Chapter 225: Turning Away

An unusual wind blew.

“Is something happening?”

At the calm tone, the knight flinched and turned around. Ren, who had been asleep, had somehow raised himself up. In the fierce wind, his long-grown blond hair whipped this way and that. As though he had no thought of fixing his hair, Ren stood still and looked toward the far side of the forest.

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“...Yes, Lucia. I am waiting for our companions.”

Ren, who listened carefully as though pondering the knight’s answer, nodded.

“I see.”

“Please rest more.”

“I’m wide awake now.”

After arranging the blanket, Ren quietly sat down at the base of a tree.

As though the seasons of the forest passed slowly, Ren thought he no longer knew what season it was now.

The name that stirred ripples in his heart, “Lucia,” already seemed to have become his own long ago.

Why that knight was with him, who exactly the people he was waiting for were—none of it came to mind.

Was the reason his questions did not last long because the atmosphere of the forest was far too peaceful? And yet the wind that had blown in was by no means ordinary. It even felt rather ominous, as though it were whispering that something was about to happen.

But he felt no sense of danger.

It was a very strange feeling.

“Where are you going?”

The knight grabbed Ren’s wrist.

Ren did not answer and pointed at his own feet. He was barefoot. Seeing that, the knight obediently let go of his arm, and Ren began to walk quietly, without any particular destination. The rustling dirt, pebbles, and grass scratched the soles of Ren’s feet.

The energies that had made his body heavy, painful, and numb seemed to scatter beneath his feet. The thousands of needles that had sliced through his head as though tearing his soul apart all seemed to vanish into the ground as well.

Now that every pain had withdrawn, Ren’s body felt lighter than ever, but strangely, he felt empty.

But Ren did not dwell on it. Since what he remembered most clearly was the pain that had violated his soul, now that that pain had scattered, Ren judged that there was nothing else he needed to think about.

Yes, even while vaguely feeling his memories scattering, Ren chose not to think deeply.

His clear eyes were still transparent as glass, but Ren’s eyes no longer held anything with meaning.

“Have you arrived?”

Veron, who gave the knight a glance, looked at Ren, who did not look at him at all. The boy looked like a glass doll. It was a change so great it was hard to believe he was the same boy who had first entered the forest.

“I have something to tell you.”

The knight readily spoke to Veron.

“The Forest of Aked.”

A place where no killing of any kind was permitted, but as always, taboos were not kept and only gave birth to defiance. There were many who committed murder while breaking the rules, and there were also not a few who set foot here because of the Forest of Aked’s fame.

The knight had prepared thoroughly for it, but the situation he had worried about had not occurred even once. That was all thanks to that old physician. Ever since he had mentioned Giselle’s name, he had not steadily erased the light of suspicion directed at Veron, but the knight now acknowledged him completely. That was why he did not hesitate to consult him about the most important matter afterward.

The knight was wise. He knew that if a person of this level set his mind on obstructing him, there would be no way for the knight himself to stop him. And he was also certain that Giselle, who had named him the guide who would erase the existence of “Ren,” had predicted even this situation.

“You mean the preparations for the final ritual?”

A cold and powerful voice, impossible to hear as an old man’s voice, drove itself into the knight’s ears.

“Yes. There are now fewer than ten days left.”

There were only a few days remaining. Only the final ritual to erase his traces, the path of the life he had lived until now, remained.

Veron nodded.

Without another word, the knight began tidying up the place.

For the final ritual, they had to head north through the Forest of Aked.

“Please do not sleep tonight, Lucia.”

Ren did not answer. He only briefly stared at the knight who had spoken. Ren’s gaze turned back to the ground. To the mysterious earth that willingly absorbed bad things as it churned.

***

They walked through the Forest of Aked with utmost care. At first glance, it looked as though they were moving aimlessly, but they were advancing while keeping to a certain rule.

There were many little-known rules in the mysterious Forest of Aked.

For example, the method of erasing the presence of those who entered the forest.

Of course, only a very small number of people knew this fact.

To begin with, the reason the Forest of Aked was located in the kingdom’s capital was also......

“......”

Killing intent.

The man walking at the front stopped. When he halted his movement, the movements of those following him also stopped dead. It was a clean motion, as though someone had controlled them.

They looked around while even holding their breath, but in a place without even the smallest light, human eyes could not distinguish anything. They merely saw faint darkness and slightly deeper darkness.

Go back.

It was that moment.

A cold voice, frosty as a blade and containing no emotion at all, echoed through the forest.

It was a voice whose source could not be known.

However, there was no sign of panic on the face of the man standing at the very front. As though he had expected this situation.

“......!”

However, no matter how trained they were, there were few humans who could remain detached before an invisible power. The elites selected for this could not endure the discomfort and made faint presences, and......

Thump.

Without even a death cry, life quietly faded away. After that, the lives of several who drew in startled breaths also vanished easily.

It did not take long to realize that the existence pressing down on them from beyond was not someone who could be compared to a human.

Go back.

A voice not much different from before pressed down on them.

***

What did it mean to do one’s best?

Temar was thinking back over the words he had said to his younger brother.

He fully intended to keep the resolve he had uttered earlier.

Now, he would place his younger brother at the top of every priority.

Since he had followed them into a difficult war, he would make sure that merit was recognized as well.

A medal would be difficult, but he should be able to receive enough gold as a reward to obtain a good house in the capital.

A house with a view of the lakeside would probably be best.

Ahh, he wanted to wake Ren and ask him. But Ren must have been sufficiently flustered earlier, so he had to endure doing such a thing. Because he must not trouble him under the excuse of doing it for Ren’s sake.

Did that mean he should not speak to him the entire way back?

Temar’s two eyes wavered. His younger brother was beside him, and yet he had to not speak to him! Temar had never once thought it was difficult to endure silence. But now it was very difficult. Because he wanted to run to his younger brother and speak to him at any moment.

Thinking about it, there were many things he had to say besides that.

Whether the battle had been hard, how he had followed this procession, whether Giselle had willingly sent him.

“He must have sent him willingly.”

Yes, how could anyone bear not to send a brave boy who said he would fight for the kingdom to war? But Giselle was too much too. To send a young child to the battlefield even though he knew he was his younger brother. No. Perhaps Ren had secretly followed him. When they returned, he would praise him plenty and then scold him harshly. It was right to block dangerous things so he could not even attempt them in the first place.

No, had he not decided not to scold him? He would admonish him. Ren was a clever child, so as long as he explained properly, he would certainly listen to him.

That this older brother would solve everything anyway. So there was nothing he had to strain himself over.

Like those born precious in the royal castle, even if he simply did nothing and stayed still, this older brother would solve everything.

Yes, he would get rid of everything that threatened Ren.

That was exactly the life Temar wanted.

Because he had wanted him to grow up kind and upright, Temar had shown Ren a stern side until now, but in truth, he had wanted to do everything for him. Anything, if it was what Ren wished.

Temar felt as though he had finally faced what he had truly wanted.

It was a mysterious feeling.

A feeling of having been released from some mission that said, “It must naturally be this way.”

If possible, Temar imagined a future in which he truly stepped down from the position of Hero after completing his mission.

He had lived for a long time as the Hero of one kingdom. Could he not pour the rest of his life solely into his younger brother?

A smile settled on Temar’s lips.

“I can’t bear to watch this.”

A heavy voice cut through Temar’s thoughts. Only then did Temar notice the enormous shadow cast over him. When he raised his head, he saw ash-gray hair that stood out even in the night, and blue eyes burning like flames.