Chapter 106: Keeper of Promise (4)

 

Cold, fearful, and... lonely.

 

These were the emotions I was grappling with.

 

I couldn’t even tell where I was. Was I still in the Naita Forest where I had been attacked, or had I fled to some other forest?

 

There was no time to care about anything. All I could do was run.

 

I lost track of how many nights I had spent in this forest. Whenever I heard the sound of the pursuers, I would run. I stuffed whatever I could find into my mouth as I fled. Day or night didn’t matter anymore as I would snatch brief moments of sleep in hiding.

 

Fortunately, today I found what seemed like a really safe spot. A large tree on a steep incline. I lay my body down in the small space I found after climbing the tree.

 

From here, I could spot anyone approaching from a distance and, if someone came... I could probably put up a fight for a while.

 

It wasn’t quite dark yet.

 

I began to remove my weary gear one by one, inspecting my body.

 

“....Ah.”

 

It seems like it was only yesterday that I was riddled with holes from a sword, and now I’m a mess again, wounded all over.

 

Thankfully, there were no injuries serious enough to threaten my life, but the number of wounds was a problem. I was worried about losing too much blood, given the injuries. Thankfully, the wounds had clotted and stopped bleeding, but they were fragile and could reopen with the slightest strain.

 

I unwrapped the bandage I had tied around my leg a few days ago.

 

“......Sigh..”

 

This injury on my leg was the most concerning. I’m no doctor, but I could tell it was in bad shape. It was starting to fester, oozing pus, and the color was alarmingly dark.

 

I felt an urgent need to see a doctor. The only silver lining was that the wound was only as long as a finger and not too deep. Thankfully, I could still walk; there was no greater relief than that.

 

I slowly relaxed my body and began to rest.

 

As the heat of battle cooled, the pain from my injuries worsened... but I had to rest anyway.

 

I had no idea how long this state would continue.

 

Escaping from Sharon Payne’s pursuit and getting out of the forest to the nearest city was my first goal.

 

‘How had my journey to the Hexter family ended up like this…?’

 

...No, maybe I should be grateful I’m alive.

 

After all, my survival that day was nothing short of miraculous.

 

The battle had gone much more smoothly than expected.

 

When Sharon Payne ordered the attack, three of the mercenaries were quickly taken down. However, the remaining ones fought back fiercely, preventing us from being overwhelmed.

 

After I took down three of Payne’s soldiers, the mercenaries, who had come to respect me, began to follow my lead. Our improved organization gradually tipped the momentum in our favor.

 

The odds were still against us, but the enemy was struggling.

 

But then Sharon Payne intervened again.

 

She asked the mercenaries fighting for their lives to turn on me, and without hesitation, they betrayed me.

 

I still remember the change in their eyes, especially Yoren’s.

 

I thought we had grown close, sharing meals and stories... but in the face of death, it all seemed futile.

 

I can’t blame him, though.

 

Everyone except me surrendered their swords and walked towards Payne’s side. Then, Sharon, ever untrustworthy, ordered their execution.

 

She exploited the crevice of fear in their hearts and claimed their lives.

 

Since then, realizing there was no chance of winning, I almost gave up.

 

But then, the faces of a few people flashed through my mind, along with the promises we’d made.

 

The promise to meet Judy again.

 

The promise to return to Daisy.

 

And the promise, which I thought was broken, to be a support for the twins.

 

Perhaps it’s all just an excuse. Maybe I was just recalling these memories to muster the strength to fight back because I didn’t want to die.

 

Regardless, thinking of them spurred my body into action again. As if I had taken some medicine, the pain and fatigue began to fade.

 

And so, I started to flee.

 

I quickly overpowered Payne’s soldier in front of me, thrusting my sword into his body.

 

Even after being stabbed, the soldier grabbed my sword, forcing me to abandon it.

 

Fleeing was easier that way. Choosing between fighting and running, it was better to pick just one.

 

And that’s how I’ve made it this far.

 

I’m still alive, but hardly in good shape, neither mentally nor physically.

