Chapter 17
The horses were restless.
“Huh? What’s with them today?”
The knights frowned as they tightened their grips on the reins.
Though no immediate problems had occurred, the horses were hard to control.
Sebastian also felt that the black steed he was riding was unusually distracted today.
“Why are they all like this? Did we feed them something bad?”
“No, sir,” Milrod replied firmly.
That made it even harder to understand.
Even though the warhorses of Acklif were known for having strong wills, once they recognized their master, they obeyed orders.
They were smart enough to understand discipline, making this behavior extremely rare.
Could it be… They’ve gotten used to frequent rests during travel lately and are throwing a tantrum?
If so, it meant they were simply being sly.
Sebastian’s dark eyebrows furrowed elegantly.
Given the nature of their breed, that possibility seemed the most likely.
Just then—
“P-Please stop!”
A sharp voice echoed out.
“Please stop! Stop the carriage! Stop!”
It was Erica’s voice, coming from the carriage she was riding in.
Since such a commotion had never occurred before, the knights looked stunned.
They all turned to Sebastian, as if on cue, and when the boy nodded with a stern face, they finally brought the carriage to a halt.
Almost immediately, the curtains inside the carriage were pulled aside, and the window opened.
Erica poked her head out, her face so pale that it was pitiful to see.
“What’s wrong, miss?”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Is it your stomach? Or a headache? Ah! Are you feeling motion sick?”
The knights all asked, worry evident in their voices.
But Erica didn’t answer any of them. Or rather, it was more accurate to say she seemed too out of it to respond.
Everyone watched the carriage closely, puzzled by Erica’s strange behavior.
Sebastian quietly ordered Milrod:
“Milrod, go check.”
“Yes, young lord.”
Milrod quickly dismounted.
His warhorse was so large that approaching on horseback might only alarm the already distressed Erica further.
He asked gently:
“What’s wrong, miss?”
But Erica didn’t answer again.
Instead, she began to frantically look around, her eyes darting left and right.
She looked like a frightened small animal.
Seeing her strange behavior continue, Sebastian also narrowed his eyes and began scanning the surroundings.
But nothing unusual stood out.
After a moment, Erica swallowed hard and spoke in a trembling voice.
“I think… there’s something strange nearby.”
“Something strange?”
“Yes. I-I can’t be certain, but…”
Erica’s gaze shifted toward the forest ahead.
But the area was calm, not even a breeze stirred the leaves, leaving the scene eerily still.
Milrod, who had followed Erica’s gaze, turned back to look at her.
He cautiously asked, considering a possibility:
“Could it be… that you were having a dream?”
Erica asked blankly,
“A… dream?”
Milrod continued in a warm, kind tone so she wouldn’t feel embarrassed.
“The weather is warm and pleasant. Perhaps you dozed off without realizing.”
“But… the horses…”
Her golden eyes were filled with fear, trembling.
At that moment—
The warhorses, which had merely seemed restless, suddenly began snorting and stamping the ground in agitation.
“Huh? Hey, what’s wrong with you?”
“Whoa! Settle down!”
As the knights struggled to calm their horses, Sebastian’s gaze sharpened.
He immediately gripped the reins tightly.
“The horses are getting agitated. Keep them under control!”
At Sebastian’s order, the knights straightened up and tightened their loose reins, squeezing their thighs against the horses.
“Whoa, whoa.”
Feeling their masters’ firm control, the excited warhorses began to calm down quickly. This was thanks to the long years of training they had undergone together.
But Sebastian was not satisfied with just that.
Standing at the head of the formation, he moved back slightly and gave a firm command.
“Everyone, switch to emergency readiness.”
The knights all looked confused.
“Young lord?”
“What’s happening all of a sudden?”
Sebastian continued to stare sharply ahead.
Following his gaze, the knights looked forward but saw nothing different.
Yet they could not ignore the serious tension emanating from Sebastian.
Following the young lord’s orders, the knights silently drew their swords and prepared for any situation.
Milrod also sensed that something was wrong.
But when he turned back to Erica, he smiled as if nothing was wrong, hiding his stern expression.
There was nothing to gain from scaring a child.
“Young miss, please go back inside the carriage and don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Just remember, unless it’s me or the young lord, do not open the door under any circumstances. Understood?”
Erica bit her trembling lips and nodded.
Milrod smiled and waited until the curtain was closed before returning to his position.
And at that moment—
Fssshhhhhh!
The ground where Sebastian and Milrod had been standing began to swirl with a dark purple vortex, gradually expanding in size.
The knights of the Acklif Grand Duchy recognized what was happening instantly.
“A Rift!”
One of the knights shouted.
“A Rift has appeared!”
“To positions!”
No one panicked.
The knights quickly took their positions and formed a defensive line.
“At least it’s not expanding further. That’s fortunate.”
“It looks like a small one.”
“I agree. If it’s that size, only a few monsters should come out.”
Sebastian nodded at Milrod’s assessment.
As the knights held their breath, a hulking monster erupted from the swirling vortex on the ground.
A foul stench began to fill the air.
“Grrrk!”
The monster, easily over two meters tall, looked like a clump of rocks.
Due to its size, its movements were sluggish.
It seemed to have poor eyesight as it stumbled around awkwardly while walking.
“This should be easy,” Milrod remarked.
Sebastian agreed but knew better than to underestimate it.
“I’ll break it apart. You finish it.”
“Yes, understood.”
Sebastian kicked the stirrups hard.
The black steed charged forward at high speed.
Then, as Sebastian yanked the reins back sharply, the horse skidded to a stop, rearing up.
The warhorse’s massive shadow loomed over the monster, and then its hooves came crashing down on it with a loud thud.
Crash!
In an instant, the monster’s body was shattered into pieces.
However, the rocks began rolling back toward each other as if magnetized.
“Milrod! Now!”
They had to seal the Rift before the pieces reformed.
At Sebastian’s shout, Milrod quickly rummaged through his pockets.
Approaching the Rift, he pulled out a small vial and threw something into the swirling vortex.
The dark purple vortex, which had been ominously flickering, began to fade and shrink in size.
The ground soon returned to its original, flat state, and the monster crumbled like dirt, unable to revive. In its place, an amber-colored crystal, about the size of a baby’s fist, was left behind.
The knights all sighed in relief.
“Situation clear.”
Sebastian dismounted with a stern face and immediately approached the carriage.
He had something to ask Erica.
“It’s me. Open up.”
“Is it… safe outside?”
“Yes, it’s over. Step down for a moment.”
Sebastian helped Erica down from the carriage himself.
And then—
“Kyaaah!”
A piercing scream came from behind them.
Everyone turned their heads.
A knight at the rear shouted with a pale face.
“A new Rift has opened at the rear!”
The scream was followed by a woman’s desperate cry.
“P-Please save me!”
At some point, Bongpiju had crawled out of her carriage and was screaming, clutching the ground.
“Please, please save me! Kyaaah!”
A new Rift, which had opened with a slight delay, had already swallowed the coachman driving the marquis’ carriage and was now targeting Bongpiju as it lunged at her.
Unlike the first monster, this one looked completely different.
“What the… Isn’t that the head maid’s voice?”
Just as Erica turned pale and tried to look back—
Sebastian swiftly grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him.
His strong grip pinned the girl in place, preventing her from turning around.
