Ch.13 Through the Cave

The forest stretched endlessly, the air thick with damp moss and the low hum of distant insects. For six long hours, we'd walked without rest — no breaks, no shade, just the crunch of grass and roots underfoot. My legs screamed for mercy, my throat burned, and my patience was already at its peak.

"Hey! Human! How long do we have to walk until we reach there?" I finally shouted, panting

Rosella didn't even bother turning around. "For a race that's supposed to be ten times stronger than humans, you sure complain a lot," she said, her voice calm but laced with mockery. "We'll reach the capital of Arvania — Lumeris — in about two hours."

"We're heading to the capital?" I blinked, a bit of relief easing my frustration. So they won't kill me before reaching there, I thought. At least, not yet.

But curiosity clawed at me. "Uh, wait… if I remember correctly, demons are executed in the capital, right? Why do humans take one of us every month with your taxes?"

Rosella sighed, muttering under her breath, "And this is exactly why I hate tax duty… being forced to chat with a demon completely kills the mood."

Then she raised her voice. "Don't worry. Not every demon is executed right away. Unless, of course, you're one of the high-ranking ones — like the Demon Queen or her followers."

I felt a cold sweat slide down my neck. *So the truth hasn't spread yet… about the human who helped the Demon Queen.*

But my fleeting relief was crushed when Rosella's tone turned colder. "I still can't believe a human helped her escape. What kind of idiot can't tell the difference between a demon and a human? If I ever find that fool, I'll fill his whole body with holy water until his stomach bursts."

"Haha… a-ahaha…" I forced out a nervous laugh, trying to hide the panic in my chest. Yeah, she'd definitely kill me if she knew.

She glanced back briefly, narrowing her eyes. "You know, I serve as a holy priest of the Church of Arvania. I've already worked with Sir hero but I've never met such a weird demon before. You talk way too much."

Then she turned forward again and sped up, clearly done with the conversation. That was my cue to shut up.

Hours Later

After another hour and a half of walking,We finally approached a massive cave — tall, jagged, and yawning like the jaws of some ancient beast.

"We're almost there," Rosella announced, holding up her torch. "Stay alert. This area is crawling with ground goblins."

Then her sharp eyes found mine. "And you…" She pointed the torch directly at my face. "Stay close. Try anything suspicious, and—"

She slipped a short dagger from her cloak, its silver gleam reflecting off my wide eyes.

"—I'll purify you on the spot."

"Y-Yes, ma'am," I croaked, doing my best not to look at the blade too hard.

We entered the cave. Immediately, the air turned colder, thick with dampness. The torches carried by the soldiers flickered, their light swallowed by the darkness ahead.

Eight soldiers surrounded us — four leading in front, four behind. Two kept to our sides. Rosella walked near the middle, her grip tight around the rope tied to my wrist.

Each echoing step added to the chill that crept up my spine. My torn shirt and ragged pants did little against the freezing cave air. Compared to their armor and cloaks, I was practically naked in ice.

I rubbed my arms desperately. I closed my gap to Rosella.

"Um… excuse me," I whispered softly near her ear, careful not to draw soldiers' attention.

Unfortunately, my cold breath hit her bare neck before the words did.

"W-Whaaa… ahhh~!"

She jerked back instantly, her shoulders trembling as a muffled, strange noise — somewhere between a gasp and a moan — escaped her lips. The sound echoed embarrassingly through the tunnel.

Every soldier turned at once.

Rosella's face turned bright red. "W-WHAT WAS THAT?!"

I stepped back, waving my hands defensively. "N-no! It's not what you think! I swear! My breath was super cold, that's all!"

She glared, her flushed cheeks glowing even in the dim light. "Y-you—! Explain yourself right now before I purify you!"

"I just… I really need to pee!" I blurted out, averting my eyes as my voice cracked slightly.

Her angry expression froze. The entire squad went silent. One of the soldiers coughed, trying not to laugh.

Rosella blinked. Once. Twice. Then groaned, dragging her hand down her face. "Of course. Of course this would happen."

