"You're going to love it at the Institute!" Ciara's handmaiden told her.
"A distant relative of mine studied there before joining the Imperial Mage Court. There's no better place to be."
"I know, I know." Ciara let out with a sigh, frustrated.
Her father, her guards and all her attendants—at least those permitted to speak to her—kept telling her the same thing.
The Magic Institute of the Southern Empire was the best place for her to be… and she was sick of hearing that.
"When will we arrive?" Ciara retorted to the coachman who was at the helm of the carriage, reining the horses.
"Before nightfall, I believe." The Coachman answered.
"Goodness, I wonder why we couldn't use a Rune stone or scroll to just teleport to the Institute. These three days have been grueling for me." Ciara complained.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, but the supply of the objects you speak of were delayed.
Your entrance exams are in two day, and any further delay might cause you to miss it."
Ciara rolled her eyes as the man rambled on.
"I assure you, however, that we will get to our destination soon." The coachman let out an awkward smile.
"Hmph" The young lady responded ruefully.
Her butt was sore, and she didn't like being idle for too long.
There was nothing entertaining for her to do other than watching as the the carriage she was in passed by countless trees, and as they faded into the horizon.
Her name was Ciara Versace Dunroe, and she was on her way to study magic in the United Southern Empire Magic Institute, or U.S.E.M.I for short.
Magic was everything in this world, especially for her, a member of High Nobility.
The Magic Institute boasted countless geniuses and a rich history. While it was open to anyone with a sufficient Mana Pool and adequate skill, it remained an unspoken rule that nobles and the rich dominated the Institutes.
The commoners who managed to get in were usually subject to countless discrimination and prejudice.
Ciara didn't care about any of that though. She didn't even care about the Institute's achievements.
She knew the real reason her father enrolled her in the Institute, but it was too long a story to think about at the moment.
>VWUUSHH!!!<
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew. As Ciara closed her eyes to prevent dust from gaining entry into her eyes, she saw something.
She hesitated and doubted her eyes, but as the wind blew once more, she saw shadows of men running past the trees.
Perhaps it was just her imagination… maybe she was just too tired.
Yes, that had to be the case!
Ciara closed her eyes and sighed as she decided to take a short nap.
She was slowly drifting to sleep when suddenly, the Carriage came to an abrupt halt.
"A-arh!" The recoil sent Ciara's head forward, and then backward, hitting it on the soft cushion behind her.
"What the hell? Coachman!" She bellowed, annoyed at the sudden halt.
Her handmaiden, who was opposite her, and attended to her every needs, suddenly started to shiver.
Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth. The look of terror on her face drove a chill down Ciara's spine.
Her handmaiden was closer to the coachman after all, and what she saw… was death!
The coachman's head was oozing blood that emanated from the top of his ear. An arrow, which glowed, showing it had been enhanced with magic, had pierced his head, causing instant demise.
His hands were still on the reins, and his lifeless body sat on the coachman seat. The dead man's eyes were nearly out of their sockets as his mouth drooped wide open.
Ciara saw this horrid sight as soon as she poked her head out of the window, and she immediately put her head back into the carriage, screaming.
"Haa… haa… haa…" The young Noble felt herself hyperventilating.
This was her first time seeing such a gory sight, but the worst was yet to come.
Her guards—which consisted of her special Captain, elite soldiers, and a 5th tier mage—immediately took a defensive stance to defend the princess.
The mage, being at the extreme rear, warned Ciara to remain in the carriage.
"Defend the young lady, no matter the cost!" The Captain shouted, and the soldiers nodded in agreement.
Immediately, several arrows came flying from within the bushes and trees from both sides of the road, straight toward the carriage. The soldiers knew they couldn't guard against all of them, but they were not entirely hopeless.
"The Power to shield the righteous, the wielder of divine protection. Create a 'Safe Haven' for your holy one and his allies." The Mage chanted, as he lifted his staff.
"[Holy Magic Barrier]!"
Suddenly, a green light enveloped the area they were, and the arrows bounced off the green layered barrier covering them.
The soldiers marveled at the wonder of the magic barrier, but the captain was too concerned with other matters.
The route they took was in an open field, and there were no bandits in the area. Scouts had also gone ahead of them and confirmed the safety of the road.
Also, the time and date of the young lady's travel was made known only to the ones who would accompany her, and as such, there was no way the information could be leaked.
This brought about suspicion in the mind of the Captain guard…. That there was a mole in their midst.
But who?!
Also, the fact that the scouts had not noticed the presence of their attackers must have meant one thing…
"Don't let your guard down!" The captain shouted. "The enemy must also have a skilled Mage with them!"
However, before the captain's warning could register with the soldiers, a second barrage of arrows were launched. This time, they were glowing yellow, which meant they were enchanted with magic.
"They must be looking down on us… As if a tier 2 enchantment could penetrate a tier 4 magic barrier." The mage smiled confidently.
>BZZZTTTZZZZZ!!!<
Suddenly, the barrier buzzed and shattered, allowing the already incoming arrows to draw closer.
Everyone expressed apparent surprise, but before the soldiers—who had relaxed—could raise their shield to defend, the yellow arrows glowed brighter.
>WHOOOOOSSSSHHHH<
Increasing their speed, the arrows pierced all the soldiers in their vital parts—killing them instantly.
