The mage was sleeping soundly on the back of Sacril.

The weight of his body wasn’t much of a burden to Sacril from what I can see.

I needed answers, so that was the only reason why he was alive up to this point.

I stopped abruptly, my boots crunching against the gravel road.

I am feeling that somebody is following me; it was a hunch, nothing more than a hunch.

“Still, it is best I try something.” I thought.

“Anyone lurking in the shadows, mage or Chosen Warrior, know this—show yourself, or be treated as an enemy.”

I called out to see if there was any response.

I tightened my grip on the unconscious mage, shifting his weight slightly as I prepared for any possible attack.

An ambush, another group of mages, or a Chosen Warrior with skills that could rival Sacril's speed.

All of these are not the best scenarios that I would like to see.

But nothing came.

If anyone was tailing me, they either didn’t want to risk confrontation or decided to retreat after my declaration. Either way, it worked.

“Cowards,”

With one last glance over my shoulder, I resumed patting Sacril to move on.

“They had sent multiple mages and a Chosen Warrior, and still, I managed to leave Crimson Berry Town alive. That had to sting for whoever wanted me dead.” I thought.

The mage on my back stirred slightly, his head lolling to the side.

He was still deeply unconscious, the effects of Sacril’s attack and my Spirit Strike ensuring he’d stay that way for a while longer.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Good. I didn’t need him waking up and causing trouble before I figured out what to do with him.

I glanced down at Sacril.

“Looks like we’ll be on our own for a while,” I said softly.

Sacril flicked his ears in acknowledgment.

We’ve got this, I thought he would try to say.

But even as confidence filled my chest, there was a shadow of doubt lingering in the back of my mind.

Elenora. Her timing had been too perfect, her presence too convenient.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was connected to this somehow.

“Sacril,” I muttered, keeping my voice low, “if this all ties back to Eval Morningstar and his so-called plan, I’m not sure how much longer I can trust anyone tied to him.”

Sacril didn’t respond, of course, but I knew he understood what I was trying to tell him.

The forest around us grew denser.

I stopped briefly, adjusting the mage on my back and scanning the area for a suitable place to stop for the night.

A small clearing up ahead caught my eye, and I veered toward it.

It wasn’t ideal—too exposed for my liking—but it would do for now.

As I set the unconscious mage down against a tree, I couldn’t help but wonder about his motives. Why had he agreed to come after me?

What was his connection to Eval, or to whoever was pulling the strings?

And most importantly, what did they hope to gain by eliminating me?

I crouched beside him, studying his face in the dim light. His features were ordinary—brown hair, a thin nose, a sharp jawline.

There was nothing remarkable about him, nothing that screamed "dangerous."

Yet he had wielded those golden bolts with a precision that suggested significant training.

With a sigh, I leaned back against a nearby tree, the cool bark pressing against my back.

“If they thought I’d scare easily, they’re in for a rude awakening, but I can see that this guy is not just a free mage or anything like that.”

“This man is trained, has a good amount of knowledge on magic, and devised his own spell or learned something different.”

The hours dragged on as I kept moving.

I avoided open paths, sticking to dense foliage and uneven terrain where tracking me would be difficult.

“It is good to have Sacril on my side; otherwise, it would be too hard to carry this man or horses or carriages. It would not be the best type of transportation to use in this area.”

“I wonder if he is going to talk or create problems for me.”

“Would he be the type to talk, or would I have to force the information out of him?”

After what felt like an eternity, I stumbled upon a small cave nestled between thick, moss-covered rocks. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to hide out for the night.

The entrance was narrow, just wide enough for me to squeeze through, and the inside was dry and spacious enough to serve my needs.