East Road Quest

Chapter 79: Emergency Measures

As the orc lowered his arm, the limp body of Sapph hung from it, eventually collapsing to the ground.

“A fearless woman indeed,” he remarked with a tone of admiration.

“I’m actually quite scared,” Sapph confessed honestly.

The orc chuckled briefly before setting down Ruby, whom he had been carrying on his shoulder, onto the ground.

“I intended to finish this without the poison touching her, but it seems it has,” he said, tossing aside the awl that had pierced Ruby’s neck, along with his gloves.

“Are you contaminated? If even a drop has touched you, strip everything off. If it’s reached your flesh, you must cut it out.”

Sapph, looking down at her nearly bare undergarments, replied, “I’ve already stripped. More importantly, what have you done to Ruby?”

“I’ve used my saliva to halt her biological functions as much as possible.”

The orc then removed the shoulder armor that had come into contact with Ruby’s body and discarded his top, revealing his burly chest and shoulder muscles. His dark skin made him appear as if he were clad in steel armor.

“Let me repeat, there are hardly any creatures that can withstand Heldra’s poison for more than 10 minutes. If lucky, maybe 30 minutes.”

“Ruby is an angel. She can endure the poison of demons much longer.”

“Angel? What’s that?”

“It’s a thing.”

“…Anyway, don’t touch her now. You wouldn’t last even 5 minutes.”

The orc plucked three leaves from a large plant nearby and murmured something that sounded like a thank you or an apology to the plant.

“It seems she’s quite precious to you, risking your own life and all,” he observed.

With two of the leaves, the orc wrapped Ruby up tightly, then used the third leaf to secure the bundle.

Ruby was now packaged like a lunch wrapped in leaves.

The orc hoisted Ruby onto his shoulder without a word.

“Of course,” Sapp said. “Ruby came to save me, and this is what happened.”

“No, it’s because he interfered in my battlefield that this happened.”

“Are you saying he was a hindrance?”

Sapp asked.

Without a word or a glance back, the orc strode off swiftly, and Sapp nearly ran to keep up.

The orc didn’t check if Sapp was following and replied, “This is the place I must protect. Helldra’s army was planning to advance to the elven city of ‘Teimon,’ and I was here, encamped, waiting to stop them. It’s this guy who got in the way. But to say he was a hindrance is debatable. Thanks to him, the advance was halted.”

“You’re the guardian of the Dark Forest, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am Merald.”

“I’m Sapp.”

“I know.”

“I always thought guardians were naturally elves.”

“Well, that’s what most people think.”

Merald replied nonchalantly.

After a while, he stopped in a thicket-laden spot and called out, “Jade.”

From a pit hidden by the bushes, Jade staggered out, her complexion deathly pale as if she were on the brink of death.

“Father!”

Saph immediately ran over and embraced him.

“You’re safe,” she sighed with relief.

“Saph, you’re unharmed,” he responded, their words overlapping.

“Saph, could you take a look at this wound?” Jade asked, pointing to a spot on his side. Blood was seeping through the cloth he had pressed against it.

“Good heavens! Did you pull this out by force? Was it you who did this?” Saph exclaimed, her anger directed at Merral.

Merral inquired of Jade, “Is she always this bold?”

“I’m only as bold as necessary. Unlike you, I wouldn’t ruthlessly pull someone from a tree branch,” Jade retorted with a hint of spite in her voice.

“Your words are incorrect, Jade!” Merral’s voice boomed.

Startled, Jade stammered, “What, what is?”

“It wasn’t a branch that pierced your side; it was a root.”

“What?”

Jade was flabbergasted, her words faltering.

“In the midst of that, Saph placed her hand on Jade’s wound and said, “I’ll heal you now, Father. If it hurts, just hold me.”

“If I hold you now, I might break your ribs.”

“There won’t be time for that.”

Saph enveloped the wound with a healing light.

Despite knowing the pain was coming, Jade couldn’t help but groan and clutch Saph’s shoulder. As she had predicted, she didn’t have the strength to hug her properly, let alone break her ribs, and instead, she slumped down.

