Chapter 8

The Forest of Monsters is filled with an eerie chill.

No one knows why.

Nor does anyone know where all these monsters suddenly spring from.

Even after centuries of history since the founding of the Empire, people still don’t fully understand what lies within the Forest of Monsters.

There were several large-scale expeditions in the past, launched by order of newly crowned Emperors. Warriors known for their sword skills gathered from all regions and ventured into the forest.

But the results were disastrous.

Despite pouring in almost all resources while maintaining minimal imperial troops, they couldn’t even explore half of the designated area. Many lives were lost, and countless bodies were never recovered.

The enraged citizens criticized the Emperor, which became a turning point that shook the once-sturdy authority of the royal family.

After that, no Emperor challenged the Forest of Monsters after their retirement. If they did, it was only on a small scale without any grand ambitions.

People say…

The Forest of Monsters is cursed. Stepping into it carelessly means not living out your full lifespan.

A place where thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of monsters tear intruders to pieces, leaving not even scraps of flesh behind.

In this forest feared by all…

Two young girls walked side by side.

An odd sight indeed.

“I’m Emily!”

Holding Sirius’ hand tightly, the girl introduced herself.

Sirius repeated her name silently in her mind.

“What’s your name?”

“Sirius.”

That was the end of their conversation. What else would two strangers meeting for the first time have to say?

The two girls continued walking silently through the forest. When Emily pointed somewhere with her hand, they headed that way.

Their journey wasn’t easy.

Monsters still swarmed around them. Whenever monsters appeared, Emily climbed up a tree trunk like when she first met Sirius, and Sirius raised her sword.

Only after defeating the monsters could Emily safely step down to the ground again.

Emily repeatedly thanked her, but Sirius didn’t respond or change her expression at all.

This was simply how Sirius communicated – or rather, didn’t communicate – in her human relationships.

The residents of LaBrana had long been used to this behavior from Sirius, but obviously, Emily didn’t know this.

Short answers. Expressionless face.

Even though Sirius had saved her life, Emily found her difficult to approach.

She even wondered if Sirius found her annoying…

So Emily quietly held back while walking through the forest, fearing that Sirius might let go of her hand if she upset her.

Even during short breaks sitting on tree stumps, they barely exchanged words.

In the awkward silence, Emily cautiously glanced at Sirius.

Sirius sat quietly on the stump, gazing up at the sky. Looking at her profile, Emily thought she was beautiful.

It wasn’t just about her appearance.

The cloaked, sword-wielding girl named Sirius seemed very different from Emily herself, who was just an ordinary village girl.

Emily stared at Sirius’ red eyes.

Though lacking vitality, Emily felt they looked mature.

Despite having a body shape similar to her own age, there was something remarkable about her.

Clearly, they had lived for about the same amount of time, yet their lives were so different.

Emily, who had settled into her given life, felt a bit of longing.

Could she have been different too?

She wanted to do many things and travel. She wanted to stroll through the capital city and shop casually with kids her age.

She could have done it.

All she needed to do was pay extra money to the traveling merchants and head to the city.

But Emily couldn’t leave.

Because she had family to take care of.

The sudden responsibility of being the head of the household for a young girl was quite burdensome.

It made her give up her dreams, prevented her from doing what she wanted, and stopped her from playing freely like other kids.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Emily chose her family over her dreams.

Still, being only a child, she sometimes found this responsibility heavy and tiring.

There were days when she really wanted to give up.

She often thought about abandoning her sick brother and running away to the city.

Though she never acted on it, whenever such thoughts came to her mind, Emily would scold herself for having wicked thoughts.

Originally, these were just small desires typical for a fifteen-year-old who hadn’t fully grown up yet, but because she matured early, it felt more serious.

That’s what responsibility is.

For family, friends, and loved ones. Sometimes it means giving up part of your life, or even your entire life.

Thus, Emily gave up part of her life. She chose to live an ordinary life.

Though she feels some regret about that choice, she has no regrets.

It’s okay to be ordinary. It’s okay not to shine.

As long as she can save her bedridden brother, those things are worth giving up.

