《Ensis Core》


 Chapter 01: Purple Flames

    Her silver hair fluttered in the parched desert wind, glistening like waves kissing the shoreline.


    Her bare back, riddled with scars from her nights in the torture chamber, came into view.


    That back, strong yet somewhat lonely, was my compass.


    I had nowhere else to go, not after I betrayed my country, my master, my family.


    I could only follow that tarnished yet gleaming beacon.


    But I have no regrets.


    Except one.


    ¡°Where are we going? It¡¯s all sand no matter where I look!¡± I said, scratching my head in exasperation.


    She didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, at least tell me where you¡¯re heading?¡±


    Her feet stopped. The footprints she left in the sand quickly disappeared with a gust.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell,¡± she said without turning around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get all secretive on me now, Hilde. Aren¡¯t we travel companions?¡±


    ¡°No. And when will you stop following me? Creep.¡±


    Yeah.


    I was sort of a stalker.


    ¡°That kinda hurts. Can¡¯t you at least call me by my name?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I never remembered it.¡±


    Okay, she didn¡¯t forget my name. She actually never put it to memory. Geez, following such a woman. I must be some kinda masochist.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kari! Ka, Ri. It¡¯s only two syllables! Is this any way to treat the person who saved you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t need saving. And I saved your life too.¡±


    ¡°Sparing is different from saving, you know!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still alive because of me. What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°The fact that you were the one trying to kill me! After I freed you! It¡¯s a big difference!¡±


    I could see her shake her head. She did that when she wanted to drop a topic.


    I adjusted my grip on my bag and jogged to her side. ¡°Can¡¯t you at least tell me where we¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    Hilde turned to me, focusing her amethyst irises on my face. ¡°Because I¡¯m lost.¡±


    She actually meant we¡¯re lost, but being treated like air was nothing new.


    ¡°...Since when?¡±


    Hilde blinked once but did not change her blank expression. ¡°Since three nights ago.¡±


    One regret? No, I had many. My lady friend here, beautiful beyond compare, was also a cold, ruthless, ruthless, yes I repeated that, soul. And she had no sense of direction.


    But I had no choice but to follow her.


    There was the fact that I had no home to return to.


    There was the fact that I was being hunted by my countrymen.


    There was the fact that she took all my food and water. And we were in the middle of a desert.


    But those were only excuses.


    Who was I kidding?


    I loved her. That was that.


    As to why, well, there was quite a story behind that.


    ***


    I was just your average squire training to be a knight. I was also born as the only son of the most prestigious family in my country, and most people I knew hated me because of that.


    Yep, I was average through and through.


    Except my fighting prowess. Now that made me special enough to gather everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Look at Kari the Crybaby!¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Kari the Coward now?¡± asked Tina. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen him crying recently.¡±


    ¡°He better not,¡± said Annabelle, my everdearest sister. ¡°Mother would disown him if he did that at his age.¡±


    I glanced in their direction. A handful of giggling girls were watching my ongoing practice match from the shade of the castle wall. Their commentary was loud enough for everyone to hear.


    What was I doing listening to chitchat during sparring? Well, I had a lot of mental leeway. Running did wonders to clear my head.


    ¡°Shiiiittt!!!!¡± I ran away with everything I had as Lucius, my sparring partner and self-proclaimed rival, chased me with a wooden sword.


    ¡°Get back here, you little..!¡± Lucius upped his pace.


    He was a great fighter. It helped that he was the tallest among us squires, about a foot taller than me. I was no match for him, or any of the other trainees, for that matter.


    ¡°Go brother! Beat that coward to the ground!¡± shouted Lisa.


    A symphony of ¡°He¡¯s so cool!¡± came from the choir of girls.


    And he was handsome to boot.


    Lisa made a mocking smile. ¡°Not like his opponent.¡±


    ¡°Well, Kari isn¡¯t bad looking,¡± said Tina.


    ¡°Have you gone insane?¡±


    ¡°If he were a girl!¡±


    Giggling escalated to laughter.


    That ticked me off. It wasn¡¯t Lucius¡¯s fault, but I decided to vent it out on him anyway. Time to show these girls what I was made of.


    Without turning around, I dug the tip of my wooden sword into the ground and flicked it backward, tossing dirt up into the air. Lucius ran right into it and got the blinded for a moment. I used that chance to double back and swing my sword at him. Though barely able to see, Lucius still managed to meet my strike with his mock sword.


    I expected that much. He wouldn¡¯t be the star of our generation otherwise.


    I released my sword the moment our weapons clashed. I wouldn¡¯t win a contest of power with him anyway. Losing all resistance, his swing traced a wide arc, leaving his body open. I rushed forward and slammed my shoulder into his chest.


    I got caught the next second.


    He grabbed me by the back of my collar and easily lifted me off my feet. Anger leaked out of his strained expression. He hit my face, stunning me. Lucius was about to slam me to the ground when I heard a sharp clap.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± said Richter.


    Lucius lowered me to the ground. I dusted myself off and lined up with him to face Richter, my knight master.


    Lisa tossed her blond curls over her shoulder. ¡°They should call him Kari the Cheater. I can¡¯t believe he used dirt to get the upper hand. That¡¯s no different from slinging mud at his family¡¯s name.¡±


    The other girls nodded several times.


    Richter crossed his arms. ¡°Kari, I won¡¯t scold you for what you did. In real battle, there¡¯s no such thing as unfair or undignified. But if you¡¯re going to resort to such tactics, you better win. Methods are further scrutinized if they don¡¯t deliver results.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± I said.


    ¡°Lucius, you were too careless. If Kari had a dagger at his waist, you¡¯d already be dead. You mustn¡¯t let your guard down just because the enemy is completely out of your league.¡±


    Well sorry for being so weak.


    Lucius nodded. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your master.¡±


    ¡°Until my father¡¯s return, I was instructed to treat you as such.¡±


    Usually, each squire received instruction from his master alone, but Sir Lucas, Lucius¡¯s father, was out on a campaign at the moment. He had asked Richter to look after his son.


    ¡°...Fine. Let¡¯s end today¡¯s training. Kari, come to my quarters after dinner. I have something to show you.¡± Richter looked at both of us. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to clean this up.¡± He left the training grounds in his usual dignified gait.


    Lucius glanced at the girls, or more specifically, my sister Annie. She smiled in return, causing him to shyly look away. He obviously liked her. Lucius and I had our differences, but I didn¡¯t mind his innocent side.


    He turned to me and tapped my shoulder. ¡°That was a smart move.¡±


    Lucius had a terrible frown on, but his words were sincere. I could tell. He was strong, handsome, and had a decent personality to boot.


    I hated this guy, but I could never really hate him.


    He held back when he punched me earlier, too. A swollen cheek would be the least of my worries if he hit me for real.


    I made a wry smile. ¡°I was just desperate.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He casually left the training grounds with Lisa.


    Leaving me to tidy up the equipment by myself.


    Right. I really hated him after all.


    ***


    I made my way back to the Corvider estate, trying my best to ignore the odd looks and whispers from the people I passed. I was used to it. People loved talking behind my back because they were afraid to do anything to me openly. House Corvider wasn¡¯t something anyone wanted to mess with.


    If you asked me, I¡¯d have preferred it if they were more upfront with the bullying. It wasn¡¯t like they were hiding anything from me by gossiping in secret.


    Because I could see everything clearly.


    No, it wasn¡¯t seeing nor hearing.


    I could sense them.


    Emotions.


    Feelings.


    Anger. Hate. Jealousy. Fear.


    It coiled around everyone around me, like a boa strangling its prey.


    Annabelle was no exception. Guilt hung over my sister like a wet towel as she checked on my cheek.


    ¡°Sorry, Kari.¡±


    I gently smiled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Annie. And I can do this myself. You¡¯ll get dirty.¡±


    We were alone in my room. I had just gotten back from the training grounds so I was still in my dusty workout clothes.


    ¡°No.¡± She brushed away the dirt in my short black hair before attending to my bruise.


    She wiped the area with a damp cloth. I resigned myself to her clumsy treatment that hurt more than it healed. It made her less guilty, so I decided to bear with it.


    Annie gathered and tucked away the stray wavy locks sloping down her modest chest, making her work easier. Her long hazel hair was spun into a braid that reached her waist. Despite her being younger by two cycles, I was barely taller. Without any bias, I could proudly claim that only Lisa came close to my sister¡¯s cuteness.


    She applied some ointment on my face. The strong herbal smell woke me up. The wound glowed slightly and disappeared.


    ¡°This is... encantus,¡± I said. ¡°Where¡¯d you get it!?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you because I knew you¡¯d react like this. Your eyes are scary.¡±


    Who could blame me? It was magic.


    ¡°Annie!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± She handed me the small bottle. ¡°The head priest stopped by this morning to speak with Mother. He left a box of various encantus as a gift.¡±


    ¡°Whoa.¡± I examined the contents, going so far as deeply inhaling its pungent odor.


    Putting active spells aside, I knew very little about encantus. My studies hadn¡¯t reached that far, and it was hard to get my hands on something of this quality. The church¡¯s reputation was not for show.


    ¡°Please stop that.¡± She snatched the bottle away from me. ¡°Why are you so obsessed with magic? Aren¡¯t you aspiring to be a knight?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to be a knight. Everyone else wanted me to.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think magic is amazing?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but it isn¡¯t for you. Magical ability, um, what do they call it?¡±


    ¡°Cor.¡±


    ¡°Cor is inherited by blood. House Corvider has many things, but not that.¡±


    I gave her a serious look. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Her neat eyebrows scrunched together.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even spell Corvider without cor.¡±


    I joked to mislead her. Misunderstanding the touch of guilt on my face as sadness, my sister came closer.


    She flicked my nose with all her might.


    ¡°Ouch! Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be treatment?¡±


    ¡°It was until you decided to have pun.¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s my sister.¡±


    ¡°That was a trap.¡± Annie flicked me again.


    I rubbed my red nose as my shoulders jerked. Roped in, she burst out laughing with me.


    After our fit died down, she held my hand. ¡°Why did you have to be my brother?¡±


    ¡°Annie, I love you and all, but I don¡¯t see you that way.¡±


    She pinched my arm while keeping a perfect smile. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± A shallow sigh escaped her small pink lips. ¡°If you weren¡¯t a Corvider, you wouldn¡¯t have to suffer like this. I wouldn¡¯t have to say bad things about you in front of others.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true I¡¯m terrible with the sword, and that I¡¯m a coward.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a coward! You¡¯re just si-¡± She gasped as she caught herself.


    Sick.


    Broken.


    Yep, that was me.


    Only Annie knew.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even apologized yet. But you knew I would. You always know too much. Feel too much.¡± She gripped my hand tighter.


    ¡°And that¡¯s my own responsibility.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! How can you fight properly if you feel the pain of others!? Who in their right mind would go out of their way to hurt themselves!?¡±


    My ability, my curse, was pretty convenient at times, but it prevented me from hurting other people. The feedback got stronger the closer I physically get to the person. In the spar with Lucius earlier, I could¡¯ve kneed him in the groin when I got close. Why I didn¡¯t do so should be obvious.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe if we tell them-¡±


    ¡°As if anyone would believe such a dumb story. I¡¯d become the laughingstock of Arthas. If it weren¡¯t happening to me, I¡¯d laugh it off too.¡±


    There was a bigger reason to keep it a secret, but even Annie, the only person I trusted, didn¡¯t know about it.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t want to hurt you anymore, Kari.¡±


    I knew that. With almost no distance between us, I could feel it no less intensely than she did.


    ¡°You have to. It¡¯s hard enough being born as a Corvider. No need to make it harder by making everyone your enemy for my sake.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re doing that for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your brother. That¡¯s my job.¡± I manufactured a smile with perfect timing. That was easy to do with my curse.


    An angelic smile formed between her rosy cheeks. But that only made the weight accumulating on my chest heavier.


    ***


    Lady Belinda Corvider, my mother, visited my room soon after Annie left.


    ¡°Karius, I heard you lost to Brent¡¯s boy in a practice match.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    But I lost to everyone¡¯s boy. What was new?


    ¡°Rachel Brent was bragging about it during the council meeting.¡±


    A council meeting that discussed such things was a bigger problem, but I decided to keep quiet.


    ¡°That wench is just a stand-in while Lucas is away. She¡¯s letting the attention get to her head.¡±


    It went without saying that I didn¡¯t like my mother. But it beared repeating. I didn¡¯t like my mother.


    I stood in place and watched her rant about Lucius¡¯s mother for several minutes. Mother held the highest seat in the Arthas council, but that didn¡¯t mean she could just dismiss anyone she didn¡¯t like.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± she said, ¡°get your act together. I spent a lot of coins and favors to get Sir Richter to teach you.¡±


    Yeah, I got targeted by Lucius thanks to that. Thank you so very much, Mother Dearest.


    She sighed. ¡°Instead of cooping yourself up in the basement with your books, get some sword training when your master has some free time.¡±


    Even without my ability, her true motive for pushing me to knighthood was plain as day. It was all just so stupid.


    Seeing my stern expression, she changed her tone. ¡°You¡¯re your father¡¯s son. You¡¯ll definitely become a great warrior and leader. Only you can inherit his name. Do your best to make him proud.¡±


    She was lying.


    It was a spiel she commonly used when lecturing me. She did not believe in my potential. She did not care about my future. Lady Belinda Corvider¡¯s main concerns were her image and influence.


    ¡°Yes, Mother. I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good. Dinner''s ready. Come to the dining room after you tidy yourself up.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re late, Karius,¡± said Mother.


    ¡°Apologies.¡±


    I noticed a new face beside Mother. No, we¡¯d met once before. The head priest was garbed in a white robe, a golden necklace decorating his lilac collar. His slightly wrinkled, clean-shaven face formed a kind smile as we exchanged greetings.


    I took a seat beside Annie at the ornate round table on the second floor. It was rather small compared to the rectangular one in the main dining room, but I preferred it because I didn¡¯t need to raise my voice when speaking.


    Mother sent me a scolding look. ¡°What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°I was just tidying up some books.¡±


    ¡°Figures. You and your magic books.¡±


    ¡°You have an interest in magic?¡± asked the head priest.


    Mother answered for me. ¡°More than a future knight should. He¡¯s always buried in old books and scrolls.¡±


    The high priest nodded twice. ¡°That¡¯s commendable. I¡¯m impressed you¡¯re able to understand the language and concepts at your age. Who taught you?¡±


    ¡°I studied by myself.¡±


    ¡°Impressive.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s more of a hobby, Lord Theus,¡± said Mother. ¡°Our line doesn¡¯t have cor.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± He turned to me. ¡°Don¡¯t let that discourage you. Knowledge of magical arts is useful even if you can¡¯t weave magic yourself. Encantus is one example.¡±


    I made a small bow. ¡°Speaking of which, thank you for the generous gift. I¡¯ve already used one of the potions to treat a minor wound.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Feel free to ask me anything about magic. I¡¯m happy to help anyone who has taken an interest in my field.¡±


    Annie fidgeted and snuck a peek at Theus. She took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage. ¡°Is there another way to get cor?¡±


    She was asking for my sake. My lie had compelled her to.


    The high priest made a slightly regretful expression. ¡°Unfortunately, no. Cor has always been passed down from parent to child. It can¡¯t be acquired through training. Think of it more as an inborn trait, like your beautiful hair color.¡±


    ¡°Is it true a person can only use one or two types of magic?¡± I asked, mostly to continue the conversation. I probably knew the answer to this better than he did.


    ¡°Yes. Emotions determine the degree and kind of phenomena alteration possible.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t all people carry many different emotions? Depending on the situation, for example.¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, one can use many different types of magic, but without a firm grasp of the emotion related to the magic¡¯s nature, the alteration degree would be severely limited, making it impractical. Powerful emotions are rooted in one¡¯s personality and beliefs. Those don¡¯t change so easily.¡±


    ¡°I have a question too,¡± said Annie.


    We all looked at her.


    ¡°We are still speaking in the common tongue, right?¡± she asked.


    Everyone laughed.


    Soon after, the maids brought out the meal. Roasted pigeon and dried fruits filled the main platter. Sliced venison coated with herb jam lay on a bed of dark green and purple leaves. Nut-studded bread and goat cheese was served on the side. Our metal cups were filled to the brim with sweet fruit juice.


    Small talk continued throughout lunch. Everything appeared normal on the surface, but I felt an odd atmosphere between Mother and the high priest. I focused my senses on Theus.


    Lust.


    I inwardly sighed. This wasn¡¯t the first time, so I was used to it.


    Mother¡¯s ambitions knew no bounds. She probably invited me and Annie to lunch in order to prevent rumors of her illicit affairs from spreading. To Lady Corvider, her children were just tools, but no one was the wiser. If it weren¡¯t for my ability, I¡¯d be in the dark too. The woman lied as easily as she breathed.


    Just like me.


    ***


    After dinner, I visited the ecus stables on my way to Richter¡¯s quarters. I filled a basket with dried meat and headed to Sabre¡¯s stall.


    With a smile, I watched Sabre gobble up the food I put on the feeding tray. ¡°You¡¯re such a glutton.¡±


    She neighed in complaint.


    I laughed. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Don¡¯t bite my hair from behind like last time, okay?¡±


    Ecus teeth were much sharper than that of a work horse. It was rather common to mistake one animal for the other, but I could immediately tell. Sabre¡¯s surprise haircut had made sure of that.


    Aside from minor differences in appearance, ecus were much faster than normal steeds, and Sabre was special even among those. I might¡¯ve been horrible with a sword, but I was unmatched at handling Sabre. I still held the record for the most quarry in a single hunting trip because of her, though some of that might be due to my skill with a bow.


    Too bad marksmanship was hardly considered when judging knights, but what could you do?


    I reached over the wooden door separating us and ruffled Sabre¡¯s blond forelock, which seemed to glow against her milky white fur. She rubbed her nose on my cheek in return.


    I loved taking care of ecus. Unlike people, they acted how they felt. It was easier than dealing with liars. Humans were two-faced. I was no exception.


    ¡°Kari,¡± said Richter.


    I didn¡¯t hear him coming. Despite his large size, he moved as silently as a cat. But I sensed him and his curiousity long before he spoke to me.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    I turned around to face him. ¡°Sorry Master. Did I keep you waiting?¡±


    ¡°No, I just saw you on the way back to my quarters. Talking to the ecus again?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t really understand words. They read my movements, voice, and eyes. I sometimes think they can even read emotions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible. Animals have keen senses.¡± He gazed at me with a raised brow. ¡°I¡¯m actually interested in how you understand them.¡±


    Sweat leaked from my palms. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I understand them. I just guess.¡±


    ¡°A perfectly accurate guess is no different from truth. I guess it¡¯s because of that peculiar sensitivity of yours.¡±


    Richter already had a vague idea about my condition. It was only natural after seeing me spar, more specifically lose, all the time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I just got used to the signs after being around them long enough. Ecus are very expressive animals. People just don¡¯t pay them enough attention.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± He nodded, satisfied.


    ¡°You believe me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who managed to tame Sabre. All the other stablehands were at a loss on how to deal with her. A few almost died from her antics. How can I not believe you?¡± He placed his fingers on his short beard. ¡°Or are you lying?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He donned a smile. ¡°You¡¯re nothing like your father.¡±


    ¡°...I know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not belittling you. You were still young when he crossed over, so you didn¡¯t know what he was like. Everyone sang his praises, but to his friends, Kardus was nothing but a hothead. He reminds me of Lucius, actually. A real straight arrow.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°He was a poor liar. Strong enough that he didn¡¯t need to be good at it.¡±


    A bead of sweat rolled down my cheek. I wondered how much he knew about me.


    ¡°But you¡¯re different, Kari. You know your shortcomings and work around them. Wit is just as important as might. To be honest, I think you would¡¯ve been a better mage than a knight.¡±


    I absolutely agreed. He was right. How could I not?


    He patted my shoulder twice with his large calloused hand. ¡°Well, fixing your weaknesses is also a way to get stronger, and that¡¯s your assignment for today. Come to my room after you finish up here.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Look at me when I¡¯m talking to you!¡± shouted Richter. He slammed his burly fist into a girl¡¯s delicate cheek.


    The rusty chains binding her wrists and ankles jangled as she fell to the floor. Her silver hair sprawled on the grimy ground, mingling with blood and spit.


    I felt the urge to step forward and stop him but managed to control myself. It wasn¡¯t my place.


    After I came to his room, Richter took me to the dungeon to witness the interrogation of a Valmaz prisoner.


    Richter gripped a chunk of her hair and yanked her to her feet. ¡°Now talk.¡±


    The prisoner kept her lips pressed tight and glared at him. She looked no older than twenty, but there was an odd maturity about her. Her tattered clothes barely covered her trimmed body. Her curves escaped from the gaps.


    ¡°Still acting tough eh? Not bad for a barbarian. No wonder Evan had trouble with you.¡±


    I heard Evan, the warden, snort from behind the thick wooden door of the holding cell.


    I understood the need for the interrogation. She was a prisoner of war. This was normal.


    That didn¡¯t mean I was fine with it. But I had to watch. That was why I was here.


    ¡°Take a good look, Kari.¡±


    I flinched from Richter¡¯s call.


    He turned to me with a smile. I instantly understood how he felt. He was elated from shaming and hurting the enemy. It disgusted me.


    Richter sighed after seeing my twitching face. ¡°I know you¡¯re squeamish, but try to endure it. Lady Belinda is expecting a lot from you. You have to get used to violence. I know you¡¯ve been holding back during your spars. I¡¯m not expecting you to beat Lucius, but you¡¯re not bad enough to be at the very bottom.¡±


    It was a ridiculous misunderstanding. I had no problems with violence as long as I wasn¡¯t forced to feel the results myself.


    ¡°But I-¡±


    ¡°No buts.¡±


    I did my best to shut down my senses to avoid feeling her pain. I clenched my teeth and winced as I failed to do so.


    Richter shook his head. ¡°You can just watch tonight, but next time, you¡¯ll get your hands dirty. Being a knight sounds prestigious, but at the end of the day, we¡¯re masters of brute force.¡± He turned to the prisoner.


    She glared daggers at him. The fire in her eyes had not weakened one bit.


    ¡°You could learn a thing or two from this savage.¡± He chuckled.


    I unconsciously focused on the girl.


    Beautiful.


    Speckles of blood tainted the pale skin on her face, but that did nothing to change my opinion. Her blazing amethyst eyes stared into mine.


    I could feel her determination flooding into me. Pride radiated from every inch of her, burning me alive.


    She was chained, battered, and bleeding. But despite having practically nothing else, she had an unshakable dignity. Not the mask my mother wore, not the trophy Lucius longed for, not the dream I pretended not to care about.


    True dignity.


    It reminded me that I existed beyond the name Corvider and everything chained to it.


    How could I not fall in love after having such an unforgettable first meeting?


    Richter sank his fist into her gut. My dinner bubbled up to my throat, tempting me to spill everything on the floor.


    But I reined it in. I didn¡¯t have time for that.


    It was ridiculous how it happened, but I had fallen for this girl.


    I¡¯d liked other girls before. Lisa was part of my dark history. That bitch.


    But this girl, this feeling, was different.


    And someone was beating her in front of me.


    Even if I begged Richter to stop now, her torture would only continue the next day, and the day after that. Her pride would not break from it, but that only meant she would suffer horribly until she died.


    I had a choice.


    I could save her and let her escape. That meant betraying everyone I knew. Assuming I didn¡¯t get caught, I¡¯d have to leave everything behind: My hometown, sister, knight master, fellow squires who belittled me, childhood friends who laughed at me, slut of a mother who only cared about power, one-track path towards becoming a pathetic knight who couldn¡¯t fight.


    On the other hand, I could forget about what I saw tonight and abandon that silver-haired beauty-


    Scratch that.


    I didn¡¯t have a choice.


    I closed my eyes and focused my senses on Evan, who was still waiting outside the room.


    Sloth.


    I couldn¡¯t blame him. Who¡¯d want to guard the door this late at night? It might not be the best mindset for a warden, but it was convenient for me.


    Channel.


    I funneled his indolence into myself. A surge of laziness assailed me, sapping my energy. I felt tempted to just abandon what I was about to do, but I controlled it with my words.


    Weave.


    ¡°Light withers and sounds fade. No soul escapes the shade.¡±


    The lethargy polluting my body converged near my chest. I split it into two, forming an image of two orbs in my head.


    Richter noticed my mumbling. ¡°Kari? Are you okay?¡±


    Ignoring his question, I directed the energy to him and Evan.


    Target.


    He noticed the phenomenon alteration happening around me. I tried to keep it subtle, but the best knight in Arthas wouldn¡¯t be fooled by something like this.


    ¡°This is¡­ magic!? What are you doing!?¡± He rushed towards me, reaching out with his large right hand.


    But he was too late.


    Execute.


    ¡°Somnus.¡±


    Richter fell. His forward momentum caused him to stumble and land on my feet, unconscious. Even the strongest knight was no match for a sneak attack coming from his squire. I heard snoring outside the door. I was a bit worried because I¡¯d never tried using a sleep spell through a physical barrier before. The spell had knocked Evan out just fine, not that it needed to do much in his case. Lazy bum.


    I glanced at Richter¡¯s face. It seemed like even he, who was quite close to Mother, didn¡¯t know about my birth. Mother was probably the only one who knew. I only found out because I could see through her lies. It was a secret that could bring down the Corvider house if it got out because I was the heir to the name. At least that was what people believed.


    But I wasn¡¯t my father¡¯s child.


    Naturally, I inherited none of his godly sword skill.


    Instead, I had cor.


    Annie believed that my sensitivity to emotions was an illness. I did too, until I learned more about magic from the rare books I gathered. It was probably the only time I felt thankful for being born in the rich Corvider house.


    Some bloodlines possessed curses called anima. It was inherited, just like cor. That was when I realized I could wield magic just fine. No, not just fine. My anima allowed me to go beyond that. I spent my free time practicing in my room or the basement. Reading. Practicing. Reading. Practicing. I couldn¡¯t blame Mother for complaining that I was half-assing sword training. I really was.


    Channel.


    I tapped into the silver-haired girl¡¯s rage and directed the phenomenon alteration at her chains. I didn¡¯t need chants for simple things like this.


    ¡°Ignis.¡±


    A single link on each chain restraining her wrists and ankles glowed bright red. Her weight caused the heated metal to warp and break. I rushed forward to catch her as she fell forward. I felt her soft breasts change shape as they pressed on my shoulder. Just as planned.


    She kneed my balls.


    ¡°Shiiiittttttt!¡±


    I fell to my knees. She shoved me backward, causing me to fall on my back. She took Richter¡¯s shortsword and hobbled out of the room. I couldn¡¯t do anything but watch her from the floor, twitching in pain.


    She was weak and injured from the torture. There was no way she could escape by herself. After taking several deep breaths, I gritted my teeth and got up.


    I had to save her.


    With a hand on the wall for support, I left the room, skipping over the sleeping warden. I saw the girl¡¯s footprints, made of blood and dirt, disappear in the direction of the main stairwell. Having slightly recovered from the low blow, I chased after her. I bounded up the stairs and reached the lobby.


    A red fountain.


    That was what it looked like.


    Her silver hair blooming like a firework, the girl spun around while tracing a circular pattern with her short-sword. Blood sprayed around her as two guards fell, their necks slit open. Two more men raised their swords and rushed her from behind. She dodged the first by gently swaying her body and stabbed him in the stomach. He vomited blood on her shoulder, but her blank expression didn¡¯t change at all.


    The remaining guard screamed as he swung his sword down. In a single fluid motion, she pulled out the dagger sheathed on the skewered man¡¯s hip, parried the enemy¡¯s sword, and stabbed the dagger into his eye.


    She simultaneously pulled out her weapons from the two victims. The bloodstained steel looked even redder from the orange glow of the torches lining the brick walls.


    Luckily, I was far enough to avoid any significant feedback caused by my anima. It was the first time I¡¯d seen a person die, so I felt a little squeamish. But I couldn¡¯t let that bother me right now.


    The emergency bell echoed throughout the castle. Without noticing me, she dashed out of the large main doors.


    She could handle the guards on her own, but knights or acolytes were a different issue. I had to get her out of the city before reinforcements arrived. I wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to her speed on foot, so I decided to get Sabre. We needed a mount to escape the pursuers anyway.


    I took the courtyard exit and headed for the stables. As I was putting a saddle on Sabre, Lucius arrived. He was carrying his sword, as expected of the most promising squire.


    ¡°Kari? Did you come here to help with the emergency too?¡±


    ¡°No, I kinda caused the emergency.¡± I climbed up on Sabre.


    ¡°This is no time for jokes!¡± He grabbed my stirrup.


    Fear.


    Even an excellent fighter was scared at times like these. It was understandable. Like me, he was only sixteen with no real battle experience. I didn¡¯t mind his childish side, but I had not time for it.


    Channel.


    Cancel Weave.


    Target. Right hand.


    Execute.


    ¡°Glacies.¡±


    Ice crystals formed on his right hand.


    ¡°Whaaaaaaa!!?¡± He stumbled backward in shock.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sabre.¡±


    Sabre pushed open the stall door and galloped out of the stables.


    Explosions echoed in the distance.


    Acolytes.


    I guided Sabre towards the sounds. We dove into the sea of trees on the south side of the castle. The occasional explosion grew louder and louder. Before we entered a clearing, I felt the air heat up and pulled on Sabre¡¯s reins. I hugged her neck to not get thrown forward from the sudden stop.


    A blazing orange sphere zipped by in front of us and razed a tree.


    Sabre stood on her hind legs in surprise. I gently called out to her while keeping myself on the saddle. After she calmed down, we advanced a few steps and turned to the source of the fireball.


    Standing in the middle of the clearing, the prisoner was surrounded by enemies. She still wielded the weapons from earlier, the sword in her right hand and the dagger in her left. Several Acolytes sang hymns from a distance, most of them on tree branches, while three spearmen kept her at bay.


    Her shoulders were heaving, and fatigue clearly showed on her pained face.


    The first spearman thrust his weapon towards her abdomen, but she twirled around to evade it. The spearhead tore off some of her already tattered clothes. Keeping her momentum, she spun once more while shortening the distance between them and extended her sword. The tip of her short-sword jammed into the spearman¡¯s skull.


    She released her sword and bit her dagger to free up both hands. She then snatched the spear from the dead enemy and swung it to parry the attacks of the remaining spearmen. Riding the momentum from the weapon clash, she carved an arc in the air and swept the legs of both enemies.


    The fugitive dodged a fireball, which fell on the two spearmen on the ground, burning them alive. She threw her spear towards a tree with an acolyte on its branch. The spearhead stabbed deeply into the tree trunk, startling the mage and resetting his chant. She then dashed towards the tree, jumped up, and grabbed onto the spear. With both hands wrapped around the pole, she rapidly pulled herself upward and used the pole as a spring to hop on the branch where the acolyte stood.


    Her dagger swiftly dyed the mage¡¯s white robe bright red. She leapt to an adjacent tree as the acolyte¡¯s corpse fell to the grass below.


    I sensed peaking hostility from an acolyte. This meant that he was about to finish a major spell. The prisoner didn¡¯t notice him because he was in her blind spot.


    I galloped to the tree where the enemy was. ¡°Sabre!¡±


    With both hind legs, she unleashed a powerful kick on the tree¡¯s trunk, shaking it. The acolyte lost balance and fell to the ground.


    A proud neigh shot out of Sabre¡¯s nose. I couldn¡¯t find a better partner.


    Three more acolytes remained.


    The naked girl traversed the lush branches, moving from one tree to the next. She closed in on one of the acolytes and swung her dagger, but her foot was caught by a vine before her blade could reach. Losing her footing, she tumbled down and slammed to the ground. The vine continued to wrap itself up and around her leg.


    It was Viridi.


    One of the acolytes restrained her with plant magic. She desperately sliced the coils way, but they persistently regrew, choking her limbs. The skin on her thighs grew bright red from the pressure. Soon, her wrists were also bound by more greenery.


    Excitement.


    Of course the acolyte was excited. He managed to trap such a powerful enemy.


    ¡°Fulgur!¡±


    I rushed all the processes, but the chain lightning still paralyzed two acolytes, including the one feeding mana to the vines.


    I felt intense heat from my back. Sabre veered to the side, but the tail of the fireball still caught my left arm. I fell to the ground and got the wind knocked out of me. Luckily, the tumble put out my burning sleeve.


    I struggled to my feet and saw the prisoner just a few feet away from me. Blood dripping down her chin, she sank her teeth into the vine on her wrist and ripped it off. With her freed right hand, she cut away the vines binding her limbs. She threw her dagger as soon as she got up, hitting the last acolyte in the chest.


    It was over.


    She stood up, her legs shaky. Wiping the blood on her lips, she looked at me.


    The tension that had left my body began returning for a different reason. Was this the part where I get a kiss as thanks?


    A fireball fell on her.


    She rolled to the side in the nick of time, but the flames razed her left leg, burning away skin and flesh.


    I could sense two groups of people approaching us from both sides. They were probably knights and acolytes among them. The sound of hooves quickly came closer.


    The girl¡¯s blood-curdling scream woke me up from my stupor.


    She wasn¡¯t crying out in pain but frustration. She had come so far only to be captured again. It was impossible to escape with her burned lower leg. Weeping, she slammed her fists on the ground in mortification.


    Wrath.


    I didn¡¯t need to channel this emotion. Because it came from me. And it was directed at myself.


    I lowered my guard, thinking the battle was over. I could¡¯ve sensed the enemies coming if I had been more alert. It was difficult to reduce the range of my anima, making melee combat impossible for me. But expanding it was easy, almost natural.


    ¡°Return vengeance tenfold. Punishment for the bold.¡±


    Amplify.


    I hated doing this process. It caused an emotion to multiply exponentially inside me, eating through my small mana stores in an instant.


    Amplify.


    Not only that, the rage accumulating threatened to make me lose my mind. It was a stupid thing to do.


    Amplify. Amplify. Amplify.


    But I was very angry. At myself, yeah. But I wasn¡¯t about to commit suicide.


    Amplify. Amplify. Amplify. Amplify. Amplify. Amplify. Amplify. Amplify. Amplify.


    So I decided to take it out on everyone else.


    Target.


    Establish exceptions: The girl, Sabre, myself.


    Rage consumed me. Nothing but release mattered at this point.


    ¡°Infernus!!!¡±


    Hellfire sprouted from nothing and consumed the approaching enemies. Shadows writhed in agony against the backdrop of white flame. Shrill screams served as music to the brutal scene. The fire quickly spread through the trees and surrounded the clearing.


    Sapped of mana, I fell where I stood.


    I twisted my neck in search of the girl¡¯s figure. She crawled on the ground, desperate to escape the tightening ring of fire.


    I screwed up. I lost control. With her leg injured, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stand, much less escape from this hell. Had I done all that for nothing? Would I be the one to kill her?


    No.


    At the very least, I had to save her.


    Love.


    ¡°My life... for yours.¡±


    Saying something like that was embarrassing as hell, but that feeling further strengthened the spell.


    Target. Her.


    I squeezed out the last ounce of mana in my body.


    ¡°Cura.¡±


    Her blackened limb quivered to life. Supple flesh began to replace the charred ones until it was fully healed.


    Confused by the sudden regeneration, she looked around, her eyes eventually landing on me.


    Everything around me slowly went dark. I had used up all my mana. Even if the fire didn¡¯t kill me, I¡¯d probably die from the energy drain.


    The prisoner grabbed a dagger from the ground and walked over to me. She leaned over me, her silver locks draping over and caressing my face. Her amethyst eyes burned more brilliantly than the flames around us.


    Then she pressed the blade of her dagger against my throat and began cutting.


    I was from an enemy country after all.


    I closed my eyes not caring about tomorrow.


    All I felt was satisfaction from having loved and lost.

 Chapter 02: Camp

    I felt a familiar shaking.


    I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt as heavy as lead. So did my head.


    The rhythmic shaking continued. I forced my hazy mind to remember that feeling. It was Sabre. I was riding on her back.


    But how was that possible if I was barely conscious?


    There was something soft on my chest. I still couldn¡¯t open my eyes, but I managed to get a whiff of whatever was in front of me. A faintly sour scent, probably from sweat, mixed with something metallic rose up my nostrils.


    I tried moving my body, but I couldn¡¯t. It felt even heavier than my head, and there was something wrapped around me, preventing me from moving. It seemed I was tied to someone¡¯s back. As to who that someone was, I could only hope it was her.


    Having used up my energy, I fell back to sleep.


    ***


    I slowly opened my eyes as a terrible chill overcame my body. It was dark. I could see a flickering flame a good distance from me. I could barely feel any heat from where I was. I patted the ground. Sand. Cold sand.


    I heard Sabre¡¯s annoyed neigh. I couldn¡¯t sense her emotions. My mana stores had barely recovered, making it impossible for me to extend the range of my anima. I forced my neck to turn instead.


    The silver-haired girl was trying to mount Sabre, trying being the operative word.


    She fell off the saddle. ¡°Guh!¡±


    She tried to climb up again.


    And fell again.


    She stood up and dusted away the sand on her body. Shivering slightly, she scratched her head while staring at Sabre¡¯s eyes. Sabre swung her head to the other side, snubbing the annoyed prisoner.


    She cracked her knuckles and tried mounting again, but Sabre easily shook her off. After falling to the ground, she hit the sand with her right fist with a frustrated frown.


    Irresistibly cute.


    I realized she was probably trying to leave me behind and steal my ecus, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel giddy from seeing her pout.


    ¡°Sabre... won¡¯t let anyone but me... ride her,¡± I said in a raspy voice, making me realize how thirsty I was.


    The girl glanced at me but quickly turned away. She tried to get a hold of Sabre¡¯s reins, but this time, my trusty ecus didn¡¯t even give her a chance to hop on. Sabre trotted away, forcing the girl to let go of the leather strap.


    After regaining most of my senses, my thirst became unbearable.


    I raised my hand to get the girl¡¯s attention. ¡°Water¡­¡±


    She walked over to a cloth sack near the fire and took out a small waterskin. The pouch had an Arthas emblem stitched on its side, probably stolen from one of the guards she killed at my home.


    Home. No, there was no longer a place for me there. Annie¡¯s worried face flashed through my mind. Guilt and sadness clawed at my heart. I was fine leaving everything else behind, except her. But I had made my choice.


    I had chosen the silver-haired girl in front of me, who was gulping down water without giving me a drop.


    Annie, your brother might have made a terrible mistake.


    ¡°If I die¡­ Sabre won¡¯t take you anywhere¡­¡±


    We were in the middle of the desert. Unlike Arthas, which was protected by a magical barrier, this place was exposed to the harsh elements. Even a Valmaz warrior wouldn¡¯t survive without a steed.


    She stopped drinking and looked at me. After a few moments, she began drinking again.


    Okay, I was gonna die.


    Sabre rammed the girl from behind with her head.


    ¡°Oww!!!¡± The girl kept her balance and drew her dagger. Raising the blade in front of her face, she eyed the blond ecus.


    It was a rather manly shout considering her looks, but that was adorable in a way.


    Sabre jerked her nose towards me a few times. The girl seemed to have gotten the message and reluctantly headed to me, waterskin in hand.


    ¡°Can you drink?¡± she asked.


    She had a funny accent, but her slightly low-pitched voice had a calming timbre to it.


    I tried to lift my back but failed. Next, I tried my head with the same result. I gave up and shook my head.


    The girl sighed and began drinking from the pouch again. The waterskin looked like it was almost empty. This might be the end of the road for me.


    Then she crouched down and slammed, yes, it wasn¡¯t gentle in the least, her lips on mine. I reflexively closed my mouth, but she forced it open with her tongue and funneled water down my throat. Our lips were locked tight, as if she was making sure I didn¡¯t spill a drop of the precious liquid. Her hair fell on and around my face, some coiling on the sand, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. I was so confused by what happened I barely felt any satisfaction from the water I desperately needed just seconds ago.


    After I gulped down the last mouthful, she briskly broke our contact and wiped her lips on her forearm. With no change in her stoic expression, she ran her fingers through her scalp, roughly combing her disheveled and sandy silver locks.


    ...So cool.


    Realizing that my life was no longer in danger thanks to Sabre, I felt an irresistible urge to sleep again. Keeping her face in my sight, I slowly closed my eyes and gave into the temptation.


    ***


    The familiar shaking was back.


    I opened my eyes. It was a lot easier this time. My mana had recovered enough for me to move around, but I was still strapped to the girl with a cloth rope.


    My cheek rested on her back. She didn¡¯t look particularly tall when I saw her fighting, but sitting together like this, I found out I was a few inches smaller. That was a little annoying.


    I felt a stinging sensation on my back, but it didn¡¯t belong to me. It was feedback from the girl. I was leaning on the unhealed gashes on her back. She seemed used to pain, but that wasn¡¯t a good excuse to let this go on.


    ¡°Cura.¡±


    I used just enough mana to scab over the cuts. Fainting again from mana overuse was putting the cart before the workhorse.


    Her shoulders jerked. She turned her head to the side and examined me from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Can you ride?¡± she asked.


    I blinked a couple of times. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She pulled on a knot near her left breast, loosening my restraints. Surprised, I started falling backward. My hands fumbled for anything to hold onto. I grabbed a piece of cloth and yanked it to keep myself upright, but it tore from my weight. I fell flat on my back. Luckily, sand didn¡¯t hurt as much as stone.


    I shook my head and looked up. Sabre was in the process of shaking the girl off her back. The girl willingly hopped off before Sabre got serious. She was naked.


    Wait.


    What?


    She was naked.


    Something rough was in my right hand. It was her tattered dress. I looked back and forth between the cloth and its owner. She approached me without changing expression.


    ¡°Can you stand?¡±


    Instead of answering, I got up, my eyes still glued on her, more specifically, her body. I caught myself and frantically offered her the cloth in my hand. She took it, gave it a look, and tossed it away.


    I really should¡¯ve figured this out from the start, but this girl had no sense of being one. She was manlier than most knights I knew.


    I figured out another thing.


    She had been riding for days in that saddle wearing only a flimsy cloth that barely covered her body. Naturally, she had no undergarments on.


    I was tempted to never clean that saddle again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said. ¡°We have to find water before nightfall.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Karius. You can call me Kari. Can you tell me your name?¡±


    She turned and stared at my face. Placing a hand on her chin, she looked up, as if contemplating something.


    Thinking she was hesitant to introduce herself to a stranger, I tried to explain. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard traveling together if I don¡¯t know your name. Do you want me to call you ¡®hey¡¯ or ¡®you¡¯ each time?¡±


    Her amethyst eyes darted around. ¡°...Sel- no, Li-, no, let¡¯s go with Hilde.¡± She nodded twice. ¡°I¡¯m Hilde.¡±


    ¡°You made that up just now, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    She ignored me, picked up her cloth sack, and headed for Sabre.


    ¡°Hilde, wait up. Hilde!¡± I jogged to her and took her hand.


    ¡°Huh? You were calling me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the identity you made up just a second ago!¡±


    She tried to pull her hand free, but I held onto it.


    ¡°Wait a bit, okay?¡± Leaving my white undershirt on, I took off my long-sleeved shirt and handed it to her. ¡°Please wear this.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°Yes there is! Wear it for my sanity!¡±


    She blinked once and took it. I was small for a guy, so it fit her unexpectedly well. The hem of the shirt reached her upper thigh, covering what needed to be covered. I grabbed her torn dress from the sand and shook it clean. Folding it up to make it thicker, I placed it on the rear part of the saddle for Hilde to sit on. I was about to mount Sabre when Hilde called out to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ride in front.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯m a great rider.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you. You might try to push me off after grabbing the reins.¡±


    That hurt a little.


    ¡°I saved you, you know? Why would I do that now?¡±


    The distrust I sensed from her didn¡¯t waver a bit. That hurt even more than her words.


    ¡°Mages can¡¯t be trusted.¡±


    Sorrow.


    I felt guilty for peeking into her heart so I quickly proposed a compromise.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ride in front, but you get up first and take the reins. I¡¯ll make sure Sabre doesn¡¯t go wild while you get on. How¡¯s that?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do you want to sit in front so badly?¡±


    The question I had been avoiding.


    But I didn¡¯t want to lie to her. Doing something like that at this point risked ruining any trust I¡¯d gained, as little as that was.


    I scratched the side of my head. ¡°It was okay when I was asleep and drained of mana, but now, you know. You¡¯re hardly wearing anything¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Explain yourself clearly.¡±


    I looked down. She followed my sight down to my crotch, or more accurately, my raging erection.


    She tilted her head. ¡°Is that bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course. It¡¯ll, uh, hit your back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°You should! And even if you don¡¯t, I do!¡±


    In a speed I couldn¡¯t follow, she pulled out a dagger from her bag and pointed it towards my better half. ¡°Should I cut it off?¡±


    ¡°No!!!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Then ride at the back.¡± She approached Saber and moved the cloth I folded up to the front of the saddle. ¡°Get on.¡±


    She let me get on first. Rather than trusting me, she was probably underestimating me. I didn¡¯t mind. It was convenient.


    I secured myself on the saddle and grabbed the reins. That was when I noticed the tip of her dagger touching my member through my pants.


    Okay, so she wasn¡¯t underestimating me at all.


    ¡°Seemed valuable to you,¡± she said.


    I felt a hint of enjoyment from her as she mounted. Nah, my anima was probably still in bad condition.


    ***


    After a few hours of riding, we came upon a poctus field. The sun was almost gone from the horizon, so Hilde decided to set camp near the spiny plants.


    Pocti varied in shape, and the ones around us resembled a person doing a handstand with legs spread open. These hardy plants grew even in the barren wasteland of the surface. Despite being only two to three feet high, their roots extended far underground, reaching water deposits and ancient soil. The core of a poctus was hollow and used to store the water it absorbed. They were covered by paralyzing spines to keep animals from eating them. Of course, those did nothing to deter Hilde.


    She expertly slashed away the spines and cut a small hole from the poctus¡¯s ¡°foot.¡± The plant struggled from her grasp, quivering as she uprooted it and drank the water inside. It looked like a live animal being drained of blood, but since I couldn¡¯t feel any emotions from it, it didn¡¯t have consciousness. Probably.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t offer me a drink. I had to make do on my own. I couldn¡¯t use aqua without anyone to channel the right emotion from, so I was forced to use my boot to knock away the annoying spines. I didn¡¯t even try borrowing the dagger from Hilde because I knew what she¡¯d say.


    ¡°Dammit, stay still!¡±


    I wrestled with the lively poctus in my hands and sucked water from its ¡°crotch.¡± That was the only part thin enough to smash open with my shoe without breaking the entire plant.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Sabre lapped up water from a poctus she smashed with her hoof. A few needles stuck out from her lower leg, but ecus were very resistant to poisons. She wouldn¡¯t feel a thing from something like that.


    After quenching my thirst, I heard my stomach rumble, reminding me that I haven¡¯t eaten in days. I¡¯d read that poctus flesh was edible, so I took a bite. Bitter. Extremely bitter. It made me think I was drinking venom, not that I had ever tried that. And to top it off, it was mostly water and hardly satiated my hunger. To survive this place, I needed something that¡¯d give me more energy.


    Though it had gotten dark already, I decided to walk around the area to find something to eat. I didn¡¯t reach very far before noticing something scurrying on the sand. The moon was out, but it wasn¡¯t bright enough for me to see objects on the ground clearly.


    ¡°Lux.¡±


    A small orb of light floated on my palm. Basic spells like these didn¡¯t need emotional affinity. Any mage could do them.


    I searched the ground for whatever was moving earlier. I noticed something brown slither near the base of a small poctus. Tossing the light orb in the air, I dashed after the strange creature and grabbed it with both hands. The animal could¡¯ve been dangerous, but I was too hungry to care.


    A brown scaly lizard, about a foot long, squirmed in my hands. It had no eyes. A tri-forked tongue poked out of its mouth. Its claws were really short and blunt. Though I wasn¡¯t sure if it had sharp teeth, I grabbed it by the nape to avoid being bitten.


    I crushed its neck by gripping it hard and twisting. The feedback made my knees wobble, but since it was a quick death, the pain lasted less than a second, nothing I couldn¡¯t endure to stave off hunger. With the dead creature in my hand, I went to Sabre and placed it in front of her. She gave it a whiff and eagerly bit into the carcass, crunching through the bones with her teeth.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s safe to eat.¡±


    Ecus were resistant to poisons, but that didn¡¯t mean they randomly ate anything. Along with their resistance came the ability to detect toxins by smell. Sabre understood my intent and ate the lizard to show me it was edible.


    Hilde was lying down on the sand near Sabre. She appeared to be asleep, but the irritation I could sense from her told me she was just resting. Poctus bark, scraped of the pale green bitter flesh, was scattered around her. Eating that crap would make anyone feel annoyed. It was time to show her how dependable I was.


    I caught and killed two more of the eyeless lizards. Since I didn¡¯t have a knife, I couldn¡¯t properly clean the innards like I did for my usual quarry.


    ¡°Should be okay if we just bite into the fleshy parts.¡± I pinched its thick, muscular tail.


    I took a bunch of empty poctus shells to a nice flat area and gathered them in one pile.


    ¡°Ignis.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t create a large flame because I didn¡¯t have any anger to channel. The downside of my anima was I didn¡¯t have a base affinity. Unlike normal mages who honed magic linked to their affinity to the maximum, I couldn¡¯t use powerful spells without the proper catalyst. In a desert like this, my options were severely limited.


    After about half an hour, the shells had thoroughly dried and began catching fire. Once the flame was stable, I tossed the lizards directly into the fire.


    The roasting meat had a gamey and pungent smell, but beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. Any kind of edible food was enough to make me drool at this point. I fished the cooked lizards from the flame using long poctus ¡°arms¡± and let it cool.


    I peeled a patch of charred skin from the base of the smaller lizard¡¯s tail and took a bite. ¡°Not bad, even without salt.¡±


    A sudden urge to vomit rose up. I covered my mouth with my left hand and swallowed it back down. I couldn¡¯t afford to waste any water or food in this place. The taste wasn¡¯t the problem. I had recalled the stink of burning flesh while chewing on the charred meat. Yes, the human flesh I incinerated back in that forest.


    I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I had made my choice, and this wasn¡¯t the time for petty sentimentality.


    With my cooked quarry in my hands, I jogged to Hilde. She sat up even before I got close.


    ¡°Hilde, I cooked some dinner.¡± I presented my offering with a proud grin.


    Her eyes widened ever so slightly. It seemed she didn¡¯t realize I was cooking something because she was upwind from the fire.


    She stared long and hard at the animal. Then she closed her eyes and shook her head.


    ¡°I know it looks grotesque, but it¡¯s good! You just have to peel the skin.¡± I rotated the smaller lizard to show her my bite mark. ¡°I¡¯ve tried some already. You must be starving too, right?¡±


    ¡°Not that. Do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s some kind of sand lizard right? Sabre confirmed it¡¯s safe to eat.¡±


    ¡°To eat, yeah. The killing and cooking part is the problem.¡± She pinched her temples.


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡±


    Without answering, she stood up and drew her dagger and shortsword.


    The ground shook.


    ¡°An earthquake?¡±


    Hilde shook her head. ¡°Get ready to fight.¡±


    I sensed a mass of hate and anger rapidly approaching us from behind, so I turned to face it. Hilde noticed my movement and focused in the same direction.


    A geyser of sand erupted before our eyes. An enormous brown lizard the size of a small castle appeared from behind the curtain of sand. A pink tri-forked tongue slithered in and out of its craggy lips.


    ¡°Uh, shit,¡± I said.


    Sabre quickly ran to my side.


    I mounted as fast as I could and called out to Hilde. ¡°Get on!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t outrun it. We have to fight and drive it away.¡±


    In that case, it was better for Hilde to stay on foot to maximize her agility and speed. I decided to distract the giant eyeless lizard.


    Channel.


    Sabre¡¯s instinctive fear of the creature.


    ¡°Glacies!¡±


    Ice crystals materialized on the lizard¡¯s moist tongue. It was easier to do phenomenon alteration if the base element already existed on the target.


    The lizard withdrew its tongue, breaking off the ice with ease. My spell didn¡¯t do any damage, but it succeeded in grabbing the creature¡¯s attention.


    I tapped Sabre¡¯s side with my heel. She galloped away from Hilde and the beast. The creature¡¯s ridiculously thick tail, like the trunk of an ancient tree, whipped around as the lizard chased after us. The end of the tail hurtled towards Hilde, but I wasn¡¯t worried.


    She had single-handedly wiped out the Corvider estate guards, after all.


    Hilde flipped in the air and landed on the lizard¡¯s tail. She stabbed her blades into the gaps between the scales. Despite that, the lizard remained focused on me and Sabre. The shortsword probably felt like a needle to a creature that size.


    Sabre kept running in a wide circle, avoiding steep sand dunes to avoid losing speed. I guided her towards a patch of poctus. The maze of thorns would¡¯ve been hard to traverse for a normal rider, but we were an exception. We zipped past the plants, narrowly avoiding the obstacles while keeping our course as straight as possible.


    Unfortunately, the lizard didn¡¯t even slow down upon reaching the poctus field. It plowed over everything as it barreled towards us.


    Embedding her blades for stability, Hilde gradually made her way up creature¡¯s back. She was probably heading for the head to attack the eyes, the only parts not covered in plate-like scales. I concentrated on keeping the distance between us and the lizard. The more its attention was on us, the easier it would be for Hilde to launch her attack.


    ¡°Slow down!¡± shouted Hilde. ¡°I need to jump on its nose!¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say! It¡¯ll get me if I go any slower!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay! Just make sure Sabre isn¡¯t hurt!¡±


    ¡°No that¡¯s not okay!!!¡±


    To add insult on top of injury, she called Sabre¡¯s name before she had ever mentioned mine.


    The lizard suddenly stopped, tossing Hilde forward. She flew in front of its nose and used the shortsword to stab into its scales, preventing her fall. It had noticed Hilde because of our shouting. The creature was blind, but it seemed it could hear just fine.


    The lizard¡¯s jaws began to open. Despite her precarious position, I couldn¡¯t feel any fear from Hilde. She was either courageous or stupid, but then I realized both were the same thing.


    I pulled on Sabre¡¯s reins, forcing her to stop.


    Channel.


    The lizard¡¯s hatred.


    It was pure and dense, requiring no amplification. Even if it did, I wouldn¡¯t have tried. Unlike anger, hatred didn¡¯t disappear with release. I avoided using this emotion at all costs. It was near impossible to control with my level of skill, and the backlash was terrible. But Hilde was in danger. I couldn¡¯t afford to be picky.


    I began despising the enemy, myself, Sabre, everything. My emotions began to go berserk. I quickly spat out a chant to wrangle them into order.


    Weave.


    ¡°To sin is eternal, mercy ephemeral. Temptation of darkness, may thou be my mistress.¡±


    More complex and powerful spells required longer weaves, but I didn¡¯t have time. I cut it short, chanting just enough to prevent the spell, or me, from going totally out of control.


    The space around the lizard¡¯s torso began to warp.


    Hilde turned her head to me, still hanging in front of the beast¡¯s jaw. ¡°Stop!!!¡±


    But her plea was too late.


    ¡°Vacuum.¡±


    A marble sized black ball appeared on top of the creature¡¯s back. It expanded a thousandfold in a second and disappeared in the next, leaving behind a bloody, spherical cavity where the lizard¡¯s torso was.


    Losing its vitality, the creature¡¯s head began falling to the ground. Before it crashed, Hilde ran down its neck and hopped off the shoulder.


    I fell from Sabre¡¯s back and rolled down a sand dune. Sand got into my mouth, causing me to choke as I shed countless tears from the harrowing pain in my chest.


    I hated.


    I hated. I hated. I hated.


    I hated. I hated. I hated. I hated. I hated. I hated. I hated. I hated. I hated. I hated.


    There was no target. There was only a boundless hole growing inside me, the backlash of using such a powerful and dangerous emotion as a weapon.


    After a short while of squirming on the ground, I managed to open my eyes. I saw Hilde standing over me. My mana was also drained, though less severely than when I used infernus. I tried my best to control my breathing and sat up, my shoulders still heaving.


    ¡°Seems you¡¯re okay,¡± said Hilde.


    Though hard to see with only the moonlight, her expression was as blank as always.


    I took a few more breaths to calm down. ¡°Y-Yeah.¡±


    She pulled me up by my collar and punched me in the jaw. I tumbled to the ground again, my limbs digging into the sand.


    Sympathy.


    It radiated from Hilde. And it wasn¡¯t directed at me.


    ¡°Why did you kill it!?¡±


    Still affected by the channeling feedback, I sat up and raised my voice. ¡°What else do you want me to do!? It was about to eat you!¡±


    ¡°Are you deaf!? I told you to stop! That was my chance! With it¡¯s jaws open, I could stab the roof of its mouth! That would¡¯ve been enough to drive it away!¡±


    This girl cared more for some random monster than her life, the life I threw away my life for. That pissed me off.


    ¡°Who cares about that thing!? It attacked us! We¡¯re the victims here!¡±


    Disgust.


    I held my tongue as soon as I felt that from her. It drove away the traces of hate swirling inside me.


    She showed me her first real expression. ¡°You killed and ate its children!!!¡±


    My breath caught within my throat.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Lost my words.


    ¡°You mages are heartless demons. I was a fool to think you might be different.¡±


    And then my heart.


    The look in her amethyst eyes burned me like acid. Being spat on might have been a better fate.


    She turned on her heels and stomped away.


    Devoid of energy, I lay on the sand. The ground grew colder and colder by the moment, but I didn¡¯t care. My core felt colder than it could ever be.


    That night, I learned a lesson my arrogance kept away from me my entire life.


    Despite knowing emotions more than anyone, I realized I knew nothing about the heart.

 Chapter 03: Harena

    ¡°So uh, are we going somewhere in particular?¡± I asked.


    ¡°...¡±


    Maybe that question was a little too forward. We barely knew each other after all. I tried to think of a better topic, something that would lift her mood.


    ¡°Nice weather we¡¯re having!¡±


    We were in the middle of a sandstorm. Okay, I wasn¡¯t the best at making conversation.


    Hilde stared at me as if I were a dehydrated poctus. Without saying anything, she looked forward while adjusting her hold on Sabre¡¯s reins. I was riding behind her, my hands gripping the cantle. I didn¡¯t dare grab onto Hilde¡¯s waist in fear of getting my hands chopped off.


    Sabre kept a steady pace as she trotted up and down the sand dunes. Carrying two people for a long time was tough for a workhorse, but an ecus, bred to carry fully armored knights, could handle our combined weight easily.


    Hilde hadn¡¯t said a word to me since the lizard incident. We had travelled for about two days since then, surviving on poctus flesh and the mother lizard¡¯s meat. A few days¡¯ worth of food was packed in Hilde¡¯s cloth sack. I had made a water jug from poctus bark by digging out the flesh and capping it with another piece of bark secured by poctus needles. I was honestly impressed by my own resourcefulness. Maybe Hilde would feel the same.


    I untied the jug from the saddle string and offered it to Hilde. ¡°Want a drink?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She grabbed it and took a chug.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking it just like that!? What happened to the silent treatment?¡±


    ¡°What silent treatment?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t said a word to me the entire time!¡±


    ¡°No need to.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little unfair? You suddenly change your attitude the moment I offer water.¡±


    She gulped down a few more mouthfuls. ¡°The more I drink from your supply, the more I¡¯ll have for myself later on.¡±


    Okay, so she was just as ruthless as ever.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry about the lizard. I didn¡¯t know I was eating babies, and I had no idea the mother would come after us.¡± I looked to the side. ¡°And it¡¯s not like I wanted to kill the mother. I¡­ was just desperate to save you.¡±


    ¡°...It was the father. Females aren¡¯t that large.¡± She handed me back the half-empty jug.


    ¡°You know a lot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been chased by both parents at the same time before.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you survived that. Guess we¡¯re lucky only the father showed up this time.¡±


    We drifted back into silence, but it wasn¡¯t as awkward as it was before. Her irritation gradually waned.


    After a few hours, the sandstorm died down. We dismounted and shook off the sand covering our bodies. I cleaned up Sabre¡¯s saddle and checked on our supplies. Luckily, the sand didn¡¯t ruin them. A bit of sand got into my jug, but it neatly settled at the bottom. The water should still be safe to drink.


    I sensed something from the distance. It was very faint, but I felt a bustle of emotions. I focused my anima in that direction. The emotions were too complex, ruling out the possibility of animals.


