I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 80

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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 80

The assassin furrowed his brow.

“This woman seemed to care about you quite a bit.”

“….”

“She didn’t reveal your location until the very end. Don’t you feel sorry for her?”

“I never wanted that.”

The assassin was taken aback by the cold words.

This was completely different from the personality the Duke had described.

Seeing the forest keeper’s attitude, he had thought they would have built a strong bond living together all this time. Had he been mistaken?

Sionel looked at him and sneered.

“You’re trying to threaten me with the life of a mere forest keeper? You must really think I’m easy prey.”

He wondered if Sionel was lying to him, but Sionel showed no disturbance even when looking at the woman. Instead, he stepped back to distance himself from the assassin.

The assassin, growing impatient, hastily tried to put Ponia down. A hostage that had lost its usefulness was nothing but baggage.

“They called you the Empire’s greatest gentleman, but that’s not even funny. There’s no point in keeping her alive.”

The assassin mocked him, but Sionel only watched the assassin quietly.

The assassin, who was about to put the forest keeper down immediately, flinched for a moment and stopped. Then, he stared intently at Sionel.

“But you’re not running away?”

Someone trying to protect something always shows signs. Especially when it’s a precious existence that can’t be traded for anything.

Even an excellent actor couldn’t completely deceive themselves.

The assassin calmly observed Sionel.

The assassin couldn’t easily capture him because of the hostage. Now would be the perfect time to escape.

However, Sionel kept watching him until the end, observing his reactions.

As if he was hoping for him to take some specific action.

It was behavior he would never have shown if he were alone.

And he always knew how to identify a target’s weakest point.

The assassin smiled slyly.

“You treasure this forest keeper, don’t you?”

“….”

“So you want me to quickly put this woman down and chase after you. Is that right?”

“….”

Sionel said nothing, but the assassin was already certain.

The moment the assassin was about to point his blade at Ponia, Sionel rushed at him.

* * *

“….”

She thought she had opened her eyes, but all that entered her vision was complete darkness.

Her dazed mind gradually became clearer.

She could quickly recall the situation just before losing consciousness.

The assassin, and Sionel.

She couldn’t afford to remain unconscious like this.

However, her mind and body felt submerged as if underwater. The consciousness she had struggled to awaken gradually became hazy again.

“Ponia!”

Then, a sharp voice was heard.

It was Sionel’s voice.

It was heard clearly from very close to her.

“Ponia!”

Sionel called her desperately. Ponia struggled desperately to regain consciousness.

“Ugh….”

‘I did it!’

Though faint, a voice came out.

After making a sound, the sensations that had only been dimly felt instantly returned.

Whoooosh.

Feeling the rain striking her entire body, Ponia opened her eyes.

“Ugh!”

As she tried to get up immediately, intense pain struck her. Her whole body ached.

Enduring the pain and lifting her body, she saw Sionel and the assassin through her blurred vision.

The two were tangled together on the ground.

The assassin, mounted on top of Sionel, pointed his sword toward Sionel’s eyes, while Sionel was blocking his hand.

The assassin spoke excitedly.

“The Duke only said to bring you back alive, so losing one eye should be fine!”

With the blade hanging before his eyes, Sionel gritted his teeth and endured. Soon, Ponia’s eyes met with Sionel’s.

Sionel shouted.

“Run away!”

Sionel’s voice was completely hoarse from how much he had called out to her while Ponia was unconscious.

The assassin also thought it was meaningless talk and didn’t pay attention to her.

Ponia staggered as she looked around. Then, she spotted a stone that had fallen on the ground.

‘Why is this the only thing I can find!’

If she had known this would happen, she should have gotten at least one proper weapon from Chad.

She picked up the stone and headed toward Sionel without hesitation.

The assassin didn’t notice Ponia approaching due to the heavy sound of rain.

Ponia stood behind the assassin. Sionel spotted Ponia before the assassin did.

His eyes widened, and Ponia struck the assassin’s head.

“Ugh!”

The assassin couldn’t resist even once. With a short death rattle, the assassin closed his eyes and collapsed.

“That’s revenge, you bastard.”

Ponia said with relief and threw the stone far away.

Then, she extended her hand to Sionel. He looked at Ponia with a dazed expression, then took her hand and stood up.

Sionel briefly scolded her.

“I told you to run away.”

“You knew I wouldn’t go.”

“…Still, it was dangerous.”

“I was confident I could take out his head in one blow. I even practiced on you before.”

Who would have thought that the memory of that night when she knocked Sionel unconscious with a stone to survive would be helpful like this. Indeed, you never know what life will bring.

Ponia lifted her head triumphantly.

“You’re alive thanks to me, right?”

Sionel, who had been quietly watching her, nodded readily.

“Yes. I’m alive thanks to you. Thank you.”

Then, he suddenly embraced her.

“But don’t take dangerous risks because of me.”

“I’m just a little hurt, aren’t I? This is pretty good considering.”

“Don’t get hurt at all. If something happens to you, I…”

Sionel paused to catch his breath, then barely managed to continue.

“I can’t endure it.”

Even without seeing his face, Ponia could clearly feel Sionel’s emotions.

The broad chest that held her was trembling. As if his entire body had become a heart, Ponia could clearly feel the sharp resonance.

From that, she could imagine how shocked and desperate Sionel had been.

Ponia patted his back.

* * *

The few assassins who barely escaped the new monster’s attack headed back toward the forest entrance.

Wandering inside the forest without any information would obviously lead to a meaningless death.

From the moment they lost half their forces to the monster, this mission was already as good as failed.

Those who were moving with the intention of abandoning the mission reached the forest entrance.

One of them, who was breathing a sigh of relief at being alive, turned pale and looked to his right.

“What the…”

At those words, the other assassins who turned to look were also frozen.

“That can’t be…”

There was something in the forest that shouldn’t be there.

* * *

At that moment, Ponia and Sionel were heading deeper into the forest.

After Sionel calmed down, Ponia explained what she had experienced. Sionel, who had been listening to her words with a serious expression, uttered a single sentence.

‘The moment we leave the forest, we’ll be caught.’

Ponia agreed as well.

The reason the assassins couldn’t catch them right now was because this place was a monster forest.

For them, who knew every inch of the forest’s terrain and the monsters’ habitats, it was much easier to face the assassins in the forest.

Even as they headed deeper into the forest, they didn’t let their guard down.

The assassins were all veterans. Once they caught sight of them, there was a high chance that either Ponia or Sionel would be captured.

“There they are!”

Their hope of not encountering them was immediately betrayed.

Three assassins had spotted them. Ponia and Sionel ran.

“Don’t let them get away!”

The assassins who had been chasing them continued to follow before completely disappearing from their sight.

“The assassins disappeared! They must be trying to surround us!”

Sionel kept his mouth firmly shut while gripping her hand even tighter. He seemed to be thinking about something since earlier.

Then, Sionel opened his mouth.

“Their target is me. Not you.”

“….”

“I will never lose you.”

Ponia felt an ominous feeling from those words. However, Sionel’s actions were faster than she could say anything.

Thud.

Sionel pushed her away.

Even as she moved away from him and their hands separated, Sionel kept his eyes on Ponia until that very moment.

Then, as her vision flipped, Ponia fell into a deep pit.

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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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