My Demons

An unforeseen situation occurred, but the nighttime operation was somewhat successful. We were able to eliminate nearly thirty bandits, with only minimal harm to our side.

However, the night raid couldn’t be considered flawless. We had a casualty in the midst of the confrontation.

The individual who got away was one of the fire-watchers responsible for tending the bonfire.

He evaded the surprise attack by tending to the agitated horses. As the battle’s momentum shifted unfavorably, he promptly mounted a horse and made a swift getaway.

Another fire-watcher also attempted to escape alongside him, but possibly due to his clumsy riding, he fell off his horse even before reaching the riverbank.

He was eventually apprehended by Arnal while crawling away with a broken leg after the battle had concluded, and his trail was followed.

“Ha, this is gonna be a real pain.”

I mumbled as I wiped the blood away using a blanket that the bandits had left behind. The faint glow of the firefly grew dimmer as I wiped off the blood, but its presence once again became evident.

Grania, who had taken off her rounded helmet and wiped away the blood and sweat, spoke with a disheartened expression.

“The bandits are gonna swarm in like a pack of dogs soon. We gotta retreat now.”

“What about the mission? If we back off now, we might not get another shot?”

“Right now, the mission isn’t the main concern. Things could get real dicey if the bandits come at us all at once.”

Arnal, sorting through salvageable arrows from the pile, grimaced.

“Are you serious? And what about Farrel and Gillius?”

“…We’re not exactly running away. We’ve held our ground for a decent while. The lord won’t chew us out.”

“Are you sure about that? You’re not underestimating the nobles?”

Grania closed her mouth, and the group fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

I, too, got lost in my thoughts as I wiped off the blood, when suddenly I felt a gaze from the side.

“…What’s up? Something wrong?”

“Are you really holding up?”

“I’ve told you, I’m fine.”

Looking at Ellen, who was biting her lip while observing my demeanor, I gave a wry smile.

“See, the light’s fading, right? It’ll be gone soon.”

“…That’s why you shouldn’t use magical stuff casually. I never thought there’d be such a weird side effect.”

Despite my teasing, she muttered as if scolding herself. Then she grabbed my hand, pulled off my glove, and inspected the back of my hand.

“You don’t feel itchy or tingly?”

“Not at all.”

“No nausea or dizziness?”

“I’ve told you already. I’m good, okay?”

Geez, this girl really doesn’t give up.

Because of the odd glow I emitted due to the side effects of the invisibility potion, once the battle ended, Ellen rushed over and bombarded me with questions like the ones above.

Even though I kept assuring her I was fine, she insisted on peering into my mouth and yanking at my hair, to the point where I was starting to feel a tad uneasy.

“Oh, you! Your eyes seem to have turned red!”

“That’s just how I get when I fight…”

“No, the color’s different from usual!”

“You’re imagining things. Stop it.”

“Hey, don’t turn away! Open your eyes wide!”

“Ugh.”

She suddenly lunged in, grabbed my face, and pried my eyelids open. I shook her hands off and accidentally put my helmet on backwards.

“Hey, seriously, I’m good! If anything feels off, I’ll tell you immediately, so just chill for a sec, alright?”

“…If even the tiniest thing seems off, you’ve got to tell me right away, okay?”

Got it, I’ll keep you in the loop. Right now, I’m perfectly fine.”

In response to my firm stance, Ellen let out a sigh and crouched down beside me.

“I had a feeling it was an unbelievable item. What in the world could have been the ingredient that caused such a ridiculous side effect? It can’t possibly be a mutation…?”

While muttering, tears welled up in her eyes, making her appear on the verge of tears.

Her face showed a mix of concern, regret, and guilt, which was rather endearing, so I playfully poked her cheek.

“Why the long face? You that worried about me?”

“…It’s not like that.”

“Then why the sad expression? Quit the tears and just tell me.”

“Who said I was crying?”

“Huh? Weren’t you crying? Crying seems to be your forte.”

