The preparation didn’t take long.
They had stationed those from the slums as lookouts, but they wouldn’t have left them without any plan.
They would come rushing here in a short time.
From what Sylvia said, it seemed like they were formidable opponents—ones who could fight while protecting Helena.
The fact that she urged us to leave quickly suggested as much.
Though I had many questions, for now, I decided to trust her and focus on escaping.
“…Are we heading to the capital?”
“Yes. I need to take her to my family. Theo, you can split off midway if you want.”
“Alright. Got it.”
“El, protect her well. Don’t let her get hurt.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The knight called El hoisted Helena onto his back and leaped through the window.
“Let’s go too.”
Sylvia and I followed him out of the building and ran swiftly to escape the slums.
“We just need to reach the teleportation circle.”
The title of Duke truly holds immense power.
It allows one to bypass the Empire’s complicated procedures in an instant.
Normally, obtaining permission to use a teleportation circle would take a long time, but with just a word from Sylvia, it would be approved immediately.
“Run!”
As we sprinted through the slums, I sensed something approaching from the surroundings.
Their numbers were few, but the aura they exuded was anything but ordinary.
‘At least on par with me, if not stronger.’
I couldn’t guarantee victory, but I also didn’t think I’d lose. It was an ambiguous situation.
However, we were at a disadvantage because we had something—or someone—to protect.
‘Who knows what else they’ve prepared.’
The enemy had been stationed here for months, preparing.
The fact that they used slum thugs as decoys showed they weren’t complete fools. We had to be careful.
“This way!”
El, who seemed to have familiarized himself with the area beforehand, took the lead, navigating the slums with ease.
‘At this rate, we won’t be caught.’
We were close to leaving the slums and reaching the city entrance.
If we made it inside, it would be harder for them to find us.
They’d probably give up.
‘With Sylvia here, we can get through the city gate inspection quickly, right?’
The outline of the entrance came into view.
But something felt off.
‘Why are there no guards…?’
The guards who were supposed to be stationed at the entrance were nowhere to be seen.
Sensing something was wrong, we approached cautiously, staying alert.
As we got closer, faint screams began to echo through the open city gates.
“…Damn it, Sylvia, run!”
I didn’t know their exact motives.
I also didn’t know if the ones who kidnapped Helena were the same as those who had invaded the city.
But one thing was clear: we had to prevent the city from falling.
‘If the teleportation circle is destroyed, who knows when we’ll be able to return!’
Even if it’s just a month’s journey, delays due to weather or other circumstances could prolong it further.
That meant I might not make it back even if the second semester started.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
I still have a mountain of things to do.
And who knows what might happen in Arcane while I’m gone.
‘These bastards are insane.’
As we crossed the city, smoke rose from buildings here and there, and bloodstains marked the ground.
Why would they attack this place, located at the southernmost tip of the Empire?
Why?
Who?
Politically or geographically, this city wasn’t strategically significant.
It was just a self-sufficient city within the Empire’s territory.
‘Is it the Dark Heaven? Or the ones who kidnapped Helena?’
The questions kept piling up, but the situation was moving too fast.
“Sylvia! Ahead!”
“…!”
Figures with masked faces began to appear one after another.
“Do you not know who this is? Sheathe your swords at once!”
El shouted angrily, but they attacked us like emotionless machines.
‘Luckily, they’re not that skilled.’
These guys were at best 3rd or 4th tier.
Even if they ganged up on me, I could handle them at my level.
As for Sylvia, well, she didn’t even need to be mentioned.
There was no time to save others.
El’s combat ability was effectively halved since he was carrying Helena.
If Sylvia and I got dragged into a battle of attrition, we couldn’t guarantee victory.
From the looks of it, this area was already under their control.
If we couldn’t secure the teleportation circle, there’d be no way out.
‘Running far outside the city isn’t a bad option, but it’s already too late for that.’
If we were going to do that, we should’ve headed outside from the slums.
Once we entered the city, the option to escape outside was effectively gone.
.
.
.
.
.
‘We need to be careful.’
The teleportation circle was located near the central plaza.
The heart of the city, where many people passed through.
