As the carriage rolled along quietly on the dirt road, the only sound was the crunching of its wheels against the ground. Otto Suwen, a merchant whose place in the Emilia camp depended on the decision of an eccentric clown-noble, guided the carriage toward their destination.
With Patrasche pulling the carriage, carrying them forward at an impressive pace, they were fast approaching a place that made the hair on Otto's neck stand on end.
The infamous forest where those who wandered in and lost their way were never seen again.
Despite his young age and inexperience, Otto had seen his fair share of things as a traveling merchant. He had heard countless stories, legends, and ominous warnings from superstitious folk, each portraying this seemingly normal forest as a place of horror.
It was always the same, the tales spoke of young and foolish explorers who entered that cursed place, never to be seen ever again.
Otto Suwen was not one to put much stock in ghost tales. While he acknowledged that some places were genuinely dangerous—like forests filled with Mabeasts, secret hideouts of witch cults, and lands claimed by fairies—only a few truly deserved such dire reputations. One of those was the Auguria Sand Dunes.
Situated in the remote eastern part of Lugunica, this area was a vast desert—so parched that rain never fell, and so blistering that the relentless sun could take the life of anyone who couldn't find shelter. It was so unwelcoming that no one had ever attempted to establish a settlement there.
Legends described it as an endless wasteland suffocated by miasma, a smell so potent that it could drive people to insanity. Naturally, this made it a haven for Mabeasts, lurking in the desolate dunes, ready to consume any unwary travelers.
There were even stories of various unidentified creatures with grotesque and horrifying appearances, wielding unconventional and unknown types of magic, roaming the sands and slaughtering everything in their path, including the Mabeasts.
Although these tales often exaggerate, there is some truth to them, such as the fact that this region is home to the Pleiades watchtower, a structure built where the wise Sage Shaula resides, overseeing a seal that contains the dreaded Witch of Envy.
As he recalled the legends and stories he had read and learned, Otto opened his mouth, and a guttural, growling, raspy sound emerged—something akin to the noises made by reptiles. Hearing such sounds from a human would surely make one question their sanity.
Yet for Otto is it the most natural thing, for the sounds he produced served a distinct purpose.
"Hey, Patrasche, do you feel any dangers nearby? Anything I should keep my eyes open for?"
The running Ground Dragon turned its head slightly, its beady eye locking onto Otto. A deep sound rumbled from its throat, one not unlike the one Otto had made.
"No, I sense no danger nearby, Merchant. You're not scared, are you?"
This was the effect of Otto Suwen's Divine Protection of Soul Language—the ability to communicate with animals and understand them. Just like speaking to humans, his Divine Protection allowed him to converse in a language animals could comprehend, and they responded in kind.
And he could hear them, too. All of them. Every animal within his surroundings, their voices blending into a chaotic tangle of incomprehensible sounds that had once overwhelmed him as a child. It had been a difficult burden, but he had learned to overcome it.
It was an incredibly useful gift, one that Otto used for various purposes. And in this moment, it served as reconnaissance.
Knowing what dangers lay ahead, whether it be bandits or unforeseen obstacles—was vital. Otto was doing this to ensure the safety of everyone with him. Nothing more, nothing less.
"I'm not! I just want to know if there are any dangers ahead of us so we can prepare, that's all!" Otto shot back, denying the false accusation.
Patrasche's gaze lingered on him, unimpressed.
"This is the tenth time you've asked me, and it hasn't been long since the first question. At this point, you're more scared of that forest than worried about everyone else."
"I-I'm not! I told you, I just want—"
"So you won't admit it? What a wuss," the ground dragon huffed before turning her attention back to the road, leaving Otto sighing in exasperation.
It wasn't fear! None whatsoever!
…
Okay… Maybe just a tiny bit.
But he had every right to be scared!
Just days ago, while traveling through the Mathers domain in a desperate attempt to sell off-season oil and pull himself out of debt, he had been ambushed by witch cultists and tied to a stake, only to be saved moments away from being burned alive.
Even though he was alive, that incident shook him up and continued to affect him for days afterward.
And now, here he was, heading toward the forest where people who go there never return.
How could he not be scared?
"Relax, merchant. You're worrying over nothing," Patrasche suddenly said as she pulled the carriage forward.
"Didn't you say my rider killed someone strong? If this carriage gets attacked, he'll defend it. So stop cowering and pull yourself together."
"…Oh. You're right, I guess..."
After his rescue and during his temporary stay at the Karsten mansion, news reached him that the witch cult attacking Emilia's camp had been all but wiped out, along with the archbishop who orchestrated it, defeated in battle.
