{Next Day}
The sun cast golden rays over a distant corner of the Elarin continent. Deep within a forest, three carriages moved in a straight line, flanked by a retinue of armed guards. Some rode on horseback, others marched beside the convoy, ever-watchful.
The first carriage held a man encased in full armour.
The last carriage was loaded with supplies: sacks of grain, crates of dried meat, barrels of water, and neatly stacked weapons.
And finally in the middle carriage was Lucien.
Unlike yesterday when he had looked like a beggar. Today, he was fully cladded in his armour and his sword was laying right beside him.
Yet even now, he was doubting his choices.
'Did I make the right call changing our route?'
He exhaled slowly and forced the uncertainty to the back of his mind.
Moments after convincing himself that he was doing the right thing, whistles sounds pierced the air.
"Bandit attack! Protect the carriage!" a guard shouted.
Without hesitation, Lucien shut the carriage's safety cover and activated the embedded defence runes. A soft hum filled the space just before ten thudding impacts struck the barrier... arrows and spells were deflected.
Outside, the guards responded like seasoned veterans. Shields locked together, forming a defensive ring around Lucien's carriage. Swords were drawn, bows raised.
Lucien placed his hand on the hilt of his blade but didn't move to exit.
'Hopefully this fight ends quickly.'
Still, he remained alert. If anyone slipped through through the guard, he'd be ready.
The volley of arrows spells ceased.
Then came the real threat.
The guards pressed forward as the bandits emerged from the trees, charging with bloodlust in their eyes. Ranged fighters fell behind the front line, loosing arrows over their comrades' heads with deadly precision.
The first carriage burst open.
Out stepped the head guard, a seasoned warrior with a gaze like sharpened steel. With a commanding roar, he led the charge—his sword flashed, and three heads fell in an instant.
He dove into the fray like a wild beast unleashed, carving through enemies with unstoppable momentum. The guards rallied behind him, blades clashing, arrows flying and shields breaking.
Slowly but surely, his guards began to gain the upper hand and victory seemed within reach—until the shadows moved.
A cloaked figure appeared beside the head guard, a dagger aimed straight for his ribs.
Simultaneously, other cloaked assassins emerged, targeting the strongest of Lucien's men with deadly precision. Steel met flesh. Blood was spilled.
Though the head guard twisted just in time to avoid the killing blow, he wasn't unscathed. Other guards though weren't so lucky.
"You're a Rank 3," The head guard growled as he steadied himself, eyes locked on the masked attacker. "What's someone like you doing robbing travellers?"
The battle momentarily paused.
Both sides pulled back, regrouping, sizing each other up with wary eyes.
Lucien stepped down from his carriage, sword in hand, just in time to hear the exchange.
Before the head guard could speak again, Lucien raised his voice.
"Let's be honest. If this fight drags on, we'll both suffer heavy losses. How about I pay you this 100 gold with me… you take it and leave."
A cold chuckle echoed from beneath the assassin's hood.
"Hahh... hahh... hahhhh. In another setting, I might've taken that deal. But now?" He shook his head. "Now I can't."
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "You don't know who I am, do you?" Lucien asked hoping to any higher power that they did.
The bandit's grin widened beneath the mask.
"On the contrary… I know exactly who you are, Young MasterLucien."
"Since you clearly know who I am, why take such a risk just for… Ah I see.."
Lucien paused mid-sentence. A realization struck him... someone had placed a bounty on his head.
"I see you're quick on the uptake," the cloaked figure smirked. "Seems the rumours were true... the first young master of the Balmore family does have some brains."
Lucien narrowed his eyes. "If you know who I am, then you should also know my family will hunt you down, we have artifacts that can divine a person's last memories." Lucien probed.
"True," the assassin nodded. "But none of us need to kill you directly, right? Just tie you up, let the beasts take care of the rest, and our hands stay clean. And tell me, how certain are you that the Balmore family will burn rare resources just to avenge you? Beside as far as I can tell you are no longer one of them."
Lucien's face darkened. If the assassin knew that much, then he wasn't just a common mercenary... he was working for someone close. His brother… most likely, but he couldn't be sure because there were a lot of people who currently wanted him dead.
