I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 11

Knock knock.

At the sound of knocking, Sionel immediately sat up.

Ever since the assassination attempt, he would wake up at the slightest sound and couldn’t sleep deeply.

-Knock. Knock.

Sionel tapped the bed right next to him.

“Get up.”

“…”

“Hey.”

Ponia showed no signs of waking up. Instead, she flailed her hand and swatted his away. Just like shooing away a fly.

An assassin who’s a heavy sleeper.

‘There’s a limit to neglecting one’s duties.’

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Hey, wake up.”

“…”

“Ponia.”

Eventually, Sionel had no choice but to place his hand on Ponia’s shoulder and forcibly wake her up. Then, he raised both hands toward Ponia, who was still half-asleep.

And.

Smack.

“Ah! Huh?”

At the stinging sensation rising on both cheeks, Ponia startled awake. In front of her was Sionel with cold eyes.

“Did you just… hit me?”

“I woke you up. I told you to get up several times.”

“That’s the same thing…”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“What’s with the knocking in the middle of the night…”

She looked toward the door carelessly, then her eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

Someone was knocking on the door.

Because they had roughly fitted the door back after it had fallen once, it shook precariously as if it would fall again at any moment.

“…What is it?”

“You’re the forest keeper, you’d know better.”

“You called me an assassin before.”

“I just changed my mind.”

What’s that supposed to mean now.

But that wasn’t what was important right now.

“Is there another forest keeper in this forest besides you?”

“No? There were predecessors, but…”

They’re all probably dead.

She thought it might be Jerome, but if it was Jerome who knew how dangerous the forest was at night, he would have visited when it was light, not in the middle of the night.

“At least among the people I know, there’s no one who would knock in the middle of the night.”

“Right.”

Ponia carefully stepped onto the floor and headed toward the window. She couldn’t bring herself to open the window, so she looked toward the door through the curtains, and caught a glimpse of something.

“…A man?”

A shadow illuminated by moonlight stretched long across the ground. Holding something in his hand.

And with his other hand.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“I can’t see well from here… What are you doing?”

In the brief moment, Sionel had found a hammer from the toolbox and was swinging it through the air.

“You said there’s no one you know. Then there are two remaining possibilities. Either it’s a monster that climbed up to the cabin.”

“…”

“Or an assassin who came to kill me.”

His clear blue eyes gleamed with a sharp, cold light.

Those were the very same eyes that had strangled Ponia’s neck.

Ponia blocked Sionel as he walked toward the door without hesitation.

“Wait a minute.”

“Move aside.”

“What are you going to do by opening the door…?”

“Attack first.”

“No!”

Suddenly, her voice rose and Ponia hastily covered her mouth and lowered her voice.

“They could be someone who happened to wander through the forest and found the cabin. You can’t just attack people recklessly like that.”

She almost died, and now she’s trying to be completely reckless.

However, Ponia had no choice but to shut her mouth at the words that followed.

“But why aren’t they making any sound?”

“…”

“If they wandered through the forest and found the cabin, shouldn’t they be asking for help? But the person outside the door isn’t making any sound at all. Just like someone whose identity mustn’t be discovered.”

“…”

“Even if they’re not an assassin, is there any guarantee they’re a good person?”

“…”

“People who need help only know how to think about themselves.”

Sionel’s gaze moved from inside the cabin, to Ponia, and then down again.

The loose ivory-colored linen nightgown that reached her ankles revealed Ponia’s arms and neckline.

“A secluded forest with no one around, a single cabin, and a delicate forest keeper living in that cabin?”

Ponia hesitated and stepped back at the intimidating voice, but Sionel stepped closer.

“How about being a little more cautious.”

Only the edges of their clothes brushed against each other with no actual contact anywhere, but Sionel acted as if he would reach out and pull her close at any moment.

Sionel, who had been looking down at Ponia, stepped back when he saw her body stiffen.

‘She should understand by now.’

“So don’t interfere and…”

“But.”

Ponia’s expression, which had been quiet all along, was still stiff.

“I can’t hear any sound.”

“…What sound?”

“The knocking sound hasn’t been heard since earlier.”

Ponia and Sionel simultaneously stared at the door.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The person standing in front of the door moved their steps. At the same time, Ponia pushed Sionel and knocked him down. In an instant, both of them fell onto the bed.

Suddenly, it became a situation where Ponia was straddling on top of Sionel.

“What are you doing.”

“Shh!”

His lips were blocked by Ponia’s hand. He was about to push her away immediately, but couldn’t even attempt it.

The moment he tried to move his body, he realized that Ponia’s nightgown was thinner than he thought.

Regardless, Ponia’s attention was focused on the window. The man’s silhouette was clearly visible through the curtained window.

She held her breath wondering if he would force open the tightly closed window, but fortunately the man turned back toward the door.

Ponia looked down at Sionel, who had become strangely docile.

“What’s with that expression?”

“…What about my expression.”

“An expression like you’re really flustered and don’t know what to do?”

“Mind your own business.”

Right, then.

