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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Wolf in the Woods
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A short while later.
Lellia finally managed to explain to Calix that she wasn't a demon.
Calix’s already sprained ankle had gotten worse. A result of kicking Lellia.
But Calix gritted his teeth through the pain and asked.
“You’re Crown Prince Leo? Then you’re that guy, right? The pale-faced bastard who runs around playing boss.”
“...”
How could he say something like that to someone’s face…
Lellia wanted to point it out, but this wasn't the right time to get hung up on it.
Calix asked her, seeing she wasn't responding.
“So why are you here?”
“Well…”
*He’ll never believe I came to save him.*
“Let’s go down first. We need to get off this mountain, quickly.”
“How am I supposed to get down on this foot? We have no choice but to wait here until morning.”
“You…!”
This clueless, carefree bastard!
*I came all the way up here and even got kicked because of you!*
Lellia fumed. Calix, on the other hand, lay down and started preparing to sleep. Was this guy insane? He was really going to sleep here?
If they slept here, they’d be eaten alive by a wild beast.
Lellia finally confessed half the truth.
“Hey, you might not believe me, but a beast is going to show up.”
“Of course I don’t believe you. What a thing to say.”
“...”
Lellia let out a deep sigh. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke cautiously.
“Calix Ascad. Do you trust your uncle?”
At the question she’d been forced to ask, Calix shot upright.
And grabbed her by the collar.
“Gah…!”
“You bastard, who sent you? Who sent you!”
Calix shook Lellia violently by the collar.
“Agh! Who else would send me! The Emperor of Auraria sent me, you lunatic!”
“Ah, right. That makes sense. But what do you know about His Majesty to be spouting such nonsense?”
“...”
Lellia batted Calix’s hand away and straightened the collar he’d grabbed. Her head was spinning.
“I… I’m actually quite insightful. So I knew just by looking at you.”
Lellia blurted out whatever came to mind. Calix had shaken her so hard she couldn’t think straight. At least she hadn't said she'd read it in a novel.
“...It wasn't my uncle who sent you, was it?”
Lellia held up her open palms, showing them to him. So he could see them clearly, even in the moonlight.
“I’m the Crown Prince of Auraria. How could the Emperor of Ascad send me? Are you really that stupid?”
“...Ha, so what are you getting at? Are you saying my uncle is going to send a beast after me?”
“...Unbelievable as it may sound, you're right. You’re not so stupid after all, are you?”
“Ha, then I’ll just die.”
“What?”
“I know my uncle—no, His Majesty—wants me dead. So I might as well just die.”
“...”
Lellia looked at the resigned Calix. As if to say ‘let whatever happens happen,’ he lay down completely.
“What are you doing? You said a beast is coming. So get lost.”
“...”
“I said go, you bastard.”
Lellia gazed at Calix's eyes, shimmering in the moonlight. Within their mysterious light lay a faint trace of fear.
He acted tough and confident, but at the end of the day, he was just a ten-year-old kid.
Lellia shot to her feet.
“I’ll go, even if you don’t tell me to.”
“Good, then go.”
Calix didn't try to stop her, acting as if he wasn't disappointed at all.
Lellia furrowed her brow.
*What kind of kid is he… only ten years old…*
How could he be so calm, knowing his uncle was trying to kill him—and apparently having known for a while? What kind of life had he lived?
Lellia pressed a hand to her frustrated chest and spoke.
“But I’m not going alone.”
“What?”
“From what I can see, we’re running out of time. Get on my back. Now.”
With that, Lellia turned her back to Calix and squatted down.
“...Are you crazy?”
Calix asked, dumbfounded.
“I said, get on.”
“This bastard’s really insane... Why would I get on your back? I told you, I’d rather just die! Go away!”
“I can’t go alone. Get on.”
“...You’re lying, aren’t you? You said a beast is coming, but you can’t go alone? What kind of bastard are you?”
“If you don’t believe me, you want to just wait here for the beast together? A drooling wolf?”
“Then just go alone! Are we friends? You’ve never even talked to me before, so what’s this all of a sudden? You’re going to die for a stranger? Would you believe it if you were me?”
“That’s…”
“Tell me the truth. My uncle sent you, didn’t he?”
