Into the Nightshade Forest
"I am doomed."
That was the only thought running through my mind.
I had one night to prepare. One single night. What could I possibly do? Run? Hide? No, that wouldn't work. Evelyn Frostbane would find me, even if I buried myself six feet under. The woman was relentless. There was no escape from her.
So, instead of worrying myself to death, I did the only thing I could—I slept.
The next day arrived faster than I expected.
Standing at the front gate of the Asakura estate, I found myself the first to arrive. Not out of enthusiasm—hell no—but because if I was late, I knew Evelyn would personally drag me out of bed by my hair.
When she arrived, fully armored and radiating the presence of a war goddess, she looked at me with approval.
"That's what I expect from the heir of a powerful family," she said with a smirk. "I see you're very excited for this raid."
"...Y-yeah. Very excited."
She nodded, satisfied, but then her expression instantly darkened.
"Where's your horse?"
"...What?"
"Your horse, Renji. Don't tell me you—" She stopped mid-sentence as realization hit her.
"I… I don't know how to ride one."
A moment of silence.
Then, Evelyn pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed so deeply that I felt my soul leave my body.
"You good-for-nothing son of the Asakura family," she said, shaking her head. "I don't know what bad things your father did in his past life to deserve you as his only son."
I was mentally wounded.
Even if he wasn't my real father, that still hurt.
And in my defense—how could I know horse riding?! I couldn't ride one in my past life, and I sure as hell never learned in this one.
Evelyn, clearly done with my existence, gestured toward her horse.
"Get on."
I blinked. "Wait… you mean behind you?"
"Do you see any other choice?"
I hesitated for a second, but then quickly composed myself. This was Evelyn Frostbane. The Knight Commander of the empire. The strongest knight alive. A woman so powerful that even nobles bowed their heads before her.
If there was one person I could trust in a dangerous situation, it was her.
Without another word, I climbed onto the horse behind her.
"Hold on tight," she said.
"Wait, where am I supposed to—"
Before I could finish, she kicked the horse forward, and my body was thrown back. Instinctively, I grabbed onto her waist.
...This was awkward.
But I had no choice if I didn't want to fall off.
And just like that, we began our journey.
It was a group of twelve—Evelyn, myself, and ten elite soldiers.
The closer we got to the Nightshade Forest, the more eerie the atmosphere became. The trees were ancient, their twisted branches forming a natural canopy that blocked out the sun. A thick fog rolled in, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. The entire place felt alive, as if something was watching us.
When we finally reached the forest's entrance, I felt it—a strange, almost suffocating presence.
But I reminded myself—Evelyn Frostbane was here.
Nothing bad was going to happen.
Right?
The first battle began not long after we entered.
A pack of Shadowfang Wolves lunged from the trees, their glowing red eyes gleaming in the darkness.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Evelyn commanded, drawing her sword in a single fluid motion. The soldiers immediately took formation, their weapons raised.
Then she turned to me.
"Oh, noble boy," she said with a grin, "get ready to fight. And make sure not to get yourself killed."
I scoffed. "You think I'll go down that easily?"
The wolves charged.
I gripped my sword tightly, taking a stance. The moment they reached me, I moved.
My sword slashed through fur and flesh, cutting down wolves with swift, clean strikes. To my own surprise, I wasn't struggling. My footwork felt natural, my attacks instinctive.
All that hellish training with Evelyn was paying off.
Within minutes, half the wolves were dead—by my hand alone.
Nyx, my companion, helped from the shadows, his dark form moving unnaturally fast, striking down any beast that got too close.
The fight ended quickly.
But then Evelyn turned toward me, her piercing gaze scanning my companion.
"Every time I see that creature," she said slowly, "I smell a demon."
I froze.
She continued, "I know he's under your control, but I can't shake this unease."
I forced a smile. "You're overthinking it. Nyx is harmless. Look, just touch him."
Evelyn frowned but hesitantly reached out.
The moment her fingers brushed against Nyx's fur, her expression changed.
"...Soft."
Wait.
Was she blushing?!
I blinked. Did I just witness Evelyn Frostbane blushing over a demon beast?
But before I could react, she quickly cleared her throat and stepped back.
"Ahem. Anyway," she said, "I have a bad feeling about this place. We'll set up camp here for the night. We'll start our raid tomorrow morning."
I sighed in relief. Finally, a break.
Or so I thought.
That night, everything went to hell.
I was lying on my back, staring at the darkened sky through the cracks in the canopy. The campfire flickered nearby, casting shadows across the forest floor.
Something felt off.
The air was too still. The usual sounds of the forest—gone.
And then—
A distant, bloodcurdling scream.
Everyone in the camp snapped awake.
"What was that?" one soldier muttered, gripping his sword.
Evelyn was already on her feet, her hand on her weapon. "Everyone, stay alert."
I swallowed hard.
Something was coming.
Something far worse than wolves.
And deep down, I knew—this wasn't part of the game.
This was something new.
Something dangerous.
Something no one was ready for.