Chapter 187: The Little Things

Chapter 187: 187: The Little Things

Lucard watched the entrance for a while before lowering his hand.

The distant roar had stopped, but that did not mean the beast had gone away. The Deep Maw Forest was full of monsters that could sense blood from far away. Their small cave might have been safe from weak beasts, but anything stronger would have no trouble breaking through his protective spell.

"We should leave," Lucard said.

Cedric looked at him with surprise. "Now?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful. I was starting to like this cave. It has a comfortable stone floor, terrible food, and a dead bear for decoration."

Elowen gave a small laugh.

Lucard looked at him. "You can stay."

Cedric immediately raised his hand. "I take back everything I said. This is the worst cave I have ever seen."

Elowen laughed again, a little louder this time. Even Puff lifted its head and looked between them.

Lucard turned away.

He did not understand why mortals found such foolish conversations amusing. They were surrounded by dangerous beasts, and Alan Gravenhart was still searching for them. Yet Cedric had enough energy to make jokes about a dead bear.

However, Lucard did not stop him.

The truth was that Elowen had barely smiled since they entered the Deep Maw Forest. Hearing her laugh was better than hearing her cry.

That thought irritated him.

Why should I care whether she laughs or cries?

He had survived far worse things without caring about the emotions of those beside him. In his previous life, entire blood clans had knelt before him. His decisions had caused wars between gods, and countless people had died because they stood on the wrong side.

Now he was thinking about a fifteen-year-old girl’s laughter.

Lucard disliked the change.

He stood and checked the small travel bag he had carried since leaving Gravehold. Most of its contents had survived, although several things were damaged. He found a little dried meat, some writing materials, a small knife, and a few pieces of clean cloth.

He separated the food into three portions.

Cedric noticed. "You brought food?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you not tell us?"

"You did not ask."

Cedric stared at him. "You watched us sit here hungry while carrying dried meat?"

Lucard handed him a portion. "You were unconscious for most of it."

"That is a very poor excuse."

Elowen accepted her share with both hands. She looked at the small pieces of meat and smiled faintly.

"Thank you."

Lucard ignored her.

Cedric began eating immediately, but Puff climbed onto his arm and stretched its neck toward the meat.

"No," Cedric said. "You eat roots and vegetables. This is mine."

Puff puffed its cheeks.

Cedric looked at the rabbit. "Do not look at me like that. You ate enough carrots to feed a village."

Puff turned away from him.

Elowen laughed and reached into Cedric’s coat, where she found one of the carrots left from Lucard’s bait.

"Here, Puff."

The rabbit immediately jumped into her lap and accepted the carrot.

Cedric stared at it. "Traitor."

Lucard watched the exchange without speaking.

For a moment, the cave felt almost normal.

There was no battle, no screaming, and no one trying to kill them. Three people shared a little food while a strange rabbit ate a carrot.

It was a simple thing.

Lucard had almost forgotten that simple things could exist.

After eating, they prepared to leave.

Cedric could walk again, although he could not use crystal step for long. Elowen was slower, and the cuts on her feet made every step difficult.

Lucard watched her struggle to tie the damaged cloth around one foot.

"You are doing it wrong."

Elowen looked up. "Then how should I do it?"

"Give it here."

She hesitated before extending her foot.

Lucard took the cloth from her hand and wrapped it properly, placing folded pieces under the damaged parts of her shoe. He tightened the cloth around her ankle and secured it with a knot that would not easily loosen.

Elowen watched his hands.

"You know how to do this?"

"Yes."

"Did someone teach you?"

Lucard paused for a moment.

He remembered an old battlefield in Null. Thousands of blood soldiers had been wounded, and he had repaired their bodies before sending them back into battle. Compared to those injuries, wrapping a mortal girl’s foot was nothing.

"No," he answered. "It is simple."

He finished the other foot and stood.

Elowen tried walking a few steps.

The pain remained, but the cloth stopped her shoes from rubbing against the worst cuts.

"This is better," she said. "Thank you, Lucard."

"Walk faster, then."

