Chapter 52

"Be prepared, they might try something again."

With these words from the one-eyed knight, that day I, along with everyone else, kept them in mind as we acted. Since continuing our journey aimlessly would only bring danger, we made no detours except for necessary shopping and silently rode on.

Still, everyone was considerate not to make Kugaru and me overly anxious. For example, Kicks kept cracking jokes as usual, and Tina would secretly peek out the face of the poisonous mushroom plushie from her luggage, thinking it would soothe Kugaru and me. However, after I screamed "Eek!" the first time, there were no more appearances of the plushie.

Kugaru, who didn't like riding alone with the knights, always sat in front of the one-eyed knight with me. Midway, the one-eyed knight, unable to bear the envious gazes from the side, decided to ride with the sub-leader on Ailax after a short break. The sub-leader, who acted as if nothing was wrong, kept stroking Kugaru and me alternately with his free hand.

During the journey, I also heard stories about the one-eyed knight's younger days from the leader.

"So, the one-eyed knight and the leader are old acquaintances?"

"Yes. Grail, though calm now, was a wild one in his teens. It took a lot of effort to turn him into a proper knight."

"Leader Gauss..."

The leader laughed heartily, and the one-eyed knight looked embarrassed. It was hard to imagine the strict and serious one-eyed knight as a wild youth.

Perhaps out of consideration for Kicks and Tina, the leader didn't reveal more about the one-eyed knight's immature past, but it was reassuring to know that even the one-eyed knight wasn't perfect from the start. He wasn't a fully trained iron man from the beginning.

When the one-eyed knight looks at the leader, his eyes are filled with respect and affection, as if he's looking at a father. The leader must have been the reason the one-eyed knight changed.

The leader influenced the one-eyed knight, the one-eyed knight became the leader's goal, and the leader is Tina's role model.

Thinking about this, I realize how important it is to meet the right people and be under the right leader in the knight's order. Kicks, for example, didn't do well under Captain Sarell at first, but he thrives under the one-eyed knight and the sub-leader at the northern fort.

Thinking this far, I wondered how the subordinates of Captain Sarell, who attacked us, felt about following his orders. If they had a hierarchical relationship completely opposite to the harmonious one among the one-eyed knight and his team, they might have followed orders they didn't want to, out of inability to refuse.

Before it was completely dark, the one-eyed knight and his team decided to camp in an open area in the forest. We could have stayed at a small inn nearby, but they chose to rest in the forest to avoid involving others in an enemy attack. Staying at an inn might be safer if the enemy was only human, but if the wind spirit itself attacked, the inn might be blown away.

"This will do."

Gathering dry leaves and branches, the one-eyed knight was about to light a fire. Then Kugaru came over and offered to help, which was unusual.

"I'll do it."

Perhaps because he was saved during the day, Kugaru's attitude toward the one-eyed knight had become more flexible. The one-eyed knight, who had been subjected to Kugaru's random acts of aggression—like sharpening his claws on the walls and desk in the office, and digging holes in the ground outside—because he "loved" me, seemed to be spared from such behavior now.

Kugaru respects strong people, and his disdainful attitude toward humans had faded, with a hint of admiration in his eyes. It seemed Kugaru had finally recognized the one-eyed knight's iron man qualities.

I, who am afraid of fire, hid behind the one-eyed knight, who was squatting. In contrast, Kugaru stood in front of the firewood, bristling his fur. Taking a deep breath and puffing out his chest, he exhaled forcefully.

At the same time, a bright red flame shot out of Kugaru's throat like a flamethrower.

The flame lasted only a moment, but it beautifully caught on the firewood, crackling.

What is that!? When did Kugaru learn to do that?

Facing me proudly in front of the blazing campfire, Kugaru made me wide-eyed. The one-eyed knight and his team were also surprised.

"You can produce flames now?"

Kugaru, who had probably been secretly practicing, just raised his tail proudly without saying anything. When I first transformed into a human, Kugaru must have felt this way—left behind.

I want to develop my own abilities too. I want to do something cool like Kugaru, maybe snow. But when I think about snow coming out of my mouth, I can only imagine a lump of snow and a "yuck" face.

"Did you see that, Mifue?"

"I saw it..."

Kugaru was in high spirits, but my mood was low. I need to catch up with Kugaru quickly. While everyone was preparing dinner, I practiced blowing in the shade of a tree.

After we all had dinner and ate plenty of Regan for dessert, I lay on the ground. Despite my intense training, nothing came out of my mouth. I might have seen a snowflake when I coughed from blowing too hard, but it could have been a mistake.

Resting my chin on the rabbit backpack on the ground, I got into a position to sleep. Kugaru was grooming himself next to me, and the fairies were resting with the horses, probably tired of our restless sleeping last night. With the one-eyed knight and his team around, I wasn't lonely. As I started to doze off, I heard them deciding the watch schedule.

As the trees in the forest began to rustle, a gentle breeze blew. The campfire flames flickered in the wind.

"The wind is picking up..."

The sub-leader, looking around the dark forest with caution, was followed by everyone else, who stood up and watched the darkness.

"There's no sign of humans."

"But I can sense the presence of spirits."

I got up and said, overlapping the one-eyed knight's words. Kicks and Tina's faces stiffened, and mine probably did too.

As the wind grew stronger, my heartbeat quickened with tension. Kugaru stopped grooming and growled, facing upwind.

"Their target is the two of you. Stay calm."

The leader, saying this, picked us up and moved to the back of the group. The wind became so strong it almost broke the branches, and the campfire flames were extinguished by the force.

"It seems the subordinates of Captain Sarell from earlier are not here."

"They might not have recovered from the injuries we inflicted."

The wind drowned out half of Kicks' and the one-eyed knight's conversation. Indeed, there were no black-clad men.

"This time, it's just the spirits."

The sub-leader drew his sword and got into position, and everyone followed. Surrounded by trees in the forest, we waited for the enemy's attack.

"There! "

I was the first to spot the yellow-green bird and shouted. The bird was perched on a high branch. This time, it was the same fairy as during the day, not the spirit itself. Like my mother's fairy, it glowed faintly in the dark, making it easy to spot.

The bird, meeting my gaze, screeched hatefully and flapped its wings. I still didn't understand why it hated me so much.

As the bird continued to flap its wings, a whirlwind formed and turned into a thin tornado.

"Be careful!"