Roland shook his head helplessly. He stepped slowly into the cavern, approaching the blood-red figure.
He studied it for a long while. After confirming he wasn't mistaken, he called out softly.
"Freddy? Freddy? Are you still alive?"
Before the words had even faded, the snoring stopped abruptly.
The blood-red figure jerked its head up, revealing sharp fangs at the corners of its mouth, its eyes filled with confusion.
"Ngh... Who? Who's calling me..."
"It's me, Freddy..."
Looking at the Beastman's familiar and somewhat earnest and simple appearance, Roland's mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly.
The figure bound to the cross was none other than Freddy, the Beastman student from the Royal Capital Knight Academy whom Roland had met a few times and spoken with briefly.
"You... You are..."
Freddy struggled to open his drowsy eyes. He leaned closer, trying to make out Roland's face.
