The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 21

“Wh… what should we do?”

“What else? If it appears, we’ll have to deal with it,” Islay replied, wrapping an arm around Stella’s shoulders as he scanned their surroundings. His blood-red eyes glinted, attempting to pierce through the thick fog.

“It’s best to head to the cave. It would be fine if I were alone, but with you here, you’d only be in the way.”

Stella nodded quickly in agreement. The mere thought of encountering the terrifying creature made her legs tremble. As they walked, their steps crunching on dry grass, they soon halted again. Islay, with all his senses on high alert, lowered his gaze. Tiny droplets of blood were scattered on the leaf-strewn forest path.

“There is prey here,” he observed.

Just a few steps beyond, they heard murmurs. Stella peeked out from behind Islay. Five men were huddled around a small campfire. They looked rough and menacing, and despite resting, they hadn’t fully disarmed. One had a blood-soaked bandage on his leg, suggesting he was injured.

Islay’s guess was that these men had fled deeper into the forest to escape the monster. Stella, shifting her gaze around, whispered softly, “Are they Northerners too?”

“They’re not Northerners. They look like bandits from Pantege who crossed the border,” Islay replied.

“Bandits?” Stella shrank back, fearing to be noticed. The situation was already dire with the potential threat of a lurking monster, and now a group of heavily armed bandits was right in front of them. She retraced her steps, ensuring she hadn’t stepped on any dry twigs that might have given them away. However, it seemed Islay was the only one unconcerned about being overheard, speaking in his usual tone.

“I heard they usually hang around the border. Didn’t expect them to venture into the misty forest. Their numbers seem to have dwindled since the last report.”

“Are you going to kill them?” Stella’s voice wavered with a mix of fear and curiosity.

Islay glanced down at her, his calm demeanor contrasting with her trembling. He met her gaze briefly. “I don’t think it would be pleasant for the princess to see bloodshed right now.”

“I just want to avoid a confrontation if possible,” she murmured.

“Fair enough. There’s no need to provoke them,” he said, tightening his grip on her shoulder. “We have other matters to attend to anyway.”

As Islay led her away, Stella cast a furtive glance back at the bandits. They remained by the fire, oblivious to their presence. Deeper into the forest, they came upon a shallow stream. Beyond it lay the entrance to a cave, covered in thick moss.

Standing before the cave, Islay picked up a torch from their previous visit and lit it. The fire was purely for Stella’s benefit, as Islay could see perfectly in the dark.

“Be careful not to trip.”

“I will,” Stella replied, her voice steadying.

“Let me know if you want a piggyback ride.”

“…Don’t worry. I won’t be a burden.”

Islay chuckled while holding her wrist. Stella, relying on his warm body heat, stepped inside the cave.

The cave was dark and silent. The sound of water droplets echoed around them, and the shadows of their different-sized figures flickered in the torchlight. Stella navigated the rugged cave with a sense of desolation. It wasn’t long before she noticed a rock formation jutting out like a peak amidst the stalactites.

What caught her eye was the golden mineral clinging tightly to the rock. It looked like a gold ore, larger than her fist, and it had an unusual shape that didn’t seem naturally formed. Stella squinted her eyes, studying the gem.

Behind her, a quiet gaze rested on her back. The impatient man soon broke the silence.

“What do you think?”

“…I’m not sure,” she replied, turning to face Islay. “It certainly looks like a precious gem deliberately placed here, but to my eyes, it’s just an oddly shaped mineral.”

“Another wasted effort. At this rate, I’ll be covered in black fur,” Islay muttered.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I just wanted to make sure, just in case,” Islay said, extending his free hand. “If we’re done here, let’s head back.”

His tone was light and unburdened by any regrets. Feeling like she was on a forced expedition, Stella tilted her head in curiosity.

“Are we leaving so soon after just arriving?”

“If the Mind’s Eye says not, then it’s not the right one. If you don’t want to leave just yet, do you want to camp here with me and keep looking?”

“…No, that’s not necessary.”

“See? There’s no point in wasting energy on this.”

Stella wanted to tell him that keeping her in Calis, when she was of no help in achieving his goal, was itself a pointless effort. But she only thought it, obediently turning around and taking his offered hand.

“How did you find this place?”

“It was by chance. It would have been hard to notice if I hadn’t looked closely due to the thorn bushes covering the entrance.”

“Hmm.”

“Northern lovers must have come here secretly. There are signs of that,” he said with a smirk.

Stella shot him a disapproving look for his crude comment. If that was true, she certainly didn’t want to be here with him. The cave was already creepy and damp enough.

But she couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t have to visit such eerie places again. If this man discovered a unique gem anywhere, he would want to bring her along, just like now.

“Have you ever met someone with the Mind’s Eye ability?” she asked.

“You’re here with me now,” he responded.

“I mean someone else. Isn’t it possible there’s someone else in the world with this ability? Someone who is more certain than I am….”

“I haven’t met anyone else. I found one person, so I’m not looking for another.”

Stella’s chest heaved with frustration.

“I know what you’re getting at, but don’t bother. My judgment is unchanged, and you’re just not used to using the Mind’s Eye yet, which is why you’re confused.”

Hearing such absurdity made her shoulders tremble. Of course she was confused!

“Have you ever considered that your judgment might be wrong?”

“I’ve never been wrong. My instincts are quite sharp,” Islay replied leisurely, leaving Stella with no means to counter him. She grumbled silently, swallowing her dissatisfaction.

As they neared the cave entrance, Stella noticed the fog outside had become even denser. Suddenly, Islay stopped in his tracks.

“We have uninvited guests.”

“…Uninvited guests?”

“Estella, could you stand back for a moment?”

His voice was softer and lower than before, as if he didn’t want to startle her. But the strange request left her frozen in place. Just then, a rough shout echoed from outside the cave.

“See? I told you I heard rustling!”

Long shadows rippled at her feet. Turning quickly, she saw a group of ruffians blocking the entrance. Recognizing them, Stella stifled a gasp. They were the same bandits she had seen earlier through the tall bushes.

“Like I said, there’s a woman too! I saw her silhouette, but none of you believed me!”

“Shut up. We followed your lead anyway, didn’t we?”

A burly man in the center spat on the ground and glared at the one with the bandaged leg. “If you hadn’t been whining, we would’ve noticed the woman’s presence sooner.”

The man then turned his attention to Islay, raising his voice. “Hey, you! Hand over everything you’ve got, and we’ll spare your life.”

His leering gaze shifted to Stella, scanning her from head to toe.

“If you’ve had your fun with the woman, leave her here and get lost.”

A dry swallow went down Stella’s throat. This wasn’t like Islay’s teasing; it was far more sinister. If she were captured by them….

“You’d better comply, or we’ll beat that handsome face of yours into dough,” one of the bandits threatened, their laughter growing louder. Above Stella’s pale face, Islay let out a small sigh.

“If I’d actually had any fun, I might be less annoyed,” he muttered, gazing impassively at the injured man. The man’s smile slowly faded as he met Islay’s emotionless eyes.