Chapter 201

A/N: For the first chapter, I would like to dedicate this to mtlspoilme. Thank you for letting me post my proofread of the link you gave us! Happy reading everyone!

**The characters, settings, and the story itself is not mine. I repeat this is only a proofread work. I used the translations provided by mtlspoilme.

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"Damn, what kind of forest is this!?"

Astana complained while looking back in the gloomy forest.

"I can't back out..."

Two lingering eyes looked back on the path they had just walked.

And he stopped.

"What? Why isn't there a way?"

The nobles who followed Astana's words turned their heads at the same time.

"Well, there really is no way..."

"That tree looks familiar, but couldn't it have come in over there?"

"No, I don't think they are..."

Opinions diverged.

Then, at the same time everyone looks at Astana.

What should we do?

The leader of this group was Astana, so it was only natural to seek his opinion.

"Why are you looking at me?!" Astana screamed loudly instead.

"You should find the way and serve me!"

That's what it meant to be a leader for Astana.

The most comfortable and the most important being.

Astana was born as the First Prince, the center of many things and lived his entire life in such honor which only made sense why his character is like that.

At that time, someone stepped ahead.

"Once you find a monster, I will fight it in front of you."

It was Bellesac with a sword.

It seemed that he had a new dagger this time and looks like he made up his mind.

He looks determined to be a part of Astana's entourage again.

"Yes! I trust you, Bellesac!"

Astana thought it was good, thinking he doesn't want to get through the eerie forest at the forefront.

"Well then I'll be the rear end."

When Bellesac stepped up, the others took this as a sign to step up as well.

"No matter how crazy the madman's forest is, there's still nothing much at the entrance."

"Right and there's too many of us. Even if the monsters show up, we'll be able to fight it!"

After all, they are still noble men who have been taking swordsmanship classes consistently since they were young.

They knew how to handle a sword in case of emergency.

A weak sense of relief and confidence returned to each other's faces.

"Then, shall we go straight ahead?" Bellesac asked Astana.

Stupid.

"No, the first thing you need to do is to stay in the entry area and get used to the geography." Astana replied with a frown.

In fact, Astana made that reason simply because he was too scared to go further into that forest.

"Oh, as expected!"

"I'll trust you, Your Highness!"

Astana's words that he doesn't want to go deeper into the forest made his henchmen happy.

Astana shrugged at the response and pretended to be rational.

"Because we are in this situation, other people will not be very different."

Even if it's him.

"What can only four people do." Astana murmured, recalling Perez.

There were as many as a dozen people who followed him.

Astana's shrugged shoulders stretched again triumphantly.

And it was just then when he was about to take a step.

A loud noise suddenly echoed through the quiet forest.

"Ahh!" Astana shrieked loudly, he covered his head while crouching.

"It looks like someone has fired a flare!"

Bellesac said while pointing to a red flame that shot up into the sky in the distance.

"I--I know!" Astana shouted, pretending to be calm.

"But weren't we going that way?"

In all likelihood, the monsters were the reason why a signal was set off.

So, if you're a person who wants to win by catching a monster, it's natural to run there.

Astana, however, stepped calmly to the opposite side of the signal.

"Go this way."

However, no one opposed the decision.

Because no one wants to go to the place where there was something that caused that signal to be fired.

The borderline of the plain where the forest and the land around the mansion meet.

****

Various attractions have been set up for aristocrats who do not participate in the hunting competition, including a table full of excellent food and simple games for men and women of all ages.

Exciting music was also playing continuously.

Emperor Yovanes, who came out of the bedroom by noon, was already drunk.

"This is all prepared by your daughter?"

Yovanes suddenly asked Gallahan, who was pouring drinks.

"Yes, that is right. Florentia struggled for a few days to pay more attention to the news of His Majesty's attendance."

Gallahan replied with a proud smile.

"Yes, yes. I envy you, I envy you."

Yovanes said quietly, bringing a glass to his mouth.

"It's not because she's my granddaughter, but our Tia is a very capable child."

Rulac also took a bite from the side.

"Haaa..."

Eventually, a huge sigh broke out from Yovanes.

Rulac, who was watching the scene, said with a smile.

"You must have a lot of trouble, Your Majesty."

"...Knowing that and yet you're still bragging about your granddaughter?"

Yovanes grunted.

"I'll step out for a while then."

Gallahan tactfully moved out.

The emperor, who poured the remaining alcohol, stared somewhere and opened his mouth.

"I'm still fine but why is it that everyone is talking about succession? Doesn't it seem like they're telling me to die soon?"

It was not uncommon for the emperor to be extremely reluctant to talk about succession.

Sine power cannot be shared with flesh and blood.

"I think Angenas is very anxious, seeing as they are worried about His Majesty."

"As if they are only worried!"

Yovanes poured alcohol into a half-empty glass of Rulac with a distorted face.

