‘Tap’

‘Tap’

‘Tap’

The footsteps of several guards patrolling the prison area.

"You know the monster there..."

"He usually waits in the tavern..."

A whisper was heard by Karn while he was moving stealthily. He moved past the guards easily. The dark atmosphere made it easy for him to sneak around.

*clack*

Karn opened the prison door carefully. Now, he entered the prison without any disturbance. Previously, he heard that Ivan and the others were taken to the lower prison. Which indicated that the prison was not an ordinary prison.

Thinking about that, he tried to ask where the lower prison was. Karn moved to the three guards who were sitting in the corner of the room.

"Hahaha... that bitch made me..."

One of the guards was heard talking while laughing.

"Excuse me, do you know where is the lower prison"

‘STAABBBB!!!’

Karn's halberd plunged into one of the guards' necks.

Blood dripped from the guard's body.

“Don't make any moves, just tell me where is the fucking lower prison!!” Karn threatened while showing the corpse of his guard friend at the tip of his halberd.

He began to threaten the others. His almost non-existent aura presence shocked the two people. One of them reflexively held the sword at his waist.

“Just answer my question!” Karn is bluffing again.

“T-there! You can go there.” One of them pointed to the stairs leading down to the lower prison.

“Thank you.” Karn said while releasing the body of the guard in his halberd.

"Shunk!!" the tip of the halberd hit the neck of one of the guards.

Two guards lay dead by Karn. Seeing that, the guard pulled his sword, but Karn quickly held his body with his right leg.. His face came closer to the guard.

The guard trembled, he just realized that the one in front of him was Karn. 'The Unseen One'.

“Calm down, I just want to save my friend.” Karn whispered.

“Are you my friend too?” He added while taking the war ax that was on his waist.

“Y-yes, I-I’m your f-friend…” The guard answered hesitantly.

“Plorkk!” a war axe was stuck in the guard's head.

“Wrong answer.” Karn said while taking the weapon from the guard's corpses.

Now, he continued his journey. He explored the prison.

This lower prison cell was not open like a normal prison. This prison is divided by thick walls and teak doors. The people who were detained could only see through the long hole in the door.

Karn was in a hallway that was more like a maze. He began to get confused.

"Tap"

"Tap"

"Tap"

Karn heard the sound of someone walking towards him. He just kept quiet and calm, Because he couldn't be seen. When he saw the officer walking past him, Karn realized that it was the guard who was escorting Aslan and the others to the lower prison.

He looked around, Karn started to think about opening all the prisons here. But a scratching sound was heard below him. The sound came from a rat nearby that was chewing something.

seeing something approaching him, the rat ran away. but Karn could still reach it.

"Hey little friend! Did you see a group of people passing here?" Karn spoke to the rat he was holding.

"uhhh can you talk to me?" The rat was surprised to hear Karn speak its language.

"don't be surprised, I'm just looking for my friends. they were captured here."

"Did you see it?"

"hmm a group of people huh?"

"hwwmm I think I saw a lot of people hwmm entering the door over there." The rat pointed to one of the doors while chewing on something.

The door was in the hallway, in the direction where the guard had come from.

“However, how can a human like you speak to me?” The curious mouse asked.

"Do you think I'm human, eh?" Karn answered while going towards the door that had been pointed out earlier.

Karn carefully opened the door and began to sneak around to observe the place. The area was square and at each door there were guards guarding the prisoners. Jean and the others were guarded very tightly.

After observing the area, Karn extinguished all the torches on the walls and began his action. They were the only prisoners in the dungeon and were guarded by ten guards. Seven people guard each prisoner and three of them patrol.

Knowing something was wrong, the head guard stood up.

"Everyone, guard in front of your cells!" The head guard shouted.

"Make sure no one escapes from here!"

He fumbled for a flint and struck it against his dagger, producing sparks. He directed the sparks towards the torch but it wouldn't light, as if someone was blowing out the sparks, preventing them from igniting it. It turned out to be Karn, who was calmly blowing out the sparks, making it difficult for the head guard to light his torch.

"Light the torches again!" The head guard ordered the other guards to relight their torches.

