"Only one person can drink the potion?"
Hearing this, silence fell upon the scene. The three looked at each other for a few seconds. Ravenna acted first. Grabbing Reynard's collar, she pulled her face close to his. "Tell me, how did you get this potion?" Her tone was suspicious.
She was finally starting to think he was lying.
"I had to spend a lot of money to buy it from someone…" Reynard replied, sweat running down his forehead as his voice trembled.
He was improvising now. From this point on, he didn't know what would come out of his mouth. It depended on their reaction. If anything was said erroneously, he feared the dagger might actually slice his head off.
Ravenna frowned upon hearing this.
"What if he's lying to divide us?" Grimm pointed out what both were thinking. Vorin was the only one who was confused, not understanding why they were hesitating so much.
Despite saying that, Grimm was still uncertain. And Ravenna noticed his hesitation, growing more cautious. They were beginning to believe.
The group hadn't known each other for long. Their union was merely a coincidence. They had met when they planned to rob in the same location. So they joined forces to avoid trouble and maximize profits.
It was easier to rob with more people.
But if the potion were real, she would have trouble dealing with the two. Of course, Ravenna didn't rule out the possibility that Reynard was lying to sow discord in the group.
Placing the dagger against his neck again, she pulled him closer. "Who is this person? Can you buy more potions? This will be your ransom." She threatened, her warm breath blowing against Reynard's face.
Buy more? You're kidding.
Ravenna wasn't being serious.
She just needed to show that she cared, and this would also reveal if Reynard was telling the truth.
"I don't know if I can say who I bought it from..." Reynard whined pitifully.
"Damn it, are you trying to die?!" Vorin couldn't stand Reynard's attitude and glared at him, pointing his sword toward his face.
If it weren't for Ravenna blocking his way, he would have attacked already.
Ravenna ignored Vorin's fury and stared at Reynard, waiting for him to continue speaking.
"Alright! I'll tell you!" Stammering, Reynard looked around before lowering his voice. "I bought this potion from a person... who was part of the Cult of Shadows."
Reynard whispered, and quickly added with caution: "Please keep this a secret. You know how the kingdom treats those who are involved with the Cult of Shadows."
Upon hearing this, Ravenna's expression changed abruptly. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks, and for a moment, the dagger in her hand trembled.
Her expression was as if she had seen a ghost.
Reynard cursed internally, trying to discreetly pull his neck back, avoiding the blade.
It wouldn't be funny to lose his head by accident.
"Cult of Shadows?" Ravenna muttered, fear evident on her face. Her eyes darted around, as if she feared something bad would happen just by uttering that name.
The other two also heard what Reynard said, and their bodies froze in place.
Their reaction surprised Reynard internally.
He didn't know the actual fame and effect of the Cult of Shadows' name. This exaggerated reaction made him reevaluate the cult's power. Just hearing the name caused such a great effect.
If he claimed to be part of the cult, would he get rid of this problem more easily?
He should have tried before.
Not to mention there was an even more powerful member hidden in the carriage. Maybe he should grab Samira and use her as a shield?
"Alright. We'll take the potion you're carrying for the City Lord. Go get it and we'll let you leave." Ravenna released Reynard's collar, recovering from her initial shock.
Despite her efforts, her voice had dropped slightly, becoming a few tones lower.
She had already bitten the bullet, and stopping now would be her loss. At this point, she just wanted to grab the valuables and leave as quickly as possible. Someone buying things from the Cult of Shadows... she didn't want to get into trouble.
Even if she was a thief, she still valued her life!
Reynard nodded, taking a few steps back. He turned his body, preparing to go to the carriage, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him from continuing.
Ravenna held him.
"I'm coming with you." She explained dryly.
"I'll go with him too." Vorin approached, gripping his sword.
"It's better if we all go together." Grimm added, his slender figure approaching the two empty-handed.
Ravenna frowned upon seeing this.
The two wouldn't let her get it easily. If the potion was real and really worked as he said, it would be their loss if she drank the entire contents in a single gulp.
Even if the veracity was uncertain, there was no honesty, much less trust, among them.
At this moment, each of them wanted to secure their own fortune.
"Alright." Despite this, she still agreed. Holding Reynard's shoulders, Ravenna signaled for him to take the lead and continue walking.
Reynard didn't hesitate, walking with slow steps toward the carriage. The tension between them escalated as the seconds passed. Each one harboring a different thought.
Reynard finally reached the carriage door, opening it with a creak.
The three held their breath, looking into the dark interior.
Ravenna, closer to Reynard, was the first to glimpse the carriage's interior. The two women inside came into her view.
A brown-haired woman, who looked frightened, was sitting inside, and beside her was another woman with black hair.
'?' Confusion seized Ravenna for an instant.
Especially the black-haired woman. Her head was bowed, her expression hidden by her cascading hair.
Despite the confusion, she didn't press the matter. Her priority now was to grab the potion as quickly as possible and escape this place.
"Grab the potion," Reynard instructed Eleanor, subtly winking at her.
'Potion?' Eleanor looked confusedly at Reynard, not understanding what he was talking about.
"The jar," he whispered.
The conversation between Reynard and Eleanor didn't go unnoticed by Ravenna. Her suspicion increased further.
"Don't whisper. Where is the potion? Grab it now!" Ravenna shoved Reynard's shoulder, instructing him to stop whispering and quickly grab the potion. She was visibly anxious now.