    ¡°People.¡± I pointed with my right hand. ¡°Over there.¡±


    Hilde squinted. ¡°A town.¡±


    ¡°A what? In the middle of the desert?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s underground, like most small towns are. There¡¯s a stone marker at the entrance.¡±


    My eyesight wasn¡¯t as good as hers because of my nightly reading. I strained my eyes and managed to make out a cone-shaped rock in the distance.


    Hilde pushed me towards Sabre. ¡°Hurry up. We¡¯re going.¡±


    I nodded as I climbed up the saddle.


    ***


    We came upon an elevated stone platform about three feet higher than the ground. It was about as wide as a small house. A thin layer of sand covered it, probably from the recent sandstorm. That meant it was maintained regularly to keep it from being buried.


    A metal chain extended from a hole on the platform. It was hooked to a stone podium. I came closer and saw a metal plate embedded on top.


    Hilde looked over my shoulder and stared at it, her brows slightly furrowed. ¡°Well come¡­ to Ha¡­ Haren? Please¡­ poll on ch¡­ cha-¡±


    ¡°Welcome to Harena. Please pull on the chain to enter,¡± I said, reading the inscription on the plate.


    Hilde turned away from me. I sensed a hint of embarrassment from her. Uh oh, that couldn¡¯t be good.


    I tried to muddle through. ¡°Uh, I studied several languages aside from the common tongue. Magic textbooks are written in many languages depending on the origin, so I-¡±


    Her mood got worse. In my panic, I had completely forgotten magic was Hilde¡¯s sore spot.


    I grabbed the chain with both hands. ¡°A-Anyway, let¡¯s try doing as it says.¡± I pulled on it, but it didn¡¯t budge. I tried again with a loud grunt, but nothing happened. ¡°It¡¯s stuck! Maybe sand got into the mechanism-¡±


    Hilde grabbed the chain with one hand and yanked it. A deep sound, probably from a large bell, came from beneath the platform. The sand covering the stone structure quivered slightly.


    I slumped my powerless shoulders, my useless arms hanging by my side. This time, it was my mood that got worse.


    The platform shook, slowly splitting from the middle. The entrance seemed to open by itself, which meant stone magic was used to move it. A wide stairwell greeted us, along with half a dozen armed men. They were equipped with leather armor and a simple light helm.


    One of them stepped to the front. ¡°What brings you to Harena?¡±


    Hilde was about to step forward, but I beat her to it and got in between them. She was not dressed for the occasion, and I didn¡¯t want anyone else staring at her bare skin.


    ¡°We were heading to Arthas,¡± I said, ¡°but a sandstorm separated us from our caravan and took most of our equipment, including our compass and map. We were hoping we could resupply in this town.¡±


    He looked at me from head to toe and nodded. ¡°Must¡¯ve been terrible. Please follow us inside. Harena is a small town, but it¡¯s much better than being stranded on the surface.¡±


    Greed?


    The man faintly emitted that emotion. He probably thought they could make good money off travelers who desperately needed supplies. Unfortunately for him, I only had a few coins in my trousers, and Hilde didn¡¯t even have pockets.


    Two of the guards escorted us down the stairs, which seemed to continue endlessly. Sabre walked on a ramp for carts and animals beside the right wall. Lanterns hung alternately on the sides of the stairwell, brightly illuminating the space. The entire passage was carved from stone, a feat not possible by human hands at this scale. The town was probably built with the help of saxum and terra spells. Earth mages were fairly common, and most of them could use both stone and earth magic.


    A long hallway lit by smaller, dimmer lanterns appeared at the end of the steps.


    I approached one of the lanterns. ¡°Is this encantus?¡±


    The guard in front stopped walking. ¡°Good eye.¡±


    ¡°I noticed there are fewer lanterns here than the stairwell. Are you saving lux magic in this area because it¡¯s flat ground?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Truth is, we wanted to cut down on using these lanterns everywhere, but falling down that long stairwell won¡¯t end with just sprain, if you know what I mean.¡± The guard resumed walking. ¡°Are you perhaps a mage?¡±


    ¡°No, no. I just happen to know someone who loves to talk about magic.¡±


    Hilde shot me an accusatory look. I raised a finger in front of my lips, urging her to keep quiet. As fugitives, we didn¡¯t need any unnecessary attention.


    ¡°We can¡¯t use oil lamps underground because of the poor ventilation. Good thing we have skilled mages who help us with their spells and encantus, like the stone gate and these lanterns.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± I said.


    Despite having no one to hold her reins, Sabre walked alongside us, keeping pace with the group.


    The other guard, clearly younger than his partner, looked at Sabre with curiosity. ¡°That¡¯s an ecus, right?¡±


    I nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my partner Sabre.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. Workhorses usually have trouble going down the ramp the first time. She seems to be very smart.¡± Even though the guard was talking about Sabre, he snuck a peek at Hilde¡¯s long legs, barely covered by my shirt.


    He might¡¯ve guessed she wasn¡¯t wearing anything under it.


    I swerved to the left to block his view. ¡°That she is! She always helps me out.¡±


    ¡°Sabre¡¯s more useful than you at least,¡± said Hilde.


    The guards laughed. My efforts to protect her honor were wasted on this girl.


    We reached the end of the corridor, which was sealed by a metal gate. The guards pushed it open and led us inside.


    I gasped at the view. The ground sloped down from where we stood, so we could see the entirety of Harena. Numerous stone houses were lined up in several organized rows. The streets were lit by lamp posts powered by lux, just like the lanterns. Due to the lack of outside light, Harena looked a little gloomy, but the magical lamps scattered throughout the town made it look like a starry sky. The scenery evoked a tinge of melancholy inside me.


    There were no structures with more than one floor because of the limited vertical space, but several spacious areas were situated between the rows of houses. There was even a large water fountain in the center of town. People bustled on the streets.


    I immediately reduced the range of my anima to avoid unnecessary feedback.


    ¡°Again, welcome to Harena.¡± The older guard pointed to the fountain. ¡°You can get supplies at the shops near the town square. There¡¯s also an inn there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for escorting us,¡± I said.


    ¡°No worries. Visitors are always welcome to our town.¡± The guard tapped his younger partner, who was still busy ogling Hilde, and urged him back to the dark corridor.


    I tugged at my shirt and sniffed myself. ¡°For now, let¡¯s find a place where we can rest and clean up.¡±


    I turned to Hilde, but she was gone. I searched for her figure and found her heading to the town square with Sabre beside her.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t leave me behind!¡±


    ***


    The coins I had were just enough for a two-night stay at the inn. Renting two single rooms plus the cost of a stable stall for Sabre was more expensive than I thought. I needed to find a way to make money and buy supplies. I wasn¡¯t sure if we were being pursued by Arthas knights, but it was safer to get as far away from my hometown as possible.


    The next morning, I decided to gather information from the innkeeper. The plump woman gave me a practiced business smile as soon as I approached.


    ¡°How far away is Harena from Arthas?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About two days away on a horse.¡±


    I widened my eyes. ¡°Two days? Are you sure?¡±


    I remembered traveling much further than that before getting here.


    ¡°Of course. A lot of travelers stop by Harena on their way to Arthas.¡± She unrolled a sheet of paper on the counter. ¡°Look at this map.¡± She pointed at two locations.


    I couldn¡¯t understand how we had taken twice as long as expected to get to Harena. In the end, I blamed the lizard and sandstorm delaying us.


    ¡°Can I have this map?¡±


    She raised three fingers in reply. I fumbled around in my pocket. There wasn¡¯t enough. With a sigh, I bid farewell to the innkeeper and went to Hilde¡¯s room.


    I knocked on her door, but no one answered. I got a little worried, but she was probably just asleep. I knocked again. There was still no answer. This time, I rapped the door while calling her name. ¡°Hilde? Are you there?¡± Still nothing. Thinking she might¡¯ve gone out, I opened the door to check.


    The first thing I saw was Hilde standing in the middle of the room while rubbing her eyes. And she was completely naked.


    Yes. Naked. Again.


    The gentlemanly thing to do was to look away. Turned out I wasn¡¯t much of a gentleman.


    She yawned and wobbled towards me, or rather, the door. It looked like she hadn¡¯t realized that it was already open.


    ¡°Hilde, wake up! And wear something!¡±


    She didn¡¯t stop and bumped into me, pressing her breasts onto my chest. A fragrance tickled my nose. Unlike our time in the desert, Hilde was free of dirt and dried sweat. Her appearance, scent, and softness almost made me lose control, but I wanted to keep my privates so I didn¡¯t.


    I pushed her off me. ¡°Wake up! It¡¯s me!¡±


    Her eyelids fluttered for a few moments. Finally, she opened her eyes properly and focused on my face.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± She shoved me out the door and closed it.


    ¡°I¡¯m paying for this room you know!!!¡±


    ***


    Hilde, in her new shirt and pants bought using my remaining coins, walked a few steps behind me in the commercial district of Harena. She had accepted the clothes with no complaints. Despite her general lack of shame, it seemed she understood that wandering around town with no pants on wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    I was wearing my old wardrobe, washed and dried. Sabre was taking a well deserved rest in the stable while we looked for a way to make money. Hilde had quickly come out of her room after I explained our financial situation. She was very reasonable when it involved her own personal gain.


    We tried applying for work in various places, but none of them had any openings. Hilde wasn¡¯t a good liar, and we couldn¡¯t reveal that we were fugitives, so I took care of introductions and explanations.


    My choices were limited because I hid my magical ability. Our pursuers should be looking for a Valmaz warrior and a mage. Hiding my magic was worth it even if it limited my job opportunities. Hilde ran into a different kind of problem. She was a little too qualified and eager for certain tasks.


    A blacksmith asked her to try flattening a piece of metal with a hammer. She broke both the metal and the hammer.


    A baker asked her to knead some dough. The dough became tougher than rubber after she was done with it.


    A butcher asked her to slice some meat. Apparently, he didn¡¯t need meat paste.


    Based on their emotions, I could tell they didn¡¯t need the help and only let Hilde try because of her looks. I bet they didn¡¯t expect to lose money from giving her a trial run. Served them right, those horny bastards. Hilde¡¯s damn good looks were damn expensive in more ways than one. I knew that best, sadly.


    We walked by a bookstore. Judging from the lack of customers, the place probably had no job openings, but it couldn¡¯t hurt to check. Before I could go inside, I sensed a certain emotion behind me.


    Shame.


    I turned around and saw Hilde still in the middle of the street, her head dipped ever so slightly.


    I remembered the incident at Harena¡¯s entrance podium.


    Without looking at me, she mumbled, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not very good at read-¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try a different place. My eyes are bad enough without being forced to read in such a dark place.¡± I turned away from the bookstore and continued down the street.


    I didn¡¯t need my anima to know Hilde felt a little relieved.


    By the end of the day, we¡¯d gone around town with nothing to show for it. I heard my stomach grumbling. We still had some poctus flesh and possibly spoiled lizard meat left at the inn. I was sick of eating those, but we didn¡¯t have a choice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± I said. ¡°We can try our luck again tomorrow.¡±


    She nodded and walked alongside me. We strolled for a few blocks without any conversation, but that was normal for us. Hilde only spoke when necessary. I wasn¡¯t sure if she hated speaking in general or just speaking with me. Naturally, I wished for the former.


    A boy ran into me and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked, offering a hand to him.


    Ignoring me, he frantically got up and looked behind him. A bunch of scary-looking men ran out from an alley.


    One of them pointed at the boy. ¡°There he is!¡±


    The boy ran away but got cut off by a thin man in ragged clothes. The man kicked him in the chest, launching him in the air. I quickly dashed forward to catch him. The moment he landed in my arms, I felt the boy¡¯s pain assault my chest, causing me to lose balance. I had reduced the range of my anima as much as I could while in the crowded town, but that meant nothing at zero distance. I fell to the ground with the boy, both of us gasping for air.


    ¡°...What are you doing?¡± asked Hilde as she watched my coughing fit.


    ¡°Thanks for grabbing him for us,¡± said the skinny man. He jogged to us and pulled the boy up by the arm.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Hilde.


    ¡°Hm? What is it, lady?¡±


    ¡°What did that boy do?¡±


    ¡°He snatched a coin purse.¡±


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t!¡± shouted the boy.


    The skinny man snorted and rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah right.¡±


    I focused my anima and read the boy¡¯s emotions. He wasn¡¯t feeling guilty.


    I picked myself up. ¡°The boy isn¡¯t lying.¡±


    Hilde glanced at me. ¡°That so. You heard him.¡±


    ¡°The hell you talkin¡¯ about? Mind your own business.¡± The skinny man dragged the crying boy away.


    I reached out to grab his shoulder when white lightning struck the man¡¯s back, throwing him to the dusty pavement. It was Hilde¡¯s leg.


    The boy escaped from the man¡¯s grasp and hid behind Hilde. Hey, I knew she was much more intimidating than I was, but I saved you too¡­


    The other men checked on their friend, who seemed to be okay. I breathed a sigh of relief. I might be able to salvage the situation and avoid a fight. Before I could speak, the men ran off. They didn¡¯t even leave a parting line. Very anti-climactic. And I didn¡¯t get a chance to show off.


    Hilde crouched down to the boy¡¯s eye level. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    The boy shook his head.


    She nodded and straightened herself. ¡°Good.¡±


    I dusted off the boy¡¯s back with my hand. ¡°What¡¯s up with those guys?¡±


    ¡°T-They were trying to steal my money. Mom asked me to buy ingredients for dinner while she was at work.¡±


    ¡°Stealing money from kids?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Every town has its gutters. Does this happen a lot?¡±


    The boy nodded. ¡°I usually get away from them, but I bumped into you.¡±


    ¡°...Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I mean! I just... Thank you for saving me!¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t do much.¡±


    ¡°You got that right,¡± said Hilde.


    ¡°Hey, I caught his fall you know?¡±


    ¡°You mean you fell with him.¡±


    ¡°I still softened the impact.¡±


    ¡°I guess a cushion is better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°Well sorry for being so weak!¡± I pouted.


    It was an act, of course. Hilde didn¡¯t know about my anima nor its feedback. From her perspective, I had flopped to the ground, unable to support a child¡¯s weight. And I couldn¡¯t deny she was stronger than I was. ...I pouted for real.


    ¡°Please stop fighting!¡± said the boy.


    I patted his back with a laugh. ¡°We¡¯re not fighting. This is just how we talk.¡± I got a little depressed, but I shook it off. ¡°I¡¯m Kari, and the lady over here is Hilde. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Rahf.¡±


    ¡°You were really brave back there, Rahf.¡± I placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You protected your mom¡¯s hard-earned money. And good job helping out with the housework.¡± I gave him one last pat and stepped back. ¡°We¡¯re heading back to the inn now. You should go home before those goons come back.¡±


    My stomach rumbled.


    ¡°D-Do you want to have dinner at my place?¡± Rahf timidly played with his fingers, his eyes on the ground. ¡°I just need to buy a few ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trouble yourself with us.¡±


    ¡°I want to thank you for saving me! Mom always tells me to repay favors.¡±


    It was a convenient offer. Too convenient. I read his emotions. There was no guilt. He wasn¡¯t lying.


    I turned to Hilde. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°...Why not?¡±


    The boy smiled broadly upon hearing her response.


    ***


    We sat down at a round stone table. Rahf¡¯s house was quite small, with only one bedroom and a kitchen with a small dining area. Most of the stone furniture looked worn down, the corners eroded from use, but everything was clean and tidy.


    The boy busied himself in the kitchen, preparing dinner for three. His mother was still working and would come back much later. Open flames weren¡¯t allowed in Harena without a permit, so Rahf used ignis to cook the food. According to him, he inherited cor from his father, who passed away years ago. He could use simple magic, which was convenient because it saved them the cost of encantus for daily life.


    I could hear Rahf¡¯s humming.


    ¡°He¡¯s in a good mood,¡± I said. ¡°Guess he enjoys the company. Eating alone all the time can get pretty depressing.¡±


    Hilde didn¡¯t say anything as usual. I was tempted to start insulting myself because those were the only times she replied with vigor. Before I could give into the temptation, Hilde parted her lips.


    ¡°Why did you save me?¡±


    It was an unexpected question. She hadn¡¯t asked for so long I didn¡¯t think she cared. I thought long and hard before answering.


    I made the coolest smile I could imagine. ¡°Because I love you.¡±


    ¡°Creepy.¡±


    ¡°HEY!!!¡± I slammed the table unconsciously. ¡°I¡¯m seriously confessing here!¡±


    ¡°I meant your face. Your words I didn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not much better!!! Take this seriously!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m completely serious. You¡¯re the one joking around. What do you mean ¡®I love you.¡¯¡± Hilde closed her eyes and shook her head, as if battling a migraine.


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about love, but we barely know each other. I saw you for the first time in that dungeon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s love at first sight.¡±


    ¡°You really are insane.¡±


    I considered telling her about my anima, but she hated anything related to magic. Explaining my ability might make things worst. No one would want others to peek into their hearts.


    Thinking about it, my actions really were ridiculous from her perspective. It was impossible to convince her with words under the current circumstances. That said, most of the actions I¡¯d taken so far had backfired. I decided to change gears before I fell into depression.


    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me? When I fainted in the forest, I remember you putting a blade against my throat.¡±


    ¡°Oh that.¡± She didn¡¯t continue.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stop there! What happened?¡±


    ¡°Sabre bit my hair and pulled me away before I could slit your neck. I couldn¡¯t kill her because I needed a steed. You know the rest.¡±


    And all this time, I thought she spared me because I saved her.


    That revelation almost made me lose my appetite. Almost.


    The aroma of food spread throughout the small house, sending our stomachs rumbling. Soon after, Rahf brought out several dishes. I furrowed my brows upon seeing the food.


    One dish had small slugs with cone shaped shells coated in a green sauce. Another had what looked like a baked animal¡¯s tongue. A soup with various root crops seemed to be the most normal of the spread.


    I felt a bit hesitant. In contrast, Hilde quickly sliced off a portion of the tongue, placed a slug on top of it, and doused it with the soup. Then she pierced all of it with a fork and held it out to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked.


    She gently pushed the food against my lips. ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    Whoa! What a development! I was about to get fed by Hilde! It seemed all my efforts were finally bearing fruit.


    I eagerly stuffed my mouth and swallowed. I could hardly taste the flavor because I was so happy. She prepared another bite, and then another. I gladly ate them all.


    Hilde leaned over to me, tucking her long silver hair over her ear to prevent it from dipping into the food. With her lips an inch from my cheek, she whispered, ¡°Are you feeling sick or anything?¡±


    I was being used to test for poison.


    Despair.


    I should¡¯ve known not to expect anything remotely romantic from this girl.


    I shook my head, confirming that the food was safe to eat. Rahf had been happily eating from all the dishes, so I knew it wasn¡¯t poisoned. Hilde began chowing down with no hint of manners.


    The fact that I found even that charming made me want to slap myself.


    I lifted my cup and washed down my lingering dissatisfaction with water. It was refreshingly cold. Hilde almost choked on a large piece of tongue and brought her cup to her lips.


    That was when I realized.


    Rahf hadn¡¯t taken a sip from his cup.


    I grabbed Hilde¡¯s wrist to stop her from drinking, but it was too late.


    ¡°You wanna die?¡± she asked, not knowing my intention to save her.


    I lost all energy and collapsed on my plate, making a mess. The last thing my fading consciousness saw was Hilde¡¯s pained face, her cheek pressed on the stone table.


    ***


    I woke up with a pounding headache. The next thing I felt was blistering heat and movement. My nose rubbed against something grainy. I could tell it was wood from how a splinter poked at my skin.


    ¡°A carriage..?¡±


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    I followed the voice. It belonged to a skinny man I recognized. He was the man who kicked Rahf in town.


    He curled his lips into a smirk. ¡°You sure took your sweet time waking up. Your lady friend¡¯s been awake for hours now.¡±


    I twisted my body to find Hilde, quite a feat with my hands and feet bound by a rope. I found her lying on her belly at the end of the carriage. Her wrists and ankles were bound together behind her back by a metal chain. She looked like a deer about to be roasted in an open flame.


    The skinny guy stepped on my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be rough with a girl, but I know how scary she is.¡±


    ¡°She kicked your ass after all.¡±


    ¡°We have a smart one here!¡± He chuckled as he ground his boot on my scalp. ¡°My back¡¯s still sore from her kick, yeah. But I knew she¡¯s bad news way before that. She¡¯s the one going around town breaking stuff like an ape right?¡±


    ¡°She was actually just trying out for jobs. You were watching us the whole time?¡±


    It was a mistake limiting my anima in town. A headache from the feedback would¡¯ve been much better than this situation.


    ¡°Ever since we got the tip from the gate guards. We were planning to rob you, but you didn¡¯t have a coin! But hey, it¡¯s not all bad. A girl like her will fetch a good price!¡± He ran his eyes over Hilde¡¯s body.


    Even the guards were in on it. I recalled the greed I sensed from one of our escorts. I ground my teeth, regretting my carelessness.


    ¡°Rahf! Give our valuable cargo some water. We can¡¯t have them dying before we sell them off.¡±


    Rahf entered my field of vision. He held a small piping bag filled with liquid. It was a tool designed to hydrate restrained people. We clearly weren¡¯t the first victims of this human trafficking operation.


    Rahf pointed the spout to my mouth and let a few drops of water hit my lips. ¡°Kari, raise your head a little. You might choke like that.¡±


    The boy appeared to be quite used to his work. He felt no guilt at all.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked, glaring at him.


    ¡°What do you mean? This is what I do.¡± He had an innocent smile on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this doesn¡¯t have any encantus in it.¡±


    ¡°The water you served us was enchanted?¡±


    So that was why it had no taste whatsoever. Poisoning using water wasn¡¯t very effective because the odd taste would immediately give it away, but encantus was another story.


    ¡°It was actually a combination of the food and water!¡± Rahf grinned. ¡°Just one won¡¯t do a thing.¡± He swelled with pride while bragging about his magical skill.


    The strange thing was, there was no malice in him whatsoever. How could he do things like this without batting an eyelash? He was too young to be this ruthless.


    Too young.


    I finally figured it out. It was a cruel conclusion I was tempted to forget, but my curiosity forced me to confirm it.


    ¡°Does your mom know you¡¯re doing this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Huh? Of course.¡± He tilted his neck, not understanding the point of my question.


    This boy was raised to think this was all natural. He didn¡¯t feel any guilt from tricking, poisoning, and selling people because he didn¡¯t think it was wrong, just like how other children didn¡¯t question where the roast they ate for dinner came from.


    I had depended too much on my anima. Feelings didn¡¯t equate to truth. Humans weren¡¯t that simple. I shut my eyes tight, cursing my naivety.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, kid?¡± asked the skinny man. ¡°You¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t drink. No one wants that.¡± Seeing my lack of cooperation, he clicked his tongue. ¡°Rahf, force the water down his throat.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯ll spill over. Mom told me not to waste water.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I can just make more with glacies.¡± He made a tiny spike of ice appear on his palm.


    This guy was also a mage. Maybe all of them were.


    But that didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Hilde, sorry, but I¡¯m gonna use it again.¡±


    ¡°Just do something about this.¡± She jangled her chains.


    ¡°No need to tell me.¡±


    ¡°The hell are you two babbling about?¡± The skinny man kicked my flank. ¡°You got guts despite how cute you look.¡±


    I endured the pain and spread my anima as far as I could. After scanning the surrounding area, I tapped into Hilde¡¯s emotions. I didn¡¯t use her seething anger because it would burn the carriage along with everyone in it.


    Channel.


    Determination unbroken by any circumstance.


    Target. Hilde¡¯s chains.


    ¡°Ferrum.¡±


    The chains around Hilde¡¯s wrists and ankles shattered to pieces. She instantly jumped to her feet, surprising our captor.


    But I wasn¡¯t done.


    ¡°I call upon thee, soul of swords. All shall kneel, be it kings or lords.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re a mage!?¡± The skinny man frantically grabbed my neck and tried to choke off my chant, but he was too late.


    Execute.


    ¡°Ensis.¡±


    The fragments of the chain gathered together in the air and merged into a glowing rod. The radiance instantly dimmed, revealing a simple short sword. It was actually the first time I ever tried this spell. Even the chant was something I made up on the spot. But I felt strangely confident whenever I channeled Hilde¡¯s emotions. She¡¯d scoff at it, but I was sure it was the power of love.


    The floating sword was obviously flawed. The blade was faintly warped, and parts of the edge looked dull. But in the hands of the right person, that was more than enough.


    The skinny man released me and drew his sword. With a shriek, he rushed towards Hilde.


    ¡°Take it!¡± I shouted.


    Hilde clicked her tongue but grabbed the weapon anyway. She lopped off the skinny man¡¯s head.


    Blood sprayed all over the carriage¡¯s canvas tent. Rahf screamed and scrambled away from us. The carriage driver stopped the horse and turned his head to the commotion.


    ¡°Help! They killed Bahr!¡± shouted the driver. He reached for his dagger.


    Hilde ran her blade through his chest. Rahf squeezed through a small gap on the side of the carriage and jumped out.


    ¡°There are seven of them including Rahf,¡± I said. ¡°The others are in another carriage in front of this one.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± asked Hilde.


    ¡°I just do. Trust me.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes but didn¡¯t reply.


    I raised my bound hands to her. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and move.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to say ¡®Don¡¯t move,¡¯ you know.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯d be a good excuse after I cut you.¡±


    ¡°How about not cutting me at all!?¡±


    Hilde cut through the rope with one swing and leapt out of the carriage¡¯s rear exit. I snatched Bahr¡¯s sword from his corpse and freed my ankles.


    No matter how flippant she acted, Hilde couldn¡¯t hide her boiling rage from my anima. The fact that she was so used to wrath it no longer showed on her face made me a little sad. Hearing the clash of metal outside, I drove away those unnecessary thoughts and jumped off the carriage.


    A flying arm smacked my face.


    ¡°What the hell!?¡±


    It belonged to the man facing off against Hilde. At least it used to. She dashed by his armless side and sliced his neck open.


    The sand beneath Hilde began to shift, messing with her balance. It was probably terra magic initiated by the two enemies beside the other carriage. I channeled into their fear, something they had plenty of after seeing Hilde in action. Without finishing the targeting process to save time, I cast glacies to distract them. Ice crystals sprouted in random places on their bodies.


    The terra spell didn¡¯t execute because I interrupted their chant. They immediately turned tail, but Hilde easily chased them down. She stabbed the slower one in the thigh, causing him to stumble, and then pierced the faster one¡¯s spine.


    While Hilde was busy finishing off the man with the bleeding leg, the last enemy untied the other carriage¡¯s workhorse and galloped away on its back. Hilde watched him helplessly. Even with her speed, she couldn¡¯t catch up to a horse.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± I channeled Hilde¡¯s rage and targeted the man.


    ¡°Ignis.¡±


    But aiming for a moving target accurately at this distance was very difficult. I hit the horse instead. The animal panicked, knocking off its rider and stomping him to death. Unfortunately, the flames had severely burned the horse. I cast ignis again to end its suffering.


    I looked around for Hilde and saw her charging towards our carriage. I checked her destination and saw Rahf desperately removing the straps on the horse. Following my instinct, I sprinted after Hilde.


    Rahf managed to untie the horse by the time Hilde reached him. She pulled him off the animal and slammed him to the ground. The horse ran away.


    Sword in hand, Hilde stood over Rahf as he cowered in fear. She really didn¡¯t have to scare him that much. The boy didn¡¯t know better.


    Hilde raised her sword, spite radiating from her.


    I didn¡¯t have time to think. ¡°Ferrum!¡±


    The blade shattered. Shards of metal fell to the sand. My mana formed that weapon, making it easy to break.


    Hilde glared at me. ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my line! He¡¯s just a kid!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a mage!!! He betrayed us!!!¡±


    Hilde was frantic, as if her gallant figure in battle earlier had been a lie. Her suppressed emotions bubbled up and overflowed.


    I slapped her.


    The feedback stung my cheek, but the pain in my chest cut me much deeper.


    I stared into her eyes. ¡°Do you really want to do this?¡± I offered her the sword I snatched from Bahr. ¡°Say yes, and I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Rahf shivered on the ground, countless tears soiling his face. But I didn¡¯t care about this boy, at least not nearly enough compared to Hilde¡¯s heart. No matter how much she despised mages, a girl who flew into a rage after I killed a bunch of lizards couldn¡¯t possibly be okay with murdering children.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Hilde slowly lowered her weapon, her entire body trembling.


    I took Hilde¡¯s sword hand and pried it open. ¡°Let go.¡±


    She released the grip, letting it drop to the sand. The moment I let go of her hand, she staggered backward and sat on the ground. I watched her without a word, waiting for her to calm down.


    The torture in Arthas had wounded her more than I imagined. Despite her unflappable exterior, the fear of capture gushed out of her. Not only that, her hatred for mages ran unbelievably deep.


    Rahf took this chance to run away. I didn¡¯t chase after him. He seemed used to the surface, so he¡¯d probably survive. Right now, staying by Hilde¡¯s side was more important.


    ***


    Or so I thought.


    We were back to where the story started. Sand everywhere. Sun was up. Very hot.


    I adjusted my grip on my bag and jogged to her side. ¡°Can¡¯t you at least tell me where we¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    Hilde turned to me, focusing her amethyst irises on my face. ¡°Because I¡¯m lost.¡±


    She actually meant we¡¯re lost, but being treated like air was nothing new.


    ¡°...Since when?¡±


    She blinked once but didn¡¯t change her blank expression. ¡°Since three nights ago.¡±


    Shit.


    If I had chased down Rahf back then, we wouldn¡¯t be lost in the desert right now. At least he seemed to know which direction to run to when he escaped.


    I continued marching, head down and shoulders slumped. I felt energy draining out of me with every step I took.


    Then that happened.


    Hilde approached me from the side, gently pressing her soft body to my shoulder. With her head slightly turned away, she whispered, ¡°Thank you, Kari.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I was so surprised that was all I could say.


    I pondered what she was thanking me for. Stopping her from killing a child came to mind. Saving her many times rang a bell too. So did paying for her room and clothes.


    But that wasn¡¯t important. I was happy right now.


    Why?


    Hilde finally called me by my name.


    This adventure had its downs and downs, but it wasn¡¯t all bad.


    She quickened her pace, widening our distance by several steps. Maybe she was embarrassed. I could check with my anima, but that felt a little rude.


    Then I noticed something slung on her back. It was my bag.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s my food and water!¡± I chased after her.


    Sure, I had stolen it from the dead slave traders, but it was still mine.


    Hilde turned around and made a faint smile. ¡°I said thank you, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    I stopped in my tracks, mouth agape. ¡°...You¡¯re welcome.¡±

 Interlude A: Pursuers

    I woke up in my brother¡¯s room again. Ever since Kari disappeared a few days ago, I¡¯d been having trouble sleeping. I could only get some decent rest when I cocooned myself in his sheets. People didn¡¯t appreciate things until they were gone. I wasn¡¯t any different. I never knew I loved him this much.


    I got out of bed and went back to my room. After doing my morning ritual, I went to mother¡¯s chamber to ask if there was any progress in the search for brother. I was about to knock on the door when I heard Sir Richter¡¯s voice inside.


    My mood soured. I never liked dealing with Sir Richter, but that got worse ever since Kari¡¯s kidnapping. That was all Sir Richter¡¯s fault for letting the Valmaz prisoner take Kari hostage and escape.


    I decided to come back after they finished their talk, but Sir Richter suddenly raised his voice loud enough for me to hear.


    ¡°Kari used somnus on me! The Corvider line doesn¡¯t have cor, and neither does your family.¡±


    That line shook my reality, rooting my feet on the ground. Kari had cor? I perked up my ears to their conversation.


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± asked Mother. ¡°You already know the answer.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. He didn¡¯t resemble Kardus at all, so I had my suspicions. How could you do this?¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you¡¯re not involved. Karius could be your son, for all you know.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! That was just a stupid mistake!¡±


    ¡°Not for me. I still care about you.¡±


    ¡°What a joke. You make love to all these men yet-¡±


    ¡°Make love? Now that¡¯s a joke. You should know that¡¯s just how politics work. I¡¯m just doing my job. Do you fault a knight when he kills an enemy? A mage when he casts as spell?¡±


    Richter went silent.


    Mother sighed. ¡°If you¡¯re done blaming me, then I have two requests for you.¡±


    ¡°Requests, not orders?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly official.¡±


    ¡°As shady as ever, Lady Corvider.¡±


    ¡°Go easy on the spite. This is business. First, I need to keep everything about Karius¡¯s disappearance a secret. He¡¯s still the heir to the Corvider line.¡±


    ¡°Already done. I¡¯m his master. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let rumors about him going rogue and killing fellow Arthasians spread. Not when he was mind-controlled by that Valmaz wench.¡±


    Kari¡­ had killed people? I shivered at the thought.


    ¡°I know, but you can¡¯t be too careful.¡±


    ¡°People think Kari was kidnapped. None of the guards or acolytes involved survived. The only ones who know enough to suspect anything are the warden and Lucius. I¡¯ll handle them.¡±


    ¡°To think that boy was this powerful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just him. The Valmaz girl is a monster too. A whole troop of soldiers got slaughtered when we captured her. Not only that, she was responsible for about half of the casualties that night. What¡¯s the second request?¡±


    ¡°Find Karius and bring him back to Arthas. The search party mobilized a few days ago won¡¯t be enough. Take as many men as you need. Leave the council to me.¡±


    ¡°I intended to do that from the beginning. What about the girl?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your quarry. Do as you will.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be off.¡±


    Sir Richter¡¯s footsteps got closer to the door. I panicked and ran back to my room. I buried myself under Kari¡¯s sheets again, crying my eyes out until the next morning.


    After calming down, I crawled out of bed and checked my face in the mirror. There were large dark bags underneath my eyes, and my skin looked deathly pale. Still, I had to attend my lessons. I didn¡¯t have the energy to fix myself up, so I just changed into whatever and headed out.


    I entered the study room and saw Lisa with eyes even puffier than mine. I had heard that her brother Lucius got hurt that night. I guess even the Brent family had it rough.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, Lisa,¡± said Tina as she gently stroked her friend¡¯s back.


    ¡°No it¡¯s not. Lucius can¡¯t properly move the fingers on his right hand anymore. None of the healers could fix it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ But what I really can¡¯t accept about all this¡­ is that he won¡¯t tell anyone what happened! Not even me!¡±


    ¡°D-Didn¡¯t he say he didn¡¯t remember anything?¡±


    ¡°My brother is hiding something! I can tell... I just don¡¯t want him to keep getting hurt all alone. Why won¡¯t he depend on me? Am I really such a useless sister?¡±


    I asked myself the same question and began bawling.


    ¡°A-Annie!?¡± said Tina. ¡°Are you okay? Sorry, that was a stupid question. Kari¡¯s still missing. Of course you¡¯re not okay. I mean, oh no, sorry, oh what should I do!?¡±


    The other girls in the room shook their heads.


    Today was the first time I felt any true sense of camaraderie with Lisa, the bitch who seduced my brother once upon a time.


    ***


    I prepared my armor for the expedition. It was going to be a difficult mission. No one knew where Kari and that Valmaz girl went, or if they were even alive. Still, I couldn¡¯t decline Belinda¡¯s request, not after she showed me those eyes. She may seem like a monster at times, but she was still a mother. I had to bring Kari back home.


    ¡°Will you search for the boy too, Ricky?¡±


    I turned to the voice and saw a pair of long legs hanging from my window. I raised my eyes further to confirm who they belonged to.


    Lilac Gromwell.


    The immortal witch.


    Lamia.


    She went by many terrifying names, each of them well-deserved.


    Long wavy blonde hair ran down her shoulders and rested on her bountiful bosom. Her purple dress fluttered as she playfully kicked her feet alternately, still perched on my windowsill.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    I made an annoyed frown. ¡°Too? Are you going as well? And don¡¯t call me that.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. You were fine with that name before. You¡¯ve changed.¡±


    ¡°Of course. That was decades ago. You, on the other hand, haven¡¯t changed at all.¡±


    She still kept her youth and beauty no matter how much time passed. I knew it was just an illusion crafted by her magic, but it was no less enthralling.


    ¡°Is that sarcasm I hear?¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°You were so cute back in the day. You even called me ¡®Big Sis Lyla.¡¯¡±


    I ignored her teasing and got to the root of the matter. ¡°Did Lady Corvider ask you to find Kari?¡±


    ¡°Me? Work for that whore?¡±


    I unconsciously winced.


    Gromwell¡¯s eyes narrowed in delight as a wicked smirk spread across her face. ¡°Oh sorry. I forgot you have a crush on that girl. My memory isn¡¯t what it used to be.¡± She giggled, a hand on her mouth.


    ¡°That means the high priest sent you. Look at who you serve before running your mouth. Your master is no better than mine.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m not following orders willingly, unlike you.¡±


    ¡°Good for you.¡±


    Gromwell hissed, but she quickly regained her haughty grin. ¡°It¡¯ll be a race then. I¡¯m excited to see what a master rank knight can do.¡±


    ¡°That arrogance will spell your defeat. I won¡¯t be alone. I¡¯ll show you how formidable knights are when they band together.¡±


    ¡°A bunch of novices will just drag me down. Even that Corvider boy would be a better ally than the church¡¯s pitiful acolytes. I saw his work.¡± Gromwell licked her lips. ¡°Stimulating.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯ll you do once you find him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± She winked.


    I placed my pauldron on my desk and checked it for damage. This was normally Kari¡¯s job, but he wasn¡¯t here anymore. A knock came from my door. I turned to the window to shoo away my unwanted visitor, but she was already gone.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Lucius entered my room. ¡°You called, Sir Richter?¡±


    ¡°Close the door.¡±


    He did as ordered and stood at attention in front of me. I took a seat on my bed to make myself less imposing. I didn¡¯t want to make it seem I was threatening him into anything.


    ¡°Remember what I told you? About keeping what happened between you and Kari that night a secret while investigation is underway.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going on a mission to bring Kari back. I need you to keep quiet until we return. No one must know that he used glacies on your hand.¡±


    A shadow crept over Lucius¡¯s face. ¡°Can you tell me why?¡±


    ¡°There are many mysteries surrounding that night. Kari might¡¯ve been manipulated by the Valmaz prisoner using some kind of spell. I don¡¯t want rumors spreading until everything is settled.¡±


    Lucius bit his lip. A flame of determination lit up in his eyes. He reminded me of Kardus. Nostalgia and guilt wrought my heart.


    ¡°I refuse,¡± he said.


    I almost fell off the bed. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I refuse. I won¡¯t lie for Kari or House Corvider.¡±


    ¡°Listen, I understand your anger-¡±


    ¡°No you don¡¯t.¡± Lucius presented his right hand to me. ¡°I¡¯ll never wield a sword with this hand again.¡±


    My words melted away, never leaving my lips.


    Lucius stared into my eyes. ¡°If you really want me to hold my tongue, then take me with you for that mission.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, Lucius.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not playing around. Take me with you, or I¡¯ll tell everyone what happened, including my father.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t an option. A clash between the Brent and a weakened House Corvider would bring nothing but turmoil to Arthas.


    ¡°Even if I do agree to take you, how will you convince your father?¡±


    ¡°I already told him that I¡¯ll be joining your expedition. I said I couldn¡¯t leave a good friend of mine in the hands of a barbarian. I swore to bring Kari back, no matter what.¡± Bitterness soiled Lucius¡¯s face. ¡°Father cried tears of joy, praising my bravery.¡±


    Who would¡¯ve thought that someone who possessed such clear eyes could be this devious? No, this wasn¡¯t deviousness. Lucius had something he wanted to do, and he was giving his everything for it. That was all.


    ¡°Fine. But you¡¯re useless as you are now. We don¡¯t have much time, but I¡¯ll teach you to fight with your other hand. Be prepared to train even during the mission.¡± I grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll wish you stayed at home.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you, Sir Richter!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank someone you just blackmailed, you brat.¡± I knocked him on the head.


    ***


    I was balled up in fabric again. It felt like I spent most of this week hiding under covers, scared of everything around me. I had run away from Kari¡¯s disappearance. I had run away from the truth. I had run away from my loneliness.


    But this time was different.


    I was tucked under many layers, hidden from prying eyes, but I wasn¡¯t running away.


    I felt no comfort in the rough rags pressing down on my body. The heat threatened to make me faint. The shaking made me nauseous. But I endured everything without a word of complaint. In fact, I couldn¡¯t make a sound. I couldn¡¯t let anyone find me in this carriage: not the soldiers, not Sir Richter, not Lucius. I would persevere through anything and everything.


    In order to see my brother.

 Chapter 04: Request

    ¡°Shiiit!!!¡±


    My legs screamed as I dashed up a sand dune. I looked behind me. Sharp, jagged teeth bit off a piece of my shirt. They belonged to a foot-long fish jumping in and out of the sand. The thing¡¯s family was right behind it. No, with these numbers, its entire kind might be chasing after me and Hilde. Rough beige scales covered their vertically flat bodies. Their dorsal fins barely stuck out of the sand as they swam across the desert.


    I dodged another bite while trying to control my ragged breathing. I glanced at Hilde, who was running about a twenty feet to my right. She hadn¡¯t even broken a sweat, which was only natural. The girl had amazing stamina. That, and I was carrying all of our luggage. Right before the chase began, she casually handed the bags to me and ran off.


    Two fish leapt at her defenseless back.


    ¡°Watch ou-¡±


    Before I could finish my warning, she spun around and swatted the animals with the flat side of her short sword. Sometimes I felt stupid for worrying about this girl.


    The two fish she hit flew towards me. I blocked one with my bag, but the other took a bite out of my rapidly shrinking clothes.


    ¡°Why are you batting them to me!?¡± I shouted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to cut them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of fish!¡± I didn¡¯t know if they were actually fish though. I hopped over one about to bite off a chunk of my calf. ¡°Dammit! What are these things anyway!?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re called ¡®fish-like creatures that swim in the sand.¡¯¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with that stupidly long name!? That¡¯s just a description!¡± Who the hell thought of that?


    Hilde put a finger on her chin without dropping her speed. ¡°Is it? It felt right when I came up with it.¡±


    ¡°It was you!?¡± I began running out of breath because I kept shouting while running.


    ¡°How about ¡°fish-like creatures with sharp teeth that swim in the sand?¡¯¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even longer! And now¡¯s not the time to brainstorm about this!¡±


    Hilde sent more fish flying in my direction. I sidestepped to dodge them, slowing me down a little. A part of my pants got bitten off by a fish on my tail.


    ¡°Stop batting them to me! Do you want me to get eaten!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m just hitting them normally.¡±


    ¡°That so? All of them flew directly to me for some reason.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just making sure they find a different target so they stop chasing me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not ¡®hitting them normally!¡¯ I¡¯m not bait you know! Can¡¯t you just cut them down!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want blood to get on my clothes.¡±


    She liked those clothes that much, huh? That made me a little happy. Wait, didn¡¯t that mean the clothes were more important than my safety? Okay, I wasn¡¯t happy.


    With only the two of us here, I didn¡¯t have anything to channel. The fish things operated on instinct, namely hunger, but I didn¡¯t know any spells for that.


    ¡°Something¡¯s ahead,¡± said Hilde, her beautiful face as composed as usual.


    I strained my eyes and saw people in the distance. I scanned the group with my anima. ¡°Looks like a caravan. There are over twenty people there.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re changing direction.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    One thing I learned from my days with Hilde was that she was quite a softie to people she didn¡¯t consider as enemies. If we kept running towards the caravan, they¡¯d get attacked by the fish chasing us. I wished Hilde gave me even half of this consideration.


    The two of us veered to the left, but the fish ignored us and beelined towards the convoy.


    Hilde clicked her tongue and swerved to intercept the school of fish. I headed straight for the caravan to catch any fish that get through. The fish¡¯s jump patterns were predictable, allowing Hilde to weave through the maze of creatures with ease. Using her two blades, she made short work of everything in her path. The slave traders¡¯ weapons slightly differed from Arthas make, but Hilde handled them just as expertly. Fish flesh and blood splattered all over the sand as she filleted the critters in midair. Even so, some got past her due to their sheer numbers.


    Channel.


    Fear of a woman from the caravan.


    ¡°Behold the frost fortress. Death to those who trespass.¡± I held out my open hand to give me a better image of the structure I intended to make. ¡°Glacies!¡±


    Three rows of ice spikes grew from the ground, blocking the path of the fish. The spike wall, slightly angled towards the fish, skewered the animals as they fell on them. I had made three layers to catch those that burrow past the first wall. Despite that, a few of them made it through.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Fangs bared, four fish leapt at me. I rushed to cast a spell, but I realized I wouldn¡¯t make it.


    Four knives flew at the fish, piercing their bodies. The attack killed the creatures¡¯ momentum, preventing them from reaching me. They fell on the sand near my feet, flopping around for a moment before dying.


    ¡°I shall support you, young man!¡± said a tall, lanky man with dark red hair. A long brown scarf covered his neck, hiding his mouth.


    I gave him a nod and continued making single ice spikes to catch any fish that got through the wall. I targeted them one by one to conserve my small mana pool, but I couldn¡¯t kill all of them.


    Without a sound, Scarf appeared in front of me. He threw two knives, killing the first wave, and used a curved dagger to cut up the rest. With someone to defend me, I could focus better on the target process, increasing my accuracy. It didn¡¯t take long before we eliminated the entire swarm.


    Hilde approached us after the battle. I sensed fear from the people behind me. I couldn¡¯t blame them. Even though she had protected them, Hilde was completely red from head to toe. Blood dripped freely from her blades, creating a trail of red droplets on the sand.


    A bearded man walked up to me. ¡°Thank you for saving us!¡± He grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously. ¡°What could we possibly do to repay you?¡±


    We were actually the ones who lured the fish to the caravan, but he didn¡¯t have to know that.


    Hilde came closer, causing the man to shiver. ¡°It was actually us who lu-¡±


    I immediately covered her mouth with my hand. Why was she only talkative at the wrong times?


    ¡°-Lost our way,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re headed to Harena.¡±


    I was worried about Sabre, so I wanted to get back as soon as possible.


    Hilde took my hand off her face and shot me an accusatory look. Hey, I didn¡¯t want to lie either, but no one would gain anything even if we told the truth in this situation. She wiped her lips on her sleeve, coating it with blood. So my hand was dirtier than fish blood, huh?


    The bearded man smiled broadly. ¡°Harena? That¡¯s our destination as well.¡±


    I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank god! Could we join your caravan for the journey?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but it¡¯ll be a short journey.¡± He laughed. ¡°It¡¯s just an hour away from here by foot.¡±


    What..?


    We had walked aimlessly for days. How could it be only an hour away?


    I had lead the way after I found out how terrible Hilde¡¯s sense of direction was. Apparently, I wasn¡¯t any better.


    ¡°Could I borrow a towel?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡± He took a large brown towel from a woman behind him and handed it to me. ¡°I¡¯m Phil, the leader of this caravan. It¡¯ll only be an hour, but I¡¯m honored to have such brave warriors join us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Leon.¡± I gave the towel to Hilde. ¡°And she is Ada.¡±


    Hilde turned away from me. She was clearly dissatisfied about something, but she didn¡¯t voice it. She quietly wiped away the blood on her, starting with her sullied silver hair.


    ¡°I wish to express my gratitude as well,¡± said Scarf, his face right beside my ear.


    ¡°Whoa! You scared me! Don¡¯t just pop out from nowhere!¡±


    ¡°Apologies! But I was here the entire time. I just severely lack presence¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I see. No need to thank us. I¡¯m the one who owes you for saving me earlier.¡±


    ¡°Please do not speak of it. I merely did what was expected in that situation.¡± He pulled down the scarf from his face. ¡°My name is Felix.¡± He looked striking, with angular features and sharp eyes.


    ¡°Are you also a member of this caravan?¡±


    ¡°No, I am an aspiring thief. I joined this caravan in hopes of stealing their precious cargo.¡±


    Felix didn¡¯t look like he was joking. I scanned him just to be sure. No mischief. He was sincere.


    ¡°...Uh, are you sure you should be telling us that? Even Phil heard you.¡±


    His handsome face went blank for a moment and then exploded in shock.


    ¡°Tarnation!!! I have failed yet again! The path of thievery is fraught with unexpected dangers!¡±


    Tar-what..? And the only dangerous thing here was his mind.


    ¡°Your skill at interrogation is terrifying, Sir Leon. You must be a master of deception! I bet your names aren¡¯t even Leon and Ada!¡±


    He was right, but now even we were in hot water.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I shrugged my shoulders, palms up. ¡°I happen to like my name, you know? Ada, say something to this guy. He¡¯s off in his own world.¡±


    ¡°My name isn¡¯t Ada. And you¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Hilde!!!¡±


    ¡°My name isn¡¯t Hilde either.¡±


    ¡°I knew that, but it¡¯s still shocking how you just came out and said it!¡±


    Phil smacked his fist into his palm. ¡°I see! This is what they call a skit, right? Excellent! Felix has been saying funny things since he joined us, so I had a feeling he¡¯s a professional comedian, but to perform together so well without any preparation¡­ Are you two perhaps members of a troupe in Harena?¡±


    I grinned, showing as much of my teeth as I could. ¡°Good eye, Phil. Indeed we are part of a troupe, but it isn¡¯t based in Harena. We¡¯re headed there to do some shows and spread our name a little. Ada loves to get into character at random times. It can be quite abrupt, so I apologize in advance for any confusion she might cause.¡±


    ¡°No, no. Not only can you fight, you even provide entertainment! I couldn¡¯t ask for better travel companions.¡± Phil opened his mouth wide. ¡°Oh sorry, I haven¡¯t even given you a proper reward for protecting us from the sand carp earlier.¡±


    So that was what those things were actually called.


    Phil took out a small pouch and handed me a few coins. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but please take it.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly accept this.¡±


    ¡°Not convincing after you already pocketed the money,¡± said Hilde.


    I looked down and saw my hand stuck into my pants pocket. I didn¡¯t even notice.


    ¡°So that is the art of pickpocketing,¡± said Felix while nodding a few times. ¡°How masterful.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ¡®pick¡¯ anything!¡± I began taking out the coins from my pants.


    Phil raised a hand, stopping me. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s normal to pay a reward for a service. If you¡¯d gotten a similar request in a town, you¡¯d probably get double that.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Felix. ¡°I have been procuring travel funds by completing requests in different towns. It¡¯s very gratifying to help those in need, and the rewards are very generous.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you a thief?¡± I asked. ¡°What are you doing working so honestly?¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!!!¡± Felix grabbed his hair with both hands. ¡°The scales have fallen from my eyes, Sir Leon!¡±


    What was wrong with this guy?


    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me ¡®Sir.¡¯ I¡¯m no knight, and I¡¯m younger than you.¡±


    ¡°Apologies. I thought your youthful face was yet another deception. I¡¯ve heard magic can alter one¡¯s appearance, and after seeing your phenomenal spell casting and practiced trickery, I assumed you were my senior.¡±


    This bastard. If it weren¡¯t for his complete lack of malice, I¡¯d have already lit his scarf on fire with ignis.


    Phil guffawed while grabbing his belly. ¡°Hilarious! Any more and I¡¯ll be forced to throw money at you people!¡± He recovered from the fit and looked into the horizon. ¡°The sun¡¯s about to set. We better get going. I hope you can show your skits to everyone. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be delighted.¡± He walked towards the front of the caravan.


    Felix vanished, only to reappear at the rear end of the convoy. I glanced at Hilde, who answered my voiceless question with a nod. We gathered our things and joined the line of people.


    ***


    We split up with the caravan at the stone gate because the guards had to inspect their wares. With a single word of farewell, Felix disappeared like a puff of smoke. I headed to the town center and went directly to the stables. Hilde followed behind me.


    An annoyed neigh graced my ears. It had only been a few days, but it filled me with nostalgia.


    ¡°Sabre!¡± I ran to my ecus and embraced her neck. ¡°I missed you.¡±


    She bit the back of my shirt and pulled me off her. Irritation radiated from her.


    ¡°Sorry for leaving you alone for so long. We got lost and ran into trouble a few times. Here, I brought you something.¡±


    I pulled out a sand carp from my bag. I had three in there. One was for dinner, and the other two for Sabre.


    Sabre gave it a whiff and stared at it. Then she turned her head to the side.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t sulk. I tried to come back as soon as possible.¡± I lifted the fish closer to her mouth.


    It looked like the stablehands gave her food while I was gone. I¡¯d be charged for it, of course, but that was much better than dealing with a starving Sabre. Maybe the stablehands instinctively knew how dangerous it would be to let this mare go hungry.


    ¡°Toss it to me,¡± said Hilde.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The fish.¡± She cocked her head with a ¡°I¡¯m not gonna take no for an answer¡± look on her.


    I still had two more, so I decided to entrust one to her. I lobbed the smallest one. Hilde sliced it lengthwise in mid air and sliced the thicker half again. Before the fillets hit the ground, she stabbed them with the dagger in her other hand.


    ¡°Here.¡± Hilde handed her fish-laden dagger to me.


    I couldn¡¯t believe she was handing me her weapon. Was it a sign of trust? Knowing her, she probably just thought it was impossible for me to give her a scratch. I wasn¡¯t naive enough to get happy over something like this. Okay, maybe I was just a little happy.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I presented the skewer to Sabre, who quickly bit into the meat.


    I carefully handled the dagger to avoid cutting her. The fillets were gone in a few bites.


    I turned to Hilde while stroking Sabre¡¯s mane. ¡°How did you know what she wanted?¡±


    ¡°I once bit into a whole fish-like creature that swims in the sand and got a sharp bone stuck in my throat.¡±


    ¡°At least cut up your prey before eating them! And just call them sand carp already!¡±


    I finished feeding Sabre and left the stables. For some reason, Hilde followed closely behind me the whole time.


    ¡°Not that I mind, but why are you following me?¡±


    She turned her head to the side. Her eyes darted to me for an instant before she looked away again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where the inn is.¡±


    Adorable.


    Her sky-blue sleeveless dress multiplied the impact of that rare display of girlish behavior. I wanted to embrace her right then and there, but I didn¡¯t because I valued my life. I hid a loose grin by turning around and gave a silent thanks to the caravan women for giving her the dress. Their generosity had been triggered by the fishy smell wafting from Hilde earlier, but I didn¡¯t give a damn. Good job ladies.


    I led us back to the inn with no trouble. I might be terrible at navigating the surface, but a town was a piece of cake. I paid for two rooms using the coins Phil gave me. The stuff in our old rooms were thrown away because the innkeeper thought we had left town. It wasn¡¯t a significant loss.


    I asked the innkeeper to cook the sand carp for us. That service still cost money, but it was cheaper than eating at a tavern.


    We had a quick, silent dinner. After finishing her meal, Hilde went straight to her room. It was a little disappointing to part with a skirt-wearing Hilde so soon, but I had an errand to take care of. I headed out and bought a map and a compass. The prices were half those the innkeeper tried to charge me before. Damn money grubber. When I got back to the inn, I gave her the evil eye, from behind of course, before heading upstairs and going to bed.


    ***


    I couldn¡¯t move. Ensnared by vines, I could do nothing but watch as burning corpses crawled towards me. The acrid stench of burning hair ravaged my senses. They took hold of my ankles and slowly made their way up until they choked my neck. I wanted to scream in pain, but my throat melted away. They clawed out my cheeks and then my eyes. I writhed in despair as dark red flames consumed by body.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!¡±


    I scrambled backward until my back hit something hard. Despite having nowhere to go, I clawed and kicked at the ground to push myself back.


    The ground was soft. It felt numerous folds on my palm, like fabric. The odd sensation allowed me to focus my eyes. The burning corpses were gone. I was in an old room. Sweat covered my entire body, soaking my clothes. I couldn¡¯t control my ragged breathing. My face sizzled while my hands felt frozen stiff.


    Guilt.


    The lives I took haunted me. The slave traders deserved it, but I had killed Arthas soldiers and acolytes. They hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Chasing fugitives was part of their duty. They probably had families and friends, futures. And I had burned all that away.


    Powerful nausea attacked me. I scrambled out of bed, hands on my mouth. I made it to the floor before I emptied my stomach. The acid ran up my nose and fled from my lips. Tears dribbled from my eyes and mixed with vomit.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    I continued apologizing while choking on my words. As I fell into a whirlpool of self-hatred, a familiar face flashed behind my quivering eyelids.


    Annie.


    How was she now? My escape had probably made her everyone¡¯s target. Being the sister of a coward was bad enough, but being related to a traitor was enough to ruin someone in upper society. I¡¯d been so busy trying to survive the past few days I didn¡¯t have the leeway to fully understand the weight of my sins. No, I had been running from it.


    ¡°Sorry Annie..! I¡¯m so sorry!!!¡±


    After a while, I managed to calm down, at least enough to realize my predicament. Vomit and tears coated my face and hands. A pungent mess pooled on the floor.


    ¡°...Shit. I gotta clean this up¡­¡±


    I sensed an emotion from just outside my room. I looked up and saw the door was slightly ajar.


    Sympathy.


    Was it the innkeeper? Hilde? My fragmented consciousness couldn¡¯t tell. The person soon disappeared, fleeing into the corridor.


    After I finished cleaning up, I went to the innkeeper to ask about where to find job requests like those Felix mentioned.


    ¡°Requests?¡± asked the innkeeper with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Not much of those in Harena. Most of them are just odd jobs like finding lost pets or gathering mushrooms.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t contain a sigh. ¡°I see. What now¡­¡±


    ¡°You can check at the announcement board near the town hall. There might be something worth doing there.¡± The innkeeper gave me the directions.


    ¡°Thanks for the help!¡±


    She made a coin sign with her index finger and thumb.


    ¡°Figures.¡± I placed a coin on the counter.


    This lady was even more ruthless than Hilde.


    I went to Hilde¡¯s room, this time taking care not to barge in on her nakedness. I rapped on the door and called out to her. After a few minutes, she came out wearing the same dress as yesterday. She still looked cute even with the swords strapped to her belt.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to find a job,¡± I said.


    ¡°Again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but this time we¡¯re looking for more dangerous ones. With your sword hand, we should be able to handle most things.¡± I didn¡¯t mention my magic to avoid pissing her off.


    She gave me an almost unnoticeable nod. Things were going better than before on my quest to conquer Hilde. She wasn¡¯t openly hostile anymore, at least. That was progress, right?


    We left the inn and headed for the announcement board. Hilde didn¡¯t even try reading the text and left the choice to me.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Gathering poctus needles, finding a missing dodo, looking for a thievery tutor, wait, what?¡± I decided to ignore the odd one and searched for the request with the largest reward. ¡°Hey, this pays twenty times the others.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± asked Hilde.


    ¡°Finding missing people in the Nepa caverns. It says to meet the requestor at the Crazy Ecus Tavern. It didn¡¯t specify the time, so I¡¯m guessing we just ask someone there.¡± I took a mental note of the requestor¡¯s name.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not like we have any other choice. All the other jobs aren¡¯t worth the trouble.¡±


    The high reward indicated the difficulty of the request. Considering our battle potential and severe lack of funds, taking high-risk high-reward jobs was the way to go.


    We had visited the tavern during our job search a while ago, so I knew where it was. We went through the entrance and approached the head waitress.


    She frowned upon seeing us, more specifically Hilde.


    ¡°Get out! We don¡¯t have any more plates for you to break.¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± I said while raising both hands to calm her down. ¡°We¡¯re here for a request. Do you know someone named Violetta?¡±


    The waitress looked at me and Hilde alternately and snorted. ¡°You two? Going into the Nepa Caverns? Forget about it. You¡¯re still young. Value your lives more.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t blame her for underestimating us. I was a short scrawny kid, and Hilde was a girl.


    ¡°Is the Nepa Caverns that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Guess you¡¯re not from around here. Even Arthas cityfolk know not to visit that place.¡±


    Well sorry for being a sheltered brat.


    ¡°Could you at least let us meet the client? We¡¯ll pass If the job is too dangerous.¡±


    The old waitress furrowed her brow, deepening her wrinkles. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll have someone fetch her. Wait there.¡± She pointed at a square table at the corner of the dining area. ¡°And order something while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°If we had enough money to eat out, we wouldn¡¯t be applying for dangerous jobs.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± She ushered us away with her hand. ¡°Now shoo. Having paupers at the bar is bad for business.¡±


    Money bought respect. Those were Mother¡¯s words. I had always thought of them as a manifestation of her greed. Having never worried for money before leaving Arthas, I couldn¡¯t understand it back then. Now I understood just how naive I had been.


