Before the Princess could finish speaking, a fussy, deflated laughter burst out of the Prince's mouth.
"I see. It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring her body to the Empress."
Just thinking about the scene made him excited, and the Crown Prince's smile became even more intense.
He gripped Lord Sheerkan's shoulder with one hand and whispered grittily.
"Yes. If you have to, I won't stop talking to you. Wander around the mountains all night looking for her."
The Prince tapped him on the shoulder and turned and walked to the other side of the cluttered camp. Following her brother, the Princess said something neat to her fiancé.
"Then, I'll ask you for that child."
***
When the two imperials left, they immediately headed north.
Edrick clutched a torch in one hand and made his way through the densely darkened woods. He was very anxious to see if the traces left by the wyvern had disappeared after a short commotion.
"Be careful. Then you will fall into the valley."
His senior knight, Sir Theoric Hardt, who had been following him closely, whispered worriedly.
Edrick just nodded his head without replying and lifted his torch to illuminate the bumpy dirt road. Then, jagged rocks and steep slopes were revealed among the straight conifers.
"Here it is."
He pointed to the steep descent, and his superior, who had been silently following him, approached him like a shadow.
Edrick stepped aside so he could look down. After staring down the canyon with his torch for a moment, Barcas pulled a hooked chain from the pocket of his belt.
Holding it firmly in the crevice of the rock, Barcas threw himself down a slope that was almost like a cliff. Edrick stood with his torch and looked down, only to see that Barcas had landed safely on the ground before he followed him down the rock.
Fortunately, the valley was not very deep. Stepping on the jagged rocks and cautiously descending the slope, Edrick raised the torch he held in one hand to signal to the remaining knights above. Then, the knights who were waiting began to climb down the rocks one after another.
Edrick watched for a moment and then turned to look around.
Apparently, the aftermath of the wyvern's fall had caused a widespread Impact on the rock wall, and piles of rocks and dirt were scattered everywhere. It would take a long time to sift through all of this debris.
Edrick scanned the pitch darkness with a nervous gaze and leapt over a large rock. After traveling for some time on the uneven dirt road, they found a dark figure rising up next to a pile of collapsed rocks.
He reflected it closely in the light.
'...Looks like you've found the right place.'
As if rubbed by the fire magic, the corpse of the Wyvern, with one wing blackened, lay face down among the rubble.
Edrick was looking around to see if a Princess was lying somewhere on the monster's body, but he stopped when he saw a towering, dark figure a little farther away.
He brought the torch closer and saw Barcas standing next to a large rock. Edrick ran towards him in a hurry.
"Captain! Did you find anything..."
Edrick shouted impatiently and stopped when he saw a limp, whitish figure in front of him.
The torch, dropped helplessly, illuminated the woman's bloodless face and unkempt hair. Edrick stared down at it and let out a heavy sigh as he saw the large and small pieces of rock covering the bottom of her body.
He knew it was unlikely that she was alive. It was a sight that he had prepared for to some extent. Still, when he saw the woman's horribly broken appearance with his own eyes, his blood seemed to run cold.
He hesitated, but with a trembling stride, he stepped closer to her.
Her upper body was relatively intact, but her legs were almost crushed.
Edrick was examining her left leg, which was bent at a strange angle under a large rock, and then he pulled a large stone aside. Then, the rocks next to it collapsed.
Edrick, who was clouded with embarrassment, raised his head to call for help. Then he found an expressionless face that looked like he was wearing a mask, and he stiffened.
Barcas was silently watching the woman, his torso erect. His dry eyes showed no emotion, and he sent chills down his spine.
He knew that this man and the Second Princess had a close relationship. Still, he has known her since he was a child. He couldn't understand how he could be so carefree when he saw something like this.
Edrick cried out in protest.
"What are you doing? Please help me!"
However, Barcas did not even budge.
Edrick glared at him with a sullen face and stood up to try to remove the rock by himself. He pushed his hands away from the rock that crushed Thalia's legs as he heard the gasping sound of a small beast below.
Edrick bowed his head.
He could see the slight distortion of her pale face under the light. At that moment, his legs gave up, and he almost collapsed.
He cried out loudly, overwhelmed with relief.
"Alive! She's still breathing!"
As if in response to the sound, her thin eyelids fluttered, revealing her unfocused pupils. She seemed to be in a state of delirium.
Edrick hurriedly straightened his back. He had to get the healing magic as soon as possible.
He picked up the torch he had left on the ground to summon the knights who were searching elsewhere. At that moment, he saw a vague smile rise over the woman's blank slate.
Edrick stopped all movement without realizing it. A cracked, bloody lip leaked out of an incomprehensible sound.
"Barcas...."
His eyes widened at the name that came out like a plea, and the man, who had been stiff like a stone statue, bent down in front of her. The woman's eyes shimmered faintly, as if recognizing his quiet face. It was as if he had witnessed a ray of salvation from the abyss.
" I... knew. That you will come to the rescue... I knew."
The woman's eyes narrowed, and the tears on her thin eyelids moistened her bloodless cheeks.
The shadow of fire shimmered over the man's chilly face as he stared down at the figure. The light twinkled in his empty eyes, which had no sign of life. But the man still seemed to be stagnant in the deep, dark places.
Edrick, who was holding his breath for some unknown reason, involuntarily grabbed his shoulder.
"Ugh... Are you okay?"
Barcas looked up and looked at him. His beautiful eyebrows wrinkled when sprayed. He didn't seem to understand why he was asking such a question. Edric himself didn't know why he had asked such a question.
Why did this man not look good?
He looked at his calm face with a confused look, and he heard busy footsteps coming from somewhere.
Edrick came to his senses and hurriedly raised the torch. Several knights who recognized his signal rushed over.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment