1

The new day dawned clear, dry. There was not a hint left of yesterday's misty and foreboding air. The skies above Varnam were beautiful blue and the spirited songs of little sparrows, wagtails, and robins—or their otherworldly counterparts—could be heard clearly through the thin tavern window.

It was nothing short of the perfect day to go out on an adventure.

No less than thirty local volunteers had defied the elder's will and come to seek employment with the Imperials. Even if the town wasn't exactly plagued by poverty, there were always those who preferred to have more rather than less, and three silver was an absurdly high pay for a day’s work.

Of the volunteers, the knights sent back home ten after a superficial examination. Even if there would’ve been work for more, they had to make sure the supplies would last through the uncertain duration of the trip. Still, the remaining strong hands were recruited, with their horses, upgrading the expedition to over a hundred and twenty strong.

Contracts were written and in less than an hour, the large encampment had disappeared from the southern field, the tents and supplies packed back into the three wagons. One more wagon and some additional supplies had been purchased from the town. The riders assembled again in a long line, with four in a row, ready to depart.

“Company! Order! Attention!”

All the riders straightened up in their saddles and the chatter died down.

At the front of the line, Colonel Miragrave faced her troops and conveyed the marching orders without much enthusiasm in her tone,

“As per his majesty's orders, we will hereby commence our expedition into the Felorn woods. Our first goal point will be the woodcutters' outpost by the river Alams, eighty-five miles from Varnam. Do not tally, I expect us to reach there by midnight. You—expect the night to be a long one. Before anyone rests, that outpost will be reformatted into a stronghold to serve as our foothold in the forest. The roads made by the locals will take us comfortably there, but what follows thence...we shall see once there. Stay on the path. Listen and respect our guides. Do not cut the trees and do not kill any animals you come across without permission. That is all. The team leaders will give you your tasks when it is time. Let's go earn our pay. Are you ready?”

“Ma'am! Yes, ma'am!” All hundred knights answered in unison, with the level of volume that probably left no one in Varnam asleep.

“Then, move it.”

“Company! Forwaaaaard, MARCH!”

And so, the journey began.

There was a shortage of mounts, so Izumi, having admittedly never ridden a horse before, had to contend with a ride aboard one of the wagons. Not that she minded too much. Horses made her uneasy. They looked identical to the horses on Earth—as far as she could tell—but having lived in a city her whole life, Izumi had never actually seen a horse outside of TV before. They might as well have been fantasy creatures to her. She didn't like the way the black stallions eyed her, or how they tried to munch her hair if she got too close.

Unexpectedly, Sir Brian joined her.

The Imperials still didn't trust the man and giving him a horse might have made the idea of escaping at an opportune moment too tempting. He wasn't particularly embittered by the arrangement either. Perhaps riding across two kingdoms in so short a time had taken its toll on his sitting muscles. At least they didn't put him in chains.

Riswelze, on the other hand, had rented a mount for herself from the town. A brown gelding, it was smaller and less dignified than the black Imperial horses, but she seemed right at home on its back. It looked happy to carry her around too and responded readily to her guidance, as though they had been friends since birth.

“I'm not much for wagons,” she told Izumi, riding behind the transport. “Bad memories.”

“So you’re leaving me here all alone?” Izumi complained.

“Why, aren't you in good company? Maybe you'll stop being a single soon?”

Besides Brian, there were also a few Imperial knights who felt under the weather aboard the wagon.

Had last night's exciting events been too much even for the nerves of the hardened elite? No. More likely, they had slipped to investigate Varnam's pub culture in the cover of the night and overestimated their tolerance for the local ale. They now sat quietly staring at their knees, avoiding sunlight, and moaning in agony whenever the wheels hit a bump on the road.

“Very funny of you,” Izumi pouted. “How's Yule doing?”

“Up there, right next to the big shots,” Riswelze replied, gazing ahead. “Seems to be doing just fine, by the looks of it. Sure is quick to go with the flow, our princess. You don't think the iron lady has stolen her heart? 'Master', she keeps calling her, though she's not a kid anymore. Think she even remembers us by this point?”

“Well, can I blame her? Mira-rin sure is cool and glamorous and has her act together. Makes me wish I were twenty years younger. Why must time be so cruel?”

“Aren’t you blaming your time a little too much?” Riswelze asked. “It’s starting to sound like an excuse for not taking your chances when given some.”

“Chances?”

“That's right. Love’s a war, you know? You need to keep fighting all the way through, or the treasure will fly from your hands. The moment you start second-guessing yourself—that’s when you’re done. Isn't that how it goes? No one can afford to get complacent on the battlefield, no matter how certain their victory seems.”

“What's this about now? Yule and I don't have such an intense relationship, I think...” Izumi awkwardly mumbled.

“Right. Like anyone’s going to believe that, after everything that happened.”

“To begin with, we’re both women...”

“What of it?” Riswelze shrugged. “I’ve tried both ways. It’s not that hard. Takes a bit of imagination sometimes.”

“...Aren’t you a free spirit?” Izumi looked away, trying to hide the color of her face. “Ever thought about becoming an adventurer for real? I think it’d suit you more than poking people with sharp objects.”

“Thanks, but I’m comfortable enough with my current career plan. Adventure makes for a nice spice, among other things, but tends to get unhealthy in larger doses.”

“And murdering people doesn't?”

“At least it pays real money,” the girl shrugged. “Money makes the world go ‘round. Once I have enough saved up, I’m thinking of settling down somewhere with peace and quiet. And maybe with someone nice by my side, someone who cares, who can look after themselves, is a little dense here and there, has a bit of a wild side, but is dependable when it counts...”

“Does such a wonderful person even exist?” Izumi pondered.

“...You know, I have to wonder if you aren’t doing this on purpose?”

“Doing what?”

“Fine, fine. Be that way then. I’m just saying, even if things don’t turn out so well for you with her highness—well, there are always other options, some even pretty close by. If you get what I'm saying.”

“Appreciate the concern, thank you, but no matter how they're fantasy knights, that's not my thing at all.”

“Huh? Oh. No, that's now that I was—”

“Is it your preference then?” Izumi asked. "Not that it's got anything to do with me, but I'd recommend going for somebody who's not away from home all year round. Long distance relationships always go south. Not that I'd know, but you read all kinds of things online.”

“Like I said, that's not what I—Aah, you’re impossible! I'll show you a long distance relationship!” Riswelze groaned, urged her horse on and rode past the wagon.

“I don’t get you people,” Brian, who sat nearby and couldn’t avoid overhearing, commented.

Gazing absentmindedly into the distance, Izumi replied,

“Well, women just happen to be complicated like that.”

2

The long line of riders was soon in the woods down to the last. As the open fields were gradually left behind and the tall, majestic trees encircled the cavalcade on all sides, momentary unease gripped Yuliana's heart. It felt as if they were riding into a great trap, or the maw of an enormous beast, whence there would be no escape. It was a whole new world for her. There were barely any larger forests in Langoria, certainly none close to this scope.

However, in a while, as nothing particularly threatening happened, the anxiety melted away and became replaced by child-like awe and wonder. At the edge, the forest was still relatively new and marked by human care, having been thinned out, cut down, and regrown many times over the centuries. The trees here were all roughly of the same age, long, straight, and stout, without many branches until the crown, through which daylight easily penetrated. Roughly eighty, some even a hundred feet in height, the trunks stood wide apart and almost evenly spaced, like the pillars of a fairy king's palace.

The forest floor looked also clean and level with only light undergrowth. Light green moss carpeted the woodland, leaving clear visibility far to the sides. All the dry, dead branches had been meticulously picked up to fuel the stoves and ovens of the town. Nature here had to have been accustomed to human presence but whatever small animals and birds lived in the area didn't care enough about the visitors to show their faces.

Following the thrilling start, the mood gradually turned leisurely, almost merry. Here and there, the silence of the march became broken by casual chatter and song. Rather than an important, classified mission in the name of the Emperor, wasn't it more like an uplifting hunting trip with friends?

“What kind of animals live here, anyway?” Back in the wagon, Izumi asked Brian. “Do you know?”

“I don't,” the knight answered. “I'd prefer not to find out, to tell the truth.”

“Don't they have schools in Langoria?” one of the Imperial knights heard them and asked. “Or were you too poor to attend one? How can you not know a thing about Felorn? The Darkwood? Nothing? Doesn't ring a bell?”

“I assume you're better informed then?” Izumi asked him.

“Of course! A little child would be!” the man replied. “Only someone with a deathwish would think of venturing into such a place without bothering to learn the next thing about it. And I'm not just talking about geography class. We trained weeks for this mission. We studied the texts of renown scholars such as Ermilius II or Totenheim, who made many extensive excursions into the depths of Felorn, even before Agelaos's time.”

“They did?” Izumi asked. “And made it back alive too? I thought Akko was the only one?”

“Ha!” the knight laughed at her. “You southerners fear forests like they're evil itself and only listen to old songs. Let me tell you this: nature is nature. It is no more evil than it is benevolent. It gives and it takes, the weak perish and the strong triumph. For every action, there is an appropriate reaction. That is all. Everything beyond that is baseless superstition and rubbish.”

“Well, I've heard about Darwin too,” Izumi retorted, “survival of the fittest and all that. But I still don't know what's out there.”

“Anything!” the knight replied. “Felorn is incredibly diverse. Boreal here in the south, further towards north it turns tropical, and the types of wildlife and flora vary accordingly. Even if the globe were to stop turning, in Felorn one could still experience all the seasons without ever setting foot outside the shade of its trees. But it is also the kingdom of Elementals. No other known place in Noertia has as high a concentration of spiritual presence. As Ermilius wrote, in Noertia, Felorn is the place closest to the memory of Galanthea, the Golden Land of yore.”

“Are there Divines too?”

“Yes, of course. And drawn by the presence of the higher spirits, a great many beasts have set home in Felorn, after fleeing the expansion of human territories. Most of them are harmless to people, others—exceedingly lethal. Man-eating praetons. Manticores. Wyrmids. Arachnids. Fiends. Harpies. Basilisks. Panthers. Rabbits. Cockatrices...There are hundreds of known species. Known, mind you. Not even close to all of them have been discovered yet.”

“Was it just my imagination or was something unexpectedly cute included in the list…?”

“That reminds me,” another knight said. “I heard a dragon’s been spotted in the Edrian Bay. The sailors from Melgier have seen it many times in the recent years. It could be hiding in the forest.”

“I've heard the rumors too, but I wouldn't count on the word of pirates. No dragons have been sighted in Tratovia for over four hundred years.”

"You said nature's neither evil nor gentle, but I think that sounds pretty bad for us,” Izumi returned to the topic. “With so many dangerous creatures roaming about, exactly how are we supposed to get out of here alive?”

“Rest easy, madam,” the Imperial said. “Felorn is Lord Matheus's domain. All nature here obeys his will. So long as we do nothing to offend the great spirit, we should be safe. In any event, the beasts mostly avoid people. They'll hear our racket from afar and run.”

“That’s how it works? By the way, has anyone ever ever seen this spirit lord before?”

“Not in centuries, no. But our Lord Cinithlea has told us he rules in Felorn, so it must be true.”

“And he's nice to people?”

“You don't even know this?” the knight shook his head, exasperated by Izumi’s ignorance. “Lord Matheus was created by the Old God Hamaran, who also created us humans. We are his chosen people, he has no reason to seek our deaths. Rather, we should count on his protection, so long as we don't do anything stupid.”

“Eeh, is that true?” Izumi was confused. “I thought humans were Ai-chan's chosen people…?”

“Ai...who? Is that one of your Langorian deities?”

“Er, I mean Aiwesh!” Izumi clarified. “The great, all-able, all-knowing, always good fairy godmother of the Langorians, Aiwesh! The Lord of Light. If I remember right, Ai-chan was made by...was it Brann? Since she seems to love people lots, I was under the impression that humans were—”

“What? No,” the Imperial interrupted Izumi, frowning. “Brann's people are goti, the sages of Val Astea. Listen to me. The Gods created one intelligent race each as their chosen followers. Hamaran, the God of Agriculture, created humans. Brann, the God of Light, created goti. But Brann had no Divine servant, and I’ve never heard of a Lord called ‘Aiwesh’. How could such a Divine have anything to do with a little land like Langoria, which only came to be less than nine centuries back? Oh, you southerners. Always twisting mythology to increase your importance! The Divines will not be pleased with such trickery.”

“Whaaat,” Izumi gasped. “You haven’t even heard of Ai-chan—I mean, what can I say? I was an orphan and a poor student, so...Thank you very much for explaining things to me, nice Sir! Anyway, what do we need to do to stay in Mat-chan's good books then?”

“Ahem, as I told you, Matheus is a benevolent Lord,” the knight answered. “He even allows the people of Varnam and other nearby villages to cut more wood than they need, to sell and prosper. Not many things may anger him. Disrespect towards the nature, mainly. Needless destruction and killing. And...”

“And…?”

“Harming his kindred. Whatever happens, we must not hurt the Elementals. That is an unforgivable crime. It was what destroyed Emperor Yollam.”

“Hm? He wasn’t just punished for the arrogance and greed in his heart?”

“You haven’t heard this either? No, no, no. They say, Lord Matheus gave the Emperor a warm welcome and his blessing to build a road through Felorn. For a time, the work proceeded peacefully. But one day, the story says, the Divine sent him a messenger, a unic—”

“—Oh for the love of Divines! Enough of this housewives' blather, Mihar!” Another knight hollered from further behind. “I have the hangover of the century, and having to listen to you drone on isn't making it any better! I demand silence! Ooh, curse this road and curse the unskilled peasants who built it…!”

This time, Izumi’s ignorance went only partially remedied. Lost in thought, she sat quietly, thinking about the unknown history of her new world. Oblivious to just how costly the gap in her education would prove.

3

The expedition progressed more or less in peace and harmony. It truly appeared they were blessed. Despite the strict deadline for the march, the cavalcade advanced at a modest pace and kept breaks every two hours, to preserve the horses and the riders.

At noon they dined.

There was a mobile kitchen with a dedicated support squad, but being still on the move, the company made do with a light but effective meal of dried goods, water, and bread. Izumi found herself missing hamburgers and french fries.

The old road, imprinted on the forest floor by the wheels of the heavy carts with which the locals transported their timber, continued uninterrupted, deeper and deeper. As the journey went on, the formerly impersonal land started to exhibit some shapeliness and a richer variety of flora. Likewise, the road became less straightforward, conforming to the terrain and adjusting its course to avoid the larger trees, rocks, pits, and eskers, in favor of the most balanced possible course.

At times the path seemed unnecessarily roundabout, forcing the riders on lengthy loops, only to return a stone's throw from the previous position. Still, no shortcuts were taken, as tempting as they seemed. With discipline and patience suited for military, the company kept to the road—even if a few individuals did voice their colorful opinions on such roadmaking.

“Shall we show them how we Imperials make roads then?” The commander's less joking proposal was effective to silence the critics.

Although Felorn was indeed a thing of beauty in and of itself and the weather fittingly picturesque, the scenery ultimately exhibited little entertainment to an unaccustomed eye. As the slow hours of the afternoon crawled by, the initial novelty wore off and the trees gradually became somewhat monotonous to look at.

How many times had they passed an identical turn, crossed a hill exactly like that one, and witnessed a moss-covered rock of equivalent roundness and breadth? Being constantly on the move with no visible development or a good grasp of how many more miles were left, the trip started to strain anyone's nerves.

“Quite some detour, huh, your princess-iness?” At some point in the afternoon, Riswelze brought her horse closer to Yuliana's.

“Such is our fate,” Yuliana diplomatically—coldly—responded, without looking back.

“I expected no less,” the assassin shrugged. “To you, I'm still nothing but a cold-blooded killer, am I?”

“You have so far given me very few reasons to treat you otherwise.”

“Don't expect any in the future either. It's all the same to me what you think of me. Just don't sell me out to your new masters. I don’t mean to brag but I have a bit of a reputation in Tratovia...”

“...And what is that supposed to mean?” Yuliana looked back to glare at the girl.

“That I killed a lot of people and stole even more money?”

“Not what I meant. Who’s a master to who?”

“Hazard a guess?” Riswelze answered with a teasing smile. “Not that long ago, the Empire was the terrible foe threatening your home and chastity, trying to play you as a pawn in their nefarious game, and look where you're now? Riding side-by-side with said Imperials into the unknown. You forgot about daddy dearest this soon? Filing for a change of citizenship?”

“Begone,” Yuliana angrily faced forward. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“I'm mistaken then?”

“When are you not?”

“Then what did I get wrong? Entertain me.”

“It goes without saying,” the princess said. “Unlike you, I do not see only vileness, corruption, and treachery behind every corner. Yes, there are despicable individuals in Tratovia, some of them even working directly under the Emperor. Does that mean then that every Imperial is a vile criminal and without conscience? Of course not. There is a rotten apple or two in every tree, but that is no cause to throw away the whole harvest. I have personally nothing against Tratovia itself. My father was close friends with the previous Emperor and I regret to see our lands driven apart. My loyalty is and has always been to my fatherland, above all, but I haven’t discarded all hope for the Empire either. If only I may have an audience with his majesty and hear what he has to say, I'll be better equipped to understand the situation. Until then, there is no meaning in going out of our way to antagonize those who hold our lives in their hands.”

“Wow, what a model student answer,” the assassin yawned. “Pardon me, but you really are awfully boring, your highness.”

“I shudder to think what manner of a person you find 'interesting'.”

“Why, aren't our tastes quite similar in that regard? Or, so I thought.”

“What…?” Yuliana looked back again, annoyed.

“You two having a lovers' quarrel or what?” Riswelze asked. “After a week of being inseparable love birds, you've barely looked at one another for the past few days. Really, it's getting pretty gross. What's the problem?”

“W-w-w-what are you talking about?” The princess looked shocked and turned red all the way to her ears. “Izumi and I are not in such a relationship…!”

“Oh?” Riswelze grinned. “Then what's with that school girl reaction?”

“Why, you...Is toying with other people all you ever do? Leave me be already, you succubus!”

“Come on now. It's obvious to anyone she's not just a random stranger to you. Then, what is it? You arranged that little sparring session to get the lady to notice your good points, didn't you? You've sure had some terrible role models back home, if that's the best you could come up with. And it didn't quite work out, I’m afraid...”

“No, I must get stronger,” Yuliana replied. “I know I need to, if I am to survive. That sentiment was not a lie. Though, I do admit that having my shortcomings so openly displayed was frustrating...”

“Well, she’s not the type to give up on you just because you made a clown of yourself once or twice.”

“You're right. I know that.”

“Then, what is it? Come on. Talk to me.”

“Why is it so important to you, anyway? What’s between me and her?”

“Because all this ambiguity is driving me nuts.”

And I don’t want to see her so depressed, Riswelze thought but kept that to herself.

For a moment, Yuliana rode on in silence, looking away.

“I made a promise,” she finally said in a hushed tone.

“What was that?”

“Back in the banquet at Haywell, Izumi...um, she asked me to...She asked me to give her a kiss. I couldn't bring myself to do it at the time, but I promised I would kiss her properly after we'd get out of there. She was risking her life for my sake, and I, out of childish bashfulness...I’m so ashamed of what I said and did. And in the end, we made it out of that place alive and all but...it really is difficult to bring up again...”

“Huh…?” Riswelze stared at the princess with a blank look. “A kiss?”

“Yes...”

“What do you mean, a kiss? Just a kiss?”

“...Why? What is it?”

“The Hel are you talking about? Haven’t you gotten further than that by now?”

Yuliana looked like she was about to fall from her saddle.

“Further than—N-no! Of course not! How could we!? I mean—I wouldn't even know what to do!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me...”

“And it’s not ‘just a kiss’, I—it's the first time for me! It’s not that simple! I've never felt this way about anyone before!”

“Please, just stop. I can’t, I need a time out. Hold it...”

“I always felt mysterious soothed, being by her side. Simply looking at her face, I felt I was safe, that no matter how bad things would get, it would be alright. But lately, I become terribly anxious whenever I see her, and I can't say why. It's as if my heart is going to fail and it makes me scared...I can't even look her in the eyes anymore without starting to tremble and stammer. What is wrong with me? Do you think I’m sick?”

“Yeah, that's called love, hun,” Riswelze listlessly hung her head. “I imagined the level of conversation was going to be a little higher than that...”

“L-love?” Yuliana shrieked, immediately covering her mouth and glancing around to see if anyone heard. “T-t-that's not...W-we're both women, you realize! And she's so much older too...It feels wrong, somehow, like I really shouldn’t...”

“And? Technically, she's not even human, right? A being from another world. So being a girl is like, the least of the problems.”

“Also, she's a champion summoned by my Lord! She's way beyond someone like myself...”

“Well, if you don't want her, I can take her instead,” Riswelze announced.

“We’re so different, the way we perceive things, and how we think of...Wait, what?” Yuliana looked at the assassin in surprise. “You mean to say you...feel that way about her? You—love Izumi?”

“Yes, I do, princess obvious,” the assassin answered without a hint of shame. “My hands may not tremble, I’ve got no butterflies in the tummy, and the world doesn’t look any prettier either, but I should think that’s not the point. You got a problem with that?”

“W-well, for a villain, I admit you can be surprisingly earnest at times...”

“So you’ll play it down? You're confident you'll be chosen instead? Is it because you're a princess and I'm only ‘a lowly killer’? Even though you don't understand the next thing about other people's feelings, never mind your own?”

“No, I didn’t mean...”

“Well, good luck to you. From today on, we're rivals. I wouldn't let my guard down if I were you. A man or a woman, I'm confident I can make anyone fall for my charms. I've had plenty of field experience, after all. Your. Highness.”

“That's...preposterous! I'm not going to lower myself to your lev—”

——“ATTENTION! HALT!”

At that moment, a loud exclamation from the front part of the cavalcade shook the riders from their drowsiness. The order was repeated and the line of horses stopped immediately. Those further back tried to extend their necks to better see what was the cause of the unscheduled break.

Yuliana and Riswelze forgot about their argument as well. Being closer to the front, they had a better view than most others, though they had trouble making use of the advantage due to their shorter stature.

Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary.

The forest remained quiet and still everywhere around, the road also devoid of visible obstacles. The first thought to occur to the princess was that a tree had fallen across the path, but she found nothing of the sort. Only idyllic woodland basking in the light of the afternoon sun.

Then, straining her eyes and bringing her gaze steadily upward, Yuliana saw it.

There was an obstacle, after all.

As it remained perfectly still, the strange object blended uncannily well with its surroundings, eluding a hasty glance. It was only betrayed by the more reflective parts of its outlandish form, which the sun made temporarily glow with eye-catching brilliance.

Everyone who saw it was struck speechless by the vision.

About two hundred feet before the first riders stood a peculiar beast.

Easily mistaken for a statue, it vaguely resembled a horse in shape but was nearly three times as large. Instead of simple flesh covered in fur, its body appeared to have been carved of wood, of numerous curvy and slim pieces delicately assembled together, like the famous horse of Troy from the other world. The outlines of its long head, slim back, and round hips were plated with lengthy scales in the colors of golden autumn leaves.

The most striking detail of all, however, was the massive, curved headpiece, like a fantastic battleaxe embedded into the creature’s skull, right between the ears. The decoration looked exceedingly dangerous, not to mention heavy, but the wood-horse's thick neck proudly supported it high above the ground.

Like a misplaced, spectacular work of art by an unknown genius artesan, the horse statue blocked the way. Yuliana had never seen such a thing before. Neither had Riswelze.

But the Imperials, with their local guides, were fortunately better informed.

It was not a statue.

“——A UNICOOOOOOOORN!”

Realizing it had been discovered, the massive pseudo-horse kicked the road with its front leg, nudging back and forward in a threatening fashion.

“It's about to charge!” Colonel Miragrave shouted. “To the sides! Clear the way! Quickly!”

As predicted, the unicorn lowered its head and leaped nimbly into motion, against its heavy appearance. As anyone familiar with horned animals could tell just by looking, its apparent intention was to ram straight through the caravan, which it had identified as an enemy.

No in-depth knowledge of the Newtonian laws was required to understand what would happen to the much lighter, flesh-and-blood horses and riders in such a contest of mechanical forces. The knights hurried away from the road the best they could, left and right, splitting up the caravan lengthwise in the middle.

Due to its enormous mass and velocity, the beast luckily had no way to make finer adjustments to its course while in motion. Its very horse-like anatomy also prevented it from effectively seeing what was happening directly ahead of it. Thanks to this, evading its assault seemed simple in theory.

In practice, moving over a hundred horses and four heavy wagons out of the way on such short notice was far from a simple logistical task.

The creature kept gaining in speed as it galloped on.

The riders close to the front managed to avoid the onslaught easily enough, but those further down the line weren't yet clear on what was happening and were caught by surprise. A few knights were thrown off their startled mounts, eluding the monstrosity by a hair. But their troubles were nothing compared to the wagon drivers. The equipment loads weren't pulled by horses but bulls, which weren't the most agile or manageable of beasts.

It became shortly obvious that the last wagon, the one with Izumi and the under-the-weather knights on board, wasn't going to make it out of the way in time. Seeing this, the soldiers, Brian included, jumped off the ride and bravely tried to push the wagon off the road, with death mere seconds away.

They didn't quite make it. With most of the transport out of the way, the men abandoned the effort and dived to safety. Swinging its massive head, the unicorn brushed the wagon as it passed, shattering a few of its backwheels and side boards, very nearly knocking the whole thing over.

Having passed the entire cavalcade like this, the unicorn soon realized no more enemies were in view, stopped, and turned to reassess the situation. The mysterious eyes glowing in the sides of its head, like egg-shaped opals, examined the field, looking for a new target to vent its ire on.

And a target was soon found.

Brian struggled up from the sand and unwittingly made eye contact with the creature.

“Well, shit.”

The unicorn immediately turned at him and jumped energetically forward, brandishing the dangerous extension on its head.

The Langorian knight turned and escaped before the trampling hooves. He spotted one of the black stallions that had shaken off its rider a short distance ahead by the road and made for it as fast as he could.

Reaching the horse, he jumped in the saddle and whipped the reins. The animal was not pleased with its foreign rider, however, but reared and let out a loud, frightened cry, kicking air with its front legs.

“Come on!” Brian urged it, struggling to stay on.

Then the horse saw the massive monster rushing at it, which was enough to distract it from lesser problems and it fled at full speed. The stallion dived recklessly into the woods, while Brian could only hold onto it as he best could. He looked over his shoulder and noted that his situation had hardly improved. Thanks to the unicorn’s larger size and stride length, there was no way a regular horse could shake it off in such unstable terrain. It was catching up, fast.

Throwing its head around, the unicorn casually mowed down a tree thicker than a man, sending splinters in every direction. The collapsing tree hit the earth like a gigantic sledgehammer, further scaring Brian's mount and making it abruptly swerve left.

The horse nearly fell over in the panicked effort, tripping on a grass tuffet. Brian quickly dropped off the saddle on the fly, pushed the horse back to balance and leaped back on, allowing the run to continue uninterrupted. This circus maneuver saved both from being trampled over. Rushing past them, the unicorn momentarily lost sight of its target and stopped to regain its bearings.

“Brian!”

The erratic chase had taken the Langorian towards the front of the line, and on the same side to which Yuliana had retreated. Instead of leading the monster away from the company, Brian had only achieved the opposite, it seemed. The princess’s voice now drew the unicorn's attention.

“Yuliana!” Brian shouted, waving at her to get away. “Look out! It's coming!”

The berserk creature charged again, knocking more trees down in its enraged rush.

Those trees, weighing several tons each despite their slim looks, became now the beast's coincidental weapons. Covering a lot of ground as they fell, knocking more down with their mass, they divided the disordered Imperials and startled their mounts. In a moment, the company was in complete disarray. At least one rider had luck bad enough to get hit by collapsing timber, while two more were thrown down by the truck-like unicorn passing by.

Seeing the chaos, Yuliana's courage surfaced.

“Follow me!” she shouted to Brian and turned her horse back towards the road.

Brian's mount might not have obeyed his will, but its attention was now drawn by its kindred under Yuliana, and it ended up following her by instinct. At the same time, the unicorn continued to chase the unlucky Sir Mallory, as if it were an enraged bull and he the matador's red cape waved in its face.

This somewhat comical trio sped out of the woods and again returned to the path.

Since the road had been vacated, there was no risk of further casualties—such had been Yuliana’s idea, but she hadn't had the time to plan further ahead. Her drive to save others didn't leave her the luxury to worry about herself.

“Get off your horse!” she shouted to Brian coming shortly behind her. “You have to jump! I'll lead it on from here.”

“Have you lost it!?” he replied. “That's my job!”

“You can't control your horse! You'll die!”

“Which one of us was the princess? Better me than you.”

“That has nothing to do with this!”

“It has everything do with this!”

“I'm not going to let someone else take—”

“—Look out!”

Neither had thought about the weakness of the plan. On the open road, the unicorn could outrun a horse even easier than in the woods.

Being able to accelerate to full gallop, the creature quickly caught up with them. Seeing this, Brian made a split-second decision, stepped up in his saddle and jumped. He pulled Yuliana off her horse a bare fragment of a second before their mounts were caught by the monster's cruel horn and flung in the air. Yuliana’s horse was hardly lightweight either, yet it was thrown high up like a mere sandbag, in a horrific show of the mythical being's strength.

Brian managed to somehow shield the princess with his body when they fell and the moss growing thick alongside the path softened their descent. But neither was left in any shape to keep running.

Further ahead, the unicorn slowed down and unhurriedly turned, as if fully aware that its prey was helpless. The gaze of the unearthly eye on the side of its head was fixed at the two frail humans on the ground. Brashly kicking the dust, it faced them and prepared to resume its relentless assault once more.

Brian wasn't moving. Had he lost consciousness? Trapped under the heavy man, Yuliana was unable to get away herself. She weakly raised her face and looked back at the imposing creature.

“Our journey only just began! Don't you think this a bit too much...?”

Whether that unearthly being was moved by her distress or not, none of that was apparent in the lightness with which it stepped forth again. The heavy rumble of its hooves beat the earth like drums signaling the highlight of the performance.

Yuliana squeezed her eyes shut and prayed.

Surely only a miracle could save their lives now.

But what followed was not a miracle by any means.

Izumi stepped onto the road.

Waiting until the last possible moment, directly facing the unicorn, she estimated the timing and then stepped left, out of the murderous horn's way.

“I’m really sorry about this!”

Turning quickly around, gripping her greatsword's handle with both hands, Izumi lowered her posture and swung hard in baseball style, cutting at the galloping monster's front leg.

Whatever material the unicorn's body was made of, or what kind of a mysterious power bound it together, the ancient sword sliced straight through the knee joint without notable resistance.

Its leg severed mid-stride, the great beast lost its balance and was toppled.

The monster plunged down headfirst, with the elaborate headpiece digging into the sand on the road. Its lower half was consequently thrown over by the momentum, propelling the entire body high into the air.

After a brief flight, the fantastic beast went rolling through the woods like a cannonball, smashing trees, rocks, and anything on its path, before finally stopping an incredible distance away.

A complete, deafening silence returned to the woods.

“Um, are you alright?” Izumi crouched before the princess and asked.

