Chapter 28. A Strange Situation

“Damn it!”

I ran with all my might towards where Michelle was.

In broad daylight, the moon occupying a corner of the sky was a pale yellow. It wasn't even a full circle.

“It’s still a long way off.”

If the Demonic Moon were close, even the daytime moon would be bright red. Its shape would also be a perfect circle, and its size would be more than double what it was now.

“It’s not even the day yet, so why would a Red Wolf come into the village?”

Bethel, running alongside me, asked.

I didn’t know. Red Wolves were animals that were wary of humans. They lived in packs and moved only within the territory they had set. Their territory did not overlap with human activity ranges. That was why the only time a Red Wolf would leave its territory and hunt indiscriminately was during the Demonic Moon, when the mad moon looked down on the world with red eyes, and the beasts, sensing the red mana, went on a rampage.

But even though the red moon had not risen, they were on a rampage.

“We’ll have to find out.”

Something was definitely strange.

“Go away! I said go away!”

As we reached the outskirts of the village, we heard the desperate shouts of the guards.

They were in front of a wooden fence, fighting the Red Wolves that were crossing it.

“Wow, crap. Why are there so many?”

Bethel clicked his tongue upon seeing the number of Red Wolves.

I, too, was flustered by the number of Red Wolves. I had thought there would be about five at most. But there were over ten of them. This wasn't a case of Red Wolves that had strayed from the pack coming here to survive. An entire pack had gone mad and come down.

“Find the blacksmith’s first.”

The Red Wolves were strange, but what we had to do now wasn't to fight them. Finding Michelle was the priority.

Michelle had said she found a blacksmith in the forest on the outskirts of the village. It was to buy special steel arrows, not regular ones. Regular arrows could be bought at the blacksmith’s or weapon shops in the village, but special arrows could only be bought at the forest blacksmith’s.

“Aack!”

Bethel, who had been looking for the blacksmith’s, screamed. A Red Wolf that had crossed the wooden fence was attacking Bethel.

The Red Wolf opened its maw and tried to bite Bethel. Bethel, too, gripped his sword and squeezed out all his strength to avoid being eaten by it.

“Your Highness!”

Bethel said the words ‘help me’ very short and concisely. It seemed he could handle it on his own, but there was no need to waste strength on an unnecessary place.

Puk!

As per Bethel’s request, I plunged my sword into the Red Wolf’s head. The creature that had been trying to eat Bethel spurted blood and collapsed.

“Ugh… Your Highness!”

Bethel, pinned under the Red Wolf, called for me again.

What am I, a magic wand? Do I grant everything he calls for?

“Do it yourself for once.”

“It’s too heavy, I can’t move.”

Bethel waved his hand with desperation.

I let out a sigh and pulled Bethel’s hand with all my might.

“I’m alive thanks to Your Highness.”

Bethel, who stood up groaning, glared at the corpse of the Red Wolf that had pinned and crushed him. Then he brushed off the Red Wolf’s saliva and blood that had stuck to his body.

A foul smell began to rise.

“Stay away a bit.”

“No, it’s not that I want to be like this…”

“Yeah, you’ve been through a lot. So stay away.”

I waved my hand at Bethel and walked towards the blacksmith’s.

The blacksmith’s had several large and small wounds. There were also clear traces of blood that had not yet dried. It was definitely a sign of a fight with a Red Wolf.

“Michelle!”

I opened the door of the blacksmith’s and called for Michelle.

Michelle was lying on a bed placed on one side of the blacksmith’s. And next to her sat a middle-aged man who boasted a smooth head.

“Who are you?”

The bald middle-aged man reacted with a fierce expression.

“That kid’s captain. And you must be… the blacksmith.”

“Huh? What? A customer?”

His bald head, sleeveless shirt, and muscular body said it all. Anyone would say that man was the blacksmith.

“Not a customer, I came looking for that kid. What happened?”

“As you can see, she’s hurt.”

