Topaz 1

“This might be our grave,” Merdina muttered. 

Haran wanted to retort and tell him not to say such creepy things, but he couldn’t deny the graveyard-like atmosphere.

They had been wandering through the forest for hours. It was a place from which no one had ever returned alive. Its notoriety had prepared them, but the interior of the forest was eerily unsettling, beyond their imagination.

Densely packed trees, stretching up to the sky, made it difficult to see even a hand’s breadth ahead. As soon as they passed the forest’s edge, their previously functional compass began to spin wildly.

The most troublesome aspect was the constant appearance of magical beasts. This was the reason this land was called the ‘Forest of Death.’

Fortunately, the two were among the empire’s most distinguished knights. The two young knights cut down the beasts, marking trees or tying cloth to them as they searched for a path.

However, their misfortune greatly outweighed their luck. Their first misfortune was the patient they had to carry in turns. Merdina wiped the sticky blood from his sword and asked, “Your Highness, are you still alive?”

“…He is, probably.”

Haran replied, wiping the sweat dripping from his chin. The bundle of cloth slumped on Haran’s back looked just like a corpse. Merdina approached and lifted the edge of the robe. The patient’s face was revealed.

He was a beautiful man, like an angel painted on a temple mural. His tightly closed eyelids were delicate like thin flower petals, and the line from his forehead to the bridge of his nose was exquisitely smooth. However, his complexion was poor. His jet-black hair was damp with cold sweat and disheveled, and his lips were tinged blue.

Merdina placed his hand on his neck. Even though he knew he wasn’t someone who would die so easily, he had to check his pulse repeatedly. His face was so pale that it wouldn’t be strange if he stopped breathing at any moment.

Haran adjusted the patient on his back and said:

“His Highness doesn’t eat much, so why is he so heavy? Are you sure he’s wearing the lightweight cloak?”

“He is, and that’s why he’s only this heavy.”

“I’d rather just collapse myself.”

Even as he complained, Haran didn’t lower his guard and scanned their surroundings. He tried to create a map in his head by retracing their path, but it was a futile effort. Not only did they lose their bearings in the blink of an eye in this forest, but they had no idea where their destination even was.

That was their second misfortune. Even they didn’t know exactly where their destination was or why they had to go there. The one who insisted they go to the ‘Grenrosha Forest’ to escape pursuit was now lying asleep, as if dead.

“We certainly don’t have to worry about being followed. We’re probably the only idiots who would walk into this forest on purpose.”

As they wandered through the maze-like forest, night fell. A thick fog settled around them. From some point on, the creatures—whether beasts or magical beasts—stopped attacking. That somehow felt like an even more ominous sign.

“It’s too dangerous to move around carelessly anymore.”

Merdina agreed with Haran’s judgment. Fortunately, they had plenty of magical tools. If they searched carefully, they could probably find something to keep them alive for a night.

Just then, Merdina, who was walking ahead, stopped. In the distance, a very faint light was visible. It was undoubtedly a light artificially created by someone.

“Haran, did you see it?”

“…..”

“There’s a light over there…”

It was at the moment Merdina turned around, puzzled by his lack of response, that something cold brushed against his neck. Merdina held his breath. The sharp tip of a sword was touching his neck. It felt like it would pierce deep if he moved even an inch.

In that instant, Merdina, even though he doubted it, suspected Haran’s betrayal. But Haran was standing a few steps away. Just as before, he was carrying their lord on his back, poised with one hand almost drawing his sword. His usually smiling face was pale and stiff.

“…..!”

None of them had noticed a third party drawing a sword and approaching. It was unbelievable. They were the escorts of the second prince, who was targeted by three or four assassins every night, and they were knights who had seen multiple battles. If they were unskilled enough to miss someone’s presence in such a silent forest, their heads would have already rolled.

“…Who are you?”

Merdina asked the figure behind him.

“I should be asking that.”

A low, quiet voice came from behind him. The calm tone, inappropriate for the situation, felt strange.

“This is Grenrosha. Most people can’t survive a single misstep here. If you value your lives, you’d better turn back.”

Merdina briefly considered pretending to have simply misstepped, but quickly discarded the idea. The opponent seemed to have been watching them already. The fact that he hadn’t noticed someone’s gaze even for a moment sent chills down his spine.

“If you follow the direction of the long branches for a night, you’ll find a small village.”

The tone was dry, almost detached, but the words spoken were unexpectedly generous. Perhaps they didn’t intend to kill them right away. Merdina parted his lips.

“…I know. But we cannot go to the village.”

“Are you criminals?”

