My Ruin to You - Chapter 213

To confess now, Roseline’s plan was only a half-success.
While they managed to evade the enemy’s notice and escape without any sacrifice as planned, the beast she had originally envisioned was a field mouse, not a screamer mouse.

Frankly, no one in their right mind would choose to cast a spell to become a screamer mouse in that situation. Perhaps it was because transformation wasn’t her primary affinity, or perhaps it was the anxiety of being pushed to the extreme, but they ended up as screamer mice.

Their bodies were heavier compared to field mice, so their movement speed was slow and sluggish.

Around the time safety seemed assured, she considered using transformation magic again, but it wasn’t a good idea. She needed to conserve mana to maintain the transformation so it wouldn’t wear off, and she also had to restore the depleted stamina of the screamer mice, making it even more crucial to save mana.

Led by Giorno at the very front, the twelve mice ran vigorously. Roseline was sixth in line, and Armenia ran at the very rear, periodically channeling recovery mana into the knights ahead of her.

How long had they been running like that? Clatter, clatter. The sound of hooves came from afar. As the presence drew nearer, the vibration of the ground intensified. The tremors felt through their four feet were practically an earthquake.

When Giorno, leading the pack, stopped, the mice following behind also slowed down one after another. Edan, positioned at the end of the line, cautiously poked his head out through the bushes.

[It’s a messenger.]

[Huh?]

[Wha…?]

The mice who heard Edan’s mutter tilted their heads in unison. They had thought they could only let out kkyuek-kkyuek screams, never realizing communication like this was possible, which is why they hadn’t opened their mouths until now.

[We can communicate?]

It was Merrick’s voice. The voice didn’t match the round, cute appearance of a screamer mouse, and a small laugh was heard from somewhere. Perhaps Merrick himself was embarrassed, as he cleared his throat with an awkward cough.

[I didn’t know either. This is my first time being transformed with other people.]

Roseline, who had unconsciously tried to scratch the back of her neck, stopped abruptly. Her arms were so short that even a slight lift made her armpit feel tight.

Around that time, a single horse sped past beside the bushes. It was so fast it disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving only faint tremors behind. As the vibrations subsided and the leaves, which had been swaying like waves, grew still, Edan asked Giorno,

[Anyway, it was frustrating not being able to talk, so this is good. Which way are you heading, Sir]

[The camp, of course. Rather than this, we should have used mana or something to send a signal to the messenger.]

Giorno was impatient. His vow to protect the Young Lady without a single hair on her head being harmed was already broken; the only way out now was to return as quickly as possible. But Edan clicked his tongue and shook his head.

[At this speed, reaching the main camp is impossible. We must return to the front lines.]

[I agree. We should change our route.]

Merrick chimed in. As the newly started meeting showed signs of dragging on, the other knights cautiously surveyed their surroundings. Three mice were gathered in the center, two were standing awkwardly, and the rest were standing up on their short bodies, vigilant of their surroundings. The situation was quite serious, but their appearance was just so cute it made the complexity even more frustrating. What a state they were in.

[Please think carefully. We ended up like this trying to avoid the barbarians, and now you’re suggesting we go back that way? Does that make sense? You know how certain people can be…]

[You need to think straight, Sir. Why do you think the messenger went?]

[That’s right. There must have been an engagement between the rear guard and the barbarians. They would have found traces of our battle, and probably sent a messenger urgently to report the situation.]

As Merrick and Edan added their words one after another, Giorno, who realized the truth belatedly, plopped down as if utterly defeated.

[If the messenger passed through this path alone, it means the nearby barbarians have either been wiped out or fled to the plains. We must return to the front lines and inform them of our survival first.]

Merrick concluded the discussion firmly. Roseline, who had been listening with her ears perked up, also began to grow concerned about the situation at the camp. More precisely, she was worried about Valen’s reaction upon hearing this news.

They had disappeared, leaving only their armor and equipment behind; it was unequivocally a case of missing in action. Given Valen’s temperament, it was impossible that he would simply wait for their return; he would surely scour the entire region, turning it upside down to find them. But even setting that issue aside, she was troubled by the memory of their last moment before the sortie.