Chapter 38

Phyllis, mounted on his saddle, adjusted his gloved hand and looked up at the sky.

Though the day was clear, clouds hung in the air. As he exhaled, his white breath spread like smoke into the void.

“I’ll be back.”

After greeting the people who came to see him off, Phyllis turned his horse.

“Wait a moment, Phyllis.”

Cornell hesitated before calling out to him. She reached out and held the back of Phyllis’s hand, which was gripping the reins.

“Come back safely. Don’t get hurt.”

“…Alright.”

Phyllis gave a small smile, released Cornell’s hand, and urged his horse forward.

“Shall we go, Young Master?”

A lightly armed man nodded. It was his uncle, Kesen Herwin.

The group set off, led by the Earl’s carriage. Phyllis followed behind, glancing back one last time. Cornell was still standing there. He waved his hand at her, and even from a distance, her bright smile was visible.

“That girl, is her name Cornell?”

Kesen spoke without even looking to his side. Phyllis lowered his hand and gripped the reins. His cold, leather gloves tightened in his grasp.

“I feel like I’ve seen her before. Though I don’t really remember.”

“……”

“More importantly, relax your face. You’re scaring everyone.”

Phyllis forced a smile and nodded. It was a relief that Cornell couldn’t see him. Kesen snorted and glanced at the soldiers following them as he continued.

“The Countess didn’t come out to see her son off, did she?”

Though his tone was indifferent, concern was hidden in his words. Phyllis replied as if it didn’t bother him.

“She’s not feeling well. She’s resting.”

“I know that already.”

Even as they spoke, the procession was leaving the village. Soon, they would enter the mountain path.

The weather wasn’t too cold, thanks to the snow that had fallen a few days ago. Of course, it didn’t matter much since their destination was in the north. Phyllis had been there before and knew how cold it could get.

In a way, it was fortunate. At least during the tournament, he could forget everything and focus solely on the hunt.

“Keep your eyes ahead. Don’t fall off your horse like last time.”

Kesen advised seriously, without his usual playfulness. Phyllis took the comment to heart. He hadn’t slept well for days, and his head felt foggy.

“At this rate, you’ll be mistaken for a sick deer and hunted by the knights.”

It wasn’t an unreasonable concern. Phyllis blinked his eyes to shake off the drowsiness.

‘There’s no such thing as a friend like that, Phyllis.’

Even though it was only for a moment, someone’s cold gaze vividly flashed in his mind. That was why he had been unable to sleep properly before such an important event.

And that was why he couldn’t fully look at Cornell’s smiling face.

A guilt he couldn’t quite understand weighed heavily on his heart. His vision wavered, and his stomach churned. Phyllis struggled to shake off his distracting thoughts.

‘I’ll think about it after I return.’

It was an uncertain resolution, which dissolved into the air like dust.

It was going to be a long journey. Before he knew it, the Earl’s residence had disappeared from view as they passed over a hill.

***

“Are you sure you’ll be alright going alone?”

The carriage, ready to depart, remained stationary for a while. Karina leaned out of the carriage and answered.

“I’ll be fine. I’m supposed to meet Aunt Kate halfway.”

“But until then, you’ll be alone.”

Laura touched Karina’s face with a worried expression. Even after days of persuasion, Laura didn’t seem to have eased her concerns.

It was almost time to leave. Karina smiled and met Laura’s eyes.

“I’ll arrive at Aunt’s house by tonight. Don’t worry.”

“Alright. Be careful and have a safe trip.”

“Yes, I will.”

Karina pulled herself back into the carriage. Laura waved through the window until the very last moment.

After the carriage began moving, Karina leaned back against the seat. She pulled out the invitation she had tucked into her coat.

It was an invitation to the hunting tournament, received from the Imperial Family a few days ago. To be precise, it had come directly from the Crown Prince. Karina let out a sigh she had been holding in.

‘I already want to go back home.’

She had convinced her parents to let her attend after receiving the invitation, but it wasn’t a particularly pleasant situation. Traveling far was tedious, and above all, there were many participants she didn’t want to meet.

However, despite these reasons, the final line of the invitation had piqued Karina’s curiosity.

『…Thus, a slightly special event will be held during this tournament.』

In all the hunting tournaments held so far, there had never been talk of a separate event.

More than anything, she remembered the Crown Prince’s insistence that she attend the tournament. His persistence had been unusual.

‘It’s probably nothing. Just a coincidental addition to the event.’

Karina tried to erase her ominous premonition.

