As soon as he caught the poison, Rubel was worried, so he hurriedly ran out of the cave.
Even just stepping out of the cave entrance, he could already hear a commotion. He could see a few Wizards flying in the distance, and several Knights, each with an Artifact that looked like a blood-poison bead
(A mystical bead said to ward off all poisons)
in their mouths, hurriedly climbing up the cliff.
Without hesitation, he jumped down the cliff.
It was amusing to see the Knights who had been standing dumbfounded at the cave entrance looking at each other.
He was worried about the poison on his body, so he couldn’t approach Rubel right away, but the boy strode up to him with a tearful face and put an Artifact in his mouth.
A Wizard standing next to him hurriedly added a formula and covered him with it. He waited without interfering. The sticky fluid of the poison that had covered his body was instantly washed away. It was Clean Magic.
Another Wizard covered him with another formula.
But nothing changed.
While he was puzzled, the Wizard who had just cast the spell on him handed him a potion.
“I could sense the poison, so I cast a detoxification spell, but this isn’t a method that works for all poisons. It would be best to drink a potion to protect your organs first, and then get checked again later.”
“…Ah. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I heard there was a giant centipede in there, by any chance…”
“Yes. I killed it and came out. The cave is full of poison, so you should prepare before going in to investigate. Also, there might be more than one of those centipedes…”
The Knights he had met at the cave entrance went inside. Curious about what they were doing, he strained his Qi sense to listen, but he couldn’t hear any fighting.
At that moment, Rubel put his jacket over his shoulders and pulled him away.
“…Are you okay? Is it too hard?”
“…Huh?”
What was he talking about now? Rubel, who hugged him when he couldn’t answer in embarrassment, made a fuss and called for a Wizard. He was flustered and awkward to be hugged by the boy’s soft and firm chest, so he couldn’t open his mouth in time.
Rubel urged the Wizard several times in a serious voice, as if he was about to cry.
“The detoxification spell doesn’t seem to be working properly, so give me all the antidotes you have.”
He tried to push him away with a few light gestures, but Rubel held him tightly with his strong arms. He tried to hide his face from the people. He made a crying sound as if he was anxious.
Ah.
This child is trying to hide that he is immune to poison.
Suddenly realizing this, he leaned into his arms. He even let out a few groans.
It was cute and embarrassing to see the boy feeding him medicine and checking his temperature in a fuss, so he kept laughing. In the meantime, when their eyes met nearby, he couldn’t help but chuckle, but soon he had to be hugged in the boy’s arms and smell his soft scent. His stomach tickled.
But when he said he would carry him, he couldn’t bear it and pushed the child’s chest away again.
“I’ll walk on my own.”
“…But, Michael.”
“I can’t do it anymore, it’s too embarrassing.”
“…”
The child, hearing his whispering voice, looked at him with a sulky expression. It must be because he listened to him whenever he made that expression. But he didn’t indulge him anymore.
The Wizards who heard them arguing helped them fly out of the forest.
Black, who had been loitering at the entrance of the forest, ran up happily, but he didn’t have the confidence to ride the horse without a bridle or saddle with the child. He told the horse to follow and walked back to the tent as if taking a stroll.
❖ ❖ ❖
It was evening, with the sunset falling red.
Those who were proud of the game they had caught or were about to receive, amid the cheers of many, went up on the platform. Those who had not caught anything good gathered in a row under the platform with the children who had been playing without hunting, and watched the game.
He also went up on the platform. He recited the words that the event host had told him in advance.
“I, Michael Ernhardt, offer the Gray Giant Bear and Chilopoda-Worm to Your Highness Rubel Anti Searon.”
“I will take your sincerity as my glory.”
Rubel also responded in a dignified tone.
When offering an animal, one had to kiss the back of the hand of the person standing on the platform.
In a way, it was embarrassing, but it was also something that Sierren’s Knights often did. He had seen it a few times before. He obediently lowered his posture in front of Ruben.
Kneeling on one knee and raising the other, he respectfully took Rubel’s left hand, put the tip of his nose to the back of his hand, and pretended to kiss it.
Ruben’s fingertips, overlapping on his palm, twitched and curled up.
The child, standing tall with his shoulders straight, was wearing a black uniform. The symbols of Valentia and Ernhardt shining on his chest were dazzling. He lowered his eyes, counted to three in his mind, and then stood up. He stepped back two steps with applause on his back and bowed.
As he moved away from Rubel, the servants dragged the huge gray bear and placed it behind Rubel. The bear, which had been covered with Clean Magic and detoxification magic several times, was a bright and light gray.
