Isekai: Princess Marquess Becomes Entrepreneur of Tempe

Chapter 51. Fog

Graaoo!!

"Yeah!!"

"Miss, beware!!"

Mary shouted towards Elona who reflexively closed her eyes in fear as soon as a ferocious beast flew towards her. Immediately, Mary's horse leaped towards the animal and the female soldier swiftly drew the sword into the blood-red-eyed wolf's body.

Jleeb!

Groaaarrlls!!

The wolf closed its eyes after being slashed by Mary with its sharp blade. His eyes were watching around. After it felt safe enough, he again confirmed the condition of Elona.

"Are you okay, Miss?" ask Mary. Elona also nodded.

"I'm doing fine. Thank you, yes!"

Elona said so, even though her heart was still beating very fast. Just this time he went into the forest, and only this time did he see the beasts that existed in this fantasy world.

Rather than ferocious beasts, it was more fitting to be said to be monsters, because they were so wild and ferocious. It is unknown to the girl before, including from what she remembers in the Heart Story webtoon. In the webtoon is never told what creatures are in the forest, because there was never a scene that happened there.

They were similar in shape to the animals on earth, only some of them had red eyes that lit up like fire. Elona shuddered in horror as he had time to look into the eyes of one of the monsters. And so far their entourage had walked into the forest, already a total of 8 monsters were attacking.

"Art.. i..." Elona was still staring in horror at the wolf carcass that had just been slashed by Mary. He turned his head for a moment towards Art who was riding a horse next to him. A moment later, the carcass released a blackish-purple blood. Something that really surprised the girl.

"Lho, blood?? Why not red?" ask Elona.

"Because the wild animals that had consumed black mana quite a lot. That's why his blood became black." explained Art.

"Where's black??" Elona.

"Yes. If explained, some kind of evil magic power. Usually there are in forests that are rarely touched like this. You see, right, if there's a thin fog of dark color along our way? That's where black is."

Elona looked closely at the surrounding situation. And sure enough, there was a blanket of black fog that was completely thin to almost invisible to the eye. As the girl remembered, about this black mana was also not in the webtoon story she read.

But, he could recall it at a glance in the lessons received by Elona who was previously in school. There it is explained that this black mana does not exist in urban areas because the land has always been sanctified by the white magic of the grand magus priest before being made a city. The girl never thought, if it turns out she lives in a world that contains magic even if only a little.

"This...which black only affects animals, right?" ask Elona to make sure.

Art nodded, "Yes, because animals don't make sense, not like humans."

"But our horses..."

"These horses have long been in urban areas that have been consecrated soils, so they can last long before they are affected. You take it easy, but stay alert, yeah!"

*****

Sir William equated his horse's steps with Elona and Mary. "Miss, let me be on the front row. Mary, you keep looking after Miss from the side."

Sir William gave a brief command, which the female soldier immediately obeyed with a nod of the head. Sir William circled his gaze, and was fixed on the four Eckart warriors who were seen riding horses in the rear row.

"Hey, you two are the back! Take care of the right!!" sir William shouted, surprising the soldiers of Eckart.

"Okay, Senior!!" answer them in unison. But after that, they whispered.

"It feels like going back to the academy. Senior Will has not changed. Still fierce!"

"Shh, he'll hear you!"

"The bad guy wasn't just him. Oh, that one too!" eckart pointed to Mary who was walking on the side of Elona. "It's beautiful, but it's amazing!"

"Ehem!" Art cleared his throat slowly. He slowed down his horse so that he could walk in line with his soldiers.

"You can calm down, can't you? We're here to help Elona, not gossip!" exclaiming Art with a stifled voice so as not to be heard by Elona who walked in front of him.

"Ready, Sir."

Before long, Mary also slowed down her horse so that it could be in line with Art and his soldiers. His eyes glared furiously at the five of them.

"Don't you think I didn't hear ya, that one just now!" Mary said with a held back emotion as well. "And you, Young Master! Don't think I'm following this jungle trek because I respect your relationship with Miss, yes! Until now, I hate lying men like you!"

Art was surprised by Mary's words threatening him like that. "I'm a liar?"

Mary looked at Art in annoyance. "Hiding such an identity, if not a liar then what is his name?!"

"But I did it for Elo-" too"

"There's no excuse!" cut Mary. "Your title is much higher than mine, but I work for the Locke family. And we all love Miss Elona. If you make Miss cry a little bit, even before Mr. Stefan comes to you, I will finish you off first!"

Hearing that, the Eckart soldiers went black on Mary. "Hey! How dare you threaten our Young Master"

"What?!! How dare you guys to me, huh?!"

