Time rewound slightly as the Knights organised an extermination squad. Their purpose was to eliminate the monsters confirmed by the reconnaissance team — Alisha was entrusted with command of the squad and took its lead. Even before reaching the target monsters, they encountered no shortage of battles against creatures lurking within the forest. 　But with Alisha present, there was no cause for concern — the extermination squad reached their destination without undue delay. Then the battle commenced — and the extermination squad quickly found themselves at a disadvantage. The monsters proved stronger than anticipated, creating a situation where even Alisha couldn’t launch a satisfactory assault. Amidst this, casualties within the extermination squad mounted, leading Alisha to judge that continuing the fight was untenable.

“…Inform everyone! We’ll pull back completely. I’ll draw its attention!” “Lady Alisha! Surely not alone!?” “Indeed — I believe no one else can manage it.”

It was rare for Alisha to speak in such terms. But given the adversary — in truth, everyone accepted it and began preparing to retreat. 　As the expeditionary force began to withdraw, carrying the immobilised wounded, the monster seemed to notice their movement. Ignoring Alisha, it deliberately pursued those attempting to flee.

“…! I won’t let you!”

Alisha kicked off the ground, closing the distance to the monster. —But she failed to realise it was a lure. The monster possessed intelligence. 　It had likely been lying in wait to finish her off. She realised the enormous tail bearing down on her a split second too late.

“—Lady Alisha!”

She heard a fellow knight call her name. But that was the last thing she heard — she remembered nothing after. Only, as consciousness faded, the image of a single girl flashed through her mind.

“…Lotte.”

In her fading consciousness, Alisha murmured that name.

＊＊＊

Inside the swaying carriage — Lotte was travelling to the expedition site where Alisha was. It wasn’t a place she could reach immediately; she’d have to change carriages several times. Fortunately, she’d packed her belongings intending to resign as a maid, so she could leave straight away.

(…Lady Alisha)

In her heart, she spoke the name. Even now, to be honest, she still felt hesitation. Was this truly the right choice — Lotte heading there? Having rejected her outright, what must Alisha be thinking? Perhaps she didn’t even want to see her face. Did Lotte even have the right to worry about her?

(No, I’ll stop thinking about that now.)

In any case, Lotte would simply carry out the task entrusted to her. Whatever Alisha said upon meeting her wouldn’t matter. Then, the carriage suddenly halted.

“I’m afraid we can’t proceed any further from here.”

The coachman addressed them. It seemed travel by carriage was restricted due to increasing monster activity. 　There was still a considerable distance to the destination — but turning back now was not an option.

“Thank you for bringing us this far. We’ll walk from here.” “Take care. The knights are patrolling, but you never know what might happen.”

Just as the coachman had said, knights occasionally passed by on the road. Every knight was perpetually on alert, making it impossible to ignore the dangerous situation here. 　It seemed some villagers from nearby settlements had already evacuated — few people seemed inclined to venture this far. Occasionally, a knight would call out.

“Business ahead?” “Ah, I’m a messenger for House Zekrosia…” “! Lady Alisha’s… She’s recuperating in the village further on.” “I understand she was injured…” “I’m afraid I don’t know the details of her condition.”

It seemed quicker to go and check for myself. Following the road, I spotted another group of knights gathered further along. They appeared to be discussing something. Approaching them, I understood why.

(The bridge…)

To reach the village where Alisha was, I had to cross this bridge.

“Excuse me… I wish to reach the village ahead.” “Regrettably, it seems monsters have destroyed the bridge. Repairs are expected to take several days.” “Se-several days…?”

After hearing the knight’s explanation, Lotte moved away. At least several days — she couldn’t simply wait for the bridge to be fixed. Lotte looked towards the forest — likely following the river would lead to a crossing point somewhere. 　If she explained her situation to the knight, he might help her reach the other bank — but she couldn’t burden them, already occupied with dealing with monsters in the area.

“…I have no choice, do I?”

Lotte steeled her resolve — and stepped off the road.

＊＊＊

　—Leaving the road meant walking straight into the gloom of the forest. The sound of a branch she cracked beneath her foot made Lotte flinch violently. The only sound reaching her ears was the faint cry of a small monster — tension made her hold her breath involuntarily. Scanning her surroundings, Lotte hurried deeper into the woods. 　If she encountered a dangerous creature — the unpleasant thought made sweat bead on her forehead. Lotte possessed neither magic nor weapons. Even if she had them, she lacked any fighting skill. Venturing into the woods in such a state — reckless was an understatement. She couldn’t deny being called a foolhardy fool, nor could she complain if she lost her life.

“Hmph.”

If she were to die here — what would become of her? Alisha would surely come to despise her. Perhaps she wouldn’t even grieve — such unpleasant thoughts crept into her mind. —It was then.

“…Ah!”

Lost in her thoughts, Lotte stumbled. 　Though hidden by thickets, the ground beyond sloped steeply downwards like a cliff, and Lotte tumbled headlong down the slope. Caught off guard, she couldn’t break her fall and lay motionless on the ground.

“Ugh…”

Gasping, Lotte slowly raised herself up. —Her whole body ached. She was covered in scrapes, but thankfully had avoided any serious injuries. 　If she got injured here and couldn’t move… she probably wouldn’t survive. Lotte realised her situation anew, and a chill ran down her spine. She could still turn back now — if she explained things to the knight she’d seen earlier, it might take time, but he could probably escort her safely. That would definitely be better—

(…I know that, though.)

What Lotte was doing was surely wrong. 　Venturing alone into the forest, taking a perilous path — the reason she was doing this was because she wanted to see Alisha immediately.

“I’m such a fool…”

Lotte murmured softly. —Why had she spoken such harsh words to the one she wanted to see so desperately? She told herself it was for Alisha’s sake — but had it truly been for her benefit? 　Wasn’t it her fault that Alisha had sustained injuries she’d never normally get? Thoughts swirled endlessly in her head, yet Lotte immediately stood up. She wanted to see Alisha — that was the driving force propelling Lotte forward.

(See her once more, and then…)

What should she do — her thoughts remained jumbled. Still, Lotte began walking again. 　The grazes oozed, staining parts of her clothes red. The scent of blood might draw monsters closer — under normal circumstances, this was a situation she absolutely should have turned back from. Even so, Lotte did not stop. —No more hesitation. She couldn’t die here without seeing Alisha. Lotte pressed on, stepping deeper into the forest.