The revelation left him stunned—how could it not? This was the witch cult, the same group that had spread death and destruction for years, their presence a shadow hanging over the world. Victories against them were rare, the last significant one being the Subjugation of the Blight Dragon.
But at the same time, it wasn't entirely far-fetched. After all, he had been saved by the very person who had single-handedly slain a group of cultists without breaking a sweat.
Otto was immensely grateful to him—not just for saving his life, but for giving him the chance to escape a fate as a debt slave. Even if he had been subjected to relentless teasing and had often found himself the butt of jokes, it didn't diminish the gratitude he felt.
And so, with the same man who had slain the archbishop sitting behind him, and with the route engraved in his mind, Otto finally allowed himself to relax, at least a little. A rare moment of idleness these days.
For a few more minutes, he followed the path as Frederica had instructed, listening to the chatter inside the carriage. This time, they let him listen instead of him having to eavesdrop like before.
He heard mention of the necklace Frederica had given to Emilia, and how she needed it to pass through the barrier in the forest. Otto almost questioned why she required it while they did not—but instead, he focused on Rem's explanation.
Apparently, the barrier lay somewhere within the forest, possessing the ability to make people lose their way should they wander too close.
Otto wasn't sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, he was relieved that, in the end, the stories were only referring to a barrier meant to keep the sanctuary safe—not some ominous curse or mystical evil force. On the other hand, it still unsettled him. Why would such a place need something like that in the first place?
He then learned of the name given to the woods—The Lost Forest of Kremaldy.
'What a name… It really does fit well,' Otto thought.
His thoughts were interrupted by Subaru's voice from the window.
"You heard that, Otto? People really do get lost there! Feeling nervous now?"
Otto checked the road to make sure the coast was clear before replying, "Not at all! With Frederica-san's guidance, I'm confident we'll reach the Sanctuary without any issues."
Subaru's presence also reassured him, but he chose to keep it to himself, lest he get relentlessly teased for being a helpless maiden in need of a hero.
There was a slight pause before Subaru responded, "Looks like you've grown a pair, Otto. Keep it up, and I might follow up on my promise and put up a nice word for you."
Otto was ready to retort but stopped as the implications of Subaru's words dawned on him.
"Wait, you weren't planning to do that?!" he shouted indignantly.
What did he get in return? A snicker from Subaru before he shut the window.
If he wasn't sulking before, Otto certainly was now. Had he been tricked into being nothing more than a coach driver? Was the whole meeting with Roswaal a lie as well?
'No, Natsuki-san is just messing with me… like he always does,' he thought gloomily.
He could already sense this would become a regular habit, and he had no clue how to put an end to it. Rolling with the punches and waiting for the perfect moment to clap back seemed like the best course of action.
But that would only encourage Subaru more…
There really was no hope of stopping it, was there?
And so, with his spirits in a low mood, the carriage continued on at a slow pace, the sounds of wildlife and the carriage's movement filling the air.
After some time, Otto found himself in a different forest—one that stood apart from the rest. The trees were larger, thicker, and denser, casting deep shadows beneath them. The whole place was quieter than before, and he could feel the profound presence of mana lingering in the air.
"This is it." He heard Patrasche as she observed everything around her. "This is the forest my rider wanted to go to."
"Really? Is this it?" He mirrored the ground dragon's action as he looked around.
Despite the slight differences, it looked like a normal forest, not much different from the ones he had traveled through before. And while the increased presence of mana could be a worrying sign, it didn't necessarily mean anything ominous—just that there were probably some mana deposits in the area.
"Yes. You got worked up over a normal forest, merchant," Patrasche responded.
Otto let out a nervous laugh. "Hahaha, I guess I did. I'm an idiot, aren't I?"
"Yes," Patrasche mercilessly replied without hesitation.
Crushed by how quickly the ground dragon agreed with him, Otto opened the window to announce their arrival.
"Excuse me," he said, getting everyone's attention. "We're in the forest now."
Seeing them all looking out of the window, Otto leaned back with a sigh and continued leading the carriage onward.
The ride had been smooth so far—no sudden ambushes, no obstacles in the path. Just a straightforward road and an easy route to follow.
'Man, did I really get myself scared over nothing? What an idiot I am… well, at least my luck is changing for once,' he thought with a smile.
With how peaceful the journey had been so far, Otto had started to believe that his rotten luck had finally loosened its grip, granting him a chance to breathe.
Everything would be just fine!
He automatically regretted that naïve thought as he heard a commotion coming from inside.
From the anxious and worried voices, Otto felt his stomach drop—only for the feeling to worsen when Subaru's panicked shout rang out.
