.jpg)
Ayla flinched and looked up at the low voice that rang out right in front of her.
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
She hurriedly shook her head and passed by Felix.
“We’re busy, so let’s move quickly.”
They had to hurry as much as possible to avoid being caught going into the forest in the middle of the night.
The two moved in silence.
As Ayla led Felix to a nearby wall, he asked in a small voice.
“What kind of luggage did you bring so much of?”
A huge backpack was hanging on Ayla’s back.
“I had a lot to prepare.”
With that, Ayla turned around and examined the height of the wall.
But it seemed higher than she thought.
She hesitated, then looked up at Felix as if gauging his reaction.
“Can you hold this for me? Just until I get over the wall.”
Looking at the height, she didn’t think she could just climb over it with the backpack on.
Felix must have thought so too, as he took the backpack without a word.
“Go over first. I’ll… prepare myself mentally and jump over.”
Felix nodded as if he understood and jumped over the wall with a light movement.
Watching him, Ayla admired him inwardly.
‘To jump over this height so easily…’
Her amazement was short-lived, and worry began to creep in again.
‘Can I get over this?’
Felix could help her down from above, but getting up there in the first place seemed like a big obstacle.
‘It’s okay, if I get hurt, I can just apply medicine. Let’s just not break any bones.’
Ayla squeezed her eyes shut and tried to climb the wall. It was then.
Felix, who had gone over the wall, suddenly reappeared in front of her.
“What, what is it! Why are you back all of a sudden?”
Surprised, she shouted, and Felix shrugged.
“Why is it taking so long?”
“I’ll be over soon, don’t worry.”
“Can you do it? The wall is much taller than Ayla.”
Felix, who approached slowly, showed her his back.
“Get on.”
“……”
“That’s why you wanted me to come with you anyway, right?”
“It’s not like you’re an object… ‘wanted to use you,’ you say.”
Maybe it was because he was still young, but Felix sometimes blurted things out.
But since he wasn’t exactly wrong, Ayla closed her mouth again.
Meanwhile, Felix lowered himself and gestured for her to get on his back.
Ayla hesitated for a moment, then grabbed Felix’s shoulders tightly, his attitude seemingly devoid of any ulterior motives.
‘To be carried on someone’s back like a child at my age.’
Her face flushed, but there was nothing she could do.
Her physical abilities were too poor to climb over the academy’s high wall.
In comparison, being on Felix’s back felt as stable as clinging to a solid old tree.
The problem was that every part of him she touched burned like it had been scalded.
Perhaps because he had been training hard, Felix’s body was very strong.
The thick veins in his neck and shoulders, and the solid back muscles…
Ayla shook her head, cutting off her thoughts there.
She felt shameless for constantly being aware of a child.
Whether he knew her state or not, Felix slowly began to climb the wall in that state.
It was a more cautious movement than when he climbed it himself.
Ayla squeezed her eyes shut.
“It’s over.”
At his voice, which she heard a moment later, Ayla carefully opened her eyes.
Except for a slight shaking, they had reached the other side in the blink of an eye.
Ayla looked around and opened her mouth with a small exclamation.
“To climb over the wall so easily with me on your back, you’re amazing.”
“It’s thanks to Ayla for letting me feel Mana.”
Felix said nonchalantly and carefully put Ayla down on the ground.
Then, he handed her the backpack she had entrusted to him.
Ayla, who received the bag and put it on, smiled lightly.
“Thank you, let’s go now.”
From then on, there was nothing difficult.
They just had to walk together to the path leading to the entrance of the forest.
Step by step, the night was dark, and the full moon was shining brightly in the sky.
Finally, Felix arrived in front of the forest and stopped walking, looking inside.
Even at a glance, an gloomy aura was emanating from the forest.
He himself felt a chill, so what courage did Ayla have to come here in the middle of the night?
“Why did you insist on meeting in the middle of the night? Wouldn’t it be safer to go during the day or at dawn?”
“……”
“Besides, this is a place where even upperclassmen only enter in groups during class. I think it’s a bit dangerous for just me and Ayla to go.”
He looked at Ayla with suspicious eyes. Ayla roughly guessed what that gaze meant.
‘He probably sees me as someone who recklessly invites danger without thinking.’
It was inevitable that he distrusted her.
The two hadn’t known each other for very long, and her actions so far could have seemed dangerous enough to Felix.
Ayla shrugged and opened her mouth.
“You don’t think I would have suggested coming on a dangerous night without any thought, do you?”
“……”
When Felix stared at her without answering, Ayla cleared her throat and continued.
“Actually, one of the necessary herbs only blooms on nights with a full moon. You can collect the other herbs at any time…”
“I see.”
As if he hadn’t been questioning her, Felix playfully curled up the corners of his lips.
“Well, there’s always been a reason for Ayla’s actions so far.”
It was the very moment when Ayla was momentarily stunned by his surprisingly quick acceptance.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound tore through the air, and a black shadow soared from behind her.
But before Ayla could react or avoid it, Felix moved like lightning.
A flash of silver trajectory instantly cut down the black plant, and the severed vine fell to the ground, limp.
“Are you okay?”
Felix turned his head to check on her condition.
Instead of answering, Ayla stared blankly at his sword.
Black liquid was dripping from his sword like blood.
The liquid smelled so unpleasant that it was hard to believe he had simply cut a plant.
It was the moment when Felix narrowed his eyes and raised his sword.
Ayla, realizing what it was, quickly warned Felix.
“Ah, no. Be careful not to touch it.”
“Yes?”
“I remember now. This is a Death Vine, a type of Monster that eats animals in the dark.”
“……”
While Felix carefully examined the black liquid with surprised eyes, Ayla quickly continued her explanation.
“The fluid flowing through the vines contains a strong paralyzing agent, so it’s best to be careful… Well, there’s no need to wipe the sword. It will be helpful in dealing with Monsters.”
As she spoke, Ayla calmed her surprised heart and concluded the situation relatively calmly.
Felix looked at her strangely.
Ayla hesitated for a moment and added a word of warning.
“Well… you have to be more careful because it’s a full moon night. On days like today, the Monsters’ power is even stronger.”
Ayla looked at him, as if she was sorry for bringing him on a dangerous night.
“It’s okay. It’ll be perfect for a welcoming ceremony.”
Felix shrugged as if there was no problem and put his sword back into its sheath.
Meanwhile, Ayla opened the backpack she was carrying and took out a few medicine bottles.
“I made some Antidote in advance just in case. It’s best not to be poisoned if possible, but that’s not always possible.”
Felix narrowed his eyes and observed the items she handed him.
He wondered what she had packed in that bag, but she had brought so many medicines as a precaution.
.jpg)