RTTFW CH 3.8

Ent’s legs gave out, and he collapsed. There was no time for this now. He shook his head at Izel, who was holding him.

“Huff, haa… But, but.”
“First, young master. Drink some water.”

Paladin slowly fed water to Ent, who was gasping for breath in agony. Ent’s legs trembled violently from suddenly running despite having no regular exercise, and his lungs, filled with wind, cried out in pain. Even though Ent knew he couldn’t run any further, he couldn’t just stay like this.

“But Izel. Ion…”
“Young master.”
“I know he was always part of nature, and we should let him go. But, but it doesn’t have to be right now, does it?”

Ent clenched his fists tightly, remembering Ion who had broken free and fled. When he released his tightly clenched hands, there was nothing in them. Ion was not in his arms.

He was a creature born of nature. Naturally, Ent was prepared to let him go if that was his wish. Ent closed his eyes tightly.

‘But he was trembling with such fear.’

Why had Ion trembled with such fear? Ent didn’t care about the reason at all. What mattered to him was that he had let go of Ion, who had been so afraid.

“I know it’s unreasonable, I know it’ll be hard to find… but… can’t I go chase after Ion?”

Ent bowed his head deeply. A guilt as if he’d done something wrong weighed heavily on his shoulders. Dozens of thoughts collided in his mind.

What kind of trouble was this anyway? It wasn’t like someone had made a mistake or framed him. Ion had chosen to leave his side. He’d resolved to let him go freely, yet now he was desperate to hold on, driven by his own greed. And he was causing trouble for others in the process.

‘… Does that mean I can’t have anything I desire?’

The soft fur and warm embrace of the creature in his arms had been real. The soothing whimpers that gradually opened its heart and drew closer to comfort him weren’t an illusion created by Ent either. He’d thought something he’d dreamed of since his days as Park Jaeyoon had finally come to him, like destiny.

Ent couldn’t find the words to describe this feeling.

Izel frowned at Ent’s expression. That look again. Unable to vent his irritation at his young master, Izel swept his hair back and sighed softly. When Izel signaled to Paladin, Paladin swiftly picked up Ent, who was lost in thought.

“Pa, Paladin?”
“I will go find him.”
“What?”
“I will take responsibility and find Ion. Please return to the inn and rest.”

Hearing Izel’s words, the struggling Ent calmed down a little. Izel was Izel. If he said he’d take responsibility and find him, he would surely do so.

Yet, Ent hesitated. The bad habit ingrained in his body and mind from living Park Jaeyoon’s life dominated his thoughts. It was guilt. An inexplicable guilt about daring to act on his own accord.

“… I’m sorry.”

Ent felt so sorry he couldn’t bear it, making someone as capable as Izel do this, just because of his own selfishness. As his face darkened, Izel smiled faintly with a bitter expression.

“It’s fine. You’re just like that…”

Come to think of it, Izel was a truly remarkable person. It wasn’t just because he was an exceptionally skilled servant of the Harbilta family; being near him always brought a surprising sense of calm. Ent nodded, somehow reassured by the faint smile he saw on Izel’s face for the first time.

“Izel, I’m counting on you.”
“Yes.”

After confirming that Paladin was carrying Ent away, Izel let out a short sigh. His opponent was a wolf. Its movement speed wouldn’t be ordinary.

Izel began tracking him, following the traces Ion had left behind in the forest.

How long had he run? Only when Ion realized he’d ventured quite far into the depths did he finally stop running. The trees were so thick that even at sunset, light barely penetrated.

From somewhere in the gloomy surroundings came the howl of a beast.

The dark forest, the damp earth’s scent, the cold air, and the animal tracks. Ion’s expression darkened. Yes, wasn’t this the kind of place that suited him anyway?

Leaning against a nearby tree trunk, Ion decided to rest for a moment. Suddenly feeling parched, he lifted his head, then froze upon realizing there was no longer a hand nearby to offer him water. Had he grown accustomed to them already, after only a few days? Ion shook his head.