His father, his stepmother, his uncle, his brother, the Thorne family, several vassals of Balmore Family, and many more that he might not even more.
Seeing that Lucien's final bluff had failed, the head guard stepped forward.
"Young master, go. We'll hold them off as long as we can. Escape."
Lucien didn't pretend to be noble. He seized the moment, and turned to his men.
"I will never forget this. Your families will be cared for as long as I survive."
With a deep bow, he activated his skill [Mana Aura] and darted off into the woods.
The guards watched him disappear with bittersweet gratitude, knowing most of them wouldn't survive—but if Lucien did, their loved ones might be well taken care off.
As soon as Lucien was out of range, the fight reignited... at least on the surface. Moments later, the head guard and the cloaked man stopped clashing and turned their blades on the remaining loyal guards.
One of the guards shouted in confusion, "Leader! What are you doing? You're under a spell… right? Snap out of it!"
Panting heavily, the head guard sneered. "You think I serve that useless brat? The Mistress has paid me enough to live like a king. This whole thing is nothing but a sham."
The colour drained from the guards' faces. Their morale collapsed instantly.
Desperate, one of them pleaded, "Leader, please… let us join you. We won't tell anyone… we promise to be loyal"
The head guard and the cloaked man laughed.
"Unfortunately," the cloaked figure said coldly, "we can't risk that."
He turned to his men. "Spare the women. We'll need something to enjoy later."
"Yessss," the men responded with bloodlust before resuming their massacre.
In minutes, the ground was littered with corpses. The surviving women were bound. The head guard glanced at the cloaked figure.
"You've got the aura tracker, right?"
The figure nodded.
"Then what are you waiting for? Or do you want to be the reason we fail?"
Without a word, the cloaked man pulled out a device and bolted in the direction Lucien had fled. The head guard licked his lips, turning back toward the bound women.
Meanwhile, Lucien was running through the undergrowth, replaying every step that led to this betrayal. Something didn't sit right.
He had changed their route twice, once the night before, and again at the last minute, to avoid any ambushes. No one should've known the path. No one could've deployed this many men across all possibly route without drawing attention and he doubted his brother was rich enough to hire that many people.
Still, there was no time to dwell on it. He ran, lungs burning, mind racing.
Suddenly, a sharp sound behind him... footsteps. They were closing in.
He glanced back. No surprise, they'd broken through his guards. Someone had betrayed him. But who?
He pushed harder, mana flowing though his body. He had managed to stay ahead with the help of mana replenishing potions given to him by the Grand Elder, but he was almost out.
'Damn it, these dogs just don't quit.'
Turning a corner, he spotted three cloaked figures ahead. They slammed their palms into the ground with exaggerated gestures. A massive stone wall erupted in his path.
Lucien aimed to leap over it with a burst of mana only for a wall of flame to rise above the wall.
No options left. Mid-sprint, Lucien drove his sword into the ground, used it as a pivot, and hurled himself in the only open direction like a slingshot. His boots tore into the dirt as he landed and kept running.
'Think... Think, damn it!' His heart thundered in his chest, lungs burning. 'I have to lose them… I'm getting tired.'
He didn't even have a map. Not that he could stop to check one. That bitter realization gnawed at him. After so many frantic turns, retracing his steps was out of the question.
Worse still, the way his pursuers were chasing him, it was obvious now... they were herding him deeper into the forest.
Minutes passed, or maybe longer. The pounding of feet behind him faded. No shouts. No chase.
Lucien slowed, then stopped, chest heaving. Silence. He turned slowly in place, scanning the trees.
They were gone.
He wasn't being hunted anymore.
The trap had already been sprung, and they had completed their mission: push him into the wilds and leave him to die.
He glanced back the way he'd come. Part of him wanted to turn around, try to find his way back to the County, but even if he could—which was doubtful—what then?
Go back? After everything?
That would be like walking straight into the executioner's blade, serving his head up on a silver platter. His father wouldn't hesitate after what he'd done. He would show him no mercy.
Lucien clenched his jaw and looked up.
The sun was dipping below the trees, casting long shadows.
"West," he muttered.
So he turned away from it and walked east, into the unknown.
It was the only direction he had left.