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Chapter 61 - Chapter 4 — Before The Fall (7)

The snow had piled up so high that it was up to my knees, making it increasingly difficult to keep my footing. It was challenging to maintain my balance, especially with my heavy backpack, and to make matters worse, the wind was relentless, making it even harder for me to remain upright. Despite the harsh conditions, I refused to give up. I persevered, one step at a time, through the knee-deep snow.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I emerged from the snow-covered path and into the entrance of the grand estate. As I looked around, I heard a faint voice calling out to me. It was the head maid, bundled up in a thick robe to protect herself from the cold.

"Young lady!" she exclaimed, noticing me. "What are you doing out there in this weather? Come inside at once!"

I could see that she was concerned, but I couldn't bring myself to stop just yet. I knew I had to keep moving, to keep pushing forward until I reached my destination. Without saying a word, I quickened my pace, hoping to outrun the head maid before she could catch up to me.

But with the deep snow and my heavy backpack weighing me down, running was out of the question. I knew I had to ditch my backpack if I wanted to increase my speed, so I quickly unstrapped it and flung it to the side. I heard a muffled thump as it hit the snow.

"Young lady, wait!"

As I hurriedly made my way through the snow-covered path, the head maid's voice called out to me. Startled, I halted in my tracks, my heart pounding with unease. I watched as the head maid began sprinting towards me with an unexpected speed. I couldn't believe an old lady like her could move so swiftly.

Initially taken aback by her speed, I quickly regained my composure and assessed the situation. I knew that I had to act fast if I wanted to avoid being caught by the maid. I attempted to run, but my efforts were futile as the thick blanket of snow impeded my movements, causing my feet to sink deep into the fluffy powder with every step.

Meanwhile, the head maid continued chasing me, her pace not slowing down despite the snowy terrain. Her movements were so fluid and effortless that it was evident she had been trained to move this way. I realized I had underestimated her abilities. I knew that if I didn't do something to deter her, she would catch up to me in mere seconds.

With the maid closing in on me, I frantically searched for a solution. She was only a few steps away, and I could sense her outstretched hand reaching for me. I knew that it was only a matter of time before she would catch up to me. I had to do something fast.

I picked up the bow that had been slung across my back the entire time, readying it for what was to come. With one swift motion, I reached for the quiver that was fastened securely on my waist, and retrieved one of the lethal arrows that had been crafted with the rare and powerful material known as trull. Unlike the rubber-tipped arrows that my grandfather had trained me with, these trull arrows were designed for a different purpose.

Retrieving an arrow from the quiver, I swiftly placed it onto the bow, carefully taking aim. I pulled back the string, feeling the resistance as it stretched taut, and took aim at the ground.

I knew I had to be cautious, and I certainly had no intention of harming the head maid. So, instead of aiming for her, I aimed for the ground, coating the tip of the arrow with mana as I did so.

"Flame arise, burn bright."

As I coated the tip of the arrow with mana, I whispered the incantation for Ignite under my breath. The magic flowed through me, and I felt the power of the spell surge through my veins. Ignite was a potent spell, capable of setting anything ablaze, and I knew that this arrow, with its sensitive trull material, would be deadly if used in the right way.

With a deep breath, I released the string of my bow, the arrow soaring through the air with a powerful whooshing sound.

As it hit the ground, the impact was immediate, causing a cloud of snow to erupt into the air. I hoped that this would be enough to conceal my position from the head maid. Without a moment to waste, I turned and began to sprint away as quickly as possible.

But much to my surprise, I soon found that the head maid was now in front of me, blocking my path with her presence. "I cannot allow you to continue, my lady," she spoke in a firm, yet gentle tone. "It is far too dangerous out here. Please, come with me. Let us return to the safety of the estate."

My mind was left reeling with confusion. How had the head maid managed to get in front of me without me noticing her approach?

The head maid pleaded with me, "Please go back, young lady." She attempted to grab my arm, but I skillfully evaded her.

"I have no intention of returning, head maid. I am determined to locate the flower and place it on my grandfather's grave. I will not be deterred," I declared resolutely.

The head maid's eyes widened briefly before transforming into an expression of concern, "It is perilous, young lady. You must not—"

"I gave my word to grandfather," I interjected. "And I must fulfill that pledge."

I quickly notched an arrow onto my bow, and jumped back to create distance between us. I aimed at the snow beneath her feet and released the string. However, before the arrow reached its target, it was unexpectedly sliced in half.

It was then that I noticed the head maid holding a rapier. I was amazed that I had not even noticed her drawing it.

She then spoke to me with a calm voice, "Please, young lady, it's dangerous here. I understand that you are still grieving the passing of the head, but please realize that doing something rash like this would only make him unhappy."

I was already aware of this. My grandfather would never have approved of such reckless behavior.

"Nevertheless, I can't help but feel the need to do this," I replied.

I wanted to do something to fill the void that my grandfather had left behind. With him gone, I felt lonely and even my constant research for the past two days had failed to distract me from the pain of his loss. As time passed, my longing for him only grew stronger.

"Young lady," the head maid muttered, seeming to understand my thoughts. She eased her grip on her rapier, which gave me an opportunity.

Without a moment's hesitation, I took advantage of the opportunity presented to me and swiftly reached for three arrows from the quiver. As I pulled the string taut, I began to recite the incantation for ignite.

"Flame arise, burn bright."

With a spark of magic, I released the arrows towards the head maid.

The three arrows flew towards her with deadly precision. I had timed their release to ensure that they exploded in close proximity to her, and before she had a chance to react. There was a deafening sound as the arrows exploded in a burst of energy, scattering debris and smoke in all directions. The head maid, caught off guard, shielded herself with her arm as the force of the blast threatened to overwhelm her.

I seized that chance to flee.

***

Tris's POV:

As I stood there, three arrows suddenly came at me, exploding near my face. Acting quickly, I shielded my face with my arm, but fortunately, the blast didn't harm me. It seemed like the young lady who shot the arrows hadn't meant to cause me any harm in the first place.

When I lowered my arm and looked around, however, the young lady was nowhere to be seen. Despite trying to sense her presence, the strong wind and heavy snow made it impossible to detect anything.

It had been over a decade since my last fight, but I was confident that my skills hadn't diminished with age. However, after letting the young lady escape, I couldn't help but doubt the validity of that belief.

To clarify, I didn't think I had become senile or lost my abilities. It was just that the young lady had proven to be more capable than I had anticipated. She displayed impressive skill with the bow, even in the face of strong winds that would have normally made hitting her target impossible. She took the wind into account and adjusted her attacks accordingly, ultimately hitting her mark. Her ability to adjust her aim in consideration of the wind was impressive.

Although I had not underestimated her, I might have inadvertently let my guard down due to the empathy I felt towards her, ultimately resulting in her successful escape from my grasp.

As I scanned the area, I noticed that there were no discernible traces of her footprints, thanks to the heavy snowfall that had blanketed the terrain. The snow had piled up so much that it had erased all signs of her passage, making it difficult to track her down.

"Lady Shionne..."

With a heavy heart, I whispered her name to the wind, hoping my words would somehow reach her in the midst of the fierce snowstorm. But it was a futile effort, and so I set off in the direction of the northeast, determined to find her.