“You idiot, think about it. I’m the Crown Prince of Auraria. What reason would I have to lie to you?”
“It has nothing to do with you anyway! What do you care if I live or die! I’ll die just like my uncle wants!”
“This is getting nowhere.”
Lellia thought for a moment. Honestly, if she were going to leave alone, she wouldn't have come up here in the first place.
According to what she knew, he wouldn't die even if the beast appeared, but there was always a chance things could turn out differently from the original story.
No, even if he didn't die, Calix would be gravely injured today. She couldn't just stand by and let that happen.
“Get lost! Dammit, go! Get lost, before I kill you! Go! Get lost!”
Calix screamed his lungs out. His voice was completely hoarse, and Lellia thought she could hear the sorrow laced within it.
It was as if he were saying, *Don’t go, I’m scared, don’t leave me alone.*
That only strengthened her resolve not to go alone.
Lellia took a breath and spoke. It required a bit of resolve.
“Calix, I’m sorry, but.”
“What! Go! Get lost! Go if you don’t want to die!”
“I’m going to knock you out now, okay? It might hurt, so just bear with it.”
“What? What did this bastard just say—Ugh!”
Lellia shot up and, with all her might, slammed Calix’s head into a tree.
“...”
Thankfully, he was out in one go.
*If that hadn't worked, I was going to have to slam him a few more times... What a relief.*
Lellia breathed a sigh of relief.
*By the way, can I even carry him?*
Calix was a bit taller than other kids his age. But it wasn't his height that was the problem; he was big-boned and stocky.
“Whatever, dammit… If a beast shows up, I’ll just leave him as bait.”
Lellia muttered the half-hearted threat as she grunted with effort. She finally managed to hoist Calix onto her back and get to her feet.
Still, Calix was only a ten-year-old. He didn't feel that heavy. It seemed she’d gained some sort of superhuman strength.
Lellia had a slender frame, but she wasn't weak. She was sturdy enough to have survived starvation by eating dirt and snow.
Besides, before she was sent to the temple, the emperor had at least given her plenty to eat.
“Now, how do I get through this formation?”
She started walking aimlessly, but she couldn't think of a way to undo the magically twisted path.
Still, she couldn't stop walking. Fear of a wolf appearing at any moment sharpened all her senses.
Lellia listened intently to the rustling of leaves in the wind and the chirping of birds as she walked on and on.
After some time, she heard a rustling sound in the distance.
A chill instantly ran down Lellia’s spine.
“...!”
Thinking the wolf had appeared, Lellia tightened her grip on Calix.
But soon, she let out a sigh of relief.
What emerged from the bushes was not a wolf, but Griffith.
“You… what are you doing?”
Griffith asked, his brow deeply furrowed. He was holding something like a lantern, which on closer inspection was a lamp filled with fireflies.
It seemed he had found a burnt-out lantern nearby and filled it with them.
“...I’m the Crown Prince of Auraria.”
“...I recognize your face. But why are you here?”
“It’s… hah, it’s complicated. Anyway, you might not believe this, but a beast is about to show up. So you should get out of here with me, quickly.”
“Priests walk this mountain every day. There are no wild beasts here.”
“Let’s see if you’re still saying that when we run into a wolf... In any case, we need to get out of here fast.”
“...The path is tangled.”
“I know. But there must be an exit somewhere.”
“I know the way.”
“Really?”
Lellia asked, her face brightening. Come to think of it…
“You were on your way back, realized the path was strange, made a lantern, and came back? Because you were worried about Calix Ascad?”
“...”
At Lellia’s question, Griffith’s expression soured.
*I thought he’d abandoned him and called him a bad guy... I guess their paths just diverged in the original story.*
Lellia, though drenched in sweat, grinned.
“Stop smiling like that. It’s creepy.”
“No, you’re actually a good kid, aren’t you? I misunderstood. I’m sorry.”
“...”
Griffith seemed even more offended by the words ‘good kid,’ but Lellia paid him no mind.
“What are you waiting for? Lead the way! Let’s go.”
“But what’s wrong with him?”
“...Uh, well... He, he fainted.”
“Hmph. Weakling. After all that showing off.”
Griffith scoffed as if he’d known it all along.
