The golden evening light bathed their carriage, reflecting off the polished wooden surfaces and dusty wheels, while long shadows danced across the ground. Without Rayyan Bartos accompanying them, the group continued their journey as planned, with the same arrangement of guards and unchanging pace. Eventually, they passed through the great gates of Valcreat, towering gates adorned with ancient carvings and heavy iron doors, as the evening wind brushed against their faces and the horses' hooves echoed along the stone path.
"Elina… tired?" Damnern spoke softly, as if afraid of startling their child.
Elina shook her head slightly. "Just a little tired. It's been a long day."
"Sorry… for making you and the children go through all that," Damnern replied again.
Elina smiled gently. "That's your responsibility. And now… Willowess needs you."
"So Papa doesn't fight bad people anymore?" Eldern interjected.
Damnern paused for a moment before answering. "If Papa has to… Papa will."
Elyra, who had been sitting quietly until then, stared blankly out the carriage window, as if her mind had drifted far away from the world around her. Unconsciously, her lips moved slowly, and a single word slipped out—
"Colosseum…"
Hearing this, Elina immediately said,
"Papa, when he was 21, was also a Colosseum champion," she told Elyra while glancing at Damnern.
Damnern raised an eyebrow. "Back then," he said, coughing lightly. "Now Papa's better at handling paperwork."
"That's not impressive," Eldern complained.
Elina gently pinched Eldern's cheek. "Don't say that. Your Papa works hard to protect many people."
Elyra merely observed in silence.
Their group finally entered the Valdwess Forest, where the path grew narrower and sunlight was increasingly blocked by the towering canopy. The surrounding atmosphere became quieter, interrupted only by the rustling of leaves and the soft echo of hooves, signaling that they had truly left the open area behind.
Suddenly, Elina hugged Elyra, gently turning the little girl so she no longer faced the carriage window and protecting her from an arrow that nearly pierced the carriage. From the small gap under Elina's arm, Elyra caught sight of Damnern gripping an arrow that nearly struck Elina's back. Her gaze froze on the weapon, and she could no longer fully register how close the threat had been before it almost occurred.
Yet one thing Elyra could feel was the immense aura radiating from Damnern—stronger than ever before—making her body feel almost paralyzed. The pressure reminded her of Ferwel Noxes' presence—a suffocating sensation, as if sheer strength alone could break someone's will without even touching them.
Outside, the clanging of swords colliding could be heard, clearly signaling an attack, the surroundings instantly filled with tension and chaos invisible from inside the carriage.
Eldern, visibly panicking, was immediately pulled into Elina's embrace as well, the little body held tightly as if to shield him from whatever was happening ahead.
"Sorry… just wait a moment, okay?" Damnern said with a faint smile, though the aura emanating from him suggested otherwise.
He stepped forward slowly and opened the carriage door with calm, deliberate movements. But as soon as the door opened, his body seemed to vanish from sight.
From above, one guard was seen falling, struck by an arrow, while eight others tried to hold back the raiders attacking from the front. In an instant, the raiders at the front were cut down one by one, each shocked and unable to comprehend what had happened.
The raiders in the back line, carrying bows, panicked as they saw a shadow moving swiftly, cutting down one after another before disappearing. For a moment, they felt a bit relieved, only for the person beside them to be cut down without warning.
Those farther away, preparing to hide and shoot as archers, were also cut down one by one, causing chaos and panic throughout the raiders' ranks.
The last surviving raider sat down, eyes fixed on Damnern's blood-soaked figure. Damnern had only used Judgement Eyes—a power that allowed him to see enemies wherever they hid, unless they were too far away, by tracking the Judgement Thread on their necks.
Without activating the full potential of his Semi-Angel skill, which would reveal a single wing on his left side, Damnern was able to defeat all attacking raiders effortlessly.
Damnern's cold gaze made the raider wet himself in fear.
"Who sent you?" Damnern asked.
End of Chapter 8