Rouvin and the others got up from their cells, trying to see through the hole in their prison door. Knowing that Karn had arrived, Rouvin activated his ‘minor illusion’. followed by Jean who cast his silent image. They both created an illusion of Karn.

"T-this..." The head guard, seeing the illusion of Karn near the other guards, ordered them to attack.

"Attack them!" He tried to light his torch again, and after several attempts, it finally lit.

As the torch ignited, the real Karn stood behind the head guard.

The head guard saw his comrades attacking the illusions of Karn on the other side. When they attacked, the illusions just disappeared.

"This... is the real one..." The head guard drew his sword and attacked the real Karn standing before him.

‘Crack!’ Karn’s halberd quickly pierced through the guard’s armor.

Karn’s critical hit struck the guard’s heart, killing him instantly.

‘Thud’ The head guard collapsed to the ground.

Everyone, including Aslan and the others, witnessed the scene.

A cold aura radiated from Karn as he pulled his halberd from the corpse. He walked toward his next target. All the guards were terrified, none daring to approach. They were all cornered by Karn alone.

"That's enough, Karn. They don't need to die." Jean calmly extended his hand out from the prison.

The head guard’s keys floated towards Jean’s hand. It was Jean's unseen servant skill, which conjures an invisible, mindless, shapeless force to perform simple tasks at your command until the spell ends.

Jean calmly unlocked the cells and freed the others. The guards couldn't do anything, as they were being watched by Karn.

Rouvin activated his ‘Darkness’ skill,plunging the area into inky blackness, making it impossible even for an elf to see. Quickly, Rouvin tied them all up and Karn locked them in the prison.

Now, everyone was free. Aslan, who knows the ins and outs of the kingdom, leads the way out of Ironvale.

Some time passed, and the kingdom realized that they had all escaped from the prison.

‘Thud’

‘Thud’

‘Thud’

The footsteps of the guards echoed as they searched for the escaped group. King Asgeir had ordered the kingdom’s gates to be closed temporarily and deployed all available guards.

In his room, Lord Kazamir was mad knowing that Aslan and his group had escaped.

"I don't care if King Asgeir wants to capture them alive. They are already a threat to the kingdom," he said angrily.

“You can kill them if your man sees them.”

"Yes, Sir! " replied Commander Xavier.

Xavier was Aslan's superior when he was still a soldier in the kingdom. He was not afraid of Aslan or Karn; in his eyes, they were just ordinary soldiers. After all, it was men like Xavier who forged the elite knights such as Aslan and Karn.

The moonlight illuminated the royal palace. The royal guards patrolled tirelessly, despite the strong night winds. Farramir, with stealth, did emerge from the shadows of the dwelling to survey the realm around him.

Many guards patrolled back and forth.

“We may not pass this way, let us seek another path.” Farramir whispered to the others.

“Patience, for they shall depart anon. My friend's house is over there." replied Aslan in hushed tones.

That was the residence of Vladimir, the former counselor to the late King Orvar. Vladimir and Aslan were very close, and Vladimir has been like a father to Aslan.

“Are you sure? Vladimir is a steadfast loyalist of this realm.” Virgil asked, knowing the house belonged to Vladimir.

“Are you sure he won’t betray us?"

"We'll find out once we're inside his house," Aslan whispered, sneaking out to check the situation around.

"All is safe; follow me hence."

Aslan and the others stood in front of the door, but it was locked, preventing them from asking Vladimir for help.

"Haste thee, knock upon the door," Ivan urged.

“This door is locked from the inside,I often enter without so much as a knock.” Aslan said.

“Moreover, to knock would surely raise a noise,” he added.

"Farramir, this is your part," Virgil said, pointing to Vladimir's door.

Unlocking a locked door was easy for Farramir, as he was part of the Thieves Guild.

The Thieves Guild was widespread across various kingdoms. Their targets included not only gold coins but also ancient artifacts circulating in the Weznorands. The Guild had existed for a long time and was difficult to disband, as they were believed to operate under the orders of wicked nobles, stealing valuable items from their foes.

"Karn, keep watch out front while Farramir unlocks the door," Jean ordered.