Eleanor quickly understood what Reynard wanted. Without much thought, she obeyed. 'The jar...' Eleanor's face looked strange. Her knees touched the floor as she crouched, grabbing a small pot hidden beneath the seat.
This made Ravenna's eyes gleam with greed.
'Finally.'
Eleanor stood up with the jar in her hands, wanting to give it to Reynard, but before she could do so, a hand was faster than hers. The speed was something Eleanor couldn't avoid. Startled, she let go of the jar.
Ravenna's hands snatched the jar right before everyone's eyes.
"Bitch!" Grimm and Vorin, who had been behind Ravenna all this time, cursed simultaneously. They hadn't expected her to blatantly steal the potion right in front of them.
She wasn't even pretending anymore!
With murder in their eyes, the two charged at her.
Ravenna, now holding the jar in her hands, licked her lips with a malicious laugh. Holding the jar in her left hand, she used her right hand to brandish her dagger toward Vorin's neck.
She was trying to kill him!
Moments ago they were a group, yet now she didn't hesitate to cut off his head.
Vorin stopped his steps upon sensing danger, quickly retreating away from the carriage. His hands gripped the sword hilt, raising it in an attempt to shield himself against the blow.
But Ravenna moved like a viper. Leaping from the carriage with a light movement, her slender body covered the distance between them in a few breaths.
The dagger was right before his eyes.
Vorin didn't remember Ravenna having such reach.
CLANK!
'Easy!' His sword managed to block Ravenna's first attack. However, before he could celebrate, a foot struck his chest. There wasn't enough force in that kick to push him away, but it was enough to make him lose his balance.
His large body couldn't stabilize, staggering backward pathetically.
And that's what Ravenna needed. Bending her knees, her feet sank into the dirt as she lunged forward with speed. Her body was nearly touching the ground as she advanced like an animal.
Vorin tried to regain his footing quickly, swinging the sword toward her. The movement looked desperate, like the movement of someone trying to hit a cockroach.
Despite this, the air groaned due to the force behind the blow. If Ravenna were hit, the result would be several broken bones.
Ravenna smiled, quickly changing direction. Her body suddenly leaped, spinning in the air. She seemed as light as a feather. Vorin could only follow her with his head, staring up, stunned.
He hadn't expected her to be so agile!
Ravenna stared at him with a smile. Her body was suspended in the air. It was only a few seconds, but for Vorin, it seemed like hours.
"I'll take this." Ravenna licked her lips as she whispered this.
'This?' Vorin was confused, raising his hand to try to hit Ravenna in the air. But it was too late. Excruciating pain struck him.
'Eh?' When he looked down, he noticed that the hand gripping the sword had — vanished.
"Aaaargh!" Vorin roared, his expression contorting with rage and disbelief. His face was red, the veins in his forehead throbbing. "Bitch, what did you do to me?!"
Grimm, who was watching the fight, was surprised. The whole action had happened too quickly.
Ravenna had hidden her strength! She was much stronger than both of them! He didn't stay put upon realizing this and decided to act quickly.
If he didn't join now, it would be too late once Vorin was killed. At that moment, he wouldn't stand a chance fighting her head-on, much less running for his life.
Putting his hand in his pocket, he threw something.
"Playing with knives in front of me? Fool!" Ravenna used her dagger to bat away the object thrown by Grimm. The dagger deflected, hitting the carriage wall with a dry sound.
Reynard, watching all of this from inside the carriage, ducked his head, startled.
Ravenna seemed to have gone mad, pulling several throwing knives from her clothes and launching them toward Grimm.
The two started playing with knives. One threw, the other deflected.
And so, the air became deadly, filled with knives flying everywhere.
Even the air would be pierced if one wasn't careful!
'They're fighting in this place?!' He cursed, grabbing Eleanor and forcing her to crouch. Some knives fell to his feet with a metallic clang after being deflected by Ravenna, scaring him to death.
If one of those knives hit him, he wouldn't know what to do.
The wooden wall of the carriage couldn't withstand the impact. After a few seconds, it looked like a porcupine with numerous knives embedded in its structure.
Ravenna's agile hands deflected all the knives with ease. Her abnormal speed made Reynard's eyes narrow.
She didn't seem like an ordinary human!
After throwing the last knife, Grimm spun his hip and fled toward Vorin. His thin body looked strange as he ran. If he jumped any higher, gravity might forget he existed.
Regrouping with Vorin, who was now covering his severed hand with a piece of cloth he'd yanked from somewhere, the two stared at Ravenna with complicated looks.
Vorin was filled with anger and fear, while Grimm was cautious.
Neither of them dared to take the first step.
Ravenna looked at the two frightened men with that malicious smile. Her chest rising and falling heavily, betraying her true state, but she still held the jar firmly.
"Hand over the jar, and we'll let you leave!" Grimm shouted, his voice failing with despair as he stared intently at the potion in Ravenna's hand.
They were in no position to demand anything now. Ravenna had utterly defeated both of them! His plea was just a futile attempt to delay the inevitable.
If the potion took effect, it would make her even stronger.
And death would be certain!
They couldn't let her drink the potion!
Hearing this, Ravenna laughed. A dry, cruel laugh.
Without saying anything, she raised her left hand, and her fingers slowly twisted the jar's lid. The small sound of the metal opening cut through the night's silence.
Looking at the two, she smiled. "The potion is all mine."
Saying this, she tilted the jar over her mouth, ready to drink.
"..." Reynard.