During her time in Growen, Charlotte always appeared in unexpected places. Today, her face, looking especially delicate, turned toward Yerpi.

“Were you out for a walk too?”

“Yes. You as well?”

“I woke up early this morning. I went to sleep early yesterday. Did you enjoy the party? It must’ve been fun. I could even see the lights from where I was staying.”

There were times when looking at Charlotte, Yerpi wondered whether the girl might actually hate her.

Doubt turned into certainty, and that certainty, overlapping with memories of her past life, drove her to push Charlotte away.

She wondered where that pure origin of malice came from. Was it innate?

Or was it something manufactured? Could Charlotte also have a past life?

Another question lingered. If she hadn’t possessed Yerpi’s body, would Charlotte have been able to grasp happiness?

Charlotte fiddled with a chrysanthemum. Plucking a flower tinged with crimson, she savored its scent before suddenly speaking.

“You know, sister. Ever since I was born, I’ve felt that other people were different from me. Everyone loved me, but I couldn’t feel that love. Still, being the center of attention was nice. It was convenient too, since everything I wanted came easily into my hands.”

A fragile hand crushed the chrysanthemum. Only its fragrance remained, moistening Charlotte’s palm.

“That’s why I’ve always been curious about you. It’s strange—you seem to have given up on everything, yet your eyes still hold hope. Maybe the reason I came here was to see you. Dreams are reversed, after all. The truth is, I’ve always liked you very much.”

Never had she expected such a confession from a younger sister who once asked for her husband. At the same time, Yulha came to mind.

Yulha wasn’t honest. But what about Charlotte?

If the two were indeed the same being, perhaps this time things could be different—she allowed herself to cling to that hope.

“You and I aren’t really so different.”

At those words, Charlotte’s eyes widened. What she’d just said was sincere. She, too, had been selfish—selfish enough to destroy the original story.

All humans were selfish and weak.

The only difference between herself and Charlotte was how each had chosen to cope with loneliness.

“You should try to find something you can truly love. If you really dislike being the Saintess, end it yourself and step down. Then go find what you truly want to do.”

That was the best she could offer. Charlotte listened in silence, then smiled brightly.

With that smile, the mist lifted. Gentle autumn sunlight shone down upon everyone.

“Sister. Thank you. That was exactly what I wanted to hear most.”

Her sister’s smile overlapped with the face of a friend from her past life.

She didn’t know what lay hidden behind that smile. But just once more, she wanted to believe. Even if it was nothing more than selfish desire.

***

The path to the Red Forest, home of the Heart Tree Croteria, had opened.

The entire forest was shrouded in mist.

But the moment they entered through the passage cleared by the guarding knights, the fog veiling their eyes lifted, revealing the forest’s full vista.

The leaves of the densely packed trees along the path were yellow, but as they moved toward the center, maple trees stained red filled the forest, giving it a crimson hue.

At the heart of the Red Forest stood Croteria, a colossal tree towering skyward like a giant.

“From here on, you must be cautious. We’re soon entering Langrosa’s territory.”

Dyson issued the warning. The knights of Clodier, familiar with Langrosa’s temperament, remained fully armed and tense.

Thick roots burrowing into the ground were visible among the autumn-tinted trees.

At first glance, they seemed like roots of nearby trees, but in truth, those roots were also part of Croteria.

Raymond crouched down to examine the roots and asked,

“How far has the rot spread?”

“Upon digging, we confirmed the decay extends from the Summer Territory up to this area. The rot is spreading at an alarming rate.”

It was said no contamination had been found even in the Summer Territory. The biggest problem was not knowing the cause of the rot, leaving them unable to respond.

Raymond brushed the dirt from his hands and stood up. He kept his gaze fixed beyond the forest.

“Let’s move inward.”

“Everyone, prepare to advance!”

From here on, they had to proceed on foot. Raymond led the way, with Lord Dyson serving as deputy commander.