Karn quickly took his position as ordered by Jean. Two patrolling guards walked towards Vladimir's residence.

Karn became alert and looked toward Farramir, who was still trying to unlock the door. The guards came closer.

Seeing that Farramir still hadn't opened the door,Karn immediately made a plan to deal with the two guards.

Karn’s combat experience showed as he waited for the guards to pass him. Then, he appeared behind them and swung his halberd at their necks.

‘Plorkk!’ With one swing, he decapitated both guards.

‘Clank!’ The sound of the two helmeted heads falling alerted Aslan and the others, who were entering the house.

They turned just as Farramir finally unlocked Vladimir's door. They felt a pang upon seeing the two heads separated from their bodies.

‘Thud’ The two bodies collapsed to the ground.

Shocked, Jean quickly ordered Karn inside.

No one noticed that Karn had killed the guards and brought their bodies inside.

Aslan walked to Vladimir's room and tried to wake him up.

He knocked on the door but got no response, so he entered the room. He saw two women sleeping beside Vladimir.

"Hmm, his habit never changes," Aslan muttered as he sat on a chair and dropped a glass on the table.

"Clank!" The glass fell, waking Vladimir and his two companions. Aslan simply smiled.

"You never change. Always startling me!" said the old man, gesturing for the two women to get up.

The two women, wearing only a single cloth to cover their bodies, hurried to leave the room.

‘AAAAAAAKK!’ they screamed as they ran back into Vladimir's room and slammed the door shut.

“There are many people out there," One of the women said in a panic.

"Karn, why did you kill them?" Jean asked.

"I didn’t tell you to kill them."

In the room, two guards' bodies lay sprawled, surrounded by Jean and the others.

“If I didn't kill them, they would have caught you breaking into this house," Karn explained.

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Vladimir was slightly shocked to see the bodies in his house but he tried to remain calm.

“Stay here!” He said coldly as he walked out the two corpses.

“Sentinels!! There are corpses here!" Vladimir shouted.

Hearing that, Jean and the others panicked. Aslan told them to stay calm.

"Be at ease, for he shall not bring us harm," He said.

“I'm not sure." Farramir replied,activating his invisibility skill, ready to flee.

“Some folk were here but now, and they did slay these two sentinels!” Vladimir explained when the guard approached him.

“Now they flee yonder!” He added, pointed towards the kingdom's gate.

The guards quickly ran in the direction Vladimir pointed. Seeing that, Farramir and the others calmed down. Once the guards were gone, Vladimir entered his house.

"The door is over there," Vladimir pointed to a carved cabinet in the corner. "You still remember the way, right?"

"Thank you, old man," Aslan said, walking toward the cabinet.

"Be careful, you might be declared outlaws by the kingdom tomorrow," Vladimir warned, heading back to his room.

"Oh, one more thing... Aslan, there is a snake in the grass in this realm. Make sure you come at the right time," Vladimir added, closing his door.

Aslan and the others walked through Vladimir's underground tunnel.

“Are you familiar with this path?” Virgil asked.

“Indeed, I am well acquainted,” Aslan explained.

“This path was forged when Vladimir ascended as the advisor to the kingdom.”

"Vladimir knew everything that happened in the kingdom. He had many ears," he added.

"I know about hidden paths usually used by spies, but this one isn’t marked on the kingdom's secret map," Virgil said in awe.

He was amazed because, during his time as a royal guard, no one knew about this path.

"Vladimir's people have paths known only to spies and ghosts," Aslan explained.

They stopped at a three-way junction.

"If you go left, it will take you to the kingdom's brothel," Aslan said.

"And if you go right, you will reach the old man's library and laboratory,"

"We shall proceed straightway to exit the kingdom," Aslan declared.

"Since Ironvale and his allies will hunt us down as traitors once we're out of here," Jean said.

"I think we need to stay together for a while so we can protect each other."

After some time walking through Vladimir's secret path, they arrived at a cave in the southern part of the kingdom. The sound of dripping water accompanied their journey until they stepped on the ground covered with wild grass. This area was untouched by the people.

