Chapter 47
“Lady Erika!”
At her subordinate’s shout, Erika set down the documents. Usually, when her subordinates got worked up like this, it never meant anything good…
But this time was different.
“Countess Mary and her son Chel have been found!”
“What?”
This was unexpectedly good news! Erika’s eyes sparkled with joy.
“Where?!”
“At the northern gate. Two horses broke through, pushing past the soldiers who were conducting a checkpoint. There were four people in total, and as soon as they passed through the gate, they split into two groups.”
“Four? Are you sure it was Mary and Chel?”
“They had their hoods up, so it was hard to see clearly, but the boy’s hair had a reddish tint, and the woman looked like a middle-aged lady resembling Countess Mary. We suspect the riders were surviving knights.”
Erika strode over to the table and spread out a map. If they passed through the northern gate and split into two paths, they were heading in completely opposite directions—east and west. Mary and Chel wouldn’t have wanted to separate.
“What about pursuit?”
“The checkpoint soldiers are chasing them, but we need to send reinforcements quickly.”
“Reported location?”
“They’re estimated to have reached this point.”
“Wait, wait…”
Erika traced Mary and Chel’s tracks slowly with both hands. As they split left and right, both continued heading north. North? North… Erika’s gaze sharpened.
“Mereloff is out of the question. They locked the gate to avoid entanglement…”
After Mereloff came Sheiron, a city famous for commerce. Though calling it “next” was misleading—it took over ten days by land to get there.
Considering it took half a month from Bratz to the capital, it was an absurdly long time. They had to cross the Denba mountain range, the border’s natural barrier.
“They’ll probably use Sheiron as a base.”
“Sheiron connects to most other territories. Countess Mary’s hometown, Pontrol, is just a day’s ride from there.”
“Pontrol, good. Send a messenger bird.”
“How many should we send in pursuit?”
“For now…”
Erika hesitated. The appearance of an ally troubled her. With Derga imprisoned in the underground dungeon, it was strange that some knights had survived. She had little prior knowledge of the borderlands—what if there were hidden forces? Mary and Chel might be leading them into the mountains as a trap.
“Send about twenty men for now.”
Erika glanced out the window as she gave the order. Strange creatures—some kind of unfamiliar beasts—were playing in the garden. If they sent too many troops, the Chenryo tribe might seize control of the estate. For now, twenty was the maximum.
“Even knights with a woman and child can’t handle twenty men. If things go wrong, keep the pursuit going and send another messenger bird.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Bring them back alive if possible. If not, at least bring their bodies—or their heads. You know the orders?”
“I’ll make it clear.”
Her subordinate hurried out. Even if they escaped, they wouldn’t last long.
Erika smiled with satisfaction as she looked at the map. If they could capture Mary and Chel, they could crush the troublesome Ian and the Chenryo tribe in one fell swoop.
Little did she know.
That smile would last only three days.
“This way!”
“This way!”
“Split up and run!”
Clatter, clatter!
Two horses galloped between towering trees that stood like pillars holding up the sky. Behind them, the central army’s pursuit squad chased fiercely. The Chenryo warriors, meanwhile, leisurely circled around and slipped through the trees.
“Damn it!”
Seeing this, the central army was even more convinced these were Derga’s knights. Unlike the pursuit squad, who were unfamiliar with the terrain, these two seemed to know the way well.
Sssshhh.
The Chenryo tribe’s ability to navigate was thanks to a hawk overhead, signaling continuously. Unlike the rough, overgrown mountain paths, the sky was free of obstacles.
“Shall we stop here?”
“There are about twenty of them in total.”
Whistle.
One warrior signaled a change in tactics with a sharp whistle. They sent their horses through the bushes, then leapt down with impossible agility.
“Target has stopped!”
“Stop! Surround them!”
Hiiing!
The only sounds in the dense forest were strange animal cries. The entire pursuit squad raised their bows and shouted:
“Drop your weapons and surrender!”
“Show yourselves! Reveal your faces!”
But the two men drew their swords instead. Showing their intent to fight, the pursuers swallowed hard and drew their bows tighter.
“Who’s the leader here?”
“W-what?”
“Who’s the leader? I asked.”
The pursuit squad hesitated. The men’s speech sounded awkward.
But before they could think further, the squad leader stepped forward and drew his sword—only to be cut down instantly by the two men rushing at him.
“Kill anyone who tries to run!”
“Shoot! Shoot the arrows!”
“I’ll spare only one who fights!”
“Yesss!”
Clang! Slash!