 

This ordeal has made me realize how important it is to have someone by your side.

 

I never thought I was this kind of person, always prioritizing my life and thinking about how to survive this crisis.

 

But now, I find myself yearning for those who stood by me.

 

When I was in pain, they would comfort my wounds, bring me food. They offered words of encouragement and worried about me.

 

Having realized this is the first time I’ve suffered alone since transmigrating into this world, I missed these things.

 

I haven’t experienced much pain, but whenever I did, the twins were always there to care for me meticulously... I’m quite shaken by the difference.

 

If I close my eyes now and never wake up, would anyone find my body?

 

Would anyone miss me?

 

Judy and Daisy might.

 

But the twins...? We parted on bad terms. Wouldn’t they feel relieved to hear of my death?

 

A part of me knew they would be deeply saddened, but as my body weakened, so did my heart. I even entertained such needless thoughts.

 

I regret it. I never thought I’d feel this way so soon, but the threat of death changes everything.

 

If I were to die like this, for instance, if the wound on my leg becomes infected and I don’t wake up tomorrow...

 

Wouldn’t I regret parting with the twins this way? Our relationship may have soured, but we were incredibly close for 10 years. We were each other’s support, growing together.

 

That past is unchangeable. So, for such beautiful memories to end like this...

 

My eyes were gradually closing. I was too exhausted. I was drifting into a deep sleep, into a dreamless slumber.

 

****

 

Rustling sounds woke me up.

 

The first thing I felt upon opening my eyes was an intense chill. The forest was now embracing the night, revealing its sharp claws.

 

I had to be wary not just of Payne’s soldiers in the forest, but also of wild animals and poisonous insects.

 

I raised my upper body and turned around to scan my surroundings.

 

Sure enough, like will-o’-the-wisps, I could see soldiers walking around with torches.

 

I didn’t need to confirm they were Payne’s men.

 

Another rustling noise made me hold my breath. This time, it was uncomfortably close.

 

I slowly moved to check the other side.

 

Two soldiers were passing by at close range.

 

I could hear their conversation.

 

“...Man, shouldn’t we assume we’ve lost him by now? It’s been four days of searching.”

 

“...Idiot, don’t you understand the seriousness? We need to catch him to stay alive...!”

 

“...I get it, damn it! But...ugh...why did it have to come to this? Isn’t that guy Cayden Pryster?”

 

“Yeah, Cayden Pryster, Pryster! You know Pryster, right?”

 

“No, that’s why I’m asking. He’s no longer a Pryster, right? Everywhere you go, you hear he’s been disowned by the family. Why are Pryster’s soldiers here? Shouldn’t he be irrelevant by now...?”

 

I couldn’t believe my ears.

 

Pryster’s soldiers? Had Pryster House heard about me? So quickly..?

 

“Who knows? The way things are, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. Anyway... right now, we’re dead either if we’re caught by Pryster’s men, or if Cayden Pryster stays alive. We should hope he’s either dead somewhere in this forest or we catch him... Ah, if I knew it would come to this, I wouldn’t have messed with such a guy...”

 

“...Bullshit. Was that your choice? What else could we have done? If Sharon says jump, we jump. If you want to blame someone, blame Sharon Payne... Even though she’s fueled by vengeance... we still need our heads attached...”

 

“If we had finished him in one go, we wouldn’t be in this mess. And even Lady Shalon didn’t expect Prysters to react like this. Everywhere you go, you hear he’s been disowned, and originally, Cayden was from a commoner background... Since they had abandoned him, how could we think otherwise?”

 

“...Even at death’s door, you defend Sharon Payne? What, you think she’ll spread her legs for you or something?”

 

“I’m not dying. We find him, kill him, and get the hell out. You can give up and offer your neck if you want. If Prysters realize the Payne family is behind this... who knows how they’ll react.”

 

“...What’s the use? Let’s just find him quickly. Pryster’s soldiers are scouring Naita Forest as we speak.”

 

They soon passed me by.

