Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 69: Apostle Zaina [3]

But just as he moved.

"AWHOOO."

A howl echoed in the forest.

Akamir froze mid-step, his ears straining.

Another howl followed.

This one was closer.

Zaina’s face paled slightly. "Was that... a wolf?"

"No," Akamir said, narrowing his eyes. "Wolves don’t sound that guttural. That was something bigger."

The forest around them seemed to hush, as if even the insects knew better than to make noise now.

Zaina clutched the edge of her uniform tightly. "Maybe we should hide."

Akamir turned to look at her. "Do you know how to fight?"

She hesitated before she smiled awkwardly. "A little bit."

"Cool." Akamir said as he began to walk towards the direction she chose.

"H-hey, Asher."

Zaina whispered, looking around before she meekly followed him while looking around anxiously.

Akamir quietly looked around the place as he noticed a few trails.

They weren’t new enough for students but still not old enough.

He quickly glanced at Nayomi who floated silently with them.

"Yes." She confirmed his doubt without him speaking. "There are instructors ready to help if needed."

’I see.’

Akamir quietly nodded in response.

It was honestly a given as the academy won’t just throw nobles in a jungle unsupervised.

"Why are you nodding suddenly?" Zaina mumbled, narrowing her eyes at him.

"It’s nothing." Akamir replied, shaking his head. "And why are you so close?"

Zaina was almost attached to him as he could feel her shoulder brushing against him.

"S-so I can h-help you if you need it." She stammered, looking away.

"...Right."

Akamir mumbled as he resumed his walk and Zaina followed him quietly.

After a while she mumbled. "Hey, can I ask a question?"

"No."

"....."

"....Just ask."

She hesitated for a while before she lowered her head.

"Are you really going to marry Princess Inara?" She mumbled.

Akamir thought for a while. "...I don’t know."

"What about me?" She whispered. "I am your fiancée as well, remember?"

Akamir didn’t answer immediately.

Zaina trailed behind him, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.

"Honestly." He mumbled. "I don’t want to marry a child like you."

"C-child?" Zaina stammered. "Who are you calling a child!?"

"Who is my fiancée?"

"Inara?"

"She is twenty-six—."

Akamir drew in a deep breath to keep himself in check.

"I am talking about you." He grumbled. "You are a child."

"How can you say that?" She rebuked, groaning in disbelief. "We are of the same age."

"Same age doesn’t mean same maturity," he said flatly.

Zaina flushed. "Stop acting like you are an old man."

Akamir’s lips twitched. "I am not old."

She stuck out her tongue to mock him but quickly looked away when he looked at her.

’Hmm, why is it so quiet?’

Akamir wondered, looking around the place.

There were no sounds of bird or insects in the place.

Akamir placed his hand on the hilt of the normal sword he was carrying.

"So...." Zaina began, unaware of the danger. "You like mature women?"

Akamir gave her a look. "I never said that."

"But you implied you don’t like girls your age...."

She mumbled then eyes widened in disbelief and disgust.

"Don’t tell me you like little girls—."

"Shut up!"

Akamir snapped, glaring at her.

"One more word and I will throw you at the wolf that is following us."

"Huh?" Zaina blinked. "What wolf—!"

The greenery behind her moved and something instantly launched at her.

Akamir raised his hand, curling his fingers up as if trying to grab something.

The beast whimpered loudly as its body suspended in the air, a strain marking clear around its neck.

Akamir clenched his fist, crushing the beast’s neck through telekinesis.

The body fell limply on the ground.

Zaina quickly moved back, sticking with him. "W-What, since when?!"

"From the start."

Zaina’s breath hitched as she looked at the lifeless beast.

Its neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, eyes bulging from its skull.

"Can’t you tell me this before?!"

"Why?" He replied. "So you can panic?"

Zaina wanted to protest, but she bit her tongue.

"Let’s go." Akamir said, resuming his walk.

Zaina quickly moved and grabbed the sleeves of his shirt.

Akamir didn’t even have to look back at her to tell how scared she was.

’And this girl is supposed to be the tyrant queen who caused human race to go extinct.’

They walked for another minute before Akamir suddenly stopped.

Zaina nearly bumped into his back. "What? What is it—?"

Akamir raised a finger to his lips.

He grabbed Zaina by the wrist and pulled her toward a thick cluster of bushes just off the trail.

"Stay still." He whispered. "Don’t make any sound."

Zaina didn’t argue.

They crouched together, their breath shallow.

Zaina kept on glancing at his lips that were too close for her comfort.

Akamir, on the other hand, was serious.

’What did I see?’

He wondered, peeking his head out a little.

There, he saw it again.

A beast that was taller than a man walked past the trail.

It looked like a wolf, but it wasn’t.

Its limbs were too long, too lean.

Its eyes glowed faintly green, and its fur glowed like ink in water.

More disturbing was the way it moved; it made almost no sound.

Zaina clutched Akamir’s sleeve unconsciously.

The creature sniffed the air, its head tilting unnaturally, and for a moment, it paused.

Akamir instinctively reached for the hilt of his blade.

The creature exhaled a low grunt... and then walked away, fading back into the shadows.

They waited several heartbeats before either of them moved.

"Is it gone?" Zaina whispered.

"For now," Akamir replied, his voice low. "But it didn’t look like an ordinary beast."

Zaina stood up beside him. "We should move quickly."

Akamir nodded silently as he stood up as well.

But....

Something still bothered him.

Akamir glanced up at Nayomi who quietly looked at him.

"Where are we?" He whispered. "And what was that thing?"

"At the center of the forest." She replied simply. "And that thing was a core beast."

"Core beast?"

"Most beasts don’t have a core but they can use mana by strengthening their bodies like a beastman."

She explained quietly.

"But those things can rank up like humans and actually have a decent amount of intelligence."

’....I see.’

Akamir nodded while Zaina looked at him weirdly.

"Why do you keep on nodding your head?" She asked. "You have a problem—."

"Let’s go."

He said as he began to walk once again.

They remained silent while Nayomi floated in the air to have a clear look of the forest.

After a long while, she returned back to them.

"You need to move just a little more to reach the cave." Nayomi said. "It’s close by."

Akamir nodded his head without any words.

"Why do you keep on doing that?" Zaina grumbled. "Does your neck hurt?"

Akamir sighed. "Do you ever stop talking?"

Zaina puffed her cheeks. "Do you ever start talking?"

"Why should I talk with you?" He asked, looking at her. "You aren’t a princess or anything."

Zaina opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it.

"I still hate you for what you did to Arthur." She mumbled. "Aunt was really pissed."

"I don’t care." He replied, without looking at her. "And he came to challenge me."

"Still—."

Akamir stopped on his path as he felt a sudden shift of mana in the place.

He glanced back at Nayomi who quietly nodded her head.

Akamir slowly began to walk further, clearing the vines in his path.

"Where are you going?" Zaina asked, following close behind.

He didn’t answer immediately, his eyes scanning the dim light.

The trees became fewer as they reached a different place.

"What....?"

Zaina mumbled as she looked at the large cave in front of them.

But Akamir’s gaze was on something else.

He kept on staring at the mangled corpse at the side of the place.