Three days passed in a blink as the carriage Yuto was riding in slowed down.
They stopped at one of the villages in Margrave territory, where they would spend their last night before entering the Margrave Coldsteel's town.
Yuto opened his eyes; lately, he focused on his cultivation and remained vigilant about the people following them.
Two nights had passed, and the mysterious followers had never tried to show themselves.
A doubt rose in his mind.
Were they guards to protect them on their journey?
Because in these three days, monsters had never once attacked their carriage. A stark difference from what Yuto heard from Thomas.
Regardless, Yuto felt uncomfortable with their presence. He wanted to confirm whether they were allies or enemies.
'Tonight, for sure!'
A harsh jolt shook the entire carriage and his body. Yuto's gaze shifted, and he saw the scenery before him.
Simple wooden houses with sturdy foundations, lined up with large gaps between each other.
However, no warmth could be felt; only an eerie emptiness lingered. The village had been abandoned by its people.
As the sun dove into the horizon. The place was gradually sinking into the darkness of the night.
"Whoa, stop!"
Gonzo pulled the reins, making the horses neigh and stop.
One bald adventurer stepped down from the carriage in front. He was a rather plump and short man named Doni.
"Mr. Gonzo, our client said, 'Let's rest here for the night?'"
Yuto turned to the side and saw the man beside him glance around the area and nod.
"Alright."
After getting approval, Yuto and Gonzo jumped from the carriage, immediately untied the ropes, and allowed the horses to rest.
Because the village was empty, Gonzo and the other merchant chose the nearest houses that stood side-by-side.
This would make it easier for Yuto and the three adventurer brothers to cooperate if anything bad happened.
"Yuto, here's your dinner."
Gonzo handed him half a loaf of bread and some salty jerky.
"Thanks."
The boy was already used to simple food like this.
Inevitably, because the four people besides him couldn't cook.
Yuto could cook, but he was hesitant to show his ability, and on the other hand, he didn't want to reduce any of the ingredient supplies for the refugees later.
So, instead of complaining, Yuto took it as a learning experience for the future and left the house, preparing for night watch.
"Stay inside, Gonzo. I'll stand guard outside."
"Alright, thank you for your hard work. Don't push yourself too hard."
Yuto closed the creaking wooden door behind him. The night wind pinched his skin with cold, signaling that night had fallen.
He sat on the porch edge, gazing at the glittering diamonds in the black sky.
Yuto brought the bread to his mouth, but stopped halfway.
"Hey, kid!"
His eyes turned from the bread in his hand to the three brothers approaching him, each carrying their dinner.
"What's the matter?"
Deni, the eldest brother of the group, stepped forward. His muscular build blocked the silhouettes of his two younger brothers behind him.
Yuto saw a piece of jerky and a waterskin in the man's hand.
"You probably need this, right?"
The man showed the bulged pouch while showing his grinning face. Dany and Doni joined from behind him, turning it into a gathering of adventurers.
"Thanks."
They sat together, never tired of opening their mouths. With smiles, the trio shared their experiences as senior adventurers.
Their party was called the Ironhead Pact, known for their distinct shaved heads.
They were a B-Rank Adventurer party, on the verge of rising to A-Rank. Each of them also had its own strengths.
"I didn't expect this trip to be so short."
Deni's remark immediately caught Yuto's attention, and he asked.
"How long was it supposed to be?"
"Hmm, five to six days, right?"
Deni rubbed his chin and then glanced at Dany.
"Yeah, we've been to Coldsteel territory before."
"Nom... nom... That was when we took our rank-up mission."
Doni mumbled through a mouthful of jerky, recalling their time when escorting a small merchant traveling across town.
Yuto bit into his hard bread, chewing it with the jerky to add flavor.
Before they knew it, hours had passed in their conversation.
Until suddenly, Yuto's brows furrowed. He turned his eyes sideways without moving his neck.
'They're here again.'
"What is it, Dany?"
Deni's voice was low, but Yuto could feel the tension in his tone.
"I can sense a presence that doesn't belong to our group."
Without warning, Yuto stood up, attracting the attention of the three.
"Yuto, what are you going to do?"
Dany asked while gripping the hilt of his dagger.
"Please protect my client. I'll go greet them."
After saying that, Yuto's body blurred, disappearing into the darkness.
The three brothers exchanged glances as they already understood the depth of the boy's strength.
They nodded and drew their respective weapons.
Yuto darted through the forest. His red eyes glowed after being infused with Qi energy, which spread throughout his body, strengthening him.
The darkness meant nothing before him.
He scanned his surrounding area before stopping directly in front of a towering tree.
The surroundings opened up into a small circular field. He turned, and his voice echoed in the silent forest.
"Come out, I know you're there!"
A soft breeze carried rustling sounds from three directions.
"It is my honor to meet you, Young Master Elias."
A feminine voice rang with a commanding tone.
Black mist surged before him, transforming into a woman clad in tight black clothing.
Her curvy body was accentuated, except for her chest.
Yuto stared at her eyes behind those masks. A pair of sharp black eyes that seemed vacant reflected his image.
Two more shadows appeared, surrounding Yuto, who stood with his back to the tree.
However, he ignored their presence, glancing downward.
'...Young Master Elias, huh? As I thought, they are...'
His hands hung by his sides, not intending to draw the sword at his left waist.
The assassins stood still. Their eyes swept over the target before them.
Gena, facing Elias, kept a calm face, although her heart was churned with shock.
She had met Elias before due to her involvement with her master.
As a trained assassin, Gena recognized the boy in front of her. He was Duke Falcon's youngest son, Elias.
Yet her hands felt cold, as she wanted to grab the dagger at her back.
'He's changed.'
As far as she knew, Elias was a child full of kindness and dignity befitting his lineage.
That's why her master was so infatuated when she learned that Elias was her fiancé.
However, the boy in front of her had none of that.
Instead of kindness, Gena smelled a rotting stench like that of her own hands—a tangy hand soaked in blood.
She was about to open her mouth, but Elias vanished.
A splash of blood dyed the ground to her left.
"You bastard!"
Her male subordinate shouted, causing Gena to shift her gaze.
Gena's breath hitched when she saw Elias. The boy was holding a bloodstained black sword in his right hand and the severed head of her female subordinate in his left.
Her assassin's instinct flared. She realized that the boy in front of her was someone entirely different.
'I'm sorry, Your Highness, but he is not Elias we know of!'.
Gena's hands blurred as she gripped twin daggers gleaming under the moonlight.
Together with her male subordinate, they lunged towards Yuto but had to stop midway as they felt a dreadful aura pour from above.
"Rawr!"
A chilling roar froze the atmosphere.
Its body was covered in black fur that swallowed light itself. A pair of yellow predator eyes stopped her heartbeat momentarily as she muttered.
'Phantom Jaguar!?'
The woman realized the bait she had cast didn't just lure the target.
But it caught something far worse.