"Sir d'Amboise, your words were too harsh," Elaine whispered, shaking her head. Even though Elias is correct, how are the protagonists supposed to fall in love in the story when they already have poor impressions of each other? Celeste looks terrified of him. Elaine could detect nothing amiss, yet she sensed the original plot was slipping from her grasp.

"This is a battlefield, not a child's playground." The male protagonist's eyes fixed ahead, not sparing her a glance. "The d'Artois Young Lady is unharmed today, but will she be as fortunate next time? What good would her healing ability do if your guard were not with her? Could she and her maid fight those monsters?"

His questions rendered Elaine quiet. She knew stating her answer would only confirm Elias' previous statements.

"The expedition is not a game that caters to young noble ladies' curiosities. Once joining a battle, survival is guaranteed to no one. And Lady Celeste's presence would only hinder the fighting while endangering herself and the Étoile troops. She needs to understand her adventure is not without consequences."

"A burden…Like me," Elaine mumbled under her breath.

"You are not to blame, milady. You did not come here voluntarily," he rebuked her.

She glanced up, surprised he heard her. "I see." Elaine again lowered her gaze, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.

For the remaining time, they both traveled in silence. Elaine could hear Celeste sniffling from behind. Though she followed Elias' order and began healing the wounded soldiers, the young girl had not stopped crying since he reprimanded her. The sound was like a constant buzzing against Elaine's ears, torturing her eardrums. She kneaded her hurting forehead, trying to ignore it to no avail.

The stationed soldiers greeted the troops when they arrived. Luck seemed to bless the men this time as no monster attacked them during the Étoile main troops' absence.

A sudden question popped into Elaine's head. "How do we find our way out of the forest?" she asked the male protagonist.

"Using this." Elias took out the transparent card given to every knight in training by the magicians at the beginning of the competition. "Each card is part of an identical pair, connected by magic and our blood. As long as the corresponding card exists on the other side, we can always find our way back." He then bit his finger and placed a droplet of blood on the card's surface. A burst of energy exploded from it, radiating the dark forest canopied skies. It then condensed into a beam of light, pointing in a specific direction. "Follow the light," Elias commanded, leading the troops toward the light-pointed destination.

"Yes, Commander!" The men trailed him.

Elaine stared in awe at the blinding light. She recalled seeing a similar beam from afar moments after the Léonas troops left. However, the energy was not as powerful or luminous as the one currently before her. Perhaps it was a difference in the magical concentration. Based on Elaine's knowledge of the story, she hypothesized that Elias' immense magical ability originated from his mother's bloodline. The Wandering Wisemen…What exactly are they?

To Elaine's astonishment, it was not long before they found the exit. She had thought they were deeper inside the Insidious Forest. Perhaps its structure resembled more a labyrinth than a standard forest. Without the tools to navigate through it, an individual would become disoriented even within the outer rings. Given its connection to the portal, Elaine was confident her deduction could not be too far off. Did that mean they were nowhere near the forest's core? How frightening. She shuddered, glancing back at the mysterious shadowy landscape and feeling relief that she was leaving it behind. The portal creatures did not again appear before her. However, Elaine knew they remained hidden in the forest, observing her movements and waiting for the next opportunity to lure her soul astray. She did not understand why they were obsessed with obtaining her soul, but she would rather not find out.

When the Étoile troops stepped back onto the grassy field where they held the departure ceremony a few days ago, it was no longer the same landscape. Instead, a crimson grayish hue replaced the greenery, and the stench of death and decay assailed their nostrils—the once pleasant scents of fresh air and wildflowers spoiled by burned flesh and remnant ashes. Heaps of bodies, men and monsters, lay scattered across the ground, their disfigured limbs intertwined like spider webs. For a moment, the men could not distinguish the scenery before them and the battlefields inside the Insidious Forest.

"Did Étoile know about the danger inside that forest?" A thunderous voice wrestled everyone's attention away from the horrid scene.

Elaine jolted, heart drumming against her chest. She recognized the booming voice. It belonged to no other than Nickolas, the Léonas Empire First Prince. Something terrible is happening. She turned to the voice's originating direction and saw people crowding the area. The aristocrats stood in a large circle while the knights and soldiers guarded behind them, ready to engage if necessary.

"You all wait here," Elias ordered, then guided Elaine toward the commotion. Roland and Cecil followed closely behind. The female protagonist could not contain her curiosity, also broke from her assigned position, and tailed them. The Étoile nobles recognized Elaine and Elias when they arrived and fell back, creating a path for them to enter.

Upon seeing the prevailing scene, Elaine gasped, eyes widening with horror. At the circle center, Nickolas was on one knee, holding a dead Léonas Emperor in his arms. The Léonas First Prince's entire body convulsed, and Elaine could see the protruding veins running through his hands. His face reddened with anger as his golden eyes narrowed, directing their icy gaze toward the Étoile Emperor. "Answer me!" he roared—voice filled with murderous intent.