The tip of the sword lightly nudged his neck. The atmosphere suggested that if they answered yes, the person would gladly dispose of them.

“No. But it’s true that we are being pursued.”

Merdina replied calmly, turning his head slightly. The well-sharpened blade sliced thinly into his skin, and blood trickled out. Haran flinched, as if about to draw his sword at any moment.

“I wouldn’t draw that if I were you. This one’s head will roll before you can point your sword at me.”

There was no malice or arrogance in the voice. It was simply stating a fact.

“…Who are you? Do you know this forest well?”

“I’m the forest guardian of Grenrosha.”

The man said lightly. But the meaning of his words was not light at all. Ignoring the cold sensation against his neck, Merdina retorted” 

“I’ve never heard of a forest guardian in Grenrosha.”

“Well, I guard it on my own accord.”

An unexpectedly casual reply came back. Merdina slowly raised his hands, so slowly that his movements were clearly visible. Fortunately, his neck wasn’t impaled on the sword tip before his hands reached shoulder height.

Haran stared intently at the man’s sword and gritted his teeth. He slowly removed his hand from his scabbard and raised his empty right hand.

“Then please help us. We are not suspicious individuals. We have a patient.”

At Merdina’s words, the man’s gaze fell on the bundle of cloth on Haran’s back.

“We’ll leave as soon as the patient wakes up.”

He didn’t know if it was the right choice. But Merdina had a feeling that he shouldn’t let this strange man go.

The man sighed softly and sheathed his sword. The moment he stepped back, Haran moved his right hand. As if he’d seen Haran’s movement, the man said, “Don’t even think about trying anything.”

“…..”

“Follow me.”

The man turned his back after speaking briefly. Turning his back so casually to someone he had just held at swordpoint suggested either a lack of caution or extreme confidence in his abilities.

Merdina and Haran silently exchanged glances. They considered whether they could win if they joined forces to attack, but they weren’t sure. They were already exhausted, and they had someone to protect. No, even in peak condition, they couldn’t be certain. The man’s skill was that difficult to gauge.

The man was tall, about the same height as Haran. He appeared slender at first glance, but his body was finely sculpted with lean muscle. His steps were nimble, making not a single rustle as he moved through the forest.

The man headed deeper into the forest, in the direction where Merdina had spotted the light earlier. He moved forward without hesitation through the maze-like path. It almost felt as though the forest itself yielded to his steps.

Occasionally, the cries of creatures—whether beasts or magical beasts—could be heard, but strangely, none of them attacked. As if they already knew who the stronger one was.

It was at the moment the man turned back towards the two knights, as if to check if they were following properly, that a strong gust of wind blew, and the moonlight, previously hidden by the branches, shone down. It was a single, slender beam of light, but it was enough to illuminate their faces, hidden in the darkness.

Merdina and Haran’s eyes widened simultaneously. The man they had thought to be a ghost living in the forest looked more like a forest spirit than a phantom. With his clear, sharp eyes, well-defined nose, and sleek jawline, he was strikingly handsome at first glance. His long hair, which draped over his shoulders, was as red as blood.

The light, which had appeared as small as a fingernail, gradually grew larger. Soon, a roughly built log cabin came into view. A soft light leaked from the cracks in the cabin’s door.

“Do you… live here?”

“That’s right.”

Merdina had wondered since he called himself a forest guardian, but the fact that someone actually lived in a place like this was astonishing, almost frightening. Seeing him answer so calmly made Merdina apprehensive. He couldn’t let his guard down around someone who lived in a place like this, regardless of their identity.

The cabin door creaked open, barely tall enough for the red-haired man to pass through. Haran, carrying the taller patient, had to stoop.

The inside of the cabin was cozier than expected. In the single room that served as both living room and kitchen, a large wooden table sat in the center. On one side of the table were a lamp, a few books, an empty basket and bowl, and a long, thin rod of unknown purpose, all neatly arranged.

On either side of the table were long benches, as if carved directly from logs. Only one seemed to be in use, as the other was piled haphazardly with clothes, blankets, and the like. The man walked briskly towards a room on the right side of the living area.

“Lay the patient down here. This is the only bed.”

Inside the room, a bed, a desk, and a single chair were placed sparsely. On a wooden shelf by the desk, unidentified objects lay covered in dust. Haran hesitated for a moment, then laid the patient down as instructed.

The man took a step closer to the bed. Merdina and Haran tensed simultaneously. But the man simply reached out and gently touched the patient’s forehead and then the area around his heart. The man, gazing silently at the patient, opened his mouth.

“A mage.”

“…..!”