The two of them froze simultaneously.

It couldn’t be another magical beast, could it?

Anticipating the worst possible situation, they each prepared for what they had to do.

Serpina prepared to dart away, and Dante tightened his grip on his sword.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

As the presence grew stronger, the tension that had subsided rose taut again.

Eventually.

Whoosh!

A black beast abruptly burst out from the bushes.

“Ahhh… huh?”

Serpina, who was about to scream in surprise, blinked her eyes.

Somehow… isn’t it a bit small?

Squeak! Squeak!

The black beast that had suddenly appeared was at most the size of a cat.

“What is that?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to be a cat…”

Dante trailed off and walked towards the unidentified beast. The black beast that had boldly leaped out was crying out loudly, but as soon as Dante approached closely, it drooped its ears and began to tremble.

“Whatever it is, it seems we’ve successfully subdued it.”

At Serpina’s words, Dante showed a subtle expression. In the meantime, the beast, trembling and watching their reactions, scurried off somewhere. The small body arrived at the corpse of the dead magical beast.

Whimper. Whimper…

The beast, whining like a baby chick and staggering, busily licked the dead magical beast.

Serpina and Dante silently watched it.

“…Oh dear. It seems to be the mother.”

Dante nodded at the bitter murmur.

The small beast that had lost its mother whimpered for a while, then dropped its head and sat down.

Gasp!

The startled Serpina hurriedly ran to the beast. The child, panting heavily, was so thin that its ribs were clearly visible.

“It must have been starving for a long time.”

“It probably hasn’t had a proper meal since its mother became a magical beast.”

Beasts that absorb magic and become magical beasts lose their reason. They forget even their own children and run amok.

In a way, it was a miracle that the small beast was still alive. It wouldn’t have been strange if it had been killed by its mother who had become a magical beast…

“…It’s pitiful.”

Serpina, who muttered blankly, carefully held the baby beast in her arms.

Perhaps it was because the plight of the beast that had lost its mother seemed just like her own childhood, but she felt compassion.

If left like this, it probably wouldn’t survive more than a few days.

“Shall we take it with us?”

“Really?”

Serpina asked back without even breathing at Dante’s words.

“It’s clear it will die if we leave it. It wouldn’t be bad to take it for now, treat it, let it recover its health, and then release it again.”

It would be nice if that could be done.

The color drained from Serpina’s face, which had brightened for a moment.

Could she readily agree to do that?

Come to think of it, it was obvious that Dante had made this suggestion out of consideration for her.

Because I seem to be overflowing with compassion and lingering attachment. But this is still the child of a magical beast.

Dante easily read Serpina’s concern this time as well.

“You don’t have to worry about its mother being a magical beast. Magical beasts are created when magic is absorbed by ordinary beasts. Even if the mother became a magical beast, it doesn’t mean the child will also become one.”

Only then did Serpina’s eyes light up in relief, and Dante also inwardly smiled.

“Then, let’s take it.”

“Yes. Let’s do that. And…”

And?

“In a way, I’m the one who took this child’s mother away.”

“No. That’s not true. It’s not you who took the mother away from this child, it’s the magic. So don’t feel unnecessary guilt. We only did what we had to do.”

The outpouring of comfort was not unfamiliar.

Dante tilted his head and buried his face in Serpina’s shoulder.

“Thank you. Actually, I think I wanted to hear that.”

Yes. Perhaps he wanted to hear her comfort. After confronting magical beasts, various complicated thoughts would swirl in his head.

The guilt of taking lives. The comrades who had lost their lives to magical beasts. The disgust with his body that embraced the curse and the illusions of people calling him a monster.

Having nightmares after scouting was a similar principle.

‘…Come to think of it, I avoided having nightmares this time too.’

He didn’t even notice that he hadn’t had nightmares because he was distracted by Adeline and her daughter.

He no longer questioned why he didn’t have nightmares.

