How To Choose A Knight (28 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 7

“Th….”

“Scatter it around.”

The short old woman wore a gentle smile, yet she also had a very resolute side. Jade clutched a large handful of something yellow—gritty and coarse.

“Yes… By the way, do you happen to know the way out of the forest?”

“No idea. No, scatter it more finely! If you toss the feed in big clumps, they’ll fight over it.”

Even scattering feed wasn’t as easy as she’d thought. Chickens followed wherever she sprinkled it, and startled by their reckless charges, she flung the feed far away—only to earn a scolding.

“What if predators snatch your chickens! Scatter it only nearby!”

“Oh—um, right. Then… is there anyone nearby who knows the way out?”

“If you’re done with the feed, go fill this water bucket. My back’s been aching lately.”

Somehow, every answer came with another chore attached.

“Where’s the water?”

Fortunately, the old woman didn’t brush off even such a naive question.

While Jade fetched water from the nearby spring, she learned there were fewer than five people living in the area.

“Why don’t you all live together? It’d be safer, and you could share things you need.”

Her question made perfect sense. After all, there were reasons people formed communities. But those who entered Athanase Forest followed different rules.

“People who’ve grown tired of others—why would they gather together again? Better to live alone, hardship and all, than give up that freedom.”

“What has Oli grown tired of?”

The old woman smirked and changed the subject.

“Well, waiting for a merchant is probably your quickest option.”

“I’m in a real hurry. I don’t have months to spare. What about the people living across the lake?”

“Miss Mage, you’re actually quite lucky.”

While Jade carefully poured water into the bucket, the old woman herded the chickens back into the yard.

“Axel’s annoying and cold, but he’s not a bad sort. But there are strange folk in Athanase Forest—some who’d gamble their lives. You’re not that desperate, are you? Even if you’re in a rush, I’d stay put if I were you. Life needs moments like this.”

Just… time spent letting things drift by.

Despite the old woman’s gentle tone, Jade couldn’t find peace in her heart—she merely sighed deeply.

She wished she could.

But emptying her mind felt utterly unfamiliar. She’d always lived a life that demanded constant, passionate filling.

No—she’d had to live that way.

Countless thoughts raced through her head: things to solve, matters to ponder.

“Miss Jade, please rest a while.”

“You’re still young—you might even grow taller. You need to eat well and sleep properly.”

“I don’t have time for that. I absolutely must ensure my uncle can’t get his hands on this. The capital estate’s management documents should go to someone above my uncle. Who would be suitable? Someone strong-willed enough not to weigh me against him.”

“I’ll handle it! I’ll finalize the list and report back by tomorrow—so please, just get some sleep!”

Days like that gave her no room to relax—or even to grow.

“Anyway, thanks for walking with me all the way to the spring. Here, take two eggs.”

Jade, lost in thought, blinked wide-eyed as she accepted the warm eggs.

“What, not enough? Then take these too.”

A few more wild fruits were added.

“R-really?”

“Of course. You worked—you deserve your pay.”

Jade gently rolled the round items in her hands, and for some reason, she found herself smiling brightly without even noticing.

“Thank you.”

“Yes, yes. Take care on your way back. Next time you come, let’s pick fruits together. We can make jam before winter—it’s good, even if we’re short on sugar.”

Jade kept her eyes fixed on the eggs all the way back to Axel’s house, terrified they might drop. Once placed on the table, the fruits and eggs rolled slightly before coming to a stop.

“Wow.”

For some reason, the eggs and fruit looked especially round and vivid today.

I earned this. It’s not much, but…

She’d done chores outside every day, yet this felt more satisfying somehow. Not sure why, though.

Jade leaned on the table, grinning softly, then yawned—bathed in the warm sunlight pouring through the window. Her eyelids fluttered drowsily before finally closing.

Thud!

She jolted awake to find the sunlight that had once warmed her bedside now stretched far across the room, reaching the chair.

Turning her head, she saw Axel had returned and was removing his gloves. Though his face remained flawlessly composed, something was different.

“Blood! Blood!”

She pointed and cried out. Axel coolly wiped his cheek.

“Where?”

“Y-your cheek!”

“Never seen blood before?”

Come to think of it—no, that wasn’t true. She’d seen plenty.

Jade blinked once and quietly sat back down. Axel gave it a few half-hearted rubs, noticed it had dried, and gave up.