She smiled at his back.

Cedric watched everything with an amused expression.

Lucard noticed. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Then stop smiling."

"I am allowed to smile."

"Not at me."

Cedric turned toward Elowen. "He is very friendly today."

Elowen nodded seriously. "I was thinking the same thing."

Lucard walked toward the entrance.

Idiots.

Yet he did not feel the same annoyance he usually felt around foolish mortals.

That annoyed him even more.

They left the cave after checking that nothing dangerous waited nearby.

The rain had weakened into a light drizzle. Water still fell from the branches, and thick mist covered the lower ground. Cedric carried Puff inside his coat while Elowen walked between him and Lucard.

They did not follow a straight path.

Lucard used his blood-sense to choose routes with fewer beasts. Cedric watched for mana disturbances, while Elowen checked the old Stoneford map whenever they reached a recognizable landmark.

They had been walking for nearly an hour when Cedric suddenly raised his hand.

"Stop."

Lucard had already sensed something.

A large beast moved beyond the trees ahead. Its blood was heavy, and its breathing carried enough pressure to disturb the surrounding mana.

Cedric crouched behind a fallen tree. "That is at least a Fifth Rank beast."

Elowen immediately lowered herself beside him.

Lucard studied the direction of the blood pulse.

The beast was feeding on something. Its attention was not on them, but crossing its territory would be foolish.

He pointed toward a narrow slope on their left.

"That way."

Cedric looked at the slope. "There is no path."

"There is ground."

"That is not the same thing."

"Then stay here and explain the difference to the beast."

Cedric stood immediately. "Excellent path. Very beautiful."

Elowen covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

They climbed the slope carefully. Lucard went first and checked the ground before letting the others follow. At one difficult section, Cedric helped Elowen climb over a large root.

Lucard watched them from above.

Cedric offered his hand without being asked. Elowen accepted it without hesitation. Neither expected payment or a promise.

That simple trust troubled Lucard more than it should have.

They barely know each other.

Yet they acted as though helping was natural.

Lucard had once commanded an entire race through fear, loyalty, and blood authority. His strongest subordinates had sworn eternal obedience.

In the end, some of them had betrayed him.

He had learned that promises meant nothing without power to enforce them.

But Elowen had dragged him through the forest when leaving him behind would have been easier. Cedric had given him his share of Deepwell water without demanding another pact.

Neither had been forced.

Lucard still could not decide whether they were brave or simply stupid.

Perhaps both.

They reached the upper slope and rested behind a group of large stones.

Elowen opened the map again.

"If we follow this ridge toward the northwest, there should be an old hunter’s path."

Cedric leaned closer. "How old?"

"A few hundred years."

Cedric looked at her.

Elowen looked back.

"Do you think it is still there?" she asked.

"I think the hunters who made it are definitely not."

Lucard took the map. "The land is still there. That is enough."

Cedric sighed. "You two have very different ways of making terrible plans."

Elowen smiled. "But both plans have worked so far."

Cedric looked around the forest. "That depends on what you call working."

They continued moving along the ridge.

As the hours passed, Cedric and Elowen began talking about ordinary things.

Elowen asked how Cedric had found Puff.

Cedric explained that he had bought the rabbit from a beast merchant who claimed it was a rare treasure-hunting beast. At first, he had thought the merchant was cheating him because Puff spent most of its time eating and sleeping.

"Then it stole my storage ring," Cedric said.

Elowen looked surprised. "Your storage ring?"

"Yes. I spent an entire day searching for it. I thought someone had robbed me."

"What happened?"

"Puff had hidden it inside its mouth pouch."

Elowen laughed. "Why?"

"Because the ring was shiny."

Puff raised its head proudly.

Cedric pointed at it. "You are not supposed to be proud of that."

Lucard listened while walking ahead.

He remembered Puff stealing the Deepwell water and wondered how many valuable items the rabbit could carry in its pouch.

A beast that could enter narrow spaces, dig through stone cracks, and store liquids without contaminating them was worth far more than its appearance suggested.