A sneer escaped me unbidden. Roam has a knack for public agitation. So I assumed if he'd organized a search party, he'd have concocted a plausible pretext for it.
My father, busy with official duties, and Freesian would find it difficult, but at the very least, he would prominently include someone connected to me.
But Arin? The nerve of a knight who once plunged a blade into his master's back.
The situation was obvious. Arin, who had testified to rumors about me that weren't true, had been imprisoned for betraying his master regardless of the truth.
But after things turned out this way, the family must have retrieved him. If it's him, he'd search desperately for me to secure his return.
And to others' eyes, it would appear as a knight's noble devotion, anxiously searching for his lady.
"There's no way we can pass with the search party spread out like that."
Zenon, hidden in the brush and surveying the soldiers in the distance, let out a sigh. If he could use magic, he might have found more varied approaches, but regrettably, Zenon was currently an ordinary person.
The rural village where we'd met was now crawling with Roam's soldiers. I didn't know how they'd ended up there, but they'd clearly caught wind of something.
Perhaps the farmers who'd tried to capture me had reported it somewhere. They might have recognized me from the wanted poster.
"By the way, what's your relationship with that knight up ahead? He's searching for Lady Anel with such desperate fervor."
"......He was my knight."
"A knight...... doesn't that mean someone like your right hand? Then shouldn't we seek his cooperation?"
A right hand. I'd heard someone describe it that way. I twisted my lips as I replied.
"Even though the last image I remember of him is his face as he testified before the Roam family that I dragged men into my bedroom every night?"
Zenon's lips flapped wordlessly before he coughed awkwardly.
"......I spoke nonsense."
"Glad you realized it."
I replied cynically and gazed at the village visible in the distance. Right now they're only searching the village, but soon they'll cross into this forest. If they search the mountain range, they'll discover traces of our camp.
To reach Gelburn, we must pass through that village, but other routes surely exist. But would the search party only be in that village?
What if the search parties are sharing information and cooperating?
No, that's impossible. Not the Roam I know. And the imperial family I know would try to monopolize information and capture me first.
"We need to take a detour."
"Which direction would be better?"
There are two paths circling around the village. One leads to a river, the other to plains. Riding a horse across the plains would be faster but easier to spot, wouldn't it?
"Just so you know, monsters might appear near the river...."
"Let's go to the river."
"Did you properly understand what I just said?"
"You said monsters appear there. If they came after receiving a tip about me, they wouldn't think I'd go to a monster habitat unless I was insane."
The people of Roam's ducal house would know better than anyone that I had zero ability.
Especially since I was known to have been kidnapped by a wyvern—they wouldn't think I'd barely survive only to go somewhere with monsters again.
"Besides, compared to people, monsters are far more trustworthy."
At my words, Zenon's eyes widened in shock.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Well, there's another person like my master here."
Wait, someone else realized life's truths without even dying once, when I only came to understand them after dying and being resurrected?
"I don't know who your master is, but they're certainly enlightened. It's just a shame about their disciple's fortune."
I murmured indifferently, and Zenon looked at me with dissatisfaction.
"Hey, do you know who's working hard to help you right now?"
I looked at him steadily and quirked the corner of my mouth.
Are mages always this simple? I remember the Magic Tower mages dispatched to Gelburn being more fastidious and upright.
The imperial mages I'd met before were all ones hiding snakes within.
"I know, Zenon."
Well, better to be this simple than to put on mysterious airs. I smiled faintly and stood up. I should stop chatting and escape quickly. It would be a disaster if we lingered and got tracked.
Thinking riding a horse would attract attention, I was about to travel on foot when I noticed Zenon standing there motionless. What's he doing?
"What are you doing?"
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing."
Zenon shook his head frantically and scrambled to move. What's wrong with him, really? Did he disturb a hornet's nest? Leaving my curiosity behind, I continued walking.
As we neared the water's edge, the fishy smell grew thick. Perhaps because my senses had developed, the odor was particularly strong.
The rough sound of water was quite refreshing. The river is close. With dense vegetation around, if we just cross the river quickly, we'll be able to hide without difficulty.
[No scent of iron. No enemies following.]
Thanks to Nesi's occasional checks, we could move more swiftly. As I sensed the destination drawing near, my body naturally grew impatient.
