197 The missing heart


    They screamed and brought the ssmap to the others. Arthur needs to close his ears when the two of them approach Henry and Xavier.


    “Look, we found it. He left the ssmap with his mark inside.” Anne was ecstatic to present them with the ssmap. She put the ssmap in the big rock and let them observe.


    “Wait, are we sure this is Justice?” Asked Xavier to Vale.


    Vale nodded his head. “Yes, positive, this is the ssmap that I’ve given to him, and he even told me, if he ever appears on this ssmap, it will be in his signature color. Red.”


    “Where is he, exactly?” Asked henry, he was so focused on the red dot, he didn’t even blink.


    Vale look into the ssmap and tried to determine Justice’s location. “It’s a bit far from here, about six hours’ journey. Strangely enough, it’s closer to the enemy’sir.”


    “Wait, what is he doing there? It is too dangerous, especially when we finally know about the enemy’s intention.” Xavier couldn’t believe how reckless Justice had be.


    “Let’s trust him on this. The problem is, how we are going to reach him undetected?” Henry said to all of them, his eyes focusing on the ssmap.


    Anne raised her hand with much confidence. “How about we travel there separately?”


    .....


    Arthur, in an instant, also raising his hand, “Good idea. I’ll go with Anne.”


    Vale, Henry, and Xavier looked at each other. They were annoyed and also amused by how aggressive this magic knight captain was. The three of them were smiling and tried to hide their amusement. Xavier and Henry also agreed with the n.


    “That’s a good n. We can travel undetected. A bit risky, though.” Xavier already considering it, but of course still hesitant.


    Vale assured him, “It is a good n. I will apany our dearest healer, along with the magic knight, and the rest of you could go together.”


    Xavier and Henry look at each other and shrugged their shoulder. They agreed immediately and afterward make a copy of Justice’s red dot on another ssmap. After they gathered some supplies, the two groups go into their separate ways. Anne looks into Xavier and Henry, who are walking away with Leo.


    “Hey!” She called them, making the three of them turn around to see her. “Be careful, alright?”


    “We will don’t worry.” Henry assured her, with a bit of a smirk on his face, “You also need to be careful with that magic knight. I’ve heard he’s a handful fellow.”


    Arthur rolled his eyes. “Oh, do shut up!”


    Theyughed and said goodbye in a very light-hearted moment. Although Henry and Xavier don’t want to get away with her, but they gave their chance to Vale, the two of them just being considerate to their best friend.


    “Well, it would be a lot of a boring journey for almost six hours, gentleman. We don’t have a pretty face around here.” Xavier was jokingly spoken about theirck of women in the group.


    Henry’s chuckling at his friend, “I don’t know though, most of the men imed that I have what you call a rare beauty.”


    “Rare beauty indeed. Your smug and brooding face, along with that tinum-long hair of yours, could make some monster run away.” Xavier teased him relentlessly, and they chased each other out into the woods.


    “Oh, Gods! They are so childish. I miss Anne already.” Said Leo with a long sigh.


    While the other three were taking their journey in a lighthearted way, Anne could feel a bit of tension between Arthur and Vale. She took a sigh and just walked as fast as she could into Justice’s hiding ce. The road that they have chosen wasn’t an easy one, but also the one with the lesser patrolmen because of the hard terrain.


    They have already walked for five hours straight. Anne was looking pale. She was trying so hard to keep up, but her strength was almost depleted. It is because she rarely eats anymore. She took a bit of bread or chewed on vegetables, but rarely eat any meat or protein. Vale was looking at her and finally requested that they took some rest for thirty minutes.


    Anne was so grateful. Her feet were already trembling and she could just pass out in a second. When she reached into her medicine bag and tried to chug on a tonic, Vale immediately prevent her from drinking it.


    “No! You need to eat first, Anne,” He said to her while giving her a moobull dry meat. “Eat this. You will be much better.”


    She rejected the dry meat and show him a piece of bread. “No, I have my bread, don’t worry.”


    “No, the bread will never give you much strength, you need to eat this!” Said Vale, stubbornly at her.


    Arthur saw the bickering back and forth between them, and felt how much bond actually Anne already created with all of them, he could see howfortable Vale was to scold her, and how Anne could just tantly reject him without thinking about his high rank.


    Vale was so desperate, he even pleaded with her, “Please, just one of these, alright?”


    Anne look at him and smile, she took the dry meat and said, “Fine, since you insist on it so much.”


    He was d when Anne begin to chew the moobull dry meat; he saw how skinnier she look, her chubby cheek almost gone and there was a deep cheekbone in the rece of her healthy face shape, the red blush on her cheek was waning. She was definitely malnourished and Vale needs to know what happened to her.


    “Anne, are you…”


    Arthur cut him when he saw a ck shadow appear from the west. “We gotpany!” He shouted at Vale and Anne.


    They look and knew exactly what it was: a dark and mischievous road. Arthur calls for his weapon, while Vale cast some protection spells on all of them.


    “Anne, hide yourself. Let both of us fight the monster.” Whispered Arthur to her.


    Anne absolutely agreed with this, not because of how scared she was, but because she could be the obstacle who was getting in their way. She hides between the rock and looks at the two men who are fighting two giant dryads. Arthur uses his ming sword, which reminds her so much of Justice’s weapon. Vale casting firewall, preventing the dryad from getting closer to them.


    Both of them fight bravely and skillfully, and in no time, the dryad is bing a pile of ashes on the ground. Anne stands up, thinking that the fight was already over, Vale and Arthur already walking toward her, but a huge shadow appears from behind her.


    Another dryad, ready to attack Anne. Vale was screaming when he saw the monster’s hande closer to her. Suddenly, a me sword cut the hand of the dryad. Arthur and Vale were stunned when they see Justice protecting Anne with his own body, his hand caressing her cheek, looking at her directly with his red ruby eyes.