The muscle guy watches the waves crash violently against the jagged rocks below, his expression unreadable.
One of the black-robed men steps closer, breaking the silence.
"Did he really jump? Is he stupid? No one survives that fall. He's probably smashed against the rocks by now."
The muscle guy stays silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the water. Then, in a low, steady voice, he speaks.
"Get to the other side of the shore."
The subordinate hesitates.
"For what?"
"Retrieve his body," the muscle guy replies, turning his back to the cliff. His steps are slow, deliberate, as he walks away.
He frowns, his thoughts swirling as a strange feeling settles in his chest.
"Why?" he mutters to himself, his voice almost a growl.
He pauses for a brief moment before continuing.
"Why does it feel like something's off?"
After a few moments, the area grew eerily silent as the last of the black-robed men disappeared toward the other side of the shore.
Beneath the surface of the water, Leo clung tightly to the narrow gap between jagged rocks, his lungs burning but his resolve unwavering. His eyes opened, the cold saltwater stinging them as he thought to himself.
"Looks like they bought it. Guess it's time to move."
With deliberate movements, he started climbing back up the cliff. The rough edges scraped his hands, but he remained focused, methodically pulling himself upward.
As he reached the top, Leo crawled onto the grass, rolling onto his back. His chest rose and fell heavily as he caught his breath.
Looking up at the sky, he muttered to himself.
"They really aren't the type to learn from their mistakes, are they?"
He let out a short, tired chuckle before pushing himself up slowly, inspecting the scratches on his arms and legs. Nothing too serious, just shallow cuts and scrapes.
Standing up, he brushed off the dirt and said softly,
"Let's see how long it takes before they realize they've been chasing shadows."
Leo dusted himself off, a smirk creeping onto his face.
"Now that they've seen me take that dive, I've got all the time I need to vanish," he muttered, his voice laced with amusement.
He glanced back at the cliff one last time before turning toward the forest.
"Idiots," he said with a quiet chuckle, stepping into the shadows of the trees.
---
Time dragged on as Leo trudged through the unending forest, his body growing heavier with each step.
His mind churned with frustration.
"How long have I been walking? An hour? Two? I don't even know where the hell I am."
The silence of the forest pressed down on him, and his hope dwindled. He let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'm probably going to collapse here before I ever find my way out of this cursed forest," he muttered under his breath, his tone carrying a mix of irritation and exhaustion.
Just as his legs began to falter, a faint sound reached his ears—a distant clatter.
His head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the noise. It grew louder with each second, unmistakably the sound of hooves against the ground.
Leo's lips curled into a grin, his fatigue momentarily forgotten.
"Well, well," he said to himself, his voice filled with renewed determination.
"Looks like fate hasn't given up on me just yet."
Without wasting another moment, he turned toward the sound, his steps quicker but cautious, ready to see who—or what—was drawing near.
After a few minutes of moving cautiously through the forest, Leo finally arrived near the source of the sound.
He ducked behind some bushes, his sharp eyes scanning the scene.
There stood a group of people—knights, by the look of their shining silver armor.
Leo's gaze sharpened as it fell upon one figure clad in golden armor.
"Hmm... Royal guards," he muttered to himself, his tone thoughtful.
He counted them quickly.
"Twelve in silver and one in gold. Not a bad escort if I want to sneak my way into the empire safely."
Leo paused, tilting his head slightly as he considered his options.
"At least, I won't have to—"
His sentence was cut short as something unexpected hit his senses.
A scent—subtle but distinct—drifted through the air.
His expression darkened slightly, and he took a deeper breath, analyzing it.
"What is this smell?" he whispered, narrowing his eyes.
It wasn't the scent of armor polish, sweat, or even the horses.
It was something else. Something... off.
"A person," he murmured, his lips curling into a sly grin.
"But not human."
His body tensed with excitement as he crouched lower, curiosity and caution swirling in his mind.
"Well, well... this just got interesting."
Leo remained utterly silent, his breath shallow as he watched the scene unfold before him.
The knights tightened their circle, their silver armor glinting in the sunlight.
One of them stepped forward, pulling back the hood of the smaller figure.
