Chapter 7 – Lily (4)

 

"Huff, huff, huff!"

 

The party was running through the woods.

 

Lily also ran, barely avoiding the tree that suddenly appeared in front of her eyes.

 

Occasionally, if there was a Tigerwolf that got too close, Starchis would wield a torch to make it back off slightly.

 

They had long given up on returning to the village; Other Tigerwolves were blocking that way.

There was nothing they could do other than drag these Tigerwolves back to town.

 

Two Tigerwolves tried to attack, but Lily scared them by making a loud noise using her magic.

 

Perhaps thanks to that, the pack of Tigerwolves hadn’t recklessly pounced on them yet.

 

It was fortunate.

 

Excluding the monsters in the dungeon, one of the most dangerous things that ordinary people could experience was a Tigerwolf, but they were still able to buy some time in front of such a pack.

 

Starchis held his breath and squeezed out his plan.

 

“Ugh…! Ugh..! Hey guys..! Haah! Listen! I think we should form two groups from now on!”

 

“Ha, ha, whah, what?!”

 

He then told her as Luss caught her breath.

 

“First..! Lily ssi! Hah hah…! Stop after 3 seconds and shoot the biggest attack magic behind us!”

 

“Ha..! Ha..! I see!”

 

“When Lily ssi fires her magic, let’s all stop together ..! I can’t just use my stamina like this anymore..!”

 

-Kwaaaaang!!

 

For a moment, the party stopped and looked back. Lily had used her magic. The trees were on fire, and four Tigerwolves were running around gnawing at each other with their bodies on fire.

 

Despite being the largest-scale magic she could wield, she could only handle four because of Tigerwolf’s massive size.

 

Still, it wasn’t meaningless. The Tigerwolves were once again wary of her magic and kept a certain distance from the party.

 

“Huff..! Huff..! Everyone! Take a breath and listen... Vienna, don’t show a gap.”

 

Veinna, who was not good in physical strength, wanted to go on her knees and just breathe, but Starchis told her to correct her posture.

 

“We can’t go on like this. Guys. Hooh..! Like I said before, we have to divide into groups.”

 

“Ha…! Ha…! Absolutely no Chis. Are you trying to take another risk?”

 

Luss, who at least had the energy to talk because of her good stamina, asked.

 

Luss could already read Stachis’ thoughts. 

Before he could answer she speak again.

 

“Never..! Absolutely no!!! I will help you this time..!”

 

“Listen, Luss. Vienna and Luss, and me and Lily ssi. Let’s form two groups this way. Ha… Haa... You and Vienna run to the horse while I and Lily ssi will buy time. And you just ride the horse back to the city and inform them of this situation.”

 

“No!! Why are you doing something dangerous again!”

 

Luss let out a frustrated cry.

 

Still, Starchis was adamant.

 

Starchis, who acted like a world champion of pushovers in trivial matters, never backed down in important times.

 

“Luss. I am the leader of this party. If you don’t listen to me now, I’ll banish you when we get back to the city.”

 

“Ugh..!”

 

The sound of Luss holding back her tears echoed.

 

Vienna wanted to protest as well, but she was so out of breath, she couldn’t say anything.

 

She just wanted Luss to convince him a little more.

 

“Then I'll stay with you. Vienna and Lily will go…”

 

Luss stopped midway; she realized one thing as she turned her gaze towards Lily.

 

A fact that haunted her every moment while coming to the forest; Lily can’t ride a horse.

 

Oh! There was no other way.

 

Luss felt like hitting her head with a hammer.

 

Starchis sensed that Luss had realized that too.

 

“Got it? There is no other way now. And in the current situation, Lily ssi’s magic is much more effective than yours. Lily ssi, I’m sorry. I think you'll have to take a little more risk with me.”

 

Lily didn’t hate the fact that she had to face a more dangerous situation even in the midst of the dire circumstances. She liked the fact that she could be around Starchis instead of abandoning him and going to the city first.

 

Lily nodded her head, exhaling her breath without showing her thoughts.