*Actually, I’m the one who knocked him out...*
Lellia answered truthfully only in her head and followed Griffith.
Just then, Griffith suddenly spun around with incredible speed.
“What the—!”
Lellia didn’t even finish asking what was wrong before she reflexively turned. There was no mistaking the immense presence that had appeared behind her in an instant.
“Aargh!”
The moment she turned, Lellia screamed and stumbled back. Looking down, she saw that a beast’s claw had grazed her lower abdomen, and she was bleeding.
*When did it get here?*
Grrrr…
The wolf that had appeared out of nowhere stood before them, drool dripping from its jaws as it watched them.
After scratching Lellia’s stomach, the beast took a step back.
It was calculating the right moment to lunge and tear out their throats in one go.
“Why in the world is a wolf here…!”
Griffith was clearly panicked. He wouldn't have been this shocked even if he'd seen a demon.
Even so, he reflexively scanned his surroundings for anything that could be used as a weapon.
Lellia steadied her trembling voice and said.
“Griffith, t-take the whistle around my neck and put it to my lips. It’s the kind the priests use.”
Her goal wasn't to call the priests, but to make the ones who had summoned the beast retreat…
But right now, it didn't matter either way.
“...”
Keeping an eye on the beast watching them from a distance, Griffith slowly reached for Lellia’s neck.
As he lowered his gaze, he saw the tattered hem of her clothes, torn by the beast's claws. The sight underneath must be horrific.
Despite this, Lellia stood perfectly still, carrying Calix on her back without a single tremor.
*Isn’t she afraid?*
Moreover, her eyes were focused, and she didn't look away from the wolf. In fact, she didn't even blink, as if determined not to lose this battle of wills.
In reality, it was a symptom of extreme fear, but to Griffith’s eyes, it looked as though Lellia was trying to dominate the beast.
“...”
Very slowly, Griffith succeeded in placing the whistle in Lellia’s mouth.
And then.
Fweeeeeee…!
The moment Lellia blew the whistle with all her might, the drooling wolf charged.
At the same time, Griffith raised the long branch he had spotted earlier.
Even as the beast lunged, Lellia didn’t flinch or turn away. Calix was on her back. She absolutely could not show her back.
“Yelp!”
It happened in an instant. Griffith stepped in front of Lellia, swinging the branch, and at the same time, a white light flashed.
“What the…”
Griffith muttered, bewildered by the white light emanating from his own hand.
And Lellia…
“Oh my god, we’re alive! You did it, Griffith!”
Griffith had awakened his holy power.
*In the original story, he was supposed to awaken his holy power right before returning to his home country…*
They say that even ordinary people can wield miraculous powers when faced with death. It seemed this was that moment for Griffith.
“...!”
But the miracle did not happen a second time.
The wolf charged again, and Griffith was unable to use the holy power he had just wielded.
“Aargh!”
“Griffith!”
The lunging wolf bit into Griffith’s arm, and Griffith screamed, shaking his arm wildly.
Just then, the light burst from Griffith’s arm again. It was a power that activated instantaneously.
Grrrr…
The wolf released Griffith’s arm and faced them again. A mixture of saliva and red blood dripped from between its teeth.
It was Griffith’s blood.
“Ugh…”
“Griffith, are you okay?”
Lellia asked, beside herself with worry.
Just then.
“...Ugh, what’s going on... Ah, my head...”
A low voice rumbled from beside Lellia’s neck. Calix was awake.
“...What’s, what’s happening...”
Calix blinked, shocked by the scene before him as soon as he opened his eyes.
A wolf was growling right in front of them. A real wolf. Not an illusion made of sand.
And besides…
“Agh!”
He was being carried on someone’s back. Most likely, it was the back of Crown Prince Leo.
Calix instantly pushed himself off Lellia’s back, shoving her aside.
It was hard to put any force into it with his severely sprained ankle, but Calix managed to stand up straight and simultaneously pull a small dagger from his clothes.
“No!”
It happened at the same time. Lellia, who had been pushed aside, screamed, but she couldn't stop what was happening in that split second.
*I tried so hard to protect him…!*
Can the fate of the original story not be changed?
Lellia squeezed her eyes shut.
Anger seemed to boil up inside her. Her own powerlessness was pathetic.
