It was a knight's warhorse, slightly larger than the one Agatha usually rode.
Agatha chose the brown horse, which was the most docile and relatively small of the horses.
“Shh... can you help me?”
The clever steed seemed a little wary, but if she skillfully coaxed and tamed him, he seemed ready to take her for a ride.
The saddle was already on as if the daily errands to the capital had been worth it.
“Do you remember the route you always took? If you just take me to the capital, I’ll feed you delicious food for the rest of your life.”
The moment she came out leading the horse that was babbling softly.
In the dark cabin, a door was heard opening.
“Who’s there!”
Got caught!
Agatha quickly mounted the horse, grabbed the reins, and kicked the horse's flank.
Heeeeeeeeeeeing!
“Hey!”
Indeed, the warhorse was a warhorse. As soon as Agatha turned toward the capital where he often went, the brown horse began to gallop like the wind.
'Even if I get caught, it's fine as long as I don't get caught!'
Agatha's horse riding skills were top-notch. Although it was an unfamiliar path at night, Agatha was confident that she wouldn't be caught if she could just get out of the forest in front of her.
Please!
Agatha gritted her teeth and rode her horse, determined to just get out of there.
Her hair flew and the hem of her dress flipped up at her crazy speed. The cool autumn night air scratched her cheek sharply.
“Stand there!”
Soon it was a forest.
Agatha quickly entered the path between the thick trees.
Behind her, the knight who had first noticed her escape was chasing her on horseback.
The person she checked briefly was the person she expected.
The leader of the knights, a man who rarely showed his emotions!
'Yeah. I thought that knight would be the most bothersome!'
Even among the knights who drank a glass or two, he was the only one who hardly ever touched alcohol.
Agatha kicked the flank of her horse once more. It was already running fast enough, but it needed a little more speed.
It was a breathtaking chase in the middle of the night.
Amidst the chaotic mix of the hooves of those following behind and those going ahead.
The forest at night was literally pitch black.
Agatha, relying on the very faint moonlight, lowered her posture.
In fact, she had learned horseback riding since she was young for various reasons, but it was her first time riding through the forest in the middle of the night like this.
And at this speed.
Agatha, who had never been so urging someone to speak, desperately suppressed the fear that was surging within her.
Is this an illusion?
The sound of the horses' hooves following behind seemed to be increasing.
How far did she run?
No matter how much you say, you can't run at top speed for long.
Agatha gritted her teeth, hoping that the horse carrying her light body would be less tired.
When the forest ends, she'll probably see something.
The forest, which didn't look that big when seen from the cabin, showed no sign of ending.
That was when.
“...!”
Agatha was thrown from her horse without even being able to scream. The horse, unable to see the hole in the darkness, lost its balance and fell.
Hehehehehehe-
"Ah...!"
After a violent collision, Agatha rolled around like crazy and barely managed to stop after stumbling upon a bush.
There was no time to think about whether it was painful or not. Agatha raised her head as if she was about to vomit and checked how far the knight had followed her.
The pursuer, who had noticed her fall from her horse, was speeding up his horse and closing the distance.
Can I run away?
It would be impossible to run with one body until you fall off your horse. Moreover, the other side was chasing you on horseback.
'I can't hide. I'll be found out as soon as the sun rises.'
There was no need to go until daybreak. The knights were very sensitive to sounds, so if the others arrived too late, it was only a matter of time before they were caught.
Of all places, there was a hole there...!
Agatha grabbed the stone intending to resist to the end.
If she guessed correctly, she could make him fall off their horse.
If she was lucky, he might fall off hia horse and get injured. Agatha decided to place her hopes on that.
One.
He found her.
Two.
Their eyes met.
Three.
Agatha threw the stone with all her might, but there was no way it would hit the target as it was her first time throwing a stone.
The stone rolled sadly on the ground, unable to even reach the pursuer.
Even the knight was slowing down for fear of falling off his horse like her.
“Wow, this...! And you still call yourself a knight!”
Agatha was so excited that she felt dizzy.
Just as she was about to grab the stone again without giving up, an unfamiliar sound passed through her ears.
Puck-!
A strange sound was heard. When Agatha raised her head, the horse that had come close to her was no longer ridden by a knight.
Agatha instinctively looked back.
A forest with no end.