“Were you hurt?”

“No. Animal blood.”

“What did you catch?”

“Something edible and easy to store.”

“Was it hard to catch?”

“Not really.”

For someone so gruff, that was a surprisingly considerate answer. All the while, he turned his gloves inside out and set them by the window, then scrubbed his boots thoroughly with a cloth. Jade quietly hung his discarded outer coat over a chair.

It was a good thing she’d grown up learning to read the room—just in case! Haha!

Axel changed into lighter shoes and grasped the doorknob again.

“Don’t come out.”

“Why?”

He now looked genuinely fed up with question marks.

Jade felt awkward—but decided to be shameless anyway. If he already saw her as little more than a parasite, what difference did it make whether she was a curious parasite or a silent one?

“…I need to butcher and clean it. It won’t be a pleasant sight.”

“That’s fine. Long ago, knights would hunt and mages would pray—to offer thanks for the creature’s life.”

“I’m no knight.”

“Really? But I am a mage, so I can still pray.”

Axel frowned at Jade’s casual shrug. After a long pause, he nodded, and Jade quickly followed him outside.

A sizable deer already lay dead. Jade offered a brief prayer beside it.

“Snapping the windpipe cleanly is the kindest.”

“Does that hurt less?”

“Probably.”

Axel offered his own short prayer, then began butchering the deer. The process proved complex and far from easy—even his strong hands and firm arms struggled to finish quickly.

“…I’ll start eating two spoonfuls less from today.”

“Suit yourself.”

After concentrating on cutting for a while, Axel noticed Jade was biting back questions—and gave a faint chuckle. He added a brief explanation.

“It’s not for immediate eating, so I need to remove parts that’ll spoil.”

“The innards?”

“Yes. You know your stuff.”

“Well? I’ve been through a lot out there. Seriously. Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

Axel scoffed. After butchering, he explained he’d either smoke or dry the meat before storing it, his hands moving briskly all the while.

“It only has one antler branch.”

“There are many trees here—multiple branches would get tangled in branches, making escape hard.”

“True. But… did you have a bow?”

“A bow for what?”

Jade tilted her head in confusion.

“How else did you catch it? A deer wouldn’t fail to notice someone approaching.”

No matter how silently Axel moved, his tall, broad frame would cast a clear shadow. If the deer hadn’t noticed, it would’ve failed as a herbivore.

Yet Axel answered indifferently.

“Just… handled it somehow.”

He clearly avoided the topic. Sensing this, Jade stopped asking and quietly watched his hands move.

His large hands gripped the knife so firmly that tendons stood out—but his motions flowed as smoothly as swimming. It seemed as if the flesh offered no resistance at all, which was astonishing. Of course, that only proved just how strong Axel truly was.

Jade made up her mind again: from now on, two spoonfuls less per meal.

“Is raising livestock hard?”

“It’s tough—I’m often away from home.”

“Because feeding them becomes difficult?”

“Yes. And if wild beasts carry them off while I’m gone, there’s no profit.”

“Then just stay home. Why leave?”

“Stop asking questions.”

“Okay….”

She couldn’t tell at all where the boundary lay—why he’d answer some things himself but snap at others.

Muttering inwardly, Jade let her gaze wander into the distance—then suddenly leapt up.

“Oh! No way—that’s a Valancy tree!”

Axel left her to her frantic scramble; mages were always like this, after all.

Contrary to his expectation that she’d fall, Jade surprisingly climbed the tree expertly. Dangling from a high branch, she shook dry fruits loose—pattering, pattering to the ground.

“It’s a miracle cure for stomachaches! Truly precious! This forest really is a treasure trove!”

Come to think of it, she’d climbed a tree before, too.

With that cheerful chatter in the background, Axel finished the butchering.

It was a peaceful afternoon.

[Felix Broen ran a hand over his jaw. The unkempt stubble scratched—left deliberately unshaven to play the grieving uncle after his niece’s disappearance.]

“Father.”

Ascela entered then—his only daughter, and his failure.

Felix didn’t even look at her as he asked,

“Ascela. What brings you all the way here?”

But she wasn’t a complete failure yet. Pretty enough that, if married off to a wealthy man, she could still bring considerable profit.

Of course, a proper marriage would require an ample dowry—but his niece Jade Broen’s disappearance had opened possibilities. If he played his cards right, he could pocket a hefty sum in secret.