The silver armor blazed under the sun, the light beams making it nearly impossible to look at the figure for too long.
She appeared to be the sun itself.
High and untouchable in the sky. A mere human dared not look at it directly.
Fortunately for the cult woman, the person standing in front of her was not the sun.
"Seraphina... Or should I call you the Sword of Dawn?" The woman wiped away some blood streaming down her forehead, smiling as she looked at this great and shining problem standing right before her.
There was no great power leaking from her body or any miraculous ability.
It was pure aura.
That alone was enough to cause pressure on anyone who looked at her.
Yet, despite this, the woman did not look intimidated in the slightest by the aura the Sword of Dawn emitted. The smile on her face was as fierce as that of a cornered beast.
A cornered beast that stared at the enemy with a menacing, confident, and, deep down, desperate look. But that was all; there was no fear in her gaze.
"You of the Shadow Cult are truly despicable. Ambushing me and then running away when you realized things didn't go as planned." The silver figure, Seraphina, ignored the woman's question with a cold expression.
Her long, golden eyelashes trembled slightly. The speech held no sound of an insult born of rage, but rather pure contempt.
The disdain of someone looking at a moral abomination.
Especially after what they did, Seraphina was even more impatient when dealing with these people.
If it weren't for this setback, she would have already accomplished her objective. The kingdom was at an important juncture when she was sent to this remote location. Her lack of responsibility could put the inhabitants of the realm in danger.
Now, however, she was delayed and so far away.
This was their fault.
If this had happened only once, she wouldn't have been feeling so annoyed.
The problem was that, over these last few days, she had already suffered a few ambush attempts. All of them were so weak they couldn't last against just a few of her moves.
But whenever she managed to defeat and capture some members, they used low, dirty methods, self-destructing before she could uncover any critical information.
She was reaching her limit.
"You're annoying mosquitoes, and I've got you now. There's nowhere left to run." Saying this, Seraphina placed her hand on her hip, reaching for her sword's scabbard. "Speak! What are you plotting?"
A sharp aura leaked from her body as her hand touched the scabbard. If one looked closer, it was possible to notice a slight trembling in the sheath, as if the sword were coming to life.
Only the sound of swirling wind and the woman's heavy breathing could be heard now.
This was a warning.
The Sword of Dawn was going to draw its sword.
The silence lasted a few seconds before the woman lowered her head, clenching her fists against the dirt ground.
"I... will speak." The woman mumbled, grinding her teeth as she spit out each word with difficulty.
It was as if her tongue weighed tons.
'Huh?' Seraphina's expression froze for a second upon hearing her.
There wasn't much time left before the meeting, and the cult was moving more frequently, raising the kingdom's suspicions. They were like birds scattering after having their trees shaken.
The more information she could get now before the meeting, the more people could be saved and deaths could be avoided.
Because of this, she was a little surprised by the ease. She thought she would have to put in a little more effort to get information.
Suddenly, her expression abruptly changed.
Taking a step back, she tilted her body slightly to the side.
The armor let out a faint, high-pitched clink, the polished pieces protesting as they touched at the joints as her body moved.
The movement was clean and fluid as water.
fssssst!
In that instant, a dark projectile sliced through the air, passing right beside her face.
It was fast.
If her guard had been down, and she had been even a single breath slower, the projectile would have hit her.
And the only area where there was a visible opening in her armor was... her neck.
Seraphina frowned.
The small black dagger was still embedded in one of the trees nearby, silent as if nothing had happened.
That was truly close.
"You still haven't given up on using those foul tricks? Despicable!" She was feeling even more rage. That surprise attack could have caused serious injury. At that moment, she would have trouble explaining things to her grandfather when she returned.
A knight should never use underhanded tricks to win.
But this woman seemed to have no honor!
"Tsk..." The woman cursed internally without attempting to argue.
Seraphina evaded it so easily it was irritating.
The woman, now, didn't have many hidden daggers left, and fighting her head-on was impossible.
