Before arriving in Hespania, Edgar and his party took a break at a villa frequently used by the Robeheim Family to shake off their travel fatigue before hitting the road again.
Looking around, one could easily question if this was really the carriage of the only daughter of a Grand Duke, considering the surroundings were pretty bare.
This was partly because Ariel rarely had a guard when she left Hespania.
When she was younger and accompanied by Helene, they would have some guards, but as her senses sharpened and she became more aware of the gazes around her, she stopped bringing soldiers along.
Edgar had said something about this before, but Ariel was stubborn about it, leaving him with no choice.
Thanks to this, it was basically just Edgar, Ariel, and Shuri as the entire party these days.
Maybe they could include a driver in that count.
Edgar was always dissatisfied with this point, so today, as expected, he voiced his concerns.
Whenever they traveled, the anxiety made it nearly impossible for him to take his eyes off the scenery outside.
“If things go on like this, you’ll have to get hurt properly to understand.”
“Are you still on that? I told you, I don’t need a guard.”
“You might feel that way, but your parents and I have different perspectives. You’re the only heir of a Grand Duke.”
“I’m stronger than a few guards! Plus, you’ve got my back, what need is there?”
She wasn’t wrong.
Edgar was definitely more useful than some pathetic guards, and Ariel’s own strength was beyond imagination.
But the reason for having a guard was to protect her life when push came to shove.
If an opponent appeared that their strength couldn’t handle, the purpose would be to buy time to keep her safe. That was the role of a guard.
Of course, even with this explanation, Ariel wouldn’t budge.
If she had ever budged, they wouldn’t be stuck in this situation.
“Both of you, calm down.”
“I’m not particularly angry. I understand Edgar’s point, but nothing has happened so far, so it’s annoying to keep hearing it…”
At that last line, Edgar almost toppled backwards.
Did this naïve lady really forget those events from years ago?
“Nothing has happened? Do you not remember that assassins broke into the castle once?”
“Th-that was… True, but…”
“I know you hate being in crowded places. Do you think I’d suggest it without knowing that?”
Edgar didn’t want to keep bringing it up knowing it annoyed her.
But ultimately, someone had to say it, and he was just taking the heat for it.
Sure, she could roam around like this now, but she couldn’t keep this up after officially becoming the head of the family, right?
It would be better to start getting used to guards early on and adapt as time went on.
“Ed’s right, Miss.”
“You too?!”
“Well, it’s the truth. You’re going to be the master of the Robeheim Family. It’s just not suitable to go around alone…”
With Shuri joining in, Ariel let out a sound like a puppy having a fit.
She didn’t think she could keep up this stubbornness for much longer.
Ultimately, one had to follow the decorum that matched their position, and she knew that one day she would have to stop being so headstrong, where her family meant her and she meant her family.
But she just wanted to continue her current lifestyle until then, so why were they so eager to nag her?
“Fine. I’ll think about guards, okay?”
“Just thinking won’t cut it; you’ll get in trouble if you let it slide again.”
“I’m not a child!”
Edgar still saw traces of the childishness in her, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
Saying that would likely set this carriage ablaze.
So today, with just another empty promise from the lady, the two shared a wry smile as the carriage left town heading towards Hespania.
This path was mostly unused by the general public and connected directly from the previously taken road from Bellucci to Hespania.
However, this route was narrower and way bumpier than others, making it ill-suited for trade or travel.
In other words, while it saved time, it came with a share of discomfort.
But there was a major advantage that overshadowed all these downsides: the fact that it was rarely used by merchants meant there were fewer chances of running into bandits.
“This path never gets easier.”
Even knowing about that upside didn’t make the discomfort go away.
With the bumpy carriage ride, Ariel frowned as she held onto the pole for support.
“It is a bit rough, my head’s spinning.”
“As long as we endure this part, we’ll be fine. You both hang in there.”
There was a section where they would cross a mountain, and as they entered, the carriage shook even more.
“…”
“Are you feeling queasy?”
“… No.”
With her eyes tightly closed and her arms crossed, Ariel stayed silent, prompting Edgar to check on her since he was worried about her state.
With her resolutely shaking her head, a slight frown appeared on her forehead before she suddenly leaned out the window.
And that was the moment.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
With a sound like something hitting a metal wall, Edgar jumped out of the carriage in an instant.
“Don’t let them get away!”
“Kill the man!”
At the same time, black figures sprang from both sides of the mountain road, stomping through the foliage and rushing toward the carriage.
Swoosh!
A dagger shot from Edgar’s hand embedded itself in one opponent’s neck, and the other barely dodged the attack but lost his balance and tumbled over.
Though it was a technique he learned from Creed, he hadn’t imagined he’d need to use it so soon.
Edgar, calming his startled heart, shouted to the driver.
“Don’t panic, ride at full speed!”
“Y-yes! Understood!”
The driver, frightened yet bravely gripping the reins, didn’t falter.
Following Edgar, Ariel revealed herself outside the carriage, just as arrows were fired from all directions once again.
Ping! Thunk!
“What the!?”
But arriving near the carriage, the arrows fell to the ground as if they had hit an invisible barrier.
One of the shadows descending quickly down the mountain gasped in shock at this sight.