Suddenly, looking at Sirius, Emily wondered:

What did this girl give up? What responsibility does she carry?

Though she didn’t voice it aloud, Emily’s gaze towards Sirius subtly changed.

Was it empathy for sharing similar circumstances? Or admiration for someone pursuing what she had given up?

Only Emily herself would know.

Eventually, Sirius and Emily reached the forest path created in the Forest of Monsters.

This was the same path Sirius had dismissed as monster tracks and turned back from when she first entered the forest.

Which meant…

“We’re almost there!”

This signaled they were nearing the end of the forest.

After entering the forest path, no monsters appeared.

Even though it was the outskirts of the forest, this was completely different from LaBrana where monsters would appear with just one step inside.

A small achievement and legacy gained by the Emperor sending soldiers to their deaths in the past.

Of course, neither Sirius nor Emily knew such detailed information.

What mattered most to them was the fact that they were almost out of the forest.

Finally emerging from the forest, they saw a green meadow spread out before them.

Unlike the cold forest, it was warm and vibrant.

Staring blankly at the meadow, Emily asked Sirius:

“Are you hungry?”

Sirius nodded slightly.

Monster meat was tiresome. It tasted bad and its foul smell lingered in her nose the whole time she ate it.

Unlike how things went when Sirius was leading, this time Emily took the lead.

“I’ll cook for you.”

Walking cheerfully across the meadow, Emily’s bright expression made Sirius think:

She’s so cheerful.

The green meadow, her bright smile, flowing hair, energetic steps, and green eyes – everything about Emily’s back view seemed so radiant.

Something Sirius lacked.

The town of LaPlania, somewhat distant from the imperial city.

Though called a town, it was quite different from LaBrana where Sirius lived.

Here, traveling merchants visited regularly, followers of various sects occasionally came to preach, and imperial doctors sometimes arrived to provide free treatment.

All this seemed incredibly foreign to Sirius, who had never seen such things in LaBrana.

“Emily!”

A voice nearby snapped Sirius out of her thoughts.

“H-Grandpa.”

Despite his harsh shout, the old man who ran up hugged Emily tightly.

“I went to gather herbs…”

“Emily! How many times must I tell you it’s dangerous to go alone? I told you to wait until the mercenaries come!”

“But Iden is sick!”

A pain-relieving herb grows in the Forest of Monsters.

Emily had entered the forest to find this herb and ended up wandering around while being chased by monsters.

That’s when she met Sirius.

Listening to their conversation, Sirius finally understood why Emily had been wandering in the forest.

“If you die like this, what will Iden do?”

“T-That…”

Emily couldn’t answer easily and started sobbing. The old man gently patted her head and said softly:

“Don’t do that next time. If you leave too, Iden will be sad, won’t he?”

“…Yes.”

Watching this scene, Sirius was reminded of the LaBrana villagers. The ones who smiled and patted her head every mealtime.

“And who might this child be…?”

Noticing Sirius late, the old man asked. Emily explained everything that had happened.

At first, the old man thought Emily was lying.

Judging by appearance, Sirius looked like a fragile girl just like Emily.

The idea that someone like that could brutally slay forest monsters was hard to believe, even for an old man who’d seen much.

Or perhaps because he was old, it was harder to believe.

However, Sirius’ attire, which didn’t match her small frame, lent credibility to Emily’s story.

The iron sword not typically carried by young girls and the purple blood stains on her clothes clearly showed monster blood.

What truly convinced the old man was the emblem on Sirius’ sword.

An engraved emblem meant the wielder came from a noble family.

“Even if nobles train their children in swordsmanship from a young age…”

To see such skill in someone so young…

The old man looked at Sirius with renewed surprise.

“Grandpa, how’s Iden?”

Turning to Emily’s question, the old man replied:

“He’s waiting for you. Go see him.”

With that, Emily hurried off toward her home.

Just as Sirius was about to follow, the old man grabbed her wrist and said:

“Thank you, knight.”

Though not actually a knight, Sirius stood her sword upright before her and bowed her head slightly.

It wasn’t a greeting from Sirius herself.

Rather, it was a substitute gesture for a talkative knight she once knew.