Herdin and the knights scanning ahead had yet to notice it.
"Her—"
But before she could call him, a massive hand appeared and attacked the two.
Kwaaang—!
With a deafening roar, trees shattered, and the snow piled atop them scattered like a blizzard, obscuring their vision.
"Blair!"
As Blair regained her senses, the first thing she saw was Herdin, his face contorted as he checked her condition.
Just before the attack hit, Herdin had sensed the presence and pulled her into his arms, rolling them to the ground at the last moment. The horse had fled and was nowhere in sight.
"Your Excellency! Madam!"
The knights' voices echoed faintly through the swirling snowstorm.
Regaining her wits, Blair first checked the marten cradled in her arms. Having instinctively shielded it like a child, it was unharmed.
"Can you stand?"
Herdin asked. Instead of answering, Blair tensed her body. Herdin lifted her as she staggered, helping her to her feet.
By then, the snow had settled, and her blurred vision gradually cleared. Beyond it loomed a one-eyed giant—a Cyclops, a humanoid magic beast.
Blair froze upon meeting its massive eye. Spotting them, the Cyclops reached out to attack.
Noticing it, Herdin enveloped his body in aura for reinforcement and scooped Blair up. He leaped nimbly, evading the strike with agility far beyond human limits.
At that moment, the knights who had found them shot arrows at the Cyclops.
The sound of arrows slicing through the air rang out repeatedly. But it only briefly distracted the Cyclops, dealing no significant damage.
Herdin rejoined the knights in the interim. The knight captain rushed to Herdin and Blair.
"Your Excellency! Madam! Are you alright?"
"Fortunately. Kyle, take Team 1 and escort the Duchess out of the forest. Team 2 stays with me to block the beast."
"Understood."
The knight captain hurried off to relay the order to his subordinates.
Herdin removed his cloak and draped it over Blair.
"Hold this for a moment."
Blair stared blankly at him. There was no trace of fear on his face. Having spent time at the forefront of wars and in the north where magic beasts rampaged, it was perhaps a natural reaction for him.
But not for Blair.
'If things unfold as in the past, Herdin won't be in danger....'
The monster before her eyes was terrifying, and the possibility of him getting hurt frightened her even more. Knowing the future where he emerged unscathed, she was still consumed by what-ifs.
Blair grabbed Herdin's arm as he moved toward the Cyclops. She felt she had to say something, but nothing came to mind.
She could only look at him.
Herdin glanced between the hand gripping his and Blair's frightened face, then chuckled softly.
"Do I look like I'm about to die?"
Herdin handed Blair to the approaching knight captain and advanced on the Cyclops. Blue aura enveloped his body and sword.
"Madam, we must go."
The knight captain urged Blair, who stared blankly at Herdin's retreating back.
She knew. Staying here would be no help—only a burden. Yet her feet, her eyes, refused to move.
Herdin climbed the Cyclops's attacking arm and leaped high. He immediately channeled mana for a linked spell. That was when he sensed something off with his body.
The sword aura aimed at the Cyclops's neck was blocked by its hand—an attack that should have severed the hand and reached the neck in any other circumstance.
'The mana....'
The amount of usable mana was significantly less than usual. Though still far more than others possessed, the shortfall threw off his plans, creating an opening.
"Kuaaaargh!"
The Cyclops, enraged by the wound on its hand, swung at Herdin.
Herdin faltered briefly at the unexpected situation but dodged swiftly. Regaining composure, he planned his next move.
He darted under the rampaging Cyclops and slashed its leg—to prevent it from fleeing and causing more harm.
'Next, the arm.'
He had badly wounded the right arm earlier instead of the neck, so now he targeted the left.
But the moment he severed the left arm, the injured right arm seized him. Immense pressure crushed his body.
"Herdin...!"
Blair, about to mount with the knight captain and flee, cried out at the sight.
At that instant, a red magic circle flickered between Blair's neck and collarbone. Simultaneously, a fleeting memory flashed through Herdin's mind.
The image of a heavily pregnant Blair gazing at him with tearful eyes.
'What is this...?'
As Herdin questioned the sudden memory, he felt the previously lacking mana replenishing. He seized the moment.
He channeled mana to cast a spell. The mana bursting from within tore the Cyclops's hand apart.
Herdin enveloped his sword in aura and manifested a massive magic circle. Blue-tinged swords of light formed in the air, raining down on the Cyclops like a downpour.
"Kueeek!"
Herdin severed the writhing Cyclops's neck. The beast slumped lifelessly.
Herdin roughly wiped the hot blood splattered on his face with the back of his hand. Only then did the pain in his abdomen register, furrowing his brows.
It seemed a rib had cracked when the Cyclops grabbed him.
'Why couldn't I use mana properly earlier?'
He had focused solely on physical training for the past two months amid wedding preparations, avoiding mana usage.
Neglect might dull proficiency, but not the absolute amount of mana.
Unless some of the mana within him had suddenly vanished.
Yet it had returned to normal soon after, so it hadn't vanished either.
Mana couldn't simply disappear and reappear in moments. It was peculiar.
"Herdin."
Herdin snapped from his thoughts at Blair's voice.
Seeing her worried gaze, the earlier memory overlapped—the heavily pregnant her.
What on earth had that memory been?
* * *
The event was halted due to the sudden magic beast appearance.
Ivan summoned the imperial hunting grounds keeper for punishment and ordered the imperial knights to investigate. The evening banquet at the Imperial Palace was also canceled.
The nobles, excited for the new year, grew uneasy.
However, the first New Year's worship to thank the gods and ancestors couldn't be omitted entirely, so it proceeded hours later than planned.
Upon arriving at the temple, Herdin and Blair headed to the annex first. To treat his cracked rib.
But no priest on break was present. The attending priest looked troubled.
"Oh dear, what to do? The priests have all stepped out..."
Among the temple priests, only those chosen by the gods became divine healers capable of holy magic. Thus, priests were fewer and always busy compared to regular priests.
"There should be at least one giving a priest lesson. I'll fetch them right away."
As the priest turned to leave after guiding them to the lounge, he paused and addressed Herdin.
"By the way, Your Excellency must know, but internal injuries require delicate treatment, so it's best to disrobe."
Once the priest left, the two were alone.
Herdin began removing his outer garments. Blair reached to take them, but he hung them on a nearby chair.
Handing them to the already petite woman would bury her entirely.
As Herdin unbuttoned his shirt, he asked Blair,
"Can you really see the future?"
After gazing at him briefly, Blair replied.
"...You said you couldn't believe it."
Her voice was calm, but resentment laced her tone.
"It may be hard to believe at first, but if events like today repeat, you'll have no choice but to believe."
Herdin fully removed his shirt. Facing his toned bare torso, Blair subtly averted her gaze.
Herdin gently grasped her cheek, turning her face to meet his eyes.
"Tell me. What else did you see from the future?"
Blair looked up at him steadily. His eyes remained cool, but lacked last night's mockery.
Yet she had no story to share with him.
Would he believe she had died and returned to the past, and that he might be behind it?
Above all, the future he truly wanted wasn't this—it was related to the Empress's Palace fire. But she couldn't tell him, as she didn't know the truth herself.
Blair decided to pass it off as a mere ominous dream.
At that moment—
"Duke, Duchess. I'm coming in."
The door opened with the priest's voice, and two entered.
Glancing casually, Blair froze upon seeing the priestess following the priest.
"Hello, Your Excellency. And Madam."
Miela Elias.
The woman who had been Herdin's lover in her previous life—and soon would be.