The dripping water flowed into a small river near the cave's mouth. Ivan, Farramir, and Cedwin filled their water flasks for the journey ahead.

Suddenly, they smelled the strong stench of a carcass.

“Do you smell this foul odor?” Cedwyn asked while sniffing the air.

"This is fresh, it seems to have died one or two days ago," Virgil said.

They continued walking. But Cedwyn stopped. He looked around, searching for something.

“Poor creature... Did your mother leave you?" Cedwyn asked the creature hiding in the grass.

Karn, sensing something behind the grass, looked curiously.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you," Cedwyn reassured.

Soon, a two-week-old brown bear cub emerged from the grass. Its face was sad and looked hungry. Cedwyn immediately embraced it and carried it.

"Now you're safe with me," he said gently.

"Is that our new member?" Jean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, it won't trouble you," Cedwyn replied, cradling the cub carefully.

All the way, Cedwyn kept holding the bear cub, occasionally giving it fish he found in the river.

Karn also helped Cedwyn catch fish from time to time. They moved south, away from the kingdom, hiding in bushes several times to avoid patrolling kingdom guards.

“There seems to be a guard camp not far from here," Virgil observed.

“Aye, there must be horses, weapons, and maps there. We may seize them from the guards," Aslan said eagerly.

–==--

Virgil’s words were true. Not far from there was a royal guard tent. They approached cautiously, spotting someone near the fireplace while the others were inside the tent.

“Karn, you’re the only one holding a weapon here. We’re counting on you,” Jean said.

“How could you forget me?” Rouvin interjected with a smirk.

“My weapon is my hand along with this gauntlet.”

“Oh, sorry. Alright, you two move ahead. Virgil will keep watch from above,” Jean replied.

Someone was seen near the campfire. There were four horses at the camp, which meant there were still three guards remaining unseen. Jean looked around as Virgil was walking toward higher ground to get a better view. Meanwhile, Karn and Rouvin began to sneak toward the camp.

Rouvin activated his Pass Without Trace skill, making his footsteps completely silent. He spotted a bald guard holding two chicken legs by the campfire and signaled Karn to take him out. Then, he quickly moved toward the large tent, usually belonging to the leader of the guard squad.

Just as he was about to enter the tent, a woman stepped out. Rouvin froze, deciding to remain unseen.

The muscular woman with long hair walked toward the campfire, as if she was looking at something in the distance. Karn, who was ready to take out the bald man, waited for a signal from Rouvin. In truth, Karn didn’t care about the woman's arrival, but as part of a team, he respected the orders.

“Are you going to eat that all night, Gregoris?” The woman asked as she walked past him.

“Ugh, why are you always meddling with me, Alexandra?” Gregoris grumbled, holding two roasted chicken legs.

Two other guards slept in their tents, while their leader, Alexandra, observed the surrounding pine trees.

"The moonlight is bright tonight; I can see a herd of deer running from here," Alexandra remarked.

Hearing this, Virgil felt the voice was familiar. He made sure by trying to see with his own eyes. He descended and approached the camp.

“Gregoris! Alexandra!” Virgil Shouted.

"Virgil!" Alexandra shouted happily upon seeing her old comrade.

"Where did you come from?" Gregoris was surprised by Virgil's.

"What are you doing here?" he added.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the kingdom?" Alexandra asked as she approached Virgil.

"You got an invitation from the kingdom for killing the Queen Centipede, right?"

"Hmm, it's a long story." Virgil replied, glancing at the two guards sleeping in their tents.

"Where are your friends?" Gregoris asked, looking around for Aslan and the others.

"Is the rumor true that you're friends with Aslan and Karn?"

"Yes, we're with them," Virgil whispered, glancing around cautiously.

"Listen, I need weapons and horses."

"The kingdom is chasing us, we're considered traitors because Aslan and the others refused to serve the king," Virgil explained the kingdom’s situation in detail.

"By tomorrow morning, your name will probably be on a wanted poster," Alexandra said, annoyed after hearing Virgil's story.

"My instincts were right. The kingdom is in turmoil." she added.

"Come inside, I'll get you weapons and other supplies," Gregoris said, entering the tent.

