By Zephyria 
As I reached out to unwrap the neatly wound bandage, the man flinched away from my touch, startled.
“What are you doing?”
“Hold still. According to our investigation, most of the Magical creatures inhabiting the Rollai Mountains have potent poison. I need to re-examine you for signs of poisoning.”
“Po, poison?”
At my words, the other injured men, who had been whimpering like hurt puppies, all stared at me at once. They might have been surprised by the possibility of being poisoned, but their expressions held more bewilderment than fear.
The difference was subtle, and the expression vanished quickly, so I couldn’t be sure, but it was definitely suspicious.
Aska said that Pipi was surveying the entire mountain range, but hadn’t seen a single Magical creature. Even if Pipi had missed one, it was strange that they were attacked near here of all places.
Abyss was surely ordering patrols around the clock. Yet, they hadn’t seen a single Magical creature, not even a hair of one. But these hunters, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, bypassing all those eyes and ears, were attacked?
As I unwrapped the bandage, I saw the gaping wound, where the bleeding had stopped.
“No, if you unwrap it like that, it’ll bleed again…”
As he said, it was starting to bleed again. I stared at the wound for a moment, then slowly, but firmly, re-bandaged it, asking, “Where did you encounter the Magical creature?”
“There’s a Snow Rabbit habitat not far from here. It’s a place we often go to hunt, and we’re so familiar with the terrain that we never expected to be attacked… Suddenly, they jumped out…”
I listened intently to his words, comprehensively observing the way the muscles in his face moved, his eyes, and his tone.
“Are you sure it was a Magical creature? Is there no chance it was just a hungry wild animal?”
“No. It was definitely not a wild animal. I’m a hunter; wouldn’t I be able to tell the difference?”
“What specifically made it different from a wild animal?”
“It looked like a wolf, but it wasn’t a wolf. Its fangs were so long and large that they protruded out of its mouth, and its size was distinctly larger than the wolves that live around here. The tail was especially unique; the fur disappeared towards the end, and it had sharp thorns.”
“Hmm.”
I deliberately paused for a long time with a disbelieving look on my face, then turned my gaze to the two men who were groaning in pain.
“Did you two see it as well?”
At my question, they both nodded simultaneously.
“I saw it too.”
“The overall appearance was similar to a wolf, but it wasn’t like any beast.”
His tone was certain. I nodded and covered the man with a blanket.
“Alright. Get some rest for now. The wound is severe, but if you apply the medicine well and disinfect it properly, it will heal quickly.”
“Thank you. But I’m worried that the Magical creatures might invade this far…”
“The guards here will keep you safe.”
I patted Abyss on the shoulder and smiled reassuringly. But their expressions didn’t ease.
“It’s not just a wild animal, it’s a Magical creature…”
“Well, wouldn’t a Magical creature die if it got hit with a few swords?”
“Still, isn’t it too dangerous? Shouldn’t we retreat at least as far as Pukara Village? They’ve been hiding until now, but they’ve been showing themselves more frequently lately, which is unsettling. What if they come down from the mountains…”
“Ah…”
At the man’s words, even the men lying down groaned anxiously and sighed. In an instant, the tent was filled with an ominous atmosphere.
I thought for a moment and then said, “There’s a lot of snow, and the terrain is rough, so it’s difficult to take a patient who has lost consciousness down the mountain. It would be even worse if we were attacked in that state.”
The man nodded, but he didn’t seem convinced at all. I asked the man again, “By the way, what’s your name? We haven’t even introduced ourselves. I’m Theodore.”
“I’m Ralph.”
“Ah, I’m…”
And so, we had a brief time of self-introduction. After a few more unnecessary words, I left the tent, and Abyss followed behind me.
“Wouldn’t it be a big problem if Magical creatures really came down from the mountains? Should we request support?”
“If there really are Magical creatures, that would be the biggest problem.”
“Excuse me?”
Abyss asked back with a puzzled expression. I went to the doctor who had met them before me. And I asked him more details about the wounds they had sustained.
“The wounds are severe, but not life-threatening. There are no signs of poisoning, and it doesn’t seem like they’re infected. It will be uncomfortable for them to move, but they are healthy because they lived in the mountains, so they will recover quickly.”
