Third Arc (Fallen Heart) - 174. Rebellion and Ambush IV

They quickly disabled the smoke devices and ensured to eliminate any other potential threats lurking nearby.

Meanwhile, the injured soldiers were being treated with care and attention. The medical supplies from the carriage were quickly put to use, and soon the wounded were receiving the care they needed. Luckily, they had all worn special armor under their uniforms, which had protected them from serious injury. Most of the wounds were minor, and with proper treatment, they would soon be back on their feet and ready to fight again.

With his sharp eyes, Angel scanned the area, taking in every detail of the surroundings. He was on high alert, knowing that the rebels could strike at any moment, feeling the tension in the air, the anticipation of a potential attack looming over them. Then his gaze stopped at one point. He sheathed his sword and started to walk toward the spot.

After a few steps, he stopped in his tracks. Something seemed off, like a presence lurking just beyond his field of vision. He raised his hand slowly, extending it towards the tree in front of him. Suddenly, a wall of magic appeared, blocking his path.

Angel narrowed his eyes, his hand still extended towards the barrier. He could feel the power of the magic emanating from it, a strong and formidable force.

"It seems everything is according to my prediction," muttered Angel as he checked the wall closely. A hint of sadness in his voice. It was Asteria’s Magic Shield. The only magic shield that came from his family sword. Guardian's Sword.

Nearby, as Rose strolled through the bloody battlefield, her gaze was inevitably drawn to him. Despite the bloody scene around him, there was something in his posture that betrayed a certain pensive melancholy. The way his shoulders were hunched, the way his head was tilted downward, it was clear that he was lost in thought.

Curious, Rose couldn't help but approach him, her footsteps soft on the lush grass beneath her feet. She stopped by his side, she noticed that his hand was resting against a strange, transparent wall that seemed to cover that area. The wall shimmered and sparkled in the sunlight, casting a hypnotic glow over the scene before her.

As Rose's mind raced back to the conversation she had with Angel days ago, her heart began to pound in her chest. The memory of his words, spoken with a hint of warning, came flooding back to her in a rush. He had mentioned something about his family’s Magical Shield, an impenetrable barrier that could trap them all within its confines. At the time, she had dismissed it as a mere exaggeration. She thought Ilex wouldn’t do that far. But now, as she stood before the shimmering, transparent wall that stretched out before her, she knew that he had been right all along.

"Is that Asteria's Magic Shield?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She couldn't believe that she would see this outside a castle.

"Yes," Angel said, his voice firm and steady, though she could sense the underlying bitterness in his tone. "Once this barrier is activated, no one can enter, no one can get out. The only way is to find the source and destroy it."

Rose's mind was spinning with confusion. She couldn't understand how Ilex, the prince of Asteria, could have gone to such lengths to trap them within this barrier. "But, doesn't that mean he left the castle unguarded?" she asked. Her mind was reeling as she tried to make sense of the situation. "What if another kingdom attacks them?"

Angel's lips thinned into a tight line as he considered her question. "Asteria is under my authority. For him, he has nothing to lose," he said, his words clipped and brief. It was clear that he was struggling to come to terms with the extent of Ilex's betrayal and couldn't hide his disappointment for how far Ilex had fallen into madness.

"I don't understand," Rose said, her curiosity getting the better of her. "You said your family's Magic Shield uses a special sword, right? Let's say Ilex stole it and King Gervis didn't know about it, but wouldn't people notice if the castle's Magic Shield was lost?"