Chapter 34
Perea had never seen a monster up close before, so she fully understood how Dia felt.
Even when they had met the Wulphira before, she had only received its monster core — she hadn’t actually seen Ray fighting it.
Gently fixing Dia’s tangled red hair, Perea comforted her.
“It’s okay. Sir Ray is really strong. Last time, he defeated three Wulphira all by himself.”
“W-Wulphira…?”
“Yes! That’s right! They’re monsters bigger than wolves!”
“Oh, my goodness… so he’s really someone who slays monsters?”
Dia looked stunned. She couldn’t believe a real monster-slaying knight was nearby.
Even though her wolf beastman escorts were stronger than ordinary people, none of them had ever faced a monster before.
The monsters that lived near the capital’s forests were usually hunted by elite imperial knights, and those near the border mountains were in places so dangerous that ordinary citizens never approached.
That meant this was likely the first time even the wolf knights had ever encountered a monster — just like most escorts in the empire.
But to think there’s a knight capable of defeating monsters…
Dia couldn’t help wondering what kind of past Ray had. To have fought monsters, he must have belonged either to the imperial army or a border garrison — either way, not an ordinary man.
“Ray fights big monsters every day!” Theo exclaimed, stretching his short arms wide to show how huge they were. He sounded like he’d seen it with his own eyes.
Seeing Theo’s shining golden eyes and honey-colored hair, Dia had guessed he must be from a noble family — but realizing that his household had a knight strong enough to slay monsters made her certain he was from a truly powerful lineage.
Outside, chaos filled the air — shouting, screaming, and the sound of cracking earth — yet somehow the inside of their carriage remained calm.
Dia clasped her trembling hands together and took a deep breath.
Her hope of survival — which moments ago had been less than 1% — suddenly felt like it had risen to over 50%.
“Then… the young master’s knight…”
“Yes! He’s probably fighting hard right now. Here, Dia — drink this first. It’ll calm your nerves.”
Perea pulled a small glass vial from her pouch and handed it over.
Inside was a liquid glowing deep orange. Dia hesitated, curious and cautious. She’d never heard of a potion that could “soothe the mind.”
“It’s not anything strange!”
Seeing Dia’s hesitation, Perea quickly explained the ingredients one by one — all natural herbs and safe extracts — assuring her it was trustworthy.
Listening to her explanation, Dia smiled faintly.
“Perea… you’re really amazing.”
“Eh?”
Perea blinked, not understanding what she meant. Dia simply smiled again and drank the potion in one gulp.
A slightly bitter taste spread across her tongue — but only for a moment.
“Thea’s good at drinking bitter stuff too! Theo can drink it too! Right, Perea?”
“Of course! Theo’s the best!”
Perea laughed, patting his soft hair before gently rubbing Dia’s cold hands.
From outside, the sounds of battle still echoed — meaning the monster hadn’t been completely defeated yet.
That also meant there were probably injured people.
Even though she specialized in treating beastmen, Perea still had medical training — and she couldn’t ignore those who might be hurt.
Rearranging the medicine bottles in her bag, she stood up.
“Dia, it’s safe here. Please stay with Theo and wait just a little longer.”
“Perea… are you thinking of going outside?”
“Yes, but I won’t fight! Don’t worry.”
“Of course you won’t! But still, it’s better to stay here.”
For the first time, Dia frowned deeply. Having seen the monster’s terrifying size and grotesque form earlier, she couldn’t bear to let Perea go.
Dia strongly tried to stop her, and Theo clung to her hand too, saying they should just wait together for Ray to return.
If it had only been her and Theo, Perea might have stayed — but with Dia here, she felt reassured that Theo wouldn’t be alone.
“I won’t go near the monster. I’ll just check if there are any injured people in the back.”
“Will that really be okay?”
“Of course! I won’t act recklessly, I promise.”
She reassured Dia several times — saying she wouldn’t behave like those foolish heroines in plays or novels who ran into danger without ability or sense.
Dia couldn’t help but smile a little at that, remembering how she herself had once complained to Perea about unrealistic opera heroines who always did exactly that.
Theo, meanwhile, tilted his head, having no idea what “reckless” or “nosy” meant.
Finally, Perea squeezed both their hands tightly. Theo laughed brightly and waved her off, while Dia still frowned, reluctant to let her go.
With a firm click, Perea closed the door behind her.
The moment her feet hit the ground, the noise outside struck her full force — shouting, crashing, and terrified cries that made her whole body tense.
“Phew…”
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and quickly scanned the surroundings.
Just as she expected, several people were injured, sitting against trees or fences. Thankfully, most weren’t wounded by the monster itself — just hurt from falling or running away in panic.
Perea immediately went to work, treating visible injuries.
At first, some injured beastmen cursed at the sudden appearance of a human woman touching them, but her precise and efficient care soon silenced their complaints.
The less-injured ones began helping her carry the badly hurt to the back of her carriage, where it was safer.
Even the other travelers from nearby wagons joined in to help.
Soon, everyone at the rear had been moved to a secure area.
All that remained now were the knights fighting the monster up front.
When she finally turned her gaze that way, she froze.
“Wow…”
Her legs gave out as she saw it.
A monster the size of a two-story house — shaped like a giant mole with long, knife-like claws — was thrashing wildly.
Its entire body was covered in gashes, and it screamed hysterically, shaking the ground each time it moved.
Branches fell like rain every time it swung an arm.
“It’s… huge… a giant Moreta…”
Just as she whispered in awe, a flash of blue light flared ahead.
It was Ray’s sword aura — bright, sharp, and as blue as his eyes.
That color was now familiar to her.
Seeing that Ray was fighting the monster, Perea steadied herself and rose again. She had to be ready in case he was hurt.
Then, suddenly, a black figure leapt high into the air — straight toward the monster’s heart.
“Sir Ray…!”
Through the fluttering folds of his dark cloak, she glimpsed the solid lines of his muscular arms.
The blue aura surrounding his sword pierced through the monster’s chest and split it open.
“KEEEEHHHHHH!”
The Moreta’s agonized shriek tore through the air before it collapsed to the ground with a tremendous crash, kicking up a storm of sand and dust like an explosion.
Even far behind, the gust reached Perea, making her cough violently.
After what felt like forever, the dust finally began to settle.
When the air cleared, she wiped her face and looked ahead again.
The fallen Moreta filled her entire view — its massive body still large enough to block the horizon. Cleaning up something that big later would be no easy task.
“He’s… incredible,” Perea murmured.
Then, remembering herself, she hurried forward.
Even though she hoped not, part of her feared Ray might have been injured during the battle.
The memory of the first time she met him — his body covered in blood — flashed through her mind, and her heart grew heavy with worry.
