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The green-haired man did not show himself before us again.

Since there was neither a way nor a reason to find out where he was, it seemed unlikely that we would encounter him again.

Our journey was smoother than before.

There were no more giant creatures like the one we encountered previously.

Although this forest still harbored many threats, none were beyond our ability to handle.

Fighting occurred about two or three times a day.

Perhaps we were gaining some know-how. While the frequency of enemy encounters increased, our ability to evade them also improved significantly.

Many of the enemies that discovered us and charged were weaker than before.

Naturally, the injuries to my body also decreased.

Not entirely absent, as battle inevitably involves injury.

“Can you still keep moving?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Don’t hold back like last time.”

“It’s not like that.”

One significant change was that Sirien and I spoke less frequently.

We always spoke in whispers, a lesson learned from our previous encounter with the giant.

Even a small piece of idle chatter could attract enemies. There was no guarantee our senses would always be superior to theirs.

Naturally, we became more cautious of the sounds we made and our surroundings.

We should have been like this from the beginning.

It was due to our lack of experience. Since I was always the first to spot enemies from the edge of the forest, I had become complacent.

The knight training focused more on vigilance and combat rather than stealth and evasion, which didn’t help our current situation.

But it wasn’t as if we spent the whole day with our mouths shut.

“Hey, it’s a cave.”

“Where?”

“At the end over there. No, not that way, the place with the cliff. Yeah, there.”

We conversed when we discovered something new.

There really was a cave where Sirien pointed.

Even from a distance, it seemed spacious enough to serve as a good base.

If we were to set up camp today, it would be an optimal spot, but unfortunately, it was too early.

We didn’t want to waste time, so we just passed by.

“Our family shrine was also in a cave. It was filled with a similar incense smell.”

“Do you still smell that now?”

“Yeah. It gets stronger inside the boundary.”

“Is there really something there?”

I couldn’t smell the incense Sirien mentioned at all.

Her sense of smell was sharper than mine, but was it really this much better?

Sirien said it was just a smell and nothing particularly strange, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more.

“If it gets faint and then strong again, it probably means we’re getting closer to somewhere.”

“How is it now?”

“Not extremely strong, but it feels pretty close.”

“Can we avoid it? I’d rather not approach if we don’t have to.”

“Sure. I’ll let you know if we get too close.”

By now, it was hard to dismiss the thought that the man from before might be connected to the incense.

I didn’t think it would be beneficial to encounter him again, and all I wanted was to get out of this forest as soon as possible.

We decided to take a break after walking for a bit.

We unpacked our belongings under a suitable tree.

“It seems much smoother compared to a while ago, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. Maybe we’re moving away from the forest’s center. If we keep going like this, we might be out soon.”

“Do you think we’ll see people when we get out? I want to eat some good food. The meat here smells too gamey.”

“Come to think of it, you’ve held up pretty well.”

“We ate similar things at the hut, too. At first, I secretly threw up to avoid eating it. But I got used to it over time.”

Sirien smiled wryly.

It seemed like a serious story to hear while smiling, but now it was something relegated to the past.

She used to hate going outside, yet she would always sneak out of the hut.

When I looked at Sirien silently, she shook her head in denial.

“Not anymore!”

“Hmm.”

“Really!”

“Alright. Let’s just eat for now.”

Although when it came to food, it was just a matter of choosing between tasteless meat and preserved food.

We had tried gathering herbs or fruits from nearby, but eating unknown plants was too risky a gamble.

Especially mushrooms, which even experts avoid handling carelessly.

Unless we were absolutely certain about the vegetation, we didn’t touch it.

“What will you do when we reach the Eloran?”

“Hmm. First, I want to find out about my parents. I can’t trust what my uncle said.”

“And after that?”

“I’ll reclaim everything.”

No matter how formidable Count Roxen was, Sirien was the legitimate heir.

If Sirien sought help from Count Eloran and he declared to suppress the rebellion in the Grand Duchy, we would have the just cause.

In a battle with clear legitimacy, many opportunists smelling money would join us.

Given the Grand Duke’s involvement, the Imperial family would certainly intervene, ensuring we wouldn’t be outmatched in force.

