I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 76

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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 76

Ponia recalled her first meeting with Chad.

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

Chad had come late at night and introduced himself as a repairman.

‘Where did you get this?’

‘Jerome gave it to me before we left.’

With a rough map of the forest, he mentioned Jerome’s name.

It was suspicious, but he had mentioned Jerome’s name first, and despite being clumsy, he had done the repair work perfectly like a proper repairman.

Most importantly, since it was revealed in the original work that he was on Shionel’s side, any doubts were completely washed away.

When Ponia remained silent, Jerome continued speaking.

“But Chad had a map of the forest.”

Even though Jerome had already denied it once, Ponia found herself reflexively arguing back.

“Besides, he had my information from the employment office. Jerome had given it to him directly.”

Jerome showed a momentarily surprised expression, then sighed.

“As I thought, that man must have stolen the information.”

“Not long after I met that man in the village, only the map and the documents containing your information went missing from my bag.”

“No matter how much I searched the village, they didn’t turn up. Then, thinking of that man, I asked the villagers.”

Jerome paused for a moment. Ponia wished Jerome would just stop talking altogether.

But Jerome opened his mouth.

“They said that man called Chad Moreau isn’t a villager. They’ve never seen him in the village before.”

Ponia relaxed the strength in her clenched fists.

She had suspected that Chad might not be a simple repairman.

His combat skills were far too excellent for a repairman, and he had accepted things about Sionel without thinking too deeply about them.

When she discovered the documents containing her information in Chad’s bag.

Ponia had even resolved to do nothing even if Chad was an informant. Because he was someone who would help Sionel someday.

But thinking that way was different from actually learning that Chad had other purposes.

Had all of Chad’s words and actions in the forest been meant to extract information from her?

“So, where is that man now?”

Chad had left with only a single note.

Now that the possibility of Chad being an informant hired by someone had increased, there was a likely reason for Chad leaving the forest.

Meeting and reporting to his employer.

Her head was becoming increasingly complicated.

‘Then, who could Chad’s employer be?’

At this moment, she remembered Chad being with Gideon. She didn’t want to believe it, but

However, if Chad was really Gideon’s man, there were more than a few things that didn’t make sense.

The standard procedure would be to report to Gideon immediately upon learning that Sionel was alive, or to handle it directly.

But Chad had saved her and Sionel dozens of times throughout their stay in the forest.

Chad was always kind and talkative, but he never talked about himself.

Ponia realized anew that she knew nothing substantial about Chad.

‘How should I answer Jerome?’

If she told the truth, Jerome would somehow find Chad and punish him.

Jerome belonged to the Imperial Court.

Chad’s crime of stealing forest information that the Imperial Court kept classified would certainly not be light.

However, the current Chad was also difficult to consider a complete ally.

Unable to reach a conclusion and continuing to worry, the answer came from an unexpected person.

“I don’t know.”

Ponia turned to look at Sionel.

Unlike Ponia, Sionel who had spoken showed no signs of agitation.

Sionel had never trusted Chad from the beginning. But even so, this calm reaction felt strange.

“He finished the repair work and then disappeared without a word, so we were puzzled too.”

“He disappeared without a word after doing the repair work, so we were puzzled too.”

To Ponia’s eyes, it looked like Sionel was covering for Chad right now.

“Is it right to tell the truth now? You’re not in cahoots with that guy too, are you?”

Sionel clicked his tongue as if dumbfounded.

“What about me makes me look like I’m in cahoots with such a strangely dressed fellow? My benefactor is the forest keeper.”

“…That’s….”

“Besides, what’s so special about this forest?”

Jerome stepped back at Sionel’s nonchalant attitude.

“I got a bit excited.”

And Jerome looked at Ponia again.

“Since the cabin repairs look perfect, I think we should do a mandatory interim inspection….”

Jerome trailed off his words as he looked at Sionel and the repairman.

Thinking this wasn’t a conversation to have in front of those who didn’t know the forest’s true nature, Jerome headed for the door.

“Let’s go outside for now.”

* * *

Ponia and Jerome came out of the cabin and stood at the crossroads.

Despite her troubled mind, Ponia tried not to show it and focused on the task at hand.

“…You did all of this?”

“Yes.”

Jerome’s jaw dropped when he received the forest map. His eyes widened in amazement.

This didn’t match Jerome’s usual image of maintaining a businesslike attitude.

But Jerome didn’t care about his dignity and expressed pure admiration.

“No one has ever mapped it out this thoroughly before.”

Of course, they all went to the afterlife quickly.

“There are also monsters I dealt with directly during patrols. I’ve marked those twice, so look carefully.”

“This is truly amazing….”

Jerome couldn’t take his eyes off the map for a while before raising his head.

“Honestly, I didn’t know you could accomplish this much. What’s your secret?”

“…Just, well, I was lucky.”

Without Chad and Sionel, she too would have met the same end as the previous forest keepers.

That’s why she couldn’t understand Chad’s actions even more. She couldn’t distinguish how much of it was his true feelings and how much was lies.

‘Because I like you.’

She didn’t know what Chad’s confession meant either.

“Anyway, make sure to give me proper compensation.”

Her head was full of thoughts about Chad, making it hard to focus on the conversation.

She was thinking she should quickly return to the cabin and talk with Sionel, when Jerome said something unexpected.

“Of course. With results like this, we could pay your compensation even without completing the full six months.”

“What?”

“How about extending your contract? Not as a temporary worker, but as a permanent employee.”

Jerome spoke enthusiastically with energy in his voice.

“We’ll meet all your conditions. You won’t have to live only in the forest like before. You can go out weekly, and we’ll leave the map completion to your discretion.”

“….”

“We’ll also pay you more than before.”

Jerome’s voice was incredibly kind.

Staying longer in this forest where she constantly faced life-and-death situations would be insane.

When she first came in, she had worried about how to survive six months.

‘Come with me and let’s leave this place.’

And this was right after hearing those words from Sionel that morning.

Still, there was only one reason she couldn’t refuse outright.

‘Damn money.’

That one thing kept holding her back.

“…Give me time to think.”

In the end, Ponia couldn’t give any answer.

* * *

That night.

Ponia, who had expected a sleepless night due to the newly learned information and her troubled mind, ended up losing sleep for a completely different reason.

“Kyaa!”

A sharp scream burst out from the peaceful cabin.

It was Ponia’s voice.

Ponia belatedly covered her mouth.

She looked down below herself with a face full of bewilderment.

‘I, I just went to the bed to sleep!’

Sionel was lying beneath her.

And his words that followed were truly shocking.

“Why don’t you continue what you were doing.”

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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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