* * *
Klen seemed to come to the same conclusion and approached me, brushing dust off my clothes.
But as he patted my back, his hand suddenly grabbed my arm and gently pulled me back.
Pegasus’ aura had changed.
The air that had been sarcastic and mocking just moments ago suddenly became heavy, laced with sharp hostility.
So… he’s not buying the peaceful approach, huh?
“…This is looking like—”
“I think he intends to keep fighting.”
Our brief moment of peace had ended far too soon.
The scent of battle was already thick in the air.
If we were going to fight again, the best move would be to strike quickly and close the distance.
I gripped Levatein tightly.
“…!”
But before I could even make a move, Pegasus seemed to read my thoughts and stepped back.
Even if he couldn’t use his wings freely, a horse’s leaping power was no joke.
The distance he created was enough that we’d have to dash in just to catch up.
Klen and I quickly adjusted our stances.
Just as we were about to move—
Flap—!
Before we could even take a step, the small bird shot forward and flew straight at Pegasus.
“Wait! You’re not someone he can fight!”
Maybe the bird could use magic, but with that tiny body, charging at Pegasus was suicide.
One kick would be enough to send it flying.
I couldn’t just stand by and watch that.
Snort—!
Pegasus snorted, clearly amused by the bird’s resolve.
His sharp eyes were filled with unfiltered hostility, as if to say he wouldn’t hold back in the slightest.
I forced my frozen body into motion and gripped Levatein even tighter.
Fine.
As long as I don’t kill him… a few scratches should be acceptable.
Just as I was about to leap in—
Swish—!
“…!”
“Adrian!”
Something flashed past my eyes.
Thanks to Klen pulling me back, I avoided getting caught up in it—but Pegasus was sent flying and crashed to the ground.
The bird, who had been charging in, now hovered above, stunned and watching.
It was like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike, pouncing on its prey the second the opportunity arose.
No—this was a hunt.
Grrrr…
A heavy paw was now pressing down on Pegasus’ body, its fangs buried in the back of his neck.
The one who had launched the attack was the wolf who had been tailing us and watching with interest.
But now, its aura was drastically different—its killing intent so intense it gave me chills.
The bird, having lost its moment, flew back and landed on my head again.
It didn’t seem wary of the wolf at all.
That meant… it wasn’t our enemy.
‘H-He’s not dead, right?’
We went through all that effort to avoid killing him, and now… if he dies here, it would all be meaningless.
And what would the protagonist even say?
How would we save the world after this?
I held onto my slipping thoughts and looked carefully.
Thankfully, despite the intense atmosphere, there wasn’t a single drop of blood.
‘He might still be alive.’
Grrr.
The wolf glared down at Pegasus, eyes gleaming with hostility, then released his grip.
No blood. No broken bones.
Not even a visible bite mark.
“Phew…”
A breath of relief escaped me.
But the wolf’s bared fangs hadn’t disappeared.
Instead, he leaned in even closer to Pegasus, almost nose to nose, and growled deeply.
‘Get your shit together, you dumbass.’
That’s what it felt like he was saying.
Even without speaking the divine beasts’ language, the meaning was clear enough.
I didn’t know the wolf was this strong.
If he could subdue Pegasus that easily, it would’ve been nice if he’d helped earlier.
‘Why now?’
Why step in at this moment?
Could it be that… he wants to communicate with us, too?
I took a cautious step forward, intending to try.
Suddenly, the tree branches around us began to shake violently.
I looked around.
Unlike the trembling leaves, the forest was still—there wasn’t even a breeze.
“Adrian, get back.”
Klen must’ve sensed something too.
He pulled me farther behind him.
The leaves trembled as if afraid, the air around us growing heavy and oppressive.
And yet… somehow, a refreshing scent of grass drifted by, strangely out of place.
Rustle—
Something was approaching.
At first, I thought it was a branch.
No—it was an antler.
A large, leafless antler, like something out of an ancient painting.
And it belonged to a deer, one whose towering presence made it look like a walking tree.
There was no glowing aura.
Its fur wasn’t some mystical color.
And yet, the moment it came close, you could feel it—this being was extraordinary.
I hadn’t realized it before, but now, its overwhelming presence made its identity obvious.
‘The Elder!’
That deer was the Elder of this forest.
The one who governed all the divine beasts here.
There was no need to wonder why the wolf had suddenly acted.
It had to be the Elder’s command.
If this continued, Pegasus would’ve wrecked the entire forest, and the fight wouldn’t have ended until someone bled.
Not because he cared about us, but because he didn’t want the forest to be tainted.
And sure enough, the Elder didn’t even glance our way.
That was his nature—he never showed himself before humans.
‘In the novel too, wasn’t the protagonist the only one who met him?’
I slid Levatein back into its sheath. I nudged Klen at the waist.
He glanced at me, then followed suit, putting his sword away.
The wolf removed his paw from Pegasus and bowed his head.
The bird flew off and landed on the ground nearby.
Pegasus, now freed, remained completely still.
‘…Should we kneel, too?’
Judging by the atmosphere, kneeling would’ve been the right thing to do—but he didn’t want to kneel before someone who wouldn’t even spare him a glance.
And that person wouldn’t care about such gestures anyway.
To him, they were no different from the air that drifted around—murky, unpleasant air at that.
At the Elder’s nod, the wolf bit down on the pegasus’s nape and skillfully hoisted it onto his back.
The pegasus let out a faint groan—likely from the pain—but no one paid any attention.
The Elder, who had silently watched the scene, turned away as if his business here was done.
He left with the same unhurried steps as he had arrived.
In that short moment, he had left an unforgettable impression.
Just meeting him in a human form was already close to a miracle.
Still, it was a little disappointing that he didn’t even glance his way.
Right.
He’s not the protagonist, after all.
The wolf also turned around to follow him.
“Wait!”
But unlike the Elder, the wolf stopped and looked back when he heard his shout.
The main character rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a healer’s potion, tossing it lightly toward the wolf.
They probably had their own methods of healing, but her potion was excellent.
It wouldn’t hurt to drink it.
The pegasus would likely recover quickly—if he could manage to drink it.
The wolf leapt up and caught the bottle in his jaws.
“It’s a healing potion. Give it to him.”
The wolf gave a small nod—likely his way of saying he understood.
The fact that he didn’t doubt the potion’s contents meant he trusted him, at least a little.
That small trust made his heart feel a bit lighter.
Once the wolf fully turned and began walking away, a bird fluttered up and approached the main character.
Its chirping sounded more like a song than actual speech—but somehow, he felt he understood.
“Hmm… Are you saying we’ll meet again?”
Chirp!
Pleased that he’d gotten the message, the bird chirped brightly and flew off toward the wolf.
The large wolf walked slowly, the pegasus on his back.
Its legs and wings, not fully supported, dragged along the ground.
He clearly wasn’t injured to the point of being unable to walk… or maybe he was simply following the Elder’s orders to carry him.
‘He looks exhausted.’
* * *