    I gently pushed Hilde¡¯s back to guide her to the table. She understood the gesture and obediently followed. The experiment was a success! I had risked my hand, but it was worth it. Establishing the limits of physical contact with a female partner was very important. Theoretically. A guy who only ever got teased or ignored by the opposite sex his entire life could only guess.


    It wasn¡¯t that I was trying to cop a feel. Honest.


    We sat across each other at the corner table. I knew Hilde didn¡¯t like to talk, so I kept quiet while waiting for the client. A lot of customers came in and out of the restaurant. Most of them looked like locals, but there were also a good number of travelers, easily identified by their rucksacks. I even saw some people from the caravan having drinks at a large round table. However, the client had yet to arrive. After about half an hour, I reached the end of my patience and struck up a conversation.


    ¡°So, after we get some money, where do we go next?¡±


    Hilde tilted her head. ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Learning from my previous mistake, I decided to forgo another love confession. ¡°I have nowhere else to go. I betrayed my country.¡±


    ¡°But why go with me? With your abilities, you should be able to survive just fine on your own.¡±


    ¡°...Meaning.¡± Sensing her confusion, I continued, ¡°I betrayed my country and abandoned my family. I... killed many people when I helped you escape.¡± I raised my right hand in front of me, showing Hilde my palm. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not blaming you. Those were all my decisions, my responsibility.¡± I lowered my hand onto the table and made a fist. ¡°But if nothing comes from our meeting, then everything I did would become meaningless.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ are scary.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Not as much as you!


    ¡°You lie so easily. I can¡¯t trust someone like that. I can¡¯t believe your words. Mages are¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish.


    I felt like my heart got stabbed by a spear. My breath caught in my throat, preventing me from replying.


    Was I just like Belinda Corvider? Did I manipulate people using my anima? Was Hilde just an excuse to escape my old life? What¡­ was I doing?


    Hilde locked eyes with me, something she rarely did. ¡°I want to thank you for saving me, for helping me even now. But what if all this is part of some trick?¡± She closed her eyes and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re terrifying.¡±


    Every word hit me like a battering ram. It was only made worse by the fact that she meant everything. Her expression didn¡¯t show it at all, but I could sense her fear, making me curse this power more than ever. My jaw trembled. I wanted to say something, but what?


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said a high-pitched voice. ¡°Are you here for the request?¡±


    Hilde and I turned to the source.


    ¡°I¡¯m Violetta Bellerose.¡± The girl curtsied, both hands holding up the skirt of her elaborate purple dress. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you both.¡±


    Her long blonde hair converged into two pigtails, tied by a black ribbon. Violetta, who looked no older than twelve, perfectly fit her frilly gown.


    I switched gears instantly, escaping from Hilde¡¯s verbal assault. ¡°I¡¯m Leon, and this is my partner Ada. We saw your request on the announcement board and would like to hear the details.¡± I stood up and pulled out a chair. ¡°Please have a seat.¡±


    The fake names bounced off my tongue very easily. Hilde¡¯s accusation rang true. Years of hiding my cor and anima from everyone had turned me into a pathological liar.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Violetta sat down while elegantly rearranging her skirt, keeping it from creasing. ¡°I apologize for my tardiness. I was resting at the inn when I got called.¡±


    ¡°The inn? You mean the one at the town center?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I believe there is only one inn in Harena.¡±


    So that was why that innkeeper was such a money grubber. Monopoly was terrible for the customers.


    ¡°We stay at that inn too.¡±


    ¡°Most travelers do. There are also houses for rent, but those are for people who plan to stay for a while.¡±


    ¡°I see. You seem to know a lot about this town. Have you been here a long time? ¡±


    ¡°Just three days. I learned all that from the innkeeper.¡±


    Was that woman secretly an information broker or something?


    Violetta fiddled with her fingers. ¡°Actually, we were supposed to leave two days ago, but¡­¡± She looked down, hesitant to continue. ¡°That¡¯s actually why I sent this request.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the missing people mentioned in the announcement board are your parents?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, not at all! My parents are in Insula. I travelled together with my two attendants, Claude and Jeanne. We were headed to Arthas to visit some family friends. We were supposed to stay only one night here at Harena. But¡­¡± Creases marred Violetta¡¯s face. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. ¡°It was all my fault!¡± Her clenched fists turned pale from pressure.


    Without thinking, I reached out and held her hand. When Annie and I were younger, I frequently did the same for her whenever she felt down.


    ¡°Tell us what happened. We¡¯ll do our best to help you.¡±


    Violetta blinked twice, causing a single tear to drop. I got distracted by her mesmerizing grey eyes but quickly snapped out of it when she continued her story.


    ¡°The innkeeper told me about a gemstone found in the nearby Nepa Caverns. Rumors say it has a brilliant violet shine.¡± With a bitter smile, she pulled on the sleeve of her purple dress. ¡°I think it¡¯s obvious how excited I got after hearing that. I asked Claude and Jeanne to get me one as a souvenir.¡±


    ¡°And they haven¡¯t returned?¡±


    Violetta nodded.


    I put my elbows on the table and placed my chin on my clasped knuckles. ¡°How far away is the Nepa Caverns from here?¡±


    ¡°About an hour by horse. Both of my attendants went off on their steeds. They should¡¯ve been back the same day.¡±


    ¡°Any chance they¡¯re just having trouble finding a gemstone?¡±


    ¡°No. I told them to report back before it got dark, but it has been two days. Those two would never disobey my orders. They¡¯re such good retainers.¡± Violetta buried her face in her palms. ¡°What have I done!?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find them,¡± said Hilde.


    I nodded. ¡°You can count on us, Violetta.¡±


    ¡°Dead or alive.¡±


    I put a finger on my lips. ¡°Shh!¡±


    Violetta began crying in earnest. Hilde¡¯s eyes widened slightly, unsure about what she had done.


    ¡°Apologize,¡± I whispered to Hilde¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean anything bad by it.¡±


    ¡°Ada is a little too frank sometimes. Can you forgive her?¡±


    ¡°Please think nothing of it.¡± Violetta dried her tears with a white handkerchief. ¡°Miss Ada did nothing wrong. I just lost myself for a moment.¡±


    I might have admonished Hilde, but in reality I was thankful for her remark. That little scene allowed me to peek into Violetta¡¯s heart, which was filled with sorrow. The likelihood of a trap was low, but I decided to take it a step further to be sure.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll bring back Claude and Jeanne. We¡¯ll leave as soon as we¡¯re done with preparations.¡± I made eye contact with Violetta. ¡°Oh wait, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Violetta¡¯s fringe swayed as she tilted her head.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t trying to trick us or anything, are you?¡±


    Surprised by my rather rude question, Violetta stared at me without blinking, as did Hilde.


    Confusion.


    She was clean. Even if a child were raised to not feel any guilt from tricking people, she wouldn¡¯t feel confused when asked about something she was aware of.


    I made a broad smile. ¡°Just kidding! The looks on your faces were priceless!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Violetta giggled, probably out of politeness.


    What a proper young lady. She was certainly more well-mannered than Annie, who was a tomboy, or Lisa, who was a bitch, at that age.


    ¡°You have no sense of humor,¡± said Hilde.


    I snorted. ¡°Says the genius comedian.¡±


    Violetta described her retainers in detail. Then we finalized the issue of payment. When we were about to leave, Violetta tugged at my sleeve.


    ¡°I have one last request,¡± she said.


    ¡°If it¡¯s within my power.¡±


    ¡°Please take me with you to the caverns.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    ¡°Of course. Taking a child to such a dangerous place is absurd.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re not much older!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sixteen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sixteen!?¡± said Hilde.


    ¡°Why are YOU surprised!? How old did you think I was!?¡±


    Violetta shook her head in disbelief. ¡°I-It can¡¯t be¡­ You¡¯re so short.¡±


    This kid wasn¡¯t well-mannered at all.


    ¡°Anyway! We have no reason to take you.¡±


    ¡°I-I can help you carry bags! I¡¯ll also bring lots of food!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an hour away. We don¡¯t need those.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a great navigator! Father always took me riding on the surface! I can even tell direction using the sun and stars!¡±


    The last one sounded useful, but I already had a map and compass. Hilde and I would be fine by ourselves.


    ¡°No means no. Stay in Harena. We¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    I tried to put a hand on her head, but due to my height, it felt awkward. I settled for her shoulder. ¡°Trust us. We won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    We needed the money, after all.


    A faint blush surfaced on Violetta¡¯s cheeks as she nodded.


    Hilde and I prepared our belongings and picked up Sabre from the stables. I confirmed the location of the Nepa Caverns with the innkeeper and marked it on my map. We headed out to the sandy surface, ready to face anything for the sake of our mission.


    We returned to Harena a day later and met with Violetta.


    ¡°Did you find them!?¡± she asked.


    I scratched the back of my head, ashamed. ¡°Sorry, could you come with us after all?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°...We got lost.¡±

 Chapter 05: Cavern

    ¡°So why am I the one on foot?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Three people won¡¯t fit in the saddle,¡± said Hilde.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leon.¡± Violetta, who sat in front of Hilde, fidgeted. ¡°I¡¯ll get down.¡±


    ¡°Wait! You stay on. I can¡¯t let a young lady walk, much less a client.¡± I treaded down the sand dune while guiding Sabre by her reins. ¡°Ada, can¡¯t you switch with me for a bit? The cavern might be an hour away by horse, but walking is a different story.¡±


    Sabre had allowed other riders on her because I was holding her reins. That meant we traveled at my pace, which wasn¡¯t exactly fast.


    Hilde tilted her head to the side without changing expression. ¡°Why don¡¯t you run then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll collapse before we get there!¡±


    ¡°What a whiny guy.¡±


    ¡°Anyone would complain if you ask them to sprint in a desert!¡±


    ¡°If I may ask something,¡± said Violetta. ¡°Ada is also a girl, so why do you treat us so differently?¡±


    ¡°Because you are different. You don¡¯t know how strong Ada is. She has way more speed and stamina than I do.¡±


    Violetta looked at me with pity. ¡°I-Is that so.¡±


    I dug my own grave with that one.


    ¡°Anyway. Ada and I can save our energy if we switch midway. We¡¯ll need it when exploring the cavern. We¡¯ll also get there sooner.¡±


    ¡°I refuse,¡± said Hilde.


    ¡°Come on, not even for a little bit?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you poke Violetta. She¡¯s a child.¡±


    I instantly realized what Hilde was referring to. ¡°That was a special case! That happened because of what you were wearing!¡±


    Or not wearing, to be more accurate.


    ¡°Poke?¡± Violetta raised an eyebrow and placed an index finger on her chin. ¡°I ride with Father a lot, but I¡¯ve never experienced anything like that.¡±


    It¡¯d be scary if you did.


    ¡°A few days ago,¡± said Hilde, ¡°this guy¡¯s pen-¡±


    ¡°Stop!!!¡± I waved my hands around in panic. ¡°I¡¯ll walk! The whole way! I love walking! Walking is the best!¡±


    ***


    We eventually arrived at our destination. Hilde alighted from Sabre and helped Violetta down. The cavern entrance was about the same size as Harena¡¯s stone gate. I peeked inside and saw a path leading deeper underground.


    ¡°Wait here, Sabre.¡± I stroked her blond forelock.


    We didn¡¯t know what kind of terrain waited for us inside. An ecus wouldn¡¯t be able to climb up ledges or squeeze into small gaps.


    She gently rubbed her nose on my cheek, acknowledging my request.


    Keeping a hand on the wall, I stepped inside. My footsteps clacked on the stone ground, echoing in the darkness. To my relief, the interior felt much cooler than the desert outside.


    ¡°Lux.¡±


    A small orb of light appeared a few inches above my palm.


    Violetta¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Wow! You can use magic!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I puffed out my chest. ¡°I¡¯m not confident with a sword, but my spells aren¡¯t too shabby.¡± I made a few more orbs and threw them deeper into the cave to light the path.


    ¡°All this time I thought you were just Ada¡¯s errand boy. You¡¯re amazing Leon!¡±


    ¡°Uh, thanks, I guess?¡±


    I used just enough mana for the light orbs, so the path was still quite dark. The stale air felt unpleasant, and an eerie silence wrapped around us, making me hesitate to go deeper. Without batting an eyelid, Hilde passed us and tried to lead the way.


    I grabbed her hand to stop her. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead. Please take care of Violetta. You¡¯ll be able to react faster than me if something happens.¡±


    And I didn¡¯t wanna get lost in a place like this.


    Hilde nodded and let me take the front.


    ¡°I¡¯ll map the path we¡¯re taking,¡± said Violetta while taking out a small ink stone and paper.


    That wasn¡¯t necessary. Though a bit dim, my lux orbs would last for a few hours, so we could use them to find our way back. But Violetta seemed eager to help. It couldn¡¯t hurt to have a backup plan.


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you,¡± I said with a smile.


    Violetta nodded with a determined look, pressing the sheet of paper on her modest breast.


    We continued down the cavern in a single line with Violetta in the middle. There didn¡¯t seem to be any other paths. People wouldn¡¯t get lost in here. I couldn¡¯t help but imagine a morbid end for Violetta¡¯s attendants. I kept quiet about it to avoid worrying her.


    Violetta screamed and grabbed onto my back, her fingers digging into my ragged shirt.


    ¡°What is it!?¡± I turned around with her still clinging to me.


    ¡°A bug..!¡±


    I held out my palm to illuminate the area. What I saw made my jaw drop.


    Hilde was chewing on something. A segmented tail stuck out of her lips.


    ¡°What¡¯re you eating!?¡±


    ¡°The bug.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat things off the ground! Wait, that¡¯s not it. Don¡¯t eat a random bug! It might be poisonous.¡±


    Hilde shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t on the ground but on the wall. And it¡¯s safe to eat. Violetta got scared, so I decided to get rid of it.¡±


    As expected, she completely missed the point.


    Violetta shivered behind me while peeking at Hilde. ¡°T-T-T-Thank-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself,¡± I said. ¡°Even I¡¯m a little freaked out.¡±


    Hilde stared at us and blinked a few times, unsure why we reacted that way.


    After I got Violetta to calm down, we continued down the path and reached a large cavern. I tossed several lux orbs around so we could see better. Two large holes, each the size of a small house, decorated the far wall of the cavern.


    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡± I asked.


    Hilde drew her blades. ¡°Dead bodies.¡±


    I tensed. ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Stay close to me, Violetta.¡±


    I walked further in while channeling Violetta¡¯s fear, ready to cast glacies at any time. There was something heaped in a small pile in the corner of the cavern. The smell got stronger as I got closer. My morbid imagination proved to be accurate. The light on my palm revealed a mound of corpses.


    I recognized the crest on their shields and uniforms. ¡°Arthas soldiers? What are they doing here?¡±


    Hilde approached with Violetta close behind her. ¡°...Are the attendants¡­¡±


    Learning from her mistake earlier, Hilde didn¡¯t finish her question.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell. I¡¯ll move the bodies to check those underneath.¡± I began pulling down the corpses on top. ¡°I wonder how long they¡¯ve been here?¡±


    Aside from crushed limbs, the bodies all had a large puncture wound somewhere on their torso. Their skin had an odd blue tint. I checked the chest wounds and found a viscous blue liquid inside. The cavern was colder than the surface, but it wasn¡¯t chilly enough to keep corpses from rotting. The bodies didn¡¯t look fresh, but neither did they smell completely foul. That blue ooze might be keeping them from rotting.


    Some kind of monster was probably responsible for this massacre. I decided to hurry up before whatever attacked them came after us. I got to the middle of the flesh stack, but all I found were Arthas soldiers.


    A bubbling mass of hunger appeared from one of the holes in the far wall.


    ¡°Hilde! Something¡¯s coming!¡±


    She took a fighting stance, her dual blades extended. A gigantic scorpion with two tails crawled out of the hole, which was just large enough to let it through. It rushed towards us at an incredible speed.


    Weave.


    ¡°Granting dreams of peace. Cage without release.¡±


    Target.


    The scorpion¡¯s head.


    Execute.


    ¡°Glacies!¡±


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°Glacies!!!¡±


    A miscast. It wasn¡¯t the first time I failed at executing a spell, but that almost never happened after I got the hang of the basic processes. Why now?


    Hilde noticed something was wrong. She moved away from Violetta and focused on the enemy.


    ¡°Get over here, Violetta!¡± I shouted.


    Hilde ran to the monster scorpion and rolled forward to avoid its right claw. She crouched underneath the beast and thrust her sword to its thorax. A loud knock mixed with Violetta¡¯s fearful cry. The blade didn¡¯t even scratch the creature¡¯s shell.


    Violetta stumbled on her way to me. I dashed forward and caught her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Violetta shut her eyes, her body trembling.


    ¡°Open your eyes and look forward! We¡¯re running!¡± I grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the fight. ¡°Hilde, aim for the joints!¡±


    ¡°Already doing that!¡±


    Her dagger bounced off the creature¡¯s leg joint. She flipped backward twice to dodge the scorpion¡¯s tails. The stingers embedded themselves into the stone ground, leaving the tail open to attack. Hilde struck the joint carrying the stinger but did no damage.


    She needed a weapon effective against armor, but I wasn¡¯t confident at conjuring anything other than a sword, the only melee weapon I trained with. Not only that, none of us were in the right emotional state for metal magic. Hilde had been more cornered when I channeled her determination in the slave traders¡¯ carriage. Being chained up had incited her anger, which in turn reinforced her will. That said, I couldn¡¯t wait around until she got desperate. One blow from the giant scorpion could kill her.


    I looked around, desperate to find anything that could help. The pile of corpses came into view. Soldiers normally carried weapons, but I didn¡¯t remember seeing any while unraveling the bodies earlier. That meant they dropped them before they were lumped together, probably where the scorpion killed them.


    ¡°Lux!¡± I poured mana into the ball of light floating above my palm.


    The orb became brighter as it increased in size. When it threatened to spill out of my hand, I threw the orb into the air, illuminating the entire chamber. I searched the area for any useful weapons. There were shields, swords, and pieces of armor strewn about in different spots of the cavern.


    ¡°There!¡± I ran to a poleaxe on the ground while pulling Violetta along. I let go of her hand and held her shoulders. ¡°I have to help Hilde.¡±


    ¡°H-Hilde?¡±


    Without waiting for a proper answer, I grabbed the poleaxe and lifted it. It was heavier than I thought. Even the staff was metal.


    I glanced at our client ¡°Stay here.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    I tapped into her fear again and gave ice magic another try. ¡°Glacies!¡±


    Nothing.


    I gave up on attacking the scorpion and focused on giving Hilde the weapon. Even if she wasn¡¯t adept at using it, it would still be better than her tiny blades against that monster. I carried the poleaxe on my shoulder and dashed towards the battle.


    Hilde¡¯s short sword had broken. All she could do was dodge the scorpion¡¯s attacks. The scorpion rushed forward and tried to grab her with its right pincer. Like a master acrobat, she flipped sideways and landed on the claw. She ran up the creature¡¯s arm and thrust her dagger, aiming for an eye.


    The scorpion moved its arm, causing Hilde to lose balance. Her strike missed and bounced off its head. A stinger came hurtling from above, forcing Hilde to jump off the creature to avoid getting impaled. The other stinger chased after her. She leapt backward to avoid it, but the stinger still tore off a piece of her skirt. Hilde dashed away from the creature, probably to come up with a new strategy. That was my chance.


    Straining my legs, I ran to intercept her. ¡°Hilde! Take this!¡±


    She opened both hands in front of her, ready to catch the weapon. I gathered strength in my arms and threw the poleaxe.


    Hilde tripped on the staff and tumbled to the ground. My throw had fallen short.


    She jumped to her feet. ¡°Are you trying to get us killed!?¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡±


    Fortunately, the creature took its time to approach. I didn¡¯t know whether it was being wary or toying with us. Hilde picked up the poleaxe with one hand and checked the head, which had a curved blade on one side and a hammer on the other.


    ¡°Get away.¡± Hilde gripped the staff with both hands and placed it on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a burden.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I ran away from the scorpion while keeping my eyes peeled for another weapon in case the poleaxe broke.


    Seeing nothing useful nearby, I checked on Hilde. Two stingers descended on her at the same time. She narrowly avoided them by stepping forward. The tails fell right behind her, the gust they created ruffling her silver hair and torn skirt. The stingers stabbed into the stone ground, momentarily stopping the scorpion¡¯s movements.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Hilde lowered her stance and drew the poleaxe all the way back until the head touched the ground behind her. With a ferocious battle cry, she swung the hammer overhead and into the scorpion¡¯s face.


    The monster released an ear-piercing shriek. The metal hammer bounced off but left a deep crack in the carapace. Clearly in pain, the creature shuffled backward and pulled out its stingers from the ground. Holding the poleaxe in one hand, Hilde wrapped her free arm and legs onto the retreating tail. The creature unwittingly carried her over its defenseless body.


    Hilde twisted her body to get on top of the tail. With a flick of her wrist, she moved her grip to the tail of the staff and secured it with her other hand. The scorpion tried to shake her off, but it was too late. Leaping off the tail with a shout, Hilde swung the poleaxe downward, her extended grip adding tremendous power to the blow.


    I sensed an enormous mass of hunger. It didn¡¯t belong to the injured scorpion.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I didn¡¯t have time to watch Hilde¡¯s attack connect. I quickly turned my head and saw a larger scorpion appear from the other hole, probably woken by its kin¡¯s scream.


    The thing Hilde was fighting had crawled out of its hole without trouble earlier, but this one had to squeeze itself through a hole the same size.


    Directly in its line of sight was Violetta.


    I dashed to Violetta and tackled her to the ground. The creature¡¯s claw zipped right above us. Ignoring her trembling, I grabbed Violetta¡¯s arm and dragged her to her feet. We ran underneath the creature and continued until we got behind it.


    I peeked behind me and saw a giant claw barreling towards us. This thing could turn quicker than I thought. And it was learning. The swing swept low, preventing us from ducking its pincer like earlier. Violetta was in its path.


    My body moved on its own. I pulled Violetta with everything I had, throwing her in front of me. Then the world spun around. My face scraped the hard ground, cutting open my lips. But I was still alive. The claw only grazed me.


    The creature approached Violetta, its tail rearing up. I realized that the blow earlier knocked me forward, taking me past her. I forced my quivering body to move. Breathing felt ridiculously difficult. My ribs were probably cracked or broken. I tried to push myself up with my right hand. That was when I noticed. My elbow was bent the wrong way.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!¡±


    The gut-wrenching pain robbed my concentration. I couldn¡¯t even use my own fear to weave any spells. But if I didn¡¯t do anything, Violetta would die.


    Who cared? I certainly didn¡¯t. I was only fighting for Hilde. Even this mission was to get money for my journey with her. If I focused on running away, escape might be possible.


    Even so.


    I stood in front of the terrified Violetta and glared at the monster. What was I doing? I didn¡¯t understand why, but I was protecting her. And I would die. From the corner of my eye, I saw Hilde running in my direction. She had probably defeated the other scorpion. But she was too far and too late. I wondered if I was only imagining the desperation on her face. I wished I wasn¡¯t.


    The pair of stingers rose up and came down like a guillotine. I shut my eyes and got swallowed by the darkness.


    A hair-raising screech forced my eyes open.


    A familiar back appeared in front of me. The hem of his scruffy brown scarf caressed my cheek before falling to his back.


    ¡°Your bravery is awe-inspiring, Sir Leon. I shall handle the rest.¡±


    The scorpion convulsed before the righteous thief. A brown liquid coated its head.


    ¡°Poison?¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Felix showed me a black ball and gave it a shake. ¡°I shall elaborate later!¡±


    He threw the ball at the creature¡¯s head. The scorpion used its tails to block it. The ball shattered and smeared brown liquid on the carapace, but it didn¡¯t have any effect. It seemed the head was its only weak point, specifically the eyes and mouth.


    Felix dashed to the right and led the creature away from me and Violetta. He moved like lightning, nimbly dodging its tails and claws. The scorpion rotated to chase after Felix as he circled around. Then he vanished. The scorpion stopped, unsure where the enemy went.


    Felix appeared behind it and thrust two curved daggers into the base of the scorpion¡¯s tails. Unlike Hilde¡¯s slashes that aimed to crack the joints, Felix jammed his blades into the paper-thin gaps between the creature¡¯s armor. With a blood-curdling cry, its two tails spasmed and then fell limp on the ground. The daggers were probably coated with the same poison used for the balls.


    Felix went down on one knee. ¡°Now Miss Ada!¡±


    Hilde came from behind him and stepped on his shoulder. In that instant, Felix forcefully stood up, launching Hilde high into the air. Holding the poleaxe by the tail, she flipped forward once and swung the poleaxe downward. The hammer smashed the creature¡¯s head, causing its brain and blood to splatter onto Hilde¡¯s dress as she landed on its back. The scorpion¡¯s body twitched several times before crashing to the ground.


    Their teamwork amazed me, but it also lit a flicker of jealousy in my heart. Why couldn¡¯t I have been the one to help her?


    Oh right, I had a broken arm.


    I fell to my knees, unable to resist the pain of my injuries.


    ¡°Leon!¡± Violetta panicked, her hands flapping about. She tried to hold my body up.


    ¡°Guh!¡± I coughed violently. ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t. Ribs¡­ cracked.¡±


    ¡°Sir Leon!¡± Felix rushed to my side. He pulled out a small vial and pressed it against my lips. ¡°Here, drink this.¡±


    Distracted by the pain, I didn¡¯t give it much thought and gulped down the bitter liquid. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Poison.¡±


    I choked on the remainder in my throat.


    ¡°Rest easy. It¡¯s a paralysis poison. It numbs a person¡¯s body to stop them from moving. In this case, it will take away the pain of your injuries.¡±


    ¡°T-That so.¡±


    The pain gradually disappeared. I lost feeling in my limbs as Felix gently laid me down on my back. Hilde walked up to me and ran her eyes over my battered body. Without saying a word, she turned away and approached Violetta, who crumpled to the ground crying. I was honestly impressed Violetta didn¡¯t break down until now considering the danger she had faced.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Felix removed my shirt. ¡°I shall treat your wounds.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it. I¡¯m merely doing what anyone would.¡± He prepared a splint using a scabbard lying on the ground.


    The paralysis potion I drank seemed to be taking effect. I could breathe easier, and my broken arm didn¡¯t bother me as much.


    ¡°Where did you get the poison you used against that thing?¡±


    ¡°I made it.¡± He flashed a proud smile. ¡°I fed a dodo poctus needles and used its droppings for the base toxin. Then I added screaming lily sap and fliphog saliva to increase the potency and turn it into a potion. The clay balls I had on hand. Those are useful in combat, so I always keep some in my bag.¡±


    ¡°...Weren¡¯t those the items specified in the announcement board requests?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I saw the Nepa Cavern missing person request right after arriving at Harena. I decided to take the request because I¡¯ve fought stone scorpions before. I had to escape back then because nothing I did could harm these hardy creatures. Since then, I studied ways to defeat them, including the poison I used. I didn¡¯t have any ready, so I had to make it from scratch. I posted those requests to get as much help as possible in gathering the ingredients, but in the end, no one came to my assistance.¡±


    The thieving tutor request had reminded me of Felix, but I was surprised to find out all the requests on the board were his. Based on those ingredients, the poison itself wasn¡¯t encantus. Despite his strange ability to appear out of thin air, Felix probably didn¡¯t have cor.


    ¡°It took me a while to prepare everything.¡± Felix wrapped a bandage on my arm, setting it on the splint. ¡°If I had arrived earlier, you wouldn¡¯t have been injured like this. A thousand apologies.¡±


    ¡°No, Felix. You saved my life. And Violetta¡¯s. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That is nothing compared to the courage you displayed. Protecting a maiden despite these wounds.¡± Tears rolled down his cheeks as he held my left hand. ¡°I am so moved!¡±


    Things were getting a little weird, but I could sense he meant it in a normal way. Probably.


    Felix checked on my ribs by pressing on my sides. ¡°I tried to speak with the client for this request, but she refused to see me.¡±


    ¡°Violetta did?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Violetta walked to my side and crouched down. ¡°I did decline someone before you and Ada took my request.¡± She glanced at Felix then looked back at me. ¡°I mean, the message said he introduced himself as a thief. I didn¡¯t want to associate with criminals.¡±


    This guy.


    ¡°Felix, why would you introduce yourself as a thief to a client?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Felix furrowed his brows, perplexed. ¡°It is true.¡±


    ¡°Thieves don¡¯t admit to being thieves, you know?¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!!! Again, you have opened my mind to the truth, Sir Leon! A thousand thanks!¡±


    I sighed. ¡°No big deal. And my name isn¡¯t Leon. My companion isn¡¯t called Ada, either. I made that all up. My real name is Karius, and she¡¯s, well, Hilde for now.¡±


    Violetta¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Eh?¡±


    Felix brandished a wide grin. ¡°I knew it!¡±


    He knew I was lying? This guy was shrewder than he seemed.


    Felix shook my limp hand. ¡°You truly are a master of deception, Sir Karius! I, Felix of the Ferris clan, was completely fooled! I would be honored if you could teach me your devious ways!¡±


    Maybe not.


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing like that!¡±


    ¡°Yes you are.¡± Hilde¡¯s face appeared above me and turned aside. ¡°Violetta, there¡¯s no sign of your attendants here. No weapons, no clothes, nothing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re further in,¡± I said.


    ¡°There is no further.¡± Hilde pointed to the far wall with her thumb. ¡°The holes are dead ends. Probably nests.¡±


    I was surprised she could check that much in such a short time, but then again, she was Hilde.


    ¡°Then they never made it to the cavern. They might¡¯ve gotten lost on the surface.¡±


    Violetta¡¯s expression brightened up. ¡°Thank the gods¡­ I was so worried that those monsters¡­¡± Her eyes glistened with tears, but she was smiling. ¡°Thank you, Hilde.¡± She softly embraced my neck. ¡°And thank you, Karius, for going so far to save me. Thank you.¡±


    Her tears rolled to my cheek, but I couldn¡¯t feel them because of the paralysis.


    ¡°As expected of Master. You captured the heart of a maiden with your courage and lies!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your master! And that praise doesn¡¯t even make sense!¡±


    Hilde¡¯s face appeared above me. ¡°Violetta, you¡¯re being tricked by this guy. It¡¯s fine right now because he can¡¯t move, but don¡¯t get so close to him normally.¡±


    Oh? Was this jealousy?


    Violetta gently released my neck and turned to Hilde. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes he casually touches my body here and there.¡±


    She knew about that!!??


    ¡°No, wait, I was just checking our-¡± A powerful dizziness attacked me. ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    ¡°I forgot to mention,¡± said Felix, ¡°the poison you drank will put you to sleep for about a day. Rest easy, I shall fulfill my duty as your disciple in deception and carry you back to Harena.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not my¡­ dis...¡± My eyelids slid down.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished treatment. Looks like he fell asleep.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see or feel a thing, but it seemed my ears still worked. My clothes rustled.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Hilde¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯ll carry him.¡±


    ¡°But as a gentleman, I can¡¯t allow a lady-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you. And he¡¯s my responsibility. He¡¯s¡­ my companion.¡±


    ¡°Understood. A thousand apologies for my meddling.¡±


    More rustling followed. After a few moments, the faint sound of breathing took its place. While I struggled to engrave her words into my fading consciousness, a familiar sour-sweet scent ferried me to the land of dreams.

 Interlude B: Ambush

    ¡°Would you happen to know where the spare saddles are?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the Brent boy.¡± The scar-faced knight looked down at me from his steed. ¡°What do you need them for?¡±


    ¡°Sir Richter¡¯s saddle strap broke. He asked me to fetch a replacement.¡±


    The knight made a derisive smirk. ¡°Did you come all the way here to be an errand boy? Figures. I heard you couldn¡¯t fight because of an injury. Invalids don¡¯t belong on the battlefield. Using your family name to learn under Sir Richter¡­ What a disgrace.¡±


    I gritted my teeth, silently enduring the insults. I had thrown the same words at Karius before, but I never realized how painful they were until now. I couldn¡¯t deny the knight¡¯s accusation. The reason I was allowed to join this mission was a secret between me and Master.


    ¡°I think serving my Master during his mission is part of the duties of a squire. More importantly, the saddles?¡±


    The knight snorted loudly. ¡°They¡¯re in the second to the last wagon.¡±


    I thanked the rude knight and followed his direction, eventually reaching a large wagon pulled by two ecuses. I pushed open the flaps covering the rear entrance and climbed aboard.


    ¡°Where was it?¡± I rummaged around, searching for the saddles.


    It was hard to find anything in the mess of supplies. My mind wandered as I pushed wooden crates around.


    Our party had been traveling for a few days now, but there was still no sign of Karius. We had already passed Harena, where the advance party had gone. Master had not received any word from the scouts, so he concluded that the fugitives had already left that city.


    I had to find Karius. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but the reason could wait. First, I needed to catch him.


    I flexed my right hand but couldn¡¯t exert any power, at least not enough to fight with a sword. I¡¯d gotten better at using my left because of Master¡¯s training, but I was still a far cry from my former self.


    I noticed a pile of rags behind one of the large crates. Thinking the saddles could be hidden underneath, I pulled away a few layers. The pile was deeper than I thought. I kept going until I reached the bottom.


    I didn¡¯t expect to see an actual bottom, though. A cute one, at that.


    A girl was balled up with her head down, butt facing me. She trembled on top of a bed of small crates like a cornered mouse. I felt tempted to keep watching a bit longer, but a sharp neigh from the ecus tied to the wagon pulled me back to my senses.


    I scolded myself for thinking improper things and coughed to clear my throat. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    I gently tugged at her skirt to get her attention. ¡°You¡¯re not hiding from anyone by doing that.¡±


    The girl nervously turned around and saw my face. ¡°Lucius?¡±


    I forgot to breathe for a second. ¡°Annabelle. Why are you-¡±


    I held my tongue. Her reason for sneaking into the search party was obvious. No matter how much she pretended not to, she loved her brother. Lisa and the other girls never noticed, but I did. With all the time I spent watching her, it¡¯d be stranger not to.


    Annabelle looked lost for a moment but eventually stood up. We faced each other at eye level with her perched on top of a crate.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°...That went easier than expected.¡±


    ¡°Just came out.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mean it?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°The opposite. It slipped out because I meant it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Annabelle looked at me from top to bottom.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were gonna be like ¡®I¡¯m gonna report you to Master right now! I can¡¯t break the rules!¡¯ or something.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ does sound like me. But this is a special case.¡±


    ¡°Special?¡±


    ¡®Because you asked me.¡¯ As if I could say something that embarrassing.


    I wracked my brain for a suitable excuse to no avail. She looked at me suspiciously. Whatever. Just go with the flow, Lucius!


    In an attempt to stop my cheeks from twitching, I accidentally made an evil grin. ¡°Karius is under suspicion for treason. If I told Master about you now, he¡¯ll send you back. I won¡¯t be able to use you as a hostage to catch your brother.¡±


    ...I wanted to punch myself for panicking and saying the worst thing possible.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a hostage. This is all a misunderstanding. Kari would never do something like that.¡±


    Her unconditional trust for Karius ticked me off.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I showed her my broken right hand. ¡°But he definitely did this. He used Glacies on my hand. I can no longer hold a sword with because of it.¡±


    Her expression turned dark. I felt guilty for being so immature. I shouldn¡¯t be lashing out at her for defending her family.


    As I was about to apologize, I realized I had just spilled confidential information. Karius using magic and being a traitor were supposed to be a secret. As I fumbled for a way out of the hole I dug myself, Master¡¯s voice came from the outside the wagon.


    ¡°Lucius, what¡¯s taking so long?¡±


    I tried my best to sound natural. ¡°I had a hard time finding the saddle! I¡¯ll be right out!¡±


    ¡°Okay. Hurry up.¡± His footsteps faded away.


    Annabelle pointed to a crate secured by rope netting. ¡°The saddles are over there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I quickly unfastened the netting and peeled off the cloth cover, revealing a stack of saddles.


    ¡°No big deal. Thanks for not telling Sir Richter about me.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean much. Someone else will find you sooner or later.¡±


    She put on a steadfast expression and stared into my eyes. ¡°Then please find my brother before that happens.¡±


    Then her stomach rumbled.


    ¡°...¡±


    Her face turned beet red. ¡°......Say something.¡±


    ¡°That would¡¯ve been a cool parting line if your belly-¡±


    ¡°On second thought, shut up!!! And don¡¯t say belly! I¡¯m the slimmest in my group!¡±


    I hurriedly held a finger across my lips. ¡°Shhh!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault for saying something like that!¡± She waved her arms around in panic. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten in days! I didn¡¯t think this journey would take this long! I can¡¯t help it, okay!?¡±


    ¡°You were the one who asked! Anyway, keep quiet! I have to go back before Master gets angry.¡± I grabbed a saddle and hopped off the wagon. Before leaving, I peeked my head through the wagon¡¯s flaps. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you something later.¡±


    She showed a dumbfounded look. Without waiting for an answer, I rushed off to deliver the saddle.


    After finishing my daily training, I packed a few pieces of bread, jerky, and a pouch of water in my leather bag. On my way to Annabelle¡¯s wagon, a relatively weak sandstorm started up and peppered my light armor with dirt. Such things were common, so I didn¡¯t give it much attention.


    I carefully looked around before climbing aboard. The wagon had returned to the way it looked before I rummaged around earlier. She had likely fixed it to prevent anyone from noticing her presence. While dusting off my clothes, I walked towards the high pile of blankets.


    I peeled off the rags one by one, but there was no bottom at the bottom. ...Not that I was looking forward to it. Where did she go?


    Someone tapped on my shoulder.


    ¡°Gwoh!¡± While reaching for my sword, I turned around and hopped backward.


    ¡°Easy now! It¡¯s me!¡± Annabelle held her hands in front.


    ¡°You almost gave me a heart attack!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my line! Can you let go of your sword now?¡±


    I did as she asked. ¡°What are you doing over there?¡±


    ¡°I changed my hiding place. More importantly, ¡®Gwoh?¡¯¡±


    ¡°I-I was surprised.¡±


    Annabelle put a hand over her lips and giggled, the waves of her hazel hair gently bobbing. ¡°Sorry. I just didn¡¯t expect the star of our generation Lucius to say ¡®Gwoh.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t repeat it.¡± I sighed as I pushed my bag to her. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    She took it and peeked inside. Her eyes went wide open for a moment. Then she briskly took out the water pouch and guzzled the contents. After drinking her fill, she daintily wiped her moist lips and chin with a white embroidered handkerchief. She remembered her manners a little too late, but I didn¡¯t say anything. Pulling on an ecus¡¯s tail was never a good idea, unless you liked getting kicked.


    She smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Thanks. I ran out of water last night.¡± She glanced at me and then at the food in the bag. ¡°May I?¡±


    I nodded.


    She scurried to a corner of the wagon and began nibbling on the bread like a squirrel. I sat down near the entrance flaps as a look out.


    A smile naturally floated on my face as I watched her eat. I always enjoyed looking at her, but this time, half the reason for my wry grin was irony. I had accepted the possibility of never seeing her again when I set out on this journey, but we had ended up talking more than ever.


    She caught me staring at her and stopped eating. ¡°What is it? If you have something to say, go ahead and say it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect the sudden interrogation, so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. ¡°I-I was just wondering how you did your business while hiding here. You could sneak out at night to defecate, but what about passing water?¡±


    She dropped a piece of jerky on her lap, her mouth agape.


    Damn.


    That took the prize for my most tactful line ever.


    ¡°Sorry! It just came out! I didn¡¯t mean it!¡±


    ¡°...I remember someone saying that words which slip out naturally are meant.¡± She looked at me as if I were a piece of garbage in a filthy alley.


    ¡°This is different! I just panicked. I didn¡¯t mean it. Really.¡±


    She turned away in a huff before continuing her meal. I was a little surprised she didn¡¯t complain about the tough jerky. A young lady of her standing surely ate the best meals in Arthas. Seeing such a hardy side of her was strangely satisfying, as if we were sharing a secret no one else knew.


    Conversation completely died since then. I could hear powerful gusts blowing outside. The sandstorm had grown stronger in the short time I¡¯d been sitting in the wagon. Fortunately, the leather flaps at the wagon entrance protected us from the sand.


    She broke the deadlock between us. ¡°I used the blankets and threw them out at night.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat it! That¡¯s how I relieved myself! Are you happy now? Is this your way of getting back at me, Mr. Gwoh?¡±


    ¡°No! I was wrong for asking something so insensitive, but I didn¡¯t force you to answer either.¡±


    ¡°...I figured people might get suspicious if they notice blankets disappearing one by one.¡± She turned around and crouched, covering her face with her palms. ¡°It¡¯d be easier for you to make up excuses if I don¡¯t keep you in the dark. Like you said, I¡¯ll get discovered sooner or later, but I don¡¯t want you to get in trouble when that happens.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. Unfortunately, the cause wasn¡¯t her endearing concern.


    ¡°Monster attack!¡± shouted one of the knights outside.


    ¡°Are we gonna be okay?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Honesty isn¡¯t always a virtue.¡±


    ¡°Right. Sorry.¡± I pushed aside the flap covering the wagon exit.


    ¡°Hey, I was just kidding. Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Out to see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Please wait! Don¡¯t leave me alo-¡±


    I jumped off the wagon and drew my sword with my left hand.


    Her request was tempting, but I forced myself to move. A large monster could attack this wagon from outside at any time. I couldn¡¯t protect her in there.


    I looked around after taking a few steps from the wagon. Knights scurried about, and sounds of battle came from all over, but the sandy wind made the enemies hard to see.


    I heard a loud purring sound to my right. A fluffy brown cat the size of a donkey sat like a ball on the ground. Unlike a normal feline, it had short limbs that were almost hidden underneath its furry body. Its tail lazily waved around in the wind. The animal focused on me, its pupils dilated into round discs, but didn¡¯t seem to be hostile. If not for the oddity of the current situation, I would¡¯ve found it cute.


    ¡°Behind you!¡± screamed Annabelle.


    I reflexively turned about face and blocked another cat, one with black fur, with my sword. Its long claws scraped against my blade. I almost lost grip of my weapon from the impact.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Annabelle peeked from the flaps on the wagon. ¡°Dust cats look adorable, but they¡¯re very dangerous! Don¡¯t get distracted!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± I swung my sword at the black cat.


    The feline easily dodged my attack. My left arm didn¡¯t have enough speed to hit it.


    ¡°How can I help!?¡± asked Annabelle.


    I could barely hear her shout because of the strong gusts. ¡°Just hide inside! If I fall, run to the leading wagons!¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not leaving you behind! I¡¯m sick of running away!


    I parried the cats¡¯ attacks while backing away. They seemed to be toying with me. The sand entering my eyes made it hard to focus. Moreover, I was completely at a disadvantage without a shield. The fighting style Master taught me required one. That thought gave me an idea.


    ¡°A shield! Get me a shield!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Annabelle¡¯s face disappeared from the flaps.


    There were no shields inside the wagon. I had asked her to bring one to get her away from here, but she seemed to have other ideas.


    I sidestepped the brown cat¡¯s pounce and faked a slash. It jumped to the side. I caught it with a kick to the gut. The cat rolled on the sand but quickly got back on its feet, taking no damage.


    My guess was right. These animals were fairly intelligent, able to predict attacks instead of just reacting to them. Its initial docile demeanor was likely a trap to ambush me.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Fast. Smart. Tough. And they had the numbers. It was impossible to win in my current state.


    The black cat circled around to my rear and pounced. I rotated as fast as I could and swung my sword at its head. The creature caught the blade with its teeth. Ridiculous. No wonder help hadn¡¯t come yet. The Arthas knights were likely busy fighting against this cat¡¯s friends.


    The creature¡¯s momentum pushed me to the ground. Before I could do anything, the cat climbed on top of me, pinning me down. It was lighter than I thought, but its sharp claws still dug into my light armor. With my sword still stuck in its mouth, I used all my strength to push its head away. However, the cat was stronger than I was. Its fangs drew closer to my face an inch at a time. I could feel its balmy breath on my nose, causing the hairs on my body to rise. The other cat leisurely circled around us, as if mocking my helplessness.


    I had no way of fighting back.


    But I would.


    I had to.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt Annie!!!¡± Squeezing out all the strength in my arms, I pushed the black beast off my body and kicked it away.


    I rolled backward and got to my feet. I parried the brown cat¡¯s attack, letting the creature pass by my right side.


    ¡°Lucius, catch!¡± Annabelle tossed something at me.


    I caught it with my right hand. I stared at it completely dumbfounded.


    It was a saddle. Why would she-


    ¡°Use it as a shield! I already prepared the straps!¡±


    I checked the bottom of the saddle. The straps were tied up so I could wear the thing on my arm. While desperately dodging the cats¡¯ assault, I managed to equip the saddle. I held the shield in front of me, keeping my right foot forward, just like Master taught.


    Even though my right hand was broken, my arm, stronger than any squire¡¯s, was perfectly fine. I used that strength to counter the brown cat¡¯s attack with a backhand shield bash. The heavy wooden saddle hit the creature squarely on the head, stunning it.


    The black cat grew wary and backed away slightly.


    Taking that chance, I closed in on the brown cat while fending off its claws with my shield. ¡°It¡¯s my turn, vermin!¡± I thrust my sword from behind the saddle to prevent the cat from seeing my attack.


    The blade¡¯s tip sank into the cat¡¯s shoulder. The animal shrieked in pain and backed off. I calmly pushed forward without pause, causing it to panic. The cat frantically swung its claws at me. I blocked each blow with the shield, slicing flesh off its legs as I did so.


    The creature fell to the ground near the wagon. Its front paws bled into the parched sand, leaving a faint dark brown stain. My new fighting style, untested in real combat, was more effective than expected.


    I recalled Master¡¯s words when I started training my left hand.


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen in your spars, your left hand is actually more nimble than your right even before it was injured. Use your right arm to block attacks, and use your left hand¡¯s dexterity to inflict light wounds with precise blows. This method looks cheap and cowardly, but it¡¯ll get the job done. Real combat isn¡¯t about impressing anyone. It¡¯s about killing. Keep training that, and you might become a passable soldier.¡±


    And train I did, until I my fingers bled and I stopped vomiting from fatigue.


    To be ready when I met Karius again. To regain my lost pride.


    But right now, all I could think of was keeping Annabelle safe.


    I turned my attention to the other enemy. The black cat circled around me without coming closer. I focused my full attention on it to counter its upcoming strike.


    ¡°Look around you!¡± Annabelle jumped from the wagon with a large blanket spread across her hands.


    Below her was the wounded brown cat. It was about to attack me from behind. The black cat moved around me to set me up for an ambush again.


    Annabelle covered the cat with the blanket as she landed, stopping its attack. The black cat made its move at the same time, but thanks to Annabelle¡¯s support, I was ready for it. While sidestepping to the left, I parried its claws with my shield and then stabbed its flank once, twice, thrice. It was dead.


    Annabelle¡¯s scream grabbed my attention. I frantically searched for her figure and saw her on sitting on the ground. The wounded brown cat loomed over her. She scurried backward in an attempt to put some distance between them, but the cat easily caught up despite its injury.


    ¡°Annie!¡± I poured all my energy into running, but the loose sand slowed me down.


    The cat¡¯s fangs surrounded her neck. All the cat needed to do was shut its mouth.


    I wouldn¡¯t make it.


    The brown cat flew upward. It floated about six feet from the ground before it split in two at the midsection. The bisected lumps landed by Master¡¯s feet. Annabelle froze in place, staring blankly at the spectacle.


    Master had kicked the monster into the air and chopped it in two.


    Blood dripped from his longsword. Seeing Annabelle safe, my sprint slowed to a jog.


    ¡°M-Master!¡± I stopped a few steps away from them.


    ¡°Good job, Lucius,¡± he said with an almost bored face.


    It was hard to hear him because of the bustling wind, but I could guess from his lip movement.


    I shook my head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect her.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can¡¯t. Not yet.¡± Master turned around.


    Beyond the mist of sand, I noticed four shadows heading towards us. They stood too low to be humans.


    Master readied his longsword as the first two shadows pounced at him. In one swing, he cleaved both cats in midair. He ducked just enough to avoid the third animal, which landed behind him. The fourth cat stopped in front of him. Master was now surrounded on both sides.


    I was about to step forward when Master shot me a stern look, telling me not to come near. He cocked his chin towards Annabelle. I nodded and rushed to her side.


    The cat behind Master took advantage of his distraction and lunged at his feet. Master casually stepped forward with the targeted foot, avoiding the bite. The cat in front leapt high into the air, aiming for Master¡¯s jugular. With minimal movement, Master twisted his shoulders to the side to avoid the attack. The cat landed on the other side but immediately toppled to the ground. Pink innards spilled out from the large gash on its abdomen.


    The other cat scurried backward and glanced at its death friend. With an arched spine and stiffened fur, the monster hissed at Master. Master calmly took a step towards it. Seeing no chance of victory, the animal turned tail, but Master had no intention of letting it go. He stepped on a dead cat¡¯s skull to accelerate forward. With flawless timing, the tip of Master¡¯s blade sliced the fleeing creature¡¯s rear foot. The cat tumbled to the ground, kicking up sand. Master mercilessly dealt a deathblow to its neck.


    I knew Sir Richter was one of the strongest knights in Arthas, but I¡¯d never seen him in action until now. He exhibited unparalleled power, finesse, and speed in the short battle. I felt proud of having looked up to him and coming under his tutelage.


    Master turned towards us. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll go help the others.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    He glanced at Annabelle. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± she asked. ¡°The wind¡¯s too noisy.¡±


    ¡°Master said prepare for a scolding.¡±


    Annabelle groaned in displeasure.


    Master dashed away, disappearing into the sand cloud. The dust literally settled after the sandstorm passed, causing the surviving cats to retreat. None of the knights were seriously injured. About twenty feline corpses were left behind. Master was responsible for half of them, while I could barely defeat one.


    I had to get stronger.


    Annabelle and I waited for Master outside the wagon. Curious about the creatures, I approached a dead cat and knelt down to check its body.


    ¡°Master¡¯s sword is magnificent. This creature died with its eyes open.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re giving him too much credit. A dust cat¡¯s eyes are never open.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s open. Look.¡± I twisted the cat¡¯s face towards her.


    ¡°Gross! Stop that!¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I released my hold on its fur.


    ¡°Geez. Anyway, a dust cat¡¯s eyes are special. The eyelids are transparent. Dust cats hide in sandstorms when hunting, so they need protection. That¡¯s also why they have short legs. They need to keep low on the ground to not get swept away by the gusts.¡±


    ¡°I see. You know a lot about these things.¡±


    ¡°Kari told me all about them. He read it in an encantus potion book. Dust cat claw powder is supposed to be a fairly expensive ingredient.¡±


    ¡°...He liked reading?¡±


    ¡°Loved it, especially books about magic.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why he was terrible with the sword.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s actually a different reason-¡± Annabelle covered her mouth with both hands.


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    She slowly lowered her hands and studied my face. ¡°You know, you¡¯re a lot nicer than I thought. I¡¯m the sister of the man who stole your sword, remember?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s got nothing to do with you. And my sword isn¡¯t lost yet. You saw my fight earlier, right? With more training-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be barely usable.¡± Master approached us. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky from a little praise.¡±


    I straightened my posture and touched a fist into my chest in salute. ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    He turned to Annabelle. ¡°You¡¯ll be returning to Arthas with three of my knights. Really, I wish you wouldn¡¯t trouble me like this.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Annabelle.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really have a say in this, Missy.¡±


    ¡°Do you think your group of knights can defeat my brother and that Valmaz warrior?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Karius got the drop on me before, but that¡¯ll never happen again.¡±


    ¡°Without casualties?¡±


    Master fell silent.


    Annabelle fearlessly stepped towards Master, who was several heads taller. ¡°If you use me as a hostage, you can get him to surrender without a fight. At the very least, he won¡¯t be able to attack you as easily.¡±


    I had heard from Master that Karius could use powerful wide area magic. Keeping Annabelle around would prevent him from sniping our group with such a spell. However, I didn¡¯t want Annabelle to be in danger either. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted her to tag along, but it wasn¡¯t my decision anyway.


    Master shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no proof that he¡¯ll do as you say, and the Valmaz warrior with him won¡¯t give a shit about you. You were almost killed by cats, for crying out loud. I can¡¯t bring useless baggage on a mission.¡±


    ¡°I know this mission is an important direct order from mother, but I still want to go.¡±


    ¡°...How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°I know many other things. I¡¯m a Corvider, Knight Master. So, have you changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°The poctus doesn¡¯t grow far from the root.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll forgive that insult in exchange for your generous consideration in allowing me to join your party.¡±


    Master heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°Fine. But you have to listen to everything I say during the journey.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    ¡°You two make a good pair.¡± Master walked away, leaving us alone.


    I didn¡¯t understand the truth behind their exchange, but I couldn¡¯t deny feeling happy that Master thought so. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you spoke to Master like that. Weren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    Annabelle grabbed onto my sleeve, leaning her weight on me with trembling knees. ¡°Does this answer your question?¡±


    I stifled a laugh, not because of her sorry state, but because I felt exactly the same way when I forced Master to take me on this trip.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡± she said.


    I shook my head and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Annabelle.¡±


    She looked at me, curiously at first, and then nodded with understanding. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You fought to protect me. Doing the same is the least I could do in return.¡±


    I recalled the words I screamed out while fighting off the cats. ¡°T-T-That was¡­ I can explain¡­ Um, er¡­¡±


    ¡°Annie.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Just call me Annie. You already shouted it out earlier. No point going back.¡± She averted her eyes for a moment. ¡°My mother calls me Annabelle. I don¡¯t like it. ¡±


    Still flustered, I couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m okay now.¡± She released my sleeve and took two steps backward.


    I tried my best not to let my disappointment show on my face, but I had trouble doing so. To avoid being seen through, I pretended to look around. I noticed the blanket she used to distract the cat earlier sitting on the ground. I picked it up to return it to the wagon. It was heavier than it looked, making me appreciate Annie¡¯s help earlier even more.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s this?¡± I felt a strange dampness in the cloth. ¡°Blood?¡±


    No, it didn¡¯t stain my fingertips, and the wet area wasn¡¯t red. I dug my face into the fabric and took a whiff. A pungent, slightly acidic fragrance entered my nostrils. Unable to determine what it was, I inhaled much deeper. I sensed a bit of saltiness as well. What could it be?


    With surprising strength, Annie snatched the blanket from me.


    Her face, shaped into an adorable pout, looked redder than the sunset in the desert¡¯s horizon. Her trembling fingers dug deeper into the fabric, as if trying to tear it apart.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, genuinely dumbfounded.


    ¡°Insensitive idiot!¡± She stomped away, leaving unexpectedly deep footprints for her size.

 Chapter 06: Dreams

    I woke up feeling like crap. How many times did this make since I met Hilde?


    I tried moving my limbs to check my condition. My body felt like lead. My right arm, wrapped in bandages, wouldn¡¯t move at all.


    My gaze rolled down from the ceiling to the shelves on the far wall. I was in my rented room in Harena. How did I get here?


    I remembered losing consciousness because of the poison Felix gave me. I also recalled smelling something familiar, a sweet yet faintly sour scent, right before passing out. That fragrance wafted close by, tickling my nose.


    I turned my head to the side and saw Hilde asleep on a chair beside the bed.


    ¡°Hilde?¡± I mumbled, finally noticing how parched my mouth was.


    She didn¡¯t respond. I tried shaking her thigh to no avail. Then I resorted to pulling her hand to put her off balance. That did the trick.


    ¡°Hilde. Hilde.¡± My lips felt even dryer than before.


    Blinking her almond shaped eyes a few times, she yawned and tilted her head for a moment. ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°At least remember your own alias.¡± I tried to force my heavy back off the bed.


    A sharp pain ran through my flank, causing me to lose strength. Hilde caught my back with a hand and gently lay me back down on the sheets.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. You¡¯ve been asleep for two nights.¡±


    ¡°Two? I thought Felix¡¯s poison was supposed to wear off after a day?¡±


    ¡°Felix underestimated how feeble you are. Violetta was worried, but I calmed her down by explaining to her how a complete weakling like you would take longer to regain consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for taking care of my reputation while I was out.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Sarcasm was lost on this girl.


    After examining her more closely, I noticed dirt covering parts of her body. Since I could smell her sweat, she probably hadn¡¯t taken a bath since coming back. That wasn¡¯t praiseworthy for a lady, but what if she went through that for my sake?


    ¡°Did you stay beside me the whole time?¡±


    ¡°No. Felix and Violetta took turns watching you. I got here about five minutes ago because they¡¯re both busy.¡±


    And she fell fast asleep in those few minutes. I felt so loved!


    ¡°Then why are you so dirty?¡±


    Hilde raised her arm slightly and gave it a sniff. ¡°Is the smell bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, I actually like, I mean, I don¡¯t mind at all. I was just wondering why you didn¡¯t wash up after getting back.¡±


    ¡°I did. This is from when I went with Felix to forage for herbs. He needed ingredients to make a balm for your cuts and scrapes.¡±


    That made sense. She was wearing a different outfit from the one I bought her.


    ¡°You went with him? Why?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, for your wounds. How are you feeling? You looked pretty mangled when I carried you back to the city.¡±


    Okay, I had to be dreaming.


    Not only had she helped Felix get medicine for me, she had also carried me back to Harena herself. She was also a lot more talkative than usual. What was going on?


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, Hilde. Why are you treating me so nicely all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to be treated like a bug?¡± Her tone was genuinely curious.


    I shook my head. ¡°I just don¡¯t get it. Didn¡¯t you hate mages?¡±


    ¡°I still do... but you¡¯re different. I was wary of of you because your motives made no sense and you deceived people so easily. But you risked your life to save Violetta from the scorpion. You couldn¡¯t have known Felix would save you. If your goal is to trick me, you wouldn¡¯t sacrifice yourself like that.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean you trust me now?¡±


    ¡°Not completely, but I¡¯m not afraid of you anymore. Everyone has secrets. As long as you¡¯re not my enemy, I won¡¯t dig any deeper.¡± She straightened her back. ¡°Thank you for helping me, Karius.¡±


    My heart filled to the brim.Those few warm words made me forget the thorny treatment I¡¯d received so far.


    Embarrassed, I calmed myself down by joking around. ¡°Now that you¡¯re at it, can you apologize for the insults you threw at me too?¡±


    ¡°What insults? I¡¯ve never insulted you. I only say what I think.¡±


    Heartless demon. Complete weakling. The list went on. She had meant all of it. Shit.


    Still, it was a big step in the right direction. I decided not to push my luck.


    Instead, luck pushed me.


    ¡°Could you get me some water?¡± I asked.


    Hilde nodded and picked up a ceramic pitcher from the bedside table. She sipped a mouthful of water and leaned over me. Her silver hair draped on my chest and cheek, tickling me.


    I remembered something like this happening before. Back in the surface when I ran out of mana and couldn¡¯t get up to drink¡­


    Hilde lifted my back off the bed and pressed her lips on mine. Lukewarm water mixed with her saliva poured into my bone dry mouth. Surprised, I reflexively closed my lips, spilling a bit of water down my chin, but she pried them open with her tongue and forced me to guzzle the rest.


    ¡°Tarnation!!!¡±


    I immediately pushed Hilde off me after hearing the familiar voice. Felix and Violetta stood motionlessly just past the open door.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Hilde. ¡°It spilled on the covers.¡±


    ¡°No, what are YOU doing!?¡± I shouted.


    Felix kneeled down and pressed his head on the floor. ¡°A thousand apologies for our intrusion! I merely wanted to check on your condition, Master! I shall accept any punishment for disturbing your time of pleasure!¡±


    Violetta covered her beet red face with trembling hands. ¡°I knew it! Karius and Hilde are lovers!¡±


    Hilde turned to the two visitors. ¡°We¡¯re not lovers. He made me do that.¡±


    Violetta shrieked. ¡°Karius is a beast! Forcing a lady to kiss! A beast!¡±


    ¡°I just asked for water! Not that I didn¡¯t enjoy it, but there are issues!¡±


    Hilde raised her left eyebrow ever so slightly. ¡°What issues?¡±


    ¡°Issues! ...I¡¯m a man, and you¡¯re a woman. We shouldn¡¯t kiss so casually. Like Violetta said, only lovers do that.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Whoa! A confession!? Something like, ¡®We can take our relationship to the next level.¡¯ or ¡®We¡¯re lovers already, aren¡¯t we?¡¯


    With a deadpan tone, Hilde said, ¡°Because I¡¯ve never thought of you as a man.¡±


    I wanted to cry.