"Umm—can someone tell me what's going on?" he called out to the passengers, but no reply came—only the frantic sounds of Subaru and Rem fussing over Emilia.
Turning to look outside the window, Otto saw Rem holding up a slumped Emilia while Subaru hurried to her side. Dread welled up inside him.
He wanted to ask again, but his attention was suddenly caught by a blue glow emanating from the necklace around the half-elf's neck. Subaru's outstretched hand was reaching for it.
And then—without warning—the glow expanded, blinding Otto completely.
The wave of fear hit him at the same time as the surge of mana flooding from the necklace.
He heard the sound of an animal howling in surprise, though his mind barely registered it as the carriage lurched, screeched to a halt—then Otto was flung off of it, swallowed by the light.
For a few moments, Otto was airborne, soaring through the air blind.
Then came the harsh landing.
He crashed down onto the ground, rolling violently as twigs and pebbles scraped against him. Pained sounds escaped his lips as he tumbled, unable to stop until—finally—he collided with a tree.
The impact let out a loud twag, and his right ribs bore the full brunt of the collision.
As everything stilled and the chaos subsided, Otto lay motionless, staring blankly at the blurred outlines of the long branches above him.
"Owwww!" A loud pained whimper escaped his throat as aches flared across his body—his ribs, in particular, burned like fire.
Otto attempted to rise, slowly twisting to face the ground, pressing a hand flat against the earth as he tried to push himself up. His disoriented state made it ten times harder than it should have been, but inch by inch, he managed to get onto one knee.
He tried to stand fully—only for a sudden, piercing pain in his side to stop him cold, accompanied by a sharp agony in his lungs.
"Argk!" he groaned, collapsing back to the ground like a sack of potatoes, the pain in his lung refusing to let up.
The realization dawned upon him—he had broken his ribs, and one of them had lodged itself against his right lung.
"Ow! B-by the dragon… What happened?" he groaned in pain, his mind still fogged by the dizziness from all the tumbling he had just endured.
As the disorientation faded, clarity returned, and Otto retraced the sequence of events in his mind—the panicked shouting, the eerie blue light, the moment he was sent flying, and the harsh reality of where he had landed.
That was when he grasped the gravity of his situation: injured, immobile, stranded in the middle of the forest with no one in sight to help him.
His confusion gave way for fear to start settling in.
'D-damnit! Why! Why does this always happen to me?!' he thought, biting his lip, fists clenched in frustration.
It had been naïve to believe his rotten luck wouldn't strike him down—it always loomed over him like the specter of death, waiting for the perfect moment to make his life harder.
And now, here he was—near powerless. He couldn't move, couldn't run, couldn't defend himself.
His only lifeline was earth magic. But even that was hardly reliable, with mana reserves that barely stood above average.
"Dona!" using earth magic, Otto summoned a protective wall of earth from the ground. Three more casts of the spell, and now four walls surrounded him, a cube of safety in the midst of danger.
'If I can't move or do anything, then I'll just wait here until I can—or until help arrives,' he thought, solidifying his plan.
Fear still clawed at him, but his ingrained instinct to survive pushed past the panic, forcing him to act rationally.
Otto closed his eyes, focusing on steady, controlled breaths to calm his racing heart and ease the pain in his lung. He carefully kept his breaths half-full—any deeper, and his ribs might puncture his lung.
And so, he waited silently, hoping for anyone, hoping for Natsuki-san to come and save him.
Now that the adrenaline had drained away, he felt every bruise and cut littering his body, the tattered state of his clothes barely registering in his mind. He bit his tongue and ignored it all.
'Focus, Otto, focus. Stay calm and wait. Help will come, Natsuki-san will find you, and you will be saved. Just relax and—'
His thoughts cut off abruptly.
The sound of stomping.
His heart sank.
It was growing closer. Closer to his hiding spot.
And it wasn't human.
The weight, the rhythm, the sheer force—it was an animal. A Mabeast.
'Oh, this is bad. This is really bad!' Otto thought, immediately going stiff. His hands flew to his mouth to muffle his breathing.
He had thought the worst had already passed. That his cube would keep him safe.
But his luck—no, his misfortune—never allowed things to go his way.
Now, Otto didn't know how many Mabeasts were lurking outside, but he knew without a doubt that his chaotic entrance had attracted something. His bloodied wounds likely made him an enticing target.
But fear didn't have an iron grip on his heart. He had a backup plan.
Reaching into the side bag that miraculously was still tied to his waist, he opened it and let out a sigh of relief upon feeling the pouch inside.
Otto had always known he might one day find himself cornered, which is why he kept a pouch of fire stones on hand—just in case.
Opening it, he examined its contents. Multiple fire crystals of different sizes gleamed inside. He grabbed a medium-sized one.