Saph gently held him and carefully helped him sit.

“It’s fortunate you’re alive with such a wound.”

“I think I might have died for about three minutes before waking up.”

“Now is not the time for jokes.”

“I’m not joking…”

Merral, who had been watching, urged them, “Just do the first aid and finish up. We’re still in the middle of a battlefield.”

Saph pretended not to hear and continued to heal, but Jade stopped her with an outstretched hand.

“Understood. But where is Ruby?”

Merral turned and began walking, speaking over his shoulder, “I’ll explain on the way. Follow me.”

Saph helped Jade to her feet and explained in his stead, “Ruby is inside the leaf wrap that he’s carrying.”

Jade was taken aback.

“Ruby’s in there? What happened?”

“She’s been poisoned. She won’t last long.”

Merral glanced back and urged them, “Let’s save the explanations for later and move a bit faster. The longer we wait, the less chance this one has to live. Besides…”

He spoke and looked in one direction. Jade and Poe also looked that way.

A giant serpent’s head burst forth above the trees, followed by an eagle’s head lifting and the roar of a lion. Now, as the sun set, even that was hard to see.

“…Though it has paused, we don’t know when Heldra will advance again. If we’re late, thirty thousand elves will die.”

Poe was overwhelmed with too much information all at once. However, right now, he was more worried about Ruby’s life than the thirty thousand elves.

“Where are we going?”

Poe asked.

“To the Sage Grandmother.”

“Who is she?”

“A witch called the Sage of the Dark Forest. She’s the only one who can neutralize this poison.”

Merald looked back with concern and said,

“But we must arrive in time. Even the Sage Grandmother cannot revive the dead.”

“The priest’s wounds are still…”

Jade interrupted Poe’s words.

“Right now, the sentinel’s words are true. Let’s hurry. I’ve gotten much better. The treatment can wait.”

Poe knew Jade was lying. The pain was evident in her expression. But she also understood that the situation left them no choice.

“Alright. Lean on me a bit more.”

Poe supported Jade with strength as they walked.

“Poe, it’s really, really fortunate that you’re so strong.”

“Now’s not the time for jokes.”

“It’s not a joke… But what about your clothes?”

“They were contaminated with poison, so I discarded them.”

“I must be really sick. I’m too out of it to even sneak a peek at your bare body.”

“…Is that also not a joke?”

“Maybe.”

Merald, despite his claims of urgency, did not seem to be in a hurry. He unnecessarily took detours through the barren wasteland or even retraced his steps. At times, he walked briskly, then leisurely, as if on a stroll.

Jade grew increasingly anxious as he offered no explanation for his route.

‘Could this be another trap set by a demon?’

She even revisited her initial question of whether that orc was truly a sentinel. The pain dulled her judgment.

Soon, they emerged from the suffocatingly dense forest into a tranquil area.

The trees were sparse, but the sight of the sky and the scattered trees gave Jade a sense of relief.

The stars were already out, dotting the sky.

Merald put his index and middle fingers to his lips and whistled long and loud. From somewhere, two deer with sharply pointed horns appeared. Their horns faintly glowed, illuminating the path ahead.

Merald spoke to the two deer and then placed the leaves wrapped around Ruby on their backs.

“You two, ride together there.” Naturally, Jade was clueless about how to mount such an unfamiliar animal.

Merald pointed to the horns and began to explain how to mount.

“First, grab one horn with your right hand, place your left hand on the ■ back, then step with your foot…”

Before Merald could finish explaining, Poe had already leapt up.

Merald slowly lowered his finger from the horn and asked,

“Have you ever ridden an ‘Echampion’ before?”

“Champion? Is that the name of this creature?” Poe asked indifferently.

“Yes. It seems like your first time riding one…” Leopold Browne nodded as he waited for Jade, just like Poe, to be ready to ride.

“Ah, you were injured,” he realized.

He lifted Jade like a child and placed her behind Poe. Then, with agile movements, he too mounted Champion. Despite his large size, Champion didn’t flinch under the weight.

