Far from the city of Lulin, a covered carriage driven by Aisa sped through the dense forest. Clusters of silvery stars twinkled in the dark ocean of the sky, adding to the moon's brilliance. The sound of the carriage wheels gliding over the ground and the chirping of crickets in the night caught the eye of an owl perched on a tree branch.
With confidence in the darkness of the night, without looking back, Aisa said, "You can come out, Lenus."
The barrel containing Lenus shook, and Lenus emerged, wearing a mask. Afterward, he went to check on Lena and Melva. This time, he did so without Aisa saying anything, which surprised Aisa, albeit briefly. When Lenus returned from the back of the carriage, he tried to sit beside Aisa while maintaining his balance.
"They're fine, but their stomachs are a little swollen and..."
Aisa looked at him and asked, "And what?"
Lenus swallowed and said, "Even though it's dark, I saw a faint darkness in their stomachs."
Aisa looked ahead. Although she didn't show any particular reaction, worry was evident in her eyes. She then pointed to a box and said, "Lenus, there's a lamp in that box. If you can, turn it on." When Lenus opened the box, he took out a glass lamp and as he tried to light it with his fire magic, Aisa said, as if she hated to admit it, "We'll really need the light from here on out..."
Finally, Lenus, with a lit lantern, sat on the front of the carriage and hung the lantern on a special rod to illuminate the road ahead. The carriage shook a lot, and he had to carefully move the lantern back and forth several times to secure it in place.
He didn't have any particular reaction in this situation and behaved as usual; he was neither afraid nor terrified, nor excited nor flustered. Unlike him, Aisa was worried but didn't panic like him and tried to manage everything well.
As Aisa drove the carriage, Lenus asked curiously, "Lady, is there another way to the forest cabin besides the one we're taking?"
Aisa was a little surprised by his question but quickly replied, "There is one, but since this way is faster and smoother, we're not taking that route."
"So can we take the other way?"
Aisa didn't hide her surprise this time.
"Why?"
While Aisa couldn't see Lenus's face, he replied, "Master Adelin told me I had gained a great and dangerous power. I don't know, I'm not sure, but..."
"But what?"
Lenus looked at Aisa with his usual gaze and said, "I have a feeling that if we continue on this path, we'll run into a big problem. Maybe... maybe they're lying in wait for us."
As soon as Lenus finished his sentence, Aisa's eyes widened and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Lenus's prediction was not far-fetched. Although only Lenus, herself, Adelin, and Simon knew their destination, their plan might have been leaked. She trusted Adelin and Simon, but she suspected that one of the patients or one of the staff might have overheard this and told someone. According to Simon, people were wandering around the city who were waiting for Lenus to wake up.
Moreover, Lenus said he felt it; considering the power he had gained in the incident at the Dragon's Heritage Castle, Aisa didn't consider his words simple or baseless. After all, there were many legends about this terrible power and its dangerous and vast abilities. Perhaps "foresight" was also among the abilities resulting from this ancient power.
After analyzing all these matters, Aisa finally made her decision.
"Okay. There's a turn a little ahead, be careful not to fall out of the carriage when we turn."
Lenus replied with a faint joy that not everyone would feel, "I'll be careful, Lady." And he clung tightly to the carriage.
A few moments later, Aisa slowed the carriage slightly and, under her guidance, the horse and carriage turned onto a path that branched off from the dirt road. Fortunately, nothing else happened except for a few boxes falling and the barrel rolling.
Lenus looked at the new path they were on. It wasn't entirely clear because of the darkness of the night, but the deeper they went, the denser the trees became and the sky became less visible. Also, the road became rougher and more rocky. However, there was no serious disruption to the carriage's movement.
As Lenus's eyelids grew heavy, a small, mocking smile appeared on his lips. The covered carriage continued on its way, making its way through the tangled trees.
***
About half a kilometer ahead of where the carriage turned off the dirt road, several black-cloaked men, their faces well concealed, were hidden among the trees. Some were looking in the direction the carriage was supposed to come, and others were looking at the road beside them.
One of the black-cloaked men, who was looking at the road, said, "Did we need to use the Porch Trap? I don't think ambushing a carriage required this much preparation." He spoke so softly that if the wind blew, his words would easily disappear into the air.
Another black-cloaked man standing near him said, "The boss ordered it, so it must have been necessary. Besides, the person we've been waiting for here for a month is in that carriage. The sooner and smoother it's done, the better."
"Oh... I see. Right."
They said nothing more and, like the others, remained silent and ready, waiting for the carriage to arrive.
In the middle of the road, a large magical circle was drawn on the ground, and a red, polished stone was placed in its center. This set trap, called the Porch Trap, was one of the most famous magical circles and, of course, drawing it required a great deal of skill and experience. It was also very powerful and, with some modifications, could be used as a practical trap for ambushes and surprise attacks.
This trap was supposed to catch the carriage in which Aisa, Lenus, Lena, and Melva were, but it seemed to have been set up in vain; a lot of time passed, but no one appeared.
One of the black-cloaked men, who was hidden higher than the others, came out from among the trees and stood beside the Porch Trap. He was clearly larger than the other black-cloaked men but still had a special grace in his movements. Following him, another black-cloaked man emerged from his hiding place and said to him, "They should have arrived by now, Elliot."
The black-cloaked man named Elliot removed his black hood, and his long golden hair fell out from under it. In his gaze, like his slow and precise behavior, there was a well-ordered and tangible pattern of a mixture of power and order. It was no wonder that he was appointed as the leader of this group.
Although things were not going as he wished, not a bit of his composure was caught in the whirlpool of turmoil and confusion. Then he raised his hand, and suddenly a crow landed on his thumb with great speed. The black-cloaked man standing beside him didn't even have time to blink and see the crow. However, this didn't surprise him.
The crow flapped its wings in an unusual and somewhat strange manner and made a sound: Caw!
Elliot took his honey-colored gaze away from the crow's red eyes and looked into the distance, where the carriage had turned off the road. He saw a very small light moving away from them. Then, in his simple but penetrating and clear tone, he muttered to himself, "So that's how it is..."