Eric's eyes opened as he found himself in an unfamiliar room. He felt pain through his body, coming from the his waist where Seath hit him. Eric tried to sit up, but his body refused to move as the sharp pain made it impossible. Finally, he gave up and tried to see the room where he was. The room was simple, furnished with wooden furniture and a thatched roof. The scent of herbs lingered in the air, mingling with the faint smell of wood smoke.
"You're awake. You shouldn't try to move too much. Your wounds are still fresh."
Eric's heart skipped a beat, his eyes looking at the person who just spoke. An elderly woman sat beside him, her presence so weak that he hadn't even noticed her until she spoke. 'Where did she come from? How didn't I notice her? unless...' he thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.
'She's a very strong person. Stronger than me!', this thought overwhelmed all his mind and made him realize the situation he was in right now. "Where... where am I?" Eric rasped, his throat dry. "What happened?"
The woman offered him a gentle smile. "You're in my home, in the forest near the outskirts of Levans Fortress," she explained, " Two days ago, I found you in the forest, barely clinging to life. I guess you were ambushed by something... or someone. I brought you and The three mages who survived here. None of you are in any condition to move, so just stay here and try to heal", as the woman's explained more, Eric's expression grew darker and darker.
His memories of the ambush coming back—Seath's immense power, the screams of his comrades, and Princess Lora being taken. Eric, his body battered and weakened, felt a deep, burning rage inside him. His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms until blood began to flow
"The princess... Princess Lora... she was taken," he said, his voice breaking with desperation. "I have to find her... I have to..."
The old woman placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Calm yourself, lad. You're in no condition to go anywhere right now. You need to rest and let your body heal. Whatever happened, rushing off in this state will do neither you nor your princess any good."
Eric's knew she was right. His body was too weak, and the pain too intense, to do anything more than lie there. Still, the failure of protecting the princess was eating him down. "I need to get to Levans Fortress," Eric insisted, "I have to inform Sir Eldric and the emperor. They need to know what happened."
The old woman smiled and shook her head, "There's no need for that. I've already informed the commander of Levans Fortress about the incident. I also sent a message to the emperor so by now, the Kederaween Kingdom king should also know about it. Your duty here is done; now, you need to focus on healing."
Eric looked at her both in shock and relief, "You... you already informed them?" he stammered, struggling to process the news. "But... how? How could you have contacted the emperor? You're just—"
"An old woman living in the middle of the forest?" she interrupted, giving him a sly smile. "I suppose that's what I appear to be. Although it's very rude to think like that about an old lady, especially coming from a knight".
Eric's became embarrassed and his face showed even a little bit of blushing. But he still had some suspicions . How could an old woman in such a remote area have the means to communicate with the fortress, let alone the Emperor? It didn't make sense. He narrowed his eyes, studying her more closely. "Who are you, really?".
The woman chuckled softly, "You may call me Margaret," she said, her tone light and almost playful. "Some in these parts know me as the Witch in the Woods."
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When the emperor received the message about Princess Lora's abduction, he wasted no time. He immediately ordered one of the thirty legions of the empire's army to be dispatched toward the north.
Their mission was clear: search every town, every village, and every city until they found any clue that could lead them to the missing princess. The emperor understood the implications of such a high-profile kidnapping, especially with an important figure like Eldric involved.
Meanwhile, the King of Kederawen was equally distressed by the news. He immediately informed Eldric, who had been deeply immersed in his research. The moment Eldric heard that his beloved granddaughter had been taken, he abandoned his work without a second thought. The usually composed and methodical mage was now driven by a singular focus: finding Lora and bringing her home safely.
Eldric quickly prepared his airship, gathering what few supplies he could, and was joined by his trusted friend Edvard. The two set off for the Sardinia Empire to try and follow the clues there. Eldric's was very worried, but still trying to be calm, already planning how they would begin the search.
Once Eldric reached the empire, he wasted no time. He immediately found Eric, who had survived the ambush. Eric, still recovering from his injuries, recounted every detail of the attack to Eldric. He described Seath's terrifying power, the ambush, and the moment when Lora was taken.
After hearing Eric's account, he decided to visit the site of the battle himself. He hoped that by examining the area, he could uncover some magical traces that might give them a lead on Lora's whereabouts.
Once there, Eldric found the ground was scorched, the trees around the area blackened by the intense lightning strikes. Eldric knelt down, his hand hovering over the earth as he extended his magical senses, searching for any clues.
As he concentrated, a powerful magical signature began to emerge, distinct and unmistakable. The energy was chaotic and wild. It was very different from the usual mana belonging to demi-humans.
"It's as I expected," Eldric said, his voice grim. "A royal magic beast, not a demi-human, was responsible for this."
Edvard, who had been silently observing, stepped forward. "What does that mean for Lora? Can you track it?"
Eldric frustrated, shook his head. "The magic beast left traces, but they're faint and scattered. He used portals—probably several, to cover his tracks."
