The wind blew strongly across the road as we remained hidden among the trees near the hillside. The sky was partially covered by clouds, and the atmosphere carried a strange sense of tension. I could hear the distant sound of the carriage wheels slowly approaching along the main road.
The bandits remained hidden behind rocks and fallen logs. There were about twenty men in total. Some held short swords, while others carried makeshift crossbows. The strangest part was that several of them had small crystals attached to their necks or wrists.
Mana.
Demonic mana.
Weak... but present.
Vespera was kneeling on a thick tree branch above me while carefully observing every movement.
"Those crystals again."
Lyannis adjusted her glasses slightly.
"Artificial mana. Very unstable."
Scarlett crossed her arms.
"So they aren't just ordinary thieves."
Rai'kanna watched the road with a serious expression until her eyes suddenly changed.
"Wait."
She leaned forward slightly.
"That crest..."
I looked again at the carriage slowly approaching along the road.
A golden dragon surrounded by black flames.
I recognized it immediately.
It was the royal crest of the Demi-Dragon Kingdom.
Rai'kanna narrowed her eyes.
"It's my father's carriage."
Elara looked surprised.
"King Drakarion is here?"
Liriel took a slow breath.
"Then this could get complicated."
The bandits began to move.
Their leader slowly raised his hand, signaling the attack.
Hidden ropes were pulled across the road. Massive logs began sliding down the hillside to block the carriage's path.
I was just about to move when Vespera spoke calmly.
"May I?"
I looked at her.
"You may."
The sound of the bowstring echoed softly.
The next instant, an arrow cut through the air like a silver bolt of lightning.
The bandit pulling the trap widened his eyes before the arrow pierced completely through his chest.
His body fell instantly.
"ATTACK!"
The rest of the bandits charged forward desperately.
Scarlett smiled faintly.
"Finally."
She raised her hand.
Several bolts of lightning descended from the sky at once, striking the ground in front of the thieves. The electrical explosion hurled several of them away before they could even reach the carriage.
Elara charged immediately afterward.
The wind spun violently around her, forming transparent blades that struck the enemies' weapons and shattered part of their makeshift armor.
Rai'kanna simply leaped down from the hillside.
The impact of her landing cracked part of the road.
One of the bandits tried to attack her from behind, but she grabbed him by the face and hurled him into two others with brutal force.
"Weak."
Vespera fired arrow after arrow without missing a single target. Every shot struck precise points, quickly incapacitating the enemies.
Lyannis remained farther back, using restraining magic.
Magical chains emerged from the ground, binding the legs of the fleeing bandits while blue magic circles glowed across the road.
Liriel raised barriers around the royal carriage, completely protecting it from any surprise attacks.
I simply watched.
Honestly... I didn't have to do anything.
The entire group was perfectly coordinated.
The bandits didn't stand a chance.
In less than five minutes, almost all of them were already lying unconscious or immobilized on the ground.
Their leader tried to escape into the forest.
Before he could run very far, a shadow passed beside him.
Scarlett appeared behind the man.
She placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The bandit began to tremble.
The next second, she released a small electric shock that made him collapse stiffly to the ground.
Silence.
The road became calm once again.
The carriage door slowly opened.
Several soldiers emerged wearing black and gold armor. Their presence was imposing. Then a figure stepped out of the main carriage.
Long dark hair.
Golden eyes.
An overwhelming presence.
King Drakarion.
Rai'kanna let out a sigh.
"Father..."
The king looked around, observing the defeated bandits scattered across the road.
Then his eyes stopped on me.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"As expected of the hero."
I calmly descended from the hillside.
"It's been a long time."
He nodded.
"Indeed."
Rai'kanna walked over to him.
"What are you doing here?"
Drakarion looked at her for a few seconds before answering.
"I'm on my way to Vailor."
His expression became more serious.
"We're holding a conference between the nations this afternoon."
The atmosphere changed immediately.
Even Scarlett became more attentive.
"The demonic army?" I asked.
Drakarion confirmed.
"They're still advancing slowly in the north. No major movements yet... but that won't last."
He looked at the bandits' bodies on the ground.
"The attacks on the roads have increased as well."
Lyannis crossed her arms.
"They're probably trying to create instability before the war."
"Exactly."
The royal soldiers began gathering the surviving bandits while Drakarion slowly walked toward me.
"Takumi."
"Hm?"
"I'd like you to attend the meeting."
Scarlett answered before I could.
"He will."
I looked at her.
"You've started making decisions for me now?"
She completely ignored my question.
Drakarion let out a soft laugh.
"It seems she hasn't changed."
Scarlett simply looked away.
Rai'kanna sighed tiredly.
"You two really never change."
The soldiers finished restraining the surviving bandits.
One of them had been wounded by one of Vespera's arrows. The arrow had pierced near his shoulder.
I approached him.
The man was trembling as he looked at me.
"Y-You're the hero Takumi?"
"I am."
He swallowed hard.
"How much do you want to let us go?"
Scarlett's expression immediately darkened.
The man continued desperately.
"Our group can pay a lot of gold... a lot..."
I simply looked at him expressionlessly.
"Do you really think I need that?"
The man fell silent.
"Besides..."
I discreetly pointed toward Drakarion.
"You literally tried to rob one of the most dangerous beings on this continent."
The bandits' eyes widened.
"H-He really was the king?!"
Drakarion let out a quiet chuckle.
"You never would have been able to touch the carriage."
The soldiers around him began to dispel a spell.
Suddenly, several presences appeared around the road.
More hidden soldiers.
Strong.
Very strong.
The bandits turned completely pale.
Scarlett approached the captured men.
"You talk too much."
She cast a simple spell.
They all lost consciousness immediately.
I looked at her.
"You're impatient."
"I know."
Drakarion observed our group for a few seconds.
"You've all grown stronger."
Liriel answered calmly.
"We had to."
The king nodded slowly.
"Then I'll see you at the castle."
He returned to the carriage while the soldiers resumed their formation around it.
Before getting inside, he looked at me once more.
"And Takumi..."
"Hm?"
"The war has finally begun to move."
The carriage doors closed.
The convoy resumed its journey along the road until it disappeared into the distance.
The wind began blowing through the trees once more.
I looked at the unconscious bandits lying on the ground.
"Let's take them to the guild."
Elara used wind magic to make them levitate.
Lyannis reinforced the spell.
As we walked back toward Vailor, I noticed that no one was as relaxed as before.
The meeting of the nations.
Military movements.
The demonic army advancing.
Everything was beginning to accelerate.
And deep down... I felt that the First General was watching all of it as well.
When we finally caught sight of Vailor's walls in the distance, Scarlett walked beside me in silence for a few seconds before speaking.
"You're thinking about him again."
I didn't need to ask who she meant.
"I am."
She looked straight ahead.
"Then become stronger."
I tightened my grip slightly on the sword hanging at my waist.
"That's exactly what I'm going to do."
And as we passed through the city gates, I could clearly feel that the time remaining before the war was running out.