In a certain open clearing of the forest, the scenery was ruined by traces of battle.
Destroyed carriages and ruined fruits and vegetables were scattered about.
What's more, blood stained the grass in some areas with a few dead bodies, numbering four in total.
In the middle of this clearing, a woman knelt alongside a few other ladies but her baring was quite different from theirs.
This woman looked exceedingly beautiful with her black hair tied in a bun. She was dressed in light armor with light makeup on her face.
She would look like an unsullied goddess if not for her bleeding lip as well as a slight gash she had on her left eyebrow.
Behind her, the ladies were trembling while silently sobbing, they seemed to have just gone through a traumatic experience.
They were tied up and at the moment, looked like helpless lambs about to be slaughtered.
Suddenly, the laughter of men was heard as they approached the woman and her subordinates.
Seeing them, the woman furrowed her brows as her killing intent soared. "You will pay for what you have done, Dan."
A man suddenly walked in front of the group, obviously the one she referred to as Dan.
He wore barbarian armor and his face was rather unsightly as he had a sword injury running from his left eye to his cheek.
He scowled. "Still dare to talk when you're on your knees, huh?... Don't worry, I'll make sure to break that will of yours soon enough."
The woman spat on the ground. "If you think you have won, you have another thing coming."
Dan feigned anxiety as he turned to his subordinates and quaked in his boots. "Oh my, that was so scary."
They immediately burst into laughter, their joy translating to pain for the woman and her subordinates.
Dan stopped laughing as he smirked at the woman. "I'm sure you are hoping for that stupid merchant's daughter to make it back to the city to place a report but do you think that she would be able to get far?"
The woman went wide-eyed. "What did you do?"
Dan chuckled. "I sent a few men after her and what's more, I ordered for them to treat her 'properly' once they get hold of her." He enunciated the word, properly, to ensure the woman understood what he was getting at.
"Shameless!" the woman felt pained. She hoped that nothing would happen but now things were turning bleaker by the second.
She couldn't help but blame herself for placing her people at risk, even going as far as resulting in four deaths.
"The heavens will bare me witness that I only tried to help those in need." The woman solemnly said, her facial expression still stern.
Dan scoffed. "Oh please, stop trying to act all self-righteous. You bastard nobles have had your way with us, commoners, for long enough. Now it's time for an uprising."
He turned to his men. "What do you say, boys?"
They replied in unison. "Yes!"
Dan nodded in satisfaction. As he turned back to the woman and was about to say something more, he felt killing intent boring down on him from all angles.
Without a chance to pinpoint the exact location, he immediately backed away from the woman.
At the same time, a shadow appeared above.
Dan looked up but was unable to see the shadow's face as it was obscured by the sunlight.
The shadow dropped down and created a crater at its landing spot, the cracks spreading about like a spider's web.
Dan was stunned by the stranger's appearance, same as the woman but she immediately regained herself as she noticed the lady the stranger was carrying.
Feeling happy, she called out. "Laura!"
The lady turned to face her, all smiles. "Lady Rion."
At that point, the stranger turned back to face the lady, his eyes filled with emotions. He wanted to smile but was unable to form a full arc, thus he only stared at her with the lady staring back in shock.
"…Max." she managed to say before he turned away from her.
Putting Laura down, he moved her aside. "Take care of my mom."
Laura had no qualms with this as she obliged and moved to assist Lady Rion in breaking her bindings.
Meanwhile, Max took a deep breath as he tried to calm the raging emotions he felt.
He had finally reunited with his mother after almost six years and the state he finds her in turns out to be so pathetic?
He couldn't understand it but every single injury he saw on her skin was enough to make him go berserk.
But alas, he managed to control himself well enough to exchange a few words.
Looking toward Dan, he simply asked. "Why did you hurt her?" his voice was low but it carried several implications.
Dan stared at the boy in front of him with mixed feelings. Clearly, his entrance was a bit eye-catching making him put his guard up. The killing intent Max exuded was way above anything he had experienced in a while.
But as he took a closer look, he realized that this stranger did not have any magic.
A freaking nobody dared to question him!
Dan scowled. "You dare to question me as a useless cripple?"
Max sighed. "Mother… what do you suggest I do with these people?"
Lady Rion was a bit confused by the question. She could also tell that Max was without a drop of magic but she was also aware, better than anyone else, that there were other means to gaining power.
Thus, she asked. "Are you a Sage?"
Max did not respond, merely cracking his fingers and neck.
She looked at Laura for confirmation with the latter nodding, informing her that she could leave everything in Max's hands.
She had received the answer she needed. Without wasting another second, she coldly said. "Break their bones."
Max grinned, his expression reminiscent of a crazed person. "As you wish."