The knights formed ranks to protect Yerpi and Charlotte. Behind Raymond, Yerpi’s gaze turned toward Charlotte.

Charlotte followed behind the lord, cloaked in white robes.

The knights were holding their breath. The deeper they went, the heavier their legs felt, as if chains were tied to their ankles.

“I don’t feel well.”

That queasy sensation in her stomach—it was similar to how she’d felt in the Obliet beneath Growen Castle.

But to her surprise, everyone else seemed unaffected. Dizzy for a moment, she nearly stumbled.

At first, she thought a rock had caught her foot, but it was actually a root of the giant tree.

She was about to fall flat on the ground.

A hand reached out from ahead and steadied her.

“The path is uneven because of the roots. Be careful.”

“Yes. I’ll be cautious.”

Though her head was spinning, she didn’t want to show it. Regaining her balance and watching her step, she didn’t trip again.

Despite her poor condition, one thing was fortunate—the entry they’d expected to be difficult was proceeding far more smoothly than anticipated.

The knightly unit had already crossed more than half the forest, and as they approached the center, the grandeur of the colossal tree became ever more apparent.

The giant tree rising proudly within the Red Forest was truly magnificent.

“I understand now why it’s called the tree born from a dragon’s heart.”

At that size, perhaps there were fruits the Clodier knights hadn’t discovered.

The closer they got, the more eager she became to examine it properly.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Yet Raymond’s and the lord’s expressions grew increasingly grim.

“It’s too quiet.”

The surroundings were eerily silent—no birdsong, no insect chirps.

Their movements became even more cautious.

Raymond raised his hand toward the direction where the knights stood.

Responding to the signal, the knights immediately halted and assumed defensive positions.

“We’re almost there.”

The giant tree was within reach, but Langrosa was nowhere in sight. A sudden gust blew through the unnaturally quiet forest.

Maple leaves rained down like crimson rain.

Between countless branches, a flash of blue light entered Raymond’s sight. It was the fierce gaze of a beast resembling a lion.

“Up there!”

Perched atop the giant tree’s branches, a massive chimera stared down at them.

It had the head of a lion, the body of a bull, and the legs of a horse. Instead of a tail, it bore six serpents.

The beast’s blue eyes twisted with ferocity. The chimera had not yet detected Yerpi’s presence.

“It’s too late. It’s already in the cycle.”

The scent of spices only worked up until the moment before reincarnation.

Once a chimera entered its frenzied state, no fragrance could subdue it. The chimera bared fangs matching its massive body and leapt down from the tree.

Boom. The heavy impact shook the ground like an earthquake. The forest trembled under its mighty roar.

Raymond observed the chimera with the eyes of ‘The Observer.’

Langrosa had already reached a point of no return. This was the rampage—the cycle—through which the chimera returned to nature.

“We’ve entered the cycle phase.”

In Growen, where chimeras were revered as traces of dragons, killing them was avoided. However, chimeras in the cycle phase, or those acting violently toward humans, were considered part of nature’s order, and hunting them was the law here.

At Raymond’s command, the swordsmen drew their blades.

The eyes of the chimera, long guardian of the colossal tree, blazed bright blue. Langrosa perceived the gathered knights as enemies.

Lowering its stance, Langrosa launched itself into the air.

The chimera struck the knight directly in front, bit into his waist, shook its head, and flung him aside, knocking down several others behind.

The knights’ swords aimed for its flank, but failed to pierce Langrosa’s body, covered in steel-like scales.

“The sword won’t cut… gahk!”

At the moment Langrosa’s tail struck a knight’s neck, Raymond’s flame seared the serpent’s jaws.

Along with the chimera’s shriek, the fallen knight rolled onto the ground. Gasping for breath, he appeared barely alive.

The situation was dire. Yerpi’s gaze turned toward the figure cloaked in white.

“Charlotte!”

It was a voice pleading for help. Yet Charlotte only replied, her face pale with fear.

“Sister, holy power isn’t working.”