Funnily enough, the bear was said to have been dying from poison in a corner of the cave. He didn’t know if it had led him knowing it was going to die, or if it had jumped in anywhere thinking it would succeed in escaping.
Thanks to his arrow being stuck in its eye, it was recognized as his prey. He was very happy to be able to offer the bear he had initially aimed for to Rubel, no matter what the process was.
Because he couldn’t bring the poison to the Hunting Festival tent, the Wizards decided to dispose of the centipede carcass he had killed. Several Mana Stones, which he had obtained as compensation instead of the poison, were also placed beautifully on the bear.
Benjamin had caught a pair of wolves as big as bears. If you only looked at the animals, it could be seen as an equal achievement, but the centipede he caught was bigger and had poison, so he received extra points and won.
There were several other people besides him who said they would offer their prey to others.
Those who had offered animals soon came down from the platform. The children, who had placed the animals they had caught or received as gifts behind them, changed lines according to the points assigned to each animal.
No one had caught an animal bigger than what he had caught. Well, except for him, there would be few children who could survive in front of such poison.
Rubel stood in the front row and received a scepter with a large jewel as a prize. When the child smiled brightly and looked at him, he nodded and smiled back.
After watching Rubel, who was standing on the platform receiving applause, for a while, he quietly spoke to one of the Wizards gathered in one corner. It was the one who had cast the detoxification spell on him.
“That… Was something like a centipede originally living in this forest?”
“Chilopoda-Worms are a subspecies of Sandworms, but they are not easy to see. I can’t be sure, but it seems to have been affected by the recent increase in Mana concentration.”
“The problem of Mana concentration…”
“No, no. I can’t be sure. Usually, students don’t go to the middle of the Phyton Forest at the Hunting Festival, and usually, if they get lost around that point, they use the Type 2 emergency signal transmitter right away. There is a limit to what the Knights can do to clean up the area, Young Master Ernhardt.”
“Well…”
“Haven’t you heard not to enter unfamiliar caves carelessly? You must never do that again.”
“…I’m sorry.”
He only got scolded for nothing. Embarrassed, he stepped back and mixed in with the children.
That evening, a banquet was held to celebrate the safe completion of the Hunting Festival without anyone getting hurt. A large bonfire was lit and they gathered around it to share the meat of the animals they had hunted that day.
The tanners sorted the leather and meat, and the leather was processed so that each person could take it with them, and the cooks mixed the meat with various spices and cooked it deliciously by grilling or steaming it.
The children, who had become close to each other while spending a month together, gathered and sat down, telling funny stories and chattering about what had happened during the hunt like heroic tales. The sound of laughter was louder and more frequent than the music.
He also couldn’t resist the coaxing of the children and told the story of catching the Chilopoda-Worm at least four times.
Benjamin showed great interest after hearing the story of creating an Aura Barrier to drive away the poison. He promised to teach him next semester and hooked his fingers.
Rubel was a Highness who had to be dignified, so he sat silently and didn’t say much. However, whenever his eyes met his, he could clearly see his happy heart from the smiling face or the way he was sitting with the scepter he had received as a prize next to him.
They played together until the dawn moon was waning, and by the time the sleepy children started yawning one by one.
Marianne suddenly spoke again in a mischievous voice.
“Now that we’re going back tomorrow, Michael, do you want to ride Your Highness’s carriage?”
“Hmm?”
“Anyway, you’re going to the capital. There are seven people in our carriage… We can send one person over.”
He was tempted. When he looked back at Rubel, the child nodded with a delighted expression.
“Shall we? I was a little bored coming alone anyway.”
“Hmm.”
He would be able to get along with other friends easily next semester. But Ruben would go straight to the Imperial Palace, so he wouldn’t be able to see him for a long time. He nodded easily.
“Yes, I will.”
“Wow, I thought you would hesitate at least once.”
“Huh? Why would I?”
Damian made a grumbling sound for no reason, so he answered coldly with a mix of jokes. He could clearly see the inner thoughts of the children who were laughing. They were cheering him on and pushing him to be close to Rubel.
He felt like they were teasing Rubel, who didn’t know anything, so he waved his hand and told them to stop laughing. Rubel, who was standing next to him with a bright smile, said that he would go in and pack his bags first, so he allowed him to do so.
He played with the children who couldn’t sleep until the firewood of the bonfire lost its flames and the day dawned brightly. Every moment was so enjoyable that he was already sad that he wouldn’t be able to attend the Hunting Festival next year.