    Seeing me shrivel up like a raisin, Violetta stepped forward, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Karius! Hilde warned me about getting close to you because you¡¯d touch my unripe body in a lascivious way! That means she sees you as a man to some extent!¡±


    I didn¡¯t like how she said it, but I appreciated the effort.


    ¡°I did say that.¡± Hilde crossed her arms. ¡°Let me reword what I said. I¡¯ve never thought of myself as a woman.¡±


    That was worse. Changing Hilde¡¯s image of me was tough enough. How she saw herself was beyond my ability to fix.


    ¡°M-Master¡­¡± Felix dabbed away teardrops from the corners of his eyes.


    Violetta pressed her fists on her chest. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be okay! I¡¯m sure of it! I think¡­ Maybe¡­ Possibly...¡± Her shoulders drooped as her voice faded.


    I held back my tears. ¡°Stop pitying me.¡±


    Hilde looked at each of us in turn with a confused expression. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s the big deal with me helping Karius drink? We¡¯re companions.¡±


    The rest of us brightened up.


    ¡°There¡¯s still hope!¡± said Felix.


    Violetta nodded repeatedly like an excited child. Well, she was an excited child.


    ¡°Thanks everyone. I¡¯ll do my best!¡± I wiped my tears with my left palm.


    Violetta approached the bed and placed a hand on my lap. ¡°A-And if it doesn¡¯t work out with Hilde, can I take her place?¡± Her blush made the golden mane around it more dazzling.


    ¡°What devil-like charm! Even young maidens are not exempt from your allure! I expected no less from my diabolical tutor!¡±


    ¡°Shut up for a bit, Felix.¡± I focused on Violetta. ¡°I appreciate the thought, but my feelings for Hilde won¡¯t change no matter what. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give up then.¡± She smiled and let go of my hand as if nothing happened.


    ¡°It kinda hurts if you give up that easily.¡±


    Felix grabbed a chair and took a seat across the bed from Hilde. After rummaging inside his bag, he took out a small cloth pouch. A pungent aroma permeated the entire room.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked, holding my nose.


    ¡°It¡¯s an herbal balm for your injuries. It reduces muscle pain and swelling when applied to the skin.¡±


    ¡°And drives away bugs with this terrible smell, I bet.¡±


    ¡°Your insight is astounding! This herbal mix is actually an insecticide produced in one of the cities I visited years ago. Bugs the size of toddlers infested the area, so I coated my body with this balm to deter them. I found out later that this concoction wasn¡¯t supposed to be applied directly to the skin. You¡¯ll lose sensation in that area if you do.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re using this on me for the side effect?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Out of curiousity, are there any other side effects?¡±


    ¡°Yes, one more.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Death.¡±


    Forgetting the pain, I tried to flee from Felix, but he easily held me back by grabbing my collar. He took my shirt off in one motion and removed my bandages.


    With no way to escape, I managed to calm down. After thinking about it, I realized he couldn¡¯t be telling the truth.


    ¡°You got me going for a while there,¡± I said. ¡°How do you even know this balm can kill people? Didn¡¯t you use this on yourself?¡±


    ¡°I died. A kind stranger used magic to nullify the poison and revive me.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t use it on me!!!¡±


    ¡°No worries. I¡¯ve learned the right dosage to achieve the best effect without causing death. Of course, the ideal dose might be different because of the gap in our physiques. But as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not risk it, thank you.¡± I squirmed around, desperate to escape.


    ¡°Miss Hilde helped gather the herbs for this. This balm requires Hakuna moss, which only grows underneath large boulders. I didn¡¯t have the strength to get it, so she collected it in my stead by smashing the boulder to pieces.¡±


    I stopped struggling and fixed my posture. ¡°Please go ahead.¡±


    Felix chuckled while applying the stinky green paste on my rib area. Then he spread it thinly on my arm. The annoying smell didn¡¯t bother me as much after he covered the green areas with fresh bandages.


    Finished with my treatment, I asked everyone to take a seat. Violetta sat on the mattress, while the other two occupied the chairs on each side of the bed.


    ¡°I want to talk about our plans moving forward.¡± I took a moment to organize my thoughts. ¡°Violetta has yet to find her companions. Even though the original request was to search the Nepa Caverns, I¡¯d like to help her until the end. That said, my main goal is to stay with Hilde. If she doesn¡¯t want to continue the request, then I¡¯m sorry, Violetta, but we¡¯ll have to part ways.¡±


    Violetta shook her head calmly. ¡°No need for an apology. I understand.¡±


    Hilde shot me a brief glare. ¡°I don¡¯t like this side of you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. But I really do think it¡¯s a good idea. We need the money for the journey anyway.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Just don¡¯t try to guilt me into anything next time.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± I turned to Felix. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I go where Master goes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s creepy, to be honest. Can you please stop?¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!¡±


    ¡°...Is that it? What does that even mean in this context?¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!!!¡±


    ¡°Saying it louder won¡¯t¡­ Whatever. Looks like we¡¯re all in this together. That said, Hilde and I can¡¯t go back to Arthas. We¡¯re¡­ in trouble with some people there. If that¡¯s your next stop, we can¡¯t join you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to Arthas,¡± said Violetta. ¡°Claude and Jeanne wouldn¡¯t head there without me. I still think they got lost on the way to the caves.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s also the possibility that they wandered off to Arthas.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine too. At least they are safe there. However, I¡¯d regret it forever if I wasted time visiting Arthas when I could be helping them in their time of need. I can just leave word at the inn in case they return to Harena.¡±


    ¡°True enough.¡±


    ¡°I asked around about nearby towns while you were asleep. According to the innkeeper, there¡¯s a village called Portus a short distance from here. It¡¯s very small, so few know about it. Claude and Jeanne might¡¯ve run into trouble and ended up there. Could I ask you to accompany me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d be happy to. Although a bonus wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for a handsome reward after the mission. You have my word. The town is half a day from here, assuming all of us go on horses.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a horse,¡± said Felix. ¡°If it¡¯s only half a day away, I can keep up with most steeds on foot.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t defy human limitations so casually,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hmph. I can do that too,¡± said Hilde.


    ¡°Then why did you force me to walk all the way to the cavern..?¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rent two more horses for Hilde and Felix,¡± said Violetta. ¡°I can just ride with Karius on Sabre.¡±


    ¡°I see you dropped the titles.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°You called us by name, without mister or miss.¡±


    ¡°Oh, was that rude?¡±


    I shook my head with a smile. ¡°Not at all. I was just curious what brought that on.¡±


    ¡°I spoke with Felix and Hilde a lot while you were asleep.¡± She displayed a bright smile.


    ¡°Looks like I missed a lot.¡± I released a short sigh. ¡°Felix, how long before I can move around?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s just traveling by steed, two days.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just heal yourself with magic, like when you healed my foot?¡± asked Hilde.


    Considering her dislike for mages, her suggestion surprised me. As much as I¡¯d like to do as she asked, I could only shake my head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t use healing spells on myself. I¡¯ve tried it many times before, but it just won¡¯t work. No idea why.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t exactly true. I had my suspicions. Cura required genuine affection for the target to activate, which was why healing magic was extremely rare. Those who did master it were usually reserved to genuine saints who did it for free. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t exactly like myself, preventing me from self-healing. The only people I could use cura on were probably Annie and Hilde.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait,¡± said Violetta.


    I met her gaze. ¡°Are you sure? Two days is faster than a roundtrip to Arthas, but time is of the essence. You can go ahead with Hilde and Felix. I can catch up later.¡±


    The risk of Hilde or Felix abandoning me at this point was negligible. With my anima, I could tell their concern for me was genuine. Letting them go ahead to save time wasn¡¯t a bad plan.


    ¡°I do want to find my companions as quickly as possible¡­¡± Violetta played with her thumbs. ¡°But, how do I say this¡­ I¡¯m not confident I¡¯ll survive the trip without you.¡±


    I glanced at the airheaded self-proclaimed thief and the clumsy feral war beast on both sides of the bed. ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡±


    ***


    We arrived at Portus just before sunset two days later. I had forced myself to travel a day after I woke up. Violetta had tried to convince me to stay put, but the adorable worried look on her face backfired, motivating me to work harder for her sake.


    The entrance to the underground village was easy to find. Just like the innkeeper said, a small oasis served as an obvious landmark to the town below it. A few paces from the edge of the greenery, an old metal gate lay flat on top of a bed of rocks, covering the tunnel entrance. After a few knocks, a single lethargic guard invited our party inside without so much as a security check.


    The first thing I noticed was a faint herbal smell permeating the cavern, but the wall torches illuminating the tunnel stole my attention soon after. Harena used magic for lighting because open flames were dangerous inside closed spaces.


    I decided to ask the lone guard about it. ¡°Excuse me, are these torches really on fire?¡±


    The guard smiled kindly. ¡°Are you daft or blind? They¡¯re torches.¡± He laughed.


    The hell? His face and words didn¡¯t match at all. I couldn¡¯t sense malice in him either.


    ¡°I was just wondering how the smoke goes out.¡±


    ¡°First time in Portus, huh. Then again, few travelers visit twice.¡± The guard shrugged. ¡°Did you see the oasis on top? The plants growing there have roots extending all the way to the roof of the caverns below. The tendrils hanging from the ceiling absorb smoke like the desert sand sucks water. Poof! Gone!¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°You can see it for yourself once you reach the village. Just follow the tunnel.¡±


    How odd. I could barely sense his emotions. It felt like trying to see through a thin veil. However, we didn¡¯t come all the way here to investigate a bum like him.


    No one else was around to escort us, so I assumed we were allowed to go ahead on our own. I bid farewell to the guard and led the party deeper into the tunnel.


    The path consisted of a simple slope made of packed dirt. The passage was a lot narrower than Harena¡¯s. Sabre could barely fit, and everyone else had to guide their horses in a line.


    ¡°That guard was a little, um, strange,¡± said Violetta.


    ¡°No need to sugarcoat it,¡± I said. ¡°The guy¡¯s a bum. This place would fall in a heartbeat if thieves find it.¡±


    Felix rubbed his chin. ¡°Could it be that they have a secret weapon of some sort?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible. Or maybe there¡¯s just nothing worth stealing.¡±


    Upon reaching the village proper, I realized I was right. The streets were deserted. The herbal aroma grew stronger as we approached the small houses. Hilde and Sabre seemed to be particularly bothered by it. I didn¡¯t want either of these tomboys in a bad mood, but we came here on a job.


    ¡°Where to, Master?¡± asked Felix.


    ¡°First, information. Let¡¯s find a place with people.¡±


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be a guild house¡­ How about that restaurant over there?¡±


    I followed his gaze and saw a small plaque hanging on top of a door. A piece of bread and meat were etched on it.


    ¡°Good idea. Hilde, Violetta, any objections?¡±


    The two girls shook their head.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s-¡± A sharp tug from behind cut me off.


    I turned my neck and saw a dissatisfied Sabre chewing on my shirt. She glanced at the other horses, telling me they were famished as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Sabre. I didn¡¯t forget you. I was planning to ask about a stable inside.¡±


    ¡°Liar,¡± said Hilde.


    Sabre nodded with a booming neigh.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think you should make a habit of lying,¡± said Violetta.


    Felix stepped in front of me, blocking the painful stares with his body. ¡°Ladies, please stop that.¡±


    I knew I liked this guy. Men really should stick together.


    ¡°You must understand.¡± Felix spread his arms wide. ¡°Master is great because he¡¯s a deceptive bastard! If you take that away, what¡¯s left?¡±


    I wanted to hit him but held back in fear of hurting my hand.


    Before I could say anything, Violetta spoke up on my behalf. ¡°I-I think underneath his extremely deceptive and evil exterior, there¡¯s a tiny shred of kindness inside Karius!¡±


    I patted her head with a thin smile. ¡°I think you should just keep quiet.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t seriously scolding her. I could tell they were just joking around even without my anima. Of course, I used it anyway just to be sure.


    We continued our banter as we entered the restaurant. The place was surprisingly crowded. A few young folks could be spotted here and there, but most of the patrons were gray-haired. Lively conversations and laughter filled the small pub.


    They all looked happy.


    Very much so, at least to normal eyes.


    However, my anima wasn¡¯t so easy to fool. Just like the lone guard at the gate, these people also had a thin veil shrouding their emotions. That immediately put me on alert.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± I whispered to my companions. ¡°These people aren¡¯t normal.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± said Felix.


    Violetta nodded and held onto Hilde¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a seat for now.¡± I pulled out a chair from a nearby roundtable. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be hostile. Rather, they didn¡¯t even notice us coming in.¡±


    ¡°Is that what your special sense is telling you?¡± asked Hilde.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She sat down on the chair I pulled out.


    I had been planning to sit on it myself, but being a gentleman, I didn¡¯t complain. In fact, I felt glad she trusted my words enough to believe me without hesitation.


    Following her lead, the rest of us took a seat on the table. The thick herbal smell, much stronger inside the shop, bothered even me now. How could people dine in such a situation?


    A skinny waitress wearing a worn-out apron approached our table. She had a wide smile on her face, but every gesture she made seemed lethargic. She lazily recited the menu.


    There were only a few meals to choose from, but they were unbelievably cheap. Hilde and I chose the meat option, while the others chose the vegetable one.


    ¡°Are there always so many people here?¡± I asked.


    She raised an eyebrow at my question.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re travelers. This is our first time in this village.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I dunno. I guess it is?¡±


    That was an oddly vague response considering how worn-out her apron was, which indicated her experience. Putting aside her lackadaisical attitude, she also seemed used to her job.


    After the waitress left our table, I whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to eat the food here.¡±


    ¡°Poison?¡± asked Hilde.


    ¡°Happened before. Let¡¯s gather information and get out.¡±


    ¡°But we already ordered,¡± said Violetta.


    ¡°About that¡­ Sorry, but could you foot the bill? You can just take it out of our payment later.¡±


    Violetta smiled. ¡°No worries. I intended to treat everyone from the start. I¡¯ve come to understand just how terribly poor you all are during our journey together. I just thought it¡¯d be rude to leave without eating what we ordered.¡±


    Before worrying about strangers, I wished she considered how rude it was to call her comrades paupers.


    The waitress appeared from the backroom with a tray of plates. Service was quick, probably because preparation was limited to shoveling day old food onto dishes.


    Plates filled up our small roundtable. Green and brown goop, the vegetable and meat options respectively, stared at us from below. No wonder the food was so cheap.


    I called out to the waitress before she could scurry off. ¡°Do a lot of travelers pass through here?¡±


    She shook her head without losing her lackadaisical grin. ¡°You¡¯re the first travelers in about a month, I think.¡±


    ¡°A month? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, all travelers stop by this joint at least once. This is the only eatery in Portus. I haven¡¯t heard anything from the other servers either. Are you looking for someone?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to reveal too much information, but Violetta¡¯s aides might drop by Portus later.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re looking for our companions, a man and a woman named Claude and Jeanne. If you see them, could you please tell them their mistress is looking for them?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t forget, sure.¡±


    I didn¡¯t sense any sarcasm. This woman really believed she¡¯d forget about my request. That made me doubt the reliability of her information about this town¡¯s visitors. Maybe she simply forgot all about it.


    ¡°By the way, do you know where we can keep our horses for the night? We left them tied on a post in front of the shop. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°No problem. You can just keep ¡®em there while you¡¯re in town.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t they get stolen?¡± asked Felix.


    ¡°Stolen?¡± The waitress burst out laughing. ¡°No one steals anything in this village.¡±


    I tilted my head. ¡°Really? The guard at the main gate didn¡¯t give me a good impression of the town¡¯s security.¡±


    ¡°You mean that bum Jeffrey? Course he didn¡¯t. Portus doesn¡¯t need capable guards. No one commits crimes here. Everyone is happy! Look around you.¡±


    Indeed, the men and women in the pub looked like they were having a blast.


    Her lazy smile showed a glint of pride. ¡°In fact, a lot of travelers become residents after staying for just a day! That¡¯s probably because of the food, though. Our dishes here are unmatched anywhere else.¡±


    I looked down at the brown sludge on my plate. ¡°Really¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I go now? I have other customers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course. Sorry for keeping you.¡±


    The waitress nodded and sauntered to another table.


    ¡°This place is odd,¡± said Violetta.


    Hilde nodded. ¡°It¡¯s downright creepy. Look at the food.¡± She pushed her plate away.


    ¡°Glad to see you actually have some common sense,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? I¡¯m the paragon of common sense.¡±


    ¡°Sure, as long as you don¡¯t eat this strange goop Felix what are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m eating the strange goop.¡± He burped.


    ¡°It might be poisoned!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Master. My body is resistant to most poisons. The food we ordered releases the same herbal smell found throughout the town, only much stronger. I tasted it to investigate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually pretty amazing. Is your poison resistance a result of training?¡±


    ¡°That is so. I usually poison myself by accident while preparing toxins for my weapons. I guess I grew resistant after almost dying many times.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not called training! And be a bit more careful!¡±


    ¡°I shall heed Master¡¯s words.¡±


    ¡°...Fine then. So, did you find out anything from tasting that goop?¡±


    ¡°It tastes like crap.¡±


    ¡°Not that! About the herbal smell! Is it a poison like suspected?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. In the first place, I was certain I¡¯ve never encountered this herb before because I didn¡¯t recognize the aroma. I make sure to remember the distinct fragrance of all toxins I use by smelling them thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°Then why taste the damn thing!?¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!¡±


    ¡°Stop using that as your go to excuse! And quit inhaling lethal substances from now on!¡±


    ¡°I shall heed Master¡¯s words.¡±


    ¡°Amazing,¡± said Violetta. ¡°I always thought Hilde and Karius made a good comedy duo, but after seeing this show, I realized the comic talent belonged mostly to Karius.¡±


    ¡°No no no no! I¡¯m completely normal! They¡¯re the funny ones! In the head!¡± I tapped my temple with a finger.


    Violetta laughed without restraint, a rare sight for the prim and proper young lady.


    I felt glad she enjoyed our exchanges, even if they chipped away at my sanity. I thought I could watch Violetta¡¯s adorable smile forever.


    But that expression didn¡¯t last long.


    An old man burst into the restaurant. He walked towards the dining area while screaming like a madman. The waitress rushed to stop him.


    ¡°Get outta my way!¡± The old man tried to push her aside. ¡°I hafta tell ¡®em to stop eating that gunk! It poisons the mind, I tell ya! It poisons the mind!¡±


    ¡°Stop this, Father!¡± said the waitress. ¡°You¡¯re only making a fool of yourself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the fool! How can ya serve people the stuff that killed yer daughter!?¡±


    ¡°Please get out!¡± She forcefully dragged her rather weak father out of the restaurant.


    ¡°So much for no crimes,¡± said Hilde.


    ¡°Well, being an ass isn¡¯t a crime,¡± I said, ¡°no matter how much I wish it were.¡±


    ¡°But the old man confirmed your worries, Master.¡±


    I responded to Felix with a curt nod. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve found our info source.¡±


    We left the payment on the table and chased the father and daughter, who continued arguing on the deserted street.


    The waitress scratched her head. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? Leta isn¡¯t poison.¡±


    ¡°Yer blinded by that evil plant, Lydia! That joy ya feel ain¡¯t real!¡±


    She noticed us watching and patted her chest to calm down. ¡°Anyway, please don¡¯t bother me at work. This job pays for your meals too. No one is forcing you to eat leta, so please, just let us be. Go home, I beg you.¡±


    ¡°Lydia¡­¡± Seeing his daughters forlorn expression, he lost the fire in his voice. With slumped shoulders, he silently watched her walk away.


    After she disappeared through the door, he shifted his lonely gaze to us. ¡°Are you one of ¡®em too?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking whether we ate the food, then no. We suspected it was poisonous because of the smell and the odd behavior of the locals.¡± I conveniently omitted Felix¡¯s tasting session.


    ¡°Y-Ya understand!?¡± He rushed towards me and grabbed my shoulders with surprising strength.


    Hilde approached to pry him off me, but I shook my head to stop her.


    ¡°You¡¯re Lydia¡¯s father?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ya know her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We met her earlier today. I found her behavior a little odd, like she wasn¡¯t focused.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, boy! You got it right! It¡¯s the leta! It¡¯s all ¡®cuz of that god forsaken plant!¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Leta?¡±


    ¡°Oh right, yer new here. Didja see the oasis up top? There¡¯s an herb called leta growin¡¯ there. I hear someone tried adding it to food for flavor years ago. The stuff was disgusting, but it made people feel happy. This town is a dump, and we ain¡¯t got enough food for everyone. Sumthin¡¯ that¡¯ll let us forget our problems was a godsend. It spread like wildfire. Now everyone uses it.¡±


    ¡°Even you?¡±


    His creased face crumpled further. ¡°Yeah. I used to. I only woke up after the damn thing killed my granddaughter Mila.¡±


    ¡°The herb is lethal..?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ The townsfolk wouldn¡¯t keep eatin¡¯ it if it was. They ain¡¯t that stupid. Mila died ¡®cuz her family, includin¡¯ me, didn¡¯t notice her illness. She¡¯d been sick for weeks before we realized it! All because we kept munchin¡¯ on that stupid grass with dumb grins on our mugs. She was gone just like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bringing up such a painful memory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the end of it. I stopped eatin¡¯ leta after Mila died. That¡¯s when I noticed how strange everyone was. Lydia and her husband didn¡¯t cry when Mila died. Or any day after. I live with ¡®em, so I know. It¡¯s inhuman. How can parents not cry over their child¡¯s death!?¡±


    Everything clicked into place inside my head. The muffled emotions. The creepy smiles. The lackadaisical attitude. The lack of crime. A child¡¯s unreasonable death. All because of leta.


    But was it really so bad?


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± said Violetta. ¡°We should burn that oasis to the ground.¡±


    That was a surprising remark coming from the usually reserved girl.


    ¡°I woulda done that if I could,¡± said the old man. ¡°A good chunk of what we eat comes from that place. Burnin¡¯ it down means the end of our village.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you were trying to convince people at the eatery,¡± said Felix. ¡°Sir, did you feel ill after you stopped eating that herb?¡±


    ¡°No. I felt fine.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s not addictive. The townsfolk are just mentally dependent on it.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± I said, churning my mind to recall what I¡¯d read on herbal potions.


    Violetta looked at me. ¡°We should help him get rid of leta.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because living in a dream is the worst thing imaginable. All dreams end, and that fleeting joy isn¡¯t worth the endless despair after waking up.¡±


    Though unexpectedly grim for a girl her age, I could understand that outlook. The fear of waking up without Hilde by my side, being forced to pay for my crimes, and facing Annie still haunted me.


    ¡°These people are eating that plant with their own will,¡± said Hilde. ¡°Who¡¯re we to tell them what to do? People deserve the right to run away.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect the stoic and strong Hilde to think like that. Was she running away from something too?


    ¡°There¡¯s no happiness at the end of that!¡± Violetta raised her voice at Hilde for the first time.


    I had to admit I enjoyed my dream-like adventure with Hilde, a journey unimaginable for me in my days enduring Mother¡¯s control and my peers¡¯ insults. I certainly wouldn¡¯t take well to people trying to take that away from me, even if they did it for my sake.


    I could relate to both Hilde and Violetta, but as the party¡¯s de facto leader, I couldn¡¯t let my indecisiveness show. ¡°Violetta, this herb has nothing to do with your companions. You hired us, so we¡¯re inclined to follow your orders, but is this really what you want? I think you should calm down and think it over carefully.¡±


    Violetta fell silent and lowered her eyelids for a while. Then she took a deep breath. ¡°I apologize for losing myself. You¡¯re right. We don¡¯t have the time for this right now. Finding Claude and Jeanne takes priority.¡±


    ¡°Sorry gramps. You heard her.¡±


    The old man snorted loudly, but my anima told me he wasn¡¯t really angry.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your help, boy. So, what¡¯re you here for? Maybe I can lend ya a hand.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Like I said, we can¡¯t help you in return.¡±


    ¡°Just think of it as my thanks for reminding me I haven¡¯t gone insane. Been months since I spoke to someone who took me seriously.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer then. As you heard, we¡¯re looking for Claude and Jeanne, a man and a woman. They work for Violetta here.¡± I gestured towards the purple garbed girl. ¡°They disappeared on the way to the Nepa Caverns.¡±


    ¡°So you figured they wandered over here, eh? Sorry to tell ya, but I ain¡¯t seen no travelers here for weeks. No word ¡®round town either. I keep an ear to the ground, so you can trust that.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you, um¡­¡±


    ¡°The name¡¯s Elar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Leon. This here is Ada, Violetta, and Felix. Would you happen to know where we can stay for the night? I¡¯d rather avoid traveling after dark.¡±


    And my ribs were killing me.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t no inns in town. Not anymore. But you can stay at my neighbor¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Your neighbors? Not yours?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I live with Lydia and her husband. No way we¡¯ll fit. My neighbor died from hunger last week. I tried givin¡¯ him some food, but the dumbass wouldn¡¯t eat anything but leta. You can stay at his place.¡±


    I heard a tiny shriek from Violetta, who grabbed onto my injured arm. Before my bone cracked again, I hurriedly asked for an alternative. ¡°Is there really no other lodging?¡±


    ¡°There are, but it¡¯s the same story everywhere. People keep dyin¡¯ with a smile on their faces. Fools. Wish they spent a minute thinkin¡¯ ¡®bout those left behind. We¡¯re the ones stuck with cleanin¡¯ up their mess.¡±


    I gently placed a hand on Violetta¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll zap any ghosts with my magic, okay?¡±


    She meekly nodded as her tense expression melted away.


    ¡°Mr. Elar, if it isn¡¯t much trouble, could you guide us there?¡±


    He snorted again, this time with a hint of affection. ¡°Sure thing. Follow me.¡±


    Elar probably enjoyed the company. I¡¯d been ostracized in Arthas, but his case was far worse. I had Annie and her complete trust, while Elar¡¯s own daughter didn¡¯t believe him.


    We untied the horses and followed Elar¡¯s lead. After passing through the residential district, I realized how badly off Portus was. Most of the people we saw looked weak and sickly. I didn¡¯t see any children. Despite these conditions, everyone was smiling. I couldn¡¯t sense any real joy from them. My guess was that leta dulled their emotions to the point they felt satisfied with anything. Happiness was just a fancy word for satisfaction, after all.


    Watching these people terrified me.


    But who was I to judge?


    I betrayed my country, abandoned my sister, and killed people for the sake of my warped love for Hilde. Yes, even I understood how strange it was. The feeling certainly didn¡¯t resemble any crushes I¡¯d had before. I felt compelled to be with her all the time. Just imagining losing her made me tremble in fear.


    Rather than love, it felt like an addiction.


    And despite the difficulties, I was strangely content with it.


    No matter how I tried to convince myself otherwise, that was abnormal.


    ***


    After cleaning up the empty house a little, we shared some of the food we brought from Harena with Elar. He happily ate the jerky and crackers and even asked if he could keep some for his family. I gave him a bag of food as thanks for escorting us.


    We had left Sabre and the horses tied at the backyard. I had fed Sabre some jerky, while the other horses had to settle for the hay from another empty house¡¯s bed.


    Our party discussed our next steps and decided to head back to Harena at first light. Many days had passed since Hilde and I escaped Arthas. The search parties probably thought we were far away from Harena by now. The best hiding place was somewhere that had already been checked. Strangely enough, getting lost a ridiculous number of times allowed us to shake off our pursuers.


    ¡°Okay, there are only two rooms in this house,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then Master and Hilde shall share the bedroom,¡± said Felix, ¡°and I shall stay with Violetta in the living room.¡±


    ¡°Okay. ...Wait, that doesn¡¯t make sense! The groupings should be divided by sex!¡±


    Hilde crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m fine with staying with you.¡±


    ¡°You are!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you as a man anyway.¡±


    ¡°I knew that was coming, but it still hurt as much as the first time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that arrangement too,¡± said Violetta. ¡°I¡¯m sure Karius wants some time alone with Hilde¡­ to do this and that.¡±


    ¡°I do enjoy spending time with her, but please don''t say it in such a suggestive way. Weren¡¯t you more innocent when we first met?¡±


    ¡°Suggestive? What ever do you mean, Karius?¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just look like a lecher if I explain. Anyway, Felix, we¡¯re staying in the common room. The girls get the bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But I don¡¯t want to stay with Master.¡±


    ¡°Wha... Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you reek from the herbal balm on your injuries.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who made it! You even put it on me yourself! Why get all sensitive now!?¡±


    ¡°You told me to stop inhaling lethal substances. I¡¯m only heeding my master¡¯s words.¡±


    I snapped my fingers. ¡°Gotcha. I forgot this balm was deadly. Sorry about that. Wait, isn¡¯t there a bigger problem here!? Will I be okay leaving this on me!?¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling faint, like you¡¯re about to die?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t say that I am.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll be fine?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be more assured if you dropped the question mark.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Way too late.¡± I sighed and slumped my shoulders.


    ¡°Just wash it off if you don¡¯t like it,¡± said Hilde with an exasperated tone.


    ¡°...Nah, I think I¡¯ll leave it for now. Better safe than sorry.¡±


    Putting aside its medicinal effects, it was useful for one other thing. I wasn''t sure about it, so I didn¡¯t mention my concern to the others. I was likely overthinking, but my experience with Rahf had taught me to err on the side of caution.


    For that purpose, I had opted to leave the balm on. Felix wouldn¡¯t use medicine that would harm me. I was completely sure of that.


    ...But I decided to leave a bucket of water and a towel nearby just in case.


    In the end, I managed to convince Felix to stay with me in the common room. Sleeping beside Hilde was tempting, but not as tempting as staying alive. I wasn¡¯t confident I could resist touching her perfect body for a whole night. I was even less confident I¡¯d survive an attempt.


    After preparing a makeshift bed made using old blankets, I decided to check on the girls. Hilde was already sound asleep in the bedroom, but Violetta wasn¡¯t in the house. I took a peek out the open window and saw Violetta chatting with Elar in the front yard. They spoke while watching the dancing flame on top of a high pillar torch, one of many illuminating the underground town.


    I was about to call out to her when she showed a painfully bitter smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had it tough, Elar,¡± she said.


    ¡°As if a girl your age even knows what tough means.¡±


    ¡°I may not have many years under my belt, but I know the guilt of living inside a dream.¡±


    ¡°Guilt, eh? Yer probably right. I blame leta for Mila¡¯s death, but it¡¯s actually my fault. I noticed the signs.¡±


    ¡°Of her illness?¡±


    ¡°That too, but I¡¯m talkin¡¯ ¡®bout leta. I knew we were getting high on it. Trickier than liquor ¡®cuz there¡¯s no headache or vomitin¡¯ no matter how much you gulp down. But it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t know the effects.¡± He pressed his lips together tightly, as if trying to hold back tears. ¡°Even so, I didn¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°...I understand. I was raised in a rather peculiar way.¡±


    ¡°I can tell from yer fancy clothes and how you handle yerself. A noble?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. I had it all. Then one day I woke up and realized everything was a dream.¡±


    ¡°Did yer family go bankrupt?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m doing okay now, but there were some rough times.¡±


    Sorrow.


    Deep, rich sorrow.


    I sensed Violetta¡¯s emotions stronger than ever before. I used to think she was just a naive girl, but I realized everyone dragged their own chains.


    Feeling guilty for accidentally eavesdropping, I went back to the common room and lay down. Felix slept like a mummy with his hands crossed on his chest. That pose wasn¡¯t any stranger than his usual remarks, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    An hour later, I was still tossing around in bed. Sleeping on the ground with only blankets for a cushion was hard on my injured body. My ribs still ached, and my splinted arm was hard to position comfortably. Tired of forcing myself to sleep, I got up and drank some water.


    An explosion came from outside.


    Felix shot up while keeping his entire body completely straight, just like the bloodsucking fiends I read about in old books.


    ¡°How the hell did you do that!?¡± I shouted on reflex. ¡°Nevermind! Go wake the others!¡±


    ¡°Did they not wake up from that sound?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Hilde¡¯s sleeping habits. Please!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Felix rushed into the bedroom.


    I crouched down and planted my back on the wall beneath the window. Carefully raising my head, I peeked to check the street in front of the house. Nothing. I got up and poked my head outside to check both directions. Left side had nothing. Right side-


    A flash of light seared my eyes, followed by another explosion.


    While rubbing my eyelids, I left the house to see the situation better. I could hear the horses panicking in the backyard. A terrifying battle unfolded a short distance away.


    Flashes of magic and blades rained in the darkness like a meteor shower. Two warriors exchanged fierce attacks. I recognized one of them.


    ¡°Master Richter¡­¡±


    No, I had no right to call him Master anymore.


    A woman with long, wavy blonde hair jumped away from his blade with ease. Her breasts, almost imposing in size, energetically bounced as she landed. Her mauve dress fluttered as she struck a taunting pose. Richter didn¡¯t fall for the provocation and calmly took a stance.


    I closed my eyes and read them with my anima.


    Quiet anger.


    They both possessed the best emotional state for battle. Fury fueled their abilities but didn¡¯t cloud their judgment.


    A cloud of dust floated towards Richter. What was that? I scanned the battlefield. I saw ripped sacks of flour on a broken cart by the road. An unnatural wind carried the flour into the air. Richter ran away from the white cloud as if it were poison gas.


    ¡°Shit, he¡¯s heading this way!¡± I hid myself inside the house.


    I wanted to run away, but Felix hadn¡¯t come back from waking Hilde yet. I decided to secretly observe the battle to get a better grasp on the situation. I peeked out from behind the door.


    An explosion erupted from behind Richter.


    That was a dust explosion. The woman had heated up the cloud of flour, causing it to ignite. From what I¡¯d seen so far, the woman possibly possessed at least two types of magic: wind and fire. Though uncommon, mastering those two types was certainly possible for gifted mages. The emotional bases they required didn¡¯t contradict each other.


    The force of the blast hit Richter¡¯s back, pushing him forward. He rolled on the ground and got up in an instant. His armor had protected him from serious damage.


    While hovering about twenty feet in the air, the golden haired woman floated over to him. They were close enough for me to hear their conversation.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Ricky, but you¡¯re literally a hundred years too young to fight me.¡±


    ¡°Fight? We were just exchanging greetings, Gromwell.¡±


    Did he say Gromwell? The Lilac Gromwell?


    I¡¯d read books written about the immortal witch. Lamia, as many called her, wielded various powerful magic and possessed eternal youth. What was a legend like that doing in this forgotten town?


    She brandished a menacing grin as she gently landed on the ground. ¡°Not a bad comeback for the kid who used to hide behind my skirt.¡±


    Richter pointed his sword at the witch. ¡°I won¡¯t ask again. Tell me where Karius is.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Lies. You wouldn¡¯t be here if you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true I¡¯ve been tracking him, but I came here on a hunch. That¡¯s the same for you, right?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But you¡¯re not the type that moves on instinct.¡±


    ¡°Then believe what you will. I have no reason to participate in this pointless spat.¡±


    ¡°Karius is a traitor who killed many of our countrymen. There¡¯s also that Valmaz fugitive. This mission is far from pointless.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m saying you can¡¯t defeat me, Ricky. We are world¡¯s apart. Therefore, fighting you is pointless.¡±


    ¡°Did your head grow so big it reached the clouds? No wonder you can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on just below it.¡±


    Gromwell raised an eyebrow and glanced downward. A cut ran across the waist of her dress.


    ¡°I really liked this, Richter.¡± She tugged on the tear with a frown.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back in full after you tell me where Karius is.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t buy this anymore. The tailor died thirty seven years ago.¡± Her eyes sharpened like a hawk¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll take an arm for it instead. Simia.¡±


    She held out her hand. The air in between them shimmered ever so slightly. The change was almost invisible in the dim lighting.


    Richter jumped to the side. A second after he moved, the torch pillar behind him burst into flames.


    That wasn¡¯t typical fire magic. Ignis worked by creating flames, which in turn heated up the target. Her spell seemed to create heat directly without a visible fire. The mirage effect caused by the shimmering air suggested as much. That magic had also triggered the dust explosion earlier.


    Judging from the effect, simia released more heat than ignis, and it was invisible to boot. A normal swordsman would have no chance against it.


    Fortunately, Richter wasn¡¯t anywhere near normal.


    He tapped the tip of his right boot on the floor twice. Mana gathered on his sole, creating a sheet of glass ice. He skated towards Gromwell at an incredible speed. The witch failed to react in time. His longsword cleaved into her shoulder and passed through her torso. A geyser of blood sprayed on his face and armor. The immortal witch¡¯s body, split into diagonal halves, fell to the ground. Without lowering his sword, Richter carefully observed his surroundings.


    The blood and corpse vanished without a trace.


    ¡°Not bad, Ricky.¡± Gromwell sat on the roof of a nearby house, her legs crossed. ¡°You didn¡¯t let your guard down after killing me.¡±


    ¡°Stop the games. I¡¯m familiar with your illusions.¡±


    ¡°This is why I hate old flames. They keep insisting they know everything about you.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°I, for one, was surprised by those encantus boots. You¡¯re certainly not the Ricky I remember.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to be surprised.¡± Richter rushed toward Gromwell.


    She flew away and grabbed onto a torch pillar, but Richter didn¡¯t change direction. He swung his sword at the stone house.


    The weapon smashed a large hole in the wall, an impossible feat. Black inscriptions glowed across the blade.


    The sword was an encantus too, one that used-


    ¡°Gravity magic.¡± Gromwell frowned. ¡°What a rare toy. Must be a legendary weapon. What¡¯s it called?¡±


    Diablos. I had read about a shadow-inscribed longsword that controlled invisible forces. That was probably it.


    ¡°A sword is just a tool. It needs no name.¡± Using his blade, Richter tossed a piece of debris in the air and then hit it with the flat of his sword. The rock hurtled towards Gromwell¡¯s chest but disintegrated to small pebbles a foot away from her body. A few smoking fragments bounced off her bosom, slightly singing her skin.


    ¡°That hurt.¡± She dusted herself off.


    Richter tossed up a few smaller rocks this time, hitting them towards her one by one. Gromwell jumped to the ground and ran sideways to avoid the barrage.


    Richter¡¯s sword not only manipulated its own weight, a trick which enabled him to smash a wall, but also the weight of the things it damaged. Judging from how he used it to bat rocks, the effect lasted only an instant. He lightened the sword as he swung, increased the weight on contact with the rock to maximize impact, and lightened the rock when it hit the blade. The projectile then returned to its original weight on its way to the target, gaining incredible destructive force.


    That attack showcased his insane sword skill and battle experience, a technique fitting for one of the most powerful knights in Arthas.


    Gromwell used a heat barrier to block the stones, but that probably used up a lot of concentration because she didn¡¯t rely on it completely.


    What I found strange was how she dodged the rocks by running around instead of flying. If she could use powerful wind magic, flight should be part of her arsenal. Was she saving mana? No, that wouldn¡¯t make sense. Risking getting hit to save energy was beyond stupid.


    ¡°Unless she can¡¯t use wind magic¡­¡± I mumbled.


    Then how did she manipulate the flour cloud earlier?


    In the first place, could she really wield three different magic types, illusion, heat, and wind, at the same time? Unlike myself, most mages could only use one or two at a high level. Was Gromwell another exception?


    Could she have the same anima as I did?


    Gromwell extended her palms towards Richter and peppered him with heat blasts. Richter easily dodged her attacks with his ice boots. The stone walls hit by her attacks glowed red and melted to lava. While slipping past another wave, he swung at a large chunk of debris on the ground and launched it at Gromwell. This time, her heat barrier wasn¡¯t enough to stop it. The rock hit her head, knocking her to the ground.


    Richter braked to check on his opponent. Then his right foot sank into the ground.


    ¡°Another illusion..!¡± He struggled to pull his armored boot out of the melted floor.


    That molten hole appeared out of thin air. No, Gromwell merely hid it with an illusion. Her flashy barrage baited him into that camouflaged lava pit. She had pretended to attack with both hands to trick Richter into thinking she was committed to a frontal attack.


    If it weren¡¯t for his ice-enchanted boots, Richter would¡¯ve already lost a leg. Even so, it was only a matter of time before the molten earth ate away his armor and then his foot.


    The match ended in a tie. Or so I thought.


    High pitched laughter echoed from the unconscious Gromwell. Then she stood up without a scratch on her. Her wound had also been an illusion designed to make Richter stop at that exact spot.


    She held out her right hand towards Richter. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you for old times sake. I¡¯ll be taking that arm, though.¡± The immortal witch unleashed her magic.


    Richter stomped on the ground with his free leg. A wall of crystal ice taller than he was erupted from his boot, blocking the heat wave. The ice froze the lava, hardening it to rock. He broke the rock with his sword and freed his foot. He dashed away from the line of fire before the ice barrier melted completely.


    Despite the close calls, the match returned to square one. Neither of them had any serious injuries, and I was certain they hadn¡¯t shown all their cards just yet.


    Felix came up to me. Hilde stood beside him in disheveled clothing, lazily rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve woken Hilde up. A thousand apologies for taking so long. She wasn¡¯t in decent attire, so I had to cover my eyes as I roused her.¡±


    Right, there was that.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Violetta?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t in the bedroom.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    I remembered her speaking with Elar the last time I saw her. She might be in his house.


    ¡°Felix, could you check-¡±


    Wait.


    I decided to leave Violetta behind.


    ¡°Untie the horses,¡± I said. ¡°Leave one for Violetta.¡±


    Hilde stared at me, sleepiness gone from her eyes. ¡°What about the request?¡±


    ¡°The monsters outside are after us. It¡¯s safer for Violetta if we go our separate ways. With those two prowling this area, we can¡¯t continue searching for her companions anyway.¡±


    Hilde thought for a moment and then nodded. Despite her occasional stubbornness, she was reasonable in times of crisis.


    ¡°Please grab our stuff and get the steeds ready. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the fight outside until then.¡±


    Hilde and Felix went to the backyard while I watched the battle. We might be facing off against one or both of these people in the future. I had to learn everything I could about their abilities.


    Richter seemed to be at a disadvantage. Though Gromwell¡¯s heat blasts had a low firing rate, she placed each shot perfectly, preventing Richter from getting close. Richter took cover behind a house. Gromwell simply continued her attack, melting the house completely, residents and all. Seeing this brutality, Richter stopped running around and held his blade towards his face. As Gromwell aimed her hand in his direction, he shallowly sliced his cheek with his black-etched weapon. What was he doing?


    I remembered his sword¡¯s ability.


    Richter vanished and reappeared within sword¡¯s reach of the immortal witch. The blade stabbed into her abdomen, but he didn¡¯t stop there. He charged forward until the corpse skewered on his blade vanished. A fleck of blood appeared at the tip of Diablos. Gromwell flickered into existence on the ground a few feet away from the heaving knight. Her arm bled from a small gash. She seemed to be struggling under her own weight.


    I felt the urge to rub my eyes to confirm I wasn¡¯t dreaming. ¡°Amazing¡­¡±


    Richter had deduced her real position based on the destruction left by her attacks. He had even pretended to attack her illusion, only to go for her real body at the last moment. Then he applied temporary weight amplification on Gromwell to slam her body to the ground.


    ¡°Not the time to be impressed,¡± came Hilde¡¯s voice from behind me. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Her footsteps faded into the backyard.


    I had to go, but I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from the battle.


    Richter swung his sword at the downed witch, but her body melted to the ground before his blade reached it. She reappeared a few paces away with a hand pressed on her arm wound.


    Gromwell dodged Richter¡¯s next three slashes and countered with a heat blast. The immortal witch didn¡¯t cut off her magic and swept the wave like a giant sword to chase after him, forcing him to take distance. She had probably refrained from using that move earlier because it consumed much more mana than her normal shots.


    Richter sprinted around her to escape it, but she predicted his path and launched another blast ahead of him with her other hand. He scratched his other cheek with Diablos and disappeared from the attack¡¯s path.


    The shimmering air barreled towards my general direction. I met Gromwell¡¯s eyes just before her spell hit. She made a fist with her right hand, forcibly shifting the direction of the wave upwards. The beam of destruction harmlessly dissipated over the roof.


    ¡°She saw me.¡±


    I was happy she redirected her magic to avoid frying me, but now I had to deal with pursuit.


    Fortunately, Richter, ignorant of what she saw, wasn¡¯t about to let her go. Despite the visible fatigue caused by his self-acceleration technique, he nicked his face a third time and unleashed a vicious assault against the witch.


    I decided to skip the climax to save my skin. I dashed to the backyard and ran to Sabre, with Hilde on her back. Hilde grabbed my left hand and pulled me up to the front seat on the saddle. Sabre galloped away from the house while Felix trailed behind us by a horse¡¯s length.


    ¡°Master, what if the path to the surface is blocked?¡± asked Felix.


    ¡°As long as Richter, I mean that knight, isn¡¯t with them, we should be able to fight past a blockade.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I shall answer to your expectations.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ try not to kill anyone if you can. I don¡¯t want any more blood on my hands.¡±


    ¡°I shall heed Master¡¯s words.¡±


    I turned my head sideways to check Hilde¡¯s reaction. With her characteristic blank expression, she nodded and gently wrapped her arms around my waist, pressing herself tightly against my back. Her softness and warmth easily overcome the pain from my ribs. It wasn¡¯t the time to enjoy her touch, but I couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    As if punishing me for my frivolous thoughts, an impossible sight flashed before my eyes.


    Lucius. And Annie.


    They dashed out from an alley, holding hands and out of breath. Time seemed to stop the moment our gazes crossed.


    Shock dyed my mind pure white. With a dumb smile still stuck on my face, I forced my neck forward and tapped Sabre with my heel to speed up.


    They had caught up with me.


    Arthas.


    Richter.


    Lucius.


    Annie.


    The dream finally came crumbling down.

 Chapter 07: Separation

    ¡°Karius... Karius... Karius!¡± Hilde shook me from behind.


    ¡°W-What is it?¡± I asked without turning my head.


    We were riding Sabre, with me in front holding the reins. Our mounts had gotten exhausted after galloping away from Portus at full speed, so we slowed our pace to let them rest.


    ¡°Are you okay? You weren¡¯t answering.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    ¡°Hey now. Easy with the accusations.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t said a word since we left Portus. You usually talk enough for seven people.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. And I don¡¯t talk enough for seven people.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡°Okay. Two people¡­ Three maybe.¡±


    ¡°If you say so. Anyway, you¡¯re acting weird.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself. You¡¯ve become a lot more talkative, not that I mind. I remember the days when the only words out of your mouth were insults against people. Mainly me.¡±


    ¡°Only you.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could hear that line from you in a different situation. ¡­Like a love confession.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡°Say something! I¡¯m gonna die from embarrassment if you don¡¯t react to something like that.¡±


    ¡°Was it supposed to be a joke?¡±


    ¡°I was being honest, but yes, it was a joke.¡±


    ¡°That so.¡±


    I knew she was trying to cheer me up. I could sense it very clearly with our bodies pressed together. Her attitude towards me changed drastically after she concluded I wasn¡¯t her enemy.


    I wasn¡¯t too surprised. Hilde, while curt, never treated anyone with the disrespect she had directed to me. Inside her, a clear line existed between enemies and everyone else. I had broken my back, almost literally, to cross that line, but it was worth it.


    ¡°Are you feeling ill, Master?¡±


    Even Felix, who rode beside us, noticed my odd mood. No amount of acting could cover up how unhinged I felt after seeing Annie in Portus. What was she doing there? What had my actions done to her? The possibilities terrified me.


    I gulped down my worries and made up an excuse. ¡°Just feeling a little tired.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the balm is making you sick. Should I wash it off?


    I glanced at my arm sling. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t have water to waste cleaning it anyway.¡±


    Sand dunes stretched as far as the eye could see. The clear night sky gave us a good view of our heading, but that meant little. We had no real destination. Considering the presence of Arthas soldiers in the area, Harena was out of the question.


    Sabre stopped her trot.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Sabre?¡± I stroked the side of her neck.


    She looked into the distance. I squinted in an attempt to improve my vision, but I couldn¡¯t find anything in the darkness. Felix¡¯s horse also stopped in its tracks and began radiating fear. That couldn¡¯t be anything good.


    ¡°Beasts,¡± said Hilde.


    Felix nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Am I the only one who can¡¯t see them?¡±


    ¡°¡®Tis not your shortcoming, Master. I trained for years to hone my senses, and Miss Hilde is rather special. Most people wouldn¡¯t notice.¡±


    I expanded the range of my anima and picked up about a dozen individual emotions a short distance away. Their feelings, anger and wariness, reached me clearly, which meant these beasts had decent intelligence.


    ¡°They¡¯re dust cats,¡± said Felix. ¡°Seems we walked right into their territory without knowing it.¡±


    I rubbed my chin while dredging up old memories. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll leave us alone. If I remember correctly, dust cats hunt in sandstorms. Sandstorms normally don¡¯t happen at night, so they shouldn¡¯t be on the prowl.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they are very territorial.¡±


    ¡°There was that. Should we run?¡±


    ¡°Considering their load, our steeds cannot outrun the cats in short distances. They are too close for us to escape.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect to run into trouble here. We had gotten lucky during our escape from Portus. The exit had not been blocked off, and we hadn¡¯t seen any other Arthasians aside from Master, Lucius, and Annie. Maybe they had separated from the main expeditionary force for some reason.


    But our luck had run out.


    ¡°No choice but to fight then.¡±


    The cats spread out to surround our party. With low purring sounds, they circled around us, looking for an opportunity to attack. Felix and I moved our steeds to cover each other¡¯s backs. He rotated to keep the largest cat in front, while I carefully guarded his blindspot.


    Hilde hopped off Sabre¡¯s back and unsheathed one of the swords she borrowed from the dead in the Nepa Caverns. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cover you with ice magic.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡±


    ¡°At least go with Felix.¡±


    She shook her head stubbornly and rushed off.


    I channeled the fear of Felix¡¯s horse and weaved glacies, just in case she needed help. I soon realized that was a meaningless precaution.


    Hilde roared like a lion and dove into the fray. She slammed the flat of her sword against the largest cat and kicked another. With a hair-raising growl, she jumped and stomped on a third one. Several felines tumbled to the sand in the face of her wild sword dance. The dust cats backed off, wary of her blade¡¯s reach.


    ¡°Miss Hilde is like a beast,¡± said Felix. ¡°A very beautiful one.¡±


    ¡°You have good taste.¡±


    ¡°I think most would disagree after seeing that.¡±


    With inhuman speed and precision, Hilde continued her assault on the animals. Fur and pained squeals flew through the air as she one-sidedly knocked the cats around, all that without spilling a single drop of blood. The cats soon realized the gap in combat ability and withdrew. They vanished beyond the dunes as abruptly as they had appeared.


    After sheathing her blade, Hilde returned to her seat behind me, slightly damp with sweat.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t enjoy killing, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking,¡± I said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Her slightly rough breaths warmed my nape.


    ¡°But that¡¯s why you fought them alone, right? You thought I¡¯d kill them with my magic.¡±


    ¡°I fought alone because it¡¯s faster that way. I didn¡¯t kill them because I didn¡¯t need to. They aren¡¯t enemies. We were the ones who stepped into their homes.¡±


    I finally understood why she punched me when I killed that giant lizard. Hilde had displayed hair-raising brutality when she fought guards and bandits because she believed they were at fault. At first, I thought she was just being hypocritical for judging my actions while spilling plenty of blood herself, but a fundamental difference existed between us. Defending yourself was fine, but killing with extreme prejudice should be reserved to those who deserved it.


    Though speckled with dried blood, her soul shone white. In contrast, I could only cover up my darkness with white lies. I wasn¡¯t even sure they were white anymore.


    ¡°That was the best course of action,¡± said Felix. ¡°Dust carts are smart creatures known to have a sense of camaraderie. Killing even one of them would have given them more reason to attack us. Fighting them alone showed clear combat superiority, driving them off. I believe Miss Hilde¡¯s grandiose roars were also for that purpose.¡±


    Hilde confirmed his speculation with a curt nod.


    Felix closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°However, the cats only retreated because their group was unnaturally small in number. Perhaps they were decimated by a hunt.¡±


    ¡°In any case, let¡¯s get out of here before they change their minds.¡± I urged Sabre forward with a light heel tap.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Hilde.


    ¡°Away from Portus.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the wrong way. We should go that way.¡± She pointed to the left with a finger.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m sure this is the right way.¡±


    I really wasn¡¯t. The encounter with the dust cats made me lose our heading. The feline pawprints around us covered up the few hoofprints spared by the desert wind. Even so, I wouldn¡¯t follow Hilde¡¯s suggestion. She was always wrong when it came to directions. That was fact.


    I trusted my intuition and continued forward.


    A few hours passed.


    I finally learned not to trust my intuition.


    ¡°How did we end up here!?¡± I cradled my head with both hands.


    A stone marker, Harena¡¯s landmark, stood in the horizon.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you wish to return?¡± asked Felix. ¡°I thought we changed our destination to Harena after the dust cat attack.¡±


    ¡°Say something earlier!¡±


    ¡°It is a disciple¡¯s duty to follow his master without complaint.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to everything!¡±


    ¡°Told you so,¡± said Hilde.


    Felix cleared his throat. ¡°Not to be rude, Miss Hilde, but if we followed your suggestion, we would be back in Portus hours ago.¡±


    I turned my head to make fun of her but froze upon noticing a faint blush on her cheeks. Distracted by her rare display of girlishness, I forgot what I wanted to say. She shyly met my eyes. I reflexively faced forward to avoid her meek gaze.


    That was dangerous. I almost lost myself in the view. I wondered if she could hear my pounding heart.


    I shook my head and focused. ¡°Felix, could you take the lead?¡±


    ¡°As you wish. Where to?¡±


    ¡°We need to get away from Harena and Portus. Preferably somewhere with a lot of people and loose security.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I know just the place. There¡¯s a merchant town about three days from here. We should be able to find desert plants and watering holes along the way, so we can make it with our current supplies.¡±


    I heaved a huge sigh. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I ask you to lead us earlier..?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t possess the ability to read minds, Master.¡±


    I did, sort of. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t make me any smarter.


    Hilde tensed. ¡°We¡¯ve got company.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± I expanded my anima¡¯s range and sensed a person on a horse a good distance away.


    Trotting down a tall sand dune, the rider continued to approach.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.Still seated behind me, Hilde drew her sword. ¡°Let¡¯s charge at him.¡±


    ¡°What happened to your pacifist personality?¡±


    ¡°My what?¡±


    Apparently, she just had a soft spot for animals.


    Felix moved between us and the uninvited guest. ¡°Please sheathe your blade, Miss Hilde. It¡¯s Mister Elar, and he¡¯s wounded.¡±


    ¡°Your night vision is very convenient,¡± I said.


    ¡°Indeed. To train this ability, I once lived with bats in a cave for two years. I figured it¡¯d be useful for a thief.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly, uh, amazing¡­ in many ways.¡±


    The shadow drew close enough for me to see his face. Elar, with blood blotting his shirt, widened his droopy eyes upon seeing us.


    ¡°Leon? Ada and Felix too! What¡¯re ya doin¡¯ here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d ask you the same question. Isn¡¯t that Violetta¡¯s horse?¡±


    ¡°Right! Violetta was captured by the townsfolk!¡±


    ¡°Slow down. Please explain it properly.¡±


    Elar took a deep breath and exhaled most of his tension. ¡°I was chattin¡¯ with Violetta in the town plaza. The lass couldn¡¯t sleep so I went along with her for a walk. An explosion got us on our way back. Roughed me up quite a bit.¡± He looked at the dried blood on his sleeve and trousers. ¡°Stone houses melted. People were screamin¡¯ like crazy. It was hell I tell ya.¡±


    I checked his emotions with my anima. Panic. Fear. Guilt. His feelings were consistent with what he said.


    ¡°Is Violetta okay?¡±


    ¡°She got away with just scratches. Problem was what happened after.¡± Elar shook his head in disappointment. ¡°The townsfolk, my neighbors¡­ They blamed me for the chaos. I didn¡¯t even know what the hell happened! They thought Violetta was in on it just ¡®coz she was with me. They grabbed her¡­ and I¡­ I ran away. I even stole her horse. I¡¯m sorry. Sorry for leavin¡¯ that child behind..!¡± He grabbed his tear-soiled face.


    ¡°Thanks for the explanation. That wasn¡¯t your fault. There was nothing you could¡¯ve done.¡±


    I closed my eyes and thought about what to do next. My two companions waited expectantly for my decision. Elar nervously looked back and forth between the three of us. Only the breaths of the horses could be heard in the foreboding silence.


    I turned to Felix. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the town you mentioned earlier. We¡¯ll camp after we get far enough from Harena and Portus. We also need to treat Elar¡¯s wounds.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You¡¯re taking me with you?¡± asked Elar. ¡°I was goin¡¯ to Harena.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you, but I¡¯d rather you not do that. Chances are that another group of our pursuers are in Harena. They¡¯d know immediately if you showed up at the gate looking like that. You know too much about us. If possible, I¡¯d rather you not fall into enemy hands. Believe me, that¡¯s for your sake too.¡±


    ¡°F-Fine. I understand.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make that face. We¡¯re not gonna hurt you. We¡¯ll part ways in the next town.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we save Violetta?¡± asked Felix.


    I shook my head. ¡°Violetta will be fine. She¡¯s an aristocrat from Insula. The people in Portus may be constantly high, but even they should know that a girl like her can¡¯t cause that destruction. She doesn¡¯t have motive either. What do you think, Elar?¡±


    ¡°I agree. I don¡¯t think the townsfolk will hurt her. It¡¯ll sound like an excuse, but that¡¯s why I could stomach leavin¡¯ her behind.¡±


    ¡°Either way, we can¡¯t go back to Portus. If we meet the witch or the knight, we¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± said Hilde.


    Felix narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°I have to say that is a regretful decision, Master.¡±


    Their disappointed gazes stabbed my heart like rusted stakes. Compared to the slander I received from strangers in Arthas, the honest opinions of these two, my comrades, hurt far more.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a decision. We don¡¯t have a choice. Please understand.¡±


    ¡°If you think this is best, I shall follow your command.¡± Felix averted his eyes from mine.


    Hilde hopped off the saddle and walked away. Without moving from their spots, Felix and Elar glanced at me with expectant looks.


    I prodded Sabre to follow her. ¡°Hilde, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to save Violetta.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the unreasonable one. How can you abandon a child like that? Did you forget what happens to prisoners in this land?¡±


    I could never forget. Hilde¡¯s torture had driven me to throw away my old life. However, that was irrelevant right now.


    ¡°Portus is a small village. I¡¯d be surprised if they had prisons, much less interrogators.¡±


    ¡°Excuses. I was a fool for thinking you were brave.¡±


    ¡°...You thought I was brave?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    I thought about what I should do. Going separate ways with Hilde was out of the question. In that case, I just had to tell her what she wanted to hear.


    ¡°Listen to me, Hilde.¡±


    She gave me the cold shoulder, just like when we first met.


    ¡°You¡¯re going the wrong way.¡±


    Hilde abruptly stopped her feet, kicking up sand. Then she turned around with a scowl tempered by a faint blush. ¡°Where¡¯s Portus?¡±


    ¡°I actually don¡¯t know. I just said that so you¡¯d stop.¡±


    Hilde rushed forward, grabbed my shirt, and dragged me to the sand. The fall didn¡¯t hurt as much as I thought it would. Despite her hostility, she had taken care not to aggravate my injuries.


    She held me by my collar and stared into my eyes. ¡°Lend me your ecus.¡±


    ¡°Sabre won¡¯t let you ride her without me.¡±


    Remembering that fact, Hilde clicked her tongue. Taking advantage of that distraction, I pushed my face close to hers.


    ¡°Trust me. This is the only way.¡±


    She shook her head, but I wasn¡¯t about to give up. Her mood worsened as I continued to convince her. Fearing she¡¯d crush my head with her monstrous grip, I picked my words carefully. I told her this way was better for everyone in the long run. I did my best to explain my reasoning, but she only got more furious. She wouldn¡¯t listen and wanted to rush headlong into danger.


