***

In the dungeons beneath the residence of Lucien Roussanne, in Redwatch.

"Where did you take Sheyla?" demanded the interrogator, glaring at the prisoner shackled by both hands and feet, his body battered and stained with blood.

"You'll never find her, hahaha," the prisoner sneered, defiant even in his pitiful state.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and someone stepped inside. The interrogator immediately stood and greeted the newcomer.

"Good evening, Lord Lucien."

"Any new information?" Lucien asked curtly.

"His lips are still sealed tight, my lord," the interrogator reported.

"Finish him," Lucien ordered coldly.

"Yes, my lord," the interrogator replied without hesitation.

Lucien cast a furious glare at the prisoner before turning on his heel and leaving the dungeon.

Back in Lucien's office, a soldier entered and delivered a report.

"My lord, Archmage Vaelion Celadine has arrived and is waiting in the drawing room."

"Very well, I'll be there shortly," Lucien responded as he stood and made his way to the drawing room.

In the drawing room, Lucien approached the Archmage with a polite bow. "Welcome, Lord Vaelion. My apologies for summoning you so suddenly," he said.

"It's no trouble, Marquess. I've already been briefed on the situation," Vaelion replied.

"So, what do you think? Can you locate my daughter?" Lucien asked, his tone betraying his desperation.

"I'll give it a try, but keep in mind, it's not me who will search, but the spirit bound to my contract," Vaelion explained.

"Understood. If you need anything, please let me know," Lucien offered.

"I'll require an item that has had the most frequent contact with your daughter," Vaelion said.

"Very well. Please wait here for a moment," Lucien replied, leaving the room to retrieve the necessary item.

Lucien entered Sheyla's room and retrieved a small magic wand before returning to the drawing room.

"This is the item my daughter, Sheyla, carries with her most often," Lucien said, handing the wand to Vaelion.

"Very well, I will begin the search," Vaelion replied.

He chanted softly, conjuring a glowing magic circle. From it emerged a winged lizard-like creature with shimmering blue scales.

"Track down the owner of this item," Vaelion commanded, passing the wand to the creature.

The lizard grasped the wand and darted out of Lucien's residence with incredible speed.

"Now, we just have to wait for the spirit to locate your daughter," Vaelion said.

"Understood," Lucien replied, his voice calm but tinged with anticipation.

An hour passed before Vaelion sensed a signal from the familiar.

"It seems we have a lead," Vaelion said, closing his eyes as he muttered a spell, "Sharing Sight." His tone grew steady as he began to describe what he saw.

"Your daughter is currently in a cave, fast asleep alongside a boy, approximately eight to ten years old, with blue hair. She appears to be in good condition. Their location is southeast of here, near the cursed Netherbane Forest, right at its border."

Suddenly, Vaelion's expression changed as his connection severed.

"The vision has been cut off, something or someone has dispelled the familiar I summoned," Vaelion explained.

"Is she in danger?" Lucien asked anxiously.

"It doesn't seem so. Their faces were far too peaceful for them to be near any immediate threat," Vaelion replied reassuringly.

"But no matter what, we must find them quickly, they're in a very dangerous area," Vaelion explained.

"Understood. Thank you. As for our agreement, just let me know when you require it," Lucien said.

"Very well. I hope you're reunited with your daughter soon. Farewell," Vaelion replied, then chanted a spell and vanished.

Lucien wasted no time and headed straight to his office, summoning one of his servants. "Call Commander Rowen Emberlain immediately," he ordered.

Not long after, a man entered Lucien's office.

"Reporting in, my lord. I, Rowen, have arrived."

"I've located Sheyla's whereabouts. Assemble several teams for a rescue mission. The location is a cave southeast of here, at the border between the Sylvaria Forest and the Netherbane Forest," Lucien instructed.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Understood, my lord. I'll make preparations tonight and set out at sunrise," Rowen replied promptly.

"And send some troops to the nearby towns in that region, just in case they decide to head to a city." Lucien added.

"As you command, my lord," Rowen said with a bow before leaving to carry out his orders.

Morning arrived, and the rescue teams of knights departed on their mission.

***

Meanwhile, in Tristan's cave, they preparing for the journey.

Tristan turned to Sheyla. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, let's go. I can't wait to get back home," Sheyla replied eagerly.

"Alright, let's move. Ecy, as usual, I'm counting on you to protect Sheyla," Tristan said with a smile.

"Kyuu!" Eclipse chirped confidently.

The three set off on their journey toward Wyrmford. After a few hours, they arrived at the ruins of Allrose Village.

"Let's take a break here and have lunch," Tristan suggested.

"Okay," Sheyla agreed, but her gaze wandered toward the remnants of the destroyed village. "Doesn't anyone know that this village has been completely wiped out? There's no sign of anyone checking the place," she said, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"It's possible no one knows yet. People rarely visit this village, usually just traders who come once a month," Tristan explained while preparing their meal.

"We should report this once we reach Wyrmford," Sheyla suggested firmly.

"That's a good idea. At the very least, someone should be made aware of the village's condition," Tristan replied with a nod.

