Episode 10
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At the mountain's peak, three of the four leaders of the slave base sat in their usual room, all three of them staring at the door, waiting for one person.
One person who had caused all of this.
One person who had freed the slaves and even the princess.
Steve, Lysandra, and Kael kept their gaze fixed on the door, their expressions cold enough to strike fear into anyone. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, their patience stretched to its limits.
Kwasik!
Finally, the door creaked open. The three of them turned to look at the man who entered, their eyes widening in unison.
Rosell's bloodied face left them all stunned.
No one was supposed to be able to harm Rosell in this place—not unless it was Lusandra herself confronting him. She was the only one capable of leaving Rosell in such a state. Yet, regardless of how he appeared, no one spoke a word. The silence lingered until Steve finally broke it.
His brown eyes locked onto Rosell's, his black hair swaying lightly in the faint breeze slipping through the door.
"What happened... Rosell?"
"....."
As Rosell wiped the blood from his face with a black handkerchief, he glanced at Steve and spoke.
"It was my mistake..."
Kwasik!
Kael slammed his fist on the table, not hard enough to break it, but cracks still appeared. All eyes turned to him as he shouted.
"Damn it! A second-circle mage let a hundred people and the princess escape—and came back injured! What the hell were you doing down there, Rosell?"
"I know it's my fault... but that bastard—"
Rosell clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as his bloodshot eyes stared at the ground, replaying the two blows he'd taken just minutes ago.
Lysandra's ink-black eyes locked onto Rosell, irritation evident. She was equal in strength to him, yet as her gaze lingered on his battered face, one question burned in her mind: How in the world had Rosell taken such a beating so easily, knowing that none of the slaves could even wield mana?
Then how was this possible? The only person who could hurt Rosell this much was herself—Lysandra. However, there was definitely something strange about all of this.
"This is odd. Rosell, tell us what happened."
Rosell nodded and explained everything in detail: how the slaves had escaped and how someone had hit him so hard. He hadn't seen them clearly because it was so dark underground. Rosell finished his story while Lysandra pondered.
'They're strong, but it's impossible that we wouldn't have noticed someone using mana—or maybe their strength is comparable to that of a mid-rank knight.'
There were many questions but no answers. Rosell hadn't seen the face of the person who struck him, but they were strong enough to injure him to this extent with just two hits.
"Did you send all the personnel after those two?"
Steve asked, and Rosell replied.
"Yes. I won't let them escape easily."
"Hey, idiot, tell me something. How did they hit you if your mana perception is always active?"
Kael asked. Of course, it was a valid question. Mana perception is a basic magical skill for second-circle mages. In short, it allows a person to sense anyone with mana within their range of perception. This makes it possible to avoid close-range sneak attacks and counterattack instantly.
Rosell spoke, looking at Kael.
"I don't know. I couldn't detect them. It's as if they didn't exist or as if the darkness itself hid them."
"So we're dealing with someone unusual. If they bypassed your perception, then they must be an assassin with stealth magic."
At that moment, Rosell's eyes widened as he recalled the words of the person who had struck him earlier.
"Now that I remember, they said something about an assassin's rule of survival."
Kael looked at him and spoke.
"Then it's an assassin."
Steve replied.
"We can't be sure, but if what you're saying is true, then it must be an assassin. However, no assassin would openly say something like that."
It was definitely strange, but none of the four denied the possibility that this person could be an assassin.
"Let's forget that for a moment. Rosell, you said earlier that they left with the princess, right?"
Lysandra had asked the question, and Rosell responded after putting away the handkerchief he had used to wipe the blood.
"Yes, I sent those useless fools to chase only those two. If we go after the other slaves, it would be a waste. Besides, the forest should be full of monsters. It will be difficult for them to descend the mountain without getting hurt."
"If that's the case, let's go, the four of us. We'll leave the base. If we catch them, we'll head straight to the Verdance Empire."
***
Park Chan-woo set Gloriana down from his arms as he stopped. They had been running downhill for half an hour. The silence was heavy, and the moonlight illuminated the terrain clearly. However, Park Chan-woo looked ahead.
He could now see a few pairs of eyes, and by channeling mana into his own, he discerned the jaws and muzzles of wolves.
'Those are common animals from my previous world. I doubt they're monsters.'
In theory, a monster is a creature without a determined form—something with a strange and difficult-to-explain appearance. That was Park Chan-woo's definition of a "monster." However, these were normal wolves, like those on Earth.
'They don't seem to be in a pack; it's just two wolves, male and female.'
Park Chan-woo glanced at Gloriana as he spoke, warning her.
"There are two nuisances a few meters ahead."
