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Chapter 52 Part 3 – The resurrected people of the forest, Wiskum. I’ve been locked-on as a sacrifice!?

Well, I know better than anyone that Bradd is awesome as hell.
So ……

「…… Scarlet!!」

Mother screamed.
The carriage had hit the ground even stronger than before.

The chain of the pendant around my neck, which had been barely caught on mother’s fingers, had slipped off due to the force of the hit. In addition, my body was also thrown out of the carriage. The wind roared and my little body spun around from the wind pressure and inertial speed. If my body hits the ground, the injuries I’ll suffer won’t be just a fractured bone.
Yes, I’m really flying now ……

Scarlet is now flapping in the sky.

Tonight, too, the god of fate has given me a splendid banquet of misfortune.
What happens twice will happen again for the third time. How many more times will I be thrown into the air in my lifetime? I gave up trying to hold down my skirt that was flapping insistently in the wind. Then I folded my arms and sighed deeply.

Thanks to flying, I was able to confirm the situation.

Before I knew it, the carriage had entered the forest quite deep.
The street was quite wide.
Therefore, the view from mid-air was clear.
We have almost arrived in Countess Rosenthal’s territory.

The six horses pulling the carriage were running out of control like crazy.
…… I see, this was the reason why the carriage hit the ground.

The three horsemen who were riding to assist the coachman are nowhere to be seen. Were they thrown off the back of the horse? Well, since they’re from the〈Lawless Crew〉, they probably would not have been injured. I’m more concerned about the green vine-like thing wriggling in the horse’s ear. I can’t see it clearly in the moonlight, but could it be a plant? What’s going on here?

…… Eh? You’re saying that I’m acting quite calm even though I’m in a pinch?

Well, I guess so. Personally, I don’t think it’s a dangerous situation at all.
I told you the reason why earlier.
I won’t say it again because it’s embarrassing.

「…… Scarlet!!」

Rather, I’m worried that mother, who was leaning out of the carriage and screaming, will fall off.

「…… Mother will go to you now!!」

Wahhh!! She jumped from the moving carriage toward me in the air!! Without any hesitation at all!!

However, the weight of an adult and that of a toddler are too different. Unlike me, who was lifted up like a kite by the strong wind and pulled away from the carriage at once, the distance mother could jump was limited. She immediately began to fall. Because of the inertia of the moving carriage, she looked like she was running alongside the carriage in mid-air!!

Not to mention that she is currently wearing a dress with a horribly puffy skirt that she is not accustomed to wearing. At this rate, the hem of mother’s skirt will get caught in the wheels of the carriage!

「Mother!!」

I had already been sent flying far behind the carriage.
I couldn’t reach my mother’s outstretched fingers.
And yet, she still did not give up.
I was the only image reflected in her desperate, tear-filled eyes.
Even though the carriage’s deadly wheels were directly below her!!

Plunging into a rough road, the heavy wheels of the wagon crushed the tree branches on the ground creating cracking sounds. I was terrified. If a human body were to be trampled by that thing, it would be no better than a fragile shell. My blood boiled at the prospect of the worst possible future.

「…… No ……!! No!! Please, anyone, please help mother ……!!」

「I’m here now. Leave it to me.」

A carefree, dependable voice answered my sobbing plea.
Wearing a pure white pinafore dress on top of a black shirt, the clothes fluttered like the flag of a knight of salvation.
The figure looked so beautiful under the moonlit night that it brought tears to my eyes.

Mother’s body, which had been falling, traced a path like the letter 「V」 and softly rose into the air.

「…… Bradd!!」

My heart pounded.

Y-You’re late!!
No matter how much I believe in you, I still ended up crying a little bit!!

Bradd took mother under his arm and ran up into the sky toward me. He was on the coachman seat until now, but he was able to quickly help us thanks to his ridiculously amazing speed and jumping ability. But I am not at all surprised. When trying to save someone, nothing is impossible for this knight in a maid’s uniform.

「…… Sorry to make you wait. The two of you are really interesting. Both mother and child are as bold as ogres when it comes to yourselves, but when it comes to each other, you cry easily …… I don’t dislike that trait. But my hands are full, so I can’t wipe your tears away …… I’m sorry …… Ah ……!!」

With his other free hand, Bradd gently hugged me and said apologetically in mid-air. I covered my face with both of my hands and nodded. I didn’t want him to realize that I was crying and that my face was turning red.
And then this idiot spoke for quite a long time with his cool lines, and before he could finish, he landed on his feet, bit his tongue, and screamed in agony.
「Don’t mind」, I said while patting him on the head.

Still, Bradd’s landing was so light that it was hard to believe he was carrying the two of us on both sides. He gently lowered us to the ground. His gentle touch was a testament to his personality and the unfathomable power he has.

「…… Scarlet, do you know what that is? It’s a plant …… right?」

I hurriedly wiped away my tears and raised my face after hearing his question that was filled with nervousness, unlike the usual Bradd.

The six horses pulling our carriage had stopped. Their bodies were shaking violently. They looked like broken toys. Then, I heard a sound that sent chills down my spine. The horses had torn off the sturdy leather straps that pulled the heavy carriage!! It was a feat of strength impossible for even a strong horse.

The horses turned around to face us, their upper lip curved upwards and gave us a mocking look. This is not a flehmen response to a smell. I felt clear malice emanating from them. My body shuddered. It was as if the horses were possessed by evil spirits.

All six horses have leaves coming out of their ears and are wriggling around like parasitic creatures. Half of their faces were already covered in green. Clearly, this plant was the cause of their madness.

「…… I-I don’t know. It looks like mistletoe, but ……」

Although my life has looped 「108 times」, I don’t know much about botany.

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that attaches itself to the trunks of other trees and other vegetation to form a green ball-like mass. Because it is not affected by the life cycle of its host, mistletoe remains evergreen even when the trees wither in winter. For this reason, it is sometimes considered a symbol of immortality.

「There is a story that a long time ago there was a religion that worshiped mistletoe in Hydrangea …… but it was before the Romalian civilization, so there’s not a lot of literature left on the subject.」

It was before the spread of the Holy Church in the continent, so there are no proper records of it in the True History library of the Holy City.

「You’re talking about the people of the forest, Wiskum. It seemed that those people had not learned letters, so it’s even harder to look for information.」

Mother knew more about the situation than I did. As expected of a former young lady that loves to run in the forest.

「It is said that Wiskum has performed many miracles using the mistletoe.」

「Ohh …… If that is the work of those guys called Wiskum, even a miracle seems pretty bad in nature. I have a very bad feeling about it. Everyone be on your guard.」