“Gosh.”

I sighed while trying to lay Zen who fell into my arms back.

Suddenly, I sensed a presence coming closer along with a rustling sound.

My body naturally turned tense.

I thought there was no monster around here because I met a herbivore earlier, but I couldn’t be sure.

Just by thinking back on the paradoxical things that happened in this forest, I was in a situation where I shouldn’t relax.

I slowly gathered my hands and grasped the shovel tightly, then aimed it to the sound direction.

“Marianne.”

A familiar voice called my name.

I saw Bertin’s silver hair cutting through the swaying bushes.

As I stared at him while forgetting to loosen my grip and put down the shovel, Bertin calmly pointed to the shovel and said,

“That is mithril. Even though I’m a knight, I will kick the bucket if I am attacked while my guard is lowered.”

“. . . Ah.”

He came closer and checked on Zen when I put down the shovel.

Then, I lowered my voice and asked him.

“What about the others?”

“I manipulated their direction a bit because I have to take care of this guy. By now, your brother should be diligently advancing in the wrong direction.”

“. . .”

“Well, since he surely could find his way back, he will come back soon. I only need to buy a bit of time to take this guy.”

As expected, it seemed like there was Bertin’s cooperation for Zen to come to this forest with his sick body.

I looked at Zen in my arms then handed him over to Bertin.

“Take care of him.”

“How about the prince?”

His eyes lingered on the prince.

Bertin Gramia, who was known to be gentle, friendly, and thoughtful, was wearing a cold stare.

I quickly made a move.

“I’ll take care of him.”

“Looking at this guy’s appearance, it seems like he had mana shock before.”

Mana shock was no different than a death sentence for most mages.

Once the shock began, it wouldn’t stop until all the mana in the body ran out.

However, Zen was different.

That he recovered from the shock in front of the prince was abnormal enough.

On top of that, his appearance of using the magic without proper incantation.

I could understand his worry since we had shown everything that we should hide.

Because if the prince opened his mouth, Zen would be in danger.

“Bertin.”

“How much did he see?”

“Bertin Jose Gramia.”

Only after his full name flowed out of my lips did he take off his gaze from the prince.

“I’ll take care of him.”

After withdrawing his murderous gaze, Bertin’s eyes stared at me gently.

While making eye contact with me without saying a word, he eventually turned away first.

Although he kept keeping an eye on the prince, he quickly gave up, unlike Zen.

“As per your wish.”

“You don’t need to worry.”

“I know you won’t do anything that would harm Zen.”

I, who striked Zen’s neck with a shovel made of mithril and ebony wood earlier, nodded.

Since we didn’t have much time, we didn’t have time to talk more.

As soon as Bertin left with Zen on his back, I immediately looked at the prince.

I knew that the prince’s eyelids were already fluttering when Zen woke up and tried to cast the spell.

However, because of the serious atmosphere between the two of us, he must have woken up and stayed laying down without being able to say anything.

I shook him softly.

“Wake up. People will come soon.”

“. . .”

The prince, who raised his body awkwardly, looked at me.

“Sir Gramia and that mage . . .”

“We are friends.”

“I see.”

At least it was fortunate that Rany wasn’t present.

Even Bertin, who was relatively gentle, made such a cold manner, then Rany, without a doubt would have gone wild, calling for his head.

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you.”

When I smiled at the prince, who made a move first to promise to keep the secret, he pleaded with a sad face.

“Even if I have to die when the time comes, I want to die peacefully and honorably.”

“. . .”

“Even if I have to face it soon, I want to properly organize my short life. I have that much time, right?”

If previously he had a resigned gaze, now, he looked peaceful as if he was liberated.

It seemed like this prince already accepted his death as a definite fact.

“You won’t die.”

“Thank you for your ‘last’ mercy.”

The prince’s eyes were filled with conviction that I and my friends would kill him to shut him up.

The one who tried hard to let you alive was me, you see.

I even blocked him from the mantis to save him.

I thought I was finally able to make him want to live.

Before, he gave up his life due to ‘fear of not knowing when he will die’, but this time, he would organize his life, ‘because he will soon die.’

Even before I could open my mouth, numerous hoof sounds began to get heard from afar.

The prince turned his head.

The sound of wind cutting something was heard louder and louder.

As I turned my head, I saw a white doll running on a horse from afar.

He was running with a huge sickle in one hand, cutting through every thick bush.

While swinging a huge sickle in one hand, he shouted my name loudly.

“Mariaaaanne!”

“. . .”

The face of the prince looking at him turned pale.

“Mariaaaaaaaanne!”

His horse began to run madly towards us.

A road was opened in the lush forest by the fierce charge of a brilliant blonde knight.

The prince quietly and slowly moved behind my back and hid.

“It’s fine. They’re allies.”

“. . .”

As our safety was guaranteed, the first thing I worried about was Orion’s hand, holding a sickle and cutting down the plants recklessly.

“Rare plants here should not be cut down recklessly, though.”

It was a pity for the vines that were cut into small pieces by the sickle.

Of course, it was I who donated the sickle, but . . .

I never expected he would use it like that.

Orion was someone who always exceeded my imagination.