Some people suddenly appeared under the dim moonlight.
The man holding the longbow at the front slowly lowered his arm.
Agatha immediately recognized who the man was.
***
The knights of Aratus pursued Henry Insidio's men.
Those who entered the outer walls of the capital city seemed to be very relaxed and not particularly worried about being pursued.
No, it seemed like there was some dissatisfaction.
“I don’t know how long I have to keep doing this. I’m a knight, not a servant.”
“What can I do? This requires secrecy, so we can’t use a servant.”
“Can’t we use it now? We can just use it for a little while and then take care of it when I leave.”
“Who’s going to clean up after that? Come on.”
After leaving their horses in the public stables, they began to walk around the city center as usual.
Meticulously packaged dishes prepared at high-end restaurants catering to the nobility, with a generous portion of the money.
He bought two boxes of high-quality liquor and gave them to his horse.
In the meantime, he had a leisurely lunch.
“I have a good fortune.”
The knights of Aratus, who were hiding in the alley, muttered. They didn't say much, but they looked angry.
How dare they kidnap the hostess while they are away and shamelessly roam the capital.
Henry's men were accustomed to having common women buy things like bath products and towels for noblewomen.
They left the outer gate slowly in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, the knights who had been hiding at the castle gate had suddenly become skilled at tracking.
Now the knights will chase Henry's men from a safe distance, without being noticed.
The knights of Aratus, who had completed the handover, returned to their newlywed mansion.
In front of the main mansion, their lords and knights were already lined up, ready to go.
“Master, I am back.”
“How was it?”
“It certainly seems like they are hiding something.”
The knights described the actions of Henry's men, who had been following them until this afternoon.
As the explanation continued, the spirit of the entire lined-up knights grew wilder.
“Knights skilled in pursuit are in pursuit, but the area outside the capital is a plain, so you will need to give them plenty of time to pursue.”
“I guess so.”
That's why Enoch set the departure time for the evening. Before he knew it, the sunset was setting over the capital.
At night, unless the ground shakes, the knights' movements will be obscured.
Enoch declared as he stood before the knights.
“You can kill all of them except Henry Insidio. It would be better to let them live than to let them escape.”
“I obey your orders, my lord.”
“Let’s go.”
It was time to pay the price for daring to do such a thing.
Enoch, following the tracking team's instructions and leaving the outer gate, slowly followed the trail.
Tracking down these sensitive knights was a very difficult task.
Especially in a capital city with a lot of people, you might get followed as soon as you leave the city gate.
Walk so that the ground does not shake.
He waited at a great distance until they were out of sight, then followed them carefully.
It was a time of patience, especially when they disappeared into the forest.
It was a space where even a small sound could resonate loudly, so it was difficult to enter before they got out.
Only at night was Enoch able to enter the forest very quietly with his knights.
It was when the horse was buried in the darkness, following its tracks.
"Stop."
Enoch raised his hand. The knights immediately stopped.
“What is it, my lord?”
“The ground is shaking.”
"Yes?"
Enoch got down from his horse and knelt on one knee.
The reporters who followed along also raised their heads.
“Two?”
“No. Five. There are three more behind, though they are subtle.”
“It’s so fast. It feels like it’s chasing something...”
“It’s getting closer.”
Is this good news or bad news?
Although he didn't know it, Enoch instinctively mounted the horse.
“Increase speed.”
“But, my lord, if you do that, you might get caught.”
“Just don’t run. And can you be sure that the person in front of you isn’t Agatha?”
“...!”
These are the people who push their words to their limits in the middle of the night.
Even they were chasing Henry's men.
“Hurry up.”
They picked up speed as fast as they could without the ground shaking.
The moment they crossed the small hill, Enoch could see her back at a glance even in the darkness.
A slender hand was swinging a stone, digging through the ground.
“Wow, this...! And you still call yourself a knight!”
A horse approaches Agatha. Its speed slows down as if mocking her.
Enoch picked up his bow, which was tied to his horse, without thinking.
The moment when the protest, which was held with all its might, screamed.
Puck-!
The arrow, which had struck down in a perfect curve, pierced the knight's heart.
“Doon, lead the knights and capture the remaining ones. Don’t let a single one escape.”
“Yes, my lord!”
Enoch rode his horse toward Agatha.
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