The knight’s heart was gradually enveloped by sorrow. He curled up, clutching his legs tightly with both hands, then pleaded:
“When you hand the money pouch to my wife, could you keep it from my daughter? I don’t want her to know her father isn’t coming back. Even one more day of ignorance would be a blessing…”
“And these… these are the mementos of the captain and the others…”
As he spoke, he pulled another pouch from his embrace. It was filled with the collected mementos of his fallen comrades.
He hoped Dorothy could carry these keepsakes back to Vidona and deliver them to the families of his companions.
Dorothy did not take the pouch. Instead, she turned away, her back to the knight’s despairing gaze, and spoke softly:
“Keep these items yourself. Once you leave the forest, you can hand them over to your companions’ families.”
“What…?”
The knight assumed Dorothy hadn’t grasped his dire situation, believing he still had a chance to leave the forest. His face flushed, he prepared to explain.
However, Dorothy cut him off.
“Once you’ve properly buried them, follow me.”
Reaching the bloodstains left by the demon, Dorothy paused, casting a glance back at him.
The knight stood rooted to the spot, the words of explanation dying in his throat.
‘If he hadn’t misunderstood, was she actually going to lead him out of the Gloomwood Forest?’
‘What kind of joke was this? The Gloomwood Forest was fraught with peril now. Even the strongest warrior in Vidona, the Guild Master, might not emerge unscathed.’
‘What could she possibly do?’
‘In the end, the most likely outcome was that both of them would be permanently trapped in the Gloomwood Forest.’
Dorothy, seeing through his thoughts, pulled back her hood, revealing her true face. A faint smile touched her lips as she asked, “Will you trust me?”
Her golden pupils reflected the brilliant starlit sky, and her silver hair shimmered with a delicate veil under the moonlight. Meeting her gaze, the knight felt as though he had fallen into a sweet, dreamlike haven, and he found himself compelled to believe her words.
‘Perhaps she truly could lead him out?’
Hope ignited within him, and he nodded firmly, retrieving the pouch from his hands.
Next, the knight dug a large pit beside the battlefield, burying the other fallen knights. He then carved tree trunks into wooden markers, erecting makeshift gravestones for them.
With everything done, Dorothy followed the demon’s blood trail forward. Though the knight harbored some doubts, he nonetheless kept pace with her.
‘If she intended to deal with the demon, he was willing to accompany her.’
Along the way, Dorothy learned the knight’s name was Ron, a young Third-Order knight whose dream was to command his own knightly order.
Knightly orders were arguably the most formidable fighting force in the Rosy Empire. While they might not rival the Adventurer’s Guild in terms of high-tier knights, their strict discipline allowed them to unleash power far beyond their rank, a feat adventurers could not match.
After following the blood trail for about half an hour, Dorothy finally encountered the demon.
Just as Ron had described, the demon was severely wounded. Its bat-like wings bore several gaping, unhealing holes, and it limped noticeably as it moved.
Demons generally possessed powerful regenerative abilities. Aside from direct incineration, it usually required the holy power of the Church to truly eradicate them.
The lingering power on the demon’s body, in fact, originated from the Church’s holy water.
However, the moment she saw the demon, Dorothy instinctively clenched her fists.
It wasn’t a mere demon; it was a hybrid, half-human and half-demon. The left side of its face clearly retained the original owner’s features, while the other half had devolved into the grotesque visage of a demon.
Yet, with just that half-face, Dorothy recognized its identity.
“Bruul?!”
Two months prior, Celia’s squad had rescued an adventurer team from the Gloomwood Forest, a team led by Bruul.
Ron stared intensely at the demon, his intense emotions causing the wound in his abdomen to reopen. He was quite surprised to learn that Dorothy knew this demon.
The demon, naturally, also noticed their arrival. Its terrifying eyes fixed on Dorothy, and its twisted tongue snaked out of its mouth, licking its cracked lips.
“What a pity. While the magical aura on you is incredibly sweet, it doesn’t quite compare to the three adventurers under your command. But that’s alright. If I could just have a taste, all these injuries of mine would likely heal.”
It possessed Bruul’s memories, but it was no longer Bruul.
“Senior, be careful! This demon possesses Fourth-Order strength, and its methods are exceptionally bizarre and cunning. Do not underestimate it!”
Ron’s warning drew the demon’s attention. It scoffed, its voice raspy with derision: “You’re still alive? Heh, I should have torn you to shreds back then.”
“Damn demon! You’re at the end of your rope. Today, you’re destined to die here!”
“Is that so?”
The demon let out a shrill laugh, its horrifying sound waves shaking leaves from the trees. Ron yelled a warning, hastily casting magic to defend himself, while simultaneously bracing for the demon’s next move.
But before he could finish his incantation, the demon darted into the woods behind them, disappearing in a few quick movements.
“Damn it, it’s trying to escape!”
Ron drew his longsword, ready to give chase. It was then that Dorothy finally made her move.
She simply raised her hand and snapped her fingers. A faint floral scent permeated the air, and countless threads of silvery-white magic, under Ron’s bewildered gaze, vanished into the forest.
Moments later, the grass ahead stirred subtly. A bizarre, blood-red figure, bound by the silken threads, was dragged out.
The demon, so arrogant just moments before, was now firmly bound by the silvery-white magic, utterly unable to move.
‘Was this truly the terrifying demon that had nearly wiped out their knightly squad?’
Watching the demon struggle futilely on the ground, Ron suddenly felt the immense disparity in their strength.
At the same time, a profound curiosity about Dorothy’s identity blossomed within him.
Dorothy walked up to the demon, looking down at it with words dripping with menace: “Tell me everything you know. I assure you, demons also feel pain.”
However, the frenzied demon seemed unfazed by the threat.
“If you do that, aren’t you afraid Bruul will feel the pain too? Remember, half of me is his body!”
“With his body possessed by a demon, he can no longer live.”
Dorothy had seen adventurers possessed by demons before. Their fates, without exception, had always been death.
“What’s wrong? Are you pitying Bruul?”
The demon, perceiving her thoughts, formed a grotesque smile on its hideous face.
“Heh heh, no need for pity. Soon, you’ll be joining him. Even those you wish to protect will meet the same end as you both!”
“Just wait, just wait!”