“Have you ever been hunting?”

“Hunting?”

Rubellan suggested going hunting since the weather was nice. Hunting was apparently fashionable among the nobility in the Capital—perhaps it was the same here.

“Why suddenly?”

“You seem bored, and there are many things that need clearing out in the mountains behind us.”

Though he spoke casually, like he was suggesting wild boar hunting, the “things” he referred to were undoubtedly monsters. Lately, after the red moon had risen, eerie howling sounds from outside had become more frequent.

“Hunting…”

Rael wondered, having never lived luxuriously enough to develop such a hobby. She was curious whether one could truly find pleasure in the act of killing something.

“Alright.”

Normally, she wouldn’t have agreed. She had no desire to hunt, especially not monsters. But right now, she desperately needed something to release her extreme stress.

Her answer seemed to surprise Rubellan, who turned with a slightly startled expression.

“What?”

“Nothing. Shall we leave now?”

“Sure.”

Rael changed into comfortable clothes. The wardrobe that Esh had filled contained riding attire, and once dressed in pants, she headed toward the mountains with Rubellan. Since the distance wasn’t as far as expected, Rubellan suggested riding horses.

Rael contemplated for a while.

“Alright.”

She decided to ride. Perhaps the tiny seed clinging inside her would be better off dislodged by an unfortunate accident before it took form. It was obvious that it was destined to become a spark that would throw both humans and demons into confusion—not to mention what it meant for her own future.

“Senior, are you good at riding?”

“Terrible.”

“Then let’s ride together.”

Rubellan seated Rael in front of him and galloped away. Horseback riding proved more strenuous than expected. She thought she’d just need to sit, but all her muscles tensed, consuming much of her energy.

After a relatively short ride, they arrived at the mountains. Though cutely called “mountains behind us,” these were actually mountains of the demon realm teeming with monsters.

“Which would you prefer?”

“What?”

“You can’t use magic here anyway, so a bow might be suitable?”

“I can’t shoot either.”

In truth, Rael possessed no hunting skills whatsoever. She had assumed she would just be watching.

“Use this. It’s an enchanted bow—you won’t need strength, just aim, and the arrow will fly.”

What Rubellan handed her was indeed a magical bow. Judging by the large magical stone embedded in it, it seemed to be an impressive item that would allow even beginners to shoot arrows without exertion, just as he said.

“What if I shoot something I shouldn’t?”

“That something wouldn’t be me, would it?”

Rubellan chuckled at Rael’s words. Yet there wasn’t a trace of tension in his laugh. Of course not—a mere magical arrow couldn’t pierce Rubellan, and above all, even if he became a pincushion, he wouldn’t die.

“I admit I’m a tempting prey, but it’s better not to. You’re the only one who could remove the arrows from me.”

The thought of shooting him and then having to pull out the arrows made her nauseated, though she had no such intention.

“Stop the nonsense and let’s go.”

“Let’s go whichever direction you want.”

“Why?”

“It would be nice for you to feel free, at least here.”

What a brazen statement. Who was it that had taken away her freedom in the first place?

“Fine.”

But she didn’t refuse. With Rubellan around, there would be no dangerous situations, and to commemorate her first hunt, it would be good to move on her own.

Rael pushed through the unknown path with confidence. Since this wasn’t a place frequented by people, there were no proper trails, so she made her way by clearing the densely grown vegetation.

Rustle. Rustle.

After walking for some time, a rustling sound came from the undergrowth.

“Something’s there.”

When Rael spoke, startled, Rubellan raised a finger to his lips—a signal to lower her voice. Rael nodded and surveyed the surroundings. Following Rubellan’s gaze, she spotted a spider the size of a human.

“Mmph.”

She nearly retched at the sight of the giant spider with its fluffy fur but managed to hold it back by covering her mouth. When Rael turned her head, Rubellan had already drawn his bow. He quickly adjusted his posture and pulled the bowstring taut.

Whoosh.

With a sound of air being sliced, Rubellan’s arrow flew. When the startled Rael looked toward the spider, it was writhing from the arrow strike.

Making bizarre groaning sounds, the spider looked around to find the source of the arrow. Soon, it turned toward where Rael and Rubellan stood.

“I think it spotted us…”

Concerned about whether they should flee, she spoke to Rubellan, who merely shrugged.

“It’s fine.”