Her face was already white as a sheet, and her gaze dropped, inadvertently, to fixate on the sword in her hands, whose blade was covered in fine lines.
'You are already at the end of your life...'
This was the woman's magical weapon.
If she infused enough mana, she could use her most powerful attack to contain Seraphina and then escape.
She just didn't know if that would be enough. When her mana ran out, she would have to—
Before she could continue thinking, the sound of metal rang out, awakening her attention again.
When she looked up, Seraphina was moving toward her.
'Fast!' That was her only thought.
Covered by the silver armor, she looked like a bolt of lightning, instantly closing the distance between them. Her hand was on the scabbard, her fingers clenching and unclenching in a grasping motion.
'Is she going to draw her sword?' The woman got up hastily. Ignoring her body's protests and the pains that flared up everywhere, she forced her arms up, raising her own sword in an attempt to guard her neck against a fatal blow just as Seraphina reached her.
Her face was so close to hers.
But her attempt was futile.
Seraphina pulled her sword from the scabbard with a speed difficult to follow. The draw, practiced a thousand times, was flawless, and before the woman could react, Seraphina struck the sword's hilt against her stomach, stealing all the air in her lungs.
"Huff!" The blow hit the solar plexus with precision. Her body bent forward like a shrimp, the sword falling from her hands and hitting the ground with a sharp metallic clink.
"Why did you ambush me?"
'Damn it...' The woman cursed internally, fighting to hold onto the last vestiges of consciousness. Her bent body tumbled forward, her knees sinking into the ground.
If it weren't for her own armor beneath her clothes, that blow would have knocked her out completely. Now, her mind was constantly reminding her of her only salvation, to fight back.
The sword. She needed to retrieve the sword!
Her eyes searched desperately for the fallen blade. It was right in front of her!
Without thinking twice, she reached out, fearing Seraphina might do something.
But Seraphina didn't care.
She stood there, watching her grab the sword.
With great effort, the woman managed to drive the sword deep into the earth, forcing her body to obey. When she stood up, her knees were trembling as if the weather were cold, but the pain was hot.
Seraphina, watching all this, was a little surprised by this woman's willpower.
She was forced to admit that she was quite resilient.
"Give up fighting. What is the cult planning with these ambushes? Do you intend to interfere with the meeting? If you tell everything you know, the kingdom will not treat you unjustly. You will remain alive, be imprisoned, and pay for all your crimes like a proper citizen."
Hearing this, the woman's lips subtly curled into a faint, scornful smile.
"Idiot."
She spat this simple word out between her teeth, looking at Seraphina with a... knowing look.
And that did not escape Seraphina. That look contained none of the emotions she expected to find in someone who was hopeless and on the verge of death.
This made her even more cautious.
"What did you say?" Her fingers tightened on the scabbard, threatening to draw her sword for the first time.
Those eyes and that grim smile caused a feeling of unease in Seraphina that she couldn't explain, even though she was clearly at an advantage.
She didn't want to admit it, but she felt threatened.
"Are your ears clogged? Idiot. You are an idiot. A big idiot." The cult woman yelled out as she repeated it, her smile widening fully. She seemed to be completely losing her sanity, laughing.
"Idiot!"
A bad premonition took hold of Seraphina.
She crouched, grabbing the woman's neck more roughly. "What do you mean by that? Speak, or I won't hold back!"
"You haven't realized yet? Why would someone ambush the Sword of Dawn alone? There was never a chance of winning, so why do you think I did it anyway?"
'What?' Seraphina was stunned, staring at her with her blue eyes, unsure what to say.
But some ideas surged into her mind.
She was so foolish!
"You..." She bit her red lips, but no words came out.
Turning to look in one direction, she ground her teeth. "You were just a distraction? You lured me away from the mansion?"
The woman didn't answer; only laughter echoed.
"Idiot! Idiot!"
That answered Seraphina.
She truly was an idiot for having wasted so much time. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she listened to the repeated insults. But a small flame of hope ignited in her chest.