I thought it might have been the first place attacked and destroyed, but surprisingly, an unexpected figure was there.
“…Gray?”
“Oh! My friend! You came to save me!”
“No, I’m trapped too.”
It was Gray, my information broker and only friend.
“By the way, could you help me? I’m about to die here.”
“You look like it. I’ll hear the details later, but for now, take a break.”
He was helping the mages surrounding the teleportation circle fend off the attackers.
“The barrier is weakening! Prepare the second line!”
The mages, temporarily united, were using their magic to protect the citizens gathered in the center.
Watching their movements, I realized what the problem was.
‘The power source for the teleportation circle is down.’
Teleportation circles consume a massive amount of mana.
That’s why they use mana stones as a substitute for the mages’ mana, but the cost is no small matter.
To address this, a power source was developed.
It uses mana stones but goes through several steps to maximize efficiency.
That device was now broken, and they were trying to fix it.
We approached the mages, but…
“Are you fixing it?”
“Ugh, don’t bother me while I’m busy! Get lost!”
They were so frantic that they didn’t even look back, spouting rude remarks.
Whack!
“Argh!”
“Watch your mouth. You’re not in a position to speak so casually to her.”
“What the—”
El smacked the mage on the back of the head, causing him to drop what he was holding and spin around, ready to fight.
But then…
“…My apologies. I acted out of desperation.”
Upon seeing Sylvia, with the emblem of the Windred Duchy prominently displayed, the mage bowed so deeply his head nearly touched the ground, offering his apologies.
“So, what’s the problem?”
“Someone deliberately damaged it. It won’t be hard to fix, but…”
“It’ll take time, right?”
“That’s correct.”
According to the mages, it would take roughly two hours to repair the power source.
Until then, we had to hold this place.
‘I hope the barrier lasts, but that’s probably asking too much.’
The number of masked figures was increasing.
Some of them exuded a dangerous aura, so acting recklessly could lead to disaster.
“The moment the barrier breaks, it’ll be chaos. Don’t rush out ahead,” Sylvia warned.
“Got it.”
The attacks grew fiercer, and the barrier seemed on the verge of shattering at any moment.
‘I need to figure out who’s behind this… Hm?’
As I slowly scanned the surroundings, I realized it wasn’t just the masked figures.
Mixed among them were people with their faces fully visible.
Their attire varied—farmers, nobles, porters, chefs, and so on.
At first, I thought they were just in disguise, but upon closer inspection, I noticed thin, black threads faintly shimmering around them.
‘Is that…?’
It was a familiar sight.
A grotesque technique that uses black threads to manipulate corpses or living people like puppets.
Yes, it was something I encountered during my time with Misty Lane.
The work of Narvan, a high-ranking member of Dark Heaven. Â
‘Why here of all places?’
Dark Heaven is an organization that hides in the shadows, waiting for opportunities.
It makes sense for them to start revealing their ambitions as the story progresses, but this location is too random.
‘Not all of them are from Dark Heaven. The masked ones are low-level.’
And the ones affiliated with Dark Heaven don’t emit that uniquely unpleasant aura.
They might just be collaborators.
‘If we can just deal with Narvan’s puppets, we have a chance.’
Narvan’s main body is weak.
It’s fragile to the point of breaking easily.
There’s even a description in the story that it’s weaker than an average citizen, so that’s likely true.
What we need to be wary of are the six puppets he primarily uses.
Narvan’s magnum opus, crafted with immense effort.
And with his mastery of puppetry, if he imbues them with movement, even formidable fighters can be overwhelmed.
‘That’s why Ian struggled against him.’
The six puppets attack in unison, delivering a chaotic barrage of strikes, and each puppet possesses an overwhelming aura.
‘I haven’t see them yet…’
I remember the characteristics of the puppets he uses.
They’re so distinct that I couldn’t possibly mistake or miss them.
‘Sigh… Let’s just buy time.’
We don’t necessarily have to fight Narvan.
If the power source is repaired, we can call for reinforcements or escape ourselves.
So, the most important thing is to protect the teleportation circle and the mages repairing it.
Even if that’s difficult, it’s the only option we have left.