Chapter 107
“Will everyone be able to cross?”
No one answered my question, and silence fell.
Kaiden, who had gone ahead, approached the swaying bridge and examined it closely.
“Doesn’t it seem to be in worse condition than when I came to see it a few days ago?”
He asked Diego and Yuanna. They nodded with serious faces.
“I agree. There were definitely no signs of it being cut or anything, but it’s as if someone crossed the bridge after we left…”
Yuanna spoke meaningfully with a strange expression.
Asdal approached Kaiden and examined the bridge with him, then opened his mouth.
“There really might be a kidnapper. If we’re trapped here for an experiment, as Lady Flone said, and they’re observing us on this island, it would explain it.”
“But it’s still just speculation. To solve the mystery, we need to go to the place with the star mark.”
As I was answering Asdal, Kaiden opened his mouth with a troubled expression.
“Wait, surveillance…?”
“What’s wrong?”
Kaiden, who had been running his hand through his hair and deep in thought at my question, glanced at me. He had a very complicated look on his face.
“When I came out to scout a few days ago, I saw a Monster watching me.”
“What are you talking about?”
Enoch crossed his arms and turned around with a serious expression. Yuanna and Diego also looked at Kaiden as if they didn’t understand.
“I didn’t see anything?”
“The first night we found the simple cabin, I went out alone to get some food, remember?”
Kaiden answered Yuanna’s puzzled question, and she finally exclaimed softly and nodded.
“No, I kept feeling a gaze from somewhere. So I looked around, and there was a glint in the darkness!”
Kaiden made a sparkling gesture, opening and closing his hands in front of his eyes.
“When I looked, it seemed to be a Wolf-type Monster. Usually, those guys attack us right away when they see us. But it just stared at me for a long time and then left. It was like it was watching what I was doing.”
“A scout? Maybe it was trying to figure out our movements before attacking us?”
I chuckled and said it as a joke. But unexpectedly, everyone was listening to me very seriously.
“I don’t think they have that level of intelligence, but if someone is controlling them, it’s definitely possible.”
Enoch answered quietly. And Asdal, who had been silent, continued with a sigh.
“Whether it’s an experiment or something else, it seems almost certain that someone is on this island and watching us.”
“The place with the star mark on the map is suspicious after all.”
“Well, maybe there really is a kidnapper there.”
Yuanna agreed with my answer to Asdal.
And we were silent for a moment, each lost in thought.
After a heavy silence, Yuanna changed the atmosphere.
“Well, we have to cross the bridge first. Who should go first?”
At Yuanna’s question, Enoch drew his sword from its scabbard.
“Asdal and I will provide cover here. Go ahead and cross.”
“What, no way. I want to cross first?”
Asdal looked back at Enoch with a bewildered expression. Of course, Enoch didn’t respond.
Then Asdal sighed and took out the arrow he had been carrying on his shoulder.
“Okay, Banhwang is short-range, and I’m long-range. The balance is perfect.”
Asdal grumbled but did as Enoch told him. Looking at it, Asdal really seems to like Enoch.
At that moment, Kaiden took a stance and stepped onto the swaying bridge.
“Okay, I’m going? Margaret, you follow right behind me. Give me Eunji, I’ll take her first.”
He looked back at me and held out his hand. I handed him Eunji. Eunji glanced at me and then quietly wrapped herself around Kaiden’s arm.
Kaiden crossed the bridge safely right away.
It seemed unstable, but it looked like one person could cross at a time.
“Margaret.”
Just as I was about to follow Kaiden and cross the bridge, Enoch called me. I turned around with a puzzled expression.
Enoch had already come up to me and was looking down at me intently.
“…Be careful. I’ll follow you soon.”
At his words, I smiled bashfully.
“You’re talking like we’re saying goodbye, making me uneasy. I’ll go ahead and wait, so hurry up and come.”
He nodded slowly and gently stroked my hair. Somehow, it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve had a conversation like this, just the two of us.
But why do we have to have this conversation at a time like this when everyone is watching?
“Lady Flone, if you’re not going to leave, I’ll go first.”
Luzef, who couldn’t stand it any longer, grumbled and passed me to cross the bridge. I was so embarrassed that I took a step back.
Enoch carefully pulled my hand. He kissed the back of my hand and gently pressed his lips to my wrist.
“Do you remember when I said I would protect you? My heart hasn’t changed. I’ll cross over soon, so go ahead and wait.”
He said with a calm face and slowly lowered his hand to caress my cheek. It was nothing special, but I felt nervous.
“Okay. Please cross safely, Your Highness. And don’t get hurt.”
I felt like my cheeks were flushed, but I didn’t want to show it, so I spoke to him with the calmest face I could manage.
He stared at my face for a moment and then nodded.
“Are you going to stop now and leave?”
Asdal appeared, breaking us apart. Enoch quietly moved away from me.
I looked at Kaiden, Luzef, and Diego, who had already crossed, and then stepped onto the swaying bridge.
The bridge seemed to be shaking more unstably than before. It felt very precarious, as if it would break at any moment.
Even though I was moving very slowly, I could hear the sound of the bridge’s ropes snapping, “thud, thud.”
“This is really unstable…”
I stopped for a moment, leaving about a third of the distance to the other side. The bridge was swaying too violently from side to side.
“Lady Flone!”
Then I heard Yuanna’s shout. I slowly turned around and looked back at her.
And the sight of Asdal and Enoch, who had remained on the southern island, facing a huge number of Orangutan monsters came into view.
Some of them were even trying to cross the bridge.
“Run, Lady!”
Yuanna shouted at me in surprise.
Among them, two Orangutan monsters finally climbed onto the bridge. I saw one Orangutan monster that was crossing the bridge fall into the river.
‘F, F*ck?’
It was only when the bridge was half tilted that I belatedly grasped the situation and ran forward. The bridge was completely breaking because of that Orangutan bastard.
The northern island where Kaiden and the others were standing was right in front of me.
‘I just need to go a little further…!’
As always, my ominous premonitions never fail, and misfortune always starts with me. In the end, I didn’t reach the northern island and fell into the river.
After that, I didn’t remember exactly what happened.
I was swept away by the rough currents for a long time and swallowed a lot of water. I only vaguely remembered someone pulling me out of the water after that.
Then my vision went completely dark.