"E-eh. don't be. forgive us.." the soldiers of Eckart immediately shuddered in fear so threatened by Mary.

"Mary, Art, why are you guys behind? Comehere!" Elona called the two men to walk again by her side.

Before returning to Elona's side, Art gazed at the Eckart soldiers. "You're embarrassing. Same time women lose?!"

"Not many reasons. You're the duke's soldiers. Don't lose to a marquess warrior!"

After saying so, Art again walked by Elona's side, leaving the Eckart warriors behind with a grunt in annoyance.

As soon as the young master felt that he had returned to Elona, the soldier whispered again, "Young Master could have advised us, but himself also did not dwell in the presence of Miss Elona!"

"really it! In itself, the duke's son also lost to the marquess princess!"

"Damma!"

A tree branch suddenly shot towards the Eckart soldiers and hit one of the helmets they were wearing.

"Ouch!!"

Apparently Art pelt them. His sharp hearing infuriated the soldiers and angered them. Then Art hinted at the slashing of his neck with his right hand. Suddenly the Eckart soldiers did not dare to talk carelessly anymore.

*****

The group was currently walking not far from the flowing river. Art looked at the trees on the river bank. His eyes were fixed on a group of trees with stems that were not too large and green leaves quite dense.

"Elona, it's a waru tree, right?" ask Art to Elona to make sure. The girl turned her eyes in the direction she pointed. Then he nodded and smiled cheerfully as he saw the tree whose top jutted towards the river flow.

"Yes, right! It's a waru tree! We're just looking for the white leaves!" said Elona.

The group stopped near a bunch of waru trees. The sound of the river flow was heard in their ears. The river is not so big, but the flow is quite swift. And at the far end of the distance that is not so visible to the eye, the flow of this river ends as a waterfall as high as 30 meters.

"You just wait here, let my friends pick up the leaves" said Art.

The Eckart soldiers also swiftly pulled out a saw from their supply bag to cut the branches of the waru trees. They did not really understand which leaves they should take, therefore they cut all the branches at once.

"Hey, we won't be able to take it all the way you cut it like that!"

"But, we don't know which leaf Miss Elona wants."

"At least, pick a little!" Art became riled up at the behavior of his soldiers. He also helped give them command.

While Sir William and Mary rested for a while to drink and clean the sword in the river, because they were the ones who killed the most ferocious animals that attacked so far. The sword they used was so dirty that it was drenched in black blood.

Elona watched the work of Art's friends while continuing to sit on her horse's saddle. He looked around and took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Although there was a thin black fog around him, it did not affect the clear oxygen he breathed.

All of them were so attentive to the waru trees that they were about to take their leaves, and heard the sound of the rushing stream. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of red-colored evil eyes lit up like a blazing fire had been watching Elona and her horse from earlier.

The pair of red eyes were walking from the back of Elona's horse. And in one jump, a wolf managed to bite the back leg of Elona's horse.

Heeee!!!

The horse was shocked and screamed in pain. Then with lightning fast, the horse ran away from the group. Elona was carried away by the horse with a hand that still held the bridle that he could not control anymore.

"Wellahh!!"

All the soldiers including Art were surprised to hear the horse screaming and ran away following the river.

"Girl!!"

"The art!! Help!!"

Art swiftly rode his horse back, and immediately ordered his horse to be chased after Elona's horse. He no longer cared about the soldiers he left behind.

Until one point, his horse managed to equal the running pace of Elona's horse.

"Elona, jump in here!!" shouted Art who had been willing to capture the body of the girl. But Elona shook her head in fear because she wasn't sure she could get to Art safely.

"Come, trust me!! Jump up!!"

With all her remaining courage, Elona closed her eyes and tried to jump towards Art.

But unfortunately, what happens is the opposite. Elona's horse suddenly tripped over a rock and fell down. And Elona's jump didn't reach Art. Precisely the girl's body even bounced to the end of the waterfall cliff.

"Girl!!"

Elona's body floated in the air. His eyes looked desperately at Art who was looking back at him in horror.

But Art did not give up. He took a swing, then jumped in the direction of Elona who was still floating in the air, hugging her body, and fell with her towards the steep cliff of the waterfall.

"Miss Elona!!!"

"Young Master!!!"

*****

...\=\= original writing by @author.ryby \=\=...

...\=\= cover art by @fuheechi_ \=\=...

...Follow IG author at @author.ryby...

((Ryby: Ciee is tense. Patience. Take a breath first ya gaes. Continue tomorrow. Scarabalala~ ))