 

-Krrrr

 

As the party stood still and did not move, the Tigerwolves slowly approached.

 

A hand supported Lily’s back as she flinched and tried to step back.

 

"You can’t show weakness," Starchis whispered.

 

“Luss, Vienna. We have to move quickly.”

 

Luss was bursting into tears.

 

“Why is this happening again… I wanted to protect you this time.”

 

“Luss. Don't worry. I'll be fine.”

 

“I still don’t like it… “

 

“I believe you, Luss. From now on, you must protect Vienna. Understood?”

 

Luss gritted her teeth and nodded her head.

 

Seeing that, Starchis felt a little relieved.

 

“Okay, then I’ll count to three, uh-!”

 

Someone jumped into Stachis’ arms.

 

It was Vienna.

 

She hugged Starchis tightly and muttered to him.

 

“… Please don’t die. Please, please… Okay..?”

 

Starchis smiled and stroked Vienna’s head.

 

“…Haha, don't worry about me. Please worry about Lily ssi.”

 

“…Sniff. Lily has you.”

 

Vienna answered slowly to Starchis.

 

“Can you find horses in the dark?”

 

“…If I pray, I can make a light to see ahead.”

 

Starchis nodded his head.

 

He then pulled away from Vienna who had embraced him and looked at the Tigerwolves again.

 

Just a few more steps forward and they’ll be within range of each other.

 

“Phew. When I give the signal, you guys count 3 seconds and run back. Lily ssi. You’ll run there with me.”

 

“Yes..? There? With the Tigerwolves?”

 

At the place he pointed to, two Tigerwolves stood imposingly.

 

“If we’re going to draw attention to us, we’ve got to make Tigerwolf attack us. For that to happen, I think we’ll have to get in there and fight a few of them.”

 

Lily swallowed her saliva. It was a scary plan for her who always fought from the rear.

 

She was already scared because the current situation was precarious, but according to Starchis' plan, she had to act in an even more dangerous situation than now. Cold sweat broke out from her hands.

 

Her voice didn’t come out, so she nodded, but her hands trembled.

 

Starchis took her hand.

 

“It’s okay. You can be nervous. I will protect you as much as possible.”

 

Then, strangely, she felt a little less nervous.

 

“Phew! Let’s go!! Count three seconds!”

 

Starchis, who had talked in a whisper so far so that only party members could hear, shouted loudly and confidently.

 

His voice echoed in the dark forest.

 

Tigerwolves' pelt stood up in wariness.

 

One.

 

Two.

 

Three!

 

Without a word, the party was divided in two. While the Tigerwolves were perplexed as to which one to pursue, Lily and Starchis rushed at the Tigerwolves on one side.

 

-Bang!!

 

What caught the attention of the panicked Tigerwolves was the sound of Starchis’ tonfa hitting a Tigerwolf.

 

The Tigerwolf, whom Starchis was aiming for, reacted in an instant and raised its front foot to block the attack, but the front foot broke the moment Starchis' tonfa touched it.

 

With its forepaw broken, it stumbled and fell backward.

 

“Lily ssi, attack!”

 

-Snap!

 

As Lily snapped her fingers, the fur of the same Tigerwolf caught fire.

 

It became a big, bright fire, attracting the attention of all the other Tigerwolves.

 

Glancing, Starchis rolled his eyes and looked around, but Luss and Vienna had already disappeared.

 

'Great.'

 

He thought. Now they just needed to waste a little more time in hiding.

 

Enraged, several Tigerwolves came running. Starchis swung the torch held in his other hand.

 

Huong- Huong-

 

The torch blocked the approach of the Tigerwolves, leaving behind a red flame in the empty space.

 

“You just have to hold on a little longer. Until all the Tigerwolves’ eyes are drawn!”

 

Huung-

 

Tigerwolves could be seen everywhere illuminated by the torch.

 

Seeing so many Tigerwolves, Lily thought this would be the end of her life.

 

-Kreur-Auuuuu!!!

