It happened as I was walking along the forest path with the knights for about half a day.
A sharp sound broke the stillness of the forest, slicing through the air.
It was a swift noise, like the sound of cutting through the wind.
Immediately after, a dull burst and a short groan pierced my ears.
One of the knights walking beside me was struck in the shoulder by an arrow and fell without even having a chance to defend himself.
The sudden ambush shattered the peace of the forest in an instant, and tension filled the air.
However, the knights moved without hesitation or confusion.
As veterans honed through countless battles over the past month, they calmly and swiftly began to ready themselves for combat.
Leaning on my staff, I quickly surveyed the surroundings.
The dense forest, with its thick foliage, severely restricted visibility, but it was clear that there were at least thirty enemies.
Adding to that, there were archers lying in ambush somewhere, making the situation numerically unfavorable.
Even so, I judged that it wasn’t an impossible obstacle to overcome.
I drew the dagger from my belt and gripped it tightly in my hand.
The cold metal against my palm sharpened my nerves.
As I quietly steadied my breathing, waiting for the enemy’s next move, it happened.
“Attack!”
With a loud clash of metal, the demons revealed themselves.
Knights and demons clashed fiercely, the sharp sound of blades meeting and the heavy thud of shields being struck echoing throughout the forest.
Before long, the thick neck of an orc was severed.
Its massive head fell to the ground with a heavy thud, followed by the sound of armor tearing amidst a spray of blood.
Just then, an arrow flew toward me.
Before I could even react, Lilian, standing beside me, moved like lightning.
“Peridot, watch out!”
She raised her sturdy shield, deflecting the arrow.
The sharp sound of metal clashing against the shield and bouncing away stung my ears.
I barely had a moment to feel relieved when suddenly, the ground began to tremble.
The increasingly violent vibrations drew the attention of myself and the knights to a single point.
And then…
We witnessed an unbelievable sight.
The source of the earth-shaking tremors was a troll—a ferocious giant said to inhabit the northern mountain regions.
I wondered why it was here, but as soon as I saw the emblem of the Demon King’s army engraved on its shoulder, the situation became clear.
The troll was still some distance away from us.
However, with the Demon King’s army potentially lying in ambush, turning our backs and fleeing would have been foolish.
But at the same time, it was nearly impossible to fight both the Demon King’s army and the troll simultaneously.
The knights I had gathered were far superior in combat prowess compared to ordinary soldiers, but they were not heroes or beings like the Demon King.
I shifted my gaze to the dagger in my hand.
If it was the mithril dagger imbued with the power of a dragon, it could surely tear through that thick hide and strike the troll’s heart in one blow.
However, I did not possess the strong physique of a hero, nor had I mastered the art of swordsmanship.
With my unsteady legs, it was unthinkable to face that enormous monster head-on in a clash of blades.
I took a deep breath and made my decision.
“I’ll deal with the troll. Please hold off the Demon King’s army.”
For a moment, the surroundings seemed to freeze in an eerie silence.
But soon enough, the knights turned their backs to me and charged toward the Demon King’s army, as if they had accepted my words.
Step by step, I approached the troll.
When I was close enough, I pulled a bomb from my bag, aimed at the troll’s massive head, and hurled it with all my strength.
A deafening explosion filled the air, and black smoke billowed upwards.
But as I watched the troll emerge, unscathed and without even a scorch mark, I clicked my tongue bitterly.
If it had been orcs or goblins, they would’ve been obliterated instantly.
But I had expected that this monster wouldn’t be so easily fazed.
I turned my gaze to the glove on my hand.
I could feel the light rattle of the poison vial tucked inside my coat.
I didn’t want to use it, but there seemed to be no other option.
Slowly, I raised my hand and aimed at the troll.
When I awakened the Dragon Heart slumbering within my chest, magic began swirling violently in my palm, growing stronger and more intense with every passing moment.
I took a deep breath and stepped closer to the troll.
The overwhelming magic dyed the rose emblem on my glove a deep crimson.
My nerves tightened sharply, and a pain as if my bones were being carved away coursed through my body.
With every exhale, I felt as if my chest were collapsing.
I clenched my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut.
Just when I thought I’d reached my limit, an explosive surge of magic erupted from my palm, hurtling toward the troll with a deafening roar.
