"If she arrives unconscious, the boss is going to kill us!" Emilia heard a clumsy voice before opening her eyes. She quickly looked around and noticed she was in the back of a cart, but she didn't need to see it to know. The swaying of the transport had made her nauseous, and, unable to move because she was tied up, she held back her vomit to avoid coming face to face with it.
"There was nothing we could do; she started running," replied the other man, sounding irritated with the conversation.
Emilia tried to move but couldn't. She thought about complaining but didn't risk it. She didn't know who these people were or where they were taking her. If they realized she was awake and possibly hearing their plans, they might condemn her to death. She struggled to shift toward the wooden door that kept her locked inside. As expected, it was locked.
She looked around, searching for something to free her tied hands. She found a rusty horseshoe on the floor and, testing her luck, scraped the rope against it until she managed to free herself. Then, with her hands free, she untied her legs. She was free. Or almost. She still needed to escape.
With a silent motion, she lifted the latch on the door. It made a faint noise that caused her to jump back. The men outside continued talking as if nothing had happened—because, to them, nothing had.
When she opened the door and looked down, she saw the ground rushing by beneath her. It was either jump or lose her life. Emilia chose the first option. The cart continued on, unaware the girl was gone, her legs and arms scratched from the fall.
"Now's not the time for self-pity," Emilia thought as she stood up, brushing the dirt off her clothes. "I need to run before they realize I'm missing... but... where am I?"
She looked around and found herself in a deserted area. There were no villages or people, and it was a place she had never been before. She wandered aimlessly for a while until she came across a wooden sign stuck in the ground. It might offer a clue on how to get home.
The sign read, "Alfredo's Tavern, 50m," with an arrow pointing to the right. Emilia hesitantly followed the path through the desolate and unfamiliar area. Suddenly, she heard the sound of hooves pounding furiously on the ground, approaching her.
She tried to hide, but there was nowhere to go. Three men in long robes, each adorned with a colorful symbol and yellow ropes, were riding at high speed, their faces filled with pure frenzy. One of them carried a sack by his belt that seemed full of coins.
"That was easy this time!" laughed the thinnest one, who had a long mustache and narrow eyes. "He didn't even try to get this back!" He shook the sack full of money.
"That was just the first one today," replied the one in the middle, who appeared to be the leader. He had a square face and was the heaviest of the trio. "Look at that, I've already found another victim!"
They were talking about Emilia, and as soon as she realized she was in danger, she started running in the opposite direction. The third man, of medium build with curly hair, moved his horse in front of her, and soon the three of them had surrounded the young girl.
"I don't have any money!" Emilia said, showing her empty pockets.
"Oh, really?" the leader asked, feigning sadness. "But your family must. They would pay a good ransom for you…"
"My family is poor, please leave me alone."
"She says that, but she's carrying the noble's symbol on her forehead, boss," said the mustached man. "I see everything with my eagle eyes, girl. Don't bother lying to me."
"Really, I don't have anything, nor does my family."
"Looks like we'll just have to capture you and find out," the leader decided, pulling out the yellow rope he had with him.
"Please, let me go. I promise I won't reveal your location to anyone."
At that moment, the leader lost his patience and threw the rope around the girl. The curly-haired man yanked her by the hair, an act of pure cruelty.
"Leave her alone," a deep voice sounded from behind them. Emilia tried to look, but the horses blocked her view.
"Look, it's the guy from earlier," said the curly-haired man. "Miss the money already, lad?"
"I don't care about the money, and I don't need it. Let her go."
"Boss, he has the noble's symbol too," the mustached man said, his voice trembling. "But I didn't see it before… If he managed to hide it from me, it can only mean..."
"Nonsense! Let's go, boys," the leader ordered, yanking Emilia hard by the rope, causing her to cry out in pain.
"I'm tired of asking," the mysterious voice said again, and when Emilia blinked, she saw the leader fall from his horse, bleeding from the heart. Dead.
"A monster, he's a monster!" screamed the curly-haired man as he ran away. Emilia tried not to blink to see what had happened, but it was impossible. The man also fell from his horse, dead on the ground.
The mustached man threw the sack of coins on the ground, attempting to flee, but he too fell dead, with the same blood mark on his heart. This time, Emilia saw it clearly.
A young man, who looked slightly older than her, with yellow hair and red eyes. He had blood on his mouth and hands, sharp teeth, unusual height, and his mana was so powerful it surrounded him.
Who was he?