    In the end, I resorted to cashing in on my chips.


    ¡°You owe me this much, Hilde. I saved your life at the expense of my own.¡±


    She bit her lips until it turned white. ¡°...I really hate that part of you.¡±


    ¡°...This is for the best.¡±


    If looks could kill, I¡¯d be nothing but ashes now. She let go of me and got on my ecus. Sabre didn¡¯t throw her off because Hilde didn¡¯t intend to run away.


    I watched them trot back to the rest of the party and sighed. ¡°So I¡¯m back to walking now?¡±


    ***


    Hilde kept distance from us during the trip. I rode alternately behind Felix and Elar to avoid tiring out their horses. Unlike Sabre, normal steeds couldn¡¯t maintain our speed for long periods while carrying two people.


    A few hours before dawn, we found a decent campsite on a sand fern field. Sand ferns, having much shorter roots than Pocti, lived in areas with an underground water source close to the surface. If we dug deep enough, we¡¯d be able to replenish our jugs and maybe even wash up. ¡°We,¡± in this case, meant Hilde and Felix. Elar and I were injured and couldn¡¯t do much even if we helped.


    Desert nights were cold, so I set out to build a fire. I gathered dried ferns into a mound near the horses and expanded my anima sphere. I focused on Hilde, who was digging with Felix a good distance away. Anger still smoldered within her, the perfect fuel for a quick flame spell.


    ¡°Ignis.¡±


    I conjured a tiny fire within the pile of dead leaves. A few moments later, smoke wafted from the mound. I carefully nursed the flame by gently blowing air into it.


    ¡°Yer a mage?¡± asked Elar, eyes like saucers.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look so surprised.¡±


    ¡°Ya look like a brat. It¡¯s surprisin¡¯ I tell ya.¡±


    Was Hilde¡¯s poisonous tongue contagious?


    ¡°I know how I look. Leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Sorry if I hit a nerve. But that don¡¯t change the fact that yer amazing.¡±


    ¡°Not amazing enough.¡± I glanced at Hilde in the distance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get ya down boy. I can tell there¡¯s some history between the two of ya. Can you tell me yer story? Haven¡¯t heard a good one in years.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but take off your shirt first.¡±


    ¡°...That was a twist I didn¡¯t see comin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I need to treat your wounds.¡± I took out a roll of cloth bandage from my bag.


    ¡°R-Right.¡± Elar backed away nervously.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t give me that look! I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°But you can just roll up my sleeve to bandage my arm¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, then do that.¡±


    He rolled up his tattered sleeve, caked with blood, up to his shoulder. I proceeded to clean the gash on his arm with some water and wiped it off with a cloth. After applying an ointment Felix made, I wrapped his arm with the bandage and secured it with a knot.


    ¡°Yer pretty good at this.¡±


    ¡°I watched my sister do it to me countless times.¡± I let a bitter smile spill out. ¡°Let me see your leg.¡±


    Elar rolled up his trouser leg, exposing a small cut on his calf. ¡°What do you see in that girl?¡±


    ¡°Hilde? Have your eyes gone bad from age?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking ¡®bout her looks, boy. She¡¯s been snubbin¡¯ ya since we left Harena.¡±


    ¡°Well, we had a disagreement, but it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°So you two are usually more chummy?¡±


    ¡°...Not really. Things had been going better recently, but then you had to show up.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t wanna be a bringer of bad news to ya¡¯ll. She must really like Violetta.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably more than she likes me.¡± After finishing treatment, I unrolled his trouser leg and gave him a pat on the knee.


    ¡°Thanks. I feel much better now. You¡¯re really a nice boy, Karius.¡±


    Hearing my real name, I looked up and saw Elar¡¯s frigid grin. Before I could move, he blew a white powder on his palm towards my face.


    My eyes rolled up, and the world disappeared.

 Chapter 08: Illusions

    A girl with lengthy golden locks frolicked on a bright green meadow, happily chasing a pair of butterflies. Her deep purple dress fluttered with each step. The contrast between her elaborate gown and childish conduct gave her a youthful and graceful air.


    ¡°Look, Papa! So pretty!¡±


    Across the field sat a middle-aged man, his back against a large tree. The dark green fabric of his trousers blended in with the grass. Metal-framed spectacles perched on his sharp nose, perfectly complementing his serene face. A light brown vest over a white shirt completed his simple yet classy look.


    He sent the girl a kind smile. ¡°Those are Hell¡¯s Maiden butterflies. They can¡¯t be found anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re extinct beyond the barrier?¡±


    ¡°I believe so.¡±


    The girl showed a melancholic expression. ¡°How unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make that face. The outside world is of no concern to us. ¡±


    She nodded and reversed her frown.


    I watched the father and daughter enjoy a nice quiet afternoon from the sky. It was a heartwarming sight.


    Wait¡­


    What?


    I looked around. Infinite blue stretched out in all directions. Wispy clouds floated around me. I checked my body. The sling on my right arm had disappeared. My ribcage didn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Why did I think I was injured?


    I couldn¡¯t remember what I was doing before I got here. A thick haze shrouded my memory.


    Was this a dream?


    I fell from the sky like a rock.


    ¡°Shiiiitttt!!!¡±


    The blue sky folded into itself and vanished. The falling sensation went away in an instant. I floated in nothingness, suspended in endless black. After a few tense moments, a blinding flash swallowed my body, forcing me to close my eyes. When I opened them, the scenery around me had changed.


    I stood on top of a river, as impossible as that sounded. I checked my soles and noticed they were dry. My shoes didn¡¯t touch the water, floating just inches above it.


    I found the father and daughter relaxing on the riverbank. A majestic waterfall served as a surreal backdrop to the scene. Colorful birds I¡¯d never seen before flew above our heads.


    ¡°This is amazing, Papa!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± The father made a soft smile. ¡°I built it all for you.¡±


    She flew into his chest and embraced him with all her might. ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°Now, now. You shouldn¡¯t behave like that. It¡¯s not fit for a lady, especially one as special as you.¡±


    She made a cute pout and mumbled, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    He gently stroked her head. ¡°No need for apologies. Once you¡¯re done admiring the view, let¡¯s begin your fishing lesson.¡±


    ¡°Fishing? Is that fun?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Is it more fun than magic lessons?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s a tough one. I guess you¡¯ll have to try it and see.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The father patiently taught the girl how to bait the hook, cast the rod, and reel in the catch. The scene looked uncanny, as if it came out of a fairytale. Arthas didn¡¯t have bodies of water large enough to hold wild fish. Fish themselves were extremely rare and treated as a delicacy reserved to the rich. Even I had only tasted it a few times.


    After they were done fishing, a young maid in a white dress and apron appeared from the nearby forest. She took the fish they caught and cleaned them. Then she skewered them with damp wooden sticks and grilled them in an open flame. The father lay down on a large blanket spread out on the grass.


    The blond girl trotted over to the expressionless maid. ¡°Ein, is it done yet?¡±


    Her eyes faintly shaded by her frilly headdress, Ein glanced at her mistress as she flipped the skewered fish to cook the other side. ¡°Apologies, Milady. The fish is not ready yet. It will be done soon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother the help, dear,¡± said the father. ¡°That won¡¯t make the fish cook faster.¡± He uncovered a small wicker basket and took out a scone. ¡°Here. We also have some thornberry jam.¡±


    The girl skipped over to the blanket, all smiles.


    I tried touching the water flowing beneath me, but my hand passed through without getting wet. Considering everything I had seen so far, I concluded this was a dream. I¡¯d had lucid dreams before, but unlike those, I couldn¡¯t bend reality here to my will. I didn¡¯t even know what I was seeing. Was it a scene from a book I read?


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything¡­¡±


    No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t fill in the gaps in my memory. With nothing else to do, I continued watching them.


    After their meal, the girl rested her head on her father¡¯s lap. ¡°Papa.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± He looked down.


    ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to see your face.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you tired of it by now? You¡¯ve seen it every day for decades.¡±


    She slowly closed her eyelids and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll never grow tired of it.¡± Her smile bloomed like an exotic flower.


    I sank into the bottom of the river. Sound and light vanished. The sudden change was similar to when the sky disappeared earlier, so I didn¡¯t panic.


    The scenery around me transformed again. The new stage held none of the tranquility of its predecessors.


    ¡°Where are you going, Papa!?¡± The girl screamed, tears running down her eyes.


    Towering flames danced around them. Two shadows stood in front of her. I couldn¡¯t see them clearly because of the smoke.


    ¡°This is goodbye.¡±


    I recognized the father¡¯s voice. It sounded many times colder than before.


    ¡°What did I do wrong? I¡¯ll fix it, Papa! I¡¯ll do anything! I swear, I¡¯ll be useful to you! Please don¡¯t leave me! Please!!!¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the thought, but it¡¯s not necessary. You¡¯re not necessary. Not anymore. Let¡¯s go, Violetta.¡±


    The small shadow beside him answered, ¡°Yes, Papa.¡±


    The blond girl froze. ¡°W-What did you call her?¡±


    ¡°He called my name,¡± said the shorter shadow. ¡°What of it?¡± The voice resembled the blond girl¡¯s to a confusing degree.


    ¡°T-That can¡¯t be. That¡¯s my name! Papa! Tell her! Please! You gave me that name!!! It¡¯s my treasure!¡±


    ¡°How pitiful.¡± The shadow tilted her head. ¡°You can¡¯t even understand you¡¯ve been replaced. No matter. Names are important. In place of Papa, I shall name you, Sister. Hmm¡­¡± She whispered something to the father. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A paler violet,¡± said the father. ¡°Sounds perfect.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± The blond girl shook her head, tears streaming down her face like rain on a window. ¡°I refuse to accept this. Don¡¯t leave, Papa¡­ Please...¡±


    The father turned his back on the blond girl. ¡°We should get going, Violetta.¡±


    ¡°Yes Papa. I guess this is it.¡± Her sinister smile peeked out through a gap in the smoke. ¡°Farewell, Lilac.¡±


    The two shadows vanished into the darkness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me!!!¡±


    The blond girl¡¯s heart-rending scream shattered the world around her. No, the falling fragments belonged to the dream I was seeing. My missing memories took their place, surrounding me like an impenetrable cage. I recalled my adventures and my sins. I remembered everything.


    Including the face of a former companion, a blond young lady who looked exactly like the broken girl in the dream.


    ¡°Violetta..?¡± I opened my heavy eyelids.


    The figure of a woman with wavy blond hair came into focus.


    The immortal witch, Lilac Gromwell, turned to me. ¡°I noticed the strange mana flow around you, but I didn¡¯t think you were using your ability on me. If not for my sensitivity to mana currents, I would¡¯ve been none the wiser. You continue to exceed my expectations, Karius.¡±


    I kept quiet and scanned my surroundings.


    We were inside a small stone cave. A single light orb sitting in the corner illuminated the small space. Lilac Gromwell, no, Violetta, sat on a rock between me and the only exit. My left hand was tied to the rope binding my ankles. Escape was impossible.


    This was the third time I had woken up from forced slumber since I left my hometown. I almost found the pattern funny. Almost.


    Compared to those times, my current condition was surprisingly good. My head felt clear, with no sign of nausea or dizziness. The white powder she had used on me, probably an encantus, hadn¡¯t left any lingering effects.


    ¡°Ignoring a lady is ungentlemanly. No point playing dumb. I already know about your ability. What-¡± She paused and furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°How much did you see?¡±


    I could deny it, but a feeling similar to guilt prevented me from doing so. Even though we were enemies, the times we spent traveling together still resided in the back of my mind. Treading on people¡¯s wounds wasn¡¯t something I could just rationalize away. Based on her words just now, she probably understood the gist of my anima anyway.


    ¡°...I apologize. That has never happened before.¡±


    ¡°...I take back what I said. You are a gentleman, Karius Corvider.¡± Gromwell uncorked a leather pouch and took a few sips of water. ¡°Now that I think about it, you couldn¡¯t have intentionally peeked at my past while fast asleep.¡± Pressing an index finger on her chin, she made an understanding smile. ¡°The resonance probably happened because we both have powerful cors. It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Her moist lips glistened in the dark cave, giving them an almost magical allure.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she was putting on the charm on purpose, but it was more effective than I¡®d care to admit.


    ¡°Figures. None of my family are mages, so I didn¡¯t even know I could do something like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason. Your anima has probably grown stronger through repeated use during your little adventure. Like any other skill, it gets better with training.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡±


    ¡°I have to say, you¡¯re taking this surprisingly well. Most people would rage over being deceived and kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to conniving vixens. I think it¡¯s the victim¡¯s fault for falling for it.¡± I pushed my shoulder onto the wall to prop myself up. I rested my back on the cave interior and cracked my sore neck by tilting my head side to side. ¡°How did you find us after we got separated at Portus?¡±


    ¡°Tracking magic. I snuck an encantus pin in your bag just in case. That was the easy part. The more challenging bit was trying to convince your group to take my version of Elar with you. Fortunately, you invited me yourself.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t expected her to answer so candidly. Maybe she had done so in return for my honesty about seeing her past.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you managed to get away from Hilde and Felix.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t easy.¡± She shrugged, causing her bountiful breasts to jiggle like fresh pudding. ¡°I had to leave behind an elaborate illusion to fool them into thinking you and Elar were asleep at camp. After gaining a bit of distance, I chased away the horse to fool them into following its trail. Then I covered up our tracks with magic while carrying you on my back. All that because your friends are veritable monsters.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Says the legendary Lamia.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t call me that.¡± She made an odd expression between a smile and a pout. ¡°Do I look like some sort of demon to you?¡±


    ¡°You did keep rising from the dead when you fought Sir Richter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just for show. The real me is a delicate maiden.¡±


    I burst into laughter, holding my stomach as I gasped for breath.


    ¡°How mean. I can¡¯t believe this is the same Karius who risked his life to save me in the Nepa Caverns. My heart skipped a beat back then, you know?¡±


    I made a wry smile. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± She turned away in a huff. ¡°I liked you better when I was pretending to be a child.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence. I liked you better when you were pretending to be a child too.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You swing that way?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! Did you forget I¡¯m head over heels for Hilde?¡±


    She laughed wholeheartedly, as if getting revenge for my reaction earlier. I couldn¡¯t understand this woman. How could a devious tactician like her make such a carefree expression?


    That was a bad sign. I was getting dragging into her pace, almost forgetting to gather information.


    I relaxed my cheeks and looked her in the eye. ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    ¡°Orders from above.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°You spent days with us as Violetta. You had plenty of chances to abduct or kill me, but you didn¡¯t. That means you were waiting. Observing. Since I¡¯m the one tied up in this cave, you probably don¡¯t care about Hilde. You went through a lot of effort to keep her from chasing us, so this isn¡¯t a trap for her. Your actions wouldn¡¯t make sense if you¡¯re following orders. She¡¯s the more dangerous target from Arthas¡¯s perspective.¡±


    ¡°Well reasoned. You¡¯re a smart boy. I like that about you.¡± She crossed her legs, granting a glimpse of porcelain thighs from the slit of her long purple skirt. ¡°As a reward, I¡¯ll skip the mind games and come clean. I need your help, Karius.¡±


    ¡°With what?¡±


    ¡°Gaining my freedom.¡±


    I recalled her spy antics and her full-blown battle against one of Arthas¡¯s best knights. ¡°You seem plenty free to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt, please.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to. I thought you stopped.¡±


    ¡°I was just taking a pause for impact. This is the problem with boys, always eager to thrust themselves into small gaps.¡± She poked her chin with her index finger. ¡°Where was I? Right. I need your magic, Karius. Especially your anima.¡±


    ¡°My anima..?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying about being sent by the higher ups. The church ordered me to retrieve you.¡±


    ¡°You work for the church?¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°I know right? I¡¯ll skip the details, but I got captured by the high priest of Arthas. Oh, I¡¯m not talking about the current one. The high priest two generations ago was much more powerful and intelligent. Anyway, he inflicted a curse on me, preventing me from disobeying those who carry his blood. Basically, anyone from his family can erase my existence with a snap of a finger. You¡¯re smart enough to know why he did that, so I¡¯ll skip that too.¡±


    I nodded to show my understanding. The immortal witch was immensely powerful. Being able to control her meant wielding that power.


    ¡°I spent decades searching for a way to dispel the curse. I finally found a solution three years ago, but I need the cooperation of several different mages to create a certain encantus. Emotional bases used for high-level magic need to be genuine. Even with my skill and infinite time, I can only use a few. That¡¯s where you come in. I want you to create that encantus for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re overestimating my abilities.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I didn¡¯t go through all the trouble of abducting you on a hunch. You used somnus to put Ricky and the warden to sleep. You used lightning, fire, and ice magic to defeat the acolytes in combat. From the variety of spells you weaved and circumstances you used them in, I deduced your anima: channeling emotions. But that was just speculation. To prove it, I disguised myself to observe you up close.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s when you left that request on Harena¡¯s board.¡±


    She nodded with a smug grin. ¡°I figured out you were staying in Harena as soon as I got there. Sabre drew attention with her annoyed stomps in the stables. I got a little worried when I couldn¡¯t find you in town though.¡±


    ¡°We, uh, got into some trouble.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Hilde. Bandits, right? She told me about it while you were asleep from Felix¡¯s poison. She also mentioned how you used the spells vacuum and ensis in your travels. That information supported my idea about your anima. I also noticed a faint flow of mana from you when you speak to someone, which made sense if you were actively reading their hearts.¡± Gromwell crossed her arms, pushing up her hefty breasts. ¡°But the strongest evidence was your miscast in the Nepa Caverns. I felt an energy trying to pull something from within me. It didn¡¯t work, as I thought. My emotions in that form were fakes created by my illusion magic. If those could fuel spells, I would¡¯ve broken this curse myself ages ago. Oh, that doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t ¡®feel¡¯ those fabricated emotions. I wasn¡¯t lying when I said my heart skipped a beat from your heroics.¡± She gave me wink.


    ¡°Since the whole story about Claude and Jeanne was a sham, you must¡¯ve chosen the Nepa Caverns to test my abilities for a different reason.¡± I closed my eyes for a moment and organized my thoughts. ¡°You¡¯ve been there before. Before you went with us as Violetta.¡±


    Gromwell fell silent. The smug expression on her face vanished, which meant I was on the right track.


    ¡°The Arthas soldiers in the cavern... Did you kill them?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The unexpected answer tempted me to sigh in relief. Maybe Lilac Gromwell wasn¡¯t as bad as rumors said.


    The witch shrugged indifferently. ¡°I just led them there by pretending to be a local who knew about your location. The scorpions did all the killing. It¡¯d be a pain if the soldiers got in the way of my investigation, so I got rid of them as soon as they arrived.¡± She approached me and crouched down to my eye level. ¡°I could lie to you, but you¡¯d be able to tell with your anima, right? I¡¯m not using my illusion magic right now, after all.¡±


    A cold shiver ran up my spine. I scolded myself for lowering my guard against this immortal monster for even a moment. I had actually considered helping her if she¡¯d leave us alone after. However, I now realized that freeing her from the high priest¡¯s control would result in the deaths of many people. I didn¡¯t want any more blood on my hands, assuming they were still attached after she was done with me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go unharmed if you cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Can you read minds?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t make it difficult, with that glare and all. I¡¯m telling the truth. I have no reason to harm you if you help me. In fact, I¡¯m quite fond of you, so I¡¯d rather avoid that. I¡¯ll even throw in a bag of gems for your trouble. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°Just one bag?¡±


    ¡°The jewels in it are pretty rare. A bag should be enough to buy you a mansion and a dozen servants in most cities. It¡¯s a great offer considering your exile from Arthas, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Tempting, but the answer is no.¡±


    Gromwell sighed. ¡°Let me guess. Hilde.¡±


    ¡°Making this curse-breaking encantus of yours sounds like a lot of work. I don¡¯t think I can do it while traveling with her.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. I¡¯ll have you stay with me to teach you the spells. You will need to lay low the entire time. I can¡¯t have the high priest sniffing out my plans. Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t take long. About five years, give or take.¡±


    ¡°Five years!? That¡¯s way too long!¡±


    ¡°Is it? That¡¯s an optimistic estimate. I factored in my unmatched teaching ability and your talent as a mage. Putting aside your unique anima, a normal mage would take five years to master even one of the spells I need.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talented?¡±


    ¡°Dissatisfied? Would you prefer to be called a prodigy?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­ I¡¯ve never been praised like that before.¡± I suppressed a grin. ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°You defeated Ricky and escaped Arthas by going through hordes of guards and acolytes. I find your humility harder to believe.¡±


    ¡°Getting put down every single day does that to you.¡±


    Gromwell snorted. ¡°Those people are fools. A sword is no match for a spell. It will never be.¡±


    ¡°Sir Richter fought you just fine.¡±


    ¡°With encantus gear.¡±


    ¡°...Point taken.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve wandered from the main topic. Hilde, was it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave her side no matter what.¡±


    Gromwell stared at my face, as if studying a complicated incantation. Then she began chuckling. Her snicker escalated to laughter. Confused by that reaction, I checked her emotions. The immortal witch felt genuinely amused by what I said. That ticked me off.


    ¡°What¡¯s so damn funny?¡±


    She stroked her chest while recovering from her fit. ¡°You have no idea, do you?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About why you can¡¯t leave Hilde¡¯s side no matter what.¡±


    My mind ground to a halt, only to go into overdrive the next moment. What did she mean? What did she know? I tried to ask her, but my paralyzed jaw wouldn¡¯t cooperate.


    Gromwell untangled her long legs and crossed them the other way. ¡°It¡¯s not my place to tell you about that girl¡¯s secret. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone gossiping about my past, either. What I can tell you is about yourself. Believe me when I say this. Your feelings for her are fake.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°An instant reply! How committed! But that only proves what I¡¯m saying. You threw away your old life, betrayed your country, your master, your family, to save a girl you didn¡¯t even know. Even with her harsh treatment and constant rejection, you still push yourself to stay by her side. Have you ever thought about how odd that is? Does that make sense to you?¡±


    No, it didn¡¯t.


    My gaze wandered aimlessly in the dim cave. Terrified by my own confusion, I forced my lips to move. ¡°T-That¡¯s because I fell in love with her at first sight.¡±


    ¡°Sight? Was it really sight?¡±


    ¡°I-I sensed her determination¡­ her iron will. That¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Exactly what I meant. Your anima sensed something within her, something that pulls other people in. Just so you know, that effect isn¡¯t limited to you alone. Hilde has a magnetism that attracts others to her. Didn¡¯t you notice how people gathered around her despite her terrible attitude? Gave her breaks?¡±


    When Hilde went around Harena in search of a job, the townsfolk humored her even though she couldn¡¯t do an ounce of work properly. I had thought that was because of her beauty, but what if Gromwell was telling the truth?


    ¡°Did you know that it¡¯s common for female prisoners to be raped in the Arthas dungeons? That warden may look lazy, but he¡¯s a piece of work, just like his uncle. Despite that, a beauty like Hilde got away with just a few cuts. That¡¯s her power at work. For the sake of convenience, let¡¯s call it charisma. The problem is, your ability is too sensitive.¡±


    I already knew where she was going with this, but I didn¡¯t want to hear it. I would¡¯ve ripped my ears off if I could.


    ¡°After studying you both during our travels, I came to a conclusion. Your ¡®love¡¯ for Hilde is nothing but a side effect of your anima and her unique trait. It¡¯s no more real than my illusions. That¡¯s why you do everything to be with her, including trampling on her own will. That¡¯s not love. That¡¯s an addiction. Your anima is leeching off her soul.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡­ can¡¯t be.¡±


    No matter how many times I read Gromwell¡¯s emotions, my conclusion didn¡¯t change. She was telling the truth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s doing it intentionally, but who knows? You should have a better idea. After all, you can see into her heart.¡±


    Memories of my sins came flooding in my head.


    ¡°I killed all those people¡­ I left Annie behind¡­¡±


    I still clearly remembered seeing Hilde in chains and feeling her heart pierce mine. But that night was an illusion. The people I killed rose up from my shadow and ensnared my limbs. They pulled my consciousness from the dim cave to an infinite darkness. I stood in a wasteland more barren than the surface world, endless sand in all horizons.


    I was lost.


    Was everything a lie?


    I fell to the floor and scooped up the sand by my feet. The fine grains on my palms formed images of my memories with Hilde.


    Did none of it have meaning?


    The warmth of her back.


    The ticklish sensation of her chapped lips.


    The sour-sweet scent that I couldn¡¯t get enough of.


    Her hilariously bad sense of direction.


    Her inability to wake up.


    Her strange fondness for dangerous animals.


    Her fear of mages.


    Her smile when she called me Kari that one time.


    Were those all fake?


    I squeezed my heart for an answer.


    The sand slipped through the cracks between my fingers and vanished in the wind.


    Yes.


    They were all fake.


    If I hadn¡¯t fallen for her in that dungeon, none of those would¡¯ve happened. I wouldn¡¯t have betrayed my master and sister. I wouldn¡¯t have killed all those people.


    Like a tower erected on a false foundation, my feelings were destined for collapse. No matter how many floors I build on top, that fate wouldn¡¯t change. On the contrary, the structure would fall apart even faster as the weight of lies piled up.


    Once the core crumbled, everything would follow it to the ground. And the core of my feelings for Hilde had been irreparably shaken.


    Tiring of its cowardly escape, my consciousness returned to reality. I began laughing, my back still on the wall.


    Gromwell frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t go nuts on me now. It¡¯ll be a pain to train an insane person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going nuts. I was just laughing at myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s called going nuts. Sane people don¡¯t laugh at themselves in front of others, at least not sincerely. If you¡¯re not doing that for show, then you¡¯re pretty broken already.¡±


    ¡°I am shattered.¡± I lifelessly curled my lips into a wry smile.


    ¡°I guess we have a deal. Simia.¡± Gromwell burned the ropes on my ankles and left wrist and then offered me a hand.


    My left hand twitched to life, seeking hers for some sort of redemption.


    Then a seething rage overwhelmed me. Like an avalanche of molten lava, it swallowed my entire consciousness, burning me from within, recreating me in an instant.


    I stopped my hand before it touched the witch and stared at my palm. ¡°Who cares if it¡¯s fake?¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°You know, I lived my entire life as a fake. I¡¯m no Corvider, nor am I a knight. Half of me isn¡¯t Annie¡¯s brother, and I have absolutely no interest in the politics I grew up in. When I began traveling with Hilde, I thought I finally found something genuine.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for breaking the news to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I chuckled. ¡°You taught me something important.¡±


    The image of Portus surfaced in my mind. It was a village of people who continued to escape from reality, an abnormal, unnerving haven of weaklings.


    But so what?


    They were happy.


    I shifted my gaze from my hand to Violetta¡¯s eyes. ¡°Truth is meaningless. Authenticity is meaningless. Reality is nothing but perception. You, a mistress of illusion, should know that best.¡±


    Her amiable expression transformed into a hostile scowl. ¡°Be careful with your words.¡±


    I answered her threat with a look of confidence.


    My core didn¡¯t crumble.


    Felix had mistaken me for deception incarnate, but he still traveled with me and saved my life with his funky concoctions. Hilde peppered with me insults and constantly gave me the cold shoulder, but I still found myself missing her cold, disinterested voice. Violetta was actually an immortal witch who wanted to use me, but that didn¡¯t make our time together less enjoyable.


    They were fun times, as short as they were.


    More fun than my entire life in Arthas.


    More meaningful.


    More valuable.


    I embraced the lies and decided to seek what lay beyond it. I believed the illusion. That wasn¡¯t the solution heroes chose, neither was it something that would be sung of in legends. It was the choice of weaklings and cowards. Of people. That was enough.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be a fake, Violetta.¡±


    Explosive anger erupted from the witch, making her voice tremble.


    ¡°How dare you use that name and say that to me. You know of my past.¡±


    ¡°I said it because I know your past.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s the teacher¡¯s duty to discipline her foolish student.¡± She aimed her palm at my right leg. ¡°You don¡¯t need this to weave magic. I¡¯ll burn the end just enough so you don¡¯t bleed out. Should stop you from trying to run away too. I¡¯m out of rope, you see.¡±


    I grinned. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    The air in front of her palm shimmered.


    The seething anger I felt earlier made its way towards me.


    It didn¡¯t belong to the immortal witch.


    Blood splattered on the cave wall as Gromwell¡¯s severed arm flew through the air.


    Hilde stood beside the shocked witch, her bloody sword raised towards the ceiling. Felix materialized behind Gromwell and thrust his dagger at her leg. Gromwell jumped aside to avoid the brunt of the blow, but the poisoned blade still drew blood.


    Hilde chased after the witch, but Gromwell¡¯s body melted into the wall.


    Hilde¡¯s anger, erupting outside the cave earlier, had saved me from the witch¡¯s temptation. Despite hearing everything the witch had said, including my illusionary feelings for her, Hilde had gotten furious at my betrayal. That reaction meant she cared about our relationship, real or not. Couldn¡¯t the same be said for my feelings towards her?


    The night of our escape, I had channeled my own affection for Hilde and cast cura on her.


    And it had worked.


    According to the witch, fake feelings couldn¡¯t fuel spells.


    But I had saved Hilde with my facsimile of love.


    Then was it real?


    Who cared?


    What mattered was if it was valuable.


    And it was. To me. And apparently, to Hilde as well.


    Then our relationship had meaning, regardless of how it began. Even though rainbows were nothing but a crossing of mist and light, that didn¡¯t make them any less beautiful.


    How could I not answer Hilde¡¯s feelings?


    I got to my feet. ¡°You guys are right on time.¡±


    ¡°We had to be,¡± said Felix. ¡°Any later and you¡¯d be one leg short.¡±


    ¡°I had to time my signal when the witch was completely focused on me. It worked, didn¡¯t it? Did she escape?¡±


    ¡°No, I placed wire traps at the entrance,¡± said Felix. ¡°They haven¡¯t been triggered. She¡¯s still in the cave.¡±


    ¡°How did you find us!?¡± Gromwell¡¯s voice echoed within the stone walls.


    I couldn¡¯t tell where she was coming from, likely another application of her illusion magic. Talk about overpowered.


    Felix looked around the small cave. ¡°This is problematic. I can¡¯t sense her at all.¡±


    ¡°We should¡¯ve killed her with the first blow.¡± Hilde sent me a prickly glance. ¡°This is all because you wanted her alive.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted to save Violetta?¡±


    ¡°That was before I found out she was a legendary witch.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Again with your thing against mages.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!¡± shouted Gromwell.


    ¡°I can explain that.¡± I moved closer to my companions and entrusted my back to them.


    ¡°You? You were with me the whole time! What would you know?¡±


    Gromwell was poisoned and losing blood. Every second I chatted with her turned the odds in our favor. She might surrender if we cornered her enough. I didn¡¯t want to kill her if possible.


    ¡°I planned the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°What..?¡±


    ¡°I already suspected you, more specifically the smaller version of you, since our visit to the Nepa Caverns. You said it yourself. I miscast, something that hasn¡¯t happened in years. Not only that, it happened consecutively several times.¡±


    ¡°You suspected me since then..?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know for sure, but yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you do anything about it?¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to know what you were up to. I knew you didn¡¯t want to kill me. If that was your goal, you could¡¯ve done so easily during the fight against the scorpions. Hilde had her hands full back then, and I was desperate to survive. An assassin wouldn¡¯t have wasted such a chance. That means you want something else.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mere speculation.¡±


    ¡°There were other signs. Violetta decided to wait for my recovery before searching for her companions. That didn¡¯t make sense considering how desperately she wanted to find them. It was as if she, I mean you, didn¡¯t want me out of your sight. That made me suspect you¡¯re after me, not Hilde. Which brings up the question of why. Why would someone sent by Arthas be after me but not a dangerous Valmaz fugitive? Even if my mother specifically requested my retrieval, no authority in Arthas would ignore the opportunity of capturing both targets. I inferred that your objective was a personal one. Of course, I wasn¡¯t sure until you told me just a few moments ago.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. If what you¡¯re saying is true, that means you let yourself get kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°I did. I figured out your identity when I saw you fight Sir Richter in Portus. Violetta, whose identity was in question, disappeared right when a witch that specializes in illusions showed up in a tiny village. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to put two and two together. I intentionally left you behind in Portus knowing you were Lilac Gromwell.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bluff! You took me along when I was disguised as Elar! If you knew about my identity before that, you wouldn''t''ve believed the story about Violetta getting captured by the townsfolk.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t believe a word of that. I let you tag along so I could keep an eye on you. That¡¯s better than worrying about a sneak attack. You already found us once, so I didn¡¯t think we could shake your pursuit. I didn¡¯t realize I was carrying a tracking charm in my bag though.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you consider the possibility that Elar was also a victim of my illusions?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. It was unlikely, but I looked into that possibility just to be sure. I treated Elar¡¯s arm wound to check if it matched the one you got from Sir Richter. The location was an exact match. Moreover, Elar¡¯s wounds were all gashes. Heat rays and melting stones don¡¯t do that.¡± I shrugged exaggeratedly. ¡°I figured if I let you kidnap me, Hilde and Felix can launch a sneak attack when you¡¯re least wary, which is exactly what happened. I¡¯m not crazy enough to fight a monster like you on equal terms.¡± I made a smug face to annoy her.


    ¡°Bastard..!¡±


    ¡°You got me there.¡±


    ¡°...You didn¡¯t answer my first question. I erased our tracks on the way here. How did Hilde and Felix find this cave?¡±


    True to her reputation, she regained her calm in the span of a breath. I continued my story, hoping to end this confrontation without a fight.


    ¡°The balm. Sabre tracked the smell to me. Your illusions can mask scents when it¡¯s active, but that only works in a limited area. It can¡¯t erase the trail. Even you don¡¯t have enough mana to maintain a spell that wide. Sabre could probably find me even without it, but better safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you kept refusing to wash that disgusting thing off. If I remember correctly, the first time you did that was right after Felix applied that crap on your wounds. What a schemer. Just like your mother.¡±


    As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I had handled this incident exactly as Mother would.


    ¡°Not everything went according to plan. I honestly panicked when Hilde tried to leave the party after I rejected the idea of saving Violetta from the Portus townsfolk. I was forced to explain the plan to her.¡±


    ¡°That really pissed me off,¡± said Hilde. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe he knew about you but let you stay with the group. I would¡¯ve killed you the moment I found out.¡±


    ¡°Which was why I didn¡¯t tell her. In the end, I managed to convince Hilde by saying it was our best chance to gather information and defeat you with a surprise attack. We all saw you fight in Portus. It was the obvious choice, whether she liked it or not.¡±


    ¡°But if you didn¡¯t want to tell Hilde and Felix,¡± said Gromwell, ¡°how did you plan on letting them find you?¡±


    ¡°Sabre would¡¯ve searched for me no matter what. Hilde and Felix would realize something was up if that happened.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Felix held his dagger in a reverse grip in front of him. ¡°Sabre tried to run off as soon as the illusions at the camp disappeared.¡±


    ¡°I see. You asked Hilde to stay away from us while I was disguised as Elar so she wouldn¡¯t accidentally reveal the plan to me.¡±


    ¡°Hilde may have a poker face, but she¡¯s a terrible liar. Do you even know how many times she forgot or denied her alias?¡± I shook my head with an exasperated look. ¡°Felix is no different.¡±


    ¡°Eh!? Do you mean I have no potential as a thief!?¡±


    ¡°Not the time, Felix.¡±


    Hilde glanced at me while keeping vigilant of her surroundings. ¡°I still think we should kill her.¡±


    Felix carefully watched the surroundings. ¡°I agree with Master, Miss Hilde. Killing Violetta should be our last resort.¡±


    I checked my internal clock. Several minutes had passed. The blood loss and poison should¡¯ve taken their toll on Gromwell by now. Based on my analysis of her abilities, she didn¡¯t have the ability to heal. In fact, that magic was probably the furthest away from her.


    Gromwell¡¯s cackle shook the small chamber.


    ¡°You got me, Karius! It¡¯s my complete loss!¡±


    I stifled a sigh of relief. We weren¡¯t out of the woods yet. The witch might not be hostile at the moment, but that didn¡¯t mean she was open to peace. I decided to buy a little more time.


    ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much credit. More than anything, you lost because of your carelessness. Excluding my miscast, there was one other thing that tipped me off about your identity.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Your dress. You shouldn¡¯t wear the same style and color when in disguise. Long blond hair together with a purple gown isn¡¯t exactly common. You¡¯re too loyal to your fashion sense.¡±


    ¡°...Now that you mention it.¡±


    ¡°Master is amazing!¡± Felix spread his arms wide. ¡°Even an old witch is no match for you!¡±


    ¡°Immortals don¡¯t grow old, Felix. And Karius, thanks for the lesson in humility. Power dulled my sense of danger. Out of respect for your tactical victory, I shall reveal one of my cards.¡±


    That declaration sent bone-chilling terror through my spine.


    I calmed myself by regulating my breathing. ¡°A free lesson from the immortal witch? I¡¯m honored.¡±


    ¡°You should be.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I know you¡¯re buying time, but unfortunately for you, blood loss and poisons are meaningless to this body. Losing an arm is a big annoyance though, so part of your plan worked. Congratulations.¡±


    Shit. I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be that easy.


    ¡°Get ready to fight, everyone.¡± I tapped into my own fear and amplified it. ¡°Even with her illusions, she can¡¯t escape all three of us in a small cave like this.¡±


    ¡°I think you have that the other way around.¡±


    Oh no.


    Skip weave.


    Execute.


    ¡°Glacies!!!¡±


    A dome of ice grew from the ground and enclosed me and my companions before a massive heat wave could burn us alive.


    I heaved a sigh of relief. Good thing I remembered how Richter defended against a similar attack. However, we weren¡¯t in the clear yet. The ice dome melted at a rapid rate from outside, so I continued to recast glacies to reinforce it with internal layers. The space inside grew smaller and smaller.


    ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll create an opening. Split up when I give you the signal.¡±


    My comrades nodded.


    I crafted multiple thin layers of ice within the dome¡¯s inner walls and then covered it with another layer of thick ice. Gromwell¡¯s heat wave reached the thin layers. The thin ice vaporized much faster than a solid ice block, creating a thick mist. The steam shrouded the dome from the witch¡¯s view.


    I used my anima to pinpoint her location. She had taken quite a distance from us after melting the cave. I created an ice spike from beneath her feet, hoping the mist would disguise my attack. The distance to the target delayed materialization and guzzled my mana, but there was no other way to stop her continuous casting. The onslaught of heat ceased when all three of us were forced to our knees by the frozen ceiling.


    ¡°Now!¡± I dispelled the ice dome, causing it to shatter.


    The small cave had disappeared, melted into lava by the witch¡¯s spell. The stone ground around us sizzled from residual heat. I created a path using ice magic and ran away.


    Hilde and Felix had already disappeared in the fog when I checked behind me. Those two could easily jump the distance of the burnt ground, so I wasn¡¯t worried.


    Considering how often I used it, I was beginning to think glacies was my favorite spell. That also meant I always ran into terrifying situations. On second thought, I¡¯d rather not use this spell ever again.


    Another of those terrifying situations, in the form of a bewitching blonde, stared me in the face.


    ¡°Not bad, Karius.¡± Gromwell licked her bottom lip. ¡°You almost got me. Good thing I can read the flow of mana.¡±


    I had gone for the kill with that attack. My deal with Hilde was to kill Gromwell if she didn¡¯t surrender. Even with my full resolve, the spell didn¡¯t leave a scratch on her.


    ¡°Just how overpowered are you? You¡¯re making me wanna give up.¡±


    ¡°A mere difference in experience, boy.¡± She vanished into thin air as Hilde¡¯s shortsword whipped by.


    Hilde flipped backward twice to avoid a heat blast. Gromwell dragged the heat beam like a giant sword to chase after her. Felix tossed two throwing knives at the witch, but the iron blades vaporized to small stubs before bouncing off Gromwell¡¯s plump mounds.


    ¡°Futile.¡± The immortal witch feigned a bored look.


    ¡°Not really.¡± I noticed something in that clash, aside from the amazing jiggle. ¡°Why did you stop attacking, witch?¡±


    She twisted her glossy lips into a sadistic smile. ¡°Your wits are starting to get annoying.¡±


    ¡°Hilde, Felix, she can¡¯t use that heat wave while that heat barrier is up! She won¡¯t be able to counter if we barrage her. The barrier isn¡¯t always active either. Richter hit her with a surprise attack before. She has to turn it off because it drains a lot of mana. We can do this!¡±


    The barrier wasn¡¯t impenetrable. With enough speed and mass, even normal weapons could go through, but hoping for that was too optimistic. We had to prepare ourselves for a drawn out fight to drain the witch of her magical energy. Despite what legends about her said, she didn¡¯t have infinite mana. Her relatively conservative use of spells confirmed that.


    ¡°Try it then.¡± Gromwell floated above the fog. ¡°This mist is a bother.¡± She dispersed it with a wave of a hand, revealing the full moon in the sky.


    The moonlight reflected off the white sand, lending an eerie glow to our battlefield.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I can¡¯t reach her from here,¡± said Hilde.


    I shook my head. ¡°She¡¯s still on the ground. She can¡¯t use wind magic.¡±


    ¡°Are you blind? She¡¯s flying.¡± Hilde pointed her sword at the floating witch.


    ¡°That¡¯s just an illusion. She can manipulate wind using heat and pressure, but that¡¯s not precise enough for flight.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t need to ride a horse or erase her tracks if she could soar freely.


    ¡°Press-what?¡±


    ¡°Pressure.¡±


    Gromwell aimed a palm in my direction. I scrambled away from her heat wave, but the sand slowed me down. I created a smooth ice path on the ground and dove forward to slide away from danger. Running out of momentum, my body soon slid to a stop. The shimmering air continued towards me, melting the ice path as it approached.


    In the nick of time, Felix threw a cylindrical metal weight attached to a chain. The projectile hurtled into empty space.


    What was he doing!?


    Before I could shout out my complaint, the chain looped around an invisible pole. Gromwell¡¯s hand, caught in the chain, materialized along with the rest of her body. Like Richter, Felix had deduced Gromwell¡¯s true position from her angle of attack.


    ¡°Good job, Felix.¡±


    ¡°¡®Tis my duty to protect you, Master.¡±


    Hilde rushed towards the bound Gromwell. Without losing her arrogant smirk, Gromwell melted the iron chain and aimed her hand at the Valmaz warrior. Hilde used her inhuman physical prowess to leap over the heat beam, but the witch expected that. Gromwell raised her hand to the sky and targeted Hilde in midair. With no way to dodge, Hilde held her sword in front of her and braced herself.


    ¡°Use this!¡± I cast glacies on the ground beneath her.


    A pillar of ice rose up along Hilde¡¯s jump trajectory. She kicked off the ice to change direction, avoiding significant damage from the heat blast.


    Another metal weight flew towards Gromwell¡¯s head. She swayed to avoid it with no effort. The attached chain passed above her left shoulder without even grazing her blond hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m not all about magic, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know that very well, Madam.¡± Felix pulled his end of the chain with all his might.


    Realization flashed on Gromwell¡¯s face. She turned around and saw Hilde flying towards her, pulled along by Felix¡¯s chain. The Valmaz warrior swung her blade at the witch¡¯s neck, but Gromwell ducked down just in time to keep her head. Hilde landed a turning kick on the witch¡¯s back as they crossed.


    ¡°You little...¡± Recovering from her stumble, Gromwell swung her arm towards Hilde and Felix to unleash another heat blast.


    I finished my weave first. ¡°Return vengeance tenfold. Punishment for the bold.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t been twiddling my thumbs while my comrades were fighting.


    Execute.


    ¡°Infernus!¡±


    White flame erupted from nothing, swallowing Gromwell and everything around her. To avoid exhausting my mana, I hadn¡¯t amplified Hilde¡¯s rage. The resulting attack was much weaker than the one I used against the soldiers in Arthas.


    The flames vanished without a trace, leaving an unscathed witch standing on the scorched sand. She hadn¡¯t shielded herself or countered the blaze. The witch had merely waved the heat away, as if shooing an obedient dog.


    ¡°So this is how you roasted those soldiers in the forest. Impressive, but it was foolish to use a fire spell against me. Your rage isn¡¯t on the same realm as mine.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have a lot in terms of arsenal. You¡¯ll have to forgive me for trying anything.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive. If I think of this as your entrance exam to become my disciple, it¡¯s a rather worthwhile activity. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have all night.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and mumbled just loud enough for her to hear. ¡°I bet now you¡¯re gonna say you¡¯ve been holding back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been going easy on you because I need your anima, but playtime is¡­¡± She blinked a few times and turned red.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad. Reading is a hobby of mine, and this development is quite standard in stories. It¡¯s not your fault it¡¯s so predictable.¡±


    She shot me with a heat beam, which I blocked with an ice wall.


    I did my best to distract her as Hilde and Felix made their way to flank the witch. Every second I bought gave them more time to find a good angle of attack. They launched a pincer attack, skewering the witch from both sides, but the corpse faded into smoke a moment after.


    ¡°Master, we can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a decoy!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t use my anima to pinpoint her location if she used her illusions to full effect. She knew about my power, so she put fake emotions in her clones and masked her own. I could tell them apart given enough time, but that small difference meant life or death in real battle.


    However, I still had a few ideas on how to defeat her illusions. Based on what I¡¯d seen so far, her power was limited. If it wasn¡¯t, she¡¯d just produce a dozen copies of herself and overwhelm us. She had never used more than two distinct illusions, even in her fight against Richter. I decided to bet on that number.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do something about her position!¡± I knelt down and placed a hand on the ground. ¡°Peaceful world of white. Be wise and tread light.¡±


    A paper thin layer of ice spread on top of the sand like a swarm of locusts. The sheet reached well beyond Gromwell and my allies. Hilde and Felix quickly changed direction, cracking the ice with each step. They ignored Gromwell¡¯s clone and headed to what seemed like empty space. Cracked ice lay underneath the invisible witch.


    The two warriors swung their blades with blinding speed. Gromwell¡¯s figure flickered into existence as the weapons connected. Felix¡¯s dagger disintegrated completely inches away from the witch¡¯s skin, but a sizzling stub remained from Hilde¡¯s shortsword after passing through the barrier. With sheer force, Hilde jammed the molten rod into Gromwell¡¯s waist.


    The witch unleashed a blood curdling scream as the metal melted into her flesh. Gritting her teeth, she countered with a heat blast. Hilde let go of her melted sword and rolled to the side, avoiding the attack.


    Felix tossed a small black ball at Gromwell¡¯s feet and took three backward leaps. ¡°Get back!¡±


    Hilde followed his advice as green smoke burst from the ball.


    ¡°A smokescreen?¡± Gromwell pulled out the metal stake from her gut with a grunt. ¡°Or is it poison? Didn¡¯t I tell you toxins don¡¯t work on this body?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no mere poison!¡± shouted Felix. ¡°That¡¯s an acidic mist that will burn your skin on contact!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°Uh, thanks, Felix.¡± Gromwell waved her hand and pushed the mist towards me by manipulating air.


    ¡°Tarnation!¡±


    ¡°Dammit, there¡¯s a limit to being honest!¡± I desperately ran from the green cloud¡¯s path.


    Hilde drew her spare sword and sped towards Gromwell. A moment before she reached strike range, Hilde kicked sand towards the witch. Upon hitting the barrier, the sand melted into liquid before disintegrating into sparkling mist. The distracted witch didn¡¯t notice Felix flank her with a fresh dagger. He stabbed her back in a speed I couldn¡¯t follow, but the short blade fizzled away before it touched her skin.


    Hilde spun twice and swung her sword at Gromwell¡¯s chest. The heat barrier whittled away the metal, but the speed of the slash allowed about half of the blade to make it through. The witch predicted that and hopped back to dodge it. Felix rolled away from her path to avoid getting incinerated by her heat barrier. Gromwell sent a blast intersecting his escape route.


    ¡°Glacies!¡± I conjured an ice spike to shield Felix.


    ¡°A thousand thanks, Master!¡± He pushed off the ground with his hands and landed on his feet.


    ¡°Just doing my job!¡± I checked behind me and saw the green mist disappear in the desert wind. I loosened my shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief.


    I sensed a surge of emotion from the witch. It reminded me of my own amplification skill.


    ¡°Get away from her!¡± I shouted. ¡°Come close to me so I can protect you with magic!¡±


    Hilde and Felix did as ordered. We watched the witch from afar, wary of what was about to come. Several tense moments came and went.


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°Did you expect me to use a wide area attack like when I melted the cave?¡± asked Gromwell. ¡°Well, I could, but it takes too long to cast. I¡¯d never hit Hilde and Felix with that, especially with you watching me.¡±


    Shit. She faked a sudden spike in her emotions, knowing I¡¯d sense it with my anima. The immortal witch had tricked me into pulling my two melee fighters away from her.


    However, her emotions didn¡¯t settle down. They weren¡¯t fake.


    Wait¡­ Emotions? Not one, but two. What was this?


    Wrath.


    Distrust.


    The two emotions mingled together and grew larger. Something was coming, but I couldn¡¯t send Hilde or Felix in without knowing what it was. The witch might be baiting me to do just that, intending to kill them with a short range area spell. She had gotten enough time to prepare one after I called my allies back.


    I decided to cancel her weave with magic.


    ¡°Glacies!¡± I created several ice spikes from the ground.


    Her body got skewered, but the bloody mass melted into brown goo and seeped into the cold sand.


    Gromwell¡¯s voice echoed in the vast desert. ¡°To thee sung of in legend, whose power reigns unquestioned.¡±


    All three of us tried to search for her figure with no success. Even with my anima at maximum potency, I couldn¡¯t see through her masking.


    ¡°Over there!¡± said Felix.


    The immortal stood on top of a high sand dune, hand raised to the moonlit sky. ¡°Regal and distant tyrant, lend thy reins for a moment. That I may silence my foes, to end their pitiful throes.¡±


    Hilde and Felix rushed at her, but I stopped them with a shout.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go closer! It¡¯s too late!¡±


    The black sky above Gromwell shimmered. Ebony claws tore the empty space. A red reptilian head plunged out of the tear. Golden slit eyes darted around, as if trying to understand the world beyond the floating gate. Black horns protruded from its temples, cheeks, and chin. With a thunderous roar, the terrifying creature burst out of the hole in the night sky. Crimson wings armored by scales larger than tower shields and a body the size of a small castle blocked out the stars. Fire and smoke shot out of its nostrils as it focused its gaze on us.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°What is that!?¡± asked Hilde.


    ¡°A fire dragon¡­ I thought they were just creatures of fiction.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, they are,¡± said Gromwell. ¡°This isn¡¯t a real one.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you should be telling us that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out with your anima anyway. No point in hiding it.¡±


    Actually, I had already figured that out as soon as the creature appeared in full. The thing didn¡¯t have any emotions. Even a mage as skilled as Gromwell didn¡¯t have the leeway to fake the creature¡¯s will while maintaining its massive existence.


    A combined spell, using illusion and heat magic, had given birth to the legendary creature. I hadn¡¯t even heard about combining magic before, but I didn¡¯t have the leisure of getting surprised. The dragon might be a fake created by magic, but that didn¡¯t make it less dangerous. The stars behind the dragon blurred from the heat its body produced.


    ¡°We can¡¯t attack the dragon,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s body is infused with heat magic. It¡¯s scales can probably melt metal. We have to focus on Gromwell. I don¡¯t think she can use her heat blasts while keeping that giant lizard around. If we¡¯re lucky, her barrier might be down too.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not nice enough to let you chat during battle.¡± Gromwell extended a hand towards us.


    The fire dragon took a deep breath and undammed a river of fire in our direction.


    ¡°Get close to me!¡± I created a thick horseshoe-shaped ice wall in front of my party, making it as small but thick as possible.


    The red flames ate through the ice much faster than the witch¡¯s heat beams. I spent a great deal of mana just surviving the onslaught.


    All three of us were covered in sweat and soot by the time the dragon paused for a breath. It¡¯s cheeks and snout glowed bright red like coal embers. The creature didn¡¯t seem to able to spit fire continuously.


    I coughed to clear the smoke from my lungs. ¡°I can¡¯t block that attack anymore. I¡¯ll literally burn out in the middle of its next flame breath.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s time for me to take the stage.¡± Felix glared at Gromwell, who stood behind the dragon. ¡°I shall attack the witch directly.¡±


    ¡°You can get past that thing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve used up my daggers and throwing knives, so I should be able to go faster than before. If you provide footholds for me, there is a very small chance.¡±


    Where the hell did he even keep all those weapons?


    ¡°How small?¡±


    ¡°Practically none. But there¡¯s no other way.¡±


    Our chat got interrupted by the dragon. The creature swooped down from the sky and opened its enormous mouth to snap us up. Hilde picked me up like a bride and jumped away. Felix avoided the attack with minimal movement. The dragon¡¯s shimmering scales singed the tip of his long scarf.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± I shouted. ¡°Can¡¯t you let us talk in peace for a moment!?¡±


    Gromwell tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°...I dunno. To make things more exciting?¡± I moved my gaze to Hilde¡¯s stoic face. ¡°Please keep carrying me like this.¡±


    Her eyebrows creased ever so slightly. ¡°What are you saying now?¡± She sprinted away from the dragon with me in her arms.


    ¡°I can¡¯t defend myself against that thing without using mana. I need to conserve as much as possible for Felix¡¯s plan.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any pride?¡±


    ¡°Not enough to risk my hide.¡±


    ¡°A rhyme? You really have no sense of humor.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to be funny!¡±


    We barely avoided the dragon¡¯s claws by suddenly braking. The pitch black talons dug deep into the sand.


    ¡°Master! It¡¯s time! Please create pillars along my path!¡± Felix bolted towards Gromwell.


    ¡°Have I ever told you you¡¯re way too heroic to be thief!?¡±


    ¡°Many times!¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve listened to me!¡± I squeezed mana from my body and crafted dozens of narrow towers of varying heights, each about a square foot wide, between Felix and the witch.


    Seeing his approach, Gromwell summoned the dragon to her side. Felix hopped on a growing ice tower and rose up to the sky. The enormous beast bounded towards him and tried to crush him between its teeth. He dove off the tower and threw his chain at another tower in front of him. The metal chain wound around the pillar several times before tangling up, holding it in place. Felix swung across the desert and landed on a lower ice pillar. He untangled the chain with a shake and collected it in his hands.


    Having gone past the dragon, Felix focused on reaching Gromwell. He leapt from tower to tower with the agility of a dust cat. The dragon pursued him, mowing down ice pillars along the way, but it couldn¡¯t keep up with his ridiculous speed.


    Realizing it couldn¡¯t catch him on foot, the dragon flapped its wings and took flight. After overtaking Felix, the drake twisted around and swung its talons at him. The dragon¡¯s claw was about twice the aspiring thief¡¯s height. He had nowhere to go.


    Or so I thought.


    Right before the black talons cleaved his flesh, Felix jumped and twisted his body sideways, slipping through the gap between the beast¡¯s talons. The dragon¡¯s claw shaved off the top of the ice tower, leaving a melted stump where Felix once was.


    Having lost his platform, Felix fell towards the ground. On the way down, he swung the chain at the ice pillar. The metal weight at the end of the chain went around the tower and returned to him from the other side. Using his beast-like reflexes, he caught the weight with his free hand. The chain ended up looped around the pillar like a climbing rope. He pulled himself towards the pillar and pushed his feet on the ice. His boots and chain scraped the surface of the ice, slowing his descent. Felix landed safely on the sand and recovered his trusty tool with a flick of his arm.


    .


    The dragon raised its massive foot and tried to squish him. Felix rolled aside and ran through the gap between the dragon¡¯s legs. Gromwell was just beyond it. The behemoth couldn¡¯t turn around fast enough to catch him. Nothing stood between his blade and the witch.


    Wait.


    His blade?


    Didn¡¯t Felix say he had no daggers left?


    How did he plan to attack Gromwell?


    ¡°Tarnation!!!¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡±


    Channel.


    Hilde¡¯s iron-clad determination.


    Target.


    Felix¡¯s chain.


    ¡°Ferrum.¡±


    The chain shattered to pieces, surprising Felix for a moment, but he quickly realized it was my doing.


    Still in Hilde¡¯s arms, I began to weave my spell. ¡°I call upon thee, soul of swords. All shall kneel, be it kings or lords.¡±


    Execute.


    ¡°Ensis!¡±


    In a flash of light, the fragmented chains formed a longsword. Felix grabbed the hilt with both hands and swung at the defenseless witch. Gromwell escaped the first blow by leaping backward, but Felix instantly caught up to her for another strike. The shining sword closed in on her neck, as if drawn to it.


    Felix¡¯s body flew sideways and bounced on the sand like a tumbleweed. His singed clothes left tendrils of black smoke as he rolled to a stop. He lay motionless on the ground, no different from an abandoned carcass.


    ¡°¡°Felix!!!¡±¡± Hilde and I screamed at the same time.


    An instant away from victory, the tip of the dragon¡¯s tail had swiped Felix from behind.


    ¡°Fix my sword,¡± said Hilde. ¡°Now!¡±


    I reformed her sword with ensis. I held it for her because she had her hands full with me. ¡°What¡¯re you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°Save Felix.¡±


    ¡°Felix is dead!¡±


    ¡°He might not be.¡±


    ¡°Who cares!?¡±


    Hilde¡¯s stoic face turned livid. ¡°Karius!!! How dare-¡±


    I dug my face in her sooty silver hair and whispered, ¡°Trust me.¡±


    ¡°...You better know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t fight!¡± I shouted, pretending to be angry. ¡°He¡¯s useless to us now!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re colder than I thought, boy,¡± said Gromwell.


    ¡°Shut up!!!¡±


    The witch could kill Felix at any time. The only reason she hadn¡¯t done so was because she was baiting us to come for him. If I pretended to be indifferent about his survival, his value as a hostage decreases. Normally, that would mean his death, but I knew Gromwell wouldn¡¯t waste time and mana killing a completely incapacitated enemy, not when she still had us to worry about.


    ¡°We¡¯re running,¡± I said to Hilde.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Around. Just stay away from Felix so he doesn¡¯t get hit. That dragon eats an insane amount of mana. Gromwell can¡¯t keep that up for long. ¡±


    Assuming the legends were wrong and the witch didn¡¯t have a bottomless mana well, of course.


    Thinking back, we should¡¯ve focused on running from the start. I had placed the entire burden on Felix¡¯s shoulders, mistaking my naivety for trust. That was my tactical error. Not only that, we could¡¯ve avoided this entire situation if I had let Hilde kill Gromwell from the start. Of course, there was no guarantee she could actually kill the immortal witch with a single surprise attack, but trying wouldn¡¯t have made things any worse.


    I bit my lip, using the pain to get me focused. If there was one thing I learned during my stint as a fugitive, it was that regret led nowhere and produced nothing. To atone for my mistakes, I had to move.


    I had to get all three of us out of here. Alive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ll agree to let my comrades go if I surrender quietly,¡± I said.


    Gromwell chuckled. ¡°No can do. I know they¡¯ll come looking for you. It¡¯s less troublesome to just kill them now. Then I can take my time to educate you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean torture me into submission?¡±


    ¡°You say tomato.¡± She pointed a finger at us. ¡°Enough of this.¡±


    The dragon swooped down and tried to pluck us from the ground. Despite her unwieldy load, namely me, Hilde managed to dash away from the dragon¡¯s path. Focused on running, she continuously escaped the dragon¡¯s incessant attacks.


    ¡°This is getting annoying.¡± Gromwell furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Burn.¡±


    The dragon landed and took a deep breath. A glowing orange mass traveled from its chest to its throat. Hilde couldn¡¯t outrun the extensive range of the flame breath, especially while carrying me. I had to do something about it.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you gonna take me alive!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tone it down just enough for you to survive. Just make sure you use all your mana to shield yourself.¡±


    Her goal was to drain me, and she could do just that by keeping the flame breath on us until I ran out of mana. Hilde wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat her alone. I had to think of a way to survive this without exhausting my dwindling energy.


    An idea popped into my head.


    ¡°Hilde, put me down.¡±


    ¡°Another one of your crazy ideas?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t wanna know.¡± I embraced her tightly.


    ¡°Are you giving up?¡±


    ¡°As tempting as dying in this position sounds, no. Hop straight up when I say so. Keep it low.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I channeled Gromwell¡¯s noxious rage and constructed a spell.


