Chapter 17
Over the Mountain
Chun-chun, chee-pi-pi-pi!
Colorful birds fluttered away one after another at the sound of human footsteps.
In the midst of the vivid green forest, Ai took a deep breath of the crisp morning air, cool and damp with mist. It felt wonderfully refreshing in her lungs.
“Mm—ahh, so sleepy!”
Ai stretched both arms wide.
It had been ages since she’d gotten up this early—probably not since those morning exercises during summer vacation back in elementary school.
“Ai, are your feet all right?”
“Yeah, for now. Lady Lilith’s herbal medicine must’ve worked—look, the redness is gone.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Ai couldn’t help feeling jealous of how easily Lilith walked ahead of them.
Watching him move so lightly made Ai feel like her own footsteps were loud and heavy.
Even with all the branching paths that split off like tree limbs, Lilith walked straight ahead without hesitation—as if he’d traveled this mountain trail many times before.
If they stepped even a little off the road, a dense forest spread out before them, dark enough that something could easily pop out at any moment.
Kian had been walking in silence this whole time, while Zarel followed at the rear, apparently keeping guard.
But as the steep mountain path continued on, even the two chatterboxes began to run out of breath.
“Haa, haa… this is brutal! I’m dying here! Are we going downhill yet?! Let’s rest for a bit!”
When they looked up, the sun was already high in the sky.
Even Kian, who had been walking ahead of them, was finally being pushed from behind by Zarel.
Still, the fact that he wasn’t complaining—well, maybe he’d grown a little manlier after all.
“All right, just a bit farther ahead there’s a spring,” Lilith said, turning around without the slightest trace of fatigue in his voice.
“You’ll be able to rest there, so please endure just a little longer.”
He wasn’t even out of breath.
What a tough guy! He looks delicate, but he’s totally the opposite!
Ai walked on, half impressed and half exasperated, until they finally reached a small clearing with several rocks big enough to sit on.
As soon as they arrived, Lilith entrusted the group to Zarel and disappeared into the woods.
Behind them, a rock face trickled with spring water. When Ai scooped some up and drank it, it was unbelievably cold and delicious.
“Pwaaah! Ahh, I’m alive again! Hey, Kian, you should drink some too—it’s amazing!”
Ai called out to Kian, who was sitting down looking like he was about to die.
But apparently, he didn’t appreciate the tone. He glared at her with a fierce expression.
“Y-you! Wh—why… haa haa… why do you call Lilith ‘sir,’ but me… haa haa… you just call by name?! It should be the other way around!”
“Oh, come on! Because he’s our idol, obviously! That’s just how it is.”
“Idol? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hohoho! It means a handsome guy! You, on the other hand… well, let’s say you get a participation prize.”
“Participation… prize? I don’t get it, but I’m pretty sure you’re mocking me.”
Just then, someone patted Kian’s shoulder. When he looked up, Yoshii was shaking his head.
“Hey, hey, don’t take everything they say so seriously, or you’ll shorten your lifespan. Even I got told I didn’t make it past the preliminaries.”
“Mmph.”
Kian didn’t like pity, but somehow this felt different.
He stared at Yoshii for a moment, then chuckled softly and shook his head.
“Very well. You may be useless, but you’re a pitiable man. I shall listen to you—for once.”
“What was that!?” Yoshii raised a fist, but Ai stopped him.
“Okay, okay! Don’t let what he says get to you.”
Honestly, they were both hopeless. Neither of them was particularly useful right now.
Before long, Lilith returned from the forest.
“Here, Lord Kian. Try chewing on these Ramica leaves.
They’ll ease your fatigue right away. Everyone, please take some.”
His hands were full of green leaves—some sort of herb, apparently.
He must’ve gone to gather them in the forest while they rested.
Everyone took a sprig, sniffed it curiously, and then bit into a leaf.
“Oh, it tastes like mint!”
“Wow! When you swallow it, it makes your whole body feel cool inside!”
“Oh, this feels amazing!”
“Really does, huh, Kian?”
“Yes… it’s refreshing,” Kian admitted, smiling shyly back at Yoshii.
Lilith watched the three of them, blinking in surprise before smiling gently.
“Hey, Lilith, you’ve walked this path before, right? You seemed to know every turn, even with all the branching roads.”
“Yes,” he replied. “I often travel alone for training. I must have come through here dozens of times.”
“Wow, that’s impressive! When did you start training?”
To be serving a prince at his age—he had to be extraordinary.
“Let me think… I began my training when I was five years old.
From time to time, I would journey alone to strengthen myself in nature.”
“Five years old?! That’s kindergarten age!”
That was way beyond impressive—it was unbelievable.
“Hey, you know,” Yoshii said, “you don’t have to be so formal all the time.
You use polite speech for everything. Can’t you just talk more casually? We don’t mind, really.”
Ai nodded in agreement. Lilith was kind of stiff.
But Lilith looked troubled, eyes lowered as if deep in thought.
