CHAPTER 51 All This Just to Go Get Someone Who’s Been Yeeted into the Woods?!

Henrietta

I looked down at my hands in shock, then up at Keith.

He took one and held it firmly. Like he was expecting I'd run off. He tried to make me feel better by saying, "It was a natural response to being startled, Ria. It will be alright."

It didn't work. And I was suddenly tempted to run off and find Puma and bring her back myself. "But—"

"He's right, Princess Henrietta!" Amy nodded. "Puma is almost level forty and second to none but General Quinton here."

Amy pointed at the tiger beastman standing close by. He had a pained expression on his face as he shaded his eyes with one hand and gazed off into the distance after Puma.

What Amy had said sunk in, and the general turned to me. "You are Princess Henrietta?"

"Yes, ah, sorry." I gently waved with my free hand. "Nice to meet you, General Quinton … Sorry about the mess."

I'd said sorry twice and felt twice the fool.

General Quinton just ran his hands through his white hair, a soft contrast to his dark-gray complexion in human form. "It's alright, Yourrr Highness. Puma will land on her feet. She could probably make it back here by tomorrow, but I should go check on her." He turned to a few beastkin who had gathered by the gate. "Who wants overtime?"

"Actually." Keith squeezed my hand. "Why don't we go and grab Puma for you?"

I felt immense relief wash over me and gave him a thankful look. If I mistakenly inconvenienced someone with my abilities, I wanted to make sure they were safe. "Really? It's not too much trouble?"

"Of course not." He smiled back.

Lady Amy nearly jumped out of her boots with excitement and proclaimed, "An adventure! My body is ready!"

There was an awkward silence as I realized that Lady Amy, who didn't have [Quick Step], wanted to join the search party.

"I don't think—"

"You aren't coming—"

Keith and I both replied at the same time. He nodded at me to go first.

"Listen, Amy, our plan is to race to Puma and come back as fast as possible. It won't work unless everyone can travel at the same speed … and I don't think you can keep up." I tried to say it as gently as I could.

"There's no need to worry about that." Amy smiled. "One of my [Ranger] perks is [Tree Walker]. I'm not the fastest on the roads, but I could get to Mistress Puma and back far quicker than any of you, since she fell in the forest."

Keith suddenly smiled a very big, very toothy grin. "You could?"

"Of course!" Lady Amy said proudly. "I even have tracking skills! It'll be a breeze."

"That's excellent!" Keith said. "Then we can trust you to find her and bring her back tonight."

"What?" Lady Amy's face fell into shocked horror.

"General Quinton has a previous task, so it was looking like Henrietta and I were going to have to miss dinner to go and find the guardswoman. But with you offering to go, and with the assurance of your skill and history, I am offering you this quest."

If Amy could track and find and bring back Puma for us, that would mean I could go to dinner with Keith knowing the search party was in good hands.

My desire to have dinner with a handsome, winged Dark Lord in leather might have been at war with my natural inclination to do what I thought was right. This kept happening, and I didn't know if I was just weak to Keith or learning to take my own desires seriously for once …

It wasn't just the prospective dinner date; I decided that if she was more skilled for the job, then it would be a relief to have someone who knew what they were doing out looking.

Lady Amy's eyes unfocused in a telltale sign that she was busy reading a System Prompt. Keith must have used his Dark Magician King title ability to give her an official quest.

"All this just to go get someone who's been yeeted into the woods?!" Amy looked between me and the air where the prompt would have popped up. "Five hundred experience points and a random artifact?"

Keith pulled off a black bracelet with golden thread entwined throughout. "Not just any random artifact. This has a +1 to Constitution on it."

I was extremely jealous. My father never offered me experience points or official quests when he gave me tasks … and watching Keith offer a beautiful elf girl jewelry wasn't making it easier.

I stomped down on the negative emotions, convincing myself that it was fine.

Everything was fine.

"Done!" The elf accepted. She did a little stretch and turned to walk back through the gate. Amy glanced over her shoulder and told us, "I'll be back before you can say, ‘Adventurer, I'm on My Way.'"

The song immediately popped into my mind, and I groaned. That earworm would be stuck in my head all day.

No matter where you're trapped,

I'll find you.

I'll battle levels higher,

For you.

I'm just a humble bard, they say.

But, Adventurer, I'm on my way!

Bronwynn the Bard, my best friend back home, also known as Brownie, had released an entire new evening's worth of songs for her performance at Peldeep's Lunar New Year show. It must have been a huge success if people were already starting to sing the lyrics here.

I, of course, had gotten to listen to all of the songs before anyone else.

We waved Lady Amy off. General Quinton arranged the guards, and Keith tucked my hand into his arm.

"Ready for the best stew in the entire Dark Enchanted Forest?" he asked.

"Lead the way."

Keith took a second to wish the General of the West a good evening with his children, and then he led me up the road to the Damp Gizzard.

I wasn't expecting things to get steamy. I also wasn't expecting the glitter.

And I certainly wasn't expecting the musical number.