"They are pushing it as if I would die right now."

If there were no eyes around him, he would immediately empty the bottle.

Rulac shook his head.

The Empress must be in a sweet mood.

It wasn't Empress Lavigne who could be complaining about Yovanes like that.

However, the initial prey instinctively felt it.

Something is after him in the bushes, so he runs in the direction he shouldn't go.

He doesn't even know it was a cliff.

Rulac, grinning under his long beard, suggested in a worried tone.

"Your Majesty, this old man will speak out of old age. Why don't you be careful for the time being?"

"Be careful?"

"Yes. Like eating and drinking outside the Imperial Palace and the stuff coming from the Empress's Palace."

"The Empress's Palace?" One of Yovanes' eyebrows rose.

"Isn't that too much to say?"

Yovanes lowered his voice as if he was angry.

But it wasn't very intimidating.

His eyes were already shaking and his stern expression was cracked.

The sprout of doubt tends to take root horrifyingly quickly.

"I must have made a slip of a tongue."

Rulac gently pulled back.

"I'll drink alcohol as an apology."

However, there was a deep smile around his mouth hidden behind the glass.

It's always been fun to ruin Angenas's future.

****

(Florentia's POV)

"I told you. It's going to be like that."

Claryvan said, pointing to a red flare rising above the forest.

"It's already the third time."

"How many hours has the competition started and it is already like that?"

"Maybe they were surprised at nothing. Like a rabbit, or something like a rabbit, what a bunch of scaredy cats."

Claryvan put on his glasses and smirked.

"Magic flows in the forest of Madman and monsters haunt, but aren't these stories pointed at the center of the forest?"

"I know. The area from which the flare came up is still near the entrance."

Aren't you all too scared?

Lambodi's knights were seen dispatching towards the forest where the signal was fired.

"If they are scared, they should show a sincerity to abstain from coming out with their own feet. It's hard for my people."

"Surely, However..." Claryvan said, looking beyond the entrance of the madman's forest.

"No one knows what such a loud noise will attract. Also, the smell of blood from the hunted monsters might give them an appetite."

Perhaps because of the cold wind blowing, Claryvan's voice sounded cooler than usual.

It was then.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Down there.

It was still the entrance to the forest, but three signal flares came up at the same time from the side that was quite far from the entrance.

"Oho, something must have happened over there." Claryvan's eyes sparkled.

****

Astana and his company were walking along the edge of the forest.

Gasp!

There was no conversation, only a short breath can be heard.

It seems like they've walked for a few hours now, but they can't be out of breath just because they've walked in a place that wasn't as steep as a mountain.

"Is this because of Magic?"

Someone murmured through his breath.

Yes, that's right.

Because they are all drinking it in.

That's why their body must be as heavy as a cotton swab and their head must be dazed.

Rustling.

They heard a strange sound in the nearby grass.

"Ah! Shut up!"

Bellesac, who was still walking ahead, shouted and cut the bush harshly.

But there was nothing there.

Bellesac knew it, too.

About an hour ago, the nearby grasses, where the group walked, shook for no reason.

There were times when he ran away in surprise, and there were times when he bravely stabbed a pile of grass.

But every time, there was nothing in it.

"Maybe..."

Bellesac said and looked back at Astana.

"It seems that everyone is hearing hallucinations together. I heard that magic flows in the forest of Madman and that's probably why."

"Auditory hallucination..."

Fear can be seen in the faces of others.

"Your Highness, why don't you just abstain from this and leave?"

The first child of the Maimbert Family asked Astana.

"That's right, Your Highness."

The third child of Veletirons said the same thing.

"If--if you want, I will set off a flare."

He even showed the red flare he was holding in his hand.

"Are you crazy? No." Astana shook his head obstinately.

'Your Highness must not abstain in front of the Emperor.'

Empress Lavigne emphasized this several times.

It was then.

Rustling.

This time, a sound was heard from the grass a little farther behind the back.

Bellesac did not wield the sword this time.

He thought it was another hallucination.

But everyone's expressions were weird.

"Uh..uhh..."

All of them were pointing at the back of Bellesac.

Crack!

It was then that a strange sound was heard.

This time, it is not a hallucination.

Bellesac look quickly at his back and shouted in surprise.

"Mo-Monster!"

Green skin covered with scales, fangs protruding out of its lips, and an unusually long arms and huge body.

All of them stood frozen in fear.

The monster approached one step at a time, but none of them could move.

"How can I... Do it!" Astana only pushed Bellesac forward and shouted.

"God, the signal..."

In the end, it was the moment when the third child of Veletiron was trying to pull the string of the flare.

The monster's head burst out with a sound similar to the setting off of a flare.

Pop, boom!

A huge body that lost its head collapsed helplessly forward.

And it was Perez, covered in Monster's green blood.

"Found you."

Perez said, looking at Astana.