ICM Chapter 150

On a dark night without even the moon rising, crimson flames spreading like a carpet from the distant mountain ridge were clearly visible. Drushia’s vision felt as if it were being dyed red.

 

About ten people had gathered where the forest ended at the foot of the mountain. They were all servants who had worked at the villa.

 

“Where’s Ashika? Where is the Duchess!”

 

Drushia couldn’t understand why Ashika wasn’t among those who had fled.

 

The faces of those who had escaped the flames were uniformly disheveled. Several people, including the butler, had lost consciousness from inhaling smoke, and some were injured.

 

The sudden onslaught of flames had left them unable to grab even a single possession as they fled in panic. It still didn’t feel real what had happened.

 

“We’re sorry, Your Grace. We were outside at the time.”

 

“The Duchess was inside the villa with the knights.”

 

“Then who came out of the villa?”

 

Everyone lowered their heads and avoided his gaze. While no one stepped forward readily, a person could be seen running out from the edge of the forest.

 

“Your Grace!”

 

It was Pelburn. One arm was charred black as if burned, and his face was covered with black soot.

 

“Where’s Ashika? Where are the other knights?”

 

“The fire spread rapidly, separating those in the villa from the rest. When I last saw her, she was preparing to evacuate, and all the escort knights were with her.”

 

Pelburn had evacuated people according to Ashika’s instructions and tried to return to the villa. However, the flames had spread uncontrollably, and the entire villa area had already become a sea of fire.

 

“The path down the mountain was blocked by flames, so they must have escaped upward.”

 

Only five knights were with Pelburn now. Originally, about twenty knights had accompanied Ashika’s escort to the villa. There was a high possibility that all the others who weren’t visible now were together.

 

Drushia shifted his gaze to the mountain ridge where the red sea surged like a tsunami.

 

It had been three days since he received news from the person he had planted in the prison. Upon hearing that Marquis Maiheller had killed a soldier and disappeared, he had abandoned everything and rushed out of the garrison.

 

He had rather hoped that Marquis Maiheller would simply flee. However, anxiety crept in that he might once again target Ashika and himself. Among them, Ashika was the most likely target.

 

His mind had been so urgent during the past three days that his memory of how he had gotten here was hazy. After rushing here so frantically, Ashika was nowhere to be seen. His heart contracted with fear.

 

‘No, it’s fine. It’ll be fine. She’s someone who thinks quickly.’

 

She was a woman who navigated situations with unimaginable boldness. She wasn’t someone who would suffer such a great calamity. Drushia clenched his trembling hands and calmed his excitement.

 

“The fire spread too quickly for them to come down the mountain, so they must have moved to avoid the flames. Is there somewhere they could go?”

 

Pelburn’s face had lost all color and was pale. The flames were terrifying even to look at. He felt devastated that he had lost Ashika in that inferno and come out alone.

 

Drushia looked at Pelburn and suddenly recalled a memory.

 

“The lake…”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“There’s a lake.”

 

Light returned to his darkened blue eyes.

 

“Was Aegonite with them?”

 

“Yes, when I received instructions, I heard that Jeanne and Aegonite were to move together with the Duchess.”

 

In a situation where no one knew where the flames would spread, if Aegonite, who knew the geography well, was there, he would have moved to the safest place – the lake.

 

Drushia’s gaze turned toward the mountain where fierce flames were raging.

 

“Anyone who can move comes with me.”

 

****

 

Her heart was impatient, but each step had to be careful. Even trying not to show signs of difficulty, her breath came up to her throat, making her mouth open involuntarily. She couldn’t tell whether her breathing was labored from exhaustion or the acrid air.

 

Ashika moved forward, following only the footsteps of the person ahead. Even though her thin top was clinging wetly from the streaming sweat, she couldn’t even think about being hot.

 

“Wait, let’s rest for a moment.”

 

Jeanne, checking on Ashika’s condition, stopped walking. Aegonite and the knights surrounded Ashika in a circle and stopped.

 

“Does anyone have water?”

 

At Aegonite’s question, one knight offered the water bottle he had at his waist. Aegonite shook the bottle to check it, opened the lid, and handed it to Ashika.

 

Ashika lifted her dazed eyes to look at Aegonite. Her mind felt numb, as if no thoughts would come.

 

“If you become dehydrated, it’s dangerous. You need to drink water to replace what you’ve sweated.”

 

“What about Nile? Isn’t there anyone else following?”

 

The knights looked at each other’s faces and shook their heads. Aegonite answered with a hardened expression.

 

“He probably escaped on his own at an appropriate time.”

 

Even if he had escaped in time, it would have been difficult for Nile, who didn’t know the way, to follow them. Ashika closed her eyes as she brought the water bottle to her lips.

 

‘There’s nothing I can do about it right now.’

 

The situation was such that even moving her own body was difficult. Trying not to become a burden was the only thing Ashika could do.

 

“Shh.”

 

Suddenly Aegonite raised his hand to signal.

 

The fierce wind had momentarily subsided. The bushes in front of where the group was gathered shook greatly.

 

The movement was too obvious to be an enemy. In the frozen moment, the bushes parted and a black form burst out.

 

“Ah!”

 

Jeanne drew her sword while pushing Ashika away and changing direction. A huge gray bear was charging at them with tremendous force from the front. If they collided, they would be crushed to death before they could even use their swords.

 

Just as the knights gripped their swords and tensed up, the gray bear continued straight ahead with its charging momentum and leaped into the forest on the other side. It was fleeing so urgently that it didn’t even care that there were people there.

