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Chapter 60
“Eat With Me”
“I’m injured too.”
“What I want to know is why you’re in Edikal Forest.”
“I have a reason. I came a bit early though.”
“What reason?”
“By the way, don’t you have something you want to ask me, Noona?”
He’s great at changing topics.
It reminded me of when we met at the Choro grass field earlier.
‘Actually, I already knew about it. I saw you that day, Noona.’
‘When?’
‘I’ll tell you when we meet again.’
Honestly, I didn’t think we’d meet again. Especially not here in Edikal Forest.
“So, when exactly did you see me?”
I pushed Cute away as I asked him.
“Are you curious?”
“No.”
“I saw you that day.”
“I’m not curi—”
“The day there was chaos at the temple event.”
He planned to tell me even if I didn’t ask.
‘Chaos at the temple?’
Small and big troubles happened every day for knights. But when he specifically mentioned “temple event,” one day instantly came to mind.
The day I saved the High Priest at the temple event and got injured in his place.
In the original story, that was the day I died.
“You were there that day?”
“Yes. It’s not exactly something I should be grateful for, but thanks anyway.”
I raised my head from casually twisting the straw.
“Why thank me?”
“Wow, how did you do this?”
“Answer my question first.”
Cute took the straw from my hand, looking it over carefully.
“I meant, thank you for saving my brother.”
“Huh?”
Saved his brother?
At first, I didn’t understand. But soon, I realized—
‘I saved the High Priest that day.’
So…
“The High Priest is your brother?”
“You didn’t know?”
“Of course not. I just learned who you were last time.”
I was shocked, but Cute seemed relaxed and playful, waving straw in front of me. I frowned and pushed his hand away.
Still, hearing this made me realize something.
In the original story, Cute had always been hostile towards Roitz. Now, I understood why.
The original Cute always hid behind a playful smile. Even though the relationship between Veiche and Velkyrente families wasn’t good, Cute’s hostility toward Roitz was especially strong.
‘In the original story, his brother—the High Priest—would have died that day.’
Cute blamed his brother’s death entirely on Elche, specifically on Roitz.
It wasn’t mentioned directly in the original novel, but now I understood why Cute despised Roitz so deeply.
So, my action that saved myself from death also benefited Cute unexpectedly.
As I seriously thought, Cute waved straw again in my face.
When I got annoyed and was about to stand up, Cute suddenly remembered something and asked:
“Oh, by the way. What did you do with the grass you picked last time?”
“Stop talk— Wait, what?”
His words stopped me. He leaned in with interest, as if expecting my reaction.
“I know that grass. It was Choro grass.”
“…Huh?”
“I wondered why you took so much Choro grass.”
Speechless, I turned my head away.
What was happening? Why was he bringing that up now?
Hiding my panic, I quickly twisted more straw into ropes, moving my hands faster. I finished one instantly.
Cute was a fast learner too. Watching me, he started making ropes himself.
“…You’re good.”
“I learn quickly. Am I doing it right?”
“You’re talented. Better than me.”
I tried changing the topic to rope-making, hoping to distract him.
But Cute easily turned the conversation back.
“I’ve been thinking. Why would you gather that much Choro grass? It’s usually used to control summoned beasts.”
“You… you’re quite sharp.”
Cute was clever in the original too. But apparently, his general knowledge was extensive as well.
Not a good sign for me.
“But isn’t it banned these days? Also, there aren’t many summoned beasts around anymore.”
“Really…?”
“Oh wait, there’s one near you. Isn’t the Velkyrente family’s treasure a summoned beast too?”
His sharp insight left me speechless. I stopped fiddling with the straw and looked directly at him.
“Finally looking at me.”
Cute smiled and leaned toward me, casually saying:
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Velkyrente.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Should I ask Velkyrente directly, then?”
Cute playfully raised handfuls of straw.
“‘Elche’s Serdin Vivi collected a ton of Choro grass—’”
“What do you want!”
Earlier he thanked me politely. Now he threatened me casually?
‘His name is Cute, but his actions sure aren’t.’
“Want? If I say it, will you agree?”
“Just say it first.”
In the original story, Cute always smiled but hid his true intentions. He constantly conflicted with Roitz and even threatened him with discovered secrets.
Maybe Cute planned to get information from me—a knight who studied alongside Roitz.
But he chose the wrong person.
‘I won’t tell him anything, no matter what he asks—’
Cute, staring with an unreadable smile, casually said:
“Eat with me when we arrive.”
“Huh?”
“Our first meal after arriving—eat it with me.”
The cart stopped suddenly. Hooves crunching fallen leaves paused too.
The cart’s back door swung open.
“Serdin, young master Veiche, what were you two doing?”
Lizzie frowned suspiciously at the piles of straw ropes surrounding us.
Elche Expedition Camp in Edikal Forest
When I stepped off the cart, leaves crunched underfoot.
Fortunately, the base had a magical barrier, “Mabyeoksu,” installed to protect from monsters. It was relatively safe.
‘Where’s Roitz?’
My eyes immediately searched for Roitz.
He stood up ahead. Knights from the camp ran out, welcoming the expedition.
“Welcome, Commander Velkyrente!”
Everyone saluted Roitz.
His official ceremony hadn’t even happened yet, but Roitz was already unquestionably Elche’s commander.
‘It feels like just yesterday he skipped classes as a student.’
Seeing the respect he now commanded, I felt a strong sense of how much had changed.
All knights gathered inside a large tent. Exus, a senior knight stationed here, gave Roitz a status report.
“Former Commander Winchers discovered something important—”
During the past month, Commander Winchers found significant information.
This Edikal Forest wasn’t just a monster lair—somewhere inside was a “God’s Stone.”
The God’s Stone originally amplified holy power, but after years abandoned in a monster’s den, it had become corrupted. Now it strengthened monsters instead.
“We found it at the center of the forest, but monsters took it. We’re searching again, but it’s difficult.”
Edikal Forest had always been unusually dangerous, named “Garden of Demons” for a reason.
This corrupted stone explained the high number of monsters here.
Roitz listened carefully, then spoke clearly:
“We’ll first expand the Mabyeoksu barriers beyond the base. Narrowing the monster area makes searching easier.”
“But Commander, we barely have enough barriers for the base.”
Therian interjected.
Indeed, Mabyeoksu barriers were limited, which was why they hadn’t expanded before. Using barriers elsewhere could risk the base.
Roitz responded calmly and clearly:
“If we don’t have enough, we’ll just increase them.”
“How exactly will we increase them?”
“Use distillation.”
Roitz suddenly sounded like an educational survival book.