After giving me a brief glare, Ellen seemed to carefully choose her words and hesitated.

But eventually, she shut her mouth and turned her head away abruptly.

“Hey. Hey. You really crying?”

After persistently prodding her, Ellen finally mustered some energy and lunged at me, giving my helmet a solid whack.

“Seriously, quit it! You’re giving me a headache!”

As Ellen and I exchanged playful arguments, Luke, who couldn’t just stand by anymore, let out a wry smile and remarked,

“I hate to interrupt the banter, but this isn’t the time for jokes. Can you be a bit more careful?”

“Ah… Ahem, you’re right. I apologize.”

As I offered my apology with an awkward expression, Ellen, whose palms were now slightly red, also backed off with a sheepish laugh.

I’ve been acting quite immaturely. Does becoming physically younger also mean becoming mentally younger?

“So, Phoenix, what do you think?”

In response to Luke’s question, I tried to put on a serious expression and replied.

“…Well, I think we should head to the reinforcements, regardless of how it turns out.”

At my words, Grania’s face twisted in concern.

“That’s too risky. There’s no way we can escape from them…”

“If we fail here and retreat, we’ll starve to death in the city. We’ve got two choices: either we establish contact with the reinforcements and return to the city, or we push as far away as we can. Those are our only options.”

To some, it might sound absurd that the fate of the city hinges on just five people.

But what can we do? It’s the reality.

Sure, an unexpected turn of events might occur and things could take a positive turn.

But a minor incident won’t make up for the ‘failure of the hero’.

It’s an obvious conclusion when you consider the tasks the hero must complete to clear Chapter 2.

The rest of the group also seemed well aware of the significance of our roles.

After all, we would be the first to break free from the encirclement.

Amidst the silence, Arnal suddenly piped up, grumbling as if irritated.

“But why do you keep bringing up the option of getting out? Are you trying to convince us? To abandon our comrades and bolt?”

“That’s not what I mean. I’m simply saying that I can’t risk my life for Gillius or Farrel. Is that unreasonable?”

Arnal, who met my gaze, chewed on her lower lip briefly and then nodded.

“…Well, I can’t fault you for that. I’ve got a conscience too.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“Anyway, it’d be nice if you stopped saying that. Grania and I aren’t cowards who ditch our comrades and flee. We won’t follow you if you decide to run.”

Those last words weren’t directed at me, but at Grania.

It was probably meant to console the leader, whose expression grew dark whenever the topic of escape was broached.

“Well, I get it. I’m not saying I’m going to bolt immediately… I’ve got skin in the game, so I’ll give it my all as long as I can.”

After hearing my resolute statement, Grania rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand and said in a frustrated tone,

“Then we don’t have time to waste on this. We need to move right now.”

I left the bloodstained blanket behind and grabbed another one that was lying nearby. I wrapped it around my head and upper body.

Hmm, it does reduce the brightness somewhat, but light is still leaking out.

“It’s still not sufficient. Going into the forest like this, all shiny, would be a foolish move…”

As I trailed off, Luke, who had been silently lost in thought, gestured toward the horses.

“What about riding a horse?”

“A horse?”

“If we cross the river and pass through the forest, won’t we reach the plains where the reinforcements are? The bandits will be congregating around the castle walls, so if we ride on horseback, there shouldn’t be much danger.”

At Luke’s suggestion, Arnal wore a somber expression.

“…I can’t ride a horse.”

“What about you, Grania?”

“Well, I can manage the basics. I can follow the person in front of me, I guess?”

“And Phoenix?”

“Me?”

I swallowed the words ‘Of course I can’t’ and pondered deeply.

From Kim Seung-soo’s perspective, my only encounter with horses was observing them at a racetrack.

Phoenix is of noble lineage, and his class name is Blood ‘Knight’. He ought to know how to ride a horse.

“Phoenix?”

“Um, just a moment.”

I approached the horses tied to the tree with a hint of skepticism.