Despite the bad news, Eldric refused to give up. He and Edvard continued to search tirelessly, scouring the empire for days alongside the dispatched legion. They questioned villagers, spoke with merchants, and consulted with local mages, but no one had seen or heard anything about Lora.
Days turned into weeks, and still, there was no sign of Lora. What neither Eldric nor the emperor's legion knew was that Lora wasn't in the Sardinia Empire at all. In fact, she was in the last place anyone could think to search.
"We've searched everywhere, Eldric," Edvard said quietly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "But we're running out of options. What do we do now?"
Eldric stared out at the horizon, "We keep searching," he replied, "Lora is out there somewhere, and I won't stop until I find her. No matter how long it takes."
Edvard nodded, his faith in Eldric unwavering. "Then let's keep going. We'll find her."
As they continued their search, Eldric couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something—a vital clue that would lead them to Lora. But until that clue revealed itself, he knew he had to keep pushing forward. His granddaughter's life depended on it, and he would not fail her.
Unbeknownst to Eldric, the key to finding Lora had been observing the events unfold—Margaret, the Witch in the Woods.
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Weeks had passed since Lora had been kidnapped, and when she finally woke up, she found herself in a dim, underground room. The stone walls were cold, and dim light that was there made the room even smaller. She had been kept here the entire time, with only a few visitors—Seath, a swordsman with a massive black sword, and a man who appeared to be a poison mage.
It didn't take long for Lora to discover that Seath was not just any captor. He was a powerful magic beast and one of the fifteen Nameless Titans who ruled over the Black Market Alliance.
Lora had tried to escape more than once, but they anticipated her every move. They had locked her mana with a necklace, a black stone jewel embedded in it, which suppressed her magical abilities and prevented her from using her sword techniques. Every attempt at escape was met with failure.
The good side of this was that Lora didn't get tortured or interrogated as she had expected. Her captors ensured she was fed regularly, and she was even allowed to bathe. The absence of typical prisoner treatment left Lora deeply unsettled as she had no idea why they were keeping her in relatively good condition.
'Shouldn't they be torturing me for information by now?' Lora thought. 'I've been here for weeks, and they haven't even laid a finger on me. It's as if they're protecting me... but why? Something's definitely off about this.'
Lora's didn't have to wait long for some answers. One day, Seath entered her room, his expression a mixture of frustration and impatience. He wasted no time in confronting her.
"We've been lenient with you these past few weeks," Seath began, his voice cold and demanding, "but I can't hold off the client any longer. He wants to take you so he can extract information about your grandfather's research. So, tell me—do you know anything, or are you going to keep playing dumb?"
Lora remained silent, her defiance evident in the way she held his gaze. She knew now that they had kidnapped her to learn about her grandfather's work, but she refused to give them any information. The less they knew, the better her chances of survival.
Seath sighed, clearly irritated by her lack of response. "Silent treatment, huh? So you do know something, but you're refusing to tell."
Still, Lora said nothing. She knew that her silence might buy her more time—time to think, to plan, and maybe even to find a way out. Her thoughts turned to her grandfather, Eldric, who had spent the last few years engrossed in his research.
'It must be incredibly important research for the underworld to go to these lengths to get it,' Lora thought. 'Even though I don't know anything, I won't let them figure that out. If they believe I know something, they might keep me alive longer. That gives me time—time to find a way to escape.'
Seath's patience wore thin. His hand twitched as if he was about to strike her in frustration, but before he could act, the door creaked open. A man in full plate black knight armor, carrying a massive black sword, entered the room.
It was Rei, another one of the Nameless Titans, here to inform Seath of recent developments regarding the cave treasure. What Lora didn't know was that they were now in Alcos City on Moxi Island. Seath had brought her along through numerous portals, knowing he didn't have time to return her to the client while also fulfilling this new mission.
"Number 8, the Adventurer's Guild has moved," Rei said, his voice deep and measured. "They brought that young man with them. It seems they're betting on him to stop us from taking the treasure."
Seath scoffed at the news, his disdain clear. "Hmph... they think a human kid, barely twenty years old, can stop us from taking what we want?"
"Don't underestimate him," came a voice from behind Rei. It was Dario, another high-ranking member of the Black Market Alliance. "He took down Konstantin with a single hit. He's the one who tipped off the Adventurer's Guild about the cave. If it weren't for one of our higher-ups alerting us, we might not have known until it was too late."
Dario's knew how dangerous it was to dismiss an opponent, especially one as formidable as Aiden. The fact that even the top guild of the Black Market Alliance had sent someone to handle the situation indicated the importance of the treasure.
Seath's expression hardened, "Fine, let's go see this Aiden that you're so worried about. Make sure to leave guards for her, and ensure no one touches her until I get back. She's an important hostage."
Dario nodded, though he still looked uneasy. "Understood."
As Seath turned to leave with Rei and Dario, Lora, who had remained silent throughout their exchange, finally spoke up, "I will make sure to kill each one of you," she declared, her eyes locking onto Seath. "Especially you, wolf. I will kill you for what you did to Eric and the others."