'Alright, Otto, just wait until it gets closer, then toss it over the wall. It should hold against the blast and keep you safe. Hopefully, it'll scare it off. Natsuki-san will come and save you… I hope so.'
Otto knew—without question—that he was the unluckiest man alive. Yet despite that, he still clung to hope.
And why did he trust Subaru to be his savior in particular? Because Subaru had saved his life before—so if it was going to be anyone, it would be him.
Or at least he hoped so.
As the Mabeast neared the wall, Otto steadied himself. All he needed to do was infuse the crystal with some of his earth mana, destabilizing it just enough to trigger an explosion—either on impact or after a set amount of time.
Essentially, it was a fantasy world's version of a lit stick of dynamite.
And as the Mabeast came right up against the wall, Otto braced himself, ready to inject his mana and throw—
"Merchant? Is that you? Are you in there?"
The amount of relief Otto felt upon hearing that voice could have made him cry from happiness.
"Patrasche?! Y-yes, it's me, Otto! Otto Suwen!" he called out to the ground dragon.
'I've been saved! Ahahaha! She's not Natsuki-san, but I'm saved nonetheless!' He was just glad to hear a familiar voice—even if it belonged to an animal.
Otto lifted his hand to lower the walls, only to freeze as they suddenly crumbled before him, revealing Subaru's ground dragon staring down at him.
"Hmm… You look miserable," Patrasche observed.
Otto could only smile weakly at her "I know, tell me about it."
Patrasche took a moment to scan the area before finally locking her yellow eyes onto Otto's.
"Would I be wrong to assume that my rider isn't with you?" she questioned.
Otto shook his head. "Sadly, no. To be honest, I was hoping he would be with you…" he trailed off.
"Figures… Well, no point in staying here. Let's get moving—the carriage isn't far off," Patrasche informed him.
"The carriage isn't far off ? Wait, is someone with you? Is it Rem-san or Emilia-sama? "
"The half-elf? Yes, she's fine. But she won't wake up after I licked her a little bit. Now come on, I want to reunite with my rider before anything else."
Otto took a moment to process this.
'So, she's safe but unconscious… Thank the Od for that. What even happened anyway? I remember everyone panicking, then a light… Were we teleported? Is that it?'
As he pondered over the events, he failed to notice that Patrasche had already started walking away, leaving him behind.
"W-wait!" he called out after the impatient ground dragon, who stopped and glanced back at him.
"What?" she asked, clearly impatient.
"Well… I can't stand or walk. So can you please help me?" he pleaded, offering her a sheepish smile.
Patrasche stared at him before huffing and striding toward him. Just as he was about to speak, she grabbed his jacket and swiftly hoisted him onto his feet, eliciting a pained yelp as he struggled to regain his balance.
"You can walk. Now come on, we're wasting time," she said, moving ahead of the merchant as he shakily stood up, one hand pressed against his bruised side.
As Otto steadied himself, a flash of pink flickered at the edge of his vision. He blinked and turned toward the source—but saw nothing. Dismissing it as a trick of his mind, he quickly hurried after Patrasche.
Before long, they arrived at the carriage, sitting in a small clearing devoid of trees.
"When that blue light came and went, I found myself here, with the carriage still attached to me," Patrasche explained.
The carriage itself seemed intact, though dirt marred its exterior, and its wheels bore chipped and cracked edges along the bottom.
"Wait…" when he noticed the conditions of the wheels, Otto slowly turned toward the ground dragon beside him.
"Patrasche, did you… um, slide or something like that when that light came, or…?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yes. I thought we were being attacked. Why do you ask?" She turned to face him, her sharp yellow eyes narrowing slightly.
"Well, it's just—You know what? Never mind," he cowered from her eyes.
Patrasche let out a huff, clearly unimpressed by the useless question.
But for Otto, the question was anything but trivial. The memory of being sent flying before the teleportation returned with clarity—meaning that, ironically, Patrasche had been the source of his injuries, not the teleportation.
Pushing the thought that his savior was the one responsible for his injuries aside with a weary sigh, Otto limped toward the back of the carriage—only to be met with utter chaos inside.
The bags of luggage they had brought were scattered everywhere, mixed with anything that had been secured or attached to the carriage.
And among the chaos, Otto spotted Emilia, sprawled carelessly on the ground, junk scattered around her.
"Emilia-sama," he called out, his voice drained of the urgency one might expect upon finding someone in distress—exhaustion from his injuries now weighing heavily on him.
Yet, Emilia remained undisturbed in her sleep. Her expression showed neither pain or discomfort, only a serene, blissful peace.
