The sky was a deep indigo, sprinkled with the first timid stars. The air was cool and still, carrying the faint warmth left by the day. Shadows melted into darkness, and the world seemed hushed, wrapped in a gentle evening calm.
Rumble…
Aisha froze as a wet, insistent rumble came from her stomach. Grrr… Grrr… The sound echoed in the quiet room, reminding her just how long it had been since her last meal.
Lancelot threw back his head and laughed, sharp and cruel. The starving Aisha clutched her stomach, her knees threatening to give way.
Taiyor, his back still turned to Lancelot, slowly turned to locate the source of the laughter.
Shock gripped him so tightly that he nearly lost his balance. He staggered back, almost falling, as he saw Lancelot standing there.
Lancelot chuckled and spoke, his tone dripping with mockery:
"By now, the knights of Britannia have either moved or taken action."
"Your men who managed to escape will die in Riverview. Your only option is to abandon your side quests and focus on your true mission: capturing the princess and returning her to whatever hole you crawled out from."
Aisha froze, her mind blank for a few seconds.
Taiyor broke the silence. "Lies. We are all Spirit Core users. We know you've overused your mental energy and cannot fully activate your Spirit Core. That's why you resort to tricks and illusions. We won't fall for your schemes."
"Yes, that's right. Tell him do you think we would let you go after killing our friends? Or is this some way of selling information to delay your death?" Aisha retorted.
"Fools," Lancelot said, mockery in his voice. "Riverview is already compromised. Do you think I would teleport my clone out of the battlefield for its safety? Hehe."
After ten seconds of silence, Lancelot continued.
"I am well aware of my situation better than any of you. This battle has been ongoing for two days. When I checked my time teller, it was already 9 p.m. There isn't much time before we enter another day. I have food. I have already eaten. Even if you attack me, I can defend against your strikes. But once I recover… hehe." His lips curved into a smile. "You're dead. Do you have food?"
Aisha's stomach rumbled again as she listened to him.
Since the battle began, has the opportunity to rest and regain your strength arrived? she thought.
No, Lancelot answered inwardly. Go eat, find somewhere to rest. We will meet again.
Aisha hesitated, then nodded weakly. "Let's go," she said.
Lancelot nodded. He picked up the basket filled with fruit, removed two apples, and tossed them to her.
Aisha caught the apples, watching as Lancelot turned and walked south, toward Pride Estate. His figure slowly disappeared into the forest. Only then did his clone take the initiative to leave.
...
Ten minutes after Lancelot and his clone departed, Taiyor turned to his captain.
"Are we just going to watch him leave? Do you have a plan to deal with the Knight of Britannia, or are we abandoning our only chance for revenge?"
Aisha's gaze snapped toward him. Her eyes narrowed like daggers, jaw clenched, fists curling at her sides.
Taiyor met her eyes. "…What? Why are you staring at me?" Unease crept into his voice. "We both know we can't win against him at his peak. I can't even imagine the possibility of killing him."
Aisha shifted her gaze to the ground, raising both hands. They trembled as she spoke in a weak, resigned tone, "There is nothing we could have done. We are weak."
...
Forest of Albion
Princess Emilia had just woken. She wore a long blue gown, torn in several places. Her black hair was disheveled, and her light blue eyes stared at Urue Everhour, who sat opposite her.
Rain fell steadily outside the cave. Inside, Urue Everhour who had the appearance of a teenage boy between thirteen and sixteen sat quietly. His eyes were thick and black, like an abyss, and his dark hair reached his shoulders.
He had already lit a small fire in the cave to keep them warm. Glancing at the princess, he asked, "How long have you been captured?"
Princess Emilia, still half-conscious, replied in a faint voice, "Two days."
Rumble…
Her stomach let out a long, continuous growl. Grr… grr… grr…
Three seconds after the sound faded, Urue Everhour frowned. "Don't leave the cave. I'm going to scout the area and see if there's any wild animal weaker than me."
As he walked toward the cave's exit, he turned back to look at her. A ring on his hand glowed lemon-green. An iron briefcase and a white duvet appeared and floated outward.
He tossed the half-open briefcase and threw the duvet toward the princess.
Closing his eyes, he said with a faint smile, "If you try to leave, there's a high chance you'll encounter the people who kidnapped you. Once you recover, I'll take you back to the castle."
...
Forest of Albion, Lionel and Reinhard walked through the rain, their clothes soaked, calling out repeatedly:
"Leywin… Leywin… Leywin…"
Urue Everhour, still walking in the rain, heard his name. Relief washed over him.
"I'm here! I'm here! Come to me!" he shouted.
However, he quickly hid behind a tree. He wasn't certain they were truly the Modred brothers many Feral Souls could mimic voices.
After two minutes, he saw Lionel Modred and Reinhard Modred approaching cautiously through the forest.
Relief filled him, but he didn't lower his guard. Stepping out from behind the tree, he maintained a distance of fifteen feet and asked loudly:
"What's my favorite food?"
After a brief silence, Lionel chuckled. "A noble man eats any food he is given."
Only then did Urue Everhour run forward and embrace Lionel. Tears streamed down his face as he smiled. "After I saw that Mutant, I thought you were dead…"
Lionel smiled but said nothing.
Reinhard, standing at Lionel's right, turned his head slightly away.
Urue Everhour looked at him and said, "I know you're cold, but I care about you too. I don't want to lose you. The princess is in a cave waiting… I have a plan the best way we can maximize the profit from her."
Lionel and Reinhard exchanged glances.
Lionel spoke in a serious tone. "I'm listening."
After three seconds, Urue Everhour revealed his plan to the Modred brothers.
He intended to take care of the princess and wait until the royal family began releasing posters of the missing princess. At that point, if they escorted her back, they would be hailed as heroes and rewarded handsomely. This approach, in his view, was far better than selling her in Riverview. Besides, there were too many risks involved in selling the princess.
After a few seconds of silence, Reinhard asked in a confused tone, "What if the military finds out we are keeping the princess and have no intention of releasing her? Wouldn't that make us enemies of the country? And what if they decide to carry out a private investigation instead of making it public?"
Urue Everhour smiled. "If the military chooses not to release news about Princess Emilia's kidnapping and instead conducts a secret investigation, then our only option is to sell her in Riverview and secure a ship to leave this isolated land."
Lionel cleared his throat, glancing at the two before finally speaking.
"If they choose not to make this matter public and instead carry out a secret investigation, they will no doubt silence us."
Urue Everhour swallowed.
Lionel continued, "Let's act as her benefactors and pretend we don't know her identity. When the time comes, I will decide our next course of action whether to sell her or let her go."
Urue Everhour scratched his head and sighed. "She recognized me. She knows I'm a former noble."
Lionel shook his head. "Damn… I had already forgotten that your brother is her knight."