After galloping with full speed for about 1 hour the sun has started to set and Alfred finally arrived at the edge of Karstfilm Forest. Because the forest terrain  make it difficult for horse riding he decided to leave his horse there and enter the forest on foot.

“O wind, let my feet reach the horizon,|Accel|”

Because the size of the forest is quite large Alfred decided to use wind magic for increasing movement speed |Accel| this magic also let the user float for a few seconds after they jump also this magic reduce the weight of the user by half so this magic is not really practical in battle, but extremely useful in a chase or race.

With the support of his magic Alfred dash through the forest with high speed and passed any obstacle in his way with ease. Sometimes he would encounter beast and monster on his way, but he slash everything in his way without losing his momentum. He keep running through the forest before eventually stop at a clearing in the middle of the forest.

“What… is this…?”

When he saw what in front of him he shocked to find many demons gathered in a massive numbers from demons with a form like beasts to bipedal demons. But the strange thing is, even though he clearly standing in front of them there’s not a single demon who make a move. Alfred notices there’s someone staked in the middle of those demons and he quickly realize who it was.

“Ellie!”

It was his sister Ellisia Flos Feldian. His sister seems to be unconcious because no matter how many Alfred called out to her she didn’t respond at all.

“Ahahahaha! Look at who came! Isn’t it my dear brother the crown prince!”

Turning around to the direction of the voice Alfred’s face immediately twisted with simmering wrath.

“Rio you bastard! So it was your doing all along!”

“Rio? Please stop calling me with that disgusting name. Now I’m called Krust, please remember that”

Seeing his brother’s face made Alfred remember the incident 3 years ago. He wanted to jump at him and cut all his limbs but he knew that would be nothing but reckless. For all he knew, all the demons here might be under his control.

“What are you planning on doing to Ellie?”

Alfred said with extremely cold voice. But it seems seeing his anger just make Ekario, or rather, Krust smile even deeper as if he was amused.

“What I’m planning with her you said? Of course I won’t tell you about it! What kind of an idiot willing to give information to their enemies?”

Contrary to how he act, Krust truly surprised Alfred could find him, after all he didn’t leave a single traces or clue

“Or rather how could you find us? I’m quite sure I don’t leave any traces behind. Well that’s the crown prince for you I guess.”

Alfred on the other hand desperately thinking about how he can get his sister out of this situation. He also puzzled why Krust needed his sister and her alone for whatever he is planning. Based on past incident he need many sacrifices if he wanted to summon a devil.

“Let her go.”

He said while drawing his sword.

“Sigh, I guess the time to chat is over then.”

Snap*

He snap his fingers  after that 2 luminescent magic circle appeared under him and Ellisia.

“Wait!”

“Kill him.”

After that short order all the demon’s eyes shone bright red and immediately rushed toward Alfred at the same time.

“Damn it”

Alfred helplessly saw his sister figure disappearing along with the magic circle while blocking a wolf-like demon using his sword then slash it in half. But the demons keep rushing toward him like an avalanche.

“Sky, bless my sword!”

He use magic to enchant his sword  with
lightning.

There’s at least two hundred demons here, it’s impossible for me to defeat them all alone. I guess I need to hold on until the knights came huh.

He thougt with a self deprecating smile. No matter how talented he is it’s impossible to kill two hundred demons by himself, the only one who can do that in the entire kingdom is only the royal guard captain.

Firming his resolve Alfred charged toward the demons. He slash the incoming enemies with his sword and then uses magic to shoot the demons in the sky. He dodge a demon trying to stab his face using it’s claw by jumping to the side but before he could catch his breath another demon jump at him while breathing out poisonous miasma toward him. Alfred rolled to the side and immediately cut multiple demons at once killing them in one sweep.

Slash. Shoot. Dodge. Block.

After fighting for a long time, Alfred body is filled with injury. His clothes is full of blood and mud from rolling around to dodge, his hair dishiveled and his face shown great exhaustion.  After he get some space to catch his breath he saw there’s still many demon and he didn’t see any sign of reinforcement from the knights but he's not surprised. The terrain in the forest made it hard for the knights to march. In the first place, Alfred managed to reach this place after running for a few hours even after reinforcing his speed using magic so it’s obvious for the knights to need a longer time to come.

When he thought like that suddenly he felt a sharp pain from his abdomen. When he looked down he saw a pair of of dark tentacles pierced him from behind, he turn his head to see where it come from. He saw someone with dark robe so dark that make him almost impossible to being noticed when he standing in a dark forest like this.

So that’s the Shadowmancer.

When he realized the identity of his enemy, the Shadowmancer lift his body and then throw him toward a tree and Alfred crashed with a great force.

“gahak!

He spat a mouthful of blood and slumped down to his bottom.

So this is it huh.

Slowly his vision grow hazy and he didn’t have any strength to even lift his hand. In his hazy conciousness he faintly heard a shout from somewhere and suddenly a sword struck the Shadowmancer’s head and buried itself deeply. And just like that, he lost his conciousness.

• • •

Yawn*

I yawn unreservedly while sitting in a carriage for public transportation between cities. After getting my money from ‘helping’ a noble I immediately ask around about that noble and it seems he was the crown prince. After knowing that I can feel my feet growing cold and blood drained from my face, if the crown prince realized I lied to him won’t my head fly because of it? In panic I search for travel between cities and luckily I found a group of adventurers boarding a carriage to go to Goldrift City, I don’t know where that is but the most important thing is getting away from the capital as soon as possible.

As someone from the slum I feel strange seeing many people traveling at so early in the morning. I thought the people of this world always travel at around 7:30 AM at the earliest. After a bit of thought, I realize it’s more reasonable to leave at such time, because the vehicle in this world not as fast as modern vehicle.

“Hey lad, what are you spacing out for?”

The one who spoke to me is the leader of the adventurers I said before, his name is Goldberg. He has a muscular body and his height is easily reach 2 meter tall, with his bald head full of scars he was the very definition of bandit lord if I say so myself. Contrary to his appearance he’s a really nice guy and surprisingly he’s only 22 years old, it’s thanks to him that I can board the carriage with them.

Apparently he has a complex about his own appearance. It’s started when he tried to help a crying little girl who lost her way. But seeing his face frightened the girl and made her cry even louder resulting him in being detained by the guards. After desperately trying to explain his side of story and his party members told the guards the kind of person he is, the guards finally let him go, he sulk for 3 days after that incident though. Or so I was told by the party’s mage Tiara.

“Nothing.”

“’s that so. By the way, why are you in such a hurry? Are you found out your lover’s affair or something?”

He asked me while grinning mischievously at me.

“Stop that, as an adventurer you must not pry into someone else private life like that.”

The one who rebutted him is miss Tiara. She’s mister Goldberg’ childhood friend apparently. How can I say this, she’s the exact opposite of mister Goldberg in term of appearance, with long chestnut hair down to her waist, fair skin and a faint smile she usually has on her face, she really look like a caring sister. Well it’s a bit dissapointing how she has modest protrusion on her body. I won’t say which part because that will be rude.

“hmm?”

Suddenly she tilt her head while looking at me with a smile on her face, but her eyes are not smiling at all. Is she can read minds? Scary.

“You’re right, sorry ‘bout that lad.”

“It’s okay, don’t mind it”

Prince, I hope you can forgive me from tricking you a bit, a magnanimous ruler is always popular with the masses after all.