    The dragon released a river of flames. It was now or never.


    ¡°Jump!¡±


    Hilde and I jumped about a foot off the ground.


    ¡°Simia!¡±


    I condensed heat into a pillar directly beneath us, melting sand into glass and then turning it into nothingness.


    I stared at the avalanche of flames rolling in our direction and used that fear.


    ¡°Glacies!¡±


    I froze the walls and floor of the hole I created. Hilde and I slipped into the opening like a sheathed sword. Then I created a thick layer of ice above us to weather the storm of hellfire.


    Due to the angle of the dragon¡¯s flames, most of the heat traveled horizontally. The ice didn¡¯t melt nearly as fast as the first time I defended against it. I still used up quite a bit of mana, but this way, the dragon couldn¡¯t drain me to zero by continuously spitting fire.


    ¡°When did you learn that spell?¡± asked Hilde.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been playing with the theory since I saw it in Portus, but this is the first time I tried it. I didn¡¯t have the right fuel for tests without that scary witch around.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re plenty scary yourself.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, that kinda hurts.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re on my side.¡±


    ¡°Eh? W-What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m glad you¡¯re on my side.¡±


    ¡°C-Could you say that again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re on my side. What¡¯s up? Did you hurt your ears?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing. I just felt grateful to your frankness.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. The dragon¡¯s about to run out of energy. We have to time this perfectly.¡±


    She nodded, her chin poking my shoulder.


    As soon as the flames dissipated, I shattered the glass above us and elevated us to ground level by creating an ice pillar beneath our feet.


    As expected, the dragon flew towards us, eager to whack us like moles. Hilde grabbed my collar and dragged me to safety.


    Hilde turned her back to me. ¡°Get on.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Carrying you on my back frees up my hands.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll serve as a shield if I get hit from the rear.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡±


    ¡°Just kidding.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ was actually pretty funny.¡±


    Before I could wrap my uninjured arm around Hilde, the dragon vanished into thin air. The witch was running out of mana. Finally.


    ¡°You¡¯re more dangerous than I thought, Karius.¡± Gromwell scowled at me with a previously unseen wariness. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think keeping you alive might be a bad idea. Who knows when you¡¯ll stab me in the back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you keep going easy on me, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but I¡¯m running out of options. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d weather out a second dragon breath.¡±


    ¡°Me neither. Guess Fortuna was on my side.¡±


    ¡°Drivel. No such thing as gods.¡±


    I didn¡¯t believe in gods either, but I let my mouth babble on while I desperately formed a plan in my head.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange coming from an immortal living legend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I know, boy.¡±


    ¡°Not buying it. You¡¯re not exactly the most trustworthy person I know.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°True.¡±


    Without turning to Hilde, I whispered, ¡°What¡¯s the highest jump you¡¯ve ever made without serious injury?¡±


    ¡°I once fell from a greywood tree and lightly sprained my ankle.¡±


    ¡°A greywood? That¡¯s downright inhuman.¡±


    That tree was as high as a castle rampart. Considering the angle of descent and the sandy ground, she should be able to make the jump safely. Either way, I couldn¡¯t see another path to survival.


    ¡°I tire of this.¡± The witch held out her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s end our little tryst, Karius.¡±


    ¡°Get ready, Hilde. I¡¯ll use the last of my mana to launch you to Gromwell. The rest is up to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Simia!¡± Gromwell sent a heat blast in our direction.


    ¡°Glacies!¡±


    I created an ice wall to block it. The outermost layers consisted of thin sheets, which turned into steam the instant it touched Gromwell¡¯s magic.


    Under the cover of mist, I crafted a large hollow tube from solid ice and pointed it to the sky. I plugged the bottom hole with thick ice and placed a platform inside, making sure it fit perfectly with no gaps. I copied the design from an ancient weapon called a cannon I read about in old books.


    I hoped Gromwell didn¡¯t notice my construction work. When the fight started, she had detected my ice spike attack because I had conjured it close to her. With a mana-powered heat beam between us, she shouldn¡¯t be able to tell what I was doing, at least not accurately.


    ¡°Get inside the tube!¡±


    Hilde jumped in without hesitation.


    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± I stopped reinforcing the ice wall and focused on a new spell.


    Channel.


    Gromwell¡¯s fury.


    Target.


    The cannon.


    Execute.


    ¡°Simia!¡±


    I let loose a surge of heat beneath the platform inside the tube. The sudden increase in air pressure launched Hilde like a bolt from a ballista. Gromwell shouldn¡¯t be able to see her flight due to the mist.


    The heat beam finally went through the ice wall. I ran to the side just in time to avoid getting roasted. With a heat haze on my tail, I searched for Hilde in the night sky.


    She touched down a short distance behind the witch and rolled on the sand. Unsheathing her short sword, she flew like an arrow and swung at the space about ten paces from Gromwell.


    The heat beam chasing after me fizzled out. The witch¡¯s clone disappeared like smoke. Gromwell¡¯s body flickered into existence just in front of Hilde. The upper half of the witch¡¯s head was missing.


    Following Felix¡¯s example, Hilde had pinpointed the witch¡¯s actual position by tracing the heat haze emitted by her attack. The witch had been unable to defend because she hadn¡¯t seen Hilde drop behind her.


    Gromwell could only use two illusions at a time. In this case, she had reached the limit with her decoy and invisibility. She had no way to survive. The woman with half a head was definitely the real one.


    The dead body fell to its knees.


    The battle was over.


    I dropped to the ground, exhausted. Hilde swung her sword to flick away the dripping blood and sheathed it. She glanced to check on me. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the rare show of concern.


    Tug.


    Tug. Tug.


    Something bothered me. Something didn¡¯t make sense about all this. My inner pessimist sounded alarm bells. An odd memory surfaced from the back of my mind.


    When I treated Elar¡¯s arm to match his injury with Gromwell¡¯s, I had taken note of how many times I wound the bandage around his bicep. That was my way of checking how the witch¡¯s illusions worked.


    One roll of bandage would¡¯ve gone ten rounds around an average man¡¯s arm before running out.


    If I counted ten rounds, then Gromwell¡¯s illusions twisted reality, fooling the victim in all aspects. A female arm, especially one of her build, wouldn¡¯t use up that much.


    If I counted a lot less or more than that, then her illusions affected perception alone. The victim would believe he wrapped a bandage on a man¡¯s arm, but that didn¡¯t change his memory of how many times he wound the cloth.


    The latter was less potent but still dangerous. In fact, her clones left footprints on the sand, while her invisible real body didn¡¯t, demonstrating the effectiveness of perception manipulation. The trick of spreading thin ice on the ground to find her had only worked because she didn¡¯t expect it. She hadn¡¯t accounted for it when she cast the spell to turn invisible.


    How many times did I wind that white cloth on Elar¡¯s arm?


    Twenty.


    A whole twenty.


    A woman of Gromwell¡¯s build should use fifteen at most.


    ¡°Glacies!¡±


    I conjured a blunt pillar from beside Hilde. The block of ice grew diagonally from the ground and knocked her to the side. Gromwell¡¯s dead body wrapped an arm around the pillar, right where Hilde used to be, and liquified it with her heat barrier.


    ¡°She¡¯s still alive!!!¡± I shouted with all my might. ¡°She¡¯s a lot shorter than she looks, about the same height as Rahf!¡±


    Hilde got up and stabbed her sword into the witch¡¯s chest, but the blade disintegrated into nothing. With no weapon, she had no choice but to back away.


    Gromwell¡¯s body flickered in the moonlight. After a few seconds, her true form emerged.


    ¡°Violetta,¡± I mumbled.


    She embraced her adolescent body and laughed hysterically. ¡°Unbelievable! You actually figured out my true form! Amazing, Karius! Absolutely amazing!¡±


    ¡°I was a fool for not noticing earlier.¡±


    The clues were all there.


    The bandage inconsistency.


    The dream where Violetta never aged.


    Her youthful appearance the whole time she had been traveling with us.


    She couldn¡¯t have used illusion magic the entire time. That would¡¯ve kept her mana reserves low, preventing her from reacting to unforeseen situations, like encountering Richter. Faking an emotion whenever she lied was a lot more efficient in comparison.


    I hadn¡¯t realized it earlier because I completely believed that she could only create two illusions at a time. And why shouldn¡¯t I think that? I was right.


    When she trapped Richter¡¯s foot in Portus using an illusion, I had assumed she made it look like she took a hit to make him stop at that exact spot. But what if that wasn¡¯t all there was to it? What if she couldn¡¯t make another illusion to take the blow for her while disguising the lava hole on the ground? What if she was already using two illusions back then?


    One, the lava trap.


    Two, her fake adult self.


    I didn¡¯t suspect that because she kept herself invisible while manipulating a decoy. That equaled two illusions. Maintaining a fake adult form meant a third one, which was inconsistent with how she fought the whole time.


    What I hadn¡¯t realized was that she disengaged her adult form illusion whenever she went invisible.


    In her fight against Richter, she had gotten hit on the head because her fake adult form and lava trap used up her two illusion limit. She had disguised the wound with an illusion after disengaging the lava trap illusion. Her quick recovery at that time had fooled me into thinking she hadn¡¯t gotten hurt in the first place.


    In retrospect, it was only natural she hadn¡¯t gotten badly hurt. The rock Richter hurled at her head had barely grazed her. After all, she had been one foot shorter than she appeared. Hilde¡¯s slash had failed to kill her just seconds ago for the same reason. If Hilde cut a foot lower, the battle would¡¯ve been truly over.


    ¡°Time to change things up a little.¡± Violetta split into two identical copies of her one-armed self. The twins aimed at me and unleashed their heat waves.


    I decided to conserve mana and jump away from the shimmering air.


    That was a mistake.


    ¡°Ghaaaaaahhh!!!¡±


    The blast caught both my legs, turning them to ashes.


    I fell face first to the ground and kept screaming in agony, ignoring the sand entering my mouth.


    ¡°Karius!!!¡± Hilde tried to rush to me.


    ¡°¡°Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±¡± The two Violetta¡¯s chased Hilde with their heat magic.


    Only one of them actually fired anything, but Hilde couldn¡¯t afford to ignore either one. She dashed and flipped across the dunes, dodging each attack. She reached Felix¡¯s location and grabbed the longsword I made with ensis earlier. With a wide blade and her superhuman speed, it might be possible to get past Violetta¡¯s heat barrier.


    The biggest problem was which of the two blond maidens was real. Hilde could immediately tell after Violetta fired off an attack, but when she ran towards the real one, Violetta merely erased her former decoy and split into two again. It was like a never ending guessing game.


    Hilde did her best to hit both Violetta¡¯s in one slash, but the constant threat of heat blasts prevented her from staying close. Unlike arrows, the wide area of effect of simia made it very hard to dodge at close range, even for Hilde.


    She had no chance of defeating the lamia by herself. It was all up to me.


    ¡°Shit. That was more painful than I thought.¡±


    I tapped my supposedly burned legs. They felt normal now, but when I created an illusion of burning them off, I had felt as if it actually happened. That was the nature of umbra, the illusion spell I copied from Violetta.


    I had channeled the emotion distrust from Violetta when she showed her true form and used it to fake my defeat. There was a risk she¡¯d notice, but I had decided to gamble on her being distracted by Hilde¡¯s presence. Judging from Violetta¡¯s reaction, she was completely fooled.


    Now, I had to sneak up behind her and cast a spell at close range. Distance slowed down magic activation, lowered accuracy, and made my attacks more predictable with her ability to sense mana flow. I only had enough mana for one close range spell anyway.


    I watched the battle from the corner of my eye as I slowly closed in, careful not to disturb the sand too much. Hilde continued to speed up, not minding her ragged breathing. Two Violettas were no longer enough to fend her off. The little witch began to make three clones constantly. This was the perfect chance because it meant no other illusions were in effect.


    The perfect opportunity came quicker than I thought. With one swing, Hilde cleaved two clones in half, forcing the real Violetta to leap back to put some distance between them. I lurked about ten paces behind her when she landed.


    I dashed forward and targeted her with ice magic. I imagined a wave of ice stakes spread out like a fan, a precaution in case she multiplied at the last moment.


    I heard a loud crack.


    Excruciating pain attacked my feet. I tumbled to the ground three paces behind Violetta. I tried to get up, but my legs wouldn¡¯t move. I glanced behind me and saw the sorry state of my lower body.


    Large glass shards stuck out from my calves and feet. Blood bubbled out from the lacerations.


    ¡°The knight master and squire fell for the same trick.¡± Violetta split into three clones and stared at me from above. ¡°¡°¡°What a masterpiece!¡±¡±¡±


    Was the glass trap hidden by an illusion? Wasn¡¯t she limited to two? Where did the glass come from?


    Hilde swung her sword sideways and cleaved two Violettas at the waist, but their figures crumbled into sand. The remaining Violetta spun around and kicked Hilde. Hilde was forced to block the kick with her sword. The impact threw her backward. The little witch¡¯s heat aura melted the blade, rendering it useless.


    Violetta, whose martial prowess was as inhuman as her wizardry, pointed her palm at my legs.


    My mind ran into overdrive.


    I figured out the reason for my defeat.


    While we had been busy fighting the dragon earlier, Violetta had melted sand on the surface and formed a wide glass plate. Then she used wind manipulation to cool the thin glass sheet and cover it with a thin layer of sand.


    She had probably noticed me channel emotion from her and led me to this trap. I had been dancing in the palm of her hand since I copied umbra.


    As a mage, I was nowhere near the level of Lilac Gromwell. Victory was but another illusion she fooled me into believing.


    ¡°Your face tells me you understand what I did.¡± Violetta made a frigid smile and changed her target to my head. ¡°That means you failed the entrance test. You¡¯re too dangerous as a pet. I¡¯d rather wait a few more decades to remove this curse than let a poisonous snake sleep in my bosom.¡±


    I was going to die here. So was Hilde. We had no weapons, no magic, no hope.


    I gritted my teeth, enduring the searing pain in my legs. I stared at her and raised an eyebrow. ¡°What bosom?¡±


    Her face twitched in anger. That reaction was definitely genuine. My anima confirmed it.


    At least I got one final shot in.


    ¡°Die, bastard.¡±


    Determination.


    Blinding, unbreakable determination.


    True dignity burned me alive. Just like that night.


    ¡°Get up, Kari!!!¡± Hilde leapt towards the witch.


    That was the second time she called me Kari.


    How could I quit after hearing that?


    Hilde closed her eyes and crossed her forearms over her head. ¡°I beseech the holy seven, bless these hands with brands of heaven.¡±


    Violetta casually turned around and aimed her palm at Hilde. ¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t know about your magic?¡±


    At the apex of her jump, Hilde¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡°Ensis Cor.¡±


    A short sword and a dagger materialized in Hilde¡¯s hands. A massive great sword appeared above her right shoulder, and a falchion to her left. A rapier floated by her right hip, matched by an exotic single-edged blade with a gentle curve on the other side. The weapons, adorned by rare jewels and gold, glittered under the moonlight. Each blade looked like a treasure without equal.


    With unmatched ferocity, the silver-maned warrior swung the blades in her hands downward, but the witch was a split-second faster. Trapped in midair, Hilde had no way to dodge the incoming heat blast.


    Violetta¡¯s remaining arm fell to the sand.


    She looked behind her, pure shock disfiguring her childish face.


    ¡°You should learn how to count, witch.¡± I dropped Hilde¡¯s seventh blade, a bastard sword, unable to support the weight because of the pain feedback from Violetta¡¯s amputation.


    A thin layer of ice encased my right elbow and shredded calves. I had numbed and reinforced them with ice to defeat the enemy.


    The surprise on the witch¡¯s face turned into a serene smile. Her beautiful head slid from her shoulders. Her torso split into quarters. Her purple dress burst into shreds. Her delicate limbs turned into chunks of meat like those on display in a butcher¡¯s shop.


    Hilde continued her brutal yet mystical dance. She changed swords with each strike. The stocked weapons floated around her, slowly rotating at her will. The bastard sword I dropped flew to her hands and delivered the final touch to the Valmaz warrior¡¯s bloody performance.


    After she was done, the only thing intact was the witch¡¯s head.


    The massacre had happened so quickly I barely felt any pain feedback. The witch had died a quick, painless death.


    I fell to my knees and collapsed on my back. ¡°You never told me you were a mage, Hilde.¡±


    Her red-speckled silver hair fluttering in the desert wind, my partner turned to me with her usual indifferent look. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    I contained a chuckle. ¡°Right.¡±


    Overcome by fatigue, Hilde lay down on the ground beside me. ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t use a sword.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no knight, but chopping off a little girl¡¯s arm isn¡¯t really that hard.¡±


    ¡°...We did it.¡±


    ¡°Yep, we did. Together.¡±


    ¡°Together.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for saving my life.¡±


    ¡°Same here. Who do you think saved the other more times?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t keeping count.¡±


    ¡°Really? You look like the type who¡¯d do that.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, you¡¯re winning.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the situation.¡± She gifted me with an innocent smile, a stark contrast to the red smears on her cheek and chin.


    We quietly basked in the satisfaction of victory and survival. The clear starry sky seemed to congratulate our accomplishment. My frozen right arm and legs would probably never regain full function, but the joy of survival overshadowed that problem. I had magic. I could deal with it.


    ¡°Hey, did you guys forget about me?¡± Felix¡¯s handsome face popped up just above us, blocking the view.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you dead?¡± I asked with a wry smile.


    ¡°I knew you were okay,¡± said Hilde. ¡°I saw you stirring when I picked up your longsword.¡±


    I had thought as much because Hilde hadn¡¯t bothered checking on him after defeating Violetta.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead, but I¡¯m not okay either. A few broken bones here and there.¡±


    ¡°Nothing that miracle balm wouldn¡¯t fix.¡± I raised my injured arm a little.


    ¡°But I hate the smell of that thing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who made it!¡±


    The three of us enjoyed a carefree laugh while resting our weary bodies.


    A powerful gust pushed the blond witch¡¯s head off the top of a small sand dune. It rolled all the way to the space between me and Hilde. The sight was a bit morbid, but I couldn¡¯t help but stare at our defeated foe¡¯s adorable face.


    Sand clung to her blood soaked hair. Her beautiful violet eyes remained open. Her cute lips moved. ¡°Um, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing if you stare that much.¡±


    Hilde, Felix, and I exchanged looks and scrambled away from the talking head.

 Interlude C: Deserted

    ¡°Sit still,¡± I said as I rolled the bandage around Lucius¡¯s burnt forearm.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing major, Annie. The other knights are worse off. You should go help them instead.¡±


    ¡°The other knights didn¡¯t save me from getting baked by that blond mage. Now be quiet and let me treat you.¡± I gently dressed his singed skin with thin white cloth.


    The rocks we used as chairs weren¡¯t what I would call comfortable, but they were better than sitting on the sand. The flame flickering ten paces away tinted his burn red-orange, making it look more severe than it probably was.


    Our search party was camped close to Portus, waiting for the main force to join us. Normally, the smaller group should move to join the larger one, but most of the knights in our party were injured and needed rest. In fact, only I had gotten away without a scratch after that chaotic battle with the terrifying mage. Moreover, Kari had fled from this location, so the search party would eventually pass here to chase after him and his companions anyway.


    Companions.


    That was the right word, as much as I wanted to deny it.


    I recalled Kari holding Sabre¡¯s reins with a smile.


    The Valmaz girl tightly embraced him from behind.


    He didn¡¯t appear to be held against his will.


    In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself.


    Back in Arthas, Kari only wore such a pleasant expression when we were alone together.


    Was that an effect of mental magic?


    Was he under that bitch¡¯s control?


    Or was that what my brother really wanted?


    Was she important to him?


    Was she more important than me?


    I couldn¡¯t erase Kari¡¯s satisfied smile from my mind. I saw it each time I closed my eyes, as if the image had been branded behind my eyelids.


    I stopped myself from blinking to escape. My eyes met Lucius¡¯s. He was crying.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong!?¡±


    While keeping a straight face, he hurriedly buffed away the tears under his eyes with his free hand. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    I looked down and gasped. The bandage on his burnt arm was wrapped more tightly than an old wive¡¯s corset.


    ¡°Sorry! My mind wandered off for a bit!¡± I quickly loosened the cloth and inspected his burn.


    Fortunately, I hadn¡¯t aggravated the wound with my careless treatment.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re getting mad at me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am! I¡¯m here to help you, not hurt you. You should¡¯ve told me I was overdoing it.¡±


    Lucius looked away and shyly scratched his cheek. ¡°I thought it wasn¡¯t knightly to complain about free treatment from a lady.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s more knightly to cry in silence like a battered housewife? You¡¯re making me look like a bad guy! Look, the other knights are looking away awkwardly!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably just jealous,¡± said Sir Richter as he approached us from the side. ¡°No one else has such a beautiful nurse.¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± Lucius tried to get up, pulling me up along with him.


    Sir Richter lightly waved his hand. ¡°Sit down and rest. No need for salutes in camp.¡±


    Lucius paused halfway and slowly sat back down. ¡°Thank you for the consideration.¡±


    The knight master glanced at me. ¡°How¡¯s his wound?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m completely fine, Master.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you.¡±


    ¡°The burn isn¡¯t that bad, but I¡¯m worried it might fester if left alone. Don¡¯t we have any healing encantus?¡±


    ¡°We brought along some potions, but those are reserved for more serious injuries. Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to endure for now.¡±


    Lucius stiffened up. ¡°Not at all! The other knights have more pressing injuries and should be prioritized. They risked their bodies to fulfill their duty, while I¡­ I did nothing but drag you down, Master.¡±


    ¡°Saving me, the daughter of House Corvider, is nothing to you?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± He flapped his free hand around in an attempt to appease me. ¡°I just felt sorry for getting in Master¡¯s way. If it weren¡¯t for me getting injured, no, if I didn¡¯t take you to the battle, Master would¡¯ve defeated that witch.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you,¡± said Sir Richter, ¡°but I would¡¯ve lost if the fight continued.¡±


    ¡°Impossible! You¡¯re the strongest knight in Arthas!¡±


    ¡°With Kardus gone, you¡¯re probably right, but Lilac Gromwell is one of the most powerful mages in the world. I got too engrossed in the battle and forced myself to continue despite being outclassed. I should¡¯ve retreated after I failed to kill her the first time. She and I have some history, you see. Makes it hard to back off. I calmed down after you and Annabelle showed up, so I should be thanking you. More knights would¡¯ve been hurt if I delayed the retreat any further.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°But you seemed to be fighting evenly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still a greenhorn.¡± Sir Richter pulled out his longsword halfway from its scabbard, exposing its blade to the light of the campfire. ¡°Using this sword¡¯s enchantment on myself robs a lot of my stamina. I would¡¯ve collapsed from exhaustion after two or three more times.¡± He sheathed his blade with a clank. ¡°If she had gotten serious, none of us would be alive. I could probably take her arm or leg with me, but that¡¯s a bad deal no matter how you look at it.¡±


    Lucius¡¯s jaw hung open for a few moments. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s someone stronger than Master out there.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of monsters in the world, and Gromwell is pretty high up in that list. I don¡¯t think anyone in this continent could defeat her, much less kill her. In the first place, I shouldn¡¯t have taken you two to Portus, even if it was only a guess. My hunches are usually on the mark. I knew Gromwell was also after Karius and that our meeting would probably end up in a fight.¡±


    ¡°You seem to respect this witch a lot,¡± I said.


    ¡°Respect? No.¡± He made a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m just wary of natural disasters.¡±


    ¡°You know a lot about her though.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, we have some history. Wipe that look off your face. It¡¯s nothing like you¡¯re imagining. Women and their gossip.¡± Sir Richter shrugged.


    It better not be.


    Sleeping with my married mother was wrong enough. Two-timing with a witch was beyond salvation. If possible, I didn¡¯t want to despise the man Lucius admired so much.


    Sir Richter handed a shield to Lucius.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an enchanted shield. It¡¯s yours now.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re giving something this valuable to me?¡±


    ¡°I rarely use it ever since I got this.¡± He tapped his sword¡¯s hilt. ¡°My longsword is too big to use with one hand. That shield will be better off with you. I¡¯ll teach you how to use it starting tomorrow morning, but you should get a good feel of its weight as soon as you can.¡±


    Lucius¡¯s eyes sparkled brighter than the stars above. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± He looked over the shield, forgetting he was in the middle of treatment.


    As if to scold him for overreacting, Sir Richter said in a low pitch, ¡°Lucius, did you come all the way here for revenge?¡±


    Lucius and I turned to stone. Overcoming the pressure from the infamous knight, I gulped down my saliva and managed to breathe again. Lucius closed his eyes for a moment before moving his lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Compare the pain of your burn to that of your desiccated sword-hand before deciding what road to take. I have no right to tell you what to do, but you should know that I decided to give you that shield after seeing you save Annabelle.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest up. The dove¡¯s letter said the main party will arrive tomorrow. We will head west to join the scouts who are on Karius¡¯s tracks.¡± Sir Richter turned about face and headed for the tents.


    Hearing my brother¡¯s name made me recall the things I wanted to escape from. I remembered that the person who saved my life twice now was on a journey of vengeance against my brother.


    If Kari really did leave willingly¡­ If he really did abandon me for that girl, what would I do?


    Would I be able to stop Lucius from getting revenge?


    Tears rolled down my cheek and fell onto Lucius¡¯s bandaged forearm.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°...Sorry, Lucius. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°You got hurt because of me.¡±


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t your fault. If I was a bit stronger, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt.¡±


    ¡°Not that¡­ You can¡¯t use your sword-hand anymore because Kari chose that girl over me.¡± My voice broke to pieces as I confessed my regrets to the only other person who saw Kari¡¯s face as he escaped Portus. ¡°If I treated him better, if I stood up for him against the other kids back home..!¡±


    Lucius flinched. My fingers, still clinging to his arm, felt him tremble.


    I knew about Lucius¡¯s feelings for me, but I didn¡¯t have the leeway to be considerate. The terror of facing a Kari I didn¡¯t know filled my head and heart. Still, I had enough wits to know how deeply my words cut him. My fingers lost strength and released his bandaged arm.


    ¡°I have no right to blame you.¡± Lucius awkwardly placed his broken right hand on my back and stroked it. ¡°I was one of the people who drove him away.¡±


    He had none of Kari¡¯s gentleness, but his large calloused hand slowly wicked away the anxiety oozing from my core. I rested my forehead on his shoulder and cried my heart out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find him first, Annie. Answers and apologies can wait until then.¡±

 Epilogue 01

    Lilac Gromwell, in her adolescent form, trotted on the desert sand with a bored expression. ¡°Hey Karius.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Her purple skirt puffed up each time she exaggeratedly swung her feet forward to take a step.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get tired doing that?¡±


    ¡°I do, but I need the exercise.¡±


    ¡°That so.¡±


    I released Sabre¡¯s reins and stretched my arms, careful not to wake Hilde, who rode behind me. An odd sensation remained in my freshly healed right elbow, but it wasn¡¯t bad enough to bother me. The rest of my body felt stiff from the lack of movement, a natural consequence of riding for half a day straight.


    I wanted to hop off the saddle and stretch my legs, but Hilde¡¯s hands were locked around my waist. Despite the inconvenience, her weight, a tangible sign of her trust in me, felt comfortable on my back.


    A few horse lengths ahead of us, Felix kept a steady pace on his new steed. He glanced at us from time to time, but I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking because his long scarf hid half his face. My anima would¡¯ve solved that mystery in an instant, but I didn¡¯t want to abuse that power, especially on my comrades.


    Gromwell clasped her fingers behind her head, not minding the sweltering heat despite her elaborate dress. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. Where are we headed?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡±


    ¡°Such disrespect. Is that any way to speak to your teacher?¡±


    ¡°Teacher? I never agreed to being your student. You¡¯re my former enemy.¡±


    ¡°Should you be saying that? Your anima allows you to beat third-rate foes, but you lack spell variety. I¡¯ve only seen you use one type of spell per emotion. What¡¯ll you do if you get in trouble with someone of Ricky¡¯s level?¡±


    My words caught in my throat. I tried imagining a fight with Richter but couldn¡¯t find a way to win. In every scenario I could think of, my head flew off my shoulders the moment the master knight used his gravity enchantment to speed up.


    An idea popped into my head.


    ¡°I can use illusions to defend against his speed.¡±


    ¡°You mean that subpar invisibility you tried to use on me? Your pathetic illusion didn¡¯t even hide your footsteps. Remember how that turned out?¡±


    Recalling the sensation of glass shredding my flesh made me frown. The little witch was right. My understanding and use of illusion magic was rudimentary at best. In our fight, she had easily seen through my spell and used it against me. Richter had wounded Gromwell despite her mastery of illusions. If an amateur like me used it against him, I would be defeated instantly.


    Gromwell released a childish snort. ¡°Besides, you have to channel my emotions to use umbra. You talk big for someone who needs help from a little girl.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a little girl.¡±


    ¡°I am, technically. I¡¯m small and female.¡±


    I glanced at the round bag hanging from Felix¡¯s saddle and chuckled. ¡°Well, you¡¯re certainly small.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut it. Anyway, there are beings much more dangerous than Ricky out there. My extensive experience and magical knowledge make me the perfect instructor. I can teach you a vast array of spells, some you haven¡¯t even heard of. I can also train your fundamentals. Your casting speed needs work. And if you don¡¯t expand your mana pool-¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I get your point.¡± I slumped my shoulders.


    Gromwell wanted me to learn magic so I could eventually free her from her curse. I didn¡¯t plan on doing so, but making use of her information was the best course of action right now.


    ¡°Finally see the light, eh? Call me ¡®Mistress¡¯ from now on.¡°


    ¡°I¡¯m suddenly in the mood for some volleyball.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Calm down! I went too far! I¡¯m sorry! You can call me whatever you like, okay?¡±


    ¡°Very well, Lilac.¡±


    Gromwell heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Wait, what did you just call me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t use your surname. ¡®Gromwell¡¯ is too infamous.¡±


    ¡°Then use Violetta like before. It¡¯s insulting to be called by that name by someone who knows my past.¡±


    ¡°But Violetta isn¡¯t your name. Not anymore.¡±


    Lilac¡¯s voice turned colder than the desert night. ¡°Watch yourself, boy.¡±


    ¡°Your father gave you that name, and then he gave it to someone else. You¡¯re nothing but a fake now. A pale, incomplete violet. A lilac.¡±


    ¡°How dare-.¡±


    ¡°But I like Lilac better.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why did you use the name your replacement gave you? Don¡¯t you hate it?¡±


    ¡°Hate doesn¡¯t even begin to describe it. I use it out of spite. And to remember what she did.¡±


    ¡°But it became infamous since then. Few don¡¯t know the name Lilac Gromwell. There are even books about you. You¡¯re usually the villain, but I digress.¡± I cleared my throat with a cough. ¡°Think about it like this. The sum of your actions since becoming Lilac has gradually given that name value. To the point that it is now even more valuable than the word Violetta. In fact, aside from our party, no one knows who that is. Even I only know a glimpse of her after seeing your past.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact that she exists. With my name. Lilac is nothing but an illusion.¡±


    ¡°According to you, my feelings for Hilde were born from an illusion. Even so, everything that happened after that was real. And mine. I get to decide if it¡¯s meaningful. No one can take that away from me. The same goes for you and the name Lilac. Your father gave you Violetta, but you built Lilac, just like how I built my current relationship with Hilde. No one can take that away from you, not your father, not your replacement, no one.¡±


    The tiny blonde stopped her feet, letting us get ahead of her by a few steps. Sabre paused her trot even before I urged her to.


    Lilac studied my face, blinking a few times. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of it that way. I guess even a teacher can learn from her student.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go, Mistress,¡± I said with a provocative grin.


    ¡°Call me Lyla. Ricky used to call me that.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    She formed a pensive expression, a faint blush on her face. ¡°B-By the way, you said you personally like my name. What¡¯s so good about it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s shorter.¡±


    ¡°You little!¡± Lyla stomped on the sand as Sabre trotted away.


    That was how I ended up becoming the immortal witch¡¯s disciple. As to how that was even possible after our deathmatch, well, there was quite a story behind that.


    ***


    ¡°Monster!!!¡± I screamed while pointing at the talking head.


    I had managed to scramble away earlier due to sheer terror, but my wounds prevented me from going any farther. Despite his injuries, Felix quickly stepped forward to protect me. Hilde summoned her ornate greatsword and took a battle stance, ready to crush Violetta¡¯s skull at the drop of a hat.


    ¡°Wait! Calm down!¡± shouted Violetta. ¡°I¡¯m just a head!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem!¡±


    ¡°Uh, good point.¡±


    Violetta screamed in terror as Hilde swung her thick blade. The witch¡¯s chin pushed off the ground, causing her head to roll to the side. The greatsword missed her by mere inches and slammed into the ground. The head tumbled down a dune before coming to a stop face down on the sand.


    ¡°Lhishen to me!!!¡± Violetta coughed. ¡°Ugh! I shwallowed shum shand!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s faster than I thought!¡± said Hilde.


    ¡°I think she just kinda rolled by accident.¡± I lowered my hand and tried to calm down.


    ¡°Be careful, Miss Hilde!¡± said Felix. ¡°It might explode!¡±


    ¡°Ih¡¯m nhot ah bhomb!¡±


    Hilde turned to me. ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°I think she said ¡®I¡¯m not a bomb.¡¯¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a bomb?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an ancient tool that, nevermind. I¡¯ll tell you later. First we have to deal with Violetta.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll kill her right now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, like Felix said, it might be a trap.¡±


    The talking head remained face down on the sand. ¡°I¡¯m nhot a traph. I jush whanna mhake a dheehl.¡±


    ¡°Shit. She lost me.¡±


    Sabre, who had kept a good distance from us during the battle, came over and observed the ruckus. Sensing my frustration, she approached the witch and gently bit her blond hair. After lifting the head off the ground, Sabre vigorously shook it to dust it off.


    Violetta made weird noises while getting tossed around. ¡°Stop! Please stop!¡±


    Sabre granted her desperate request with a dissatisfied neigh. The witch hung from Sabre¡¯s teeth by the hair, swaying gently from the remaining momentum.


    ¡°If I had a stomach, I¡¯d have emptied it by now¡­¡± Violetta¡¯s face looked paler than snow.


    ¡°How can you still be alive?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What a stupid question. I¡¯m the immortal witch, remember?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s test that immortality one more time. Hilde, please.¡±


    The Valmaz warrior raised her greatsword and took a step towards the talking head.


    ¡°Just kidding! Don¡¯t be so tense, Karius. Has anyone ever told you you have no sense of humor?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± said Hilde. ¡°Twice, I think.¡±


    I scrunched my eyebrows at her. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, force of habit.¡±


    ¡°Talk fast, Violetta. We¡¯re not exactly in a good mood right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I want to make a deal. I have several healing stones stashed inside my skirt. Felix¡¯s bones will heal by themselves with time, but Karius¡¯s frozen limbs will never regain full function if left like that. My rare encantus can fix that for you. Maybe not fully, but that¡¯s better than losing your limbs. I¡¯ll tell you where they are if you spare my life and take me with you.¡±


    ¡°This smells fishy,¡± said Felix. ¡°We would¡¯ve left you for dead if you didn¡¯t speak up. Why would you reveal yourself?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t wanna be marooned in the middle of a desert. I can¡¯t exactly walk around like this, so I¡¯ll be stuck here until who knows when without your help.¡±


    ¡°How do we even know those stones exist? If you had such convenient items, why didn¡¯t you use them to heal the gashes on your arm and thigh?¡±


    ¡°Those stones are extremely rare. They¡¯re even more expensive than the jewels I offered to Karius back in the cave. I can¡¯t make them myself either. I¡¯m not the healer type.¡± She displayed a mischievous smirk. ¡°I got them from a bunch of priests a few years ago. I can¡¯t just restock them whenever. They¡¯d be wasted on tiny cuts I could barely feel. As you can see, I¡¯m rather hardy.¡±


    She had probably robbed and killed those priests, but that wasn¡¯t anything surprising for the cruel witch.


    ¡°Tiny cuts that eventually led to your defeat,¡± I said.


    ¡°True. Believe me, if I knew you¡¯d figure out my identity from those cuts, I would¡¯ve used up a stone to fix them before showing up as Elar.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s stopping us from just getting the healing stones from what¡¯s left of your body and leaving you behind?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Except you won¡¯t be able to use them. You need the spell to activate the magic. Only I know the incantation.¡±


    That was certainly plausible. Encantus activation methods varied greatly. While some only needed to be applied directly, like healing ointments, others required specific chants to be used. Still, I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to just nod to everything the witch said.


    Felix relaxed his guard. ¡°Sounds like a good offer, Master. You¡¯ll lose your legs due to frostbite at this rate.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t be sure yet. What if she uses those stones to fix her own body?¡±


    ¡°Healing magic can only restore so much,¡± said Violetta, looking fed up. ¡°Recreating an entire body with just a few healing stones is beyond impossible. You know enough about magic to understand that. I know it¡¯s difficult to trust a former enemy, but don¡¯t disappoint me, Karius. I refuse to accept that the mage who defeated me is ruled by an irrational fear of the unknown.¡±


    ¡°You expect me to trust conventional magic knowledge while negotiating with a severed head?¡±


    ¡°...Point taken. What can I do to make you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Tell me how you¡¯re still alive, for starters.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly enjoy telling this story, but fine.¡± Violetta averted her eyes in annoyance. ¡°My body is a little special. To put it bluntly, I¡¯m not human.¡±


    No duh.


    ¡°I¡¯m what some would call a homunculus, a humanoid artificially created using true sorcery, the highest level of magic. Most of my body functions are just for show. I don¡¯t eat, drink, age or fall ill.¡±


    ¡°But you dined with us many times.¡±


    ¡°To be more accurate, I can eat and drink, but I don¡¯t need to. Sleep I need just like any other human. That¡¯s how I replenish mana to keep my body working.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one convenient body.¡±


    ¡°It also has its problems, but that¡¯s irrelevant right now. Anyway, I¡¯ll survive as long as my head, which houses my cor, is intact. That said, most of my mana is generated and stored in my body, so I can barely use any magic right now, certainly nothing capable of harming you and your comrades. Moreover, if you smash my head, I¡¯ll die for real. Hilde can kill me in a snap if I try anything funny.¡±


    Even though my anima was unreliable against the deceptive witch, I read her emotions anyway. I sensed competing mortification and resignation, the latter winning out. She seemed to be telling the truth, assuming she wasn¡¯t using illusion magic.


    ¡°Deal,¡± said Hilde.


    I unintentionally raised my voice. ¡°What¡¯re you saying!? We can¡¯t trust her.¡±


    ¡°But we have no choice. We need her to fix your body. Felix too.


    ¡°Great,¡± said Violetta. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it before you change your mind. Felix, can you bring me the small pouch in my skirt?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Miss Hilde do that? I am a man.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s very little left of my body to feel embarrassed about.¡± Violetta giggled. ¡°Besides, weren¡¯t you aiming to be a legendary thief? You shouldn¡¯t bat an eyelash over looting a dead body.¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!¡± Felix held his head. ¡°You are absolutely correct, Miss Violetta. I shall now pour my heart and soul into ransacking your mutilated remains. I swear that by the time I¡¯m done, nothing shall be left unravaged, be it your most personal belongings or chastity!¡±


    ¡°Scratch that. Karius, can you go instead? I beg you.¡±


    ¡°In case you forgot, I can¡¯t walk. Thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Then Hilde! For the sake of my dignity!¡±


    ¡°No, Hilde is the only one who can move properly. She needs to watch you in case you try something. Felix, please get the stones. Don¡¯t go overboard, okay?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Felix limped over to the bloody scraps and searched them. He eventually found a small pouch and brought it over.


    ¡°Can you check how many are left?¡± asked Violetta.


    He emptied the bag into his hand, revealing ten small round white stones.


    ¡°Eight should be enough for both of you,¡± said Violetta. ¡°Before we begin, can you set me down on a piece of cloth or something? Felix¡¯s scarf should do. I¡¯m at the limits of my endurance, hanging from my scalp like this.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a minor issue compared to the gaping hole below your neck?¡±


    ¡°My pride is more delicate.¡±


    Felix unraveled his scarf and set it down on the sand. Sabre placed the slobber-soaked head onto the singed fabric.


    Violetta sighed with a crestfallen look. ¡°I¡¯ll never be able to live this down, will I?¡±


    ¡°You will if you¡¯re telling the truth. You¡¯re immortal, right? You¡¯ll outlive us eventually.¡±


    ¡°I better get to fixing you up then. First, melt the ice on your limbs with simia.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t control it that well. I¡¯ll probably burn away my legs in the process.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll guide you. Use the spell on that rock over there. Then move your limbs close to the smoldering rock to warm it up. That¡¯s easier than targeting the spell to melt away just the ice coating your flesh. Use the smallest amount of mana possible. Simia is too powerful and generally melts anything it touches. We want the rock smoking, not liquid.¡±


    Using the last drops of my mana, I channeled fury from Violetta and cast simia. With Felix¡¯s help, I approached the glowing rock and hesitantly extended my frozen right leg towards it.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine even if the heat burns you a little. The healing stones can easily fix a bit of burned skin.¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say. You¡¯re not the one getting roasted alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been through that and worse, boy. Stop being a sissy and do it. The longer your limbs stay frozen, the harder they¡¯ll be to fix.¡±


    I gritted my teeth and inched closer to the heated rock. The ice numbed my senses, so I didn¡¯t really feel any pain during the process. I defrosted my limbs in a matter of minutes.


    ¡°Felix, Karius, take four stones each and come closer. I will activate say the activation spell, so repeat after me.¡±


    Felix carried me to the talking head and sat down beside me.


    ¡°Light will surround your body, but please don¡¯t panic and kill me when that happens. The healing process will take about an hour due to the severity of your injuries.¡± Violetta closed her eyes with a serene expression strangely fitting a decapitated head. ¡°Oh seed of origin, absolve us of our sins. Let holy light embrace, and bless us with your grace. Light the path to the root, return all lies to truth.¡±


    Felix and I repeated the incantation word for word, even copying her meditative expression. A warm light enveloped us. Feeling slowly returned to my shredded calves, reminding me of the gravity of my injury. I groaned in agony.


    Hilde raised her greatsword. ¡°I knew it was a trap.¡±


    ¡°Hold it!¡± said Violetta. ¡°Karius is just regaining feeling in his limbs. I called them healing stones for the sake of simplicity, but the magic stored in them is actually closer to material restoration. The spell fixes the body from the outside in. Deep cuts will get fixed last, so Karius has no choice but to endure until the pain until his legs are fully restored.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Hilde,¡± I muttered while taking shallow breaths to manage the pain. ¡°Please lower your sword.¡±


    Hilde stabbed the greatsword into the sand. After defeating Violetta earlier, her blades had instantly disappeared, which implied that keeping her weapons corporeal chipped away mana. I didn¡¯t know how large her stock was, but I hoped it was enough to keep the greatsword solid until the treatment ended.


    Then again, Sabre could just stomp on Violetta¡¯s skull if she tried to pull anything.


    Hilde glared at Violetta. ¡°Why is it taking so long?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say the process will take an hour?¡±


    ¡°Back in Arthas, Kari healed my burned leg in seconds.¡±


    The witch¡¯s purple eyes focused on me. ¡°Karius, what magic did you use on her?¡±


    ¡°Cura.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Unlike the stones, that spell boosts the target¡¯s innate regeneration. The speed of healing will vary depending on the mage¡¯s skill, intensity of the emotion used, and mana allocated. Karius is a joke of all trades, which means he used a lot of mana to heal you that fast.¡±


    ¡°I almost died from mana drain, actually. And don¡¯t you mean jack of all trades?¡±


    ¡°With your level of mastery? Joke fits you perfectly.¡±


    ¡°What should I call the one who lost to a joke?¡±


    ¡°Outnumbered and unlucky?¡±


    ¡°Nice excuse.¡±


    ¡°Also true.¡± Violetta flashed a look of realization. ¡°So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t accept my proposal back in the cave. You believed your use of cura to heal Hilde¡¯s leg authenticated your love for her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big part of it, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to break it to you-¡±


    ¡°I know. I know the impetus of my feelings is a lie. I thought it was love at first sight, but it was just resonance, like what happened between us in the cave.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Another perk of being a homunculus is my sensitivity to mana flow. Hilde constantly releases a faint aura, affecting everyone around her regardless of her will. It¡¯s probably her anima.¡±


    ¡°Hilde has one too?¡±


    ¡°Of course she does. Did you really think a slim girl like her can jump around while carrying you without any magic? You¡¯re small, but not that small. She¡¯s stronger than Felix, a man a foot taller than her, for crying out loud.¡±


    Now that I think about it, I realized how stupid I was for not questioning Hilde¡¯s abnormal physical prowess. Normally, ignoring such a strange thing was unthinkable for me.


    Ignoring the complicated expression on my face, Violetta continued, ¡°Her anima probably boosts her physical ability to inhuman levels. Maybe cura worked faster on her because of that too. Aside from that, she has a magical charisma that attracts people. She was under interrogation when you first met, right? I bet she unconsciously boosted her aura¡¯s effect as a self-defense mechanism to keep her from harm. Her aura resonated with your anima, resulting in what you thought was love.¡±


    Maybe Hilde¡¯s anima had compelled me to overlook all the peculiar things surrounding her. Everything made sense in that case.


    With pleading eyes, I stared at my secretive partner. ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Hilde looked down, breaking eye contact. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about anima. I only know one spell, the one I used to generate this sword.¡± She tightened her grip on the hilt. ¡°My skill was forged through training and combat, but I¡¯ve always been abnormally strong since I was a child.¡±


    A wave of relief washed over me. If Hilde had been manipulating me all this time, I would¡¯ve lost my ability to trust people.


    ¡°If what the witch said is true¡­¡± Hilde bit her bottom lip with a pained expression. ¡°Then I¡¯ve wronged you, Kari. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I thought you were just mean by default, so I didn¡¯t really mind.¡± I forced out a smile, but I failed to scrub away the bitterness coating it.


    As if to match me, Hilde also made a pained expression. ¡°Not just that. I ruined your life. If you hadn¡¯t met me...¡±


    What was I doing?


    Hilde was as honest as they came. She wouldn¡¯t intentionally manipulate me. In fact, many things she did, the insults, the punches, wouldn¡¯t make sense if she had been plotting anything. She was just caught up in a string of odd coincidences, like me. Whether I love her or not, I couldn¡¯t let someone, much less a comrade, suffer from something that wasn¡¯t her fault.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re right. Then how about you make it up to me?¡±


    ¡°Okay. What should I do?¡±


    ¡°How about a kiss? Just to be clear, not on the cheek or forehead. On the lips.¡± I poked my bottom lip with my index finger.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do it after you¡¯re done with treatment.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What did she say?


    Violetta looked at me in disgust. ¡°What a pervert.¡±


    Felix clenched his fists in a fit of excitement. ¡°That¡¯s my Master! Your lack of morality knows no bounds!¡±


    ¡°I was clearly joking! I expected Hilde to get pissed or give me the cold shoulder. I¡¯m just trying to blow away her guilt and lift the mood!¡±


    Violetta raised an eyebrow. ¡°You expect us to believe that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth!¡±


    The edges of Violetta¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Then are you saying you don¡¯t want to kiss Hilde?¡±


    Two opposing answers, one fueled by instinct, the other reason, clashed in my head, delaying my answer. Before I could respond, Violetta continued her attack.


    ¡°Hmph. You can¡¯t even answer. Hilde, are you okay kissing this creep?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°R-Really..?¡± I muttered.


    ¡°A kiss is just touching lips. I made him drink water from my mouth twice now. What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    I slumped to the ground.


    Violetta chuckled. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen that coming miles away.¡±


    ¡°I know! But can you blame me for being hopeful? She used magic to save my life! She didn¡¯t even use it when her own life was in danger. She has to care about me a little!¡±


    ¡°Oh that?¡± said Hilde. ¡°More swords wouldn¡¯t have helped in the forest battle. I already snatched weapons from the guards. Other than that, I was never really cornered enough to use magic. If I didn¡¯t use that spell to save you from this witch, I would¡¯ve died next. I can¡¯t beat her alone.¡±


    ¡°I gotta ask, do you enjoy raising me up just to drop me at the last second?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t.¡± I emptied my lungs with a long sigh.


    Tired of getting my emotions tossed around, I decided to shut up and focus on healing. My injuries hurt less as time passed. About an hour later, the pain was completely gone.


    ¡°That should do it,¡± said Violetta. ¡°How do you guys feel?¡±


    ¡°Brand new,¡± said Felix.


    After rotating my right shoulder twice, I hopped a few times to check my legs. ¡°Amazing. I¡¯ve never heard of healing encantus this effective.¡±


    ¡°Like I said earlier, those stones are crystallized restoration magic. Each one is worth a fortune.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the treatment. Now you can die. Hilde, please smash her head with your greatsword.¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°Eh?¡±¡±¡± Everyone looked at me in shock.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right, Master?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hilde pointed her blade straight to the sky. All she had to do was let gravity take its course.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure. We can¡¯t let someone this dangerous live. She¡¯ll definitely get revenge or force me to lift her curse. It¡¯s better to kill her here.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Violetta regained her wits. ¡°We had a deal, Karius! You¡¯re supposed to take me with you in exchange for the stones!¡±


    ¡°I lied.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute! You don¡¯t need to take me with you! Just leave me here, okay? I¡¯ll be stuck in the desert for years. I won¡¯t be able to find you by the time I get my body back, so I can¡¯t get revenge or anything!¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I signaled to Hilde with a nod.


    Felix stepped in between the Valmaz warrior and the talking head. ¡°Master, we don¡¯t need to go this far.¡±


    Hilde glared at him. ¡°Get out of the way. This has to be done.¡±


    ¡°Felix! Please! Don¡¯t let them kill me! Who cares about revenge or freedom!? I just wanna live!¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Please Felix,¡± I said.


    Felix looked back and forth between us before lowering his head in resignation. ¡°Understood. A thousand apologies for my interference.¡±


    ¡°You fools!¡± screamed Violetta. ¡°This isn¡¯t over! I swear I¡¯ll come back and kill each and every one-¡±


    Hilde swung her sword. The massive metal beam cleaved through blond hair and scorched cloth before sinking into the desert sand.


    Violetta slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Huh? I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    She hung by the hair from Sabre¡¯s teeth. Per my instructions, my trusty ecus had saved her by snatching her from behind.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll stay that way, for now.¡± I gave Hilde and Felix a pat on the shoulder. ¡°Great acting guys.¡±


    Felix turned to Hilde. ¡°That was an act?¡±


    ¡°No idea.¡± Hilde pulled her sword from the ground. ¡°I just wanted to crack the witch¡¯s skull.¡±


    These people¡­


    I approached Violetta and gently took her head from Sabre. ¡°I needed to know if you were really powerless right now.¡±


    ¡°You tested me.¡± Her childish face crumpled in anger. ¡°Remember this, Karius. You¡¯ll pay for this humiliation someday.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m a sinner, just like you.¡± I dusted off her silky golden locks. ¡°I¡¯m just relieved to know ¡®someday¡¯ isn¡¯t today.¡±


    ¡°Stop touching me, you perverted virgin.¡±


    This ungrateful bitch.


    Something snapped within me. Time to teach her a lesson.


    ¡°Hilde, Felix. Have you ever heard of ¡®beach volleyball?¡±


    The two of them shook their heads.


    ¡°It¡¯s a contest I read about in an old book I borrowed from the Arthas library. Nations sent representatives to fight against each other in various events to decide their gold, silver, and bronze allocations.¡±


    Felix crossed his arms and nodded. ¡°What an amazing contest, to decide the economies of countries like that.¡±


    ¡°Probably. But it¡¯s very simple to play. If I remember correctly, you can practice with just a sand arena.¡± I tossed Violetta¡¯s head two feet in the air and caught it with one hand, causing her to squeal through my parted fingers. ¡°And a ball.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Hilde made a rare, albeit sinister, smile.


    ¡°Felix and I need to check our physical conditions. A little exercise is perfect.¡±


    ¡°You bastaaaaaaardddd!¡±


    ***


    We continued our journey to Aurum, the merchant city Felix mentioned. Along the way, two caravans had allowed us into their camps and sold us supplies. Lyla had a decent amount of coins on her when she died, which we used to buy food. Sabre didn¡¯t seem to mind carrying me and Hilde, so we had bought only one horse to save money.


    Hilde was sound asleep on my back, while Felix rode ahead of us.


    ¡°Lyla, wouldn¡¯t the head priest notice if you keep using magic like that?¡±


    ¡°Nah. It¡¯d be one thing if I manifested another fire dragon, but even that annoying curse can¡¯t detect basic illusion magic from this far away. Look.¡± She pointed at her feet. ¡°I¡¯m not even leaving footprints. That jerk, I mean the high priest, isn¡¯t nearly as skilled as his predecessors. He¡¯s totally convinced by my report. The parts about my defeat and injury are true, so it¡¯ll be no problem if he tries to confirm. That should buy me some time until you free me from the curse.¡±


    ¡°I never said I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Lyla¡¯s illusion directed puppy-dog eyes at me.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a ruthless immortal monster.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°What a stickler.¡±


    Felix lined up his horse with Sabre. ¡°Master, I was wondering, why do you call her Lyla?¡±


    ¡°She asked me to call her that. Easier to say than Lilac.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why you stopped calling her Violetta. That was indeed a mouthful.¡±


    I glanced at Lyla¡¯s illusion and smiled. ¡°You can say that.¡±


    She puffed her cheeks and turned away.


    ¡°Miss Violetta, is it okay if I call you Lyla as well?¡±


    ¡°No, only Karius, who knows what it¡¯s like inside me, is allowed to call me that.¡±


    ¡°Master is as unscrupulous as always. Even an immortal witch is no match for your seduction.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to let him inside, but he didn¡¯t care. Even in sleep, he had his way with me and trampled all over my heart.¡±


    ¡°I was the one asleep.¡± I urged Sabre closer to Felix and flicked the bag hanging from his saddle with my finger.


    ¡°Ouch! That¡¯s my eye!¡±


    ¡°Liar. I didn¡¯t feel any pain feedback.¡±


    ¡°Forgot you had that.¡±


    ¡°Is that another characteristic of your special body?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can shut off my senses at will, including pain. It¡¯s not a good idea in combat because it dulls my reaction speed and awareness of the battlefield, but I can¡¯t exactly survive the pain of being a decapitated head otherwise.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t feel any feedback when Hilde chopped you up.¡±


    ¡°I shut down my sense of pain before it happened. The feeling of getting minced isn¡¯t something I ever want to experience again. Playing the role of a ball also falls into that category.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°You looked pretty sick after one game. Why don¡¯t you just shut off your ability to get dizzy?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, at least not yet. Manipulating my senses requires practice. In my long life, I¡¯ve never needed to cut off my sense of motion.¡±


    ¡°Great. That¡¯ll be an effective way to discipline you for a while.¡±


    ¡°And you call me ruthless?¡±


    ¡°Miss Violetta, I¡¯ve been wondering,¡± said Felix, ¡°will your head be okay left like that?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t it rot?¡±


    ¡°R-Rot!?¡±


    I put a hand on my chin. ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ Maybe we should check. Felix, can you take her out of the bag?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± He nimbly untied the bag and gently unveiled the blond head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I have a say in this matter!?¡±


    Felix curiously touched the severed part of her neck. ¡°It¡¯s still warm. That¡¯s so peculiar¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that!¡±


    Copying Felix, I reached out and felt her open wound. I chuckled as I poked around the warm, fleshy surface. ¡°This is so gross.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me gross!¡±


    ¡°It feels wet, but there¡¯s no actual liquid.¡± I rubbed my thumb and index finger together to confirm their dryness. ¡°How does this work?¡±


    ¡°My body is created by sorcery. A hundred years of research has gone into it. So to answer your questions, no, I won¡¯t rot. I can keep myself warm without blood, and I can talk without air. Why is it like that? I don¡¯t friggin¡¯ know! It just is! Are you happy now!?¡±


    ¡°Really? I smell something funny.¡± I moved my head closer to her and sniffed. ¡°Smells like spoiled meat.¡±


    ¡°N-N-No way!?¡±


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t gonna rot?¡± I made a wry smile.


    ¡°I won¡¯t! At least I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Anxiety clouded her face. ¡°I¡¯ve never been reduced to this state before¡­¡±


    ¡°Just kidding.¡±


    She bit my nose.


    ¡°Shiiiitttttt!¡±


    ¡°You deserved that,¡± said Hilde, woken up by our antics.


    ¡°Quit the commentary and get her off me!¡± I flailed my arms around in panic.


    Hilde unclasped the witch¡¯s jaw from my nose and studied at it. ¡°This really does feel gross.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying that!!!¡±


    ***


    I walked in front of Sabre, guiding her by the reins along the streets of Aurum. Felix pulled his horse beside me, while Hilde followed a few paces behind. To my surprise, Lyla behaved in her bag. She had erased her illusionary self when we arrived at the city¡¯s ornate gate ten minutes ago.


    Unlike Portus and Harena, Aurum stood above the sands, protected by a thick wind barrier. Entry to the city had been easier than expected. According to Felix, the lax security made the city more inviting to visitors. A lot of famous warriors visited Aurum to buy rare equipment, so troublemakers were rare. Merchants and energetic shoppers bustled around the stall-lined roads. Their clothes varied greatly, reflecting their origins and the state of their wallets. Stone, wood, and colorful woven fabric formed the buildings behind the marketplace.


    A small boy with fuzzy hair pointed at us while bouncing up and down. ¡°Look, Mommy! The heroes who defeated the immortal witch!¡±


    ¡°Oh my! You¡¯re right, honey.¡± The full-bodied mother sent us a grateful smile.


    I scratched my head. ¡°Okay, what the hell is going on?¡±


    Gossip and greetings bathed us the moment we stepped into the town square. For some reason, our group had become famous for defeating Lilac Gromwell. Some people even shouted our real names.


    A hazel-maned girl about the same age as Annie blocked my way. ¡°The Lamia once burned down all the livestock in my village.¡± She shook my hand vigorously. ¡°Thanks for punishing her evil ways!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me Miss, but how do you know about us?¡±


    She pointed at Felix. ¡°He told me all about your epic battle when your group camped with our caravan last night.¡±


    ¡°It was you!?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t indeed me, you¡­ you¡­ Argh!¡± I grabbed my hair in exasperation. ¡°But why do so many people know?¡±


    The girl smiled proudly. ¡°Our group left early this morning while your pretty lady friend was still asleep, so we arrived in Aurum before you did. I did my best to tell everyone about your heroic deed! My brothers did too! Surprisingly, some people already knew about it. The representative of the other caravan you camped with went ahead of his group to negotiate accommodations in the city. He had heard the same story from your friend and told everyone about it when he got here the last night.¡±


    I pulled Felix away from the girl. ¡°You weren¡¯t satisfied blabbing about us once!? Why are you spreading rumors about us!? You even used our real names! We¡¯re not exactly aching for attention!¡±


    ¡°I figured we¡¯d be known as truly despicable villains if I tell people about how we brutalized a small girl three against one. I used our real names to establish a villainous reputation, a big step towards my dream of becoming a famous thief.¡±


    ¡°The small girl we beat is named Lilac Gromwell. She¡¯s infamous for being an evil monster.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I heard that,¡± said Lyla.


    I glared at the bag slung on Felix¡¯s saddle. ¡°Burning livestock isn¡¯t exactly saintly behavior.¡±


    ¡°Those animals were spreading disease!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your excuses later. Where was I? Right. Felix, what do you think people who defeat terrifying villains are called?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Heroes?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Mister Aspiring Thief. You singlehandedly made yourself famous as the exact opposite of what you aspire to be. Tarnation!¡±


    ¡°Tar-, Hey, that¡¯s my line.¡±


    ¡°No, considering how you screwed us all, it¡¯s completely mine!¡± I grabbed his scarf and pulled his annoyingly handsome face close. ¡°How did you even convince those travelers to believe your story?¡±


    ¡°I kept some of Miss Violetta¡¯s personal effects, like the extra healing stones, her socks, and the like. Among those was the bloodstained Gromwell badge. Apparently, it was quite famous among those who have encountered her before.¡±


    ¡°Her socks..?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Whatever. I didn¡¯t see anything like a badge on her.¡±


    ¡°I kept it hidden,¡± said Lyla. ¡°I was undercover. And you, fake thief, I remember keeping that badge somewhere private. Don¡¯t tell me you even went through my¡­ that place.¡±


    ¡°Apologies. If it¡¯s any consolation, there was practically nothing left of that place when I checked.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine then.¡±


    I cut in between them. ¡°Putting aside the strange moral compass you two have, we¡¯re in trouble. I wanted to rest a few days in this city, but we can probably stay only a night, two at most. Hiding in a crowd is meaningless if everyone in it knows about us. I¡¯d rather leave immediately, but the steeds need food and rest, and we need to buy maps.¡± I looked around to check the growing audience surrounding our party. ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s Hilde?¡±


    Sabre pointed with her nose. Hilde stood in the middle of a group of children, panic clearly showing in her usually stoic face.


