Prince Haruto lay on the ground in the road. Aisha and Mio rushed to help him.
Your Highness, we need to go, Aisha said urgently. "If we stay here, nothing will happen. Let's go to our village—it's not too late."
Rin nodded. "Yes. We can go back and save our castle and our land."
Prince Haruto tried to stand, looking around. The palace gates ignored him, and the people nearby acted as if he didn't exist. Only Aisha, Rin, and his loyal soldiers were still with him.
Aisha turned to a soldier. "Can you go bring the carriage back here?" she asked.
The soldier ran off, and a few minutes later, the carriage arrived. Aisha opened the door for Prince Haruto.
We don't have time, he said firmly. It will take two weeks to reach there by carriage, and the royal soldiers haven't even reached halfway. We don't know their numbers yet.
"How will we reach there before they do?" Aisha asked anxiously.
"We'll go by horses," Prince Haruto said.
"I don't know how to ride," Aisha admitted nervously.
"I'll have you sit behind me," he said confidently.
"Where will we get horses? If we ask the city, no one will give them to us," Aisha said.
Prince Haruto looked around, frowning. "Then we have to find a horse."
Aisha shook her head. "But look… no one here will help us. They won't give us a horse, not even if we offer money. They hate us."
Prince Haruto's eyes scanned the carriages nearby. After a moment, he said, "Then we'll take one from the carriage."
A soldier quickly stepped forward and began leading a horse out of the carriage.
He glanced at Rin. "You and the other soldiers stay here. Aisha and I will go ahead. Don't stay longer than necessary. Once you get the horses, return to the castle immediately. Understood?"
Rin's eyes glistened. She hugged Aisha tightly. "Please be safe. I hope you reach there before they do."
Prince Haruto climbed onto a horse and extended his hand. "Come on, Aisha."
She grabbed his hand and climbed up carefully. He positioned her behind him and held her securely.
"Aisha, come closer and hold on," he said firmly. "This isn't the time for formalities. If you don't, you'll fall."
She gripped him tightly, and he nodded. "Good. Let's go."
With that, the pair rode out, leaving the capital city behind as they sped toward the unknown dangers ahead.
They finally reached the edge of the forest. Aisha frowned, gripping the reins tightly.
"Your Highness… why did we come out from another gate? Now we're at the forest side. This isn't the way… it's too dangerous," she said, her voice tense.
Prince Haruto didn't flinch. "Don't worry. Just hold on tight. If we went out from the main gate, the soldiers would have stopped us. This way, we can slip through without them interfering. Rin and the others would have been in trouble if we went the normal route."
Aisha's eyes widened as she looked at the dense trees. "But… Your Highness, the jungle side is dangerous. We don't have time to fight monsters. If we take this path, we might not make it. Our priority is to save the village."
Haruto's grip on the reins tightened slightly. "I know. The road side would take more days… too slow. The forest is risky, yes, but it's the fastest way. We'll face monsters if we must, but we can't waste time."
Aisha's heart pounded as she realized the weight of their choice. The shadows of the Monster Forest loomed over them, dark and foreboding, yet the only path to save their people lay through it.
On the other side, a massive force of royal knights and soldiers was moving forward. There were more than a thousand of them, mounted on powerful horses, their armor gleaming under the sunlight. Empire flags fluttered in the wind, and countless weapons clanged as they marched in perfect formation.
In the front and middle ranks, many mages moved with them, their staffs glowing faintly with magic. The army wasn't heading toward Haruto domain
—they were advancing straight toward Aisha's village, intent on destroying the entire domain.
They rode faster, galloping through the jungle, ignoring the dangers of monsters in their path. The forest around them blurred as their horses thundered forward.
Suddenly, five wolf-like monsters appeared, emerging from the shadows behind them.
Aisha felt a chill run down her spine. "…Your Highness, I think some monsters are following us," she warned.
Seconds later, the wolves closed in, snarling and baring their fangs, ready to attack.
Aisha's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, Your Highness. I'll protect both you and the horse. Just don't stop the horse—we don't have time to waste here. Believe me, I can handle this!"
Prince Haruto tightened his grip. "Be careful. Hold on to me tight. Don't fall from the horse while using magic.I know you can do this—just focus on your target and shoot them like in training. Remember your techniques.
One wolf leapt toward them from the side. Instinctively, Aisha grabbed Haruto with her left hand and extended her right hand toward the attacking wolf. "Just die!" she shouted.
A water bullet shot from her hand, hitting the wolf dead-on and sending it crashing to the ground.
The wolves continued their attack, but Aisha's hands moved with precision and power, casting spell after spell. Within minutes, all five wolves lay defeated behind them.
Her chest heaved with adrenaline, yet she didn't let go of the reins. "We… can't stop. We have to keep going!"
Haruto nodded, his eyes sharp. "Good. Keep close, Aisha. We're not safe yet."
With the path cleared, they spurred their horses onward, deeper into the forest, racing against time—and the empire's approaching army.
After a few minutes, they reached a wide, sparkling river.
Aisha's eyes widened. "Look, Your Highness! There's a river… how will we cross it?"
Prince Haruto tightened his grip on her. "Just hold on to me. Watch carefully… I'll show you."
He leaned close to the horse, whispering commands. "Let's go!"
The horse surged forward, muscles rippling, hooves thundering against the earth. Haruto tugged sharply on the reins, and for a moment, the horse seemed to leap, almost flying.
Aisha's heart leapt into her throat as she and Haruto were lifted into the air, soaring over the rushing river below. The sunlight sparkled on the water, casting dancing reflections around them.
Then, with a graceful, powerful landing, the horse touched down on the riverbank's far side.
They landed safely. The river shimmered behind them like a silver ribbon, and the forest ahead seemed to whisper with the wind.
"Move forward," Haruto said, his voice calm but determined, as the horse galloped deeper into the unknown.