“Dante? Are you okay?”

Because he already knew that everything was thanks to this woman, his wife.

So perhaps he intentionally showed weakness again today. Knowing that Serpina would send firm but sincere comfort instead of reproaching him.

Maybe he asked the question even though he knew the answer that would come back, because he cowardly wanted to hear comfort, Dante thought.

“Let’s go now.”

“Yes. Let’s.”

The two, who had been silently patting each other while leaning on each other’s shoulders for a while, slowly got up.

If they wanted to arrive at the mansion before sunset, they had to move tightly from now on. That way, they could call a doctor and feed this cat-like beast.

Squeak!

The beast, which had only been breathing and squeaking softly, suddenly thrashed violently in Serpina’s arms.

“Uh, uh, uh?”

The startled Serpina tried to steady herself, but it was no use.

Kwang!

As soon as the small claws grazed the back of her hand, the beast succeeded in escaping from Serpina’s arms.

The baby beast that landed on the ground snarled arrogantly at Serpina, then quickly moved away from the two.

Of course, it collapsed again before taking five steps, exhausted.

“…What are you doing.”

Sigh. Serpina, who sighed, slowly approached the collapsed beast. Its will not to go to humans was admirable, but if it stayed like this, it would hold its funeral tomorrow.

This trivial rebellion was obviously its last struggle, which made it even more pitiful.

Oh my, how did you even get here.

Three steps away was a cliff. The height was quite high, though not dizzyingly so. Serpina squatted down and waddled towards the beast.

Trying her best not to look down, she held the beast in her arms again.

“Hey. Stop rebelling and just come with me. I’m trying to save you, okay? I’ll take you, give you delicious things, let you sleep in a warm place, give you a name, and treat you kindly.”

When she whispered into its droopy ears, the ears fluttered.

Was it because it was ticklish or because it understood her words? Hopefully it was because it understood.

Serpina smiled lightly and got up.

And that’s when it happened.

Boom, rumble…

A heavy roar was heard from somewhere.

No, what is this sound again.

She was on the verge of getting trauma from sounds that suddenly came out of nowhere. But even looking around, there was no separate presence felt like before.

Serpina stared at Dante with wide eyes. At the same time, Dante also looked at her.

“Serpina!”

Huh. Why does he look like that? Why is he calling me so urgently all of a sudden? And.

“Why is Dante tilting…”

Serpina, who was talking up to that point, realized the truth.

Ah. It’s not Dante who’s tilting, it’s me.

The ground on which Serpina was standing at the edge of the cliff was collapsing.

As soon as she realized it, her body floated and Serpina closed her eyes tightly.

…Ugh. My head.

I pressed my aching temples and slowly got up from my spot. What time is it now?

I looked around to find a clock, but all I could see was grass or dirt ground.

What the…

“Ah. I fell.”

I finally remembered that the cliff had fallen off like a cut tofu and I had plummeted together with it.

I hastily felt my body here and there.

Strange. Why am I fine?

I was grateful that I didn’t die from falling off the cliff, and I was prepared to endure a broken bone or two.

However, not only was nothing broken, there were no major scrapes or injuries either.

As I was pondering how this was possible, something caught the tip of my hand touching the ground.

Hmm?

I turned my head to check what it was and froze on the spot.

“…D-Dante?”

Why is Dante here?

I’m sure I was the only one who fell from the cliff.

He was lying next to me with a pale face, his eyes closed.

“Could it be.”

Could it be that he saw me falling and immediately threw himself after me?

If I thought that way, it also explained why my body was too fine for someone who had fallen off a cliff.

If Dante had embraced me and fallen off the cliff, and thus endured all the impact I should have received.

As my thoughts reached that point, I hurriedly checked Dante’s body here and there.

The tattered clothes amplified the unease.

And somehow, the ominous premonition was never wrong.

“What… is this.”

I stared down at Dante blankly, swallowing my breath.