Chapter 68

“Eunji? It sounds weird.”

Kayden said so, but Eunji seemed to like the name. I saw him happily rubbing his body against my legs.

However, the feeling of cold scales on my legs was still very unfamiliar.

“Aww!”

Surprised, I reflexively raised my leg, which caused Eunji to be thrown to the ground.

I was surprised and lifted Eunji with both hands, even though I had to touch his scales.

“Are you okay? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just surprised.”

The kid, who was lying on the palm of my hand seemed to have fainted.

There were no injuries at all, but he was pretending to be sick.

“……why are you pretending to faint? You scared me!”

But even after hearing the nagging, the kid lay down again on my palm with a bright face.

“It’s so strange.”

Kayden, who was watching us quietly, rubbed his chin and asked, “Do you understand what this snake is trying to say? I have no idea what he’s doing, but you seem to know.”

I only realized it after hearing that. That I feel Eunji’s emotions.

Just by looking at the snake’s expressionless face, how could you tell what it was thinking?

But now I can guess his feelings to some extent.

“I guess this monster is really imprinted on you.”

Despite Kayden’s words, Eunji was resting peacefully on the palm of my hand.

“Is that so……?”

In fact, in this situation, there was no possible answer other than Kayden’s assumption.

Since Eunji is a monster imprinted on me, if he recognizes me as his owner, it means he won’t hurt me.

That’s good. I’m a little curious what Enoch will say when he sees him.

“Okay, let’s go.”

I put Eunji in my dress pocket. Then he poked his head out.

After patting my pocket, I headed to the hut with Kayden.

I’m sure everyone is worried, so I have to hurry.

But, unfortunately, the problem lies elsewhere. The hut had become a mess while we were away.

15. Butterfly Effect

I returned to the hut with Kayden, but there was no one.

It was dark around because the sun was setting and shadows were cast in the sky.

“Where did everyone go?”

Kayden pulled out his dagger and held it in his hand, moving slowly.

We looked inside the hut, but there was no one there.

It seemed they weren’t planning on leaving. Because in the hut, each of them’s luggage was scattered around. It was as if everyone had left for urgent business.

And it was then.

koo-ooh–!!

A great roar echoed through the forest. Kayden and I looked at each other in the face, looked around, and hurriedly left the hut.

bang!

Another roar sounded, and in the distance, I could see the bushes swaying and trees falling.

After that, the birds flew in the sky.

“What do you think is going on over there?”

“Let’s check it out.”

At my words, Kayden nodded his head nervously.

Eunji wriggled out of my pocket and looked up at me pitifully as if not wanting to be left out.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

However, even with my words, he was spinning around in place, showing a sad look.

“It might be more dangerous over there.”

Eunji was still wriggling and protesting to take him too. I looked at the earthworm slithering on the floor, and held out my hand.

“Are you sure you won’t fall off my arm then?”

Then, as if Eunji had been waiting, he climbed up onto my palm and wrapped my wrist with his body.

The feeling of the scales touching my skin wasn’t very pleasant, but it didn’t seem like he would come off easily if I wrapped him around my wrist.

In the end, I wrapped Eunji around my arm and grabbed two harpoons placed at the entrance of the hut.

Kayden asked, “What’s that?” as he took the harpoon from me and saw Eunji gently wrapped around my wrist like an accessory.

“He begged to follow me.”

When I smiled and waved my arm, Eunji raised his head as if to protest that he was dizzy.

“Okay okay, I will stop.”

I smiled and lowered my hand. And Kayden shook his head as if he had seen something strange.

“Anyway, let’s go.”

At Kayden’s words, I held the harpoon more firmly and went with him to the place where the roar sounded.

***

Margaret disappeared.

I did some reconnaissance around the hut with Ruzef, but after returning, Margaret was nowhere to be seen.

“Maybe she went to collect mushrooms. I can’t see Lord either,” said Ruzef.