 

There were plenty of soldiers walking around with torches, so I had to keep my breath and remain hidden.

 

****

 

Before I knew it, my eyes were open. I hadn’t even realized I had fallen asleep again. Startled by the fact that I had dozed off unknowingly, I raised my head, but surprisingly, I felt completely drained compared to before I fell asleep.

 

I dragged my body along, barely able to crawl, scanning my surroundings. It was dawn, the sky tinged with blue light, and there was no one around.

 

First, my throat was parched. Escaping was one thing, but I needed to quench my thirst. Having survived the night, it was time to leave this refuge.

 

I began to descend the tree with difficulty.

 

Then the world spun, and strength slipped from my grasp. The soldiers had said four days last night... Now it was five. After five days of fighting, fleeing, and hardly eating; my body was hitting its limits.

 

- Thud.

 

I fell from the tree.

 

And then, a chilling voice pierced the air.

 

“Found him!!”

 

Before I could even identify who it was, I forced my dizzy body to stand. Giving up here meant death.

 

In a flash, I thought of the people who were counting on my promises.

 

As I began to move my stiff body, it gradually loosened up. My once creaky and rigid limbs started to feel smoother.

 

Like always, I began to run through the forest.

 

.

.

.

.

 

How long had I run?

 

My vision flickered, and my legs gradually gave out. The pain throughout my body returned.

 

I thought I had escaped far, but one pursuer stubbornly clung to me, refusing to fall behind.

 

“...Huff...huff...”

 

Eventually, I stopped running. Or more accurately, I stopped walking.

 

I couldn’t move anymore.

 

Sitting down on the ground, I looked at the person who had been chasing me.

 

Seeing me sitting, he also didn’t hurry anymore.

 

Leaning on his knees, he took a long time to catch his breath.

 

How much time had passed?

 

The man silently drew his sword and began to walk towards me. Our relationship was just like this - no more, no less. I didn’t know his name or his story, but no words were needed in this life-or-death struggle.

 

Just because I was sitting didn’t mean I had given up. I simply couldn’t muster the strength to run anymore. But I racked my brain for what to do next.

 

The first time he swung his sword, there would be an opportunity.

 

Could I predict which direction he would swing? No, could I gather the strength to block and counterattack?

 

The soldier, still panting, continued to approach me.

 

He raised his sword high.

 

-Thud, thud, thud...

 

At the same time, the ground vibrated.

 

It was a sound too faint for us, exhausted as we were, to hear.

 

“...Farewell. Don’t resent me.”

 

He spoke flatly, seemingly aware of the strange dynamic between us.

 

And then, at that moment, a shout tore through the forest.

 

“Cayden!!”

 

As I turned my head, a massive black horse appeared before my eyes and kicked the soldier in front of me.

 

The shocked soldier flew through the air and crashed into a nearby tree, collapsing. But the black horse didn’t stop there.

 

It trampled the fallen soldier, relentlessly until he lost consciousness.

 

Gradually, I realized the identity of this wild horse.

 

“...Storm?”

 

As I watched Storm, someone leaped off the horse.

 

She knelt swiftly before me, as I lay collapsed, and held my cheeks in her hands.

 

“I found you..”

 

Then, she pressed her lips to mine.

 

“......”

 

For a long moment, we shared each other’s breath. Her soft tongue moistened my parched lips.

 

“...Haa..”

 

After a lengthy kiss, she pulled away from me, gently exhaling onto my face.

 

Then she whispered in a voice quivering as if on the verge of tears.

 

“.....I knew you were alive, Cayden... I knew it..”

 

Her voice was filled with relief. Contrary to her words, it was a voice brimming with worry.

 

I couldn’t believe my eyes. The last face I expected to see was right in front of me.

 

“....Judy.”

 

As I called her name, tears started to stream down her cheeks. She cradled my face in her embrace.

 

“...Why did you make me keep your promise!!”

 

She cried out, almost petulantly.

 

It was Judy who had kept our promise to meet again.

---  End Of The Chapter ---

 

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