Otto approached cautiously, checking for injuries without touching her—she was a royal candidate, after all, and the leader of the camp he was aiming to join.
Thankfully, she was unharmed. No cuts, no bruises. The only signs of her ordeal were the wrinkles in her clothes, but otherwise, she was in pristine condition.
'At least Emilia-sama is safe… This must be the elf's physiology at work,' he thought, recalling what he had read about elves and their exceptional durability—resilient enough to endure blunt force without injury.
Clearing the couch of debris, the clattering sounds echoed as he pushed aside the mess. Once he had made enough space, he turned his gaze to the slumbering beauty before him.
'This is going to suck… Why do I do this to myself?' Otto questions himself. But he already knew the answer: because it was the right thing to do.
With a strained expression, he knelt down, biting back the pain in his lungs, took a sharp, shallow breath, and lifted Emilia, his body groaning and muscles aching as he carried her to the couch to ensure she could rest comfortably.
Once finished, Otto leaned against the wall, hissing as the pain in his side flared sharply, his right lung aching even more.
But he refused to falter—now that he had reunited with Patrasche and Emilia-sama, he would press on and find the others
Not by walking, of course—he was in no condition to do that anymore. He'll use the carriage to search for the others.
Stumbling out, he made his way to the front seat, where Patrasche stood, scanning the area.
"Patrasche," he called to her, "We need to get moving. Emilia is safe and secure. Let's use the carriage to find Rem-san and Natsuki-san."
He presented his idea to the ground-dragon, who, much to his surprise, shook her head.
"No. We should stay here and wait for them to come to us," she replied, fixing him with a firm stare.
"B-but why? If we leave now, we could cover more ground and find each other faster!" Otto argued, trying to reason with her.
Once again, she rejected his idea.
"That won't work. My rider is most definitely searching for us, and if we move, we might be heading in the opposite direction—only putting more distance between us. It's better to stay in one place and conserve our energy."
"And you," she added, stepping closer, examining him with sharp eyes, "Don't look like you're in any shape to travel—even if you were to sit in the back with the half-elf. You'd only make your injuries worse. I can see you're barely staying on your feet."
She nudged her head toward the back door.
"Go get some rest, Otto Suwen. Trust in my rider—he will find us before you know it."
Otto remained silent, floored by Patrasche's reasoning.
It wasn't that she had said anything groundbreaking—if he weren't so exhausted, he probably would have come to the same conclusion himself.
But the fact that she was an animal—and yet capable of such logic and foresight—was astonishing.
"You know what, Patrasche?" he finally said, shaking his head with a tired smile. "And I don't say this lightly—but you are the smartest animal I've ever had the pleasure of talking to."
Patrasche cast a proud glance at him—well, as proud as a ground dragon could manage.
"Of course! I'm Patrasche—a uniquely created, one-of-a-kind ground dragon—and my rider is the most honorable and exceptional of them all. It only makes sense that someone as remarkable as him would have a companion like me."
Otto chuckled at her words, not taking them too seriously. He chalked it up to the boastful nature of a proud sub-species of ground dragons—especially one fortunate enough to have a rider as extraordinary as Natsuki Subaru.
That small chuckle, brief as it was, helped release some of the built-up tension and stress from the chaos he had endured.
Finally, Otto allowed himself to relax, heading back inside as he prepared to wait for Subaru's arrival—
Until a tremor shook the ground beside them, kicking up dirt into a small cloud that stole both of their attention with its sudden disturbance.
"So, th' old hag' was right—ya got some nerv' coming here, outsider!"
As the dust settled, a figure emerged.
Short, spiky golden hair. Emerald green eyes. A jagged "X" scar carved across his face, highlighting sharp, predatory teeth. He was shirtless, his muscular frame exposed, clad only in dark pants, a tattered purple loincloth, and worn boots.
There was a rugged, roguish air about him. The type prone to jumping to conclusions before hearing anyone out.
But Otto paid his appearance no heed as he saw the sheer fury on the stranger's face.
His features were twisted in rage, his eyes burning with hatred as he glared at Otto and Patrasche.
"It's bad 'nough—th' trouble ya caused back home—'n now ya think ya can show up here 'n make it worse?" he growled, cracking his fists
"Not. Gonna. Happen."
Otto swallowed hard, the demi-human's hostility crystal clear—it wouldn't take much for him to explode.
Otto slowly raised his hands, trying to calm him down "H-hold up! We don't want any trouble, okay? We're just looking for our friends so we can head to the Sanctuary and—"
"Save it! Heard 'nough."
With a flash, the demi-human bolted forward—
And the only thing Otto could see was a fist, hurtling straight toward his face.
Then everything went black.