They followed Gregoris into Alexandra's tent. On the table were markers denoting territorial boundaries, several maps, and wanted posters.

"Where are you heading now?" Gregoris asked.

"I don't know... I'm just moving away from the kingdom," Virgil admitted, still without a clear destination since leaving the kingdom.

"We don't have a specific goal right now."

"It's ridiculous, you killed the Dragon Centipede but are considered a threat just because you refused to serve," Alexandra said, growing angrier at the thought.

“Maybe that's why they see you as a threat," Gregoris said indifferently, too lazy to follow the intrigue of royal politics.

"We are in a time of peace. Aslan shall not strike the kingdom without cause,”Alexandra said, as she did prepare a quiver of arrows for Virgil.

"Surely, someone stirs the young king to folly."

“We’re just soldiers,we obey the commands of our king," Gregoris said, handing over a few wrapped swords and a shield.

I would do the same. Better to leave with Aslan than to rot in this kingdom."

"Take this." Gregoris handed over a bag filled with tents and other supplies.

" Sorry, we can’t give you our horses. The others would get suspicious if they suddenly went missing." He added.

"Virgil, I hope we meet again. I’ll be keeping an eye on you from inside the kingdom," Alexandra said.

Virgil received a longbow, a shortsword, a war axe, and a steel shield. He also took several supplies, including three tents and some torches.

"Thank you, I owe you," Virgil took the bag and started walking out.

"No need to thank us. Consider it the price for us joining your group," Gregoris said with a smile, imagining himself joining Virgil and the others.

"Alright, then," Virgil replied as he left the tent.

They watched Virgil walk away as he returned to Aslan and the others. Together, they continued their journey toward Roothallow.

The moonlight illuminated the hills north of Roothallow Village. Aslan and the others walked through the forest in the northern Roothallow area. Virgil saw something ahead, noticing neatly arranged logs forming a barricade around the area. It was a bandit hideout.

Aslan suddenly stopped and exchanged glances with Jean.

‘Finally,’ Aslan thought. He intended to infiltrate the fortress.

“Cedwyn, I need you to scout the place,”

“Farramir, can you see how many people are there?” Jean asked.

Realizing Aslan’s intention,he started planning.

“Virgil, aim your fire arrow at the haystack or something easily flammable.”

Aslan took the war axe and handed the short sword to Jean, while Farramir strapped the shield onto his back.

Cedwyn summoned his spiritual bird, which flew towards the bandit camp. Through the bird’s vision, he spotted a blacksmith, a farm, and logging tools. The camp was well-equipped for bandits.

“The haystack is in the southeast, and there’s dry wood and large logs with logging tools are in the northwest,” Cedwyn continued using his bird's vision.

“Ivan, sneak to the southeast with Rouvin,” Jean planned to create a distraction by burning the area and sneaking in to take their supplies.

“Virgil, wait for my signal, then attack the woodpile in the northwest.”

“Farramir, Aslan, and Karn, come with me.”

The four sneaked into the fortress. Karn and Farramir led the way with their stealth skills, followed by Aslan. Jean moved to the right side of the fortress, preparing to set off an explosion near the woodpile.

Meanwhile, Ivan and Rouvin reached the southeast. Ivan cast a firebolt, setting the haystack ablaze inside the fortress. Rouvin used his Minor Illusion skill to create the sound of a dragon’s roar, intensifying the chaos.

‘Roarrrr’ The roar echoed through the camp, drawing the bandits out as they searched frantically for the source.

The rising smoke from the burning haystack made the bandits believe a dragon was nearby. They looked around in panic, some even scanning the skies for the beast.

‘Roarrr!’The dragon’s roar echoed again from within the smoke, courtesy of Rouvin’s illusion, keeping the bandits on edge and their eyes turned upwards.

As the bandits were distracted, Aslan, Farramir, Karn, and Jean sneaked into the fortress. There was an old wooden house and several tents around. As a half-elf, Farramir activated his True Sight skill, scanning the area and spotting all the bandits near the haystack. Only one guard remained at the outpost.

“You go inside, I’ll handle this guard,” Jean whispered, sneaking towards the outpost.