In truth, it wasn’t easy to decline an invitation from the Imperial Family. She had deliberately delayed her departure, hoping to arrive after the official tournament had ended. It was her way of minimizing discomfort.

Karina calmed herself and tucked the invitation back into her coat. The scenery outside the window rushed past.

“…What kind of event could it be?”

The faint anticipation she tried to suppress escaped as a murmured question.

It couldn’t be helped. It was her first time traveling to the north and attending a hunting tournament. Even though it was an unwanted journey, Karina’s heart was slowly beginning to stir with excitement.

Karina leaned against the window and closed her eyes. The carriage gradually left the village behind.

***

The sound of footsteps echoed through the snow-covered forest.

Noah walked a little farther before stopping at a fork in the path. As he crouched down, a voice called out from behind him.

“Hey, seriously. I told you we should rest today.”

Kaya, her face full of complaints, walked up to him. Noah ignored her and entered one of the paths.

“Three days of being tied up, and now my whole body aches. Aren’t you working me too hard?”

Having just arrived at Riku this morning, Kaya clearly wanted to rest at the lodge.

Even as she grumbled, Kaya followed Noah. She casually caught a squirrel climbing a tree with one hand. The struggling squirrel calmed down when she handed it a nut from her pocket.

“Seriously, just because someone might run away, do you really have to lock them in a cargo carriage? Isn’t that too much?”

“I didn’t mind it.”

“Well, that’s because you’re not normal, Captain.”

Noah tilted his head. The cargo carriage had been fairly comfortable, even if it shook a little.

After venting her frustrations to the squirrel, Kaya seemed to give up on persuading Noah and released it back onto the tree. Then, she started climbing a large tree nearby.

Before long, she settled on a thick branch and lay down.

“I’ll stay here, so do whatever you want. Don’t come looking for me, even if something happens.”

With that, Kaya sprawled out on the branch. Her crossed legs swung lazily in the air.

Noah nodded and left her there, walking deeper into the forest.

The tournament was set to begin the next day. Participants were allowed to practice hunting until the night before. Many had already entered the forest. Whether the practice would be helpful was uncertain. After all, the northern forests were full of dangers.

He had walked far. A piercing scream rang out nearby.

“Ahhh!”

Pushing through the bushes, Noah came across two people.

To be precise, one of them was hanging precariously from a cliff. The man cried out desperately.

“Save me! I’m going to fall!”

Noah calmly looked down.

The forests of Marquis Pentium were known for their steep cliffs and treacherous terrain. It was only natural, given that the castle itself was perched on a sheer cliff.

“Can’t you hear me? Help me… Ahhh!”

“E-Ethan!”

One of the companions panicked and approached the cliff, reaching out to the man. The other turned to Noah with pleading eyes, but Noah simply walked away. The cliff wasn’t very deep. Even if the man fell, he probably wouldn’t die.

As Noah continued walking through the forest, a rustling sound came from the bushes.

‘A rabbit.’

Noah recognized it without even looking and kept walking.

That’s when an arrow flew out of nowhere and lodged itself in a tree trunk beside the bush.

“Damn it. Missed again.”

A voice muttered, and a middle-aged man holding a bow emerged from the bushes. Behind him was Phyllis. Startled by the unexpected encounter, Phyllis’s face stiffened.

But Noah had already looked away from them.

“…A rabbit?”

Muttering as he glanced in the direction the rabbit had fled, Noah felt a hand cautiously tap his shoulder. It was the middle-aged knight.

“Excuse me… Are you participating in the tournament?”

Noah didn’t answer. Rabbit tracks dotted the snow in front of him.

“Let’s go, Uncle.”

“But this man seems to need assistance.”

The middle-aged knight scratched his head, glancing at Noah. Only then did Noah turn back to them.

Phyllis stared at Noah with a gaze as cold as the winter air. Noah didn’t avoid his gaze. Soon, the knight seemed to notice the tension and cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well… If you’re fine, then let’s go.”

The sound of footsteps gradually faded. Phyllis turned first and walked into the bushes. As Noah resumed his path, he suddenly recalled what the knight had said.

‘

‘He looks like he needs help? What does that mean?’

Checking his clothes, Noah found nothing unusual—just the shirt and pants he always wore. Though a bit thin, they were warm enough. The weather was mild, after all.

His thoughts didn’t linger. Humming, Noah started walking again.

“Rabbit, rabbit.”

The strange tune echoed through the forest. The long-awaited tournament day was slowly approaching.