A blinding flash of light consumed the forest, stealing away my vision.
When the light finally faded, only the troll’s grotesquely torn upper torso remained.
The battlefield seemed to freeze in an eerie stillness.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed to my knees.
I lost my balance and caught myself with my hands against the cold earth.
The chill of the soil seeped into my skin.
My vision wavered, and I felt a hot, sticky liquid dripping from my nose.
When I wiped under my nose with the back of my trembling hand, it came away stained with red blood, just as I’d expected.
I tried to pull the vial from inside my coat with shaking hands.
But the next moment, I froze completely.
That magic—it was too familiar.
The chaotic noises of the battlefield seemed to fade into a deafening silence.
Every nerve in my body honed in on the source of that power.
When I turned my gaze, I saw it clearly—a silhouette standing amidst the trees.
Flora.
She emerged from between the trees, her red hair flowing in the wind, and her violet eyes glinting coldly.
“I told you not to come, Peridot,”
Flora’s voice was as sharp and frigid as a blade.
There wasn’t a hint of emotion in her flat, indifferent tone.
Looking at her, countless words tangled and spun in my head, but none of them managed to escape my lips.
Love, affection, obsession, sorrow, joy—so many emotions swirled and twisted inside me.
Yet one thing was clear:
the direction in which my heart was drawn.
Smiling faintly, I finally spoke.
“…I found a way to be with you.”
Reaching out my hand, I spoke.
“So, let go of the Demon King’s army and come to me.”
Flora’s face twisted.
On her cold expression, ripples of emotion began to spread.
Her gaze grew darker, and the faint smile on her lips turned into a sneer.
“The Demon King’s army, you say…?”
Her voice was low, but it carried anger and disdain.
“How dare you say something like that…”
As she lightly moved her hand, the crimson rose vines dormant in the forest began to writhe.
The vines moved like living creatures and surged toward me with terrifying speed.
Lilian, who was beside me, raised her shield to block the vines, but they tore through her shield like paper and flung her away.
She didn’t even have time to groan before she was hurled through the air and landed on the ground.
Shattered pieces of her shield and armor were scattered everywhere.
Flora’s violet eyes glinted coldly, and a cruel smile spread across her lips.
“Why would I betray the beloved Demon King… The only one who gave me a place where I belong?”
Her voice, gentle and sweet as if speaking to a past version of me, was mixed with obsession and madness that shone in her eyes.
As that same gaze turned toward another, a tidal wave of emotions I had never felt before surged within me.
Rage and betrayal, as if something precious had been taken from me.
And joy.
I realized what state Flora was in.
If she were in her right mind, there was no way she would direct such affection toward anyone but me.
The corner of my lips curled upward.
I pulled a small vial of poison from my coat.
Carefully removing the cork stopper, the thick liquid inside shimmered as it caught the light.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I brought the vial to my lips and swallowed the liquid in one gulp.
As it slid down my throat, it felt like it was scorching my esophagus and gut.
Soon, the pain spread through my entire body, and I let out a groan as a searing agony, like my nerves were burning, overwhelmed me.
But in the next instant, the Dragon Heart within me roared violently, flooding my body with magic.
I felt my bones creak and my muscles twist.
Though I thought I had grown used to pain, this was a torment beyond endurance.
Even so, I could move.
And so, leaning on my staff, I stood and faced Flora, opening my mouth to speak.
“…I’ll save you. Even if you don’t want me to.”
Slowly, I took a step forward.
With the dagger in my hand, I slashed through the attacking vines and continued moving toward Flora without stopping.
The closer I got, the more intense her attacks became, and the number of vines increased.
I couldn’t tell how many there were, but I wielded the Dragon’s magic to cut them down, taking one step, then another, drawing closer to Flora.
Finally, I broke through the dozens of incoming vines with my gloved hand and reached her.
My fingertips brushed against warmth.
A warmth and scent I had longed for so deeply.
Struggling to support my body that felt like it was about to collapse at any moment, I whispered the words I wanted to say most.
“I love you.”
I saw Flora’s expression distorted.
Her pupils trembled, and her lips quivered.
Even as I tried to keep myself conscious, my vision grew darker and darker.
“Peridot…”
The last thing I heard was Flora’s voice, soft and uncertain.
Whether it was real or just an illusion, I couldn’t tell as everything went black.