Chapter 10: A Relaxed Night Camp for the Two of Them

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That day, they walked continuously from morning to night. Even though they rode on a horse, this wandering kind of escape was harsh. They avoided roads and major paths, taking farm roads and forest trails. Sometimes even relying only on faint traces left by passing animals, weaving their way through the deep forest.

Naturally, it wasn’t the kind of terrain where a horse could run, so their progress was slow for the distance traveled. The thick trees blocked their path, and Lloyd had to push branches aside with his hands more times than he could count.

Perhaps startled by the rustling branches or the birds’ cries, Lusha, who sat in front, occasionally flinched and her shoulders trembled. Even so, she desperately kept her posture from collapsing, enduring it for Lloyd’s sake behind her. Her earnestness made Lloyd’s cheeks relax without thinking. 

When the sun had begun tilting toward the west, Lloyd found a small clearing deep in the forest and came to a stop. He got off the horse first, then extended his hand to Lusha.

“Let’s make camp here for tonight. You must be at your limit too, right?”

Lusha blinked in mild surprise, then gently took Lloyd’s hand. She descended lightly from the horse, and with her cheeks faintly flushed, she gave him a shy, embarrassed smile.

“…Yes. To be honest, I’ve been nodding off over and over for a while now.”

Lloyd had noticed that as well. From what she’d told him, Lusha hadn’t slept last night, and the night before that had been an all-nighter too. Lloyd had also been awake for two nights in a row, but since he was trained, he still had more endurance. For her slender body, however, she had surely reached her limit. Forcing herself any further would do no good.

“It’s just… Well, this place isn’t exactly ideal for getting a peaceful night’s sleep.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you get this deep into the forest, monsters and beasts become more common… I’ll keep watch, but if something happens, I might have to wake you up immediately.”

If they camped near a road, that would be different, but the depths of the forest belonged to monsters and wild animals. The risk of being attacked in their sleep was far too high. Both of them falling asleep only to wake inside a monster’s stomach… That wasn’t a joke anyone could laugh at.

“In that case, please leave it to me!”

Upon hearing Lloyd’s concerns, Lusha replied brightly.

“Leave it to you?”

“If I put up an anti-monster barrier, we’ll be fine. Honestly, the only reason I’ve been able to stay safe until now is thanks to it.”

Lusha knelt slowly on the ground and took a holy seal from her cloak. She placed it on the earth and closed her eyes, weaving words of prayer.

“O Mother who governs the earth… protect us from those who bring harm. 〈Barrier of Purification, Holy Field〉.”

As she whispered softly, particles of light fluttered into the air. Centered around Lusha, a thin membrane—like a barrier—spread outward. Once the barrier was completed, the air around them seemed to change slightly. A calm, serene atmosphere drifted through, making it hard to believe they were in the middle of a dangerous forest.

“With this, we’re safe. Monsters and beasts won’t come near.”

“…Seriously?”

“Yes. The reason I haven’t been captured until now is thanks to this, you know?”

Lusha nodded confidently at the skeptical Lloyd.

Apparently, during the several days she’d been on the run since escaping the underground prison, this holy magic barrier had kept her safe. With the barrier up, monsters couldn’t approach. That was why she’d been able to camp even in deep forests, areas normally full of danger. By traveling through places with little human presence, she had managed to stay alive until now. Last night, she had only been found by the temple knights because she happened to wander near the road at the worst possible moment.

“Well then, let’s eat something and get a good rest tonight.”

“Yes! I’m absolutely starving.”

“Same here.”

Lloyd gave a wry smile as he took a bundle of dried meat and dried fruit from the horse’s packs. They laid out ingredients to prepare a meal together, but it wasn’t anything that could be called proper cooking. They simply started a fire, boiled water, chopped dried meat, and threw it in.

“If you’d like, please use these too.”

Lusha presented a small vial of herbs and dried vegetables. It seemed she had gathered them during her days in hiding.

“Huh… Are you actually good at this kind of thing?”

“Rather than being good at it, cooking is part of our training at the monastery. With limited ingredients, we were always taught to think about how to make them taste better.”

“Then can I leave the cooking to you this time?”

“Yes! I’ll do my best.”

When Lloyd handed her the ingredients, Lusha skillfully tore the dried meat into smaller pieces, adding the fruit, herbs, and dried vegetables, lightly adjusting the flavor. Small crackling sounds came from the pot, and in the rising steam, the sweet-tart fragrance of the fruit mixed with the refreshing scent of herbs, teasing their hunger from deep within.

“…Smells good.”

“I hope it suits your taste.”

As she poured the soup into wooden bowls, Lusha spoke with slight unease. But she was probably very good at cooking. Even though she should have been exhausted, she looked lively while preparing the meal. Maybe, in truth, a humble lifestyle suited her more than the burden of being called a saint.

As Lloyd took his bowl and was about to eat, Lusha quietly pressed her hands together.

“…For today’s blessings, we give thanks. May the guidance of Lady Leafia be upon us.”

It was the pre-meal custom of the Mother Goddess Leafia’s faith. He remembered that the party members had always said similar things. As someone from the “Shadow Clan” who grew up in a hidden village, Lloyd didn’t have such customs. He had ignored it until now, but he couldn’t just disregard the ritual in front of a saint. Lloyd imitated her gesture and then sipped the soup.

“…It’s good. What is this?”

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

Lusha smiled softly in relief. The soup was far more delicious than expected.

The condensed saltiness of the dried meat mellowed into savory richness, wrapped gently by the faint sweetness of the fruit. The refreshing aroma of herbs lingered afterward, and with each sip, warmth spread through their tired bodies. It was almost as if their chilled souls were being warmed from within.

Within the quiet barrier set up deep in the forest, the two of them shared their humble meal. Thinking back, it had been a long time since he’d eaten with someone like this. And even longer since he’d eaten something he could genuinely call “delicious.” Of course, he had eaten with his former party members, but they had always treated him as an outsider. To say he’d ever felt like part of the group would have been a lie.

“…We safely made it through another day. For that, we thank Mother Leafia.”

When the meal ended, Lusha placed her hands together once more and murmured her gratitude. Lloyd didn’t comment on her words. Instead, he quietly added a thin piece of kindling to the fire.

The night was still long. And yet… Sharing food, sitting by a fire, and being able to sleep alongside someone made the night feel gently warm.

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