“Champion can find its own way; there’s no need to lead. It will follow me on its own. Any questions?” Leopold inquired.

“What’s the purpose of the light from the horn?” Jade asked.

“Is that really an important question right now?” Leopold frowned.

“Just curious. Doesn’t the light make it a target for other predators?”

“In the Dark Forest, many trees emit such light at night, which can actually be used to hide. But in Champion’s case, there are no predators that dare challenge it. In terms of combat ability, it could easily take down a bear that you might know of.”

Leopold explained swiftly and then led Champion ahead.

“Seeing as you’re asking irrelevant questions, I assume there are no more. Don’t fall behind.”

Leopold vanished into the darkness of the forest in an instant, with only the faint light from the horn visible.

“Father, hold on tight,” Poe said, grasping Champion’s horn while Jade wrapped her arms around her waist. His breath naturally reached the nape of Poe’s neck.

“Your breath is hot. Are you okay, Father?” Poe asked.

“I’m not sure,” Jade replied weakly.

“Just hold on a little longer,” Poe encouraged.

“Please, Champion. We need a smooth ride.”

Champion seemed to understand her words and started to trot slowly. Soon, it picked up speed, but the ride was almost without jolts.

Passing through the forest like the wind, the ride was less jarring than galloping through the desert. Leopold was out of sight, but Jade closed her eyes, trusting Poe.

‘I wonder if Ruby is alright? But for now, I have no choice but to trust the guardian.’

After about half an hour, Champion slowed down.

“It seems we’ve arrived,” Poe announced.

They emerged into a clearing with few trees, where Champion came to a stop. Leopold was waiting there.

“Well done. You followed well,” he said.

Jade couldn’t tell if he was addressing her or Champion.

Watching Leopold dismount, Poe quickly followed suit. However, Jade couldn’t bring herself to dismount. The ride had been painless, but the thought of descending from the towering Champion was daunting.

“Father, I’ll catch you,” Poe offered, reaching out his hands. But Jade shook her head.

“No, that’s more dangerous for you— Ah!”

Jade lost her balance and fell to the opposite side of where Poe was standing. Motionless, she fell backward, but Leopold was there to catch her.

Fortunately, Jade’s head did not hit the ground in a disaster, but the pain in her side struck her entire body just the same.

Unable to bear it any longer, Jade collapsed.

“Father!”

As Sapph approached in alarm, Merald extended a hand to reassure her.

“She’s just fainted.”

“Let me see.”

“It’s okay. Her breathing is stable and…”

“I’ll check on her myself!”

“…Then do as you will.”

Merald laid Jade on the ground.

Sapph examined Jade’s face and also inspected the wound on her side. The bleeding, which had briefly stopped, had started again.

“Ah, you were enduring it after all… It must have hurt a lot.”

Sapph wrapped the wound with a healing light.

Merald, having slung a ruby wrapped in leaves over his shoulder, said,

“That’s more efficient. If we slow down because of the pain, this one’s life could be in danger.”

Merald whistled softly with his lips. At that, two champions disappeared back into the thicket.

Merald told Sapph,

“Leave it at that. We only need to go a little further, so do it there.”

Sapph withdrew the healing light and stepped back, saying,

“Then where should I find a stretcher…”

“I will carry her.”

Merald picked up Jade, who was lying on the ground, with one hand and slung the ruby over the opposite shoulder.

Sapph followed Merald with anxious steps.

“How much further do we have to go?”

Merald pushed aside the reeds that had grown to his height and entered, saying,

“It’s less than ten steps by my stride, so just walk quickly.”

The reeds were so tall that Sapph had to walk buried in them. However, there was no feeling of stuffiness or dampness. The foul smell had completely disappeared.

Feeling that the space was changing, Sapph asked,

“Is this not the Dark Forest?”

“You have a good sense. A magical barrier is spread around this reed bed. Seeing that you and these two passed through without any trouble means none of you are evil beings.”

“Is it your magic?”

After passing through the reed bed, a cabin appeared.

Merald gestured towards the house with his head and said,

“No. The old woman who lives in that house.”