One Day, a Villain Fell into My Wardrobe

25

Hadad’s final call changed the atmosphere of the field. Clang, clang. Everyone in armor drew their swords and aimed them at Set’s group.

In the midst of this, only Hadad appeared relaxed. He let out a sigh as if feeling regret, but on the other hand, he seemed pleased to meet an old friend again.

“I had a feeling you were still alive somewhere.”

“……”

“You wouldn’t die so easily.”

It was a long-standing grudge. Set had nearly beheaded Hadad more than ten times, and the reverse was equally countless. Yet, they had never managed to kill each other.

“You don’t seem surprised. From the moment we met, you clearly had no intention of hiding.”

Set did not deny it. As he said, from the moment he faced Hadad, he had given up on concealing his identity.

Hadad was the only sword master capable of standing against Set. In their youth, Set’s skills had been superior, but as time passed, the tables had turned. If one were to compare now, Hadad’s swordsmanship would likely be slightly higher.

And those who possess such swordsmanship develop keen senses. Just as Set recognized Hadad immediately, Hadad must have sensed his presence shortly after they met.

“Set, get off your horse. Let’s share swords once more, with our lives balanced on the scales as we have done so many times before.”

Hadad’s shining green eyes sparkled. Vitality was emanating from his face. He even seemed to show signs of enjoyment.

If it had been before, that is, before meeting Yeon Ji-ho, Set would have certainly dismounted to face him. Set had never once refused to face Hadad, not even during their close academy days.

But now was different.

“……Set?”

Hadad looked at Set, who remained on his horse, with a puzzled expression. At this point, if he knew Set, he should have dismounted with a dry expression and taken up his sword. But now, there was not even a hint of that.

Instead, he tightly embraced the waist of a man he had never seen before, who was cradled in his arms. Then, he merely whispered something.

“Huh?”

In that moment, Set’s figure vanished. To be precise, Set and Yeon Ji-ho had suddenly disappeared from atop the horse.

While Hadad momentarily lost focus at the fact that they had vanished before his eyes, Esquius soared into the air. Apophis had completely disappeared along with his horse.

The knight Reckless, who had been watching the situation from behind Hadad, raised his sword high into the air. Then he commanded the knights following him.

“It’s a blink spell for short-distance movement! They can’t have gone far, so everyone chase after them!”

“Yes!”

Soon, all the knights turned their bodies and returned to their horses. As they scattered around, Hadad let out a breath and continued to gaze at the spot where Set had stood. He stared blankly at the ground that had just been vacated by him.

“Running away? ‘That’ Set Gorgon?”

It wasn’t that Set had never called for a retreat. However, that was only when it was strategically necessary during war.

When Hadad proposed sharing swords, Set had never run away. Even when a sword was thrust at his neck, he would accept his death with composure. His subordinate, Apophis, had often had to forcibly drag him away.

Yet now, that man had fled right before his eyes. And he had used the magic of his subordinate, Apophis, to do so.

Hadad had just heard the words Set whispered. He mulled them over again.

‘……Apep. Prioritize Ji-ho.’

Ji-ho?

The unfamiliar word felt strange. Surely Ji-ho was not some trivial object…

Then Hadad suddenly recalled the person cradled in Set’s arms. Even though he was draped in a robe, he clearly remembered the face.

Ji-ho, Ji-ho.

Hadad easily deduced that the man’s name was Ji-ho.

As Hadad organized the situation in his mind, he opened his mouth wide. Then, he clasped his forehead with a face that had just been struck. Soon after, a great laugh erupted from him.

“Haha, ahaha! Set, finally you have……”

Something to protect.

***

“Ji-ho, from now on, let’s abandon the horse and move. I’ll carry you, so hold onto my neck tightly.”

“What? Uh, uh?”

It was startling enough that the scenery changed when he closed and opened his eyes, but before Yeon Ji-ho could get used to it, Set lifted him up. His knees and back were enveloped in Set’s strong arms.

Yeon Ji-ho instinctively grabbed Set’s neck as he had been told. It wasn’t so much that he followed what he said, but rather a reflexive action.