"Baron Alderan is also a knight, so he won't die easily. Do you really think you can do anything against him in such a short time?" Seraphina tried to argue, the grip on the woman's neck growing even stronger.
"Cough... Who said... we want the Baron?" Her smile was now even wider, her white teeth covered in blood. "Earth, Devour!"
In an instant, the armor on the woman's body shone intensely, and the ground trembled, opening beneath her feet. A wave of raw force exploded toward Seraphina, forcing her to raise her arms against the impact.
Seraphina reacted quickly and released her, leaping back and moving away swiftly as the wind swirled around her silver boots.
For the first time, she was using magic.
This was because she could see what the woman was doing. The surrounding mana was being wildly sucked toward her like a hungry beast that opened its mouth, causing instability.
The woman was burning her own mana and would lose control soon. When that happened, there would only be one outcome.
"Self-destruction is not enough to—"
crrraa! chhk!
Before Seraphina could finish her sentence, a powerful force exploded from the woman's body. The ground burst open forcefully, launching rocks and dust everywhere, while the shockwave pushed her back.
Seraphina was already prepared for the impact, expecting an abundant amount of mana to explode, but instead of the expected explosion, the earth... opened.
The ground split in half and, like a mouth, swallowed the woman.
She vanished before Seraphina's eyes.
The whole scene was very fast.
"Affinity for the Earth element...?" Seraphina stood there stunned, staring at the ground for a few seconds.
She had simply escaped.
A bitter taste filled her mouth.
No matter how strong she was, there were still limitations and flaws she couldn't overcome with just a sword, and this realization made her feel even more frustrated and angry.
Looking in the direction the woman fled, she ground her teeth.
If it was as she imagined, the mansion must be in chaos right now. If she took too long to return, things could spiral out of control. She could only hope the Baron could hold out until she arrived.
It was a dependence she deeply resented.
Although the idea of letting someone from the Shadow Cult escape unpunished didn't sit well with her, she had no other option at that moment, and that left her with a bad feeling.
"We will meet again..." Flying higher, Seraphina quickly departed toward the mansion.
...
Somewhere, in the middle of a green forest.
A small dirt road could be seen cutting the forest in half. The road, like a vein, served as a path, and a carriage could be seen traveling along it.
Occasionally, the carriage hit a rock on the way, bouncing and letting out a strange creak.
Every time this happened, the old man sitting in the front wiped the sweat from his wrinkled forehead.
He turned his head, looking over his shoulder with tense eyes. It was as if he expected something to happen at any moment, but nothing did.
The carriage was silent.
The old man felt his body relax.
'Is Lord Reynard busy?' He thought, returning his attention to the road. The journey was smooth, and there had been no problems on the way so far.
Reynard had said he would be busy, so he didn't dare disturb him; however, the winding road was not cooperating.
Despite trying to act normally, old Henry still feared what Reynard might do to him. Just thinking about what had happened sent a shiver down his spine.
'It's not good to think, it's not good to think!'
Still lost in his thoughts, his old eyes witnessed a strange scene unfolding.
Further ahead on the road, something began to change.
Rubbing his eyes to confirm he wasn't hallucinating, old Henry looked again.
'Am I hallucinating because of the sun?'
The earth split right before his eyes. In half.
But it didn't end there.
A body flew out at surprising speed.
As if aiming for the sun, the body continued to climb higher and higher. Old Henry had to raise his head not to lose sight of the figure, following the path it was taking in the sky.
After a few seconds, the body stopped in the air and... began to lose altitude, returning by the same path it had come.
Falling...
Falling...
Falling...
THUD!
After the loud sound echoed, the body lay there, motionless.
Sprawled in the middle of the road like a sack of potatoes.
"..." Old Henry watched all this with red eyes from rubbing them so much.
He looked a few times at the body in the middle of the road, trying to confirm if it was alive, before turning his head and shouting. "Lord Reynard, we've got a problem!"