But he didn’t draw his bow again. How could he be so relaxed when the creature was approaching?

With a sense of urgency, Rael raised her own bow. As the spider approached more rapidly, she pulled the bowstring taut with trembling hands. The magic was indeed well-imbued, as the string pulled without any effort. Yet fear of whether she could hit the spider made her hesitate to release her fingers. What if she only angered it with a poor shot?

“I told you it’s fine.”

Just as Rael was about to shoot, the rapidly approaching spider exploded with a “pop” sound.

“W-what?”

“That arrow has a cute little function.”

“Ha! You could have told me that!”

Her pounding heart was gradually returning to normal. Her palms were damp with cold sweat over something so trivial.

“Haa…”

“Looks like you found it thrilling.”

Rubellan smiled gently as he watched Rael wiping away her cold sweat.

“You should share that kind of information in advance.”

Grumbling, Rael turned around. As they ventured deeper, she hoped to find prey that wasn’t so creepy.

“Still, you’re not as frightened as I expected.”

“I’ve seen plenty of strange things since coming here.”

“Oh? Have you already adapted perfectly?”

It seemed that observing various monsters from a distance while at the castle had helped. In the past, she would have collapsed at the mere sight of such a creepy, large spider.

“That’s unfortunate.”

It was regrettable that her once delicate self was transforming into someone with nerves of steel.

“Senior. Over there.”

Rubellan grabbed Rael’s wrist as she walked confidently and pointed toward the base of a distant tree.

“Hmm?”

There were monsters there.

“…Ah.”

These monsters were different from the spider they had encountered earlier. They had the complete form of beasts—they looked just like ordinary bears.

“Are those monsters too?”

“There are no normal living creatures here.”

Indeed, there was no way ordinary animals could exist in this place. Rael observed the bears, wondering if their skin could be pierced by arrows.

‘Grroar—’

Just then, something small emerged from beside the large bear monster. A small bear.

‘A baby…’

It appeared to be the offspring of the large bear. It toddled around, rubbing against the monster’s legs. She had always thought monsters simply fell from the sky one day.

But then again, if demons could have children, why would it be surprising for monsters? Rael’s gaze remained fixed on the small bear monster for quite some time.

“You? Or shall I?”

Rubellan asked in a low voice.

Something felt strange. They were just hunting monsters—beings that harmed humans. Creatures whose existence offered no benefit… Yet the young monster was playfully digging its claws into its mother’s fur, hanging onto her body. The mother licked the young one with her tongue.

“I’ll do it.”

When Rael didn’t respond, Rubellan raised his bow again. Rael’s gaze shifted to Rubellan’s hand.

Had Rubellan’s bow always looked this dangerous? Until now, she hadn’t really recognized it as a weapon.

When the arrow flew, there would be an explosion like with the spider, and both the large and small creatures would die.

‘Grroar—’

It was clearly the cry of an ordinary monster. Similar to the howls that had disturbed her sleep on some nights. Clearly so, and yet…

Thud.

Just before the arrow could fly, Rael’s hand grabbed Rubellan’s arm. Rubellan turned his head to look at her. Rael was simply staring at the monsters with an expressionless face.

“…Let’s.”

“Pardon? Senior?”

“Let’s just go.”

Rubellan was perplexed. He couldn’t grasp why she suddenly behaved this way. Rael, who despised monsters intensely, wouldn’t possibly feel compassion for them.

“…I want to leave. I don’t feel well.”

“Are you unwell?”

Rubellan lowered his bow and examined Rael’s condition.

“Let’s find the horse.”

At Rael’s complaint of feeling unwell, Rubellan immediately prepared to return. However, upon hearing the word “horse,” Rael unconsciously placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

“I don’t want the horse.”

“Senior…?”

“Carry me and fly.”

Rubellan wasn’t used to Rael’s suddenly changed attitude.

“As you wish.”

But without argument, he lifted Rael into his arms and spread his wings.

Cradled in Rubellan’s arms, Rael felt conflicted. Only one thing had changed—life had formed within her body—and she had even acted in ways that might secretly cause it to disappear. Yet simply seeing the parent and child monsters made her stomach churn.

Even those mere beasts had parent-child relationships. Could she, a human, abandon her own child just because it might be a demon?

She resented it. But she shouldn’t hate it.

God was truly cruel. Why inflict such confusion? Unable to punish demons, why… why me?