BKSF 10

Chapter 10

“Just say you’re not a forest keeper. Even now, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
“Can you stay still for a moment?!”
“I have. For thirty minutes.”

She was completely speechless.

“I’ll lead. Just follow me.”

The map had already been taken from her. Swallowing her complaints, Ponia followed Shionel.

‘Has he gotten bigger than before?’

Three years ago—she was comparing his height to hers when he suddenly stopped walking.

“We’re here.”

He was right. The valley they’d chosen as their destination came into view, along with a stepping-stone bridge.

At the sight of the clear water, Ponia’s face brightened.

They did have a basic water supply, but living with Shionel meant it wouldn’t be enough. This was perfect timing.

“There might be monsters in the water. Check first.”
“I’ll just fill up quickly.”

Reassuring Shionel, who had stayed well away from the water’s edge, Ponia filled her bottle.

“See? I’m done already. Huh? Why do you look so—”

She shook the bottle at him, but Shionel’s reaction was strange.

He looked horrified.

‘He’s looking… behind me?’

The moment she sensed something wrong and turned around, a gigantic crocodile-like monster already had its jaws wide open, lunging toward her.

“Aaah!”

Ponia barely escaped the monster’s range.

A thunderous crack burst from its jaws, the shockwave sending water splashing everywhere and drenching her completely.

The monster, frustrated by its failed attack, slipped back into the water. It seemed to only operate underwater.

“Wow… I almost died.”

But Shionel’s expression didn’t relax at all.

“You’re soaked.”
“It’s fine. It’s a bit uncomfortable, but there are spare clothes at the cabin.”
“That’s not the issue.”
“Then what is?”
“If you’re drenched like that, doesn’t that mean the lavender scent—the one monsters hate—is completely gone?”

Ponia’s face froze.

She hurriedly searched her bag, but the perfume wasn’t there. She must not have brought it after spraying it at the cabin.

Kraaak! Kraaak!

“Let’s go back for now.”
“I think it’s already too late.”
“What do you mean—”

Kraaak! Kraaak!

…Why had the cry of the bird-like monster, which had only been distant before, suddenly grown so close?

Her bad feeling was right. Soon, a massive winged silhouette appeared in the sky above them.

The creature circled the same spot for a moment, then suddenly dove straight down.

“Can’t you run any faster?!”

Kraaak! Kraaak!

The bird-shaped monster was in fierce pursuit, but Shionel wore an utterly indifferent expression as he was practically dragged along by Ponia.

“I’m not wet. Why should I run?”

Ah. Right.

She realized the unexpected truth—then promptly got angry.

“Even so, don’t you think that’s a bit heartless to say to someone who saved your life?!”
“I don’t recall asking you to save me.”

Is his personality completely broken?

She could hear it—the sound of what little remained of her first love shattering in real time.

“Let go of my hand.”
“Why?! Are you trying to get separated?!”

Shionel didn’t answer. Instead, he shook her hand off, turned around, and stopped. Ponia stopped as well.

“Hurry up!”

Flying low and weaving between trees, the monster rushed straight toward Ponia.

That was when Shionel pulled a dagger from his chest.

‘That…’

He aimed carefully—and threw it with all his strength.

Cutting cleanly through the air, the dagger pierced straight into the monster’s right eye.

Kraaaak!

The creature crashed to the ground, writhing in agony.

“That dagger—I took it from the cave. When did you grab it?”
“When I put you to sleep with sedatives.”

With their already meager supplies, he’d been surprisingly thorough.

Watching the monster lie still, Ponia spoke without thinking.

“Did you kill it?”

Kraaaaaak!

The moment she spoke, the bird monster started moving again.

“It looks angry?!”
“Seems like it. Guess I’m a target now, too.”

Leaving behind a dry, emotionless observation—as if he’d never expected anything else—Shionel started running.

“Huh?”

While grabbing Ponia’s hand.

His large, thick-fingered hand held her firmly.

“You’re too slow.”

Now there really was only one option left.

Run.

Kraaaak! Kraaaak!

The monster that lost sight of them circled high above the sky again.

Ponia watched it secretly, then let out a breath of relief.

They’d survived by sheer luck, finding a space beneath dense bushes while fleeing blindly.

Beside her, Shionel calmly brushed leaves and dirt off his clothes.

He looked a bit disheveled, but as expected of a noble’s son, his movements still carried an innate elegance.

Ponia narrowed her eyes.

“Do you feel like living now?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“You said you’d kill me if I came any closer. But now you’re acting completely different.”
“Oh. That.”

Shionel tilted his head slightly.

“I just realized I have nothing left to lose.”
“……”
“No matter how it goes, death is death anyway. So, like you said…”

His eyes—sparkling like sunlight dancing on clear water—met hers.

