“D*mn it!”

Thierry cursed harshly. Despite thinking they couldn’t possibly run any faster, they somehow managed to pick up more speed.

The sound of arrows slicing through the wind rang out again and again behind them. The earth trembled under the thunder of many feet pounding downward.

Aveline, glancing sideways at the stray arrows, clenched her eyes shut to keep from looking back and focused on running. Fortunately, the arrows slicing through the gaps in the trees couldn’t seem to catch up to them.

Just as they reached the other side safely, Aveline noticed Thierry’s presence behind her was growing fainter. It was no wonder—he’d been carrying Edin the entire way without a single chance to switch out.

At the point where the path reconnected to the mountain trail, Aveline turned back for the first time. Thierry and Luen were running nearly side by side, lagging behind.

And then she saw it—arrows fired in arcs by soldiers who had made it down to the vicinity of the valley, flying straight toward Edin, slung on Thierry’s back.

“No!”

Just as she screamed and reached out, Luen yanked Thierry forward. The arrow meant for Edin struck the hard stone floor instead.

But in the split second that Luen’s focus shifted to Thierry, another arrow sharply cut through the air and pierced toward Luen’s right side.

“Luen!”

Luen twisted his shoulder with a reflexive jerk. Though it grazed him, it didn’t fully pierce his arm.

“D*mn it…”

Luen swore as he clutched his wound with his left hand. Blood dripped from his palm to the ground in thick drops.

“You’re bleeding…!”

As Aveline halted in her tracks and tried to turn back, unable to take her eyes off him, Luen shouted fiercely.

“Don’t look back!”

“But—”

“It’s just a scratch. We don’t have time to stop for bandaging.”

At his remarkably composed words, Aveline bit her lip as if holding something back and tore her gaze from his shoulder. Then she faced forward and started running again.

Though the trees here were bare-limbed, they grew denser than in the Mount Ganes, providing better cover.

But that alone wasn’t enough to solve their most critical problem. Their speed would only continue to slow, and it was only a matter of time before they were caught.

At this rate, annihilation was the only outcome. No one said it aloud, but everyone present shared the same grim realization.

“We’ll have to split up.”

“How?”

“Thierry, you know the way out of the mountain, don’t you?”

Patrick exchanged a quick look with Thierry. Aveline and Luen also quickly caught on to what they meant. They were planning to send Thierry and Edin ahead, removing the greatest weakness in their escape attempt.

“Aveline…”

“Don’t worry, Edin. We’ll meet again safely in the North.”

Aveline gripped Edin’s trembling hand tightly, then turned to Thierry with a desperate plea.

“Please take care of him, Sir Thierry.”

Thierry’s eyes locked with hers, burning quietly.

“I’ll protect him with my life. Don’t worry. I’ll see you safely in the North.”

Aveline nodded, full of trust.

Thierry readjusted Edin on his back and cast one final glance at his comrades.

“I’m counting on you, Patrick.”

“Yeah.”

Patrick drew his sword, casting a brief look at his comrade. Without another word, Thierry turned and began running swiftly.

Once Thierry’s figure disappeared into the trees, Patrick took off in the opposite direction. Aveline and Luen followed.

Patrick deliberately left traces, cutting through trees noisily to lure the enemies after him.

As they climbed to mid-mountain, the sounds of pursuit behind them grew clearer. It seemed the bait had worked, but the speed was faster than expected. The enemies weren’t yet in sight, but their approach could be heard, getting closer by the second.

Even so, the path ahead remained long, and to Aveline, it felt insurmountable. Her stamina had already bottomed out; it was sheer willpower keeping her moving. The moment she let her guard down, she felt she would collapse into unconsciousness.

‘How much farther can I run?’

Even the strength drawn from survival instinct had its limits. She was nearing the point where, even if a blade pressed against her throat, she would simply close her eyes and accept death. The dark power she had been using in fragments to keep moving had nearly run dry. In truth, it was a miracle she had made it this far.

But then, Patrick, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped and turned around. Aveline looked up at him, confused.

“Go on ahead.”

“What?”

“I’ll stay behind and draw them off.”

With those calm words, Patrick turned back toward the path they had come, as if there was nothing more to say. As though he could dispatch those minor soldiers with ease and catch up later.

But Aveline knew better. Maybe if he were in perfect condition, it would be possible, but in his current state, worn to the bone, it was next to impossible to face multiple opponents. There was no way Patrick didn’t know this too.