    A boy tugged on her scabbard to get her attention. ¡°Are you really the Silver Tempest? Were you really the one who beheaded the immortal witch?¡±


    Before she could reply, a pigtailed girl jumped up and down in front of her, arms waving to catch her eye. ¡°Where are your friends? Where¡¯s Crimson Lightning?¡±


    That probably referred to the redheaded Felix. Their intimidating titles fit them perfectly. Hilde looked adorable as she frantically tried to answer the kids one by one. Maybe becoming famous wasn¡¯t all bad.


    A teenage girl in spectacles pointed at me. ¡°Is he the Scrawny Schemer? He¡¯s even smaller than rumors say.¡±


    Scrawny.


    Schemer.


    ¡°Felix, were you the one who came up with these titles?¡±


    ¡°No. I just told travelers about our battle with Miss Violetta. I think the people made them up based on my story.¡±


    ¡°What exactly did you tell them about me?¡±


    ¡°I told them despite your small size, you outsmarted the immortal witch with devious tricks and lies, deceiving even your allies for the sake of victory.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s all true, dammit!¡±


    Although the men in the crowd threw glances at Hilde, none of them approached, wary of her rumored lethality. However, the number of children pushing against her kept growing. Hilde found me beyond the stream of kids and sent me a peculiar look, one I¡¯d never seen on her before. I decided to read her emotions using my anima.


    Uncertainty.


    I squeezed my way through the mass of noisy children without hurting them, an easy task because of my damn scrawniness, and grabbed Hilde¡¯s hand.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting outta here.¡± Learning from my mistakes, I didn¡¯t try to act cool or confident. I just let my concern show naturally.


    Honesty worked best with Hilde, and it did. She nodded and let herself be dragged away from the chaos.


    We joined up with Felix, who was busy trying to fend off rabid fangirls. Life was so unfair.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to rest first.¡±


    ¡°Ladies, my master calls. I¡¯m afraid I have to bid farewell for now.¡±


    A busty brunette hurled a prickly glare in my direction. ¡°Master? This scrawny kid?¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± said a raven-haired lass with a finger over her lips. ¡°That¡¯s the Scrawny Schemer! He¡¯ll rape you with his magic!¡±


    I was relieved my magical ability made it into the rumors, but my personality somehow got twisted horribly in the process.


    Felix waved goodbye to the flock of girls and approached me. ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the largest inn in town?¡±


    ¡°Four blocks that way. Please follow me. We can lose the crowd in the backstreets.¡±


    We rushed into an alley and took a few turns. Fortunately, the crowd wasn¡¯t persistent enough to chase after people clearly fleeing from them.


    While making our way to the inn, Felix raised a concern. ¡°I believe Master and Miss Hilde are being pursued by Arthas soldiers. Is it wise to stay at the largest inn? I fear it¡¯s too conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Stupid idea, right? That¡¯s what our pursuers will think too. Hopefully, that¡¯ll throw them off our trail. More importantly, the people working in such a busy inn won¡¯t remember every guest. They won¡¯t be able to point the soldiers to us.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re sort of famous.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you! Anyway, I think we should split up into two groups and go in disguise. Hilde and I can take a room while pretending to be siblings. You can pose as a lone traveler. Once our pursuers hear about the rumors, their focus will switch from finding a pair to finding a trio. The townsfolk recognized us right away because we were all together. From here on, we need to avoid moving as a group as much as possible. How¡¯s the security in the inns here?¡±


    ¡°Entry to the city may be lenient, but security in the private establishments is quite strict. Guests value privacy and security, so guards are stationed at the main door and the lobby.¡±


    ¡°Good. We don¡¯t have to worry about Arthas soldiers forcing their way in to search the premises. Let¡¯s go with this plan.¡±


    ¡°I object,¡± said Hilde. ¡°Why do I have to stay in a room with you?¡±


    ¡°A woman traveling alone stands out, especially with your looks. I¡¯m also afraid you¡¯ll accidentally reveal yourself if I don¡¯t keep an eye on you.¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, Felix needs more attention.¡±


    ¡°...You have a point.¡±


    I wanted to stay with Hilde in case anything unforeseen happened. As a group, our main objective was to escape pursuit. However, my personal goal was to stay with Hilde. Even though I owed and liked Felix, his well-being was a far second to Hilde¡¯s. I had honored the agreement to take Lyla along because of the last traces of chivalry inside me, but I wasn¡¯t about to risk my life for that.


    After careful consideration, I shook my head. ¡°I still think Hilde and I should stick together. Felix can find us by himself if he gets separated. But if one of us gets lost, reuniting becomes an impossible task. We aren¡¯t exactly the best navigators in the world.¡±


    It was a flimsy excuse, but I was desperate.


    ¡°In that case, Kari and the witch should stay together. I¡¯ll room with Felix.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡± I hadn¡¯t even considered that arrangement.


    That was actually the best option to avoid detection. Felix was much taller than I was, so soldiers looking for the fugitives from Arthas wouldn¡¯t suspect them based on appearance. However, I didn¡¯t like the idea of letting Hilde sleep in a room with another man. Even I hadn¡¯t gone that far.


    ¡°W-Why? Do you dislike staying with me that much?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Brutally honest with no hesitation. Just like Hilde.


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m a mage?¡±


    ¡°...No. You¡¯re also a victim of magic. You¡¯re different from the other mages.¡±


    Also? Did that mean she was a victim of magic too? Judging from her fervent dislike of mages, that was the obvious conclusion. My curiosity twitched to life, but I killed it before it took a breath. I had bigger things to worry about.


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    Hilde¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I feel¡­ more comfortable with Felix.¡±


    Her words ripped my heart to shreds. Even so, I did my best to smile. I didn¡¯t have to look at a mirror to know it was the most broken smile I¡¯d ever made.


    ¡°Heh. Is that so. So that¡¯s it.¡± I chuckled weakly.


    Everything I had done for her only amounted to this.


    Getting angry or lashing out would¡¯ve made me feel better, but I desperately held on to what little pride I had left.


    ¡°Fine. You stay with Felix. I¡¯ll just put Lyla in the closet or something.¡±


    ¡°The inn is just outside this alley,¡± said Felix.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s split up.¡± I handed a piece of cloth I bought from one of the caravan travelers a few days ago to Hilde. ¡°Here. Wear this around your head to hide your silver hair. It stands out too much. Felix, check in with her first. I¡¯ll go after I find a suitable disguise from one of the nearby shops.¡± I shooed them with my hand. ¡°Hurry. We don¡¯t have time to stand around.¡±


    I practically drove them away. I couldn¡¯t help it. The sight of them together squeezed my heart like a vise, bleeding it dry.


    ¡°Understood, Master.¡±


    They left, taking Felix¡¯s horse. While trying to shake off my dark emotions, I hung Lyla¡¯s head, still in a bag, on Sabre¡¯s saddle. Large inns generally had stables, so bringing steeds posed no problem. I led Sabre out of the alley and looked around the nearby stalls for a hat or scarf. Sabre occasionally glanced at me, sympathy in her gentle round eyes, but she left me alone in fear of incurring my anger.


    A certain someone wasn¡¯t as considerate.


    ¡°Are you okay, Kari?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡±


    ¡°But Hilde calls you that. And you call me Lyla.¡±


    People looked at me funny, thinking I was talking to my ecus, but I didn¡¯t have the energy to care. I was used to being made fun of for chatting with Sabre anyway.


    ¡°Whatever. Call me what you want.¡±


    ¡°No resistance? You must really be hurting.¡±


    ¡°Can you blame me? The girl I sacrificed everything for wants to get it on with the cool guy. And I couldn¡¯t stop her.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think? Didn¡¯t you read her emotions?¡±


    ¡°Hilde is always honest. Using my anima is pointless.¡±


    ¡°Ah, youth. Let me teach you something, boy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for magic lessons.¡±


    ¡°Not magic. Love.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost me.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget who I am? I¡¯ve experienced anything and everything this barren world has to offer. Giving romantic advice is a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Now I have to help you whether you like it or not.¡±


    ¡°What kind of logic is that?¡±


    ¡°Hilde likes you more than you think.¡±


    That piqued my interest.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, she found out you can read emotions while listening in on our conversation from outside the cave. Despite that, she hasn¡¯t said a word of complaint. She didn¡¯t even ask you to stop doing it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she simply thought I don¡¯t use it on her.¡±


    ¡°Possible but unlikely, considering your personality, which she knows only too well by now.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡±


    ¡°This is my theory. She didn¡¯t complain because she didn¡¯t mind, partly because she always speaks what she thinks, yes. But I believe the main reason is her trust in you.¡±


    ¡°Trust? She wouldn¡¯t even stay in a room with me.¡±


    ¡°But she rode behind you all this time, asleep even.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s probably a different thing in her mind. Besides, you agreed that Hilde always speaks what she thinks or nothing at all. The only lie I remember her saying is her fake name. She meant what she said about being more comfortable with Felix.¡± I clicked my tongue. ¡°Really. What¡¯s with that?¡±


    ¡°I never said she was lying about that, but you misunderstood what it meant. Honest words aren¡¯t always true.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like the most confusing gibberish you¡¯ve said so far.¡±


    Lyla laughed. Despite being in a bag, her voice felt close to my ear, likely an application of her illusion magic.


    ¡°Let me put it more simply. Just because Hilde thinks she is telling the truth, and she probably does think that, doesn¡¯t mean you should take her words at face value. The girl doesn¡¯t understand what she¡¯s feeling, a common thing for maidens her age. The truth is slightly different.¡±


    ¡°...Go on.¡±


    ¡°I should really be charging you for this, but very well. If my eyes don¡¯t deceive me, and they never do, one of your wishes has already been granted. She doesn¡¯t want to sleep in a room with you because she sees you as someone from the opposite sex, something she doesn¡¯t feel for Felix. Congratulations, Kari.¡±


    The witch¡¯s words were strangely convincing. The more I thought about it, the more her explanation made sense.


    My mood lifted, I nodded in agreement. ¡°Thanks, Lyla.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯ve come to see my unparalleled wisdom.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I thought you were trying to trick me into doing something. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°I was. I¡¯m earning your genuine affection so that you can use recreo to fix my body.¡±


    Recreo was a high-level healing spell, which like cura, required genuine affection for the target to activate. I didn¡¯t know how to use it, but this little witch probably planned to teach me from the start.


    I laughed. ¡°You sure you should be telling me that?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. You value honesty, despite, or precisely because you lack it yourself. This is the best way to gain your trust and friendship.¡±


    ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll think about it if you promise to mend your ways.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to mend.¡±


    A muffled female voice came from behind me. ¡°Excuse me. You¡¯re the Scrawny Schemer, right? Can I shake your hand?¡±


    The title grated on my ears, but the girl wasn¡¯t to blame for that. Deciding to get it over with, I turned around while extending my hand.


    A hazel-haired girl stood before me. I froze, my hand hanging in the air like a dead branch. She enclosed it with her soft fingers, exerting surprising strength for a girl her size.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you, Brother.¡±


    Volume 1 END

 Chapter 09: Reunion

    I flashed a refreshing smile, doing my best to stop my cheek from twitching. ¡°Long time no see, Annie!¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Annie raised her eyebrows so high I thought it¡¯d fall off her face. ¡°You really think that¡¯ll work?¡± Her fingernails dug deeper into my hand.


    It hurt but felt good at the same time. No masochism involved. Really. I just missed my sister¡¯s warmth.


    ¡°Worth a try.¡± A hint of bitterness crept into my fake smile.


    ¡°You¡­ You jerk. You big jerk!¡± Still gripping my hand, Annie came closer with a livid expression.


    Her wavy hazel locks swayed backward as her emerald irises locked onto mine. Waves of fury battered my chest, testing the limits of my anima¡¯s sensitivity.


    ¡°What a sinful man,¡± said Lyla.


    I glanced at the bag housing the talking head. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Sh-Shut up..?¡± The fury in Annie¡¯s face vanished, replaced by a sheer shock. ¡°Did you just tell me to shut up? After disappearing without a word? After leaving me alone? I don¡¯t even have the right to complain? Is that what you¡¯re saying, Kari?¡± Large beads of tears fell from her eyes.


    ¡°No! I wasn¡¯t talking to you!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one else here!¡± Annie began wailing in earnest, attracting the attention of people shopping at the nearby stores. ¡°Or are you saying you were talking to Sabre again!?¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t hear me, Kari,¡± said Lyla. ¡°I¡¯m using an auditory illusion targeting you alone.¡±


    Mental note: Practice volleyball with Lyla every morning.


    ¡°I was talking to myself, Annie. I was about to say something embarrassing, but I stopped myself! I just kinda blurted it out when I did.¡±


    Lyla snorted. ¡°Is that the best you could come up with? You lack imagination.¡±


    Mental note 2: Practice volleyball before going to bed.


    Annie released my hand and dried her face with her sleeves. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible excuse¡­ How can you be so mean¡­ You don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve been through! I peed in blankets!¡±


    ¡°Oh god,¡± said a middle aged woman carrying a basket of food. ¡°Young people these days!¡±


    ¡°That scrawny kid is into some crazy shit.¡± A bearded shop owner threw me an intense glare. ¡°You really can¡¯t judge a book by it¡¯s cover.¡±


    I placed my hands on Annie¡¯s shoulders to calm her down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m completely at fault, so please stop crying! People are starting to think I¡¯m a pervert who likes to watch girls pee!¡±


    But she wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°I was so worried! Thinking about what could¡¯ve happened to you, I was so scared I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Each word stabbed my heart like a knife. On top of my own guilt, I also shared her misery in full because of my anima. That was when I realized how terrible my sin was. Her solitude and fear threatened to overwhelm me, and I had only been exposed to them for a short while.


    I embraced her with all my might, not caring if I hurt her. This was probably the one time I felt grateful I was scrawny and weak.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Annie. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Her tears finally stopped as she wrapped her arms behind my back. ¡°I missed you so much.¡±


    ***


    We moved to a nearby restaurant to avoid attracting more attention. After taking our seats at a small corner table, I ordered drinks and a plate of pastries for us. Annie didn¡¯t say a word the entire time.


    ¡°So, uh¡­¡± I scratched my cheek. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡±


    She was absolutely right.


    I nervously licked my parched lips, tasting a bit of iron. ¡°What did you hear from Mother?¡±


    ¡°Her usual lies. But I know the truth. I overheard her talking with Sir Richter.¡±


    ¡°Truth?¡±


    ¡°That you aren¡¯t Father¡¯s son. That you have cor. That you broke a Valmaz warrior out of prison.¡± She focused on my face, brow furrowed. ¡°And from the looks of it, you did so willingly.¡±


    That was not exactly true. According to the decapitated witch, who I left tied to Sabre¡¯s saddle underneath the scorching sun, my anima had resonated with Hilde¡¯s, compelling me to save her. An excellent excuse. I could convince Annie that my actions were all a side effect of magic. I could even be absolved of my crimes. Most importantly, I could avoid Annie¡¯s hatred.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    But I couldn¡¯t lie to my sister. I had willingly thrown away the right for forgiveness the moment I decided to reject Lyla¡¯s offer in that cave. I had known my affection for Hilde was manufactured by magic but still chose to stay with her.


    I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Annie wanted to cut ties with me right here. I was the world¡¯s most terrible brother and deserved no less. Gritting my teeth, I braced myself for a brutal tongue-lashing.


    However, the words I least expected tumbled from her lips.


    ¡°Was it my fault?¡±


    I was so surprised, I couldn¡¯t answer.


    She averted her eyes from mine and stared at the table. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, isn¡¯t it? Because I didn¡¯t defend you from the other kids. Because I didn¡¯t stand up to Mother. Because I pretended to hate you in front of people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±


    ¡°It is! I knew you hated living like that, but I couldn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything. If I tried harder, you wouldn¡¯t have left with some random fugitive.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me-¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of any other reason! There¡¯s no other way you would¡¯ve just left without a word. It has to be my fault!¡±


    ¡°Look at me.¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯ve been there for you! But I was a coward!¡± She didn¡¯t even bother wiping away her tears.


    ¡°I said look at me.¡± I reached across the table and touched her cheek. I slowly raised her face and gazed into her eyes. ¡°You did nothing wrong. It¡¯s all my fault. I-¡±


    ¡°I knew you were into little girls,¡± said a familiar voice.


    Hilde, her beautiful silver hair hidden in a shawl, approached from my right. Felix stood beside her, sans his characteristic scarf. That was probably his idea of a disguise, which I had to admit was quite effective. Fully exposing his handsome face changed his overall appearance significantly.


    ¡°G-Guys, what are you doing here? Weren¡¯t you supposed to wait at the inn?¡±


    ¡°You took so long so we decided to find you.¡± Hilde glanced at my hand, which was still glued to Annie¡¯s cheek. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Normally, I¡¯d be happy at a show of jealousy from the girl I like, but I knew better. My anima clearly conveyed a different emotion: disgust.


    I quickly withdrew my hand and organized my jumbled thoughts. ¡°T-This is my sister, Annie.¡±


    I turned to my sister, but she was no longer in her seat.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Hands on her hips, Annie stood defiantly in front of Hilde. She was forced to tilt her head backward to face the much taller girl, but the fierce scowl on her face made up for the difference in height.


    ¡°Hilde.¡±


    ¡°I meant who are you to my brother.¡±


    ¡°His partner.¡±


    ¡°Wha!¡± Annie looked surprised for a moment but quickly regained her composure. ¡°I take it you¡¯re the Valmaz prisoner that escaped from Arthas.¡±


    Hilde¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    I rushed in between them. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s calm down a little.¡±


    ¡°Women are fighting over you again,¡± said Felix. ¡°Master never ceases to amaze.¡±


    Annie¡¯s glare shifted to me. ¡°Women? Again? Master?¡±


    ¡°Wait, I can explain-¡±


    Felix proudly thumped his chest. ¡°Karius is my master in thievery and all things villainous.¡±


    On second thought, I couldn¡¯t explain.


    Annie slumped her shoulders. ¡°What have you been doing all this time, brother..?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you everything, but first, I need to know how you found me.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember seeing me in Portus?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then you know I¡¯m with Lucius. Sir Richter and his knights are with us too. We got separated after entering Aurum though.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe Mother would let you join the search party.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t. I snuck in one of the cargo wagons.¡±


    I felt the urge to scold her for being so reckless, but I realized that would be the height of hypocrisy coming from me. ¡°Must¡¯ve been a hard journey.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can imagine. My trip wasn¡¯t a cakewalk either.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go home.¡±


    I knew those words would come. My decision was already set in stone, but I didn¡¯t know how to explain myself to my beloved sister, not without hurting her.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t,¡± said Hilde.


    Hissing like a threatened cat, Annie shot back. ¡°This is none of your business.¡±


    ¡°It is. I need him.¡±


    Having been fooled by the terse Hilde over and over again, I knew not to get my hopes up from that statement.


    ¡°His magic is useful.¡±


    See? I knew she¡¯d follow up with something like that.


    But it hurt all the same. Dammit.


    ¡°My brother is not your convenient tool.¡±


    ¡°He is.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I cut in. ¡°Even I have something to say about that.¡±


    ¡°You, the guy who kept following me around like an evil puppy?¡±


    ¡°An evil what?¡±


    Annie grabbed my sleeve with both hands. ¡°Why are you even listening to this witch, Kari?¡±


    ¡°What did you just call me?¡± Hilde¡¯s voice rumbled with an icy tone.


    ¡°A witch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no witch.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. I know you cast some sort of magic on my brother. That¡¯s the only reason he¡¯d break you out and accompany you.¡±


    Hilde held her tongue. She knew of the resonance between us and felt that she was partly responsible for the odd turn my life took that night.


    ¡°See! You can¡¯t even answer. You really did do something to him!¡±


    Hilde¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°He said he loves me.¡±


    ¡°He what!?¡±


    ¡°Right, Kari?¡±


    ¡°You ask that now!?¡±


    ¡°Now or never.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Annie ground her teeth in mortification. ¡°This is all part of this witch¡¯s sorcery! K-Kari wouldn¡¯t fall for someone like you! He has better taste than that!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I did have a crush on Lisa¡­¡±


    Annie slapped her brow with a palm. ¡°That¡¯s right! I forgot you have terrible taste!¡±


    A victorious smirk cracked Hilde¡¯s stony expression. ¡°Go home, girl. Kari doesn¡¯t care about you.¡±


    My sister winced. A sharp pain, radiating from Annie, pricked my heart. I couldn¡¯t let that slide.


    ¡°You went too far, Hilde. Apologize to her.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For saying that I don¡¯t care about her. I love my sister. I won¡¯t forgive anyone who hurts her, even you.¡±


    Hilde¡¯s eyes took on a cold glint. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve done worse things, to her and many others, but that doesn¡¯t excuse what you said. I¡¯ll own up to my mistakes. So should you.¡±


    ¡°...Fine.¡± She turned to face my sister. ¡°Girl.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Annabelle.¡±


    ¡°Annabelle, I said too much. I apologize.¡±


    Wide eyed, Annie practically mumbled her response. ¡°N-No worries.¡±


    ¡°What an amazing coincidence,¡± said Felix, ¡°meeting your sister in Aurum like this.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence. She¡¯s with the search party looking for me and Hilde. We can¡¯t stay in this city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get our things.¡± Without meeting my eyes, Hilde passed by my side and headed for the exit.


    ¡°Did I screw up?¡± I muttered as I watched her shrinking back.


    I hoped I didn¡¯t ruin all my effort forging my relationship with Hilde. That said, I didn¡¯t regret defending my sister one bit.


    Annie tugged on my sleeve, a habit of hers when getting my attention. ¡°Do you really like that girl? Is she why you betrayed Arthas and left me alone?¡±


    Instead of spite, all I could sense from her was fear, fear of me saying yes.


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    I was a horrible person. I lied to everyone all the time, but I couldn¡¯t even tell a white lie to the only person I treated as true family. Why? Because she was the only person I treated as true family.


    Despite the tears precariously hanging on her lashes, she chuckled. ¡°I thought it was impossible, but your taste in girls got worse.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Annie. I couldn¡¯t just watch her be tortured and killed.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the enemy, you know?¡±


    ¡°Same goes for me. Are you going to arrest me for treason and drag me back to Arthas?¡±


    ¡°Miss Annabelle, I know it is rude for me to interrupt, but I request you not to do that. Putting aside the risk of him being imprisoned-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just put that aside,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s pretty big.¡±


    ¡°I will lose my master in villany.¡±


    ¡°Now that I don¡¯t give a shit about.¡±


    ¡°...You seem to be enjoying yourself, Kari,¡± said Annie. ¡°Much more than back home. In Arthas, you only smiled in earnest when we were alone together. You found good companions in such a short time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been through a lot together. Bonds forged in fire, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Is that so.¡± Annie closed her eyes and dried her tears. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to go back home.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for understanding.¡± I sighed in relief.


    Then she smiled brightly. ¡°Instead, I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    How I missed that smile.


    Wait.


    What?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Annie. I didn¡¯t catch that.¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m going with-¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with my ears.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    ¡°Sister.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not backing down.¡±


    ¡°Annie, you don¡¯t understand how dangerous it is. I almost died twice already.¡±


    ¡°Counting your close calls before we met,¡± said Felix, ¡°it¡¯s actually seven times, at least.¡±


    ¡°How do you even know about those?¡±


    ¡°Miss Hilde told me.¡±


    I clicked my tongue. ¡°She never tells me anything. That¡¯s so unfair.¡± Scratching my head, I focused on my sister. ¡°Back on topic. You can¡¯t go with us. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m going. Someone needs to stop you from acting rashly.¡±


    ¡°She has a point, Master.¡±


    I shot Felix a glare to shut him up before returning my focus on Annie. ¡°You don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going.¡±


    Annie tilted her head. ¡°Speaking of which, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t actually know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me.¡±


    I wish I were.


    She tightly furrowed her eyebrows and stared into my eyes, as if trying to see through them. ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing. You¡¯re lying to stop me from coming. I¡¯m onto you!¡±


    Again, I wish I were.


    Truth be told, I was tempted to bring her along. Even though they got off on the wrong foot, I was sure I could convince Hilde to let Annie join the party. My sister was the only thing I missed from Arthas. Taking her along would solve that problem.


    However, reality was not so simple. Annie had no way to protect herself, and I wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect her. Chances were, she¡¯d get seriously hurt or killed during our journey. That was something I could never allow.


    ¡°Sorry Annie, but the answer is no. Please go back to Arthas. You¡¯ll be safe there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be safe! I want to be with you! No one cares about me there. Not even Mother.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s Lucius.¡± I pointed a finger past Annie¡¯s shoulder, directing attention to the heaving young man who just entered the restaurant. ¡°Look, he seems pretty worried about you.¡±


    Oh shit.


    Lucius¡¯s handsome face twisted in anger upon seeing me. ¡°Kari¡­ I finally found you. Get away from Annie!¡± He pointed his shortsword at me.


    I turned to my sister. ¡°He calls you Annie now?¡±


    ¡°Stuff happened.¡±


    ¡°Stuff? What stuff!?¡±


    ¡°Is now really the time for this!?¡± Annie pointed at the charging Lucius.


    I barely dodged his downward slash. I was lucky he was aiming for my shoulder instead of my head.


    I channeled Lucius¡¯s anger and targeted the table beside us.


    ¡°Ignis!¡±


    The wooden table burst into flames.


    ¡°Felix, we¡¯re getting outta here!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    The diners panicked and scrambled out of the restaurant. Opposing the flow of people, two knights made their way inside with great difficulty. Ignoring the chaos, Lucius launched a series of vicious attacks against me. I ducked under his blade twice and shuffled backward to prevent a horizontal swing from spilling my guts.


    ¡°Stop, Lucius!¡± shouted Annie. ¡°You said you¡¯d let me talk him down!¡±


    Talk me down?


    Was this all part of some plan to bring me back?


    No, I didn¡¯t feel any guilt from Annie during our talk.


    But what if¡­


    What if she thought she was doing the right thing?


    Did she really want to come with us?


    Or was she just buying time for Lucius and the knights to arrive?


    Smoke from the burning table filled the small restaurant, clouding everyone¡¯s vision. My doubts about Annie¡¯s intentions coupled with the lack of visibility slowed my reaction to Lucius¡¯s forward thrust. I couldn¡¯t dodge it.


    A sharp clang rang out.


    ¡°I am afraid I cannot let you hurt my master.¡± Felix pushed Lucius¡¯s sword away with his dagger.


    Gotta love this guy.


    Lucius changed his target and swung at Felix. The aspiring thief evaded his strike effortlessly. The difference in skill was apparent even to an amateur like me. The two knights recognized Felix as the greatest threat and joined the battle.


    The flames spread from the table to the rickety wooden flooring, creating a hellish battleground. I could use ice magic to extinguish the flames, but that would render the distraction I created useless. I wanted to avoid using offensive magic directly on Lucius and the knights because I could cripple or kill them. I didn¡¯t want more blood on my hands, especially from people who were just doing their duty. Besides, Felix didn¡¯t seem to have any trouble dealing with them himself.


    The thief slipped through attacks from three directions, like a dancing flame. His red hair blended with the fiery hue of the blazing battlefield. He quickly defeated the two knights with a high kick and an uppercut.


    He was clearly holding back against Lucius, probably because my sister and I knew him. After parrying a running slash, Felix tripped the young squire, causing him to tumble to the burning floor.


    ¡°Lucius!¡± shouted Annie. ¡°Are you alright!?¡±


    I could hardly see anything due to the smoke. I followed my sister¡¯s voice and grabbed the sleeve of her dress. ¡°Felix, where¡¯s the exit!?¡±


    ¡°Over here, Master!¡±


    Following Felix¡¯s guidance, we rushed towards the exit. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, Annie! Hold on!¡±


    While coughing out smoke, we burst out of the double doors. Sabre, still tied to a post at the restaurant entrance, neighed fiercely while trying to break free.


    Wiping the soot and tears from my eyes, I slowly regained my vision. ¡°Annie, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m over here, Kari!¡±


    Hands on knees, Annie stood about ten paces away from me, coughing in between breaths.


    Then whose sleeve was I holding?


    I turned around to check, only to be greeted by a fist. The blow sent me flying. My vision flickered as my back hit the dirt. The throbbing pain felt nostalgic, reminding me of my sparring sessions in Arthas. I had even recognized the shape of Lucius¡¯s knuckles when they slammed into my nose.


    Yeah, I was one pathetic squire.


    He pounced on me and pinned my waist underneath his body. I couldn¡¯t defend myself, so I switched to offense. I didn¡¯t want to hurt Lucius, but he forced my hand.


    Channel.


    Annie¡¯s fear.


    Target.


    Lucius¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Glacies!¡±


    Lucius rolled off me as soon as I cast the spell. Missing its target, ice crystals formed in the air and fell on my stomach.


    ¡°That¡¯s not gonna work anymore!¡± Lucius thrust his toes into my gut.


    I blocked it with my forearms, but the impact still made breakfast climb up my throat.


    Felix spun around and slammed his heel into Lucius¡¯s flank, knocking him to the side. ¡°Master, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Good thing I¡¯m used to Lucius¡¯s beatings. What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°Apologies. I untied Sabre for our getaway.¡± He grabbed my hand and helped me up.


    ¡°No, that was the right call.¡± I searched for hostiles outside the burning restaurant.


    Annie was crouched near the downed Lucius. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She tried to check his body for injuries.


    Pushing her hand away, Lucius unsteadily stood up and glared at me. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you get away again.¡± He took an unfamiliar stance with his sword.


    That was when I noticed. He was holding his weapon in his left hand. I was certain he was right handed. He always used his right to hit my face, after all. Everything clicked inside my head. I had wondered why a squire was part of the search party. His seething anger towards me finally made sense. I had robbed him of his sword arm with my ice magic when I escaped from Arthas. He was here for vengeance.


    A pang of guilt distracted me for a moment. I didn¡¯t like Lucius, but he didn¡¯t deserve to lose his sword. However, I wasn¡¯t soft enough to let him catch me just because of that. I readied a spell to take him down.


    Annie jumped in between us. ¡°Please stop fighting! I don¡¯t want either of you to get hurt!¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± shouted Lucius.


    Dammit. Annie was too close to Lucius, limiting my options. Lucius had figured out how to dodge magic targeting his body directly, but I couldn¡¯t use large scale spells in fear of hurting my sister.


    ¡°Leave this to me, Master.¡± Felix took the vanguard, unsheathing his twin daggers.


    I nodded in approval. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him too bad.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± Lucius charged in with a sword thrust.


    Felix parried the blade with his left dagger and then hammered the flat side of his other dagger into Lucius¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Your attacks are too predictable. You lack the speed for such a straightforward style.¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Lowering his stance, Lucius launched a chain of slashes aimed at Felix¡¯s legs.


    Felix didn¡¯t even bother blocking. The path of Lucius¡¯s blade seemed to avoid Felix¡¯s limbs by itself.


    ¡°Limiting my mobility is a good idea, but you practically announced your plan by lowering your stance. That shows your inexperience. You have good physical abilities, but your fighting sense is mediocre at best.¡±


    ¡°Why are you giving him a lecture?¡± I asked. ¡°Just get it over with.¡±


    ¡°I figured it would seem very villainous to act extremely arrogant while showing off the difference in our abilities.¡±


    ¡°You do know that characters who do this lecture schtick in stories turn out to be good guys in the end, right?¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!¡±


    While Felix was busy grabbing his head in shock, Lucius landed a kick on his stomach. The redhead tumbled backward but quickly rolled to his feet. The chain wrapped around his torso dampened the force of the blow.


    ¡°Behind you!¡± said Lyla.


    I jumped forward, barely avoiding a shield bash from a knight.


    ¡°Thanks, Lyla!¡±


    ¡°Focus, boy!¡±


    The two knights Felix defeated earlier had recovered and escaped the burning building. They cautiously approached me, shields up. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t want me dead, which was only natural considering my family name. Unfortunately, their friends had caught wind of the ruckus and began flocking to the scene. Seven more knights appeared from the far corner of the street and joined the fray. Felix could still handle that many, but if Richter showed up, then we¡¯d have no chance of escape. Hilde would¡¯ve balanced the scales, but she was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Felix, capture Lucius now!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Felix unleashed his chain-sickle at Lucius.


    Unable to react in time, Lucius¡¯s leg got caught in the chain. With a forceful tug, Felix took the young squire off his feet and dragged him close. Lucius struggled to free himself, but the chains bound his feet too tightly. With practiced skill, Felix kicked Lucius¡¯s sword away and bound him like a roast chicken using the rest of the chain.


    ¡°You knave! Using cheap tricks! Have you no honor!?¡±


    ¡°Master, I like your friend! This is the first time anyone has ever showered me with such praise!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not my friend, and he wasn¡¯t praising you.¡± With the most diabolical sneer I could imagine, I thrust my hand out towards the knights. ¡°Don¡¯t move! If any of you take another step, my friend here will make sure the heir to the Brent family becomes unable to plow the fields, if you know what I mean.¡±


    With a symphony of clanks, the armored knights all froze in place.


    ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse us, we¡¯ll be traveling with him until we¡¯re safely out of reach.¡±


    Annie stepped forward. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Kari. You¡¯re taking hostages now?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t show hesitation in front of the knights. If they realized this was a bluff, they¡¯d swarm us in a heartbeat.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± I flashed my teeth while filling my gaze with condescension. ¡°I massacred dozens of knights and acolytes before. What¡¯s the big deal about castrating one brat?¡±


    Annie¡¯s expression clouded over. She couldn¡¯t tell if I was lying. Her doubt pulsed into me through my anima, weighing my heart down. My sister had never seen this side of me, so her confusion was understandable. The misunderstandings between us had not yet been cleared either. The last thing I wanted to do was to lose her trust. However, the die had been cast. Stopping now would put everyone in more danger, including Annie and Lucius.


    My sister gripped the breast of her dress, her fingers shaking. ¡°Were you lying to me the whole time?¡±


    I hardened my heart and spat out my reply. ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious by now?¡± I kicked Lucius, who was helplessly writhing on the ground. ¡°I have a new life now, one that I actually like. Can you do me a favor and leave me alone? And take those knights with you.¡±


    Hating me was for Annie¡¯s own good. I had no home to return to, and she could never be safe by my side, at least for now. One day, when I had seen through my journey with Hilde¡­ Or maybe if I gained enough power to brush off all dangers, I would return to her side. That was, of course, if she still wanted me there.


    All that said, kicking Lucius in the gut felt damn good.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving, Felix. Toss Lucius on Sabre¡¯s back. We can squeeze into the saddle.¡±


    ¡°No need. Please do not worry about me and escape. Disappearing is my forte.¡±


    I nodded and climbed onto the saddle. After giving Annie one last look, I stroked Sabre¡¯s neck and galloped away.

 Interlude D: Reasons

    A sigh rolled out my lips as I headed for the inn to get our luggage.


    Why did I react like that?


    Kari¡¯s sister... Annabelle was it? She was just a child worried about her brother, her family. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten all worked up just because she called me a witch. I¡¯d been called worse things.


    Besides, it was probably my fault. I didn¡¯t have a good grasp of the common tongue, so I sometimes offended people when I spoke. Talking itself was a pain, so I never really practiced my second language. Of course, there were times I intentionally insulted people for various reasons, but that was another matter.


    I passed by the innkeeper and walked up the stairs to the second floor. After unlocking the door, I entered the double room I rented for Felix and myself. He had been unexpectedly surprised when I asked for only one room. Why was that? Saving coins was important when traveling, or so Kari said.


    Then again, I shouldn¡¯t really complain about being irrational. I had rejected the idea of going with Kari for some reason. He had looked disappointed. I hadn¡¯t meant for that, but¡­ I just didn¡¯t want to stay alone in a room with him. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to relax.


    The reason¡­ didn¡¯t matter. Resting whenever possible was critical for survival.


    I nodded to myself as I picked up our bags. Half of our luggage was still with Sabre, so weight wasn¡¯t really an issue. However, carrying bulky things still made it difficult to move quickly because they tended to swing and bounce all over the place.


    After jogging down the stairs, I headed straight for the inn exit.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The red-faced innkeeper shouted at me, her fist trembling on the counter. ¡°Where are you going with all that luggage!? You haven¡¯t paid yet! Even if you just checked in, you need to pay the day¡¯s rent before leaving! I turned away other guests because you rented that room, you know?¡±


    Liar. Several rooms upstairs were vacant. I didn¡¯t have a reason to pay this greedy hag anything. Even if I wanted to, Kari and Felix kept the coins. I ignored the innkeeper¡¯s screams and left the building.


    Her heavy footsteps chased after me, but they vanished the moment I affixed a sword to my waist. I didn¡¯t really consider the grumpy old lady a threat, but if those Arthas dogs were in this city, I needed to be prepared for anything. Wandering outside without my sword had been more than careless.


    Thinking about it, when did I become so complacent? Surviving meant I could never let my guard down, but I had done just that. Why?


    The reason¡­ didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was never repeating the same mistake.


    I made my way to the eatery where Kari and the others were, or at least should have been. An unexpected scene greeted me outside the building.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Annabelle desperately tried to unshackle herself from an Arthas soldier.


    The soldier kept a firm grip on her wrists, easily keeping her in check. ¡°Stop struggling!¡±


    ¡°I need to go after my brother!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±


    It didn¡¯t make any sense. Why were Arthas soldiers attacking Kari¡¯s sister?


    I quickly took cover behind a stack of grain sacks. Upon seeing my odd behavior, the merchant manning the stall tilted his head but soon returned to his business. He probably wanted to avoid trouble by not attracting the soldiers¡¯ attention. Typical money grubber. I felt thankful for that this time, though.


    Careful not to expose myself, I peeked from the corner of the sacks. A tall knight in matte black armor approached Annabelle. He was the man who interrogated me in the Arthas dungeon and faced off with Violetta in Portus. Seeing a formidable enemy, I instinctively reached for the hilt of my short sword and sharpened my senses to their maximum capacity.


    The black knight slapped Annabelle¡¯s face. Her pitiable squeal pierced the air, making me wince.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± The knight looked down at the much smaller girl, like a bear standing over a newborn fawn.


    ¡°I have to go after them! T-They took Lucius... And Kari is under some kind of spell!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what my men reported. They said your brother declared he was acting out of his own volition, and he decided to abandon you. You¡¯ve lost your value as a hostage, and your attachment to him makes you a liability. You even got in Lucius¡¯s way when he tried to engage Karius.¡± He glanced at the knight restraining Annie. ¡°Tie her up and toss her in a carriage.¡±


    ¡°Mother will never forgive you for this!¡±


    ¡°Says the runaway brat.¡±


    Did he say hostage? Was Annabelle brought here against her will to be used against Kari? In that case¡­


    In that case, what?


    Their family problems were none of my business. While I had said Kari was my companion, my goal still took priority. In fact, I welcomed companions because they would aid in achieving my goal. Meddling in this situation risked my capture. I couldn¡¯t do anything. I shouldn¡¯t do anything.


    However, if Kari found out that Annabelle was abducted, he would definitely go save her. Then he would get captured. His magic stood no chance against the black knight.


    Then I should just leave him behind. He had become my companion because he wanted to travel with me. If that had changed, and if my goal no longer aligned with his, then it was time for us to part ways.


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    That was what I thought.


    It should have been.


    Then why did I rush towards Kari¡¯s sister?


    ¡°Enemy attack!¡± shouted one of the knights.


    I swung my sword at the forearm of the knight restraining Annabelle. A loud clang erupted in front of me, followed by a powerful impact. The gale-like force tossed me into the air, but I twisted my body and landed safely about twenty paces from the clash. The cloth covering my hair had unraveled midair. It slowly drifted to the ground between me and the black knight. Annabelle, along with the knight restraining her, cowered behind him.


    I had not forgotten about his sword¡¯s ability to manipulate invisible forces. Even so, I had thought I could at least free Kari¡¯s sister before he could react. Instead, I had ended up getting blown away like a feather and holding a cracked short sword. I cursed my arrogance.


    ¡°Let her go,¡± I said while pointing my chipped sword at his chest.


    The black knight raised an eyebrow. His lips flattened to a thin line as we made eye contact. Shivers ran down my spine. I knew that look. That was the same face Kari made whenever he read deep into my soul.


    The knight waved his black longsword sideways and held the blade inches away from Annabelle¡¯s restrained arm. ¡°Drop your weapon and surrender. If you fight or run away, I¡¯ll chop off her arm.¡±


    My body stiffened.


    Weren¡¯t they from the same country? How could he be so cruel to his own?


    Visions of my torture in Arthas surfaced in my mind, including the abuse the black knight himself inflicted on me. According to Violetta, I had received lenient treatment because of my anima. He was certainly capable of extreme cruelty. Moreover, I didn¡¯t know anything about Annabelle aside from being Kari¡¯s kin. She could very well be disposable to these mongrels. Considering the circumstances, the black knight¡¯s threat couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    But surrendering was not an option. I would never go back to that dungeon. Never.


    I tried to look for an opening to get past the black knight. ¡°I refuse.¡±


    ¡°So be it.¡± Without an ounce of hesitation, the black knight raised his sword and swung at Annabelle¡¯s arm


    Nothing could stop the sword¡¯s momentum at that point. Annabelle shrieked in terror. Before I could even rethink my strategy, my fingers lost strength. My short sword fell to the ground with a dull clunk.


    The black knight¡¯s sword cut into Annabelle¡¯s sleeve but didn¡¯t draw blood. He had used his sword¡¯s enchantment to stop the blade a hair¡¯s breadth from her skin.


    ¡°...I surrender.¡± I kicked my sword away and knelt on the ground.


    ¡°...Karius is even more formidable than I thought,¡± muttered the black knight as he took Annabelle¡¯s arm from his subordinate. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything funny, witch. You two, tie her up and gag her. Make sure she can¡¯t chant spells.¡±


    A creeping fear gripped my heart as I was pushed to the ground under his frosty gaze. I remembered Kari used to call the black knight his master. Is this monster the reason why Kari occasionally looked so terrifying?


    Annabelle stared at me with a confused, almost panicked, expression. ¡°Hilde¡­ Why..? Why would you do something like this!? Why go so far to save me!?¡± Her ferocious roar delivered her fury clearly.


    Why was she so angry?


    Tears fell down her face. I didn¡¯t understand her feelings at all. Why was it always like this? I never understood anything important.


    ¡°If¡­ If you do something like this¡­ then I have no choice but to accept that Kari betrayed us! That he betrayed me!!!¡±


    I finally understood.


    She was angry at me for leading her brother astray. And she had every right to be. My blood, my curse, had caused all this.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡­ Annabelle,¡± I said.


    The knight binding my hands behind my back pushed my face into the ground. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    I twisted my neck to the side so I could move my lips. ¡°Kari didn¡¯t betray you.¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the witch, Annabelle,¡± said the black knight.


    I spat out the sand in my mouth to clear my voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything is going to be fine.¡±


    Those weren¡¯t empty words.


    I had a plan.


    I would use Ensis Cor to cut the ropes binding me and then rescue Annabelle. If I only summoned one sword, I should be able to do it without chanting.


    Annabelle continued to stare at me, a mixture of hatred and disbelief on her face, as the black knight dragged her away.


    I endured her piercing glare. Now wasn¡¯t the time to move. I needed to wait for a good opportunity. Then we would escape and regroup with Kari and the others.


    Huh?


    Why was I putting this much effort into traveling together with them? More importantly, when did I start to call them ¡°Kari and the others?¡± Why would I think of them like that?


    The reason... didn¡¯t matter. I had more important things to worry about.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never escape again,¡± said the knight as he bound my wrists to my ankles, stringing me up like wild game. ¡°You¡¯ll be tortured until you give up on living. Then you¡¯ll be executed in the city plaza for everyone to see, barbarian whore.¡±


    Like why his face flashed in my mind just now.

 Chapter 10: Necessity

    I slammed my fist on my thigh upon seeing Hilde getting dragged away by Arthas knights. ¡°God dammit!¡±


    ¡°There is no god,¡± said Lyla.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to believe that, actually. How did that Hilde get captured anyway?¡±


    ¡°What should we do, Master?¡± Felix¡¯s head popped out just above mine.


    ¡°Let me think for a second.¡±


    The three of us were spying on the group of knights led by Richter from behind the corner of an alley. I was holding Lyla¡¯s head, her face pointed at the enemies, to give her a better view. As creepy as that sounded, it was necessary for her to check the situation properly. Her mana sensing was not reliable from a distance.


    We had accidentally encountered a group of knights while trying to find Hilde. I almost went berserk the moment I saw Hilde chained up in the middle of the group, but Felix stopped me in the nick of time. Luckily, we appeared from behind them, preventing our detection. Annie was also with the group. Her party apparently regrouped with Richter while we were sneaking around town.


    I glanced at the hostage we took from the skirmish just minutes ago. He glared at me in return. From the look on his face, I was sure he wanted to shower me with curses, but the gag on his mouth prevented that.


    ¡°We can propose a prisoner exchange.¡±


    ¡°Are you daft, boy? Ricky will grab you the moment he sees you.¡±


    ¡°The Brent house is quite powerful in Arthas. He wouldn¡¯t risk it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand your knight master at all. He¡¯ll do anything for the mission. The Brent boy probably just tagged along against Ricky¡¯s wishes. He¡¯ll just make up a story about the boy dying bravely in battle after he captures you. If he had to choose between losing a Brent or a Corvider, the answer is obvious.¡±


    ¡°...You seem to know him well.¡±


    ¡°We go way back. He used to have a crush on me when he was a kid. I remember him subtly rubbing himself on me, hoping I didn¡¯t notice his erection. Precocious brat.¡±


    ¡°Too much information.¡±


    ¡°What about a surprise attack?¡± asked Felix, his eyes glittering. ¡°We can swoop in like a band of thieves and grab Hilde before they even know what hit them!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Felix. You¡¯re panting on my hair.¡±


    Lyla snorted. ¡°Do you two seriously think you can fight Ricky without Hilde¡¯s help? What about the fodder around him? They may be weak, but they¡¯re still way better fighters than Kari.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a better idea, all-seeing head?¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, I do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°We get your sister to come to us. With two hostages, one a Corvider, even Ricky will have to think about negotiating. In that moment of hesitation, you can free Hilde with Ferrum or Ignis while Felix launches a surprise attack to distract them.¡±


    ¡°Finally a surprise attack!¡± shouted Felix.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± I squinted to check if the knights noticed his outburst.


    I knew how much Felix wanted to play the bad guy, but he really didn¡¯t have to go so far as to copy villain slip ups. Fortunately, the knights remained oblivious and continued on their way.


    ¡°How do we get Annie to come to us?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m still working on that part. I can show her an illusion of you and ask her to find a chance to run over to us. The problem is my range. My current form doesn¡¯t have enough mana to send an illusion from a safe distance.¡±


    ¡°One of us can bring you closer. Can you use your illusions to change our appearance?¡±


    ¡°Not from so many people. I¡¯d have to cast magic on all the knights, which is impossible in my current state. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Same here. Channeling your emotions is easy enough, but I¡¯m still not skilled enough to properly control that spell. I can only fool one or two at most. Range isn¡¯t much of an issue, but I can¡¯t create detailed illusions or do multiple ones at the same time. Disguising myself to approach and then showing Annie an illusion is beyond my current abilities.¡±


    ¡°Looks like this plan is a bust.¡±


    ¡°...No, I have an idea. I¡¯m quite sure it¡¯ll work.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s my apprentice! As they say, two heads are better than one.¡±


    ¡°Actually, in this case, one head is more than enough.¡±


    Lyla didn¡¯t need the ability to read emotions to know she wasn¡¯t gonna like what came next.


    ***


    ¡°You ungrateful bastard!¡± said Lyla.


    ¡°That¡¯s not much of an insult because it¡¯s completely true,¡± I replied.


    ¡°How dare you do this to me!?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way. We don¡¯t have time to prepare disguises for me or Felix. If we wait any longer, the knights could go back to their camp or lodging, making it impossible to rescue Hilde.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready, Master.¡± Felix held Lyla¡¯s head, covered by a cloth bag, in front of his chest as he took aim at the group of knights.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get back at you for this!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your complaints after we save Hilde. Do it.¡±


    Felix nodded and wound up for an underhand throw. With a wrist snap, he tossed Lyla forward, causing her to roll on the ground like a ball. I focused all my attention on it as it tumbled to the knights.


    Channel.


    Lyla¡¯s distrust.


    Target.


    The rolling head.


    Execute.


    ¡°Umbra!¡±


    I turned the tumbling head into a rubber ball, a popular toy for children who play in the streets. Since I couldn¡¯t fool many people, I only cast my magic on the two knights in the rearguard. Lyla only needed to get close enough to deliver the message, so I had asked Felix to toss her just behind the group, hoping no one would notice.


    Unfortunately, the unevenly shaped head was hard to control even for the deft Felix. Lyla overshot the target and lightly hit a rearguard knights¡¯ heel.


    ¡°Oops,¡± said Felix.


    I slapped my forehead. ¡°Shit.¡±


    The knight looked down at the object. Seeing a ball rolling by his feet, he raised his head and looked around, probably searching for the owner.


    I had said I didn¡¯t believe in gods just minutes earlier, but I still pressed my hands together and prayed, ¡°Don¡¯t pick it up. Don¡¯t pick it up. Don¡¯t pick it up..!¡±


    ¡°Should I launch a surprise attack now!?¡± Felix brandished an overly excited grin.


    ¡°Stay put! Stop making things more complicated.¡±


    The knight bent down and reached for the ball, which was actually a little girl¡¯s head in a bag. It didn¡¯t take a genius to know he¡¯d realize something was wrong with just a touch.


    ¡°We¡¯re screwed,¡± I mumbled as I prepared my body for battle.


    Just then, the second knight in the rearguard tapped the first knight¡¯s shoulder and said something. After nodding in reply, the first knight stood up and returned to formation, not forgetting to kick the ball away, of course.


    Then two kids showed up and started kicking the ball around. I kept showing them the illusion to prevent them from opening the bag. They soon got bored because the fake ball didn¡¯t bounce properly and left it alone.


    As soon as the group of knights turned the corner, Felix and I retrieved our unwilling spy.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you for this, boy.¡± The immortal witch¡¯s scratched up face donned a glare that could terrify demons.


    I had gotten used to her evil eye, so seeing her frown in her current state evoked pity instead of fear. Even I, her former enemy, didn¡¯t like seeing her cute face banged up, but that had been the only plan I could come up with. It should be obvious by now that I¡¯d do anything for Hilde.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely make it up to you. Sorry, I can¡¯t cast cura on you yet. Good thing you don¡¯t bruise, right?¡±


    ¡°Good thing you do.¡±


    ¡°Leave the threats for later. Did you send the message?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. As if I¡¯d go through such humiliation a second time. Your sister easily agreed after I told her you love her the most in the world.¡±


    ¡°What the hell!?¡±


    ¡°She was suspicious about the illusion at first, but that one line turned everything around.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her other crazy things, did you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Lyla formed a mischievous grin. ¡°I told her we¡¯ll be following her group from behind, so she only needs to run the way she came when she gets the chance, which should be soon. The knights aren¡¯t keeping a close eye on her because she just a little girl.¡±


    ¡°We should get ready for battle. The situation will turn into a standoff once she escapes.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Master.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one problem left,¡± said Lyla. ¡°Will Ricky believe you¡¯d actually hurt your own sister to save Hilde?¡±


    My expression turned dark, all hope drained from of it. ¡°...I already have a plan for that.¡±


    Lyla didn¡¯t need to worry about getting revenge.


    My turn to face the music was just around the corner.


    ***


    We carefully tailed Annie¡¯s group while moving from cover to cover. After a few blocks, Annie managed to inch her way to the rear of the group.


    ¡°Any minute now,¡± I whispered to Felix.


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Master? She might get injured.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s necessary for the bluff to work. But please, be as careful as you can.¡±


    Annie made a break for it. She slipped between the two rearguard knights, causing them to bump into each other as they turned to catch her.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Like a lightning bolt, Felix jumped out of cover and sprinted towards my sister. The two knights chasing after Annie chipped away at her lead. As the closer knight extended his hand to grab Annie¡¯s shoulder, Felix threw the weighted end his chain. The metal links wrapped around Annie¡¯s body, arms and all, several times. With a forceful tug, Felix skillfully pulled my sister into the air and caught her in his arms.


    ¡°Apologies for the rough treatment, Lady Corvider,¡± said Felix with a charming smile.


    Damn this guy was cool.


    But don¡¯t hit on my sister dammit.


    I tapped into Annie¡¯s fear from her sudden flight and created a wall of ice spikes between us and the knights. There were enough gaps to see the other side, but not enough for the armored knights to pass through.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to fight!¡± I shouted. ¡°We propose a prisoner exchange!¡±


    My eyes quickly found Hilde from beyond the barrier. Her arms and legs were tied together with rope, which was bound to a metal spear held by a knight on each end. Her inhuman treatment pissed me off, but I needed to keep calm to cast my magic accurately.


    I decided to use the spear handle itself to cut the rope by changing the pole¡¯s shape. I secretly focused my anima on Hilde, hoping to channel her iron-clad determination, an emotion ever present within her.


    It was nowhere to be found.


    Confusion and doubt lingered in its place.


    What could¡¯ve happened to her?


    I quickly set my worries aside to formulate a plan. Ferrum would not work because of Hilde¡¯s emotional state. In that case, I would use Ignis to melt the spear, targeting a spot near the rope binding her. The rope itself was too small and risky a target.


    I didn¡¯t even need to use my anima. I was already beyond furious just from imagining what treatment could cause Hilde to falter like this. The biggest problem was accuracy. I risked burning her hands and feet if I made a mistake. I needed time to target and control the spell with a proper chant.


    ¡°Long time no see, Kari.¡±


    Beyond the array of frozen stalagmites, a knight in black armor approached us.


    I faked an annoyed face, ignoring the guilt poking at my heart. ¡°You found me faster than I expected, Richter.¡±


    Dropping the title of Master was intentional. He had to believe the tale I was about to spin.


    ¡°This game of tag is over. We already have the Valmaz girl.¡± He pointed his thumb at Hilde. ¡°Please come peacefully, or I¡¯ll be forced to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Are you blind, old man? I have Lucius Brent and Annabelle Corvider as hostages. I¡¯ll kill one of them if you try anything funny.¡±


    ¡°Is this an act? If it is, you¡¯re good. You¡¯ve always been a nimble one. Except with a sword.¡±


    ¡°Save the chit chat. These two for the Valmaz girl. That¡¯s a bargain if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not here for those two. I¡¯m here to hunt you and this barbarian whore down. Besides, you won¡¯t hurt your own sister.¡±


    ¡°Felix.¡±


    Felix took the scythe attached to the chain and stabbed it into Annie¡¯s thigh. Blood trickled from the wound as my sister screamed in pain. Felix quickly gagged her with a piece of cloth.


    Or so Richter thought.


    All that, except the gagging part, was Lyla¡¯s illusion. Due to her limited mana supply, she could only fool Richter at length, but that was enough in this negotiation. My spell targeting was finished. I just needed to cast the spell in the middle of a speech to prevent Richter from catching on.


    ¡°Was it always an act?¡± asked Richter. ¡°Even when you were caring for the ecus?¡±


    That question was likely a trap, a probe at the very least. It was unlikely anyone would maintain a facade when they were alone, and I was sure Richter had observed me many times in the stables without me knowing.


    ¡°No. Hilde, the girl you captured, changed my life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. She also killed dozens of Arthas citizens and technically kidnapped you.¡±


    ¡°So? She was just protecting herself. If it meant protecting her, I would¡¯ve done even worse. Thinking back, I was the one who burned the acolytes and knights in the forest. That was very interesting to watch.¡±


    ¡°Seems you really are under this witch¡¯s spell. You look like a completely different person.¡±


    Good. It was working. The idea was to make myself appear to be under Hilde¡¯s control, making our threats against my sister more believable. That was the only thing stopping Richter from slicing through the ice wall and charging me.


    ¡°Believe what you want. Hilde is the only thing that matters to me. I knew that from the moment I saw her eyes. Like a serene flare, a seething red stare, bonds and chains shall tear-¡±


    ¡°Convincing. The only problem with that story is this Hilde of yours surrendered to us because I threatened to hurt your sister. If you are under her control, she wouldn¡¯t let you kill Annie.¡±


    Shock flitted across my face. It was a mere instant, but Richter caught it. He drew the longsword Diablos and hacked a section of the ice wall to pieces.


    ¡°-free her wings to air! Ignis!¡±


    The spear segments attached to the rope binding Hilde¡¯s wrists and ankles lit red before sizzling to a brilliant white. The metal melted instantly, freeing Hilde¡¯s limbs and dropping her towards the ground.


    Like a cat, she rotated in the air and landed on the ground on all fours. Before her captors could react, she kicked the knight in front of her. Another knight, sword drawn, lunged towards her with a fierce howl. With a twisting side step, Hilde gracefully avoided the blade and threw the knight to the ground. She then impaled the downed knight with his own sword.


    While casting Glacies, I hopped backward to put some distance between me and the charging Richter. A bluish white ice spike grew from my previous spot, but Richter easily crushed it to shards with one swing of his enchanted long sword. Before the crystal fragments hit the ground, Richter already had me within arm''s¡¯ reach.


    His hand shot out like a spear, snapping at my neck, but before his fingers grazed my throat, he withdrew them in a flash. Glints of silver sliced through the space his wrist had occupied. A long brown scarf flitted before me, revealing bright crimson hair and dependable shoulders as it danced in the wind.


    ¡°Step back, Master.¡± Felix readied his dual wielded knives. ¡°I shall handle this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the hostages!¡± I ran to Annie and Lucius as Felix faced off against Richter.


    Two more knights had fallen against Hilde during that time. The rest of them had surrounded her and taken up defensive stances. Their shields were raised side by side like prison pillars as they slowly shrank the encirclement¡¯s circumference.


    There was no point in Hilde defeating them. Our goal was to escape with everyone in our party. To do that, I needed to give Hilde a chance to regroup with us. Even Richter would be hard-pressed to fight all three and one-sixth of us, especially with two hostages. He¡¯d probably let us go or even call for a retreat.


    ¡°Felix, buy me some time!¡± I began weaving my next spell, channeling Hilde¡¯s now more stable emotions.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°No thing of substance is immune to rot. For nature seeks endings, resist for naught.¡± I glanced over to Hilde. ¡°Attack the knights in front of you!¡± Seeing her nod in acknowledgement, I executed my magic. ¡±Ferrugo!¡±


    The knights¡¯ shields began rusting at an amazing speed, almost crumbling under their own weights. Before they totally disintegrated, Hilde cleaved through them and slammed her sword into the knights¡¯ helmets in succession. Two armored bodies fell to the ground with a series of dull clanks.


    Although my inexperience might make it seem otherwise, specific emotions were not limited to a single spell. Ferrugo was a different application of Hilde¡¯s ironclad determination. The spell took advantage of metal¡¯s natural tendency to rust to minimize mana usage and increase coverage. I owed Lyla¡¯s insanely strict lessons for allowing me to learn it so quickly, compared to the weeks I spent learning a single spell by self-study. I had cast inferior copies of enemy spells in the heat of battle, but that was mostly due to survival instinct. Lyla had commented I learned faster in actual combat than practice, something I noticed myself in the past few weeks.


    While making a mental note to thank the severed head for the training, I focused my attention on the ice spikes I had created earlier.


    I tapped into Lyla¡¯s constant spring of seething resentment and unleashed it on the ice wall. The target was huge, and output control was irrelevant, so I skipped straight to execution.