Since the arrows hadn’t hit before, they’d thought it was just coincidental, but it seemed the carriage was protected by barriers or special devices.
Unless that was the case, it was hard to believe…
“Curse it.”
This must be the handiwork of that noblewoman in the carriage. She was indeed the most troublesome opponent.
But their orders were to kill the other two and somehow let the noblewoman escape.
In this operation, they intended to make it look like they tried to kill her but failed. That was their second priority.
If their goal had been to kill them all, they might have just hired a sorcerer instead, but because of that complicated condition, they couldn’t afford to do that.
“It looks like it’ll come down to close combat.”
After all, due to that protective shield, any thrown projectiles from outside would be rendered useless.
That meant they just had to stop the carriage or kill the horses, making sure to only assassinate the other two.
If one horse could be spared, having the noblewoman ride away could create the image they were aiming for.
He quickly signaled to his subordinates behind him and began charging towards the approaching carriage.
Clang!
Meanwhile, Edgar had just thwarted an ambush attack while hiding behind a tree, glancing around.
If this kept up, he could easily deal with the attackers, but they weren’t foolish enough not to have placed some backup.
Above all, hidden in the bushes, he couldn’t gauge their numbers, which was the biggest problem.
Crash!
Edgar tripped one opponent, sending him tumbling beneath the galloping carriage, then drove his sword into the enemy approaching from behind.
He felt a strange sensation as the blade sank deep, and Edgar grimaced as he yanked the sword out, tossing the body aside like a ragdoll.
“Something’s off…”
Watching this unfold, Ariel frowned at the odd feeling she had felt for a while.
It seemed all the attacks were directed at Edgar.
It wasn’t just a feeling; there were no arrows or ambushes fired toward her, who was exposed and unguarded behind.
If their goal was to kill, there surely would have been a more straightforward approach.
Even a fireball from a magic scroll could have wiped everyone in this carriage out far more economically.
So why were they going to such lengths?
It felt as if their goals lay elsewhere.
“Come to think of it, just a moment ago…”
She wasn’t inside to hear the exact words, but she vaguely remembered someone saying, “Kill the man.”
Could it be that this was…
“Ed!”
As Ariel continued her thoughts, a figure lunged out from behind the dense foliage toward Edgar.
She shouted his name and immediately reached out her hand, unleashing magic aimed at the figure’s head.
Boom!
With no sign of mercy, the enemy’s brains splattered everywhere, drenching Edgar, but neither of them had the time to worry about that.
Meanwhile, Ariel had confirmed something from her earlier attack.
For whatever reason, these people were targeting her lover’s life.
This was not a simple revenge plot to kill a member of the Robeheim family nor an act of passing bandits.
That meant there was only one thing to do.
“Gag! You filthy wretch…!”
“Shut your mouth if you don’t want to die.”
This time, Ariel assigned one of the attackers to Edgar while she took on the other.
In her hand was the leader of those lurking in the woods, who had been waiting for an opportunity.
With her grip tightening around his neck with a force that was almost spectral, she hurled the new model device right onto the carriage.
The enemy’s curses tumbled out, but Ariel maintained her composure, glaring coldly and demanding answers.
By now, the carriage had moved from the wooded mountain path to an open plain.
“Who’s behind this?”
“I-I won’t tell you that…”
Seeing he had no intention to answer, Ariel filled her hand with a red aura and immediately gouged his eyes.
The mysterious magic at the tip of her thumb pierced through his pupil, invading his brain.
Only unintelligible sounds issued from his lips thereafter as she remained unfazed.
“I’ll ask again. Is your purpose to kill my lover?”
“Uh… I-I don’t know…”
“Few places remain to be destroyed, and you’re already losing consciousness?”
Ariel directed her hands once again, channeling red energy toward his bound hands.
The man with only one eye remaining desperately shook his head, predicting what she planned next, but Ariel only smirked and ruthlessly severed his wrist.
“Ugh…!”
“Seeing you spewing gibberish makes me want to pluck every finger off just out of disgust, but I’m in a bit of a hurry. The rest I’ll deal with once we arrive in Hespania.”
Understanding the meaning behind those words, the man refused to imagine the torment that awaited him and promptly lost consciousness.
Looking coldly down at him, Ariel called for Shuri to fetch something to bind him with before wiping the smirk from her face.
She couldn’t afford to show him this expression.
Then, with a face much brighter than the one that had faced near-death just moments ago, she walked toward Edgar, who was sitting exhausted.
There was blood on her hands, but that was the least of her concerns.
“Are you okay, Ed?”
“Uh, I’m fine. But what about you?”
“Yeah, I’m unhurt. You protected me with your body.”
Ariel quietly pulled him into an embrace.
The warmth that threatened to vanish filled her, calming her somewhat.
However, her eyes were still burning with quiet rage.
‘Who to kill?’
If it weren’t for that line, perhaps she could have let it all slide.
But once she found the mastermind behind this attack, she resolved to ensure they wished they had perished.
To remove their nails, gouge their eyes, and cut off their testicles, feeding them to the dogs would likely not quench this rage easily.
For daring to threaten those precious to her, they would pay with their dear ones.
Once it was all done, only then would she bestow her final mercy.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Recalling the iron rule of the Robeheim family that she had heard from her father in her childhood, Ariel knew she needed to rein in this rage for now.
