The Unicorn Hunt Takes a Turn

“Huh?”

Maple and I exchanged glances, then said in unison, “Calling a deer a horse!”

“Come on, let’s go find the real unicorn.”

“What? You want to go even deeper?”

“Look, there are already people here. A unicorn couldn’t possibly appear in this area.”

“Alright…” I nervously glanced back at the eerie, dense forest behind us, hoping I would still remember the way back later.

“Don’t worry. We have an advantage when it comes to finding unicorns,” Maple told me with absolute confidence.

“What advantage?”

“Because unicorns are only attracted to pure maidens, of course.”

The truth, however, was that two femme-presenting men were going to lure a unicorn.

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up too high,” I told Maple sincerely.

“No, I am full of confidence.”

I tilted my head in disbelief, staring at the small ponytail at the back of his head. Where did this mysterious confidence come from? Was it the ponytail bestowing it upon him?

“Oh, right. How about you wear women’s clothes to attract the unicorn?” I suggested.

“Stop thinking such nonsense!”

“Haha~”

“With Your Royal Highness Princess here, why would I need to wear women’s clothes to lure a unicorn?” Maple said, his face flushed, yet utterly serious.

“No, no, no. Perhaps this unicorn has a rather unique taste. It might be more interested in someone like you, a femme-presenting man.”

“How could such a unicorn possibly exist!”

The sky gradually darkened.

A small wild rabbit hopped past us.

It was the only living creature we had seen, despite risking getting lost. I quipped sarcastically, “Isn’t that a unicorn?”

“Are you hungry?”

“What—?”

Maple asked me this so abruptly. Could he possibly be planning to catch that rabbit and roast it?

I shook my head like a rattle-drum. “No, please. Now, when I see a rabbit, it’s like seeing one of Luo Bing’ai’er’s kin. I simply couldn’t bear to harm it.”

“Here.” Maple pulled a hot dog from the satchel on his horse’s back and handed it to me.

Turns out I had misunderstood.

On another note, this hot dog was incredibly long!

“This was brought from Britannia. Eat without worry; it’s not poisoned.”

“You Britannians eat this kind of thing? This long???”

“Why not just break it in half for each of us? Here.”

“It’s still so long!”

“What’s so special about this? Men from Britannia can fit a hot dog of this length into their mouths in one bite!”

I was stunned! “Then show me! Perform it for me???”

“Don’t put me on the spot.” Maple guiltily bit into the hot dog, eating it in tiny bites, truly like a girl.

“Hmph. If I had known you brought your own provisions, I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to cook for you,” I chided playfully.

The sky grew darker and darker.

Pitch black.

The darkness was boundless.

Just like my surname, Black.

Huh? Did I just compose a poem?

After all, staying too long in a forest like this could make anyone abnormal.

I cleared my throat. “In any case—we’re lost again, aren’t we???”

Maple solemnly defended himself. “The more secluded the place, the more likely a unicorn is to appear!”

“You’re just making excuses for getting us lost, aren’t you?”

“Look! There’s a lake over there.”

Don’t be ridiculous. What a clumsy way to change the subject.

I retorted sarcastically, “Isn’t that the ocean? Is your horse preparing to swim us back to Britannia!”

Maple suddenly stopped. He looked back at the eerie, shadowy forest with alarm.

“What is it now?” I asked, bewildered.

“It seems something is following us.”