The two warriors leapt nimbly into the air, signaling the start of battle. Arrows rained down, but they deflected them with their swords and charged forward. One warrior had two arrows embedded in his forearm.
Pew!
Shhhhk!
“Ahhh!”
At the same moment, the squad leader’s head was severed, blood spurting like a fountain. Yet no one could believe what they were seeing. Were these men or beasts? The deputy commander’s mind was filled with that question.
“Der…”
Shhhhk!
No one even finished saying “Chenryo tribe.” The warriors were like wolves running wild in a chicken coop. They wiped the dripping blood from their blades on their sleeves and declared:
“We are Derga’s knights. You won’t defeat us easily. Bring at least a hundred men next time.”
“Eek!”
Shhhhk!
The twenty men who had seemed sufficient were scattered in vain. Soon, the sounds of human death drowned out the cries of beasts.
The warriors looked down at a trembling pursuer crouched on the ground. They exchanged glances.
‘We have to let one go, right?’
‘Yeah. So the second pursuit squad will come.’
Whistle!
“Please! Spare me! Spare me!”
The warriors called their hawks to locate their horses, then left without hesitation. The panicked soldier didn’t even notice their departure, still begging for mercy. When he finally looked up, the men had vanished like the wind.
“Hah…”
Are there monsters worse than monsters? It felt like a dream. If not for the bloodied corpses of his comrades around him, the soldier would have thought so.
“What did you say just now?”
Erika asked in disbelief. The dirt-covered, bloodied soldier stammered as he described the battle.
“The pursuit squad was annihilated.”
“How on earth…?”
“They were indeed Derga’s knights. Their movements were extraordinary, like magic swordsmen. I couldn’t see their faces, and we couldn’t recover the bodies of our comrades.”
She let out a bitter laugh and wet her lips with tea. Twenty men. No matter how skilled the enemy, they should have gotten some clue. It was hard to believe they were so thoroughly defeated.
“Location?”
“I remember.”
“Are you sure it was Mary and Chel?”
“Absolutely. Their hoods slipped twice during the chase. It was definitely Chel and Mary.”
“Damn it. Assemble a second pursuit squad.”
“Lady Erika, if I may speak frankly, I don’t think assembling a squad will be enough. We might have to commit all our forces…”
Erika’s eyes gleamed. Who didn’t know that? Of course, it would be easier to crush them all at once! But her superiors wouldn’t allow her to leave the estate undefended.
“I’m sorry.”
“You may leave now.”
As soon as the soldier left, Erika swept the table clean in frustration. Finding Mary and Chel was a relief, but a prolonged skirmish would be a problem.
“Damn it! Why is the central command so slow to respond?”
“It’s because they’re coming by land…”
Reports, orders, and simple letters could be sent by messenger birds, but official imperial documents had to be delivered by a courier on horseback.
And this was an important title appointment—so it would arrive in a gilded carriage with all the inefficiency that entailed.
“What about the Ian faction? Any news?”
“No suspicious activity. They’re focused on rebuilding the village.”
“Bastards. They should just take care of their own land.”
While the central army was busy chasing Mary and Chel, the Ian faction was busy erasing signs of battle in their territory—rebuilding walls, fixing roofs, moving the wounded. The Chenryo’s help was more useful than expected, and the locals seemed to accept it well.
Damn it all.
Erika cursed Ian silently, then paused. Something about her instincts was on edge.
“You said Mary and Chel broke through the walls on horseback?”
“Yes.”
“Then where were they before that?”
They had searched the estate thoroughly, like hunting for mice, but still couldn’t find them. And now, suddenly, they’d escaped with an accomplice on horseback? Horses? Even if it were some wild animal, the number of people who could handle horses in Bratz was limited.
‘No way…’
Could Ian be involved?
“Get the stable master here immediately.”
“Yes, understood.”
Besides the horses managed by the central army, Bratz owned some horses of their own. Why hadn’t she checked that earlier? Erika ran a hand through her hair in frustration at her own oversight.
Knock knock.
“Lady Erika.”
But it wasn’t the stable master who entered first—it was Ian. He had come up after seeing his men rush to the stables.
“What’s going on?”
A pile of scattered documents in Lady Mary’s room—such a strange sight. Ian smiled faintly as he stepped inside.
“Any progress on tracking Lady Mary and Chel?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Look at this.” Erika leaned her arm casually against the back of the chair, lifting her chin. Was this really the time for such questions?
“Of course I’m curious. If Lady Mary and Chel are still alive and plotting, then I’m not safe either.”
Erika nodded as if urging him to continue. Both of them smiled lightly, testing the waters—but it was Erika whose expression stiffened first.