"Oh, by the way, how did you end up getting captured back then?" Tristan asked curiously.

"Seriously? You're asking that now?" Sheyla replied, visibly annoyed.

"Well, at the time, I had no idea you were my cousin. I planned to leave you in this village and return to the forest, I didn't want to get too involved," Tristan admitted bluntly.

Sheyla sighed. "Fair enough. Fine, I'll tell you. Back then, I was on my way home from Celathor Academy since we were on break. Normally, the journey to Redwatch takes two days. But this time, it had already been five days, and we still hadn't arrived."

"Then, out of nowhere, Demian and Deo, those demons, barged into my carriage, grabbed me by the throat, and dragged me outside. When I looked around, all the knights that escorting me were already... dead. That's when I realized Demian and Deo were traitors. After that, I was held in that cave for quite a while, until you showed up," Sheyla explained.

"So, you didn't overhear anything about their plans or why they kidnapped you?" Tristan asked, handing her a plate of food.

"Nope. I was too busy shouting and cursing at them because I was furious. I didn't pay attention to their conversation," Sheyla admitted as she began eating.

"Haah... Next time you're in a situation like that, don't let your emotions get the better of you," Tristan lectured. "Calm yourself, observe the situation, and gather as much information as possible—no matter how small. That information could be the key to saving your life. Understand?"

"Hey! I'm six years older than you. I don't need your lectures," Sheyla snapped back, irritated.

"I'm saying this because I've been through it before," Tristan replied matter-of-factly. "Once, I was surrounded by dozens of orcs, but I managed to take down half of them using traps. That was only possible because I gathered information ahead of time, like the direction they were coming from and their walking speed. Even small details can make a huge difference when it comes to survival."

"Hmph, I already know that! You don't need to lecture me," Sheyla retorted, scowling.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm just saying." Tristan said, shrugging.

After finishing their meal, Tristan stood up. "Alright, let's continue our journey."

"Let's go," Sheyla agreed.

Not long after they resumed walking, a group of people dressed in black appeared, blocking their path.

"Lady Sheyla, we've finally found you," said one of the men.

"Are you people sent by my father?" Sheyla asked.

"Yes, my lady. We were assigned to carry out your rescue mission," the man replied.

"Really? Finally, I can go home," Sheyla said, her face lighting up with relief.

"In that case, let's get moving, my lady," the man urged.

As they prepared to leave, Tristan interrupted. "Wait."

The group stopped, turning their attention to him.

"How exactly did you find us?" Tristan asked, his tone sharp.

"And who are you, boy?" the man in black retorted.

"You don't need to know who I am. Just answer my question," Tristan demanded.

"This brat--" the man began to stepping toward Tristan.

"It's fine, Tristan. They're my father's men," Sheyla interjected.

"Are you stupid or just naive?" Tristan snapped.

Sheyla froze, her expression shifting to one of irritation.

"You were just betrayed by your own knights, and now you're ready to trust these people without a second thought?" Tristan continued.

Sheyla's face darkened with a mix of frustration and realization as Tristan pressed on.

"Think about it—they showed up out of nowhere, claiming to be sent by your father. Yet, they didn't ask about your condition, where you've been, or what happened to you. They didn't even explain how they managed to find us in the middle of nowhere," Tristan said, his tone growing firmer.

Sheyla remained silent, her confidence shaken as Tristan's words began to sink in.

"Shut up, kid. This is our job, and it has nothing to do with you. If you want to stay alive, keep quiet and get lost," the man snapped back at Tristan.

"See that?" Tristan said, glancing at Sheyla. "Would someone truly sent by your father threaten a child? And think about it, they're addressing me as if I'm nothing, even though I've been traveling with you, Lady Sheyla. Shouldn't they at least show respect toward their lord's daughter's companion?"

Sheyla furrowed her brows and turned toward the man. "You're right," she said, before facing the black-clad figure. "Answer Tristan's question. How did you find us?"

The man let out an annoyed sigh. "I thought this would be easy. Die."

Without warning, he lunged at Sheyla with a knife, aiming straight for her.

But Eclipse reacted instantly, casting a protective bone barrier. The blade clanged against the bone shield, forcing the attackers to jump back in surprise.

"Well, now it's confirmed they aren't your father's men. That makes this much simpler." Tristan said calmly, and looking at Eclipse, "Good job Ecy." Said Tristan praising Eclipse. "Kyuu" Eclipse chirped with proudly gesture.

In Tristan mind, he thought, "I've been checking their statuses all this time. They're much weaker than the demon I fought the other day."

"Now," Tristan said aloud, his voice firm, "you guys have two choices: tell me everything you know, or I'll find out myself."

"You arrogant brat," growled one of the black-clad men, charging at Tristan with a sword.

With practiced ease, Tristan pulling out his sword from his storage space and deflected the attack. His movements were swift and precise, parrying each strike effortlessly before countering with a clean thrust, piercing the man's left arm.

"Well, how about that?" Tristan taunted with a smirk. "This 'arrogant brat' is holding up pretty well, wouldn't you say?"