Chapter 34

Having entered the forest several days ago, Charlotte and Altria had been advancing through it day and night.

They had been attacked by pursuers at times, but as a member of the Royal Guard, Altria did not fall behind when facing a few soldiers.

While protecting Charlotte from the occasional appearance of goblins, they continued to advance through the forest. Her well-trained body was not challenged by mere goblins. However, continuous battles gradually took their toll. Altria's injuries gradually increased.

"Al... Are you okay...?"

Wiping the blood from her face, Altria smiled at the worried Charlotte.

"Charlotte, I'm fine. I'll definitely protect you and get you to Lady Natalie."

Charlotte tore her skirt and wrapped it around Al's injured arm.

"This is all I can do..."

"Charlotte, thank you... Let's keep moving."

The two stood up and continued through the forest. However, the forest was full of monsters, including goblins, wolf-like creatures, and orcs. They usually encountered no more than three monsters at a time, and they could advance without falling behind when facing such small numbers.

However, the forest without a clear path could not be traversed quickly. By the time they had spent ten days in the forest, their determination had waned. After their countless battles, the two were already battered and bruised. Even Altria, trained as a knight, was in a difficult state, and it was impossible for Charlotte, who had grown up in the royal castle, to endure. It was understandable for her to complain.

"Just a little more, we should be reaching the Kingdom of Sarandiel soon. Let's keep going."

With Altria's words, Charlotte, who had caught her breath, stood up. The two began to advance through the seemingly endless forest again. After a few hours, they took turns napping and shared their limited food and water as they continued through the forest.

Then, they saw a clearing in the forest. Sunlight was shining through, and the view ahead was bright. This was a ray of hope for the two.

"Charlotte! Just a little more. I can see the edge of the forest ahead. We might have made it through."

Lifting her tired face, Charlotte looked in the direction Altria pointed. Indeed, the forest seemed to be opening up ahead.

"Just a little more..."

However, with the end in sight, their steps became lighter. Gathering their last remaining strength, the two ran and broke through the edge of the forest.

And what lay ahead was...

A collection of shabby houses, so dilapidated that they were barely standing.

And what lay beyond was... an orc village. Dozens of orcs were in sight. Some were scattered, eating their prey, some were lying down, and orc children were running around. To the orcs, humans were no different from food. Orcs were tearing off human limbs and eating them. A woman, who seemed to be an adventurer, was being violated by the orcs. She appeared to be mentally broken, with no sign of consciousness. It was unclear if she was even alive.

The two were stunned by the scene before them. It was impossible to remain sane in the face of such a sight.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Charlotte screamed at the hellish scene before her. Altria quickly covered Charlotte's mouth with her hand, but it was too late.

The orcs' eyes focused on the two. They had the look of having found new prey. Like goblins, orcs could interbreed with other races, and humans were no exception. Males were eaten, and females were used as breeding stock for the orc race. This was a well-known fact in their world.

Charlotte, who had lost control of her bladder, wet herself as she backed away. Even Altria, who had not fallen behind the orcs, could not face dozens of them at once. Despair was etched on their faces. Altria tried to get Charlotte to stand and run, but the terrified Charlotte could not stand. Giving up, Altria, despite her injuries, readied her sword and stood protectively in front of Charlotte.

"Don't come any closer, don't come any closer..."

Her sword was trembling, and so was Altria, shaking with fear. Their immediate future was right before their eyes. Knowing it intellectually was one thing, but accepting it for themselves was impossible. Meanwhile, the orcs continued to call for more of their kind, and more orcs gathered in response. As the despair before them drew closer, something unexpected happened.

"There's a village, and there are humans. Good, it seems they're still safe..."

Unexpected human words made the two look in the direction of the voice.

There, a young boy in a robe stood lazily, with no weapon in his hand.

Thank you as always.

We've finally reached this point... Even though it's already 80,000 words...