After Putting the Slayer of the Night to Sleep, I Ran Away - Chapter 88

Ayla, who had just arrived at the border outpost, froze, her lips turning white.

It felt like her heart had stopped for a moment.

“What are you talking about? Poison…?”

The voice she managed to squeeze out trembled faintly.

Dex supported her, who looked like she was about to collapse at any moment, and asked Ian.

“So, where is Leo now?”

“…Don’t you know? That night is tonight…”

“This bastard, so you sent him alone?”

“He said it was an order.”

“What?”

“He said it was an order. He told me not to follow.”

Despair clouded Dex’s face.

Ayla couldn’t understand what the two were talking about at all.

“What is all this about? What is that night anyway?”

She couldn’t believe that Leo had been poisoned, but she couldn’t understand the fact that he had left alone in that condition even more.

She wanted to grab Ian and shout at him, but understanding the situation properly came first.

Ayla looked back and forth between Dex and Ian in protest, and Dex finally sighed and began to explain.

“Leo has a special ability.”

“Are you perhaps talking about familiars?”

At Ayla’s question, Dex looked at her with wide eyes, as if surprised.

“Have you ever seen a familiar?”

“Yes. On the day of the hunting competition.”

“I see. Then the explanation will be quicker. There is a price to pay for the power Leo wields.”

“A price?”

“Yes. He… Leo can’t sleep.”

“…What?”

Ayla’s brow furrowed.

He can’t sleep? I’ve seen him sleep several times.

“Of course, the Princess wouldn’t have known. Strangely enough, he seems to be able to sleep when he’s in contact with the Princess.”

“In contact with me…?”

“Yes. But that’s not all. Once a month, on the night of the Supermoon, an even harsher price awaits him.”

Ayla was completely out of her mind.

It was shocking enough that he couldn’t sleep, but an even harsher price?

And to think that night is now.

“What exactly is that harsh price?”

Dex couldn’t bring himself to speak and remained silent.

Ayla shouted anxiously at his appearance, his eyes downcast and his fists clenched tightly.

“Assistant Commander!”

At that, Dex finally seemed to make up his mind and raised his head heavily.

Ayla tightened her grip on the reins.

The sound of hooves echoed harshly through the cold night air.

“North. We have to go north!”

Everyone was in a panic when Bella suddenly shouted.

Ayla jumped up and ran, and Dex and Ian hurriedly followed.

As she untied the horse tied in front of the outpost and climbed on, a small shadow jumped into her arms.

It was her black cat, Night.

Ayla wrapped Night tightly in her cloak and grabbed the reins.

Then, she blindly drove the horse north.

On the night of the Supermoon, the moonlight, which was much brighter than usual, bathed the forest in silver.

Her shadow, crossing a path that was not a path, swayed precariously.

“Leo!”

“Commander!”

Dex and Ian’s desperate cries calling for Leo scattered into the air.

As time went on, anxiety dug into her bones.

“Where is he?”

Ayla urged the horse on even more.

She glanced at Bella, who was running ahead at a faster pace.

She had no basis other than the fact that she was a Shan, but Ayla firmly believed.

That Leo was at the end of this road.

It was then.

“Stop!”

At Bella’s shout, everyone hurriedly stopped their horses.

With everyone’s attention on her, Bella muttered with a confused face.

“He’s nearby. But not exactly.”

At her words, Dex immediately turned his horse’s head.

“Let’s split up, Ian.”

“That’s not possible. There may still be unhandled beasts.”

At that moment, Night, who had poked his head out of her arms, cried.

“Meow─.”

Then, he suddenly jumped out of her arms and started running somewhere.

“Night!”

Surprised, Ayla quickly jumped off her horse.

From behind her, Bella shouted as she chased after Night.

“Follow him!”

The back of Night, running somewhere, felt desperate.

Leaving behind the stinging branches that scratched her, Ayla ran.

She ran with a heart anxious about losing Night.

A wide-open space appeared in her sight as she ran through the dense bushes.

Ayla, who stopped abruptly, caught sight of Leo’s profile.

Standing gracefully under the pure white moonlight, he was panting roughly, leaning on the sword he had stuck in the ground.

“I found him.”

Tears welled up in her eyes with relief.

Ayla, who swallowed her sobs, took a step towards him.

Grrr!

A deep and rough growl vibrated through the air.

At the same time, the flapping of a hawk’s wings flew from the sky, cutting through the wind, and caw─! A sharp cry pierced her ears from somewhere.

Instinctive fear coldly swept down Ayla’s back.

The hawk, with its huge wings spread, lunged at Leo with its claws raised, and behind him, a gray wolf was fiercely kicking off the ground.

‘No!’

Ayla ran forward with all her might.

The terrible truth that Dex had told her, the ‘harsh price,’ swirled in her head.

“On the night of the Supermoon, the familiars’ control is released. The familiars whose control has been released try to kill Leo. Leo has to fight them until the moon sets. In order not to be killed by the familiars. And in order not to kill the familiars.”

Tears welled up.

Leo’s appearance, which she had seen at any time, came to her mind clearly.

Leo’s appearance, who had called out a familiar and buried his head in his arms on a night that must have been so long for him.

“No! Don’t do that, please…!”

Ayla’s desperate cry filled the forest.

And the moment Leo, who had struggled to raise his head, shook his red eyes greatly with shock and confusion.

Ayla threw herself and hugged Leo tightly.

His body, crouched down, was prepared for the familiar’s attack, but unlike expected, nothing happened.

The familiars, who had been rushing towards Leo with mad eyes, stopped moving all at once.

The cruel reality was still and time seemed to have stopped.

Ayla was still holding Leo tightly in her arms, and Leo was blinking his eyes, unable to understand the situation.

“Ayla…?”

Leo’s voice was faint and unstable.

His expression seemed to be unable to tell whether this situation was a dream or reality.

“Are you, okay…?”

Ayla sobbed, wiping the blood from his cheeks with trembling hands.

Leo, who finally realized that it was reality, muttered with an expression that could not hide his confusion.

“How did you get here?”

It was then.

Caw─.

The familiars, who had not been moving, began to make threatening cries.

As if he had finally come to his senses, Leo hurriedly pulled Ayla behind him and pulled out the sword stuck in the ground.

“…You guys?”

However, Leo made a blank expression as he grasped the situation.

The targets the familiars were threatening were not him.

They were baring their teeth at Dex, Ian, and Bella, who had stopped awkwardly as they approached.

“Looks like they’re telling us not to come any closer…?”

“I think so.”

Dex and Ian stopped in their tracks and sighed.

Dex, who met Leo’s eyes amidst the familiars’ threats, asked worriedly.

“Are you okay?”

“How could I be?”

Honestly, it wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed right away.

The only good thing was that he had developed some resistance to poison after experiencing numerous attacks after being sent to the north.

Even so, the pain that felt like his stomach was turning inside out was still there.

“Cough!.”

Leo spat out blood again.

Ayla’s blue eyes were stained with shock as she saw that.

As Leo’s body collapsed as if he had lost strength, Ayla was startled and grabbed him.

“Someone help me!”

The gray wolf blocked Dex and Ian, who were moving reflexively.

Their footsteps stopped at the sight of him growling with his throat rumbling as if he would not allow them to take even one step.

Ayla cried out desperately once again.

“Don’t, Wolf! Please!”

At that moment, as if understanding her words, Wolf stopped threatening.

At the sight of him sitting quietly in his place, not only Ian and Dex, but even Leo widened their eyes in great surprise.

“What the hell…? That guy is listening to the Princess?”

Dex muttered as if he couldn’t believe it.

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