The carriage rode through the road as I shifted my eyes to the green forest from my book. My father, Duke Fredric Von Hoenheim recently got a report stating a labyrinth was found near Reinhafr.

Upon the request of investigation from Count Reinhafr, my father dispatched me, her eldest daughter, to verify the identity of this labyrinth. Honestly, I think its too much to dispatch me to a remote place like this for a mere labyrinth. If it was really dangerous in the first place, they wouldn’t have opened it to the adventurers.

Sigh

Hearing a knocking sound from my opposite side of the window, I noticed the knight commander behind it. He was wearing his armor as usual with his larger than average blade on his back.

“Lady Isabella, we are near the labyrinth. Would you like to take a rest before reaching there?”

“Maybe I should. Find a nice place in the forest”

I was blessed with the skill of appraisal. As long as I had a certain understanding of something or someone, I could know most of the things about them, such as their stats and skills.

The carriage changed its direction from the road to inside the forest. After going deep for a few seconds, it stopped in an open area surrounded by trees.

The door suddenly opened as the coachmen stood by the carriage bowing slightly with his right arm on his chest. I stepped down the carriage as the beautiful green nature greeted me.

My Appraisal skill is a highly coveted one. I realized the horrors of society since childhood when I realized how my own uncles wanted to use me for their own gain.

Ever since then I trained and trained to make myself perfect so that I could stand on my own. I trained in magic and swordsmanship. I also learned about commerce. As a result, no one in the family can now treat me lightly.

But maintaining such a domineering appearance like that meant I could not live my life freely. In the end my life was still bound by rules.

“Please have a sit lady Isabella” It was my personal maid Hanna, who was with me since my childhood. She placed a chair behind my back and set up a large umbrella beside it. She also had a tea-table beside her. Where did she get them from?

Stolen novel; please report.

I sat down crossing my legs while Hanna served me her special tea. Her tea was the best in the household. As I sat back and relaxed with the cup of tea, I enjoyed the green forest, the smell, the air, all of it felt refreshing. Maybe the trip here was worth it.

The knights were also having a light snack session. It will be quite a while before we start again, should I take a nap?

Clang

What just happened? An arrow suddenly came at me as it got blocked by Hanna’s dagger. The knights beside me pulled their sword out as they shouted at others.

“AMBUSH!”

The knights dropped what they were eating as they formed a circle around me while drawing their weapons.

“Let’s get in the carriage m’lady”

Hanna then forcibly pushed me into the carriage. But I wanted to help as well. Why are they still treating me like a child? I saw some figures emerge from the forest. Most of them had a machete on them. Their attire was rugged and dirty. They were most probably bandits.

They charged at the carriage from all sides. The knights were strong. After all they were one of the finest squads of the Dukedom. But for some reason they were being overpowered as time passed by. Each of the bandits' individual strength wasn’t much but their immense number and teamwork kept pushing back the knights.

The green grass dyed in red as battle raged on. My heart ached as I could not help them. I tried to go outside but Hanna, who was inside with me, stopped me. “Something feels wrong, miss. They are probably here for you. You can not go outside”

I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands and prayed for their safety while closing my eyes. They were always with me when I went somewhere.

Suddenly the clashing sounds stopped momentarily. Did it end? I looked out the window and saw all of them looking in the same direction. I gazed there as well. A white haired man was standing behind a bandit lying on the ground bleeding from a hole on the top of his head.

The white haired man had a black overcoat that fluttered in the air. His sword was dripping with red blood. He walked forward, stepping on the already lying bandit. I couldn’t see his face because he had a mask covering it.

Some other bandits also charged at him. But with swift but smooth movements, all of them died with a single strike. He kept on massacring every bandit that came in front of him.

He radiated killing intent so thick that it sent shivers down my spine. Judging from the killing intent, it was hard to differentiate him from a demon. Just how many did he kill?

He kept on killing with the littlest movement possible. He seemed like an expert in the art of killing as he danced with blood.

Soon the fat man that was fighting the knight captain changed his target to that white haired man. The fat bandit seemed to have said something but the white haired man simply used his sword instead of words.

I don’t understand why, but his swordplay somehow reminds me of my father. While the white-haired man seemed to have the initial advantage, he soon started to get pushed back by the relentless machete swings.

My knights tried going closer to help him but suddenly— He killed the bandit with just a few strikes. Was he pretending? What’s more, his methods were so brutal that I was seeing someone like him for the first time.

How could someone directly pierce his opponent's mouth like that. To add, he even pulled out the sword from his opponent’s mouth by pushing him with his leg?

Anyone could see how cruel his methods were. But whatever he did, he saved us. I came out of the carriage and tried to thank him for his help.

“Umm, excuse me?”

As he turned backwards, his red eyes made me tremble a bit. His eyes were scarier than my father’s. I still am the daughter of Duke Hoenheim. I somehow still managed to keep my composure.

“Thank you for saving us. I am Isabella Les Hoenheim. Would you be kind enough to tell us your name so that I can repay this favor?”

“...”

He didn’t say anything. Instead he turned back and went back the way he came from.

“Wai–”

He was already long gone before I could speak up. How fast was he?