Seath paused, turning back to face her with a mocking smile. "Hmph, I'd like to see you try. But let me tell you something, little princess. Your precious Eric survived. Thanks to him, your grandfather is now searching for you all over the Sardinia Empire. He's the perfect misdirection."
Lora's eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about?"
Seath's smirk deepened. "You don't need to know the details. Just sit tight and wait for your charming prince to rescue you—that is, if he ever comes," he said with a dark chuckle.
Lora clenched her teeth, anger and frustration bubbling up inside her. "Argh... I'll make sure you pay for this. I don't need rescuing—I'll find my own way out."
Seath didn't bother responding. He simply smiled, an expression that conveyed both confidence and indifference, and left the room. He went to prepare for the next phase of their mission, oblivious to the fact that this would be a journey from which most of them would not return.
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Eldric's airship was right now sailing through the skies, heading toward Alcos City, his thoughts drifted back to a recent and unexpected encounter that had changed the course of his search.
It had been just a few days ago when he and Edvard had received a message bearing the mark of the Witch in the Woods. Recognizing the seal, Eldric had immediately ordered the airship to change course, directing it toward the forest where Margaret, the enigmatic witch, resided.
The airship landed in a clearing on the outskirts of the dense forest. Eldric and Edvard disembarked. As they approached the small, thatched-roof cottage nestled among the trees, Margaret herself stepped out to greet them, her presence as commanding as ever despite her simple attire.
"It's been a long time, Eldric," Margaret said warmly, "Too long, I'd say."
She then looked at Edvard and said with a happy smile, "You too Edvard. I' happy to see you even if you're still hanging with this old man even after all this time".
Edvard didn't bother to answer and just stared at her. Margret kept her smile and giggled at his reaction.
Finally, Eldric coughed interrupting her. his gaze shoed a mixture of suspicion and curiosity in his eyes. "Indeed, Margaret. It has been far too long. I can't express how grateful I am that you found saved Eric and the surviving mages. They might not have made it without your help. I wanted to thank you but somehow you disappeared and we couldn't find you".
Margaret waved a hand dismissively, her smile gentle. "I was just there at the right time, Eldric and just like it was the right time to be there, it was also not the right time to meet back then".
Eldric didn't want to indulge her habit of speech too much so he decided to go directly to the heart of the matter and asked, "Your message said that you have a clue where Lora is. Where is she?".
Margret nodded and answered, "I believe that right now, she must be in Alcos city. If you go there, I'm sure you'll find her".
Edvard frowned at her sentence and decided to ask not giving Eldric the chance to speak, "right now? that means you knew where Lora was this entire time, didn't you? Why wait until now to tell us? Why risk her safety like this?", Edvard asked with a tone of anger as he kept staring at her.
Margaret's eyes showed fondness at Edvard current expression and she smiled, "Look at you Edvard. Who expected the cold blooded man I remember in the past would show such expression. I'm really happy for you", Margret spoke to Edvard as if she spoke to a little brother who did a good job.
"tch, you haven't changed at all", Edvard said with a tone of annoyance and started walking back to the airship, "You deal with her Eldric".
Finally, only Margret and Eldric were the only ones remaining. Margret understood his fear and frustration so she finally decided to answer the question. "Sigh, Yes, I knew where she was. But the time was early for you to interfere. Lora is strong, stronger than even you might realize. She needed to face this challenge, to endure it".
Eldric's frown deepened, though he knew better than to dismiss Margaret's wisdom. "What do you mean the time was early for me to interfere?".
Margaret took a step closer, her gaze steady and knowing. "You're not just going to rescue Lora, Eldric. The journey to Alcos City, it's where you'll meet the one who will help you finish your greatest work. The research you've dedicated your life to will finally be complete. This is not just about saving your granddaughter; it's about destiny."
Eldric blinked, he couldn't believe her words. "Someone who will help with my research? But... who? how will I know this person?"
Margaret shook her head, "That's for you to discover when the time comes. Just know that everything is happening as it should, and that your path is leading you exactly where you need to be."
Eldric stared at Margaret, trying to find any more information. He had always known there was more to fate than met the eye, but hearing it like this so plainly, so assuredly, left him a bizarre feeling.
"Thank you, Margaret," Eldric finally said, his voice showing sincerity. "I've always trusted your wisdom, even when it's not easy to understand."
Margaret nodded, "You've always been wise to listen, Eldric. Now go. Your journey is far from over."
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As the memory of the encounter ended, Eldric stood on the deck of the airship, the wind tousling his hair as Alcos City came into view on the horizon. He knew that here he would take the next step in the journey of his life that started four thousand years ago.
"Alcos City. I'm coming, Lora. And I will find whoever it is that Margaret spoke of. I will finish what I started.", Eldric murmured.
Edvard approached Eldric's and spoke, "We're almost there. Are you ready?"
Eldric nodded, "Yes, Edvard. Let's go save Lora"
The airship continued its course, cutting through the clouds as it descended toward Alcos City, carrying Eldric and Edvard into the heart of their destiny.