… Your Highness!”
The enemies kept pressing endlessly.
Surrounding Kenich wasn’t enough—they even reached toward Yelloyze and Gerard.
Shreeeek!
A sharp metallic sound exploded right next to my ear, as if a blade had been blocked.
Yelloyze’s fan had stopped a wooden club embedded with rusty nails.
“W-What strength…!”
The bandit’s face contorted in shock.
I felt the same.
“Tsk…”
I was so stunned I forgot to make a sound.
It made sense—Yelloyze was shielding me with one hand while blocking the man with the other.
Realizing something was wrong, the man tried to retreat, but Yelloyze twisted faster.
Boom—
The man, as big as a bear, collapsed to the ground instantly.
Again, Boom, thud!
Bandits charging toward Yelloyze were violently slammed into the rough dirt.
Yelloyze was still using only one hand.
‘Maybe those rumors were true…’
The story that he could cut down bandits in a single blow.
I couldn’t help but hiccup nervously.
“Oh my, Cherry. Surprised, aren’t you?”
Yelloyze wiped the blood with a handkerchief Gerard handed him and carefully placed me into the pocket at his waist—a pocket used by noblewomen to store scented sachets.
“Try to endure it, even if it’s a little uncomfortable.”
And as he gently patted my bottom,
Swish—
An arrow flew through the dark forest.
It sliced the wind, grazing Yelloyze’s shoulder lightly.
“Your Highness, be careful! There are enemies in the trees!”
Gerard shouted urgently, but Yelloyze didn’t seem concerned.
“A couple of arrows won’t kill us.”
Kenich seemed to think the same. A few arrows were trivial to him, and he focused on the enemies before him.
The dense leaves made it impossible to discern the attackers’ exact positions.
But…
‘I have a bad feeling.’
I couldn’t take my eyes off Kenich.
Each swing of his sword sent enemies flying helplessly.
‘Even if this is a backup plan after the first operation failed, it’s still poorly executed.’
These bandits, sent by higher-ups, probably saw us as nothing more than unlucky nobles.
But whoever hired them knew Kenich and Yelloyze’s identities and extraordinary physical abilities.
‘And yet, they sent this ragtag bunch of bandits?’
It didn’t make sense. There had to be a hidden card.
‘An arrow…?’
My eyes went to an arrow lodged in a tree.
I had a strange sense of déjà vu.
A feeling I had seen this before.
‘No—more precisely, I’ve smelled it before.’
Gerard seemed to sense it too.
He, who had been frowning the whole time, suddenly shouted:
“It’s a Mana Neurotoxin!”
‘Mana Neurotoxin?’
It was the same substance that the kitchen maid, Hongdangmu, had once used in a soup to try and assassinate Kenich.
Even in tiny amounts, it amplified mana limits, making it deadly to Kenich despite being considered a miracle potion by others.
‘No. If Kenich comes into contact with the Mana Neurotoxin…!’
His barely balanced mana circuits would collapse completely.
If that happened, Kenich would be like a ticking time bomb with the end near.
Not only he, but Gerard, Yelloyze, and the entire mountain would be in danger.
“A Mana Neurotoxin? That’s hard to obtain not only in the Empire but even in the Western Continent. Who…?”
Yelloyze tensed and quickly scanned the dark forest.
The priority was to find the hidden assassin in the trees.
Naturally, the enemies didn’t leave Yelloyze alone.
“One head, 1,000 gold! Remember that!”
Starting with the voice of a man with a huge slaughtering knife on his shoulder, the bandits swarmed like locusts.
“Tch, they’re persistent. Cherry, try to bear with the dizziness.”
“Tsk!”
I responded briefly and focused all my attention on finding the enemy in the trees.
And then…
[There’s a human there, whizz!]
I detected the chirping of a bird nearby.
‘There!’
Through the leaves swaying in the wind, I saw a blade glint.
But the arrow was already aimed squarely at Kenich.
‘Kenich is in danger…!’
My mind was consumed by that thought.
“Cherry!”
I heard Yelloyze’s voice behind me, but my feet didn’t stop.
And when I snapped back to awareness:
Swish—
An arrow shot like lightning right in front of me.