 

Dozens of Tigerwolves howled in reply to the first cry.

 

And as soon as the seemingly endless cries ended, a huge Tigerwolf jumped out of the darkness on the side of Starchis.

 

It jumped with its massive body and threw itself at Starchis.

 

'Can he stop it?'

 

While worrying-

 

"[Barrier!!]" 

 

-Lily cast another spell.

 

The big Tigerwolf bumped into something right in front of Starchis’ eyes.

 

And at the same moment, Lily fell to her knees.

 

“Ha..! Ha…! I don’t have much mana anymore..!”

 

Though Tigerwolves didn’t stop even when she was talking to Starchis.

 

As Lily fell to her knees, a Tigerwolf appeared from behind her and pounced at her.

 

Seeing that, Stachis also jumped at the same time and wielded the tonfa.

 

Unlike before, he had time to put his weight on it, and he was able to push the flying Tigerwolf away.

 

-Bang!!

 

It got hit by the tonfa and was pushed aside, narrowly missing Lily.

 

Starchis then carried the kneeling Lily on his shoulders.

 

-Swish!

-Heong!

 

He also kept attacking with the tonfa and the torch held in his hands.

 

"Kyaa!"

 

He then started running into the space that had been created after he swung the torch once.

 

“Lily ssi, be patient..! Have Luss and Vienna safely left? It seems like it’s been a while…!”

 

Starchis looked ahead and Lily looked behind.

 

Lily was horrified by the sight of the Tigerwolves running towards them.

 

-Slap

 

“Lily ssi! Come to your senses! Did Luss and Vienna get away!!”

 

Starchis slapped her across her butt-cheeks as he ran.

 

“Hey!! Ah!! Yes, wait…!”

 

And, funny enough, Lily woke up to a tingling pain in her buttock.

 

Still frightened of the Tigerwolves pursuing them to death, she closed her eyes and sprayed all the remaining mana around her.

 

Then, she had the illusion that her surroundings were getting brighter, and she could see everything. Her eyes started to glow blue.

 

“Yes… Yes!! They're running away! I think there are about two of them… They should be fine now! And we…”

 

And at the size of the overwhelming Tigerwolf pack in her brightened vision, Lily gulped her saliva. It was bigger than expected.

 

“It’s okay! Our situation ha ha..! Ha ha…! You don’t have to tell me! Can you find somewhere to hide around?”

 

“That…! That..! Ah!! Forward from here..! Keep running forward!! There is a place that looks like a cliff, and I think we can jump ahead of here!”

 

“Yes?”

 

Starchis wanted to ask more, but the lack of breath prevented him from doing so.

 

“Starchis!! Be careful! Next to you!!”

 

When Lily shouted, a Tigerwolf jumped out from the side.

 

Starchis rolled over and dodged it. But Lily, who was riding on his shoulder, also rolled over.

 

“Ugh… [Barrier!!]”

 

Lying on the floor, Lily stopped the Tigerwolf from attacking Starchis, who raised his body.

 

Even the last drop of mana in her body was dried now.

 

The mana was forcibly squeezed out to protect him, hence the burden on her body was severe. Soon, the pain in her chest became so much that she coughed up blood.

 

– Whloagh!

 

Her vision went round and round. Soon, her eyes went dark, and Lily fainted with a 'Thud'.

 

“Kuu..!”

 

Stachis got up safely thanks to the barrier and once again grabbed Lily and ran. This time, he ran with only her, leaving the tonfa and torch on the floor.

 

Lily had told Starchis that they just needed to jump off a cliff.

 

'If you go forward, you will see a cliff,' she said.

 

Starchis ran in the dark.

 

The moonlight was bright, but it did not illuminate the dense forest.

 

He prayed earnestly that he would not trip over the rocks and fall.

 

And in an instant, the forest was stripped away and a cliff suddenly appeared before his eyes.

 

‘All we have to do is jump down!’

 

Lily’s voice echoed in his head and Starchis threw himself down the cliff.

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