“I can see that. Why is she hurt?”

“……”

The blacksmith scanned me up and down with a displeased look.

“How old are you?”

And he began a useless investigation.

“I’ve eaten enough. Stop wasting your energy on pointless things and just tell me why Michelle is hurt.”

“Didn’t you just come from outside? Then you should know without asking.”

It seemed a Red Wolf had suddenly appeared and caused a ruckus. And she had collapsed, which meant…….

“Don’t tell me she was bitten?”

I hurriedly approached Michelle. I needed to check the extent of her injuries. If she had been bitten by a Red Wolf, treatment could not be delayed. The polluted energy of red mana would spread from the bitten area.

“Th-is, crap…”

The fang marks on her side were clear. The depth of the wound was also deep.

“Hey? What are you doing?”

As I lifted Michelle’s shirt, the blacksmith hurriedly grabbed my hand.

“I have to check her condition… damn it!”

Even without lifting the entire shirt, I could tell the contamination was in progress. Because dark red blood vessels were grotesquely protruding around the wound.

“What on earth were you doing?”

I asked the blacksmith, as if interrogating him.

The blacksmith looked at me with an indifferent expression.

“I moved this friend inside. But why are you questioning me? Who are you?”

“I told you earlier. I’m this kid’s captain.”

“Is that so? Then where were you and what were you doing when this friend was fighting?”

The blacksmith said, as if scolding me. It was absurd. Did he think I was playing some kind of neighborhood gang leader?

“Your Highness!”

The moment I took a breath to retort to the blacksmith, Bethel entered the blacksmith’s, reeking of a foul smell.

“Your Highness? Hmph!”

The blacksmith was surprised to see me. Then he tightly held his nose.

I, too, held my nose.

“No, it can smell a bit. Everyone’s reaction is…”

Bethel, who had been sniffing his own body, retched. It was a smell one could not get used to, so it was natural.

“Are you a prince?”

The blacksmith asked. So I nodded my head. I didn’t want to open my mouth because of the smell. Bethel, noticing this, crumpled his face.

“I can’t change my clothes right now, so…”

As Bethel was about to react with annoyance, the blacksmith threw him some tattered clothes.

“Throw away the clothes you’re wearing right now and change into this. Go outside to do it, in case the smell seeps into things in here.”

“Right, go change your clothes right now. There’s something you need to do.”

My head hurt because of the foul smell. So I backed up the blacksmith’s words.

“Something I need to do? What is it?”

“Bring Adellian here. If you’re alone, go with Elliot and bring her.”

“Pardon? Who is Adellian…”

“That girl we saw last time. The one who was whining for us to give up our turn to get her carriage fixed.”

“The whining girl? Ah! The ducal family’s young lady.”

“Right, her. Don’t just go and tell her to follow you unconditionally, tell her there’s a kid who got seriously hurt while saving people and to please come with you.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Bethel, whose task was set, was about to leave the blacksmith’s to change his clothes. In that moment…….

Peeee.

An unpleasant flute sound rang out. All other sounds disappeared, and only the sound of the flute remained.

“What was that?”

Bethel was flustered.

The blacksmith was also flustered.

The flute sound stopped. No, it felt more like the sound was sucked into a certain point.

My skin tingled. My heart beat fast, and the hair on my whole body stood on end.

It felt like a great danger was approaching.

Kwaaaak!

Suddenly, a ferocious roar that seemed to burst my eardrums erupted. This was not human.

It was not a Red Wolf’s either.

“It’s an Owlbear.”

The blacksmith, who had opened the door and looked outside, had a dark expression.

I approached the window to see the size of the Owlbear.

“Fuck. That’s not just an Owlbear!”

It was an Owlbear with the horns of a demon, a disaster that had appeared not to eat people but simply to kill them, a Devil Bear.

The Devil Bear looked similar to an Owlbear, except for the horns. But it was only similar in appearance. Its strength and speed were more than twice as strong and fast. Its personality was even more ferocious. It could also breathe hot fire from its mouth that could melt even iron.