Ponia returned to the main topic.

“So you’re going to kill them? If they’re not an assassin?”

“Then I’ll just knock them unconscious.”

I mean, if you hit them with that hammer, it seems like you’d put them in a coma rather than just knock them out.

“…And then?”

“When they wake up again, I’ll torture them enough to forget they saw me so they can’t even open their mouth anywhere…”

“Stop!”

Looking at Sionel’s attitude, it seemed like he wouldn’t stop attacking even if it was proven that the other party wasn’t an assassin.

No, unless he put them in a coma before finding out.

Considering how he strangled her without listening to a word, he was more than capable of doing that.

Setting aside Sionel’s already twisted personality, she was a sensible intellectual living in this world. Moreover.

‘I need to stay here quietly and leave with my payment without any problems!’

If a missing person report was filed and witnesses came forward saying the missing person entered this forest, they would definitely investigate Ponia, the forest keeper.

Then, the fact that she was hiding her identity and playing the role of forest keeper would all be exposed.

‘As expected, there’s only that method.’

“I’ll go out.”

“What are you going to do by going out?”

“If they’re an assassin, I’ll attack them, and if they’re a civilian, I’ll protect them until dawn.”

“Huh? What do you think you can do against an assassin?”

“I think I’d do better than you as a patient.”

“Who’s a patient… Ugh! Damn.”

When she pressed firmly on his abdomen, Sionel let out a groan and cursed.

Now he’s openly cursing all the time.

At this point, this delinquent appearance suited Sionel much better. Ponia took the opportunity to snatch the hammer from his hand.

“‘How about being a bit more cautious?’ Really? Says the one who got knocked out by a stone thrown by a frail forest keeper.”

“…”

Leaving Sionel, who had suddenly become quiet, Ponia got up and walked toward the door.

Knock knock. Knock. Knock.

The knocking on the door carried an unprecedented sense of urgency.

‘Stay calm, Ponia Harbel. Just open the door a little, and if something’s wrong, immediately strike with the hammer!’

After a few seconds of deep breathing, Ponia slowly opened the door.

Creeeeak.

The unoiled hinges made noise as the other person’s appearance was gradually revealed. Loose dark-colored tunic and work pants, and a sharp saw held in hand.

Good. Let me blow his head off first.

Just as Ponia quickly changed her stance and was about to put her terrifying thoughts into action, the man’s face came into view.

Surely he’d have many scars from extensive assassination experience… Huh? Glasses?

Long curly hair covering his eyes, and round glasses visible beneath it.

Though one shouldn’t judge people carelessly by their appearance, this look didn’t seem like an assassin at all.

Maybe some eccentric scientist you might find somewhere.

Unlike Ponia who had lost her fighting spirit, the man standing at the door brightened up upon seeing Ponia.

“Hello?”

The man looked down at the bottom of the door.

“The door’s making noise? Should I fix this too?”

“…Yes…?”

Seeing Ponia’s still bewildered expression, the man seemed to realize his mistake and smiled awkwardly.

“Ah, I’m late with my introduction. You called for a cabin repairman?”

…A repairman?

* * *

Early morning, in a village near Mirban Forest.

“Please, I’m asking you. It’s really urgent.”

“Look, I told you I can’t go?”

People’s attention gathered in one place. Two men were arguing in front of a shop in the town square.

“I’ll pay you triple. I guarantee your safety.”

“Look, no matter how much you pay me, I won’t enter that forest! If you were lucky enough to return alive, you should live gratefully!”

The irritated man went into the shop and locked the door.

This was the fifth rejection.

Jerome sighed and scanned the shops that might have repairmen.

The other people in the square avoided his eyes and hurried their steps. They tried their best not to get involved with him.

‘I didn’t know the rumors had spread this far.’

Even this village, the closest to the forest, took two days by carriage. He needed to find a repairman today to reach Ponia within a week.

‘If this doesn’t work, even if it takes a bit longer, I’ll try another village…’

“Looking for a repairman?”

A low, gentle voice stopped Jerome. A strange man had approached without any presence.

A conspicuous man with long brown hair covering his eyes and glasses spoke in a friendly tone.

“I heard you arguing earlier.”

“Do you happen to know a repairman? Or even other shops around here would be fine.”

“Hmm… I can’t think of anyone right now.”

Jerome hid his disappointment.

“Thank you for letting me know. Then…”

“Do you absolutely need a professional repairman?”

The man, who had been scratching his messy hair, shrugged his shoulders awkwardly.

“I’m confident with repair work too. I’ve learned techniques under a repairman before.”

“…”

“I happen to need money.”

“The place you need to go with me is Mirban Forest.”

Just when I thought his expression would harden, the corners of the man’s mouth curved into a smooth arc for a moment.

Whoooosh!

A strong wind blew.

His long shaggy hair that reached down to his eyes fluttered, revealing the man’s face from behind his glasses.

The man pulled up the corners of his mouth.

“Perfect. Mirban Forest.”

He was a beautiful man who didn’t suit this countryside at all.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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