There were a total of sixteen horses, and they appeared a bit startled as a luminous figure approached them. They snorted and stamped their hooves, clearly on alert.

Unlike the startled horses, I remained unperturbed. If I had come across these agitated horses on Earth, I would’ve been frightened and retreated… It was an odd sensation.

In contrast to the sleek and majestic horses I had seen at the racetrack, these ones tied up here were not especially large. Perhaps a different breed? On closer inspection, their legs appeared somewhat short and robust.

Their large eyes reflecting a fiery glint seemed fearful.

Each time I took a step closer, their comical retreat made me smile.

Among them, the boldest one stepped forward to block my path.

It was a spotted horse, resembling a white coat splattered with black paint. Given its relatively larger size, it seemed to be the leader among the horses here.

Instinctively, I extended my hand towards the skittish creature.

“Easy, easy.”

Though the spotted horse tossed its head and pulled against the reins, I persistently stroked its head. Whenever it tried to veer away, I held onto its head, nudging its hindquarters aside.

“Easy, easy.”

After a few repetitions of this in a hushed, soothing tone, the spotted horse ceased its resistance and began to relish my touch.

An unfamiliar memory, a familiar sensation.

The odd sense of displacement I had felt while sparring with Grania resurfaced.

My hand naturally reached out and untied the reins connected to the tree. Then, I guided the spotted horse to where the saddles were stored.

Choosing the largest one, I placed it on the horse’s back, fastened the chest strap, and attached a ring to the reins. Stepping into the stirrup, I mounted the horse.

“Ah-“

An unusual sense of contentment prompted me to exclaim without realizing it. It’s an exaggeration, but it felt like I had regained a missing limb.

As I took hold of the reins and approached my companions, Luke seemed to nod as if he expected this.

“You’re quite skilled, indeed. Thanks to you, the rest of us will be able to ride comfortably.”

Following Luke’s gaze, the once agitated horses appeared significantly calmer.

Observing the leader, the spotted horse, yielding to me seemed to have eased the rest of the herd’s wariness.

“Well then, Arnal, you’ll ride with me. Grania, go ahead and choose one for yourself.”

“Hmm, is that a good idea? I’m not exactly adept at this.”

“Don’t fret too much. Just go for one with a gentle demeanor, and I’ll handle the rest.”

Saying this, Luke began to move, then suddenly turned to Ellen, who was standing still.

“Ellen, do you want to pick a horse too?”

“Um, about that…”

Understanding Ellen’s situation from her expression, Luke managed a smile.

“You’re not feeling too confident about horseback riding, I assume.”

“…I can manage if there are side saddles.”

“Side saddles, huh. Let’s see if we can find one.”

Luke inspected the saddles with a troubled expression. Of course, it was unlikely that the robbers would possess such a specialized item, so it seemed like a futile search.

“No need, Luke. I’ll take care of her.”

With these words, I approached Ellen and lifted her up by the back of her neck.

“Eek.”

She let out a deflated sound as I raised her, and I settled Ellen in front of me.

While Phoenix’s size wasn’t exactly roomy, Ellen’s petite stature made it seem like there wouldn’t be any issues with seating.

Tension creased Ellen’s shoulders from the abrupt transition to horseback. Granted, I was the one holding the reins, so it didn’t truly matter… But her appearance, as though she might slump forward any moment, was concerning.

“Hey, why are you so nervous?”

“I… I’m not nervous.”

Not nervous, huh? Even her voice quivered.

“Just hold onto the saddle handle properly.”

“……”

“Relax your body. Lean on me a bit.”

Resisting my instructions seemed futile, and Ellen gradually leaned her head on me. A faint scent of lime emanated from her golden hair cascading over my armor.

We’d been traversing sewers and tunnels all day, and yet the aroma of soap lingered…

That’s intriguing. Is there a secret to it?

I wanted to inquire of Ellen, but given her current flustered state, I decided it would be better to allow her to calm down first. I’ll ask later.