TFM 46

Chapter 46

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***

The moment the princess finished speaking, a chuckle like air escaping burst from the Crown Prince's lips.

"I see. Bringing that girl's corpse to the empress wouldn't be so bad either."

Imagining the scene seemed to amuse him further, deepening his laughter.

He grabbed Varkas’s shoulder with one hand and whispered darkly.

"Fine. If that's what you insist on, I won't stop you. Go ahead and search the mountains all night long looking for that bitch."

The Crown Prince patted his shoulder firmly, then turned and strode away toward the far end of the disorderly campsite. Following her brother, the Princess addressed her fiancé with a single, measured sentence.

"Then, I'll leave that child in your care."

***

Once the two royals left, they immediately headed north.

Edric clutched a torch in one hand as he cut through the thickly darkened forest. He was terribly anxious, fearing the wyvern's trail might vanish during their brief struggle.

"Careful. You'll tumble down the ravine too."

Sir Theoric Hart, the senior knight walking close beside him, whispered with concern.

Edric gave only a slight nod in response, lifting his torch to illuminate the uneven dirt path. Soon, jagged rocks and steep slopes emerged between the straight-standing conifers.

"Here it is."

As he pointed down the steep descent, his silent superior approached like a shadow.

Edric stepped aside to let him peer down. After briefly illuminating the gorge below with the torch, Varkas pulled a chain with a hook from the pouch on his belt.

Securing it firmly in a crevice, Varkas threw himself down the near-vertical slope. Edric stood holding the torch, illuminating the descent until he confirmed Varkas had landed safely on the bottom. Only then did he follow, climbing down the rock face.

Fortunately, the valley wasn't too deep. Carefully stepping down the slope over jutting rocks, Edric raised the torch he clutched in one hand high, signaling to the knights remaining above. Upon seeing this, the waiting knights began climbing down the rocks one by one.

After watching them for a moment, Edric turned and scanned his surroundings.

The wyvern's crash had apparently caused widespread shockwaves through the cliff face; rocks and piles of earth were scattered everywhere. Searching through all this debris would take considerable time.

Edric scanned the pitch-black darkness with anxious eyes before leaping over a large boulder. After moving along the uneven dirt path for a while, he spotted a dark shape protruding beside a pile of collapsed rocks.

He shone his light on it to examine it closely.

'……Looks like I found the right one.'

The corpse of a wyvern lay sprawled among the rocks, one wing charred black as if scorched by a fire spell.

As he searched the area thoroughly, wondering if the Princess might be pinned somewhere beneath the monster's body, Edric stopped short upon seeing a dark figure standing tall a short distance away.

Bringing the torch closer, he saw Varkas standing beside a large boulder. Edric dashed toward him in one swift stride.

"Captain! Did you find anything...?"

His urgent cry halted abruptly when he saw the limp, pale figure before him.

The torch, dropped limply, faintly illuminated the woman's bloodless face and tangled hair. Staring blankly down at it, Edric let out a heavy sigh upon seeing the large and small rock fragments covering her lower body.

He knew the chances of her being alive were slim. He had braced himself for this sight to some extent. Still, seeing the woman's horribly mangled form with his own eyes made his blood run cold.

Hesitating, he approached her side with trembling steps.

Her upper body was relatively intact, but her legs were nearly crushed.

Examining her left leg, pinned under a large boulder and twisted at an unnatural angle, Edric pushed aside a sizable rock. The pile of stones beside it collapsed with a crash.

His face darkening with frustration, Edric snapped his head up to call for help. Then, spotting the mask-like, expressionless face, he flinched and froze.

Varkas stood upright, silently observing the woman. His dry gaze, devoid of even a shred of emotion, sent a chill down Edric's spine.

He knew this man and the Second Princess were practically sworn enemies. Still, hadn't they known each other since childhood? How could he remain so calm witnessing this? Edric couldn't understand it.

Edric cried out, almost pleading.

"What are you doing?! Help her now!"

But Varkas didn't even flinch.

Edric, his face twisted with rage, glared at him. He rose to his feet, determined to move the boulder himself. Pushing the rock that crushed her leg with both hands, he heard a small, panting sound from beneath.

Edric bent his head sharply.

He saw the pale face revealed by the light contort ever so slightly. For a moment, his legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed.

Overwhelmed by intense relief, he cried out loudly.

"She’s alive! She’s still breathing!"

As if responding to his voice, thin eyelids fluttered, revealing unfocused eyes. She appeared to be in a dazed state at first glance.

Edric straightened up urgently. She needed healing magic immediately.

He picked up the torch he'd set down on the floor to summon the knights searching elsewhere. In that instant, he saw a faint smile appear on the woman's face, pale as white paper.

Edric froze, all movement ceasing without his conscious effort. A barely audible, indistinct sound escaped her lips, cracked and stained with blood.

"Varkas..."

His eyes widened at the name that flowed like a plea. The man, who had been frozen like a statue, bent down before her. Recognizing that serene face, the woman's pupils flickered faintly. It was a gaze that seemed to have glimpsed a ray of salvation from the abyss.

"I... knew. I knew you would come to save me... I knew."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and tears pushed by her thin eyelids soaked her bloodless cheeks.

A shadow of fire flickered across the man's cold face as he silently watched her. A light glinted in his empty, lifeless eyes. Yet he still seemed submerged in a deep, dark place.

Edric, who had been holding his breath for some unknown reason, instinctively grabbed his shoulder.

"Are... are you all right?"

Varkas lifted his head to look at him. A faint wrinkle formed between his handsome brows. His expression suggested he couldn't understand why such a question was asked. Edric himself didn't know why he'd asked it.

Why did this man look like he wasn't okay?

As he stared at the calm face, seemingly unchanged from usual, with a confused look in his eyes, hurried footsteps sounded from somewhere.

Only then did Edric snap back to his senses and hastily raise his torch. Recognizing his signal, several knights rushed over urgently.