Farramir slipped into the old wooden house, while Aslan headed for the bandits’ horses, and Karn kept watch from the front of the house, hidden in the shadows.

Jean crept closer to the outpost guard, who remained fixated on the smoke and commotion by the haystack, oblivious to Jean’s approach and the sword in his hand.

Jean was a bard who had lived in Eldeviean for a long time, where he learned many assassin techniques.

[ Jean Available Spell ]

image [https://i.imgur.com/HUTwPUx.jpeg]

When the guard was within range, Jean activated his Ghost Reaper’ skill. Black shadows surged toward the guard,landing a critical hit and killing him instantly.

Meanwhile, Farramir entered the house, where papers and messages intended for couriers were scattered across the floor. Ignoring the letters, Farramir searched for a chest containing gold coins or other valuables, such as jewelry.

As a member of the Thieves’ Guild, it was instinctual for him to prioritize treasure, even though they only needed weapons. But in the heat of the moment, Farramir had forgotten that. The house was filled with various weapons the bandits had stolen, but Farramir ended up grabbing three pouches, each containing a thousand gold coins.

Aslan walked around the right side of the bandit leader’s house,heading to the horses. He found two horses tied up nearby. As he untied their ropes, his eyes caught sight of a wagon not far off.

Acting quickly, Aslan led the horses to the wagon, guiding them with care. But the horses neighed nervously, panicked by the distant sound of Rouvin’s dragon roar.

“Hold on, damn horses,” Aslan muttered, struggling to tie the horses to the wagon.

One of the bandits was distracted by the noisy horses.

‘Oh, come on!’ Aslan grumbled impatiently, but he managed to tie all the ropes, attaching the horses to the wagon, and climbed onto it.

The bandit leader started anxious and used his True Sight. The natural skill of an elf is to enhance vision in the dark. But seeing nothing above, he looked around and noticed one of his men focusing on the back of the house.

The leader glanced towards the house and, with true sight still active,he spotted movement at the back wheels of the wagon Aslan was on, as well as Farramir and Karn’s movements as they ran away.

“Trespassers!!” Realizing what was happening, the bandit leader shouted.

“Capture them all! This is just an illusion!”

“Everyone to the gate!!” The bandits shouted in unison, running towards the gate.

[ Virgil Available Spell ]

image [https://i.imgur.com/dCkkRAu.png]

Seeing this, Jean, who was at the outpost, signaled Virgil to shoot fire arrows at the woodpile. Virgil quickly fired his arrows upon receiving Jean’s signal.

Flaming arrows flew towards the woodpile. Jean waited for Aslan, Farramir, and Karn to exit the fortress. The sound of horse hooves echoed as Aslan rode out of the fortress, heading towards Virgil and Cedwyn. Karn and Farramir followed behind him.

Seeing his friends flee, Jean activated his Pyro Explode! skill. The pile of wood immediately exploded. Jean ran toward Farramir, who had fallen behind Karn.

"You think you can leave here so easily?" the bandit leader shouted, casting his Ring of Death! skill. A red, ring-shaped barrier appeared around Farramir, Jean, and Karn.

“What is this..?” Farramir murmured, bewildered by the strange spell.

“I thought this spell would be painful, but it doesn’t feel like anything.”

The reaction was different for Karn and Jean, who immediately became alert. Karn, who is at the front, managed to escape the barrier.

The ring suddenly constricted and pierced through Jean and Farramir. As it pierced Farramir, he felt a sharp pain.

“Ugh,” Farramir groaned.

But Jean, familiar with the spell, avoided significant damage.

Due to the damage, Farramir lost a lot of blood, suffering a severe wound.

“Ugh..” Farramir groaned in pain. Jean quickly activated his Purification skill, healing Farramir’s wound.

The bandit leader was astonished, rarely seeing anyone heal such a wound so quickly.

“Those men…” he muttered, approaching Jean and Farramir.

Meanwhile, Karn sprinted toward Aslan, Virgil, and Cedwyn, who were waiting by the wagon.

“Where are Farramir and Jean?” Aslan asked, looking back at the bandit fortress.

