Chapter 62
Cheshion flinched and stepped back.
“Belita…? Did you say?”
Only then did Kurhen seem to remember Cheshion’s presence. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Oh. My bad. I got too excited and accidentally showed my true self in front of the Grand Duke—something I only show to Belita. Please, keep it a secret from others.”
Cheshion nodded without thinking. He felt like something bad would happen if he didn’t.
“Su–sure. But… is Belita Mori’s real name?”
“Yes. But wait… You’ve been calling her Mori?”
Both men turned their eyes to Gremory. She pretended to know nothing.
“I didn’t know my real name was Belita either. I lost part of my past memories.”
Kurhen gasped like a shocked girl.
“You lost your memory? Don’t tell me, Belita…! Did you lose your memory because of a witch hunt? Oh, you silly girl! That’s why I told you not to go wandering outside! You should be extra careful with your black hair… Oh, excuse me. Ahem.”
Gremory flinched and moved next to Cheshion. He subtly pulled her behind him and said,
“She probably did lose her memory from a witch hunt. I rescued Mori from one in a mountain village.”
“I see. Then let me thank you for saving my dear friend.”
“S–sure.”
“Let’s be friends from now on, Grand Duke.”
Kurhen held out his hand. As Cheshion shook it, he felt a strong pressure from Kurhen’s grip.
Kurhen smiled proudly and looked back at Gremory.
“By the way, Belita. Why don’t you go visit your hometown? Your family in Luzel must be worried.”
Cheshion’s eyebrow twitched slightly at that.
‘Luzel? Isn’t that in the southwest? I thought Mori was from the snowy northern lands…’
Gremory replied naturally.
“I don’t even remember who my family is. What’s the point of going back?”
“You’ve gotten really cynical, girl. Still, if you feel like it, go visit Luzel. And if you want to enjoy your date without being disturbed, head northwest. The east side is filled with annoying guys.”
“Annoying guys? Who?”
“From the Ortega Duchy—the eldest son’s crew. They’re scheming how to win you over, bringing rare monsters and stuff.”
“…You don’t look like someone who follows gossip, but you sure know a lot.”
“What are you talking about? You used to be way worse than me. I wonder what made you so boring now. Anyway, I’m glad you’re doing fine.”
Kurhen finished talking and turned around.
“I won’t interrupt your date. See you next time.”
He waved his bear-like hand as he walked away.
A moment of silence followed. Cheshion’s head was full of confusion.
‘If Mori’s not from the snowy north, then nothing makes sense. Her skills in potions, magic, and fighting too…’
If she was just from the ordinary southwest, it didn’t add up. Why did Mori always say she was from the north?
Mori.
Belita.
Who was she, really?
“Cheshion.”
Gremory called, making him jump.
“Huh? Y–yeah.”
“Focus. We need to hunt. This is a monster zone.”
A herd of giant wild boar monsters was approaching. Cheshion pushed his thoughts aside and drew his sword.
✦✦✦
The hunting festival lasted three days. During that time, the audience would enjoy a festival in the city and return to the stadium for the awards ceremony.
The participants had to survive inside the hunting area for all three days. Beginners and intermediates had safety zones to rest in. But for the advanced zone, there were none. They had to find shelter and survive the night on their own.
Gremory and Cheshion found a good cave before nightfall. Once the sun went down, the advanced zone became pitch black. Finding shelter and lighting a fire early was key.
Cheshion lit a fire in the center of the cave and sat beside Gremory. She had a blanket wrapped tightly around her and stared blankly at the fire.
After watching her for a while, Cheshion finally spoke.
“Hey, Mori. Can I ask you something about your past?”
“Hm?”
“Uh… if it’s too personal, you don’t have to answer. I know we agreed not to talk about your past, and I’ll respect that.”
“You’re wondering why I’m not actually from the snowy north, right?”
“Well… yeah. I just thought there might be a story behind it.”
Gremory smiled mysteriously and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“If you’re really curious, I could tell you.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m sure you have your reasons for keeping it secret. Like I said before—your past doesn’t matter to me. What matters is the you I know now.”
“Then I want to ask you something too.”
“What is it?”
“How and when do you think it’s the right time to confess your love?”
“……”
“Oh, right. You’ve never dated either. Never mind. I’ll ask Isolen later.”
“No! I do know! I can explain…!”
“Wait.”
Gremory stood up suddenly and looked outside the cave. She had felt the presence of a witch.
Her senses were on high alert.
She noticed something strange: All the monsters in the area were heading toward their cave. A witch had used magic to lure them in.
“Cheshion! Monsters are all coming this way—Huh?”
When she turned around—
A witch with short, curly hair—Rays—was standing behind Cheshion, grinning.
“Cheshion! Behind you—! Damn it!”
Before Gremory could warn him, Cheshion felt a sharp pain in his ankle. A black snake monster had bitten him without him noticing.
He quickly shook it off, but the venom weakened him, and he collapsed slowly.
Rays smirked and stepped toward Gremory.
“Looks like you were relying too much on your lousy detection skills. Sorry. My orb’s stealth magic is stronger than your senses. Surprised?”
“What did you do to him?! Get lost now!”
“I can’t. If I don’t capture you, I’ll die. So how can I let you go?”
Gremory’s eyes glowed red. She charged at Rays, aiming for the black orb in her left hand.
Rays laughed and grabbed Cheshion’s hair.
“Don’t move. If you do, I’ll slit his throat. He’s your summoner, isn’t he?”
“He’s not. Let go and leave.”
“Oh please. You look really upset. You think you’re the victim here, don’t you? Wrong. You broke the rules of the Demon Realm and ran away, causing chaos. Do you know how many died because of you?”
“Shut up.”
Gremory snapped her fingers.
Boom! An explosion hit the spot where Rays stood.
But she easily dodged it with a graceful step back.
“Well, the poison should’ve spread enough. I’ll leave now. If your summoner dies, you’ll be dragged back to the Demon Realm.”
Rays laughed creepily and vanished like smoke.
Now only Gremory and Cheshion remained.
“Cheshion!”
Gremory ran to him, panicking. He was sweating and breathing heavily.
“Open your eyes. Please…”
“……”
“Cheshion! Please!”
His body was getting colder. Gremory held him close, losing her mind.
She didn’t have the power to cure the deadly poison. Even the black ring she had once given him was useless—it only protected against surprise attacks or mental curses from witches and demons, not from monsters under a witch’s control.
“I’m sorry, Cheshion. I should’ve left the Grand Duke’s mansion sooner. If I knew this would happen, I never would’ve stayed.”
“……”
“This is all my fault. I thought I could protect everything, but I was wrong. I was too proud.”
Cheshion’s breath was fading. Tears dripped from Gremory’s eyes.
“I love you. I really do. Now I finally understand my feelings. Without you, I can’t go on…!”
Her sorrowful cries echoed through the forest.
The high-tier monsters nearby heard it and started gathering around them.
A chilling howl echoed in the air.
Gremory gave up. She sobbed, thinking it was better to be torn apart by monsters than to live with this horrible guilt.
Just then—
An unexpected figure broke through the swarm of monsters.
It was Sharly, the blue-furred wolf monster that guarded the Forest of Green.