Wolf-like ears twitched under the harsh light, immediately flattening in fear.
The smaller figure scrambled to cover its ears, trembling, while the taller one instinctively stepped forward, shielding it with a protective growl.
The golden-armored knight took a slow step closer, his expression smug.
"Well, what do we have here?" he said, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Beastmen. Wolves, no less. Your kind has caused the empire plenty of trouble recently."
He gestured with a flick of his hand, and the knights readied their weapons.
"Take them."
The taller figure snarled, its eyes blazing, and lunged at the golden knight with all its might.
But the knight didn't even flinch.
With a calculated sidestep, he avoided the attack and slammed the hilt of his sword against the beastman's head.
The taller figure collapsed to the ground, motionless.
The smaller one let out a broken cry, rushing to the fallen figure's side. It clutched at the unconscious form, shaking them desperately.
"Please, wake up!"
The plea was ignored as the knights descended, grabbing the smaller beastman and binding its hands tightly.
Leo's eyes followed every movement, unblinking.
Hidden in the shadows, he stayed completely still, his expression unreadable.
One of the knights yanked the smaller beastman by its arm, dragging it roughly before tossing it into a cage with a metallic thud.
Leo watched silently, his gaze steady as he assessed the situation.
He thought to himself, "Well, if I'm going to make a move, now's the time."
He stepped out of the bushes and began, "Hello ther—"
An arrow zipped past his head, narrowly missing him and lodging into the tree behind him.
Leo blinked, his pulse quickening.
"Whoa! That was... dangerously close," he muttered, raising his hands slowly.
The knights, startled, shifted their weapons toward him, bows drawn, swords ready.
The golden knight stepped forward, his eyes sharp and calculating.
"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the tense silence.
Leo walked forward cautiously, fully stepping into the open, his hands still raised.
"The name's Leo," he said calmly, his voice steady despite the pressure.
"Leo Radiance."
A hushed silence followed as his name lingered in the air, the knights exchanging wary glances.
The golden knight didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he urged his horse forward, circling Leo like a predator sizing up its prey.
After a moment, he smirked, his voice dripping with mockery.
"And why should I believe you?"
His eyes narrowed, his tone growing colder.
"What if you're just another cursed brat scheming to bring chaos to the empire?"
With a swift motion, he drew his sword, the blade gleaming in the dim light.
He pointed it toward Leo's neck, the edge hovering dangerously close.
"Tell me," he continued, his smirk twisting into a sneer, "how much do you think the
emperor would reward me if I brought him your head instead?"
Leo stood still, unflinching, as if the swordposed no threat to him.
For a moment, the tension thickened, the silence broken only by the distant rustle of the forest.
Finally, Leo spoke, his voice calm but his words slow and halting in the unfamiliar
tongue.
"My fa...ther ki..LL you."
The knight froze, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.
His expression hardened, the sneer faltering for a brief second.
As much as he wanted to strike Leo down,the weight of those words held him back.
He knew exactly who Leo's father was-a man whose name alone could send shivers
down the spine of any soldier.
The knight's jaw clenched as he rebuctantly Lowered his sword, his frustration barely
The golden knight raised his hand, and the other knights hesitated before lowering their bows.
He sheathed his sword with an air of authority and fixed Leo with a cold, skeptical stare.
"What exactly are you doing here, wandering around in the middle of this forest?"
Leo paused, glancing at the knight before replying in his broken tongue.
"Go... ho...me."
The knight narrowed his eyes, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Home? And why are you talking like you've forgotten how to speak? Did banishment make you lose your wits?"
Leo remained silent, meeting the knight's gaze without flinching.
With an annoyed sigh, the knight shook his head.
"We're on an important mission. It'll be days before we return to the capital. If you want to tag along, fine. But don't expect any favors."
Leo stayed expressionless, offering only a small nod in response.
The knight snorted, turning away.
"Don't get comfortable. If you fall behind, you'll be left to rot. We're not here to carry dead weight."
As he walked off, he glanced back once more.
"You're on your own, Radiance."
Without waiting for a reply, the knight rejoined his group, his golden armor glinting under the fading sunlight.