“I figured I might as well cause some chaos.”
“……”
“And even if I die, I want to go together with the person who made me like this.”

Because she knew exactly who he meant, the words felt all the more frightening.

“And you suggested a deal.”
“……”
“I use you, and you use me. Helping with the forest keeper’s work was the condition, wasn’t it?”
“But you suspected me of being an assassin the whole time. You were always on guard. Can you really live together like that now?”
“No problem.”
“……”
“I’m confident you won’t harm me.”

His clear-cut answer left her flustered—but not unpleasantly so.

So the week she’d spent stubbornly taking care of him hadn’t been pointless after all. It felt like she’d earned at least a little trust.

“Whether you’re an assassin pretending to be a forest keeper or not doesn’t matter.”
“…What?”
“You’re terrible at assassinating people.”
“……”
“With skills like that, you couldn’t kill anyone.”
“……”
“If you really are an assassin, I’d advise going back and retraining.”

Did he throw away his ability to read the room along with his descent into darkness?

The emotion that had been welling up inside her shattered instantly.

“Wow. Thanks for the advice.”
“As long as you understand.”

She’d meant that sarcastically, but he took it as praise.

“I don’t hear anything anymore. Let’s go.”

Expecting anything nice from him was her mistake.

After everything she’d been through with that atrocious personality, how could she have thought he’d say something decent?

‘Thanks to you, I’ll finally let go of the last shred of my lingering first love.’

As they emerged from the bushes, the forest was bathed in the colors of sunset. Shionel followed behind her.

“How old are you?”
“I turned twenty this year.”

Her tone came out sharper than she intended. Ponia didn’t look back.

“You’re young.”

What age, exactly, would not be “young” to Shionel?

The contrast between his utterly ruined personality and his unchanged mindset from three years ago made her let out a hollow laugh.

“I’m not young anymore.”
“Not anymore?”
“That’s a thing.”

You wouldn’t know—the memories of my first love.

“And how old are you?”

‘I already know.’

“Thirty.”

…No way.

“Twenty-three.”

‘Why couldn’t you just say that from the start?!’

Seeing Ponia’s eyes shake, Shionel let out a small snort and asked,

“What’s your name?”
“You waited this long to ask?”
“We’re going to live together. I should at least know that much.”
“…Why are you suddenly talking like a normal person?”
“What?”

Ponia didn’t turn around. She could picture his crumpled expression without looking.

“It’s Ponia.”
“Last name?”
“…I don’t have one. I’m a commoner.”
“Didn’t you say yesterday you were a noble?”
“That was a lie. I didn’t want to be looked down on.”

The lie was nothing more than a small act of spite.

It felt unfair that only she remembered Shionel. But if he remembered the name “Ponia,” then…

“That’s a ridiculous name for an assassin. A surname would suit you even less.”

Hopeless.

“Don’t make pointless comments about other people’s names.”

Honestly, it might be for the best. If someone like him decided to harm her over a name, that would be dangerous.

It should’ve been a good thing…

Yet somehow, she felt bitter as she quickened her pace.

“Let’s hurry back before the sun fully sets.”
“My name’s Shionel.”
“……”
“Shionel Devenham.”

At the familiar name, Ponia stopped and turned around.

The sun was setting behind Shionel. The sky was dyed gold, and he blended perfectly into the brilliant scenery.

No—what was most dazzling was…

“Why do you look so shocked? You already knew, didn’t you? You’re an assassin.”

‘That assassin nonsense again!’

Now it felt like he was teasing her on purpose.

“Not at all. I was just surprised—your name sounds like it’d belong to someone with a terrible personality.”
“Ponia.”

At the sound of her name, her body stiffened.

“Ponia.”

He repeated it slowly, savoring each syllable.

“It suits you.”
“……”
“I think I can say it easily.”

A smile surfaced on his face, like gentle ripples spreading across a quiet lake. Within it was a faint hint of mischief.

For the past week, all she’d seen were faces twisted by rage or hollow with resignation.

Maybe it was the sunset—but for the first time since their reunion, she felt like she was seeing the warmth unique to him again.

A smiling face suited him far better than an expressionless one; calm words suited him better than anger.

Shionel said firmly,

“I’ll remember it.”

Ponia’s green eyes widened.

‘Ponia… I’m Ponia Harbel.’

Those words reminded her of the day they first exchanged names.

Like a promise that this time, he wouldn’t forget.

For a long while, Ponia couldn’t take her eyes off that smile.

The long day seemed to come to a relatively peaceful end.

Knock. Knock.

Until the sound of a knock in the dead of night woke them both.