Set firmly secured Yeon Ji-ho in his embrace and began to run. At that moment, it felt like the rainy night at the pension. It was much faster than riding a horse.

“……Ji-ho.”

“Ugh, yes, yes.”

With his already poor physical condition worsened by the rapid movement, a severe headache and nausea hit him. Set, who had been moving silently, finally noticed Yeon Ji-ho’s pale complexion and spoke up.

“I’ll slow down a bit. ……Are you okay?”

Apophis was a master of movement magic, and Esquius had wings that allowed him to fly. There was no need to worry that they wouldn’t be able to keep up.

The only one without a means of escape was Yeon Ji-ho. With his spinning head, he thought that he might become a burden and tightened his grip around Set’s neck a little more.

“Ah, no. We can’t do that while being chased. I’m fine, let’s keep going.”

After running for a while longer, Set and Yeon Ji-ho reached the heart of a dense forest. The trees were so tall that the sun barely penetrated the dark area.

Set lowered Yeon Ji-ho from his arms and said.

“At this point, even Hadad would have a hard time chasing us.”

“Really? But Hadad is also a sword master… Will it be okay?”

It was a given that Hadad, the protagonist, was a sword master. As Yeon Ji-ho pondered this realistically, Set lowered his gaze and spoke softly.

“To follow us this far, he would have to completely abandon his knights. That would be awkward for Hadad as well.”

“Ah, ah. Then that’s a relief.”

While listening to Set’s explanation, Yeon Ji-ho absentmindedly rubbed his forehead and nodded. He felt really strange.

“And Apophis and Esquius will also find it difficult to follow for now. It would be dangerous to gather in one place immediately.”

“I see. I hope we can meet again safely.”

“……At least until tomorrow, it will just be the two of us, Ji-ho.”

At the sudden words that fell from above, Yeon Ji-ho looked up. Set was looking down at him with an unusually tense expression.

Seeing his tense face, Yeon Ji-ho understood the seriousness of the situation. After all, they had just barely managed to escape with their lives.

“Oh, by the way, I left my bag on Apophis’s horse…!”

The bag had been hung on Apophis’s horse instead of Set’s, which they were supposed to ride. Yeon Ji-ho slapped his forehead, looking regretful. It was too precious to abandon with all the items inside.

“Apophis would have taken care of it. He can easily perform a blink spell on the items.”

“Is that so? Then that’s a relief, but… What about tonight?”

Meeting Apophis would have to wait until at least tomorrow, so tonight was the problem. They had no tent, cooking gear, torches, or seasonings.

Yeon Ji-ho muttered to himself, almost just moving his lips. His tone was somewhat breathless.

“Set, you must be hungry.”

For some reason, hearing his weak voice, Set looked up at the sky. Confirming that the sky was growing dim, he firmly said to Yeon Ji-ho.

“First, we need to find a place to rest. Ji-ho, hand.”

Yeon Ji-ho gazed blankly at Set’s rough palm extended toward him. Finally, when he cautiously placed his hand on it, Set gently grasped it with even more care.

Soon, the two walked through the forest path, hand in hand. Set walked a step ahead, cutting down anything that might hinder Yeon Ji-ho’s steps with his sword.

The cave they finally found was smaller than the one they had previously stayed in.

Upon arriving there, Set assessed whether it was suitable for spending the night with Yeon Ji-ho. Since it was a night with nothing, unlike yesterday, he wanted to ensure that he…

At that moment, Yeon Ji-ho, who had been following with an uncomfortable expression, suddenly collapsed to the ground.

“……Ji-ho?”

Barely managing to keep his consciousness, Yeon Ji-ho realized that his condition was not just ‘bad.’ It wasn’t merely fatigue accumulating; it was something else.

“Um, Set… I’m sorry, but I have one request.”

“What is it? Are you hurt? Ji-ho, you must not lose consciousness here.”

Yeon Ji-ho, who had somehow approached him and knelt down to check on him, smiled briefly. Then he said.

“Please let me be alone for a bit.”

It was a firm dismissal. There was only one reason. It was something every omega experiences.

The heat cycle had come.