* * *
Smiling with a face free of malice—I had made sure there was no reason for Klen to suspect anything.
With each step we took, the dragging of the gargoyle’s body echoed behind us.
The knight didn’t follow.
“Do gargoyles usually appear in this area?”
“No. At most, only low-level monsters show up around here. This is the first time something that strong has appeared.”
“Hm.”
So this summoning spell was a first.
But that raised another issue.
Who, and why, would draw such a thing here in the first place?
At first, I suspected the same people who inscribed those teleportation spells.
But on second thought, that didn’t seem likely.
The drawing was sloppy, and it wasn’t like multiple creatures appeared at once.
It clearly wasn’t meant for a direct attack.
If anything went wrong, the existence of the teleportation spell could be exposed.
That wasn’t a risk they’d take without good reason—and this didn’t qualify.
I shook my head and turned my attention to the surroundings.
Right now, finding any remaining traces of the summoning spell was more important.
As my gaze scanned the area, it naturally drifted toward Klen.
I appreciated him showing up right on time—but how had he arrived so precisely?
I voiced the question without much thought.
“How did you end up here? Did you hear my voice?”
I had shouted as loudly as I could, hoping my voice would carry.
But how far had it gone?
Surely it hadn’t reached the count’s area…
‘That would be… pretty embarrassing.’
I had said it with the possibility of being overheard in mind, but the fact that the words were essentially a plea for help… the delayed wave of shame hit me.
“That’s part of it.”
Klen glanced back briefly, then continued.
“But I also noticed someone heading this way—despite knowing there wouldn’t be many helpful monsters for the hunt. It made me curious, so I followed.”
No wonder I hadn’t seen any monsters on the way—he must’ve turned around halfway through.
“But even if there were suspicious people around, aren’t the knights guarding the forest entrance enough to handle it?”
“Hmm…”
He smiled—the kind of loose, teasing smile he used when deceiving others.
“Maybe I just wanted to follow you.”
“…Ah. I see…”
At that moment, I realized I wasn’t going to get a proper answer out of him.
But it didn’t really matter—the situation had resolved cleanly.
I let the question go and turned my focus to the surroundings.
Klen didn’t seem bothered by my careful scanning of the grass and underbrush.
Whenever I stopped, he paused with me; whenever I moved, he followed.
One might expect him to be curious about what I was looking for, but he didn’t ask.
Thanks to that, I was able to focus more easily.
‘Nothing else, huh…’
I couldn’t find any trace of another summoning spell.
Maybe that gargoyle summoning was truly the only one drawn openly?
I wandered around the forest a little more, using the excuse that I wanted to look around.
When I made a slight face and said it’s not like I could come here often, the request was easily accepted.
But I soon realized—the permission wasn’t really for my sake.
He just didn’t feel like heading back quickly either.
While I was exploring the area, Klen leaned against a tree with his eyes closed, having set the gargoyle down beside him.
His unpretentious posture, so unlike a noble, naturally drew my gaze.
Even the careless way his legs sprawled out looked like a painting.
The irony wasn’t lost on me.
I couldn’t keep staring, though, so I turned my eyes away.
“Hmm.”
There were blades of grass curling into shapes that looked like tiny chairs, bugs with antler-like branches sprouting from their heads, birdsongs clearer and more beautiful than any music.
Maybe it was because we were near a sacred beast’s forest, but there were things here you’d never find elsewhere.
‘I didn’t notice these last time.’
The longer I stayed, the more wonders I discovered.
The inner forest must be even more beautiful than what I’d read in books.
In the end, my attempt to search for traces of magical rituals devolved into simply spotting unusual plants and insects.
In short, it was completely unproductive.
At some point, Klen had opened his eyes, and his gaze was now following me around.
“You’re quite unusual.”
“Me?”
“A noble, showing interest in grass and insects.”
“…Right.”
From the side, I must’ve looked odd, poking through plants and peering intently at the ground.
“Are you planning to raise Trom larvae in your room…?”
“No! Not at all. Creatures like that are best left in their natural environment.”
I quickly waved my arms to shut that idea down.
Better to make myself clear now to avoid misunderstandings.
Knowing his personality, if I brushed it off, I might find larvae crawling all over our bedroom.
“Then how about releasing them in the palace garden?”
“…I can already hear the gardener cursing.”
“Is that so?”
I dropped down beside him with a sigh, as if his genuine consideration was tiring.
I probably should’ve changed the topic to avoid a garden full of bugs, but right now, everything just felt like too much effort.
I leaned against the same tree and closed my eyes.
“Adrian, you can’t pass out in a place like this. Should I get you a stimulant?”
“I’m not passed out.”
Why would you ask a passed-out person if they want a stimulant?
I could feel his shoulder shaking faintly.
He was probably laughing to himself.
“Are you tired?”
“…Maybe.”
It wasn’t my body that was tired. It was the constant tension that had my head throbbing.
But simply closing my eyes helped ease it.
A gentle breeze brushed my hair, and the scent of grass wrapped around me.
Some sweet, strange fragrance seemed to drift in from deep within the woods, making my body feel hazy and relaxed.
While everyone else was busy chasing prey across the fields, I was here, resting against a tree.
It reminded me of sneaking out of lessons for a nap when I was younger.
I used to run off so often, my older brothers would have to go looking for me.
“…!”
As I sank into those memories, a gentle hand touched my forehead.
Cool and light, it pressed softly, the chill of his touch seeping into my skin and slowly easing the headache.
My tense features relaxed, and I felt every muscle begin to loosen.
The more I tried to keep my mind alert, the more it slipped downward, like sinking into a swamp.
Eventually, darkness swallowed my vision completely.
*
“Adrian.”
“…Mmh.”
“It’s time to wake up.”
“…?”
A careful shake to my shoulder stirred my eyelids open.
The first thing I saw were blades of grass and leaves swaying in the wind.
…Grass? Trees?
I shot upright.
“…?!”
And barely held back a scream and a heart that tried to leap out of my chest.
Of all things to see first after waking—why did it have to be the gargoyle?
The shock was enough to jolt my buried memories back to the surface all at once.
We were at the edge of the Endless Forest.
In the middle of a hunting competition.
“Oh no, the time!”
“It’s still fine. But we should probably get moving.”
What was meant to be a brief rest had turned into a long nap.
The sun had already dipped low, casting long shadows across the ground.
We stood up, and Klen picked up the rope binding the gargoyle again.
“I’ll carry it this time.”
“It would be dishonorable to let a delicate wife bear the burden.”
“…Right.”
Despite his words, Klen insisted on dragging the gargoyle himself until the end.
* * *