“Ah, yes, I’m fine. Just great,” Yuliana exhaled in relief, still feeling faint over the thrilling events.

“I can see that,” the woman observed with a pout. “More like, aren’t you doing just a little too well, maybe...?”

“Huh?”

With the girl lying under the Langorian in his protective embrace, their positioning looked highly suggestive when removed from the context.

“Ah! Sorry about that, your highness!” Brian abruptly recovered and hurried to separate from the princess. “Is it over?”

“Yes, it's over!” the princess stood with equal swiftness and said. “And you have nothing to apologize for. You helped save a great many lives back there, I'm sure even the Imperials will acknowledge your bravery now.”

“Not that I did it for their thanks,” he shrugged.

“Oh, don't be like that,” Yuliana patted his shoulder. “You okay? No broken bones?”

“Yeah. Couldn’t be better.”

“No need for the tough act, no one's looking.”

“I mean it!”

“Right. Must be nice, being young...” Izumi mumbled, watching the two, but then turned her attention to the forest.

What became of the unicorn?

4

The expedition had successfully cleared a difficult hurdle on their journey, but the mood was anything but uplifting for it. The unicorn was too heavily injured to get up again. It was dying.

“What have you done!?” the headman of the Varnamian woodcutters shouted in terror, coming to witness the noble creature's dying struggle. “You have killed a guardian of the fey! An Elemental of the highest rank! How could you!? How could you!? Was this the only solution you could think of!? The wrath of all Felorn will be upon us! None of us is going to live!”

“Um, I'm sorry?” Izumi apologized.

“Try not to shit your breeches, grown man,” Vizier Attiker scolded the Varnamian. “It was a big, dumb horse. If killing one ever brought divine punishment to anyone, then sausages would've become our civilization’s undoing.”

“You don't understand, Imperial,” the man only shook his head in disbelief at their carelessness. “Anything...Anything but this. The one taboo I asked you not to break...Barely half a day has passed and you've gone and done it. We should've listened to the elder. You're nothing but savages and fools!”

“What's done is done,” commander Miragrave interjected. “Crying over the corpse never breathed life into anybody. What matters is what comes next.”

“Next?” the woodcutter repeated. “There'll be no 'next'. We're going back. I'm not taking any part in this farce, not anymore. You've failed your word and lost our trust. If you value your lives, you will return with us. If we hurry, we may still reach back before nightfall. Perhaps in time to escape the rage of the Divines.”

“You...are not going anywhere,” Attiker stepped up to the man and steadily articulated. “We have a contract, gentlemen. A contract you've signed, with your own name. Do you understand what that means? It's no hocus pocus, but plain black on white, decipherable by anyone. You will do as I ask of you and in return, receive compensation. Fail this and it's a breach of contract. Which means, by law, that we are entitled to seek payment from you, for the expenses incurred as the result. The failure of an Imperial expedition—your little houses wouldn’t be enough to pay back for it. By all means, go. You'll save your own life, but what about your family?”

“What are you talking about?” the woodcutter recoiled in dismay. “What was this then, if not a breach of contract? I warned you, again and again, and you didn't listen! Am I not entitled to compensation by your laws?”

The Vizier showed little remorse,

“There's not a word on our contract written about killing or not killing legendary beasts. So far as I'm concerned, it was only a poor bit of advice, which I've since decided to ignore. Perhaps you should've asked it in writing, if it was such a big deal! A contract is only ever binding when both parties are aware and consent to the terms. Understand?”

“You—You're a monster, a beast wearing human clothes, damn it!” the man begrudgingly left with the other locals to grieve by themselves. “Damn you all! I won't be responsible for whatever happens!”

“Are you threatening me now?” the Vizier called after him. “That’s criminal too, by the way. Good grief.”

Court Wizard Yornwhal examined the unicorn closer and shook his head.

“We may only ease his suffering now. I shall send him off and pray to Lord Matheus for forgiveness.”

“And who will compensate me?” Miragrave asked him. “Who will ask for my forgiveness? We've lost five horses. Three men are injured, one with a broken leg, needing to be sent back. And this on our first day in the woods. It is quite obvious to me that the Divines never had any good intentions for us from the start. Forgive me for not depending on them either.”

The Colonel left with the Vizier to reorganize their ranks. They also had to make the woodcutters fix the broken wagon before the trip could resume.

Only Izumi, Yuliana, Riswelze, Brian, and the wizard were left by the side of the dying unicorn.

“But why did it attack us?” the wizard pondered. “Among woodland Elementals, unicorns are of the highest rank. The wisest, the kindest. They embody the forest itself. Has Lord Matheus denied us...?”

No one present could answer him.