Chapter 124
The Stubborn Prince’s Hope
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Nacht’s point of view .
We ran through the forest in the dead of night .
The bristles and branches we brushed by in the dark were like a blur as we rushed ourselves onward .
In the lush forest where the moonlight could not reach, black shadows spread its influence in full force . It was as if the whole world had disappeared, save for our feet that were lit by the few dim torches . This unseen darkness, as if it were to claim our future, stirred up the fear within me .
“!…”
Something sharp scratched my cheek . When I reflexively touched it, I felt something warm . The smell similar to that of iron dust told me it was blood . I might have caught a branch .
“Lord Nacht?”
“It’s no problem . ”
Sir Olsen, who was ahead of me, called out . I wiped the cut off my face and resumed running .
My feet seemed to have passed their limits long ago . I would fall on the spot if I lost focus for a second .
My breathing became rough and the sound of my own pulse rang annoyingly in my ears .
But I couldn’t stop .
The lives of my people were entrusted to my hands . I won’t stop, even if my legs were to break .
With sheer willpower alone, I continued to push through the thickets of the forest .
As we came upon a certain clearing, I untied the horses left underneath the safe shade that was obediently waiting for us . The young knight, Peter, rode alongside me as I rode on the same steed as Sir Olsen’s .
The horses ran, kicking up the dust .
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Despite Sir Olsen’s magnificent steed, my shaking refused to stop . I was about to faint at any moment from the accumulated fatigue .
I dug a nail into my palm to keep my consciousness alive .
At the edge of my vision, I saw a small light reflecting off my eyes .
“…?”
From far far away, there was a distant, wavering light .
It was like a torch flame .
“Sir Olsen!”
“Yes?”
I looked over my shoulder and pointed to the flame .
Sir Olsen immediately pulled in on the reins and stopped the horse . Peter, who was a little behind us, slowly caught up with a strange look on his face .
“What’s the matter?”
Sir Olsen turned to him and pressed a finger on his mouth, hushing him without saying a word .
There was still some distance between us, and we no longer have any torches lit . It’s very unlikely that we will be noticed, but better safe than sorry .
We watched over them with bated breath .
From the number of torches present, there were probably around ten people in the group .
“It seems they’re gunning towards the forest . ”
Sir Olsen whispered at last .
As he said, the light that was moving further away seemed to be heading towards the forest’s entrance .
“At this hour?”
The night had nearly passed already .
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It was closer to dawn than midnight . What business do they have in the forest?
“Perhaps it was merely a routine guard rotation?”
“…”
I didn’t immediately nod to Peter’s words .
Aren’t there too many people for a simple rotation? But I also don’t have any proof that says otherwise .
“What shall we do?”
Sir Olsen questioned .
What do we do? Move forward? Or turn back to the forest? We’re wasting every second we spend on deciding our next course of action .
I shook my head to shake off the heavy anxiety .
“… . Let’s move on . ”
I don’t know what your purpose is, but if you value your life, I hope you don’t venture too far into the forest .
I’ll save my worries for later . My job right now is to bring relief back as soon as possible .
The horses started moving again as Sir Olsen gave the signal .
But my mind was pulled by something and I inadvertently glanced back . The small light that was getting further away burned itself into the retina of my eye .
I quietly turned back around and clutched at my chest .
I told myself that it was simply my imagination at work, but I still couldn’t shake loose the anguish in my heart .
Why? Why is my heart beating so damn fast?
Surely it’s not because of the howling wind suffocating me, is it?
Then how can I describe this feeling? Is it fear? Dread? Impatience?
It was a feeling akin to having recently made a terribly grave mistake .
“Stop!”
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I screamed .
Sir Olsen quickly pulled the reins once again . The clever horse stopped without a hitch .
Peter, who went past us, turned back to us after a while .
“What’s the matter, Master Nacht?”
“…”
Questioned by Sir Olsen, I couldn’t immediately give an answer as I was still lost myself . Was it really the correct choice? Am I really certain that I won’t waste time doing this?
But, I couldn’t ignore this rush any longer .
“I’m sorry for changing my mind so abruptly, but I would like for us to turn back after all . ”
“Shall we take after that group earlier?”
“Please do . I have a bad feeling about this . ”
When I told him so, Sir Olsen’s expression softened .
He told the still confused Peter that we were going back and turned our horse around .
We ran through the path from whence we came .
Faster! I prayed in my heart . It was hard to even face forward with the wind hitting against my face, but the landscape that flew by gradually took shape . I felt more helpless and frustrated by the second .
My feverishly beating heart was making loud noises .
After an unknown amount of time had elapsed, the forest finally came into view .
Numerous torches sat at the entrance . So it was just a guard rotation after all . Am I thinking too much?
Sir Olsen slowed down the horse .
I lost the strength to my body all at once . ‘Haaah . ’ A long sigh came out of me .
I didn’t like the thought of wasting more time, but on the other hand, I was glad that I had checked .
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Sir Olsen . After apologising to him and Peter, we once again about to set off for the imperial capital .
But before I could say anything, a gust of wind blew past us .
“…!!”
I opened my eyes wide to the smell that the wind carried . Sir Olsen had the same reaction and stared sternly towards the forest .
The pungent smell of oil attacked my nose . It wasn’t just from the torches; it was so strong that it could only seem like someone deliberately spilt it all over the place .
“Sir Olsen!”
The horse had already started running before I screamed .
Knowing that it had been supporting me all this time, it had earned my trust and I leaned forward for some momentum . Grabbing onto the horse’s head, I glared forward .
The flame of the torches grew brighter every second, and the group’s surprised faces were visible . We broke through the centre to directly cut through the group without taking any unnecessary detours .
I frowned towards the even more intense and acrid smell .
In the corner of my eye, I saw a nearby empty barrel rolling on the ground dripping with oil and bit my lip . It was just nauseating to even imagine their intent in spreading the oil throughout the surrounding woodlands .
Turning the horse around, I faced the forest entrance once more .
“…What are you doing?”
I asked in a voice that could kill . I tried to remain calm, but it was clear that my voice was visibly shaken .
I scanned at their faces .
The men’s well-featured faces were almost unrecognisable except for one or two . I realised that I had seen them before .
The man in the middle was wary of us and reached for his weapon . Another slenderly-built man stood to the side, though I couldn’t see his face . There were no other telling features about the figure other than the thin body, nor could I tell their gender .
But I was convinced .
“What are you doing, Philipp?”