Chapter 7 Part 5
After concluding his brief speech, the Emperor descended from the platform. He immediately sought out Elia.
“Elia, my daughter. You are the only one I can meet comfortably now.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I will stay by your side.”
Elia comforted the disheartened Emperor. Behind them stood the Empress, her fierce gaze directed solely at Elia.
‘She should control her expression better.’
She must be hoping for a sign of destruction soon. Only then can she get Violet out of here.
“The north is so far away.”
“If you use the gate, it’s quick. I’ll visit often.”
“That’s just how a parent’s heart works.”
Despite his insincere words, Elia had long mastered the art of smiling sweetly.
“Then let’s head to the camp.”
“I’d like to stay with the ladies. Is that alright?”
The Emperor knew well about Elia’s business. He refrained from mentioning it because he didn’t want to acknowledge her prestige.
“Very well. You may go.”
The Empress forced a smile, clearly eager to send Elia away.
‘How predictable.’
Elia smirked. Their departing figures looked ridiculous, and the unusually good weather made her laugh even more.
‘Maybe I should go for a walk.’
As she decided not to return to the camp just yet, she headed to the back of the camp.
‘Huh?’
She saw a black horse beyond the forest. As Elia approached, a white horse joined it. It was Elsha, the horse Elia had recently named. Holding the reins of both horses was Aksion.
“Aksion?”
“I didn’t want to leave without seeing you.”
His charming smile blended with the breeze from the forest.
‘I didn’t want to return to the camp either.’
She felt stifled at the thought of chatting with the noblewomen.
‘Did he know how I felt?’
Elia gratefully took the reins he handed her. Once she mounted the horse, her view became much clearer, and she felt a strange sense of relief.
“Don’t you have to hunt?”
“If you wish, I can.”
Elia shook her head at his response.
“No, I don’t really eat the game. Hunting innocent animals seems wrong.”
Being with him always put her at ease. Elia smiled warmly as she nudged her horse forward.
“Shall we go on a date? Hmm, how about horseback riding?”
“That sounds more like a race than a date.”
His retort rekindled her playful spirit. Elia spurred her horse into a run.
“So what? I’ll go first!”
It might have been cheating, but who cared. Just the act of riding was exhilarating.
The sound of hooves echoed as the forest scenery blurred by. The faster she rode, the rougher her breathing became.
‘This is my first time riding like this.’
Horseback riding is intense exercise. Though it may look serene, it significantly drained the rider’s stamina.
Elia glanced back to see Aksion’s black horse catching up effortlessly.
‘He’s already caught up?’
Unlike her, Aksion didn’t seem tired at all. Eventually, Elia pulled on the reins to slow down. The two horses came to a halt side by side.
‘We’ve come quite far.’
Beyond the royal hunting grounds, a well-maintained trail wound through the area.
‘It’s beautiful.’
Decorated with large rose tunnels, the path was perfect for riding. It had been a long time since she visited this place.
Young Elia had played hide-and-seek with Violet here. She had been so terrified when everyone left her alone until sunset that she couldn’t move a muscle.
‘It was so scary back then.’
That traumatic memory made her avoid this path. But now, sitting on a horse, those memories seemed insignificant.
‘It must be because Aksion is with me.’
Elia suddenly realized how beautiful the forest could be. While she admired the scenery, Aksion watched her.
Noticing his gaze, Elia turned and asked, “Is something on my face?”
“No, I was just admiring your smile.”
Aksion’s eyes were filled with warmth. Elia found herself at a loss for words.
This man always made her heart flutter, and that constant excitement left her feeling elated.
‘Is it okay for you to come this close?’
She wanted to ask but held back, looking up at the sky instead.
The clear sky with a gentle breeze brought an unexpected question to her mind.
‘Why has it suddenly become cloudy?’
The once clear sky now had a grayish hue, gradually darkening. As the weather dimmed, mist began to rise around them.
“This is strange. There shouldn’t be fog, especially not after a clear day,” Aksion said, eyeing the mist suspiciously. Despite his words, the fog thickened.
‘It’s not just getting thicker.’
The fog was darkening, almost black. Elia’s gaze turned cold.
‘It’s the same fog I saw then.’
The fog that had hovered around Aksion while he slept was now spreading across the entire path.
Just as she realized this, a sharp cry pierced the forest. Birds scattered in fright from a noise neither beast nor human.
‘It’s a monster.’
As soon as she identified the sound, a thudding noise echoed as something massive moved. Trees separating the forest from the path snapped as a giant bull’s head pushed through.
‘Minotaur?’
It was an intermediate-level monster, with the body of a human and the head of a bull, walking on two legs.
The Minotaur’s hooves trampled the path. Its massive body was twice the size of a large tree.
Elia’s expression grew serious.
‘Not a low-level, but an intermediate?’
The difference in levels was stark. Unlike low-level monsters that moved in groups, intermediate-level monsters usually acted alone because of their immense strength.
‘I heard you can’t even scratch them without aura.’
Fighting an intermediate-level monster required a specialized unit capable of wielding aura.
Elia locked eyes with the monster. As its red eyes recognized her, it swung its giant arm.
“Get down!”
At Aksion’s shout, Elia instinctively ducked. In that moment, Aksion grabbed her waist.
Crash!
With a loud noise, the rose tunnel beside Elia was obliterated. She found herself on Aksion’s black horse. The white horse barely dodged in time.
‘That was close.’
Strands of her hair, severed by the Minotaur’s claws, fluttered in the air. Amidst their standoff, screams erupted from deeper within the hunting grounds.
‘Are there more monsters?’
Such chaos couldn’t have been caused by just one. The Minotaur, eyeing Elia, turned toward the sound and moved into the forest.
‘The noblewomen are gathered in the camp.’
They needed to act quickly. Elia gripped Aksion’s arm tightly.
“I’ll help. Please put me back on Elsha.”
“But… be careful.”
His hesitation was brief. Aksion called the white horse and helped Elia mount it.
Her small hands grasped the reins again. Elia immediately turned her horse toward the direction of the camp.
When she arrived, it was already chaos.
“Ahhh, a monster!”
“Hurry and eliminate it!”
The nobles’ guards were fighting the monsters, but it was a losing battle.
‘Intermediate and low-level monsters together? There are too many of them.’
Everything seemed orchestrated. Moreover, the black fog encircling the forest appeared to be inciting the monsters further.
Elia touched the chain connected to her bracelet.
‘Sasha, if you’re a spirit, can I summon you?’
Sasha was bound to the book. She was visible only to Elia, the owner of the book, because she hadn’t been summoned yet.
Sasha fluttered out from the bracelet, seemingly delighted by the question.
“Of course, but it will be more taxing than using spells.”
Elia steeled herself. People were dying before her eyes. If she didn’t act now, she felt she’d never be able to do anything in the future.
‘I’m ready.’
“Alright then…”
The moment Elia nodded, a purple glow spread from the chain connected to her hand.