 

The danger passed without their knowledge. The knights lowered their swords and wiped the sweat that had profusely appeared on their faces.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“Hah.”

 

Ashika exhaled a sigh of relief. All strength drained from her body, leaving no power in her arms and legs.

 

Even the animals were too busy fleeing rather than fighting with people. It was extremely fortunate that they didn’t have to fight wild beasts.

 

“From now on, the path will be rough.”

 

“Is there even a path?”

 

Jeanne looked at Aegonite with a very dubious expression. The path they had taken so far hadn’t been suitable for people to travel either.

 

“That way is a path used by herb gatherers, and it’s the fastest way to the lake.”

 

Everyone’s gaze turned in the direction Aegonite was pointing. It was a fairly high hill connected to the bushes. The steep slope was so long that the peak couldn’t be seen.

 

Aegonite looked back at Ashika. It would be somewhat difficult for an ordinary person, but he wasn’t sure about Ashika.

 

“Would you be able to manage? Or how about I carry you on my back?”

 

It was a place tangled with fallen leaves and bushes. If she slipped, she might roll straight down. Wouldn’t it be even more dangerous to lose balance while being carried?

 

“I can go by myself. Let’s just go.”

 

Ashika rejected Aegonite’s proposal and stood up. Although she desperately wanted to just sit down and faint, it was merely a wish. With her sluggish movements, Mia and Jeanne supported her by holding her arms on both sides.

 

Aegonite took the lead and began climbing the slope. It was to mark the path. The knights and Jeanne followed behind.

 

Rather than walking, it was a steep slope that required climbing using both hands and feet. It was even more difficult in a dress.

 

Ashika used her feet for support, and when that didn’t work, she used her knees, and when that didn’t work either, she climbed by leaning her body close against the slope. The bottom of her dress and her legs became completely covered with dirt.

 

“Hah, hah…”

 

Being pressed close to the earthen wall, every breath brought the smell of dirt dust. She had thought it would be easier because it wasn’t a rock wall, but the slope made of clumped earth was even more dangerous. This was due to the dry ground and lack of trees.

 

Ashika barely caught her breath and reached out her hand again. Suddenly, the bush she grabbed carelessly pulled out without resistance.

 

“Ah!”

 

The arm that had been putting all its strength bounced back, causing her body to lose balance. Her footing couldn’t withstand the momentary impact and crumbled. Mia quickly grabbed Ashika’s hand. However, the hand wet with tension slipped and let go of Ashika at that moment.

 

“Ahhh!”

 

“Young Duchess!”

 

In an instant, her body slid downward. She desperately reached out to grab anything, but the dry grass roots pulled out as soon as she grabbed them. The pitch-black forest stretching below the slope was sucking her in like the mouth of a monster.

 

A knight below urgently reached out his hand, but couldn’t reach her. Several of those moving urgently slipped together after mistepping.

 

“Ashika!”

 

A voice that seemed impossible reached her ears. Just as she felt her body drop with nothing left to grab, Ashika closed her eyes. At the same time, a strong force suddenly caught her waist.

 

“Ugh.”

 

She felt sharp pain in her abdomen. It was because the other person had pulled her into his arms with all his strength, causing her lower belly to collide.

 

Her hair tie was torn away, and her long hair wrapped around her face, making it impossible to see properly. Following the pain in her lower abdomen, her limbs began to tremble as if having a seizure. She was so disoriented that she couldn’t even recognize who had caught her.

 

“Ashika, look at me. Ashika.”

 

The urgently pressing voice was familiar. Only then did Ashika feel the thick scent of sweat and the vibration of a heart beating just as frantically as hers.

 

“Hah, hah… Dru…shia?”

 

“It’s okay, don’t be scared. You just slipped. Even if you fell from here, you wouldn’t die.”

 

Though just as startled as she was, Drushia calmly soothed Ashika.

 

“Huh…”

 

“Let’s go down first. Put your arms around my neck and we’ll go down together. Got it?”

 

Unable to speak, Ashika just nodded.

 

The path downward was even more precarious. Drushia slid down smoothly while carrying Ashika. Aegonite and all those who had gone ahead heard Drushia’s voice and changed direction to come down.

 

They were back to square one. The group gathered again at the starting point.

 

Ashika couldn’t move at all with her face buried in Drushia’s chest. She could barely manage to gasp for breath due to the pulling pain in her lower abdomen.

 

“Ashika, look at me. Are you okay?”

 

“…Just let me… rest a little…”

 

She never said it hurt in the end. However, the hand clutching Drushia’s clothes was white with strain. Even sitting on the ground with no strength in her legs, she didn’t let go of the hand holding him.

 

“Aegonite, report the situation.”

 

Drushia’s face was frighteningly hardened. He couldn’t understand why Aegonite, who knew the way well, had chosen the most treacherous path while bringing Ashika.

 

“We were attacked.”

 

“What…”

 

At Aegonite’s answer, Drushia couldn’t continue speaking for a moment. The realization that the danger he had anticipated was right before them, and that the current situation was not an accident.

 

Aegonite continued his report calmly.

 

“The enemy numbered less than about ten, but as soon as they spotted us, they fired signal arrows. We estimate that a much larger number is positioned throughout this area. And…”

 

Due to the urgent situation, Ashika hadn’t noticed, but Aegonite and the knights had realized it quickly.

 

“We estimate that the target was the Duchess.”