The Unseen

Spirits climb from the ground around the helpless, caged Guts. Puck arrives with the keys, having ridden hidden inside Farnese's armor through the entire interrogation, and refuses to free him without a thank-you, then squeezes out ever more mortifying lines before letting him loose. Armed again, Guts creeps to Farnese's tent and finds her half-dressed, lashing her own back before the hawk statue in tears. He knocks her out with a chop to the neck, kills a soldier who wanders in, and decides to carry the bound commander off with him.

The knights discover the tent ablaze and Guts standing before it, Farnese slung over his shoulder. He threatens to set her trousers on fire and buys safe passage, then stampedes their horses with a torch and rides off on the last one. Azan orders pursuit and notes that Serpico is the only knight already mounted and chasing, crossbow and rapier ready.

Out on the wasteland Farnese wakes and thrashes, nearly pitching herself off the horse before Guts hauls her back by the wrists. When Puck tugs her lip, she screams at Guts, blind to the elf entirely. Puck realizes she cannot see him at all. Behind them, a grim-faced Serpico levels his crossbow at Guts, only to find himself suddenly ringed by spirits.

Puck frees Guts after extracting a string of humiliating thanks. Guts knocks out Farnese, sets her tent on fire, and takes her hostage. He scatters the knights' horses and escapes with Puck and Farnese aboard the last mount. Serpico alone gives chase. It becomes clear during the ride that Farnese cannot perceive Puck or any elf, mistaking his antics for Guts' mockery.

This Conviction Arc chapter ran in Young Animal issue 12 in 1998. It establishes a recurring rule of the setting, that certain people, Farnese among them, are simply unable to see elves, a limitation Puck exploits for comedy and that later marks the gulf between belief and perception in the arc.