“The cross-section of the wound is excessively clean, what do you think about that?”
“I was wondering about that too. They said they were scratched by claws, but it’s not a normal beast, it’s a Magical creature…”
That was true. It would be strange if it were a wound inflicted by the claws of a normal beast, but the opponent was an unidentified Magical creature. I couldn’t guarantee that it was impossible for a mark like being cut by a sharp sword to appear.
I went outside and walked leisurely around the tent with Abyss.
“They said that they suddenly appeared and ran away without thinking, and that’s how they got here. They said that the Magical creatures disappeared at some point.”
Abyss said, watching my expression, then asked, “Do you suspect anything?”
At those words, I recalled the faces of the hunters from earlier.
“They almost died, but they’re talking too well.”
“Yes?”
“For people who were just chased by an unidentified monster, they’re talking too well. The way they describe the appearance of the Magical creature is also excessively detailed and the characteristics are distinct. It’s also strange that no one died, and it’s also strange that the wounds aren’t fatal.”
When I think about the Magical creatures I met in the underground city, it was even stranger. Of course, they are different individuals, but if they appeared in front of you, wouldn’t they usually intend to kill you?
The fact that they haven’t been discovered until now means that they’ve been hiding on purpose, but I didn’t think they would show themselves with the intention of just scaring them away.
Maybe I’m just being paranoid again, but when I think about the group of hunters I saw with Aska at the lake…
“…”
Ah, thinking about Aska suddenly made me sigh again. I frowned deeply and said to Abyss.
“Keep an eye on them for now, and report anything suspicious. Especially, watch closely to see if they try to contact someone.”
“Understood.”
I quickly gave the order and went to the tent where Aska and I would be staying for a while. On the outside, it didn’t look much different from the other tents, but the inside was much larger and cleaner.
I was really going to lose my temper if he wasn’t here, but thankfully Aska had even changed his clothes and was waiting for me quietly.
“Were you here the whole time?”
“…”
Aska, who was sitting at the desk, didn’t even acknowledge me when I came in and was looking at something. I wondered what he was looking at so intently, so I went to his side, and I saw some familiar names.
I frowned deeply and bent down to read the contents of the book. On closer inspection, it was the Aktan Imperial Family’s family tree.
“What is this? Where did you suddenly get this?”
I snatched the book from Aska’s hand and quickly flipped through the pages. It wasn’t just a family tree, but also a brief summary of the Imperial Family’s history, the achievements of the previous Emperors, and their lives.
“Why are you looking at this?”
“…”
“Huh?”
“…”
Even when I asked, Aska kept his mouth shut and just glared at me with a sulky look. Is it because he’s pouting? For some reason, his cheeks seemed plumper than usual, so I poked his fair skin with my finger.
It was an unconscious action, so I gasped in surprise belatedly, but I had already poked him about five times. But Aska didn’t push my hand away or even tell me to stop.
I had no choice but to resort to the last resort in the face of his eyes, which were silently protesting.
“Do you want blood?”
“…”
Even that didn’t work.
I looked at Aska, who wasn’t reacting, with a miserable heart, but for some reason, his expression started to get worse and worse. I said it to cheer him up, but why? I didn’t do anything to provoke him, but Aska’s condition continued to deteriorate.
I was just frustrated because he wouldn’t tell me why he was like this. After watching him for a long time, Aska finally opened his mouth.
“Stop treating me like a child. It’s annoying.”
“…”
That strange honorific was still there. He was just as rude, but it was awkward because he only used honorifics, so I couldn’t stand listening to it.
“Why do you keep using honorifics?”
“Because I want to?”
“Why are you getting angry in such a strange way?”
“I wasn’t trying to get angry, but since I have to fix my way of speaking anyway when I go to the Imperial Castle, I’m practicing from now on.”
At those words, I guessed to some extent why Aska was angry.
“Do you perhaps not want to go to Aktan? Is that why?”
I thought that was why he was angry, but unfortunately, my prediction was wrong. Aska didn’t even look at me and muttered.
“I don’t care where I go or where I live.”
“Then what is it that concerns you, Aska?”
“…”
Aska, who had been looking elsewhere, turned his head to me with a shocked expression.