Twice they had left the city, and twice they ended up surrounded. Lina Riley couldn't help pondering her own luck. The first time had been because of The Princess Royal, this time it was the caravan's fault. Lina listened intently to the approaching footsteps, then wrote in The Princess Royal's palm: About forty people.
Though the enemy's numbers were large, it didn't sound like their skills approached those of the previous assailants. Lina's face grew tense, covertly shielding The Princess Royal. Amid the chaos, no one cared about the handful of stragglers tagging along with the caravan.
Soon, from a patch of roadside woods, a flood of bandits emerged—outfits varied, but all with the same black cloth masking their faces. Lina saw them charge boldly and instinctively wanted to leap down and assist, but someone's arms wrapped around her from behind. She heard The Princess Royal's frightened voice: "Little sister, don't be afraid."
