The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 91

"Don’t worry about them. There are three knights; they’ll manage to escape on their own."

"Isn’t that overly optimistic? They might be in a situation where escaping on their own is impossible."

"If that’s the case, then it’s simply their fate."

"What are you saying...!"

"Sei, don’t get angry at Semeion! He really can’t help it right now!" Khan suddenly shouted.

Surprised, Semeion turned to look at him, but Khan was staring at me with a desperate expression.

"Khan."

"It's not that he doesn’t want to save them; he probably wants to rescue our people more than anyone else! But he just can't right now!"

"Khan, stop."

"What do you mean he can’t? What’s stopping him?"

I asked calmly, and Khan bit his lip. Semeion sent him a warning glance, but Khan obstinately refused to look away.

"Semeion... he’s in too much pain right now."

"…What?"

"KHAN!"

Semeion urgently grabbed Khan's arm. Simultaneously, tears began to fall from Khan’s eyes.

"Semeion was severely injured in that battle. He still hasn’t fully recovered. He actually needs more rest, but he’s overexerted himself looking for the heir."

"…!"

"To be honest, this is the first time in a long while that he’s even been able to sit and talk like this. The presence of an Acacia nearby has helped him regain some strength. I’ve been so afraid that he might not make it... all this time..."

Khan’s words dissolved into sobs. Stunned, I turned to look at Semeion. He was clenching Khan’s arm tightly, unable to hide his dismayed expression. For the first time, the eyes that had been directly looking at me avoided my gaze. When I put my hand on his body, I felt unmistakable heat radiating from him.

Just sitting here must be exhausting for him. Now that I thought about it, he had looked unwell from the start. His poor condition had been evident at a glance.

“How serious is it?”

“I’m fine, Prince Sei. It’s nothing. Khan is just overly worried and exaggerating.”

“That’s a lie.”

“…Khan.”

“Semeion is pushing himself too hard. He’s planning to take you to Dongryeong even if it kills him. If he continues like this, he will definitely die.”

“Khan, please.”

“I’m sorry, Semeion. I can’t watch you recklessly throw your life away. Remember, your life isn’t yours alone. I have the right to protect it, too.”

“…”

Semeion seemed at a loss for words. Not that anyone would have believed his excuses anyway.

‘I should have prepared for this possibility.’

I must have subconsciously thought that everything would be solved as long as I met Semeion. It's only natural that things don’t always go according to plan, but even knowing that, I had been too complacent. A heavy feeling settled in my chest from how foolish I had been.

“I’m not going to Dongryeong.”

Semeion’s face darkened further at my words. He looked at me in confusion as I shared my thoughts.

“This village is too dangerous. Let’s move to the Herna Viscounty nearby. It’ll be much safer there. You need to focus on your recovery for a while. I will accompany you that far.”

“Accompany me that far... it sounds like you mean to go your separate way after that.”

“You’re right. I will search for our captured people.”

“…!”

Of course, I didn’t think I could accomplish something grand, especially given that I couldn’t even handle a sword. Nonetheless, it seemed better to at least find out where our people were, rather than sitting idly by. Perhaps then I could even devise a plan to rescue them. But Semeion sternly opposed the idea.

“That’s out of the question. What if the Demonic Beasts find you? It’s too dangerous.”

“I don’t intend to be reckless. I’ll be as cautious as possible.”

“No, Prince Sei. Absolutely not. You’re close to Awakening. You’re at risk of collapsing at any moment.”

“If I head to a safe place once I notice the signs...”

“Don’t be ridiculous. What if you pass out on the way? What if you miss the timing? Soon, your body will start emitting a scent—it’ll be impossible to hide.”

I couldn’t argue with him. I knew my plan was rash.

“…Even so, I’m not changing my decision.”

“Prince Sei!”

“If things go wrong, that’s my fate, too. Surely, you won’t argue with that. After all, it’s what you said earlier.”

I didn’t mean to sound sarcastic, but it turned out that way. While I felt disillusioned inside, Semeion grabbed my hand tightly with a pale face. He seemed determined not to let go until I changed my mind. I tried to shake him off, but with all the strength of a patient, he didn’t budge at all. I wasn’t sure if I should be impressed by how strong his grip was despite his condition or lament how weak I was compared to him.

“There’s someone who can help us.”

The tense atmosphere was broken by Khan’s voice. His eyes were red, as if he were about to cry, and he was looking at my waist. Following his gaze, I saw a sword securely fastened with a leather strap—a magic sword I had been given and had kept close ever since.

“He might have a way.”

* * *

“This is... quite an unexpected situation.”

It was late afternoon, some time after the events had unfolded.

The man, arms crossed, muttered with an expression of disbelief. His appearance was imposing, with a robust physique and dark green hair falling messily around his shoulders. He was someone I knew well—the Dragon, Markatis. He was the one who had saved me in the forest that day.

“The little one I thought was gravely injured is apparently much better than expected.”

His gaze quickly swept over me before shifting to something behind me. More specifically, to Semeion, who was bound with his arms tied.

“And the Knight the little one went looking for is somehow tied up.”

Semeion, who had been wearing an expression of resignation since Markatis's arrival, let out a low sigh.

“…It's been a long time, Markatis.”

"Indeed, it's been a while, Semeion. Nearly thirty years, right? You don’t seem to have been faring well... You rarely look so pitiful. Is this some kind of mutiny, by any chance?”

“Nothing of the sort.”

With a face filled with shame and fatigue, Semeion sighed again. Markatis watched him with interest before turning back to me. He noticed my fingers hiding the scars, and though I quickly tried to conceal them, it seemed pointless. He smiled, as if he had already seen everything.

“It seems an explanation is in order.”

His amused tone made memories of the tumultuous recent events flash before my eyes.

“He knows what to do.”

Everything had begun with Khan's words. He insisted we had to meet Dragon Markatis. He took the magic sword from my side and examined it closely, aiming to analyze the magical inscriptions on it.

“I found it. Just as I thought, there’s a tracking spell.”

“Tracking spell?”

“Dragons are highly possessive of things they make. They often enchant their creations with spells to track them if lost. I figured this sword would have such a spell.”

"It wasn’t just a tracking spell. There's an identification spell too. I think he might have registered you as the owner. Did you spill any blood on the sword?”

"Ah, yes, I did."

It had almost been forced, but that’s how it happened. As I nodded, Khan's face lit up.

"If we use this well, we might be able to make Markartis come to us."

“Make him come to us?”

"Yes, Green Dragons treasure plants as much as Dras. They go crazy for rare plants. Someone like him wouldn’t have sent a Clonne Aesang without any protection. He must have done something to this sword."

Could he have gone that far? I examined the sword in a bewildered state, but being unfamiliar with magic, I couldn’t figure anything out. At that moment, Semeion abruptly hardened his expression and glared at Khan.

"No, Khan."

"But this is the only way."

"No, absolutely not."

He seemed to have figured out what Khan was thinking, and it didn’t seem like a good idea.

"What method is it?"

I asked, and Khan, after briefly glancing at Semeion, answered.

"Well, since he probably intended to help you in dangerous moments, I think you need to be in danger."

"Ah."

"So, is it okay to get hurt a little?”

"Khan!"

Semeion called out firmly, but Khan ignored him. I didn’t hesitate long in deciding.