Chapter 14: Unexpected

“Enemy attack! There’s a traitor!”

“Where are they?!”

“On the ship! They came from the ship! Everyone to the dock!”

The smugglers’ furious shouts overlapped in a chaotic chorus, mixed with the splashing of water, the harsh clashing of blades, and people’s agonized screams.

Lulumiya could clearly hear the footsteps of smugglers rushing off to meet the enemy.

“This should be the Beato Great Forest north of the Royal Capital, less than ten li from the nearest village around the capital.”

Once the hurried footsteps faded away, the blond-haired knight hiding with Lulumiya behind the tent whispered an explanation.

“If we go through the forest and follow the river south, we’ll get back. The problem is, things are a mess right now—we can’t tell if the attackers are Royal Capital soldiers or if it’s a double-cross among the smugglers themselves. We need to escape while the chaos lasts.”

“Are you sure we can? There are so many of them, and I can’t see what’s outside.”

Lulumiya carefully poked her head out.

Dawn had not yet arrived, and all around were the flames of burning timber, thick smoke billowing everywhere. Visibility was barely five meters.

Most of the time, all she could do was listen to the footsteps—when she looked, she couldn’t see a single person.

The blond knight’s expression grew grave.

“I can’t promise anything. If it were just those from the ship, I could handle them easily. But there are too many people here. There must be someone even stronger than me. And…”

She hesitated for a moment.

“And leaving just like this goes against the knight’s code. Even if we can’t save all the Magical Automatons, we should at least try. We can’t abandon those in need—the Lord has always taught me that.”

Weren’t you just saying you’d definitely get me out of here?

Lulumiya rolled her eyes inwardly, but didn’t voice the selfish thought.

After a brief moment, the blond knight placed her hand on Lulumiya’s shoulder.

“I have to go out and gather information, draw them away, or neither of us will make it. As soon as I leave, Lady Lulumiya, run south along the river. The farther you go, the better. I’ll meet up with you as soon as I can.”

What’s with this death flag?

“I haven’t even asked your name.”

“Julie, Guardian Knight of the Hahn Family, second rank.”

“Who’s there?!”

Julie’s words were cut off as several smugglers shouted toward the tent where Lulumiya was hiding.

Their footsteps drew nearer. Julie gave Lulumiya a long, deep look, then jumped out to face them.

Lulumiya didn’t dare poke her head out again—her dragon horns were too conspicuous; she might not see others, but they’d definitely see her. In less than a few seconds, she heard the miserable cries of the smugglers, followed by the wet, sickening sound of a longsword piercing flesh.

Lulumiya even saw a brilliant flash of golden light—Julie’s magic.

“A Magical Automaton is running! Catch her!”

“Gah!”

The cries didn’t spread far before being abruptly silenced.

Instead, the sound of smugglers chasing after Julie faded into the distance.

In just a few seconds, only the crackle of burning wood remained in Lulumiya’s ears.

The distant shouts and killing only made the silence around her all the more terrifying.

Time to slip away.

Hesitation now would only disrespect Julie’s resolve.

Lulumiya waited a moment, confirmed there was no one nearby, then pressed her body close to obstacles, quickly retracing her steps.

Then she caught sight of the bodies of those Julie had just killed.

Several men lay sprawled across the ground, necks twisted at unnatural angles or chests soaked with broad swathes of blood.

The blood pooling on the earth formed little rivers, and some had their intestines and brains spilling out, the corpses crushed flat as if run over by a steamroller—red, yellow, and white mashed together all over the ground.

“Ugh.”

Her stomach churned violently, a wave of nausea overtook her senses, and Lulumiya almost blacked out.

Compared to this, all the bloody videos she’d seen on the dark web were nothing at all.

If she hadn’t had some mental fortitude, any other girl would’ve been screaming and collapsed in terror by now.

[Positive Thought Value: 39↓ (decreased by 11)]

The sudden appearance of text distracted Lulumiya, making her feel a little better.

The thick, suffocating stench of blood in the air made her afraid to breathe.

Without looking back, she hurried away.

An endless run.

Whenever she heard voices, she’d detour. If she couldn’t, she’d hide herself until the people passed by.

Even when she saw unconscious Magical Automatons along the way, she had no thought of rescue.

Her pounding heart sent cold sweat streaming down her back, her senses focused to the utmost on every sound around her.

As she ran, she often wished that being transported here was all a dream.

But the scorched stench invading her nostrils was a constant reminder that this was an inescapable reality.

Time dragged on interminably, each second ticking with excruciating precision on her taut nerves.

After what felt like forever, the flames that had been at her heels finally faded into the distance, and the clamor of pursuit grew faint.

“Hah… Hah…”

She bent over, hands on knees, gasping for breath.

She ignored the frantically flashing text at the lower left of her vision and looked back at the way she’d come.

No one was following, and the nearest glow of fire was still forty or fifty meters away.

She had survived.

Lulumiya let out a long sigh, her limp limbs making her want nothing more than to collapse.

Sweat poured off her like she’d been pulled from a river, and she felt as if her very soul had run out of her body.

Looking up, she saw that she was deep in the forest, the lifeless silence around her starkly contrasted with the distant sounds of battle.

She was in a corner the world had already forgotten.

Now, I just need to follow the river.

Thinking this, Lulumiya forced herself to swallow, her dry, scratchy throat making her deeply uncomfortable.

The next instant—

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The sudden voice made Lulumiya’s heart leap into her throat.

She spun around at once.

Her expression changed.

The newcomer was someone Lulumiya knew.

Amy.

She held a staff, standing side-on to Lulumiya, ready to cast a spell at any moment.

In her eyes burned a grudge.

Staring at Lulumiya, drenched in sweat and with even her bangs plastered to her forehead, Amy’s voice dripped with mockery.

“Weren’t you so tough just now? Scared now, are you? Get down on your knees and kowtow, beg for forgiveness. If I’m in a good mood, maybe I’ll let you go.”

“Idiot.”

Without hesitation, Lulumiya spat the insult.

Her emerald slit pupils blazed with the fire of revenge.

Lowering her stance, she bent her knees, and while Amy waited for a response, Lulumiya, already coiling power in her calves, shot forward like a spring.

If she didn’t deal with Amy, she’d be the one to die.

No matter if they were man or woman, adult or child—if they wanted her dead, to her they were all just enemies.

If someone hit her, she’d hit back. If she couldn’t win, she’d use weapons.

If weapons didn’t work, she’d fight dirty.

If she didn’t vent her anger now, she’d only suffer later.

That was Lulumiya’s creed.

As someone with the mental age of almost thirty, would she really cower before a thirteen-year-old girl?

Lulumiya’s sudden charge caught Amy off guard.

For a split second, Amy was stunned; then rage flooded her eyes as if she wanted to eat Lulumiya alive.

She twisted aside to dodge Lulumiya’s leap, then raised her staff and began chanting a spell Lulumiya knew all too well.

“Spirit of Flowing Fire, burn away all who stand before me!—‘Fireball’!”