It was foolish to have tried to save Calix when she had no power at all.
She would only end up causing him more harm. It was all her fault.
*It's all because of me...*
The brief moment she had squeezed her eyes shut felt like an eternity.
In the original novel, Calix loses an entire arm to the wolf on this day.
Despite that, Calix becomes a great warrior who wields a massive greatsword with his remaining hand to fight the Mad Dragon.
Moreover, he plays the most crucial role among them and makes an irreversible sacrifice.
Although he didn't lose his life, it was a sacrifice for which no one could tell him he was fortunate.
That was why Lellia couldn't turn her back on Calix.
*At least his arm...*
She had hoped she could at least save that one arm.
She wanted to give that one arm back to Calix, who had lost everything despite becoming one of the heroes who saved the world.
But she had failed. She was a useless piece of trash.
*I should have thought it through more before acting...*
Tears streamed from between her tightly shut eyes, fueled by guilt.
But there was nothing she could do now. At the very least, she had to help Calix so he wouldn't get hurt any further.
With a firm resolve, Lellia opened her eyes again.
But the scene that greeted her was slightly different from what she had expected.
“C-Calix…?”
Calix was trembling, the dagger he had gripped tightly and charged with now embedded in the wolf’s neck.
Both of his arms were perfectly fine. At that realization alone, Lellia felt her legs go weak. A tremor ran through her entire body.
The wolf convulsed for a moment before it stopped breathing.
“Hah… hah…”
Calix collapsed right where he stood and pulled the dagger from the wolf’s neck.
A fever was rising in his body from his injured ankle. He gasped for breath, as if just keeping his eyes open was a struggle.
“Calix!”
Lellia, who had been standing there blankly, finally snapped out of it and rushed to his side. Griffith also immediately checked Calix's injuries.
“Dammit… if it was a real, real wolf… you should have told me it was real… you bastard…”
“I did tell you, you idiot!”
Lellia barely restrained the urge to grab Calix by the collar and shake him. He looked like he was about to pass out again.
“Griffith, is your arm okay? We need to get back quickly.”
“...It’s bearable. But if you blew the whistle, aren’t the priests coming?”
“No, they’ll be gathered at the mountain entrance. The whistle was a signal to gather there.”
“...Then why did you blow it?”
“I thought the culprits who made the wolf appear would get spooked and take it back before running away…”
At her words, Calix turned his head to look at the wolf’s corpse.
Just then, the wolf’s corpse dissolved into sand as if by magic. Watching the scene, the corner of Calix’s eye twitched.
“It… it was real. My uncle really did…”
Calix gritted his teeth and muttered, his voice choked with sobs.
The wolf itself wasn't a spell made of sand, but the magic used to dispose of its corpse was.
A magic used only in the desert nation, the Ascad Empire.
“...Calix, calm down. At least…”
*Your arm is fine…*
But she couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
Lellia swallowed the words and knelt before Calix again, offering her back.
“I’ll carry you.”
“You hurt your arm. No.”
Lellia rejected Griffith's words and urged Calix.
“Calix, get on. I don’t have time to wait like before. And I don’t have the strength to knock you out again.”
“...Dammit.”
Hot tears streamed down Calix’s face, but he clenched his jaw and choked back his sobs.
Still, he slowly got up and, of his own will, climbed onto Lellia’s back.
Lellia ignored the throbbing pain in her lower abdomen and secured a tight hold on Calix’s legs.
The three of them, tattered and worn, made their way down the mountain. Calix wept quietly on Lellia’s back for a long time.
Before they knew it, the sun had risen, casting the light of dawn.
“...But why does my right ankle hurt so much? It was the left one I injured.”
“...”
As they trudged down the mountain, Calix, who had finally stopped crying, muttered.
Lellia, pricked by her conscience, had no choice but to confess.
“Sorry. I accidentally stepped on it when I was knocking you out and picking you up.”
“...This bastard.”
“...”
Griffith stared at the two of them as if they were strange insects, but then he let out a small chuckle.
His arm, bitten and torn by the wolf, should have been throbbing with pain, but for some reason, it didn’t hurt that much.
This whole moment somehow felt like a dream, like a lie.
It was a strange feeling.
But, Griffith thought, these two were even stranger.