"Are they... monsters or something else?"
"They're just wolves."
'Just wolves...'
Gloriana repeated the words that Park Chan-woo said.
Park Chan-woo moved quickly, mana surging into his legs as he closed the distance to the wolves.
Kwasik!
The wolves emerged from the shadows, revealing themselves. Both wolves charged at Park Chan-woo simultaneously.
'If I were in my previous body, dealing with these animals would be simple. However, with mana, it should be even easier.'
Park Chan-woo grabbed the head of one wolf, clenched its jaw, and hurled it against the other.
"Just as I thought, this is nothing."
Park Chan-woo charged at the two wolves, grabbing both by the neck and slamming them to the ground. However, the wolves twisted and flailed, their claws scratching both of Park Chan-woo's arms, leaving a small wound.
'Bastards.'
Park Chan-woo tightened his grip on the wolves' necks. With a faint crack, both wolves stopped moving, their bodies convulsing simultaneously. Foam spilled from their jaws, and their once-black eyes turned white out of nowhere.
Park Chan-woo walked toward Gloriana, who stood with wide eyes. Although she had witnessed many battles between knights and mages before, the ease with which Park Chan-woo subdued the two wolves was astonishing. Even a newly appointed knight would struggle to handle two nearly two-meter-tall wolves simultaneously, as Park Chan-woo had just done.
"Let's go. They're still chasing us."
"Hey... but your arms, they're injured."
Park Chan-woo glanced at his arms. Only a few superficial red scratches were visible, but they were nothing significant.
"It doesn't matter. It's just a minor scratch."
Not a single drop of blood fell, showing no signs of serious bleeding.
Park Chan-woo walked forward into the forest, with Gloriana following close behind.
"We should be close to leaving the mountain. After that, we'll look for a city or village, and then we'll part ways."
"Part ways?"
Gloriana asked, and Park Chan-woo replied almost immediately.
"Isn't it obvious? I only let myself get caught by those people to get in and free all of you. After that, everyone can go their own way."
"Even so... you saved me, and I'm a princess. If we go to the castle, my mother will reward you."
"I'm not interested in a reward. I just saved all those people because they remind me of my past."
Gloriana looked at him for a moment.
He mentioned his past. Had Park Chan-woo been in a similar situation to those people in that slave base? Gloriana's mind filled with questions, but she knew it wasn't a good time to ask.
Behind the two, the sound of hoofbeats echoed, signaling that several people were approaching on horseback.
"Quick!"
Park Chan-woo once again carried Gloriana in his arms. At their current pace, they would be caught quickly, but by using mana in his legs, he could increase his speed significantly.
"Don't run, you little bastards!"
Gloriana opened her eyes; it was Rosell's voice, and it was dangerously close.
"Damn it, they're right behind us!"
Park Chan-woo descended the mountain as the shouts of several men, including Rosell, reached his ears, growing louder. Yet, Park Chan-woo kept running. Ahead of him, the landscape was empty, entirely covered in snow, with massive glaciers scattered all around.
He hid behind one of the enormous glaciers.
"They're close… How are we going to escape?"
Park Chan-woo pondered as Gloriana questioned him. Their odds were dwindling rapidly; if the group chasing them caught up, they wouldn't stand a chance. Even if they stopped for just a moment, their pursuers would arrive. Yet Park Chan-woo didn't know where to go.
He looked around, but all he could see was a flat, snowy landscape dotted with enormous glaciers. It was night, and the sky was overcast due to a small snowstorm.
"Shit… Where are we, and what is this place?"
"I think… I know where we are, but I'm not sure,"
Park Chan-woo looked at her and asked.
"Speak. It doesn't matter where we are, but if you know of a safe place, tell me where to go."
Gloriana thought for a moment. She remembered a region called the 'frozen area.' That place was outside the borders of the empires—essentially, it marked the frontier of all the empires on the continent. The Frozen Area lay at the center of the continent, and only one person ruled and lived there.
"I think we're in the Frozen Area. The Ice Queen lives here… But if we go to her palace, she might kill us."
But what other choice did they have? They were being pursued by dozens of armed men and a second-circle mage. What were their chances of survival if they turned back?
Park Chan-woo spoke as he grabbed Gloriana's hand.
"What does it matter? If we go back, they'll find us anyway. So what do we have to lose by heading to her palace?"
"But…"
"Let's go. If we stay here, we'll end up back there, and it'll be worse than before."
Gloriana understood. However, she knew very well who the woman ruling the Frozen Area was. Everyone knew. No empire dared approach her for fear of provoking conflict. She was, in a few words:
"A cruel woman who kills anyone who comes near her."