Karn awkwardly glanced back, realizing Farramir and Jean weren’t behind him.

“I thought they were following me,” Karn unsure while looking back at the fortress.

“But it seems they chose to fight the bandits.”

“Farramir, where are the weapons you stole?” Jean asked, his tone sharp with urgency.

“Weapons?” Farramir blinked, holding up three heavy pouches.

“I didn’t grab any weapons... but I took these!”

Jean stared at the gold coins, disbelief etched across his face.

“Oh... my lord,” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“We don’t need that right now!”

“Let’s go back to Aslan. But first…”Jean reached out.

“Give me the pouches!”

With no time to argue, the two sprinted toward the wagon. As they ran, Ivan and Rouvin joined from the left.

“We need those coins to survive,” Farramir justified his actions.

The group neared the wagon where Aslan waited with reins in hand, preparing to drive them out of the bandit’s territory. The horses shifted restlessly, sensing the bandits drawing closer.

“Get in!” Aslan shouted from the driver’s seat, urgency in his voice.

Cedwyn and Farramir climbed aboard without hesitation, while the horses snorted nervously. The thundering footsteps of bandits grew louder in the distance.

Just as everyone rushed toward the wagon, Jean suddenly slowed down and turned and walked toward the approaching bandits with three pouches of gold still in hand.

“What is he doing?” Aslan muttered in disbelief, gripping the reins. The rest of the group shared his confusion, watching Jean stroll calmly toward their pursuers.

“This guy is strange, I did steal their coins, and he’s angry,” Farramir grumbled, finding Jean’s behavior odd.

“I stole their coins, and he got mad. And now... he’s giving them back?.”

“W-what?” Aslan grew frustrated hearing Farramir.

“You only took their gold? Where are the weapons and supplies?” Aslan growled,glaring at Farramir.

“I only took the coins so we could survive,” Farramir explained his actions.

“We don’t need that, fool! To survive, we must have weapons!” Aslan shouted, angry at Farramir.

“Did you think you could just walk into another town and buy something? Nay! Because we are outlaws now!”

“Hah, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Virgil muttered, smirking. “At least he’s not a good thief.”

“Listen, we don’t need gold. Rouvin has brought a lot of gold coins, all from Orchidvile. That’s enough for us,” Aslan snapped.

Seeing Jean negotiate with the bandits made Aslan grind his teeth.

“Now we only need weapons, and look at that fool, what is he thinking?”

“Hey! I shall return this gold,” Jean called out, holding up the three pouches of coins .

“But we need weapons. Think of it as buying them.”

“Look at this fool, he’s trying to trade the gold you stole for their weapons,” Aslan prepared his war axe for a fight.

“He’s lost his wits.”

“Hahaha! That’s the dumbest plan I’ve ever seen!” Farramir burst into laughter.

“That’s because you couldn’t steal properly, fool!” Virgil retorted,notching an arrow on his bow.

Farramir’s grin vanished as Ivan burst into laughter, but Aslan silenced him with a sharp glare.

“I have an idea. We kill them all and take both the gold and the weapons.” Karn, with a cold expression, suddenly broke the silence.

“Now there’s a good idea,” Aslan agreed with a savage grin, raising his war axe.

“Why should we give you our weapons?! That’s our gold!” The bandit leader snarled, stepping toward Jean.

“Attack them!!”

Arrows flew through the air, raining down on Jean and the others.

“I just want to save your life,” Jean dodged easily with his high dexterity.

“But if that’s your wish, fine.”

[ Ivan Available Spell ]

image [https://i.imgur.com/KuDtDg7.png]

From behind the bushes, Ivan cast his Fire Missile.

‘Whooshhh’

A streak of flame surged forward, creating a barrier between Jean and the bandits. The sudden blaze forced the bandit leader and his men to retreat a few steps.

Seizing the moment, Jean charged after them, with Karn and Aslan close on his heels. The bandit leader sprinted toward the fortress, glancing back to see his pursuers gaining ground.

“I’ll have your head!” the leader snarled, signaling his men.

‘Swoshhh’

A volley of arrows rained down, targeting Jean and Karn as they led the charge.