* * *
Seeing no children nearby, it seemed they hadn’t hatched yet.
I quietly added as I looked at Mother.
His grotesque form, howling with a sword lodged in his forehead, was beyond words.
As I followed Mother’s struggling movements with my eyes, a sense of triumph filled me.
Even with a sword piercing his forehead, Mother wasn’t dead.
This meant the core wasn’t in his head.
It further supported my theory.
A surge of accomplishment and pleasure swept over me.
I couldn’t help but smile, knowing I had finally contributed something.
Although I knew it was too early to be sure, I couldn’t suppress the bubbling excitement.
As I tried to suppress my rising grin, Owen stroked his chin.
“I’ve never heard of a monster separating its core from its body before. No matter how powerful, even high-tier monsters kept their cores within. Although, I’ve only encountered high-tier monsters twice.”
Owen muttered, as if recalling his past.
His fingers stiffened slightly as they brushed over his jaw, the weight of his thoughts apparent.
Soon, his blue eyes turned calmly to Kayndel.
After watching Kayndel remove the sword from Mother’s forehead and step aside to avoid the purple liquid spilling out, Owen spoke.
“Still, it’s not an impossible theory. The idea of the core being in the eggs is quite intriguing. We should discuss it with everyone over dinner.”
Owen’s unexpected approval reassured me. Despite the lack of physical evidence to back up my hypothesis, he didn’t dismiss it outright, instead leaving room for its possibility.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If Owen, who was always meticulous, found my theory credible, it would surely sound convincing to others as well.
My lips twitched involuntarily, stretching into a wide grin.
A crescent-shaped smile lingered on my face.
“Yes, let’s all—”
At that moment, a faint white mist formed in front of my eyes before quickly dissipating.
Caw—!
Mother’s cry echoed through the forest as Kayndel sprinted toward me.
He grabbed his robe from the ground and skillfully untied the reins of the horse tied to a tree.
Mounting the horse in an instant, he gripped the reins and paused for a moment to catch his breath.
“Haa.”
His breath, so close it brushed against my ear, sent shivers down my spine.
A faint scent of blood and burning mixed in the wind, tickling my nose.
I cautiously lifted my head at the sound of the robes rustling together, only to bump into his firm chest.
Amid the stench of blood and fire, a sweet floral scent emerged at that very moment.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Kayndel smiled suddenly as our eyes met.
“Do I look that bad?”
He murmured softly to himself, wiping his cheek.
His hand brushed the spot, revealing a gentle smile.
The raw emotions he had shown moments before were now neatly composed.
Earlier, he had been like molten lava, but now he was as calm as a still sea.
I blinked slowly.
I hadn’t expected Kayndel to return so soon.
Even with his skill, facing Mother didn’t seem like it would be easy, so I assumed it would take much longer.
It hadn’t even been that long since I last glanced away to talk with Owen.
The situation couldn’t have changed much in such a short time.
What happened to Mother?
While I swallowed my rising curiosity, Kayndel glanced over his shoulder.
Following his gaze, I saw Mother furiously flapping his wings against the trees, crying in pain.
Mother’s six eyes were mangled, his wings brutally slashed.
Purple liquid oozed from not just his tongue, but every place the sword had cut him.
The ground, blackened from the spilling liquid, grew wider as the purple stream poured like a waterfall.
…Is that how he left him?
I was speechless.
My lips, which had been ready to form words, pressed shut.
This wasn’t just the result of a lucky stab during a desperate struggle.
It was more like Kayndel had toyed with him, targeting his weak points.
Especially the severely tattered wings—they had been cut and pierced repeatedly.
When he said he’d keep his from chasing us, he must have meant he would mercilessly attack his wings.
It was astonishing that he managed to inflict such damage on Mother so quickly.
I hurriedly corrected the thoughts in my mind.
He wasn’t just a skilled fighter; he could take down even a high-tier monster like Mother with ease.
Owen had called his abilities exceptional, and now I could see why.
To push Mother to such an extent alone—it was impressive.
As I wrapped up my thoughts, Kayndel tightened his grip around my waist.
His dry voice whispered.
“Hold on tight.”
I didn’t need to ask what to hold onto.
I gripped the horse’s mane.
Usually, with Kayndel riding in front, I would hold onto him, but now, with him behind me, the mane was all I had.
As soon as I gripped tightly, Kayndel nudged the horse’s side with his heel.
Understanding the signal, the horse started to walk, then quickly picked up speed.
The rhythmic sound of hooves echoed as we galloped away.
Owen followed Kayndel, urging his horse onward.
I rubbed my nose, red from the cold, with the back of my hand and pulled the hood of my robe down.
Then I engraved the passing scenery in my memory.
It was the same repetitive view.
The endless birch trees blurred as the horses raced ahead, widening the distance between us and Mother.
Behind us, his cries faded with each passing moment.
I need to tell Kayndel about my theory.
When should I mention it?
I glanced up at him.
He seemed too focused on escaping Mother to listen to anything I had to say right now.
I decided to wait until we reached the cave where we were supposed to meet Sehir’s group.
In this state, I doubted he would take anything I said seriously.
With that thought, I wiped my nose.
I tightened my grip on the horse’s mane.
My fingers, exposed to the winter air, burrowed into the mane for warmth.
It was nearing dusk by the time we arrived at the cave where we were supposed to meet Sehir’s group.
Kayndel dismounted and soothed his horse, which was still excited from the run.
He grabbed a bucket placed under a tree and gave the horse some water.
Owen followed suit, tending to his horse by scratching its neck and offering it a sugar cube as a reward for its hard work.
The other horses resting near the cave didn’t seem to care that Kayndel had taken the bucket.
Judging by their calm demeanor, it seemed Sehir’s group had arrived at the cave much earlier than us.
While Kayndel and Owen looked for a spot to tie up their horses, I took a moment to survey the cave.
Despite its large entrance, the cave itself wasn’t very spacious.
Still, it seemed sufficient for a short rest.
Since the inside wasn’t too big, we were unlikely to encounter any monsters here.
While I was cautiously exploring the unfamiliar surroundings, I bumped into Sehir, who happened to be walking out of the cave.
His eyes lit up as soon as he spotted me.
“When did you get here, Isa?”
“Just now. I barely arrived.”
“You’re pretty late.”
“Yeah, Mother was heading our way.”
Just as I finished my short reply, Kaindel, who had approached unnoticed, placed his hand on my shoulder and cast a glance into the darkening forest.
“We should discuss this inside.”
In case Mother is approaching. As Kaindel added this, Sehir nodded.
I turned and followed Sehir into the cave.
Inside the cave were Daniel and Ruen.
Daniel was fiddling with a feather he had found earlier that morning, while Ruen was lying down with his eyes closed.
He frowned at the sound of approaching footsteps and quickly sat up, eyes wide open.
He muttered irritably, still groggy from sleep.
I crouched down next to him, and as he saw me, he stopped muttering and instead let out a series of yawns.
While silently watching Owen, who was lighting a fire with a stick he had picked up from somewhere, I shifted my gaze toward Kaindel and Sehir.
Kaindel was sitting with his back against the cave wall, and Sehir, who had been talking about Mother for quite a while, was repeatedly rubbing his face.
His expression changed by the minute, growing darker and darker.
His previously quiet voice suddenly grew louder.
“So, you’re saying you couldn’t kill Mother?”
* * *
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