"Please," I said pitifully. "If I hold it any longer, it's going to be a bigger problem for everyone."

She clenched her jaw, visibly fighting between fury and embarrassment. Finally, she yelled, "Fine! You!" She pointed toward a guard. "Take him. No — take *four* of you. Make sure he doesn't try anything stupid."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

As they dragged me away, I heard her mutter, "I've healed dying men with fewer headaches than this idiot…"

A Few Minutes Later

They led me through a narrower side passage as We stopped near a large rock that provided some privacy.

"Make it quick," the leading guard grumbled.

"Right, right," I muttered, stepping behind the rock.

Finally, relief. "Ahhh…" I sighed, letting out the tension in my entire body. It was almost… holy.

The guards stood several meters away, torches raised, their voices low in conversation.

Then — something flickered.

A faint sound, soft and foreign.

"Did you hear that?" one guard muttered.

"Probably just dripping water," another replied.

"No. Listen carefully—"

He didn't finish. A dark blur flashed across the torchlight, and something wet splashed the wall. The soldier closest to him collapsed, a hand still clutching his sword. Before the others could react, another shape lunged — fast, hunched, and snarling.

"Amb—!"

They never finished the warning. One by one, they were dragged into the dark — the sound of claws scraping stone and muffled screams fading in seconds.

By the time silence fell again, my entire body felt frozen solid.

Slowly, I tugged the rope around my wrist. It slipped loose easily.

"...Guys?" I whispered hesitantly.

No one answered. The flicker of a fallen torch revealed nothing but smears of blood and fleeting footprints.

Then, from deeper in the cave — the hiss of something moving. Wet. Hungry.

My heart leapt into my throat. "Okay… nope, I'm gone!"

I sprinted back toward the main tunnel while sprinting I free myself with rope as well, the sound of my footsteps echoing wildly behind me.

The moment I turned the corner, noise crashed into me. Shouting. Screaming.

Rosella and the remaining soldiers stood in the main chamber, surrounded — goblins emerging from cracks and shadows, their yellow eyes gleaming.

The soldiers fought hard but were cornered, barely pushing them back. Rosella, clutching her staff, tried to keep a barrier up while chanting faint healing prayers. Pale golden light flickered around her — weak, trembling.

Her voice shook with exhaustion. "You must hold them off! I can't use both barrier and heal at once!"

A soldier screamed as claws tore across his armor. Two more collapsed.

I ducked behind a stalagmite, heart racing, watching the chaos. *She's not a fighter… she can't last much longer.*

My eyes went to her — still standing, pale with fear but not backing down.

For someone who couldn't fight, she was holding that barrier with sheer willpower.

And if I did nothing, they'd all die — and I'd be next.

I reached into my torn pants, fumbling until my hand found the hidden Smoke Crystal. The one I hide as I know it would come useful in a emergency situation.

"Guess this is as bad as it gets," I whispered.

I waited until the goblins swarmed closest to her. Then I threw the crystal into the center of the room with all my strength.

*CRACK!*

The crystal shattered, erupting into thick violet fog that flooded the chamber instantly. Shrieks and snarls erupted as goblins stumbled and clawed blindly.

Rosella covered her mouth, coughing, eyes wide in confusion.

"What—what is happening!?"

"Don't question it, just move!" I shouted from the smoke, waving my hand as I stepped out of hiding. "This way!"

Through the haze, she spotted my outline and hesitated — then nodded, trusting me for once. She grabbed the nearest torch, shielding it from the fog, and rushed toward me. Together, we stumbled into a smaller tunnel, the smoke swallowing the battlefield behind us.

We ran until the noise faded — until there was nothing but the sound of our own footsteps.

When we finally stopped, Rosella leaned against the cave wall, gasping. The faint light of the torch cast shaky shadows on her exhausted face.

Her eyes turned toward me, suspicious . "You… did that?"

"Y-yeah," I admitted, still panting.

She frowned. "You saved me? A demon, saving a priest?"

I gave a weak grin. "Honestly? I just didn't want to die. Your survival means my survival."

She snorted, barely hiding the hint of a smile. "Idiot."