kscans

Chapter 273 - 273. Patricia and the Farewell Party (2)

As I glanced beside me, Patricia gasped, gazing intently at the flower field. Her wide eyes turned toward me.

I tightened my grip on her hand, and we stepped forward onto the lavender carpet. A strong heat emanated from her palm.

'Mr. Moo discovered this flower field during a walk when he was young. It was daytime then, but it looks so fantastical under the night sky, bathed in moonlight… But it’s cold, and scary.'

She wrapped her free arm around her shoulders as if embracing herself.

'Are we going to pick some of these flowers to take home?'

'Oh, um…?'

Surprised by my words, she raised her voice and then lowered her gaze toward me.

'Could it be… Mash, are you just pretending not to notice?'

'Pretending not to notice?'

Patricia sighed deeply at my question.

'Mash.'

'What?'

'This is something Mr. Moo intentionally orchestrated to get us alone together.'

For a moment, it felt like the world had stopped.

'I see…'

Indeed, it was a fantastical scene. Marmie wanted to put me and Patricia alone in this place.

'So… you came here knowing that, too?'

I pinched her chest gently between my fingers and smirked at her.

'Y-yes. I won't be able to see Mr. Moo for a long time, but Mash, I also won't be able to see you, will I? Besides, Mash is Mr. Moo’s choice for my escort, so I don't think there's any point in teasing me like that. If you're going to do that, I'd like you to say something more appropriate for the time we're spending together.'

Her rapid-fire speech deflated my aggressive mood. What she said was right. I just wanted to know if it was just Marmie's order or if she genuinely felt that way.

'…Sorry about that.'

'Ah, no. I was too harsh. Please, Mash, just be yourself. I want to know how you changed Mr. Moo, and how you're going to change me.'

Patricia turned to face me completely. The hem of her skirt flared out, and the breeze stirred the flowers. I gently wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer. Her face looked pale in the moonlight, but her cheeks flushed crimson as if touched by heat. She averted her gaze and hesitantly placed her hands on my waist.

'Patricia, look at me…'

She nodded slightly at my words and slowly met my gaze. I saw tearful eyes beneath her long lashes. She closed them and quietly offered her cherry-red lips. As I lowered my gaze and tried to press my own lips to hers, it happened.

Grrr….

Patricia and I groaned simultaneously. Come to think of it, we had been walking all day. Patricia had been mushroom hunting, and she had waited for me by the lake without eating anything.

'S-sorry,' I said.

'No… I'm hungry too. Let's head back to the fort.'

I had been hoping to eat the mushrooms, but that hope was dashed. I shrugged, and she giggled.

'Yes. The night is long, and we should eat something…'

After she spoke those suggestive words, her eyes widened in surprise. Then, she tackled me in a hug. I couldn't catch her, and we tumbled into the flower field. I expected to be enveloped in a sweet fragrance, but it just smelled like grass and earth. Then, Patricia's hair brushed against my face, bringing a scent sweeter than the flowers. Before I could react to her sudden action, the whistling sound of an arrow cuts through the air where I had just been standing.

'What—!'

Unable to move, I swung my gaze around, and saw black shadows stomping through the flowers toward us. They were short, with large, tense shoulder muscles. The figures had human shapes, but they were monstrous. Rough panting accompanied a white, steam-like breath. In each of their hands, they gripped something like thick axes. The blades reflected the moonlight, shining dull and white. I tried to take a weapon from storage, but it would take too long. And I could not peel Patricia off me, she clung to me, trying to get closer. In hope that it would reach in time, I raised my hands to the pursuing monsters.

'Water magic, Ice Spear!'

With that shout, I released several ice spears at them. The monsters screamed and recoiled, but their presence didn't vanish.

'Patricia… calm down.'

Her warm breath brushed against my neck. I wrapped my arms around her waist, shifted our positions, and leaned forward to observe our surroundings. There were three shadows. The monster that had taken an ice spear carried a round shield, seemingly deflecting the critical damage. It adjusted its grip on the axe and cautiously measured the distance. Another monster stood a little further away, also equipped with a round shield and an axe. Behind that was a monster wielding a bow. The arrowhead glinted briefly before it was fired, tearing through the air. I rolled to evade it and simultaneously drew my sword.

'Goblins, huh…'

While distracting the two monsters in the front, I positioned myself to protect Patricia. I figured that this number was manageable, and remained aware of her as she crouched down.

'Patricia, stay down.'

She nodded and peeked her head up, looking around. Then, spotting the monsters, she quickly retracted it. The gesture reminded me of a turtle.

'Mash, the arrowheads might be coated with the poison from these flowers. Nothing will happen immediately if you’re wounded, but over time, vomiting will become uncontrollable and may even lead to death.'

'What?!'

'Around this time, monsters gather here searching for the bulbs of the poisonous flowers.'

So, they had been sightseeing in such a dangerous place? I tried to replace my shield and sword from the storage when another arrow whizzed past. Leaning away from this could cause it to hit Patricia behind me. I instinctively tried to deflect it with the sword edge but the arrow changed trajectory after grazing the blade, lightly slicing my arm.