"I-Impossible… That was a tier 4 spell!" The mage stuttered in shock.
"Pull yourself together old man!" The captain yelled, rousing the man back to their current predicament.
"You and I are the only ones left."
Suddenly, men began to emerge from the bushes, all fully armed, and ready to kill. The men who appeared numbered over 20, and it seemed others were still stationed among the trees—away from sight.
"Where is your leader?" The captain addressed the rogue attackers.
The criminals were smirking, at this point, and were clearly enjoying the sight of the blood of the corpses before them.
"Right here!" A deep voice came from within the forest, and out came the leader of the attackers.
He was bare-chested, not wearing any armor at all. A sword was in it's sheath by his hip, and other than that he appeared not to possess any other weapons.
Beside him was a man dressed in black, obviously the mage who broke the magic shield.
"What do you people want?" The Captain asked calmly.
"What else?" The boss responded, causing his goons to erupt in laughter.
"We're here for the young lady. Give her to us, and we will spare your lives. We need at least one survivor to deliver our message to the Duke concerning his daughter's capture… and our terms." The Boss said, quieting his men's laughter.
"Over my dead body!" The Captain said with resolve, unsheathing his sword.
"Well, aren't you all riled up." The Boss said with a smile. "I know you… former Imperial Knight Madro Kenz. I know your battle feats, you're strong. But, you won't be able to beat me." The Boss said.
"We'll see about that!" The Captain responded with determination.
"[Iron Skin]. [Greater Speed]. [Greater Strength]. [Fortitude]. [Strong will]. [Total Concentration]. [Battle Aura]. [Aura Sword]." The Captain chanted, enhancing himself.
As he prepared to strike, the enemy Boss patiently waited with a smile on his face.
"Here I come!!!" The Captain said with resolve, ready for a frontal charge.
"Haa… haa…" Ciara was shaking and sweating profusely in the carriage.
Her handmaiden was also totally paralyzed.
The shock was too great!
She didn't dare open the windows of her carriage, but from what she could tell, only the Captain and the Mage remained.
Ciara was scared. Too scared to move—to think.!
The young lady had now realized how grave the situation was. She was already close to tears when she heard a loud CRASH.
>BOOOOOOMMMM!!!<
The crash was followed by a big BANG.
The carriage shook violently, and she could tell that the battle was becoming intense outside.
The ground vibrated and the noise was deafening. Ciara's body kept swerving and shaking as the battle moved her entire body.
Ciara finally braced herself, and willed her body to stop trembling.
She had confidence in the Captain, and in the Mage who escorted her.
She had heard from her father, that the Mage escorting her was a Tier 5 mage, and he served in the Imperial palace at a time.
The Captain was even more impressive. During the battle against the Western Empire 16 years ago, he had made a name for himself as a champion on the battlefield, and was appointed as one of the Imperial Knights in the palace.
He retired 5 years ago, and had been in the service of her father ever since. There was no way he would lose.
>BOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!<
Suddenly, a loud roar and explosion were heard, louder and more devastating than any of the battle noises she had previously heard. Ciara covered her ears in response to the noise.
Suddenly, everywhere went silent. Ciara heaved a sigh of relief. It was finally over… or so she thought.
"Open the doors!" She heard a thick, rough voice say.
Suddenly, the doors were torn from their hinges, revealing the attackers who wore a disgusting smile on their faces.
"N-no way…" Ciara uttered in disbelief.
"Yo, miss… we are here to escort you somewhere. If you don't want to die, you better cooperate." The Boss said with a wicked smile, forcing Ciara to forcefully nod as she covered her mouth.
"Good… good girl!" He said as he smiled. "Now come out of there. You too, maid!" He ordered.
Ciara and the maid descended from the carriage, and what they saw was a sight too grim to be fathomed.
"EEEEEKKKK!"
Blood was everywhere. The corpses of the soldiers filled the floor, and as Ciara turned her face to the right… she saw him!
The Captain of the guards.
His entire body had been dismembered, and his head lay on the ground, separated from his body. His mangled flesh was also messed up beyond recognition.
Ciara saw lots of large potholes and chasms as well as countless damages to the ground, showing a very grave battle had just been fought.
The sight of the Captain's head was too traumatizing for Ciara. As she saw his bloodied eyes which were wide open and his mouth slightly curved, she felt sick to her stomach.
'H-he's dead… he lost?!."
She saw the mage by the corner, and while his body remained intact, he was injured badly and was unconscious.
The smell of blood, the gory sight before her, the sounds of the attackers and their ugly expressions—they were too much for Ciara to process.
"A-ahhh…"
She passed out, and as her sight blurred, she saw the Boss mentioning something…
… About her father, about her 'Bloodline', and about money.
Then everything went pitch black.
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A cart approached the destroyed and damaged road. It slowly halted, and the coachman, who also was the owner of the contraption stepped down.
He walked slowly to the scene and observed everything calmly.
"Y-Young man, please help me…"
The handmaiden—who had been left behind and alive—said as she laid on the floor, barely able to move.
The young man observed her posture, and realized that she must have just been raped by some attackers.
By looking around him, he had a fair idea of what had transpired before his arrival.
"I'll help you…" The young man stated.
"… But after I do, tell me what happened here."
The dark eyes of the mysterious man lit up, showing interest in the current situation and a dangerous foreboding regarding the perpetrators of the incident.
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