IBMDF 23

Chapter 23

“Ugh…”

I let out a faint groan and weakly curled my fingers.

Originally, I had intended to jump off the back of this creature—whether it was a wolf or not—but I couldn’t muster any strength in my body.

In the end, all I could do was cling tightly to its fur so I wouldn’t fall.

The wolf carrying me lightly bounded down the steep slope and landed on flat ground.

Then it lowered its body, letting me gently roll off onto the earth.

Thud.

Blades of grass brushed my cheek, and the scent of soil filled my nose.

Where is this?

…This must be the afterlife.

I must have died after falling from the cliff, and that strange wolf visible to my blind eyes was probably a messenger guiding the dead to the underworld.

“Thank you for helping me.”

After saying that, I barely managed to raise a hand and stroke the wolf’s head.

The wolf quietly closed its eyes, accepting my touch, before turning away.

My consciousness started to blur again.

I watched the wolf’s retreating figure for a moment before slowly closing my eyes.

* * *

“…Hey!”

After a long while, I regained consciousness to someone shaking my shoulder.

“Mmm…”

How much time had passed?

The weather was chilly enough to make my shoulders tremble, and somewhere nearby I could hear an owl hooting.

As though night had completely fallen in the meantime.

What? I didn’t die?

I was sure I’d ridden that white wolf all the way to the gates of the afterlife.

“Are you awake?”

At the sudden voice nearby, I sucked in a sharp breath.

It felt like my heart stopped.

“Try moving slowly. You might have broken some bones.”

“Who are you?”

Despite the kindness in the stranger’s words, only wariness came out of my mouth.

It was because of what had almost happened with that stranger earlier.

The other person seemed to stare at me silently before replying:

“Hmm… If I said I’m a traveler passing by, would you believe me?”

“At this hour?”

“I got a little lost in the forest.”

I’m doomed.

I couldn’t tell in the slightest whether this guy was truly a passerby or the same man who had deceived me before.

Since I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t respond recklessly either.

Trapped with no way out, I struggled to get to my feet.

But my legs wouldn’t hold me, and every attempt ended with me collapsing back to the ground.

The man, who had silently watched me, carefully offered:

“Would you like some help?”

“N-no! Don’t come closer!”

“Ah.”

I sensed his movement stop.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you. Do you not want my help?”

“I-I don’t need it! Go somewhere else!”

“…If that’s what you want.”

The man answered obediently at my shout.

“The way out of the forest is over there.”

Then he pointed in a direction I couldn’t even see.

Soon after, I heard his footsteps moving farther away.

Yeah, go far away. That’s better.

Finally alone, I quietly let out a shaky breath.

But after a moment—

Even the owl’s cries, which had blended into the background, suddenly ceased.

An overwhelming darkness wrapped around me.

The kind of terror that felt like being left completely alone in the vast universe.

Only then did I realize the man who had just left was the only person who could help me right now.

“W-wait…! Don’t go! Come back!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs toward the direction his footsteps had disappeared.

“I said come back! Get back here, you jerk!”

“Yes, I’m right here.”

“Ahhh! You scared me!”

I jolted on the spot like a fish caught on a hook.

“W-when did you…? I didn’t even hear your footsteps…”

I muttered, clutching my pounding chest.

“You seemed frightened of me, so I stepped away for a bit. I wanted to make sure you’d be alright.”

“Okay, I get it, so j-just stay a little farther away.”

At my words, I heard his footsteps slowly retreat.

“Understood. About this distance, then. Is this alright?”

As if trying to indicate the distance between us, he tapped the ground with his foot.

He had probably realized by now that I was blind.

“Were you being chased?”

“Huh?”

“There’s a man collapsed nearby. Did you fall off the cliff together while running from him?”

At the mention of “a collapsed man nearby,” my face drained of color and I staggered backward.

It had to be the one who tried to kidnap me and fell from the cliff with me.

“Don’t worry. That man is definitely dead.”

“How can you be sure? I fell too, but I’m alive like this.”

“…Hmm, well.”

In response to my complaint, the man calmly explained:

“First, his neck is bent at a strange angle, and his XX has burst so XX and XX are spilling out, while especially from the head, XX is protruding…”

“Ah, stop, stop! You don’t need to explain!”

Is this guy insane?

Still, if what he said was true, then the man who tried to kidnap me had definitely departed for the afterlife.

Rather than thinking Serves him right!, chills ran down my spine at the realization that I almost could’ve died with him.

How did I end up surviving almost unharmed?

That white wolf I vaguely remembered from my dreams…

Maybe it was some kind of lucky guardian spirit.

Anyway, realizing I had narrowly escaped death made me relieved, though my legs trembled.

“Then, shall we get moving now?”

At that moment, the man spoke again.

“There are many dangerous beasts around here. Spending the night outside wouldn’t be a very wise choice.”

He was right.

If I stayed in the forest overnight, I might become food for wild animals—or die from hypothermia.

And the distant cries of beasts I’d been hearing only made me more anxious.

Just then, something cold touched my hand.

“Eek!”

“It’s the strap of my bag. I thought you wouldn’t want to hold my hand.”

“……”

I hesitated, unable to take the strap he offered.

Judging by his speech, this mysterious man didn’t seem like a bad person.

But do bad people walk around with I’m a bad guy written on their foreheads?

Besides, I’d almost been kidnapped today—by someone pretending to be someone else.

“I…”

Ugh, my head feels like it’s going to explode.

What should I do?

Can I trust this person?

After agonizing over it, nearly tearing my hair out, I eventually reached out toward him.

In truth, I didn’t really have a choice.

My reality was that the only way out of this forest was by accepting help from someone whose identity I didn’t even know.

“If you’re that uneasy, I’ll only take you as far as the forest entrance.”

After saying that, the man started walking ahead.

Holding tightly to his bag strap, I carefully followed.

* * *

Contrary to my worries, the man was kinder than expected.

“There’s a rock in front of your feet.”

He didn’t ask me anything.

He only stopped occasionally and spoke when necessary.

Thanks to his consideration, I gradually let go of some of my suspicion and was able to follow behind him.

Still, don’t lower your guard completely. He still hasn’t clearly said who he is.

I kept myself alert.

“Um… by the way.”

I carefully spoke while paying attention to his presence.

“What brings you to this forest…?”

“Hmm, I was on my way to a nearby temple.”

“A temple?”

“Yes. Crossing through the forest is much faster.”

Oh. So there are people who go to temples even this late.

Maybe he’s very devout.

“…Are you going to pray?”

“You could say that.”

The man answered, then fell silent for a moment.

“Though I plan to stay briefly before heading to the duke’s estate.”

The duke’s estate…

“The House of Levanion?”

“Yes. I received an invitation there.”

An invitation?

The head maid hadn’t mentioned anything about an important guest arriving at the ducal estate.

Could he be a merchant who occasionally visited for business—or someone with a similar purpose?