”A-ong…”

The earthen ground he sat on was cold.

Lying on the lifeless soil, catching his breath, useless thoughts kept surfacing in his mind.

The image of the Ent he’d seen countless times over the past few days flashed through Ion’s mind. The gentle gaze, the kind tone. The hand that stroked him, saying he was adorable.

‘Those silver eyes.’

Those transparent silver eyes were something even Ion had never seen before. Sometimes they deepened as if lost in thought, other times they trembled with unease. Yet, whenever they looked at him, they were always tender and warm, as if to reassure him.

‘… No, what am I thinking.’

Ion shook his head firmly. What on earth was he thinking? No matter how much he had liked that person, wasn’t it all just an illusion in the end?

He had only repeated his foolish actions once more. Knowing what humans were, he trusted one again, only to be disappointed and flee once more.

‘Just how long…’

Ion squeezed his eyes shut. This life, merely clinging to existence day by day. Wasn’t his clan already as good as finished? The beastmen, having lost their homeland, scattered to the winds, only to meet their end sooner than others.

Rustle.

“…!”

Ion, who had been lying prone, sat bolt upright at the rustling sound from the nearby thicket and stared in its direction. His fur instinctively bristled. Even if he’d been lost in thought, he hadn’t been careless. Yet he sensed no presence at all.

This was no ordinary being.

“…”

“… A-ong.”

Ion, tense and alert, called out, signaling for the figure hidden in the bushes to come out. The silhouette concealed among the foliage revealed itself before him.

“Ion.”

Deep, wooden brown skin and green hair. Always wearing a cold expression, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

It was Izel.

“What on earth possessed you to come this deep in?”

Izel, looking slightly weary, loosened the tie he always wore tightly. Seeing Ion’s wary stance, Izel let out a short sigh.

As Izel swept back his fallen bangs, Ion saw an opportunity to flee amidst his relaxed demeanor. Izel watched Ion without saying a word.

Just as Ion was about to turn away, slowly drawing back his hind legs…

“Planning to run away again?”

At those words, Ion froze. He stopped the feet that had been about to turn and dash away, and turned back toward Izel.

Ion had always disliked Izel. That face, impossible to read, and physical abilities that defied the limits of a normal human. Was it even possible for a human body to catch up to him in his beast form? I

on growled softly.

“Let’s have a conversation.”
“A-ong?”
“Since I don’t know how to understand the language of beasts, how about you change your form?”

Ion flinched at those words. As the flustered Ion hesitated, Izel raised both hands in a gesture to calm him. He wouldn’t dare run off again. He’d only just caught up to him; he wasn’t about to let him start dashing about again.

“I already know you can take human form. I saw it last night.”

‘Last night?’

“I’ve also roughly guessed your true identity, so calm down and let’s talk. Preferably in human form.”

Ion realized Izel was referring to yesterday’s events. Unconsciously frowning, Ion scanned Izel’s surroundings. He had confirmed there were no signs of anyone nearby, yet Izel had been watching him all along.

‘What is his true nature?’

According to the intel he’d received, Ent was the scion of a noble family, and Izel was merely his attendant. So what was the deal with those abnormal physical abilities?

Come to think of it, Paladin was the same. Why was a simple coachman always carrying weapons around, and why did he possess the power to take down multiple beasts with his bare fists?

‘… What kind of people are they?’

“Ion.”

When Izel called out to Ion again, Ion let out a small sigh, ‘A-ong.’

Yeah, if it came down to it, he could always run away again. If they wanted to capture or hunt him, they should just do it. Why bother trying to talk?

A gray light began to emanate from around Ion, who had been in beast form.

Izel murmured in quiet admiration at the rare sight. Even he, who had seen much in his life, had never witnessed a beastman transforming into human form.

By the time the gray light around Ion faded, the beast walking on four legs was nowhere to be seen.

In its place stood a man with gray hair.