In short, he was sacrificing himself to buy time for their escape.

“That’s not possible!”

Aveline cried out in a breathless, strained voice.

How could they just leave Patrick behind like this? Patrick de Con had nothing to do with everything that had happened so far. He was far too innocent to be sacrificed for the sake of specters like herself, clinging to regrets of a past life.

“You can’t do this alone, Sir!”

“I’m fine. Please go now. You must not look back.”

“No, you can’t! Why would you—!”

But Patrick already wore the resolute and noble expression of a knight who would not be swayed by any force. With faultless eyes, he cut off Aveline’s words and spoke in a blunt tone.

“I still do not believe you are a suitable match for His Grace.”

It was an oddly off-topic remark to bring up in such a dire moment. Even the honorific “my lady” had vanished.

And yet, Aveline could not bring herself to stop him, because she sensed a certain resolve behind that calm tone.

“But I know better than anyone how much His Grace needs you. That is why you must survive, no matter what happens.”

Patrick continued, his voice firm and commanding, as if issuing an order.

“I will remain loyal to His Grace in every moment, as I have sworn.”

With those words, he brushed past Aveline without hesitation. She saw his broad back draw his sword, unwavering and straight. The sight made her realize there was no way she could change his mind.

“Go!”

His thunderous roar seemed to be the signal, and Aveline began to run again, blindly and desperately, facing forward.

A searing heat surged from the base of her spine. But she suppressed the rising emotions, gulping for breath, because she couldn’t let the opportunity Patrick had given her go to waste. She had to pour every remaining bit of strength into fleeing.

“Haah… haah…”

Her lungs burned. Her pace slowed, but she didn’t stop running. The only warmth she could still feel came from the footsteps of Luen, following closely behind.

How far had they run again like that? Finally, after crossing a ridge, a distant mountain slope came into view. If they could just descend and pass over that ridge, they would reach the northern territory.

As she placed a hand on a tree trunk to catch her breath for a moment, she heard something collapse to the ground behind her.

A chilling sense of foreboding stiffened her spine. Aveline turned her stiffened neck with a creak.

Luen had collapsed.

“Luen!”

Shocked, Aveline hurried to him. His forehead was burning hot. His whole body was drenched in cold sweat, and his lips had turned deathly pale.

She had thought if either of them collapsed, it would surely be her. The sight left her deeply shaken.

“Why—why are you like this? Is it because the arrow graze hurts? Huh?”

Luen grimaced and groaned in pain.

“D-D*mn it… that arrowhead, it was poisoned…”

“What?”

All color drained from Aveline’s face. Poison? That explained the eerie quiet she’d noticed before…

She babbled like someone being strangled.

“Y-you can’t pass out. I’ll get an antidote somehow…”

Even without knowing what kind of poison it was, she talked about an antidote. It was a miracle she hadn’t fainted herself. Her mind, now in full panic, refused any rational thought. Every time she felt Luen’s hot breath brush her fingers, her heart pounded harder.

“Please, stay with me…”

But she wasn’t even given the time to fully register the situation.

She suddenly sensed movement again and sharply turned around. Unlike before, when they had all come charging at once, the enemy was now approaching in multiple scattered directions like they were flushing out prey. Aveline understood immediately what that meant.

Patrick had fallen.

“Agghh…”

But there was no time to despair. She had someone right in front of her she had to protect.

Grabbing Luen by the shoulder, she dragged him to the largest nearby tree and leaned him against the far side of the trunk, out of sight from where the movement was coming.

Luen was still barely conscious, gasping in short, labored breaths. Aveline removed her robe and covered him with it, then tightly tied her hair back. She drew her sword.

Now fully prepared for combat, she took one last look at Luen as he struggled to breathe. Perhaps feeling her gaze, he weakly opened his eyes.

“You…”

“Stay hidden and try to reestablish contact with Natalie. If you can meet her safely, there will be a way forward.”

Aveline spoke quickly, drawing a line in her words, as if she was excluding herself from any “way forward” she spoke of.

That life had always been meant to be given to him anyway. She didn’t feel it was a waste.

Having made up her mind, she quickly descended the mountain, then turned back toward the opposite direction of where Luen lay, slashing at branches as Patrick had done earlier.

Once she felt enough distance had been made, she finally stopped. The enemies were climbing up, and she had come down—so a confrontation was inevitable.

“There’s a woman here who appears to be Aveline Croeta!”

One soldier, having spotted her, shouted loudly, his eyes quickly scanning her features.