“Your Highness… this is…”

Bethel, seeing the Devil Bear, froze where he stood. It was no wonder he was scared, having faced a disaster. But there was no time to be like this. Michelle’s condition was rapidly worsening.

“Bethel! Get a grip!”

I shouted, slapping Bethel’s back with my palm.

“Ah! Your Highness!”

“I said get a grip. Are you going to let Michelle die?”

“No, sir! But that thing… is that really an Owlbear?”

Bethel, with fear in his eyes, asked in a trembling voice.

“It’s a more dangerous one. So hurry up and go! Michelle has to live for us to take care of that thing!”

Because whether it was an Owlbear or a Devil Bear, their weak point was the same. So Michelle had to come to her senses. Her ability was absolutely necessary to perfectly seize that one and only chance.

“Can’t we just take Michelle and run away?”

Bethel asked, his hands trembling. He was instinctively feeling the danger of the Devil Bear.

“No. If we move while carrying Michelle, the poison will spread faster. She’ll die before she can get treatment.”

The contaminated energy spreads throughout the body through the blood vessels where mana flows. The only reason she was holding on now was thanks to the mana weakly drawn by her Mana Circle.

“And if we run while carrying Michelle, we’ll be caught by the Devil Bear.”

Because it was the Devil Bear’s nature to slaughter everything that came into its sight. Even now, it was tearing apart the Red Wolves outside in an instant.

“Then… if I run…”

Bethel could not easily get his words out. The meaning was obvious. It was a question of whether he wouldn't be able to avoid the Devil Bear’s attack even if he ran.

“I’ll block it.”

I gripped my sword and looked at the Devil Bear. It wouldn’t be easy. But there was no other way. Someone had to stand and block that thing.

“No, no… Your Highness. It is right for me to block it while Your Highness goes and comes back.”

Bethel shook his head and mustered his courage. While still trembling.

“If you’re thinking of tying it up with dirt or wood and running away, give up. That won’t work.”

“Pardon? No. I had no such intention.”

“Really? Then that’s a relief. But no. Hurry up, change your clothes and run.”

If he faced the Devil Bear in a terrified state, his body would be torn apart before he could even display his skills. So it was right for me to do it. Since it was a creature I had faced once before, I wouldn't die from fighting clumsily. Of course, it would be very dangerous.

“Have you seen that before?”

The blacksmith asked. It seemed he found it quite strange that I was preparing so naturally without any hesitation.

“A very long time ago.”

I think it was about three times. Back then, when I was a wandering knight, I had a hard time catching it, and after that, it wasn't even a handful. Each time, I took out the Devil Bear’s heart and ate it very well. It didn't taste good, but it was very good for the body.

“I am all ready.”

Bethel, who had changed his clothes, said with a determined face.

I nodded my head and took my sword. Then I looked at Michelle. Her breathing had become rougher than before. I had to move quickly.

“Hey. Are you going to fight with that sword?”

The blacksmith asked, pointing to the sword in my hand.

“I can’t fight with my bare hands. So I have to use this.”

“With that, you won’t even be able to put a single scratch on that thing’s body.”

The blacksmith waved his hand as if to say, ‘wait.’ Then he went into the back of the blacksmith’s and brought something out.

“Use this.”

The object the blacksmith brought was a longsword with a wide and huge blade.

“It is a sword I made, betting everything I have.”

The flames burning outside the blacksmith’s were reflected on the blade. It felt as if the sword were blazing, craving for blood.

“Looks usable.”

I took the sword the blacksmith offered me.

“Brave Flame”

“Huh? Are you saying it’s stupid (ignorant)?”

The sword did look a bit ignorantly designed.

“No, it means ‘Brave Flame.’ It is the name of the sword, so please call it that.”

Brave Flame, upon its name being called correctly, sparkled with a sharp light. As if it wanted to cut down the enemy right away.