Of course, in the process, Sirien would incur a significant ‘debt.’

The reclaimed Grand Duchy would be weaker than before.

“The Count Eloran has connections to the Countess of Hintz, as she is from the Hintz family. We could leverage that connection as well.”

“The Hintz family... Oh, Sir Revan. The miraculous Swordmaster.”

There were two ways to become a Swordmaster in this world.

One was the orthodox way: reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship. It was said that through extreme refinement of one’s skills, an epiphany would be reached, allowing one to wield sword energy.

This was the typical depiction of a Swordmaster in many stories.

The other way was through a literal ‘miracle.’

This rare phenomenon only occurred to exceptionally talented swordsmen and was extremely rare even among sword masters.

Though it sounded impressive, it wasn’t always so.

Swordmasters who became such through a miracle possessed somewhat anomalous power. They were strong in some areas but weak in others.

Simply wielding sword energy didn’t make one the strongest.

Without a solid foundation, one would inevitably be outmatched by other Swordmasters.

If one had enough talent to become a Swordmaster through a miracle, they would eventually reach that level on their own.

Thus, those who didn’t follow the orthodox path were often considered inferior Swordmasters.

They were known as ‘half-rate’ Swordmasters.

Sir Revan was a Swordmaster by miracle.

The weakest among Swordmasters, yet a knight who could wield sword energy remained a significant force on the battlefield.

Melee combat was fundamentally about formations. A person capable of cutting down cavalry and infantry with a single stroke was akin to an embodiment of disaster.

“Even the Demon King wouldn’t be able to rampage in the Empire forever. Eligor wasn’t that formidable of a Demon King. By the time we reach the County, the demon army would likely have retreated. I trust that the knights of our family will eventually side with me.”

“The seniors I know would definitely help if they knew you were alive.”

“Yeah. The real issue is the Imperial family...”

Listening to Sirien, it was evident that she had devised a rather detailed plan.

Despite her young age, her lineage showed its true colors.

Unlike Terion, who spent his time honing his swordsmanship and physical training, Sirien had dedicated herself to theology and other studies.

Even the Grand Duke Eilencia seemed to have passed down various political insights to her.

No matter how you look at it, she and I were both destined to play the final boss roles in this novel.

When we were first thrown into the hut, I wondered, ‘Could this delicate and gentle child really change so drastically?’ But her talents, as depicted in the novel, were clearly proving themselves.

Moreover, by now, I had come to understand a few things.

The reason Sirien ruthlessly killed her own kin.

It was also the first point where she was contrasted with the novel’s heroine.

The original story. It was an incident in the capital.

A branch family of Eilencia had committed a crime, and Sirien executed them in a brutal manner.

The heroine, shocked by the sight, confronted Sirien.

- “How can you kill people so carelessly? They are lives, precious lives. There were ways to avoid bloodshed. Besides, they weren’t even strangers to you! Why did you choose such a cruel method?”

- “If you’re done with your foolish talk, why don’t you return to your cage, Lady of Light? Your job is to chirp sweetly in your cage, not to speak out of turn.”

- “You killed a child who wasn’t even twenty yet!”

- “In the Empire, one is considered an adult from the age of sixteen. It seems you’re lacking in your studies, perhaps you should punish your tutor. If you’re too soft-hearted to do it, I can assist you, as my hands are already stained with blood.”

- “You!”

A saint chosen by the Light and a saint chosen by Death.

A woman who died protecting her family and a woman who killed her kin.

The paths of the heroine and Sirien were endlessly contrasted. They were each other’s antithesis.

The imperial family’s stance at that time... was ambiguous.

It was before any events had occurred between the heroine and the crown prince.

The crown prince didn’t immediately become part of the heroine’s reverse harem. Initially, his relationship with Sirien was quite amicable.

The current crown prince must be having his own share of unhappy times.

If I had been transported in another way, I could have raised my favorability with him in advance, but stuck in this forest, there was no way to do that.

Lost in thought, I noticed Sirien pointing to the sky.

“Hey, Razen. Those dark clouds look like it’s going to rain soon, don’t they?”

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