    I raised my hand towards the damaged white wall. ¡°Simia!!!¡±


    Air shimmered between my palm and the wall. Unlike Lyla, I didn¡¯t have enough mana nor mastery of the spell to endlessly shoot it like a barrage of arrows, but I still managed to melt a good chunk of the barrier, producing clouds of steam in the process. Hilde instantly understood my intent and dashed to the wall.


    I glanced at my bodyguard to plan what I should do next. Felix had sustained several cuts, the one on his flank rather deep, from his clashes with Richter. The aspiring thief was by no means the inferior fighter, but Richter¡¯s enchanted armaments gave him an insurmountable advantage.


    I switched gears and focused on supporting Felix. ¡°Glacies!¡±


    Dozens of thin ice spikes sprouted from the ground and assaulted Richter. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him, but if I held back in the slightest, he would easily fend off my attack, or worse, use them to his advantage.


    Fortunately, Felix kept his long sword occupied, rendering him unable to slash the ice spikes away. Richter slid out of my spell¡¯s reach using his enchanted boots. In that moment, Hilde jumped through the hole I created in the ice wall and attacked Richter¡¯s flank. By manipulating his sword¡¯s weight, Richter rotated the blade quicker than a knife and swatted her attack away. Hilde used the force of the clash to spin around and kick his calf. Richter didn¡¯t defend against it, thinking that his armor would render the blow meaningless, but Hilde¡¯s superhuman strength caused him to stagger for a moment.


    ¡°Get over here, now!¡± I shouted.


    Hilde followed my command without hesitation. Richter rallied his knights while we regrouped around the hostages.


    ¡°What do we do now, Master?¡±


    I clicked my tongue. Prioritizing stealth, we had left Sabre in a deserted alley while tracking the group of knights. We didn¡¯t have a way to escape with the hostages. Carrying them around would greatly slow us down, and that was lethal in a pursuit.


    But that was okay.


    Putting Lucius aside, I never intended to bring Annie along in the first place. It was my fault that she had been exposed to so much danger already. If what Richter said earlier was true, he had taken my sister hostage to capture Hilde. It was a disgusting tactic, not that I was any better in that regard, but the most sickening part about that was its repeatability.


    As long as our pursuers believed I deeply cared about my sister, she would always be a valuable tool to them. I needed to end that. Annie shouldn¡¯t be exposed to danger any more than this. As her big brother and the one who shook up her life, fixing that was my responsibility.


    I faked a maniacal smile. ¡°The tables have turned, Richter.¡±


    Richter lowered his sword. ¡°You should¡¯ve studied magic, not swordsmanship. You¡¯d be one of the best acolytes in Arthas with your skills.¡±


    ¡°You know why I couldn¡¯t do that. My life as a Corvider would¡¯ve ended the moment I revealed my magic. Everyone knows the Corvider line doesn¡¯t have cor, as ironic as that sounds. Not that it matters now. Who¡¯d want to stay in that hellhole anyway? There¡¯s nothing for me there.¡±


    ¡°Your family is there. Your mother wants you back, and your sister went all this way to find you.¡±


    ¡°Family? I don¡¯t have family.¡±


    A searing pain assailed my chest. It resonated from Annie, who was certainly shedding tears right now. I didn¡¯t look. I couldn¡¯t. I had to be scum.


    I used the agony to paint my face with utter disdain. ¡°Annie treated me like trash in front of others while faking affection for me in private, and my whore of a mother only wants to use me in her pursuit of power. Compared to those bitches, my comrades are much more important.¡±


    Lyla continued to show Richter the illusion of a bleeding Annie, which made my acting all the more believable.


    ¡°...I see. Now I understand why that barbarian girl instantly obeyed your orders in this battle. She never had control over you. It was the other way around. You who used her to escape Arthas. When she surrendered to us in order to protect Annabelle, she likely thought you didn¡¯t want your sister to get hurt. I guess even a Valmaz whore didn¡¯t think you were rotten enough to sacrifice family like sheep. She was fooled, just like I was.¡±


    ¡°Save your mind games. Hilde won¡¯t budge from crap like that. We¡¯re partners, right?¡± I glanced at her with a smile.


    Please read the mood. Please read the mood. Please read the mood.


    Hilde nodded naturally.


    I honestly didn¡¯t expect that. After thanking my rare good fortune, I continued negotiations. All that was left was to hammer down the final nail in the coffin.


    ¡°Let us go. Then you can have the hostages. They¡¯ll be freed once we¡¯re a good distance away from the city.¡±


    ¡°No deal. There¡¯s no guarantee you won¡¯t just kill them after escaping. Besides, my orders were to bring you back and get rid of the Valmaz girl. Lucius¡¯s death can be excused as an honorable one in combat, and Annabelle, well, no one aside from me and my troops even know she¡¯s here.¡±


    I tried reading his emotions. His almost indifferent calm terrified me. I didn¡¯t know if he simply didn¡¯t care about the hostages¡¯ lives or the whole affair entirely. One thing was for sure. It was impossible to determine whether he was bluffing or not. The diabolical glint in his eyes certainly suggested he wasn¡¯t.


    He wasn¡¯t going to let us go no matter what. After clicking my tongue, I wracked my brain for a solution.


    ¡°Use the other spell I taught you,¡± said Lyla using an illusion that materialized beside me. Her real body, which ironically had no body, was still hidden behind cover.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any emotion to channel for it.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to tell you everything, boy? I can¡¯t keep multitasking for long.¡±


    No, she didn¡¯t. I knew what I had to do. Moreover, if I steeled my heart, I could kill two birds with one stone.


    I gulped down the saliva building up in my mouth and braced myself for what I was about to do. It was something I could never take back, but I had no choice, for both our sakes.


    I held out my hand as Richter took a step forward. ¡°Wait.¡± During the pause, I turned to Felix. ¡°Unchain Annie and give her to me.¡±


    ¡°...Master?¡±


    ¡°Just do it.¡±


    Felix unfurled the ropes around Annie¡¯s body and gently pushed her to me. I forcefully wrapped my arm around her neck and pressed her back against my chest, stopping her from moving. I didn¡¯t remove the gag. Hearing her voice would dull my resolve.


    Each tear rolling down her face and onto my arm felt like scorching metal rods stabbing into my flesh. It wasn¡¯t just because of my anima. My own rampaging emotions mingled with Annie¡¯s channeled suffering, threatening to burn me from the inside.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll believe me with this.¡± I grabbed Annie¡¯s collar and tore the front of her shirt with all my might, exposing her pale budding mounds to the knights.


    Lucius howled in fury through his gag, releasing a cry reminiscent of a dying beast.


    Richter frowned for the first time since we had reunited. ¡°How far you¡¯ve fallen¡­¡±


    I completely agreed. To a young lady, exposing her skin was akin to losing her dignity. And I did that to my own sister. I wanted to die.


    But I couldn¡¯t. I had made my decision.


    Hate me, sister. Hate me. Then be free.


    Annie stopped crying. She simply turned towards me with a look of sheer wonder, as if seeing me for the first time. Breathing became excruciating, so I stopped. Things were about to end in a few seconds anyway. The first bird had fallen, its wings crushed by my own hands. Now for the other. Let the stone fly.


    Richter raised his sword and took a stance, ready to dash towards us any second. But I didn¡¯t care. I quietly closed my eyes and focused my mind.


    Channel.


    My sister¡¯s unbearable humiliation.


    Target.


    My entire party.


    Weave.


    ¡°Turn truth into lies. Away from prying eyes.¡± I released my sister¡¯s neck and pushed her in the charging Richter¡¯s way, delaying him slightly.


    Execute.


    I grabbed Hilde¡¯s hand. ¡°Indispectus!¡±


    My entire party disappeared from view. Even I couldn¡¯t see any of us, myself included. Indispectus was another of Lyla¡¯s lessons, an invisibility spell that fed on shame. Now all we had to do was escape before I ran out of mana.


    ¡°Felix, grab the head and run away! Let¡¯s meet up where Sabre is later!¡± I pulled Hilde away from the bewildered knights as fast as I could.


    Richter didn¡¯t give chase and promptly covered my sister¡¯s trembling body with a blanket from his saddle. It seemed I lost the bluff war. He never intended to hurt my sister when he took her hostage against Hilde. Richter was a knight, after all. Completely different from trash like me.


    Escaping was a breeze due to our invisibility. The knights didn¡¯t know which direction to go, so we easily left the area unperturbed. I kept Hilde¡¯s hand tightly wrapped in mine to prevent us from getting separated. After we reached a quiet corner, Hilde lightly tugged at my hand. I interpreted that as a sign to stop, so I did.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°...How could you do that to your sister?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see her face, but shame washed over me from those words alone. A torrent of fury followed.


    ¡°How could I? Really? You¡¯re really asking that?¡± Spite dripped from each word.


    I wanted to grab her shoulders and scream at her from the top of my lungs. It was her fault. I wouldn¡¯t need to hurt Annie like that if I never met Hilde. And yet she dared to ask me why.


    Annie¡¯s blank expression, riddled by tears, flashed in my mind.


    That made me realize the truth.


    Hilde had nothing to do with this.


    This was all my fault.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care about her? She seems to care about you a lot.¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡± My grip on Hilde¡¯s hand tightened. ¡°Do you think I want it to end this way!? I made a choice, Hilde! Because of that, she got dragged into all this!¡± Once I removed the lid over my heart, everything poured out. ¡°I had no choice but to cut all ties with her, to make her hate me, to pretend that I didn¡¯t give a shit about her! What else would you have me do!?¡±


    ¡°She seemed... very hurt.¡±


    ¡°Of course she was! She trusted me, and I betrayed her. I shamed her in front of those men! But I had to. It was the only way she¡¯d let me go. It was the only way the knights would let her go! Do you enjoy torturing me by stating the obvious!?¡±


    ¡°No, I-¡±


    My voice shook, as did my clouded vision. ¡°I just wanted her safe¡­ Can you blame me for that..?¡±


    I unconsciously put more strength into my right hand, which was still connected to Hilde. She didn¡¯t pull away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t blame you. And I won¡¯t.¡± Her grip strengthened enormously, forcing me to fight back with all my might. She was much stronger, so even with all my power, I couldn¡¯t hurt her. She maintained our strange struggle until I lost strength. Feeling my knees about to give out, I leaned my back on a nearby wall.


    After letting my anger loose on Hilde¡¯s hand, the cloying magma covering my heart gradually cooled. My fingers lost power and began slipping from hers. Before our skin parted, she caught my hand and enclosed it gently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kari,¡± she whispered. ¡°I said too much. Even though this is all my fault... My blood¡¯s fault. Please don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Oh, right.


    I was crying.


    Sniveling in front of the girl I loved. Miserably too. And I couldn¡¯t stop.


    Then again, she couldn¡¯t see the tears anyway. Thinking that, I let everything out. Hilde held my hand the entire time. Her reason for doing so I didn¡¯t know, but I wished it went beyond losing track of the invisible me.


    ***


    ¡°Your eyes are red, Master. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t mind me. Something just got into my eyes.¡± I pretended to rub my eyelids in annoyance. ¡°Where did you get the horse?¡±


    ¡°I bought it from a merchant. Violetta and I came upon his four-horse carriage while he was busy negotiating with a shop owner. I offered to buy one. The man drove a hard bargain, I tell you! But circumstances being what they are, I reluctantly parted with a good portion of my coins.¡±


    ¡°Uh, didn¡¯t it occur to you to simply steal the horse while the merchant was busy? That would¡¯ve been very thief-like too.¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!¡± Felix grabbed his fiery red hair.


    I had dispelled our invisibility after arriving at the meeting spot, where Sabre impatiently waited. She had bonked my forehead with her nose as punishment for worrying her. I had happily stroked her golden mane in revenge.


    ¡°So, where to?¡± asked Lyla, who lay in a bag strapped to Sabre¡¯s saddle.


    ¡°First, we need to leave the city. Felix can lead us to possible exits, and I¡¯ll find a way out while avoiding soldiers. I¡¯ll use my anima to sense any concentrations of animosity and vigilance. We still have the map of the region, so we can just pick a destination after we get out of the city walls.¡±


    ¡°A sound plan.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to it then.¡± I climbed up Sabre and held my hand out to Hilde.


    She took it and mounted behind me. The warmth of her body slightly eased the hollowness pervading my core. I felt tempted to lean backward to feel more of it but reconsidered. Pushing my luck was a bad habit of mine, and now was a good time to start fixing that.


    We followed Felix¡¯s lead while taking care not to gather attention. By taking alleyways and avoiding crowds, we managed to make our way to an exit devoid of Arthas knights after skipping two guarded ones.


    As we crossed the small gate, Lyla manifested in her full form, riding Sabre in front of me. Naturally, it was just an illusion. I appeared to be sandwiched by two beautiful girls, a situation that would make any man jealous, but I couldn¡¯t enjoy it at the moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, boy.¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m getting consoled by a decapitated head. This is the pits.¡±


    ¡°You look devastated enough to warrant me getting off my gaping neck wound and saying a few words.¡±


    ¡°That bad, huh?¡±


    ¡°You did the right thing.¡±


    ¡°Right? I shamed my sister to escape capture. How can something so cruel be right?¡±


    ¡°Necessity. And love.¡±


    ¡°...Hm.¡±

 Chapter 11: Romm

    ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± Keeping the reins in my hands, I hugged my shoulders to stop my shivering.


    The night wind was unusually cold, perhaps because we were now in a different area.


    ¡°Crying,¡± said Hilde. She was riding behind me on Sabre, her arms around my waist.


    Riding in front of us, Felix nodded as his scarf fluttered. ¡°I concur.¡±


    I twisted my face into a confused frown. ¡°Why are you two okay with this? We¡¯re in the middle of a rocky desert at night. The sound of crying isn¡¯t exactly what you¡¯d expect to hear.¡±


    ¡°My, my, is little Kari afraid of ghosts?¡± asked Lyla, whose decapitated head sat snugly between my thighs.


    ¡°O-Of course not! It¡¯s just¡­ don¡¯t you find it unnerving?¡±


    ¡°Only if you believe in spirits and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s some kinda monster? I¡¯ve seen enough weird crap during our journey to believe anything, with you topping the list.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call a lady weird crap!¡± Lyla bit my thigh.


    I wasn¡¯t worried at all because her tiny little mouth couldn¡¯t possibly hurt me through my new thick leather pants, wait, shit, ¡°That hurts! Stop!!!¡±


    I forgot about the tiny homunculus¡¯s abnormal strength, which apparently enhanced her jaw muscles too.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Lyla spat into the sand below us. ¡°Disgusting. I ended up losing that skirmish.¡±


    ¡°Says you!¡± I checked my inner thigh for bleeding. Fortunately, the sturdy leather stopped her teeth from cutting into the skin, but I was sure I¡¯d be seeing a nasty bruise on my leg later.


    The wind carried the wailing sound across the rocky plains, this time with more volume, causing my hairs to stand on end.


    ¡°Can I go back to my bag now?¡± asked Lyla.


    ¡°Ha! So you were afraid too! You were so insistent about getting some fresh air that I put you on my lap, now you chicken out after teasing me like that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be daft, boy. I merely want to avoid getting my hair wet when you inevitably piss your pants.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been trembling the entire time. Are you cold?¡± Hilde shifted her body, pressing her breasts onto my back, an innocent attempt to keep me warm.


    ¡°N-No, I mean, y-yeah, I¡¯m very cold, absolutely freezing.¡±


    The stoic Valmaz warrior took that as a request to help warm me up, so she pressed her body even closer and exhaled hot breaths on my reddened ear.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, put me in the bag now!¡± Lyla thrashed around by bending her neck side to side.


    ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m not gonna wet myself.¡±


    ¡°Not the problem. The thing poking the back of my head is about to push me off the saddle.¡±


    ¡°...Uh, sorry.¡± I returned Lyla to her bag and hung her on the saddle hook.


    ¡°Still, what is that strange wailing?¡± asked Felix. ¡°There should not be any settlements nearby.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I¡¯ve heard something like this before,¡± said Hilde.


    I sighed while scratching my head. ¡°You could¡¯ve said something sooner. What is it?¡±


    ¡°It sounds like your crying in Aurum.¡±


    I almost fell off Sabre. ¡°Wha-, you-, t-that was supposed to be a secret!!!¡±


    ¡°Huh? You never said it was.¡±


    I present to you Hilde, the paragon of common sense.


    ¡°Oho, care to elaborate, Hilde?¡± asked Lyla¡¯s illusion, floating beside us with a mischievous grin.


    ¡°After escaping from the knights, we were holding hands behind an alley-¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop!¡± I twisted to face Hilde, her nose mere inches from mine. ¡°I said it was a secret just now, right!?¡±


    Hilde formed a tiny smile. ¡°Just kidding.¡±


    Apparently, I¡¯d taken over as the clown of our group. Felix was slacking off too much. Maybe I should expel him from my tutelage?


    ¡°Master, I found the source of the eerie noise.¡±


    But then again, he did things like this from time to time. That, and we¡¯d get lost the minute he stopped pathfinding for us.


    A tall tree rose up from just beyond the small hill of rocks as we approached Felix. Gray leaves trailed down on vines strewn all over its outstretched branches. As a gust caressed the petrified pillar, the rustling of dried leaves followed by an unnerving wail wafted into the desert air.


    Lyla¡¯s illusion floated past Felix and hovered near the tree. ¡°A weeping willow. Quite a rare find.¡±


    I urged Sabre to bring us closer to the plant. With the true identity of the crying revealed, my fear vanished just like that. I wanted to laugh at my childishness, but Lyla and even Hilde had done enough of that already.


    Tiny holes riddled the trunk and the branches of the willow. The wailing sound appeared to be caused by the wind passing through the holes, creating a deep whistling noise.


    The word ¡°fascinating¡± naturally fell from my lips.


    ¡°I have never seen anything like it,¡± said Felix. ¡°How about you, Miss Hilde?¡±


    She shook her head, eyes closed.


    ¡°That¡¯s only natural,¡± said Lyla. ¡°Many thought them to be extinct. People used to think the powder made from the burned ash of weeping willows cured illnesses or even improved virility. They were cut down until almost none were left.¡±


    Looking beyond the small hill, I saw a few more willows dotting the landscape. ¡°Is there any truth to those claims?¡±


    ¡°No idea. I¡¯ve never gotten my hands on any.¡±


    My eyes met with hers for a brief moment.


    The floating Lyla flashed a smirk. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±


    I returned her smile before jumping down from Sabre. With a purple-garbed ghost floating behind me, I started chipping off chunks of the willow¡¯s trunk with a knife. It was much harder than I thought, causing my palm to ache from the impact and friction.


    ¡°Mages,¡± spat out Hilde, followed by a disgusted groan. ¡°Can¡¯t even leave trees alone.¡±


    ¡°Master, is it okay to damage such a rare specimen?¡±


    ¡°Felix, what is more evil than taking action that can eternally eliminate a unique species from the world?¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!¡± He held his head in both hands. ¡°I have been reminded of my ineptitude once again! You truly are a master villain! May I join you in this nefarious activity!?¡±


    Well, chipping off a bit of wood from the trunk wouldn¡¯t really harm it, but I didn¡¯t need to tell him that.


    ¡°Even Felix has fallen¡­¡± Hilde slumped her shoulders as she watched me and Felix carve out a small chunk from the tree.


    As we prepared a place to burn the wood to ash, another wail reverberated across the desert.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± asked Hilde.


    Without looking at her, I replied, ¡°You mean the crying? It¡¯s just the weeping willows.¡±


    ¡°...There¡¯s no wind.¡±


    My fingers stopped. I focused my attention on my skin. There was no breeze, much less a gust strong enough to trigger the whistling. Moreover, I was sitting right next to one, but the sound appeared to be coming from farther away.


    I gulped down a glob of saliva as I tried to pinpoint the source of the sound. It appeared to be coming from the farthest tree from us. The crying was faint but undoubtedly there. Expanding the range of my anima, I tried to sense if anyone was there.


    A terrible pain gnawed at my heart, forcing me to lean on the tree trunk for support.


    Clutching at my chest, I forced myself upright. ¡°Someone¡¯s there, behind that tree.¡± I pointed to the horizon.


    ¡°Are you okay, boy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just feedback from my ani-¡±


    Wait. I¡¯d felt strong feedback from negative emotions before, but that greatly lessened from distance. What kind of agony must that person be experiencing for me to topple over from so far away?


    ¡°We need to help!¡± I reflexively began running on the stony ground, forgetting that mounting Sabre and galloping there would be much faster.


    The rest of my party followed behind me, unsure what I intended to do. Upon reaching the farthest willow, I circled around and found a woman huddled by the thick roots protruding from the rocks. She was bawling completely unrestrained, like a lost child. Several layers of ornately embroidered cloth were wrapped around her waist and draped over her head and shoulders, an attire quite common among nomadic tribes. The traveling merchants I¡¯d bought my leather pants from also wore similar outfits. I couldn¡¯t see her face because she was bowed to the tree trunk.


    The misery emanating from her was abnormal. It felt like a viscous wall of slime surrounding her body. Gritting my teeth, I made my way closer.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said as softly as I could, ¡°how can I help?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t asked if she was alright because she clearly wasn¡¯t. The only questioned that mattered was whether I was needed here or not. Unfortunately, my question fell on deaf ears, not surprising considering how loud her cries were.


    Knowing that my whispers would only be drowned out by her crying, and shouting at a despairing person wasn¡¯t exactly the best idea, I opted to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. The moment I touched her clothes, she jumped up in surprise, hitting my nose with the back of her head in the process.


    ¡°Gwah!¡± I fell backward, my vision white from the sudden headbutt.


    Hilde jumped off Sabre and landed beside me, sword drawn, but I raised a hand to stop her.


    ¡°It was an accident! Don¡¯t hurt her!¡±


    The woman scurried backward, her butt still on the ground. ¡°W-Who are you people!?¡±


    The moonlight illuminated her well-sculpted face. A young woman barely in her twenties, her face tainted by fear and confusion, trembled before us.


    ¡°We¡¯re just travelers! Please don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­¡± The young woman¡¯s eyes focused on Hilde¡¯s naked blade.


    ¡°Hilde, she¡¯s terrified. Please.¡±


    After glancing at my face, the Valmaz warrior expertly sheathed her sword in one swift motion and backed away from the trembling woman.


    ¡°See? We mean you no harm. We just heard someone crying and came to see if we could help.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face reddened like a ripe tomato. ¡°Sorry for showing you such an embarrassing sight!¡± She made a few shallow bows, probably a gesture of apology in her culture, and looked away in shame.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± I raised both hands in front of me to stem her apologies. ¡°No one got hurt.¡± The moment I said that, blood came pouring out my nose and dribbled down my lips and chin.


    ¡°That looks like it hurts a lot, Master.¡±


    No shit, genius.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!!!¡± The woman continued her serial bowing, her black straight cut fringe flapping up and down as she did so. ¡°You can hit me back if it makes you feel any better!¡± She was about to kneel down when I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.


    ¡°Please, no need for apologies. This is nothing.¡±


    ¡°Use this.¡± Hilde tossed me a small brown rag.


    I immediately used it to wipe away the blood on my face and then pinched my nose to stop the bleeding. ¡°Where are my manners.¡± Noticing the ridiculous high pitched voice that came out, I removed the rag from my face. ¡°My name is Kari, and these are my companions Hilde and Felix.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think naming myself to a nomad woman would matter in the greater scheme of things. The chances of Richter meeting her was slim to none. Hilde never liked fake names anyway, including the one she had chosen herself.


    ¡°My name is Nadya. Nice to meet you.¡±


    Her accent was quite strong, but I had no trouble understanding her common tongue.


    Blood began dripping from my nose again. Spurred by that, she jogged towards me with a worried expression and reached for my face. I instinctively flinched to parry her hand but soon realized it wasn¡¯t an attack. Getting through my admittedly pathetic guard, she gently touched my nose. The throbbing pain instantly vanished. The bleeding, however, didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°...What did you do just now?¡±


    The pain was completely gone, even the annoyance I felt from getting hit. If she¡¯d used healing magic, the damage would¡¯ve been repaired as well, but that wasn¡¯t the case.


    The young woman¡¯s eyes swam around as she fumbled for words. ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°None of your business!¡± The annoyed shout came from a short distance away.


    A small group led by an old woman with a craggly wooden cane marched over to us. Distracted by Nadya, I hadn¡¯t noticed at all, but Felix had apparently seen them coming. Judging from his lack of tension, he probably didn¡¯t see them as a threat, at least to our particularly powerful party.


    The old woman, garbed in similar albeit lighter clothing to Nadya, came forward, separating herself from the crowd of people. Some of them carried torches, which made the dark desert glow orange. I usually tossed small light balls to illuminate our path, so we never needed torches.


    The old woman bowed. ¡°Lady Nadya, please come back with us to the caravan.¡±


    Her tone was surprisingly mild, even pleading. From the deep wrinkles on her face, I¡¯d expected her to be more stern. The stinging glare she sent our way made it clear her kindness was reserved to Nadya.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Nadya made her way to the old woman¡¯s side and then turned to face us. ¡°A hundred apologies for the trouble I caused. I have to return home now. Please be safe on your journey.¡±


    As they turned to leave, I called out to the old woman. ¡°Actually, we would like to ask a favor, Madam. We are travelers from the South. We have come a long way, and our supplies are running low. Would it be alright to join your caravan for the night and maybe sell us some food and water?¡±


    The old lady scowled. ¡°Our caravan does not take in strangers. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to find someone else to trade with.¡±


    Nadya tugged on the old woman¡¯s sash and whispered something in her ear.


    ¡°But Lady Nadya-¡±


    Another tug.


    Heaving a deep sigh, the old woman slumped her shoulders and faced us again. ¡°Lady Nadya has decided to invite your party to stay with our caravan for the night. The night is cold in these lands, and none of you seem to be dressed for it. Follow us.¡±


    ¡°We appreciate the kindness.¡±


    We climbed back up on Sabre and followed the group as they headed back to the caravan.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just restock yesterday?¡± asked Hilde.


    ¡°Yeah, Kari was even bragging about his new pants like a kid,¡± said Lyla.


    I narrowed my eyes as I watched the group of nomads climb up a gentle sloping rock. ¡°We¡¯re not going there to resupply.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± shouted Felix. ¡°You must have a diabolical plan to deprive them of their livelihood and then kidnap Lady Nadya to make into your fourth wife!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that rotten! And what do you mean fourth wife!?¡±


    Felix began counting with his fingers. ¡°There is Miss Hilde, Miss Violetta, Miss Annie, and now Miss Nadya.¡±


    ¡°Violetta is just a head, Annie is my sister, and I met Nadya just a minute ago!¡±


    Hilde jabbed a thumb into my ribs, causing me to jerk sideways. ¡°I don¡¯t remember becoming your wife either.¡±


    Hey, I thought I could get away with it.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the real reason behind this detour?¡± asked Lyla¡¯s illusion, floating upside down in front of my face this time.


    ¡°Nadya used some sort of magic on me earlier.¡± I glanced at her skirt, amazed at how it stayed down, or up, despite her vertical orientation.


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna see my undergarments, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering. This is just an illusion. I can make my skirt stay at whatever position I want.¡±


    I waved my hand. ¡°Who cares about a brat¡¯s undies? More importantly, didn¡¯t you feel anything from her earlier?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I was too busy laughing at your bloody nose.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± I flicked her nose, or at least the protrusion that seemed like her nose, through the bag, not that I thought it¡¯d do any damage to her.


    ¡°That hurt! Don¡¯t flick my exposed spine. So petty.¡±


    ¡°Not falling for that one.¡±


    Lyla clicked her tongue. ¡°You¡¯re growing more cunning by the day. You¡¯re no fun to tease anymore.¡±


    ¡°I have a good teacher.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered. So, what kind of spell was it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a spell. It happened too fast. She didn¡¯t chant anything either. It was probably an anima activation.¡±


    ¡°Intriguing. What did it do exactly?¡±


    ¡°It erased the pain from my nose injury, including the annoyance I felt at the time. It felt like the wound never happened, but the cut inside my nose kept bleeding.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°...Never heard of anything like it. The world is vast.¡± Lyla shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s bound to be a few things I don¡¯t know about.¡±


    ¡°Nadya also has an incredible amount of suffering swirling inside her. I¡¯d probably go insane if I stayed with her for a long time.¡±


    ¡°You think she has a curse similar to yours?¡± asked Hilde.


    ¡°A curse, huh?¡±


    It was typical of the mage-hating Hilde to phrase it that way. She likely thought of her own anima and magic as curses as well. I still hadn¡¯t heard the story behind that prejudice, but I¡¯d gotten used to it enough not to get hurt by her comments.


    Stroking my chin, I said, ¡°Maybe. In any case, It¡¯s worth taking a look at. I find it odd how a young woman held such clout over an elder of their community. There¡¯s something more going on here.¡±


    ¡°What do you hope to achieve, boy? We should be on our way. This is none of our business, like that child said.¡±


    I quickly realized she meant the elderly woman. Compared to the immortal Lamia, even an aging tribe elder would be classified as young. Heeding her words was probably in the best interest of our group.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°We should go to the caravan,¡± said Hilde. ¡°It¡¯s cold tonight. I want a warm bed.¡±


    Since when did Hilde ever care about such a thing? Luxury was far removed from her lifestyle philosophy. She could go without beds or baths, to my dismay, indefinitely as far as I knew.


    Could she be doing this for me?


    My motive was to learn more about Nadya¡¯s anima in hopes of gaining some insight about my own. From my analysis, her ability allowed her to take away not only physical pain but also mental anguish. Physical damage aside, emotional distress was not readily visible to the five senses, thus removing them either had to be automatic or¡­


    Nadya could be like me. Maybe she could sense emotions, allowing her to rip them away, like tearing specific pages off a book. The immense amount of suffering whirling inside her supported that possibility. That level of pain was not something one could accumulate by oneself. It was highly probable that she¡¯d been influenced by other people¡¯s emotions, possibly those from her caravan. If so, I might be able to learn something about my own anima and origin from her.


    Hilde likely hadn¡¯t thought that far, but maybe she had sensed my desire to go and given me a push.


    I fixed my gaze on Hilde and nodded. ¡°I agree. Sleeping in a larger camp is safer too. We can focus on experimenting on the willow wood better if we don¡¯t have to worry about getting attacked.¡±


    ¡°Fair point. Have it your way.¡± Lyla¡¯s illusion twirled the other way and vanished.


    I smiled at Hilde, grateful for her consideration. In response, she merely tilted her head like a fawn, batting her eyes in wonder.


    ***


    Nadya¡¯s caravan, a nomadic community called Romm, consisted of more than a hundred people and several herds of animals. It was the largest caravan I¡¯d encountered so far, but according to Felix, groups of that scale were not uncommon in the north. They brought along workhorses, sheep, and even several flightless birds I¡¯d never seen before, all herded by tiny yet boisterous dogs with thick light brown fur and perky ears.


    The welcome we received could not be called friendly. Even the frosty desert sand felt warmer than the glares of Nadya¡¯s people. Nadya herself seemed to treat us as guests, so everyone else reluctantly followed along. My guess about her holding a great amount of power in the caravan turned out to be correct. But that brought up an even bigger mystery. Why?


    Nadya and the old woman, who never introduced herself, led us to a small tent made from pelt at the edge of the camp. Three people barely fit into the space, but fortunately, I was small, and Lyla was just a head. Sabre was tied to one of the tent poles, much like the other workhorses used by the members of the caravan. After informing us that she would come to visit again tomorrow morning, Nadya subtly waved her hand and left, followed by the grumpy elder who didn¡¯t miss the chance to scowl at us one more time.


    Typical of the efficient survivor, Hilde prioritized rest and commandeered a corner of the tent to sleep. Felix rushed off saying he¡¯d hunt for dinner. Having left my luggage in the tent, I left alone to look for firewood to cook whatever Felix brought back and burn the chunk of weeping willow I got earlier. Lyla had wanted to come, but I had declined, saying it¡¯d be a pain to carry her around while gathering fuel.


    Using ignis to create a fire would be easier, provided I could find someone with enough anger to channel, but I¡¯d rather not use magic in front of strangers. While magic was no secret, it was still a revered or loathed activity that drew attention whenever exhibited.


    One thing I noticed about the small camps I¡¯d passed was how energetic everyone seemed to be. Smiles plastered on their faces, the people cheerfully prepared dinner, washed the dishes, or chatted with neighbors. The vibrance was completely different from the one we faced upon entering the camp.


    After reaching the more densely populated inner ring of the camp, I noticed a particularly large campfire in the middle of about ten large tents. The gathering was quite exuberant, with men, women, and children singing and dancing in a circle. A pile of dried firewood stood a few feet from the flames. The chances of me finding pocti or a tree that wasn¡¯t nearly extinct anywhere nearby was slim, so I decided to ask if the locals could share a few pieces.


    Walking over to the one in charge of the flames, I meekly raised a hand. ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, you¡¯re with the strangers...¡± The look of mild surprise on his face transformed into vile disgust as he spoke. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering if I could ask for some firewood¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course you can.¡± He smiled.


    Surprised by the positive reaction, I reflexively smiled as well. ¡°That¡¯s very generous-¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll give you any.¡± Holding his stomach, he laughed as if he wanted to vomit his guts onto the floor.


    The people around us who heard my request followed suit. Soon, the boisterous singing turned into laughter, all of which directed at me.


    Afraid of letting things escalate, I decided to slink away from the campfire and find another source of firewood, but the locals didn¡¯t allow that. The man I had initially asked stepped in my way and showed no sign of moving. As I tried to walk around him, another man, a shorter yet bulkier one, cut off my path.


    Shit, why did things always have to go the hard way?


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t want any trouble. Can you please let me pass? I promise I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Too late, stranger,¡± said the dwarf-like man. ¡°Your very presence is already a bother to us, but then you had to go and run your mouth.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t even completed two sentences before they confronted me. How was that running my mouth? Of course, saying that out loud would only lead to more problems, so I decided to simply keep apologizing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Really. I¡¯ll get out of your way, so please just let me through.¡± I failed to keep my rising irritation from seeping into my tone.


    Another man, this time almost as tall as Richter, stepped forward and looked down at me. ¡°Got some spunk eh?¡± He grabbed my collar with one hand and slightly lifted me up, causing me to tiptoe to keep my balance. ¡°Not only do ya dare trick Lady Nadya into letting ya stay the night in our camp, ya even have the guts to walk around like ya own the place? Let¡¯s see how much guts ya really have!¡± With a motion not even half Hilde¡¯s speed, he plunged his fist into my gut.


    The blow hurt, but that was it. I¡¯d seen it coming and flexed my abdomen before it hit. Not only that, I¡¯d been taking attacks from giant beasts, trained knights, and even an immortal witch recently. A body blow from a taller than average nomad was like a slap on the wrist.


    Noticing my lack of reaction, he grumbled and coiled up for another blow.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± asked a voice I knew very well.


    ¡°Hilde, it¡¯s okay, we¡¯re just horsing around,¡± I quickly replied.


    She stood about twenty paces from us, her expression sharp as a freshly smithed blade. Her hand rested on the hilt of her short sword, ready to draw at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°That¡¯s not what it looks like to me.¡±


    Surprised by the intruder, the tall nomad loosened his grip on my shirt. I took that chance to slip away and run to Hilde. I stood in front of her, faced the group of men, and raised both hands in an attempt to appease them.


    ¡°Take it easy now. We really don¡¯t want any trouble.¡± I turned my head to the side and whispered to Hilde, ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here. Starting a fight will get us kicked out of the camp. Make sure not to provoke or hurt the locals, okay?¡±


    She reluctantly nodded.


    I released a small sigh of relief upon seeing her agreement. ¡°What are you doing here anyway?¡±


    ¡°Violetta asked me to tell you to bring clean water and a stone bowl.¡±


    Lyla probably wanted to leach some of the willow ash later. Using a stone bowl was probably a precaution against contamination, which was more of a risk with wooden or clay containers. Getting a stone bowl in such a hostile community was a tall order, but that was a much smaller problem than the one at hand.


    The three stooges marched closer to us with a comedically menacing gait. The tall one took the lead and headed directly towards me. Before I could move, Hilde had already slipped in between me and the men, as if to protect me. She knew I didn¡¯t want to use magic, since that was the only reason I¡¯d let a bunch of untrained men beat up on me. That said, it was never a nice feeling being powerless in front of the one you wanted to protect the most.


    ¡°Hiding behind a woman? Ha!¡± The tall man guffawed, dragging everyone in the campfire into a fit of laughter. He leaned over to Hilde¡¯s face, peering at her features, and then ran his eyes all over her body. ¡°Yer a looker, ain¡¯t ya? I¡¯d tell ya to ditch the brat and come with us, but we ain¡¯t got no appetite for strangers!¡±


    Laughter roared around us. The flames danced in tune to the trembling air, as if mocking my weakness. I shot Hilde a look, pleading with her not to lose her cool. Understanding my intention, she said nothing, but the disdainful glint in her eyes still caught the men''s attention.


    The short one crossed his arms and exaggeratedly raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Who do you think you are? We¡¯re doing you a favor by letting you stay with us. You need to be taught a lesson!¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s an idea.¡± The man in charge of the fire snickered as he extended his hand towards Hilde¡¯s shoulder.


    So much for a warm bed tonight. I just hoped Hilde wouldn¡¯t kill anyone.


    She grimaced as the man touched her skin, her body frozen in place. His fingers began moving lasciviously along the curve of her shoulder.


    What?


    Why wasn¡¯t she fighting back?


    Why was she letting that man touch her..?


    I didn¡¯t get it.


    I didn¡¯t understand at all.


    What was she doing just standing there?


    Hit him! Kick him! Heck, go ahead and slice him apart!


    Hilde turned away from me, from them, her face filled with disgust. Her fists trembled as the man¡¯s fingers slid across her white skin, soiling it with his invisible stench.


    Oh right.


    This was my fault.


    I had asked her not to provoke or hurt the locals. Knowing Hilde¡¯s penchant for taking things to the extreme, she was holding back because of my careless words.


    The man slid his palm onto Hilde¡¯s left breast.


    Something snapped.


    Inside me.


    Swirling fury engulfed my innards, starting from my lungs, and felt like it would burst out from every pore of my body.


    The campfire suddenly fizzled out, but the surroundings shone much brighter. The confused men looked at each other, unsure of what had happened. Seconds later, they began panting heavily while holding their throats.


    ¡°Kari, stop!¡± shouted Hilde as she grabbed my shoulders.


    Her voice brought me back to my senses. A swirling sphere of hellfire floated just above us, sucking in all the breathable air from our surroundings. I hadn¡¯t noticed because I¡¯d been holding my breath the entire time. The campfire had been drained of its fuel and snuffed out by the fiery furnace hovering directly above the men. One command from me would send it crashing down, incinerating them until not even ashes remained.


    But that would render Hilde¡¯s patience for naught, so I released the spell, banishing the midnight sun and surrendering the area to darkness once again.


    Since they didn¡¯t have the wits to look above them the entire time, the three men were still unaware of exactly what happened. The onlookers surrounding us were a different story.


    ¡°D-D-Demon child!!!¡±


    ¡°That boy is the devil spawn!!!¡±


    ¡°Run!!! The Son of Vangya has come!!!¡±


    Come on now, if you had gone so far as to call me a demon, at least stop treating me like a kid.


    The locals completely vacated the area in panic. From the barely comprehensible screams, the three men finally picked up on what almost happened to them and joined the evacuation.


    Hilde sent me an accusatory look. ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t supposed to provoke the locals?¡±


    ¡°...It just happened. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡­¡± She made a bitter expression, as if she swallowed a bug. Her features twisted around a few more times before she settled on simply looking away from me. ¡°I mean... thank you.¡±


    ¡°No, Hilde. It was my fault. I should¡¯ve handled this by myself. Then you wouldn¡¯t have been shamed like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Shamed? What do you mean?¡± She tilted her head with a blank expression, typical of her.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Weren¡¯t you... hurt when he touched you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m not that fragile.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m referring to, you know, purity¡­ and stuff...¡± My voice gradually trailed off.


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Then why were you trembling when he touched you?¡±


    ¡°I was ticklish, but I felt like I¡¯d lose if I showed my weakness to them, so I did my best to hold it in.¡±


    ¡°...Ticklish?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Let me get this straight, I almost burned three people to a crisp because you felt ticklish.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    ¡°There are so many things wrong with this conversation I don¡¯t even.¡±


    ¡°You are so confusing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my line!!!¡±


    ***


    ¡°¡±¡±We¡¯re so sorry!¡±¡±¡± The three men pressed their fists together and went down on one knee.


    That was apparently a display of profound regret in the Romm culture. It was the pose I had stopped Nadya from taking after she headbutted my nose.


    I casually waved a hand. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s okay, really. I also went overboard. Please get up.¡±


    We¡¯d expected to be driven out of the caravan because of the commotion. Instead, we¡¯d been called to the chief¡¯s tent the next morning and asked to witness an apology from the three stooges. They stared at us in regret, their backs to Nadya, who sat in a throne of embroidered blankets and pillows. She almost disappeared in the sea of gold, red, purple threads, which closely matched her dress and scarf. I¡¯d deduced that Nadya was an important person to the caravan, but I hadn¡¯t thought she¡¯d be the top dog.


    The three men got up and repeated the action towards Nadya. She gave them a nod before sending them on their way. They continued apologizing as they passed us on the way out of the absurdly large tent. I checked their emotions out of habit, and it appeared they meant every word.


    I found that odd. They wanted us gone just hours before. Now they were sincerely repenting for their behavior. Did Nadya have that much of an influence on them? Or did she do something else..?


    ¡°I apologize for the bad treatment on behalf of my people,¡± said Nadya. ¡°What they did was inexcusable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal. No one got hurt, just tickled at worst.¡±


    ¡°Tickled?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind.¡± I shot a dissatisfied look at Hilde, who stood to my left.


    Without noticing my gaze, Hilde just kept looking at Nadya, as if trying to mentally unravel the layers of fabric enshrining the chieftain.


    ¡°As a sign of apology, I¡¯d like to invite you to share a meal with me in this tent. It is almost noon, after all.¡±


    The old woman from yesterday jerked in surprise. ¡°Lady Nadya! We can¡¯t let strangers-¡±


    Nadya nonchalantly raised a hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The Romm always make amends for even the smallest mistakes. That is what you taught me, Mala.¡±


    Pressing her lips into a straight line, Mala gulped down any further objections. The twitching wrinkles on her cheeks gave away that she was still unconvinced.


    Nadya replaced her stiff expression with a gentle smile. ¡°Please ask the servants to bring food inside.¡±


    Mala reluctantly nodded and left the tent, leaving only Nadya and my party inside.


    ¡°Sorry about Mala.¡± Nadya curled her lips into an apologetic smile, her eyes narrowed to almost closed. ¡°She means well, but sometimes she can be overprotective. Please, take a seat.¡±


    Looking around, I didn¡¯t see any chairs, Seeing my confusion, Nadya subtly guided me with her eyes. She focused on the pillows lined up in two parallel rows on the thick, elaborately embroidered carpet. Upon realizing what she meant, I walked over to the pillow closest to her and took a seat. Hilde and Felix followed my example, choosing to sit on the same row as I did. Naturally, we had left Lyla in our tent, with Sabre on guard duty outside.


    A few seconds of awkward silence ticked by. I felt pressured to say something, so I just spat out the first thing that came to mind.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why was the chief of a caravan crying behind a tree in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°...I wasn¡¯t expecting such a bold question.¡± Nadya chuckled.


    Neither was I.


    ¡°Sorry, that kinda just slipped out.¡±


    ¡°No worries. As for the answer, well, as you can see, I¡¯m in a position where things can be¡­ stressful. Sometimes I just need to let things out. The weeping willows drown out my crying, so I chose that spot.¡±


    Her demeanor seemed a lot more regal than yesterday, when she was bowing her head repeatedly like a mother bird feeding its chicks. The fancy clothes and the fabric throne might have something to do with that change, but simply being in your own territory brought out a different side to people.


    ¡°I see. Sorry for prying.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s nice being able to talk to new faces. As you probably know by now, we don¡¯t welcome strangers into the caravan.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you let us in?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m not sure. Maybe it was because you saw me in that sorry state. I felt like I needed to explain myself, at least. So really, you asking about it saved me the trouble of bringing it up.¡± Contrary to the confidence in her previous reply, she shyly dipped her head and twiddled her thumbs. ¡°So, um, would it be too much to ask you for a favor?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. What can we do for you?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me your stories?¡±


    ¡°Stories? About what?¡±


    ¡°Of your experiences. You are travelers, right? It should be a good way to pass time until lunch is ready.¡± A pleading glint flashed in her eyes as she leaned forward, eager to hear my response.


    Her request seemed easy enough. All I had to do was remove anything incriminating from our rather dramatic adventure so far.


    ¡°Okay. I just so happen to have a few good stories up my sleeve.¡±


    ¡°Master! May I have the honor of telling Lady Nadya of your valiant adventures?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well¡­¡± Seeing the desperation on his face, I shrugged in resignation. ¡°Sure. Go ahead.¡±


    Despite how dumb he sometimes acted, I knew Felix was careful about our identities, a trait I wished Hilde had.


    ¡°Thank you for the honor, Master!¡± Felix excitedly turned his body towards Nadya and spread his arms wide open. ¡°I shall now begin the tale of how I met Master Kari and bore witness to his villainous feats!¡±


    ¡°V-Villainous?¡± mumbled Nadya.


    Startled by the opening, I hurriedly tried to correct him. ¡°Felix, I think you used the wrong word there-¡±


    ¡°Take heed and tremble! I first met Master in a small town in the sandy desert, where he was sinking his claws into a young girl barely past the bloom of childhood. With his mastery of words and deception, he enamored the little lady in violet-¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough!¡± I scrambled past Hilde and closed Felix¡¯s mouth with both hands. ¡°He was joking, Chief Nadya.¡±


    ¡°Nadya is fine. I never would¡¯ve guessed Felix had such a great sense of humor. I mean, you always looks so serious.¡±


    I laughed forcefully, trying to muddle the conversation. ¡°Yeah, he is such a clown, really. I¡¯ll take over telling the story now, if that¡¯s fine with you.¡± I kept up with my hollow laughter just to survive the awkwardness.


    ¡°Yes, please. I¡¯m very excited to hear about your travels. There isn¡¯t much to do for entertainment around here.¡±


    I began telling her about our battles against a giant lizard, giant sand fishes, two giant scorpions, and a giant dragon, all the while thinking we should probably stop fighting giants for the sake of longer lives. I didn¡¯t talk about the conflicts with other people to avoid revealing our connection to Arthas and to prevent us from appearing dangerous.


    Nadya clapped her hands like a little girl as I ended my tale. ¡°What an amazing story! It¡¯s almost too fantastic to believe!¡±


    Tell me about it.


    ¡°I do have a question, though, Kari.¡±


    ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention anything about the young girl you enamored. What¡¯s the story behind that?¡±


    ¡°L-Like I said, that was just Felix¡¯s joke!¡±


    Nadya pressed her closed hand on her upper lip as she laughed boisterously at my expense. I couldn¡¯t help but blush upon realizing she was just teasing me. A certain beheaded witch¡¯s grin flashed in my mind. What was it with older women? Was it their hobby to make fun of younger males?


    ¡°Excuse me, Lady Nadya,¡± said a voice coming from beyond the tent flaps.


    ¡°Come in. We¡¯ve been waiting.¡±


    Several women carrying baskets of bread and fruit flooded in, followed by a muscular man with a whole roasted lamb on a long metal skewer balancing on his shoulder. Two more women entered, this time bringing pots of various sizes. Judging from the strong aroma, they contained heavily spiced soups or stews. The last one to enter brought in a tall teapot made of clay and undecorated cups enough for everyone dining in the tent.


    All of the food was placed on the carpet in front of Nadya. The roasted lamb rested on a bed of three large round dried leaves, its head facing me directly. It looked a bit creepy, with its eyes meeting mine, causing me to barely notice the various other dishes placed around it. As the carpet filled with food, the servers left the tent with hurried steps, as if not wanting to associate with us visitors. The last server left after preparing tea for each of us.


    I gave my cup a sip. ¡°Sweet. And delicious.¡±


    Hilde nodded. ¡°Very good.¡±


    Did she have a sweet tooth? I took a mental note of that unexpected information.


    With a smile, Nadya lowered her cup. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it. We use dried fruits we barter from other caravans to flavor our tea.¡±


    Thinking back, it seemed most of the decor didn¡¯t have one common theme. The simple clay teapot and bread baskets clashed with the intricacy of the carpets, probably because they were bought from different communities with different traditions and aesthetics.


    I looked side to side, taking in the extravagant spread. ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to prepare such a feast for us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± She made a bitter smile. ¡°This is the normal amount they serve me daily. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t really have a say in it. Mala insists that the chief should eat like one. I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have to force myself to eat too much today.¡±


    Though always covered by layers of fabric, Nadya didn¡¯t seem overweight in the least. Her slim face seemed to be on the unhealthy side, actually, with very faint wrinkles uncommon in younger women.


    With practiced grace, Nadya picked up a knife and leaned towards the lamb. Then she grabbed the lamb¡¯s balls and sliced them off in one fluid motion. Before I could blink, she split the balls apart and placed one of them on my plate. The other testicle went on her own dish.


    ¡°Eat up! It¡¯s our tradition to give that part to the most important person in the room. I usually eat both of them, but as my valued guests, this is a good chance for you, the party leader, to try some of our cooking.¡±


    I looked at the light brown egg-shaped hunk of meat on my plate. It was about the size of my fist and had reddish veins running all over it. Needless to say, I wasn¡¯t looking forward to putting any of it in my mouth.


    ¡°This is reserved for the most important person, right? I really don¡¯t think I should be the one to have it¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it.¡± Hilde stabbed her own knife into the center of the ball and proceeded to scarf down huge bites.


    On my other side, Nadya was happily chewing on a small bite of the lamb testicle. Sandwiched between two young women eating balls, I didn¡¯t know whether to feel excited, disgusted, or emasculated.


    The meal, which turned out to be the best one I¡¯d had since leaving Arthas, ended with no notable incidents. I particularly liked the gora, a flightless bird with very large yet tender thighs, stewed with dried berries and spices. It went really well with the feathery bread and the fluffy herbed rice.


    After bidding Nadya goodbye, we went back to our tent and rested our bodies. I reported everything I heard to Lyla and asked for her opinion.


    ¡°Smells fishy.¡± Lyla closed her eyes and went into deep thought.


    ¡°Must be Kari,¡± said Hilde. ¡°I just took a bath last night.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what she meant.¡± I sighed. ¡°And why is it always me? What about Felix?¡±


    Lyla chuckled. ¡°They do say people pick on the person they like.¡±


    ¡°T-They do say that. Yes.¡± I peeked at Hilde, who was lying in the corner of the tent, without turning my head.


    Not realizing why I was fidgeting like a shy toddler, she looked at me and blinked several times, still keeping her stoic expression. It was my mistake to expect more of a reaction from the queen of density. Then she dropped a brick on me.


    ¡°I do like Kari.¡±


    As a smile threatened to float on my face, she dropped another.


    ¡°As a companion.¡±


    I sighed.


    Whatever.


    I didn¡¯t care anymore.


    Without answering her, I focused on Lyla again and crossed my arms. ¡°The entire conflict with those three stooges is fishy. The people of this caravan are so cheerful, but the moment they see us, their attitudes completely change.¡±


    Lyla opened her eyes and met my gaze. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s just because they¡¯re afraid of strangers.¡±


    ¡°Then their sudden change in attitude inside Nadya¡¯s tent wouldn¡¯t make sense. Fear and disdain don¡¯t vanish just like that.¡±


    ¡°...You think Nadya may have erased their negative feelings, just like she did to you.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t have proof. If I can confirm this, I¡¯d be able to confront Nadya and ask her about her power. It may be related to mine. Even if it isn¡¯t, I¡¯d still like to know how such an amazing ability works. Just imagine how many people she could help.¡±


    ¡°You of all people know that great power always comes at a terrible price.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t utter a word of denial, seeing as the one warning me was an immortal head. Even excluding that, I had my fair share of problems due to my anima.


    Lyla raised an eyebrow and curved her lips into an impatient frown. ¡°So, how do you plan on getting proof?¡±


    ¡°I can gather information for you, Master,¡± said Felix.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know where to look. Even with your skills, moving around aimlessly will increase your chances of getting caught.¡±


    He slumped his shoulders and hid half his face in his scarf. ¡°That is true.¡±


    ¡°Any other ideas?¡± I asked, looking to everyone in the room but mostly relying on our most senior member.


    ¡°Just use the invisibility spell,¡± said Lyla. ¡°And take me with you. I can do simple illusions if the need arises.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have the emotion to channel for the spell.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to tell you everything?¡± She snorted in irritation.


    ¡°You mean I have to do that again? No way. My sister isn¡¯t here, and messing with Hilde is out of the question.¡±


    ¡°Then use Felix.¡±


    That option had not visited my mind at all. It was brilliant, but I tried my best not to show how impressed I was on my face. Lyla¡¯s smug grin told me I failed.


    Hearing his name, Felix perked up. ¡°How can I be of service?¡±


    ¡°Nah, leave this one to me.¡± I crafted a mellow smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should depend on you too much just because you¡¯re such an upstanding person.¡±


    ¡°U-Upstanding person?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve been leading the way in our travels, procuring food and supplies, and assisting in battles. No matter how you look at it, those are good deeds.¡±


    ¡°B-But I did all that so I can learn the ways of evil from you...¡±


    ¡°Huh? I thought you were joking about that. I mean, you haven¡¯t done anything evil at all.¡±


    That was a lie. Due to my anima, I knew he was dead serious about his stupid dream of becoming a legendary thief and scoundrel. I could also sense the spike in his embarrassment, but he needed one more push to serve as fuel for my spell.


    ¡°But I attacked those knights!¡±


    ¡°Those knights who took my sister and Hilde hostage? You didn¡¯t even kill any of them.¡±


    ¡°...I also took Miss Annie hostage.¡± His eyes swam around as beads of sweat trickled down his wrinkled brow. ¡°And¡­ and even helped defeat a small girl, even if she is a witch...¡±


    ¡°But that was for Annie¡¯s own good. You knew that, which was why you cooperated. And Lyla is as evil as they come, so she deserved the beating.¡± Ignoring Lyla¡¯s glare, I slammed the final nail into the coffin. ¡°Gotta say, you were downright heroic when you faced off against the dragon alone. Face it, Felix.¡± I gave him a thumbs up and winked. ¡°You¡¯re one hell of a good guy.¡±


    ¡°Tarnation!!!¡± He grabbed his red hair and fell to his knees, realizing he had been acting contrary to his goal the entire journey.


    I felt sorry for him, but his absurd approach to life was better off fixed anyway, not that I thought this incident would be enough to do that.


    Channel.


    Felix¡¯s shame.


    There wasn¡¯t enough. I had to use another process to increase the intensity.


    Amplify.


    According to Lyla, the amplify process was unique to me. It was delicately intertwined with my ability to channel emotions. The problem was, amplify was very hard to control. The incidents when I burned the forest in Arthas and mutilated the giant lizard were proof of that.


    Lyla had warned me that volatile emotions were the bane of battle. Intense emotions needed to be harnessed, and sudden amplification made that very difficult. For example, if I amplified wrath during combat, I would feel those emotions as well, clouding my judgment. That could lead to me taking rash actions, ending in my demise. It was a double-edged sword that had to be used wisely and sparingly. Now was such a time.


    After determining I had reached enough emotional intensity to complete the spell, I squeezed out the words from my cheeks, which burned in shame. ¡°Turn truth into lies. Away from prying eyes. Indispectus!¡±


    In a blink of an eye, I vanished from everyone¡¯s view, including mine. It was uncanny, really, making me doubt my own senses.


    ¡°Take me with you,¡± said Lyla. ¡°I wanna take a look around the camp too.¡±


    ¡°You do know if I carry you around, you¡¯ll look like a floating head and terrify anyone we encounter right?¡±


    ¡°Are you daft, boy? I will cast an illusion to hide myself, duh.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, my arms are tired. Maybe I should just kick you like a ball as we investigate the area¡­¡±


    Lyla¡¯s cute lips bent into a sharp pout. ¡°Sorry for calling you daft. Please carry me, my dear student Kari.¡±


    Satisfied with my abuse of power, I gently cradled her head, making sure her eyes faced forward. I waved goodbye to Hilde and Felix but felt silly after leaving the tent because I realized they couldn¡¯t see me.


    Lyla¡¯s illusions targeted areas or people directly, so we had to move slowly to avoid running into people she didn¡¯t manipulate beforehand. We went around the nearby tents, but most of them were empty. It was a little strange for so many people to be out at this time of night. As we went closer to the middle of camp, we noticed many people walking outside. Most of them seemed to be heading in the same direction.


    ¡°This is beyond suspicious,¡± whispered Lyla.


    ¡°That¡¯s the direction to Nadya¡¯s tent.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you fix your sense of direction?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. There¡¯s just a tall pillar with a flag visible from here. Maybe there¡¯s an event or something?¡±


    ¡°That Nadya didn¡¯t mention at all?¡±


    ¡°...That is strange. Normally, she¡¯d tell us if something big is gonna happen within her caravan. Even if it¡¯s just so we don¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    ¡°Secrets are proof of a guilty conscience.¡±


    ¡°Not sure if that¡¯s convincing or unbelievable coming from you.¡±


    ¡°Shut it.¡±


    A surprised yelp came from behind us. I reflexively swung my head and saw a little boy, around seven years old, staring at us, or more specifically, at Lyla¡¯s floating head.


    Lyla clicked her tongue. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡±


    ¡°M-M-Monster..!¡± The boy fell to the ground, like a puppet with its strings cut.


    ¡°H-He fainted in terror.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Talk about lucky.¡±


    Lyla spat on the boy¡¯s back.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°The brat called this beauty a monster. He should be glad I didn¡¯t burn away his eyes and tongue.¡±


    ¡°I bet you would¡¯ve done it if you could¡­¡±


    After losing her body, Lyla could no longer use her trademark heat blast. In fact, her vessel was too small to contain the fuel she needed for most magic, at least according to her.


    Fortunately, no one had been alerted by the small incident. We continued following the crowd of people from the shadows until we reached the clearing in front of Nadya¡¯s tent. I took cover behind a nearby rock and observed the situation. A long line of people extended from the tent¡¯s front flaps and winded across the empty space like a long snake.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk. I¡¯m using an illusion to speak directly to your mind. While I¡¯d like to take a peek at what¡¯s inside, I can¡¯t fool so many people with my limited mana. You¡¯ll have to go alone.¡±


    I nodded and carefully laid Lyla on the ground, making sure to create a nest of her hair to act as a cushion for her gaping neck. While carefully avoiding the hordes of people outside, I snuck into the tent.


    The sight that welcomed me was surprisingly normal.


    Nadya was in her usual spot on top of the mound of colorful fabrics and pillows. Mala stood close to her side with a grumpy expression. A middle-aged couple was kneeling down in front of them with their fists together, the same pose the three stooges made during their apology. The main difference was the unending torrent of tears the couple shed.


    Was it some kind of religious ritual?


    Without warning, Nadya collapsed to the ground.


    I almost instinctively ran towards her but caught myself. Even though I was invisible, the sound I made would alert the people inside the tent. Mala crouched down and helped Nadya up. However, a drastic change could be seen on her face. Deep creases on her brow and around her lips showed her intense suffering. A hushed sniffling escaped her gritted teeth as tears rolled down her cheeks, wetting her scarf. Even stranger, the middle-aged couple stopped crying and expressed their thanks with refreshed faces.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± I unconsciously whispered, forgetting that it could¡¯ve exposed me. Expanding the reach of my anima, I checked the emotions of both parties. Unsurprisingly, their expressions perfectly reflected their emotional state. I almost hurled upon feeling the intense sense of loss assaulting Nadya.


    The peculiar scene repeated itself many times that night. Sometimes Nadya barely winced. Sometimes she clutched at her chest to endure the pain. I stopped checking after the first ten people, knowing I wouldn¡¯t last.


    This was why Nadya was crying behind a weeping willow.


    This was why she carried suffering beyond what one lifetime could accumulate.


    This¡­ was wrong.


    Completely wrong.


    Forcing one person to bear the burden of a hundred.


    That shouldn¡¯t be allowed to continue.


    I rushed out of the tent while biting my lip in indignation, not caring that my spectre left a few drops of blood on the crimson carpet.