I licked my dry lips and gazed ahead. Past the thick brush, I could hear the sound of water. Ah, almost there.
We're almost there, but......
"Stop."
At my sudden command, Zenon hesitated. Simultaneously, Nesi bared his teeth as he sensed something, staring ahead.
Unlike crowded cities, in forests or by rivers, my keen senses prove quite useful. Detecting human presence is much easier. Like right now.
Nadav snorted unpleasantly.
[Boss, I sense an ominous aura.]
I still don't think the search parties would cooperate. Neither Roam nor the imperial family would want to share information with each other. Even if a third party from a foreign nation got involved, they would surely do the same.
But I completely overlooked that the Temple might be different.
"What's wrong?"
Zenon looked puzzled at my figure standing frozen, staring ahead. If I turn and run from here, they'll follow me, won't they?
"Since the target is me anyway, you escape when you see an opening. You know the destination, right?"
"Huh?"
"I'll pay you later, so buy the goods in advance and wait."
[The enemy's aura is strong. I will protect you.]
Nesi stepped forward righteously. I glanced at such Nesi and smiled faintly.
"Thanks, but protect your herd's fragile males first, Nesi."
I slowly stroked Nadav's spine and took a deep breath.
Alright, I can do this.
"Wait, Anel......"
"See you later, Zenon."
I grabbed Nadav's neck and leaped with all my might. In an instant, I was astride the horse and yanked the reins. The presence by the river, lying in wait for my approach, stirred all at once.
"Run, Nadav!"
Nadav stamped his feet and shot forward. At the sudden start, my body swayed, but I kept my upper body as low as possible and withstood the wind pressure.
Behind me, I heard clamorous shouts and noise. Among them, what rang out clearly was a man's voice, familiar to my ears.
Damn it, Samuel. How is that bastard tracking me?
[Boss, people are swarming from ahead!]
The pursuers behind must have signaled the search party in the village. I grit my teeth and gripped the reins tightly to keep from falling.
"Can we break through?"
[Ordinary weapons cannot wound me.]
Nadav's speed at full gallop was faster than an ordinary horse. If I hadn't grown healthier after my resurrection, I might have fallen off long ago.
"Then punch through."
Just then, human silhouettes began to appear ahead. The soldiers bustling to block my path faltered at the sight of Nadav not slowing down.
A few brave ones stepped forward with weapons raised to block the way. I clenched my jaw and lowered my body as much as possible.
The soldiers reflexively hunched over, startled by the imposing presence of the horse closing in on them. Simultaneously, Nadav leaped over them.
The soldiers belatedly came to their senses and thrust their weapons, but Nadav skillfully dodged as he advanced.
"My Lady!"
The hood had come almost completely loose from clinging to the swaying horse's back, fluttering about. The mottled dye apparently had no real effect, as Arin recognized me instantly.
"My Lady, it's me, Arin!"
The soldiers couldn't stop Nadav. Even if they threw their lives at it, blocking him wouldn't be easy, and seeing Nadav—uniquely sturdy and threatening compared to ordinary horses—they were intimidated from the start, so stopping him was impossible.
Alright, let's break through like this and enter the mountain range.
"Nadav, that way!"
I sensed several people belatedly leading horses to give chase. Who cares. I ran looking only forward.
I intended to run deep into the mountain range, into a deep forest where monsters might appear. It was right in front of me. I'd been clinging prone all this time, but now I lifted my upper body slightly.
I'd definitely memorized the map, but perhaps because I was rushed, the terrain here didn't immediately come to mind.
So if I go straight like this and then cut in, there should be a forest, and that forest was probably where I'd met Nadav?
Familiar trees flashed past my vision in an instant. Ah, the forest. The trees would begin to hide us in earnest.
If we cut through the forest, beyond it would be......
"Ugh!"
A searing pain in my arm suddenly severed my fumbling thoughts. The hand gripping the reins tightly lost strength, and my body swayed.
[Boss!]
My body, having lost balance atop the galloping horse, tilted precariously. Nadav slowing in surprise and my body flying off into the brush above happened almost simultaneously.
The dense brush, half my height, was felt to have at least somewhat cushioned the fall's impact.
Even so, my vision flickered momentarily and my head rang dully. Is this it—am I really dying this time?