I decided to have Blitz guide us, even though I met a boy from Kelyneia on the way.
Despite it being early morning, Blitz seemed intent on guiding us. To avoid the direct sunlight, he was covered in animal fur.
“Now that I think about it calmly, I treated you terribly. I’m sorry.”
“It’s in the past. Besides, you didn’t kill me. You could have if you wanted to.”
Huh, talking to him like this, he seems like a pretty decent person. They say he’s a demonic beast from Hell, but maybe he’s more reasonable to talk to than High Elves. Speaking of which, Lady Aubry tried to kill me without hesitation. Perhaps that strength grants her a certain peace of mind.
And that, in turn, leaves her vulnerable.
“Hey, stop.”
Blitz held out his arm, and we stopped, wondering what was happening. Blitz held his breath and gently pushed aside the foliage. There, gathered at a watering hole, was a herd of Unicorns.
Their fur was pure white, their manes long and beautiful, and a single horn grew straight from their foreheads. It was as if a painting had come to life.
“Incredible, they really exist.”
“Let’s not be seen.”
While everyone else was mesmerized by the beautiful creatures, Blitz began to move stealthily, trying to avoid detection. If they saw us, they might be startled and flee. He’s considerate of other creatures too, perhaps that’s what Donner fell for.
“You’re kind, aren’t you?”
“Hah, no, if they see us, they’ll kill us.”
“Huh?”
Come on, let’s go quickly. Blitz said, crouching low and moving away. Wait a minute, killed? By Unicorns? Is everyone leaving already? They looked disappointed.
“Piyo wants to see more.”
“Hmm, I wonder why.”
The Unicorns drank water and grazed peacefully, showing no signs of danger. Soon, their figures disappeared from sight.
“You may be disappointed, but Unicorns are quite dangerous beasts on this island. I’ve seen people killed in the past for approaching them carelessly.”
“Are they territorial?”
“Yes, and they are incredibly fierce. They’ll gore you mercilessly with those horns. On top of that, they can use light magic, making them our natural enemy.”
Are they that terrifying? My image of Unicorns is pure, beautiful, and graceful.
“Only virgin High Elves can tame them.”
“Hmm, so this flat-chested woman can do it too?”
Karubene suddenly butted in. You’ll get in trouble again if you say things like that.
“You reek so much that they’d know you were coming before you even got close. Stop talking nonsense and let’s go.”
Cecilia, without paying him any mind, left quickly. I guess Unicorns are scarier creatures than I thought.
We continued walking through the forest for a while longer. In this untamed forest, trees grew haphazardly, making it difficult to proceed and reducing visibility. Without Blitz’s guidance, we might have gotten lost even with a compass.
We took a break near a stream. As expected of God’s Island, the animals here were also mystical. The forest felt different from the one we had passed through. It was as if the entire island was enchanted. Even the stream before us looked beautiful, blending with the trees in the background.
Philiana was gazing at the scenery.
“It’s beautiful. It’s like a scene from a book. We’ve finally arrived somewhere no one has ever been.”
“You’re right. It’s been a long journey. Ever since I first obtained this poem. I never thought it would actually exist.”
The letter, reread many times, had become crumpled. This is Auroa’s big miscalculation. She spread the information too far, to the very fringes. I doubt she ever expected anyone to actually track it down.
“Ah! I was looking for you!”
Just then, a man arrived, shattering our moment of peace. It was Tonitol, who had been obsessed with Veronica. Why is this guy out and about during the day?
“Sister, I hunted a deer. I can live on my own now, I’m an adult. Please come to my den sometime, I’m sure you’ll love it.”
What kind of approach is that? Is he saying he can support her? Veronica, who had been resting in the shade of a tree, unusually shrank her body and hid behind Pauline.
“Help me, do something about him.”
“Uh, um…”
Pauline looked around, flustered. Blitz, seeing her distress, blocked his friend’s path.
“That’s enough. He’s not from Kelyneia; he’s an outsider.”
“I know that. But it doesn’t matter. Even if I can only move at night, I can protect her.”
“No, I’m telling you to stop interfering.”
Black clouds rose as if in warning. Even from a distance, it looked quite intimidating. Then, Tonitol’s grinning expression changed.
“Hey, this is my territory. You’re quite the bossy one for trespassing.”
His eyes were sharp, like a predator’s. It was a standoff between two predators, on the verge of conflict, where the slightest move would erupt into a brawl.