Just then, Yuanna was coming down from the second floor. Enoch strode toward her.

“Margaret.”

“……yes?”

Yuanna looked at him blankly.

“Where is Margaret?”

Enoch asked again. Then Yuanna looked at Ruzef with a bewildered face. However, Ruzef didn’t seem to know where Margaret was either.

“I don’t know……”

She looked at Enoch with a puzzled look. Not knowing what was really going on, Enoch sighed angrily and looked around the hut.

“What about the Crown Prince Arthdal and Sir Diego? Do you know where they are?”

Yuanna frowned when Enoch asked in an arrogant tone.

“You are so rude.”

“Just answer the question.”

Enoch’s face was so fierce. He seemed to have nothing to do with people other than Margaret.

“Arthdal ​​is resting on the second floor. Sir Diego, I don’t know–”

Before Yuanna even finished her words, Enoch turned around. It was a completely different attitude from his usual, so Yuanna just stared at Enoch’s back with a puzzled face.

It was the same as in the Langridge Empire, but on this island, Enoch had not lost his character as a member of the noble imperial family. He wasn’t friendly, but he had manners.

However, he is different now. He looked so anxious as if he has lost his reason.

“What’s going on?”

Just then, Diego entered the hut. Enoch quickly approached him and asked about Margaret’s whereabouts.

“I saw Young Lady Floné go out with Lord a while ago.”

“When?”

“Now that you mention it, it seems that time has gone by quite a bit. The sun is setting…… Your Highness?”

Enoch did not listen to Diego to the end and left the hut.

Diego looked at Yuanna, not knowing what was going on. Then Enoch, who opened the door again and came in, asked Diego, “Where did she go?”

“Yes?”

“Did you see which way they went?”

“I saw them heading in that direction. I guess they just went out to get food.”

Enoch left the hut with a sword in hand and walked blindly in the direction Diego pointed.

Then Ruzef hurriedly rushed out.

“Your Highness? Your Highness!”

However, as if he couldn’t hear Ruzef’s voice, Enoch didn’t stop moving forward.

The sky was getting dark, and the forest was also dark.

There was no moonlight because the trees were high and covered the sky. It is a difficult situation to even walk forward.

“Your Highness, it would be dangerous to go any deeper.”

Ruzef looked around with an anxious expression and followed Enoch closely. He was so nervous that a monster might appear.

But Enoch did not stop his steps.

Eventually, they came out of the forest and reached the edge of the cliff. Under the moonlight, a truly horrific sight unfolded.

“Ugh!”

Ruzef found a giant dead tarantula in front of the cliff and collapsed on the spot.

There was a terrible stench, so he covered his nose and stepped back.

In addition, there were several smaller spider corpses around the giant tarantula.

Enoch, who was quietly looking around as if to grasp the situation, quickly pulled something out from under the tarantula’s legs.

“Isn’t that Young Lady Floné’s bag?”

Ruzef asked with a puzzled face. Looking down at the bag in his hand, Enoch hardened.

“……it is.”

After a while, Enoch answered Ruzef’s question.

Ruzef slowly approached Enoch, glancing at the dead tarantula. And he looked carefully at the bag.

“May I check it out?”

Enoch didn’t answer and just stared blankly at the bag in his hand.

Ruzef took the bag from his hand and checked it carefully.

A notebook, flare bullets, and a few essential medicines were in it.

Strangely, the round magic tools Margaret used to attack monsters called flame bombs and a flare gun were nowhere to be seen.

As for the flame bombs, they were single-use only. Seeing the tarantula and spiders were dead, maybe they were already used.

So, where are the flare gun and Margaret? And where did Lord Kayden disappear?

“Where did you two disappear after leaving this here?”

Enoch didn’t say a word despite hearing Ruzef’s muttering.

He looked better when he was impatient just a moment ago. At least, he showed how he felt.

But now, no one knew what he was thinking. He didn’t seem to have any emotions, like an inanimate object that couldn’t feel anything.