'Ow—!'

The sharp pain was nothing compared to the fear of being poisoned. I couldn't imagine what changes might occur to my body, and the thought of the poison mixing with my blood and spreading throughout me erased any thoughts of fighting. As if sensing my confusion, two goblins charged at me from either side. Their steps were quick, their swings fast. I barely parried a swung down axe. Then, a droplet flew from the blade.

'This thing, even coats the blade with poison?!'

A horizontal strike from another goblin glanced my torso.

'Guh…'

Ignoring the new pain, I reached out and fired an ice magic ice spear. I thought it was a direct hit, but it was blocked by a shield. I wanted to follow up with another hit, but the other one might target Patricia. I pointed my sword toward the second monster to hold its attention. The goblin let out a low growl, remaining cautious. It circled around, watching for an opening. Smooth movements, lacking openings.

'Not just goblins. They're strong…'

I regretted not letting Patricia stand and run to a safe place. But though the area was illuminated by the moonlight, the forest was pitch black. It was impossible to outrun them, and there was a chance of encountering more monsters.

'You and Moo were here to admire the flowers knowing they could be around?'

'Wake was usually with us. They were weak at first, but gradually they have become stronger.'

Patricia answered.

'So, these guys have been trained by Wake…'

They must have once been ordinary goblins. After repeatedly fighting against a powerful foe like Wake, they had been strengthened. Still, Wake had protected Marmie and Patricia from monsters, so not being able to protect Patricia felt like a personal failure. I had to stay calm. I inhaled deeply, then exhaled a long, thin breath through pursed lips. Patricia had said that the poison's effects would take time. The wound throbbed, but there was no nausea. Once I finished these goblins, I could drink an antidote in time. I kept my distance from the goblin that did not stop moving around, still pointing my sword at him. I glanced at the other goblin that, after taking several punctures from the ice spears, held his axe and moved behind me. As a deterrence, I fired an ice spear, but the goblin avoided it easily.

'Giggy!'

The goblin, who aimed for an openeing, cried out. At that moment, I heard a cutting sound, and a sharp pain ran through the thigh of my right leg. An arrow had pierced it.

'Mash!'

Patricia screamed. My knee almost touched the ground, but her voice kept me upright and I kept my balance. The goblin then raised its axe to strike. I barely parried the attack with my sword.

'Guh…`

In close combat, I put my strength to push him back, but because of leg pain a strength could not enter one leg, and in the contrary I was pushed back. A repulsive and scary face approached with a smile of triumph. And another goblin attacked my back. I gave up trying to stand, and fell in the field of flowers. Hitting the monster, who tried to overpower me like a finishing blow, I shot a volley of ice spears. I also fired a volley of ice spears at the other goblin, that had been behind me and the goblins archer.

'Take that!'

Ice spears rained down like a barrage, scattering flower petals everywhere. During the storm, I repositioned my weapon and rose to my feet, slashing a goblin that tried to protect his head with a shield.

'Kwah…`

It was an unskilled attack, but the enemy disappeared. After hitting the archer goblin as a deterrent, I faced the other axe-wielding goblin. The monster positioned his axe so that it would face the tip of my sword. However, it strained and eventually turned its back and started to run away. I fired an ice spear at its back.

'Gya!'

An enemy screamed and disappeared. While preparing for the next ice spear, I scanned for the position of the archer goblin, but the enemy's presence was already gone.

I tried to pull the arrow from my thigh as hard as I could, but a severe pain made me unable to put more force to the hand that held the arrow. Leaving my injury aside, I offered a hand to Patricia and helped her up. Then I brushed the dirt off her clothes.

'Worry about Mash first…'

She said, staring wide-eyed at the arrow stuck in my leg.

'Could you help me pull it out?'

'Maira will be there, right? Why not go back to the fort and I can support you. It would be better. '

'It might be poisoned, right? I want to pull it out and drink a healing potion and antidote. '

Patricia nodded slightly and grabbed the shaft of the arrow with both hands. I thought she would try to pull it out in one go, but she hesitated and took a small breath.

'Mash, you surprised me with your strength. The way you used that ice magic was like Lady Marine.'

'Is that so? But Wake took them down without a scratch, right?'

Patricia giggled at my words.

'You're showing your jealousy again, aren't you? But Wake was supported by Mr. Moo’s magic…'

'Was Marmie really here just to admire the flowers? And was she able to use magic since she was a child?'

'Yes, indeed... Speaking of which, Mash'

'What?'

'You're trying to make me jealous right now, aren't you?'

'Huh? I've talked about Marmie before this…'

Suddenly, her face was close. She pressed her lips to mine faster than I could pull away. Just as I was about to bask in that soft sensation, a sharp pain shot through my thigh. Her hands were gripping the arrow. That hand loosened, and the arrow fell into the flower bed. My blood on the arrowhead stained the lavender flowers red.

'Mash…'

Patricia hugged me. A strong, warm breath. And she stared at me with moonlit eyes. I hugged her back, exchanging kisses.