Chapter 68

The next morning, they were to head to the location of the Great Barrier right after breakfast. However, Viela couldn’t eat and only drank water.

Blindfolded, she was placed in a carriage and moved. After about thirty minutes, the carriage stopped.

"From here, we walk. Follow me."

Levan ordered Viela in a cold tone. Her blindfold was removed, and her handcuffs were tugged. She obediently followed while observing her surroundings. They were in the middle of a forest, and the path was so overgrown with grass that it was questionable whether it was even a trail.

Levan’s ability to move through the forest without hesitation was probably due to the compass he carried, a magical artifact that surely indicated the location of the Great Barrier.

Three men in patrol team uniforms accompanied them.

(I thought there might be a chance to escape if we got outside... but this is impossible.)

The chains binding her feet were not heavy but were adjusted to be short, allowing her to walk but not run. The path was bad, and she had no sense of direction. Even if she tried to make a sudden move, there were three men nearby who looked well-trained. It was obvious she would be caught easily.

She was in a tight spot. She didn’t want to deactivate the Great Barrier, and she didn’t want to be killed.

"What should I do?" she muttered to herself repeatedly as she walked, and the forest opened up. A small field of grass spread out, and beyond it, the sky was visible. It seemed they were on a cliff.

In the center of the grass was a rectangular box that glowed silver. It was about fifty centimeters wide and long, and about one meter high. The same magical formula as on the copper plate was engraved on its surface.

Levan stroked the surface of the magical formula.

"This is one of the three Great Barrier Stones in the country. In the past, they were made of copper, but in modern times, they are covered with a special metal to increase durability. However, the difficulty of deactivation hasn’t changed much, so you can rest assured."

Levan handed Viela a pen with a magical stone attached.

"Whenever you’re ready."

No specific time was announced, but the deadline was probably until sunset. Her hand holding the pen trembled.

"..."

"Lord Viela, if you don’t hurry, time will run out."

Levan, sensing her fear, pressed her further, making her hand tremble even more.

"--- Please keep your distance from me."

"Why?"

"Have you heard about the deactivation in the eastern region? At that time, to prevent the waste of magical power, everyone was asked to keep their distance."

"Ah, that’s right. The influence of magical power extends about seven to eight meters. To be safe, let’s keep a good distance."

Levan’s prosthetic leg was a magical artifact, and the patrol team members also seemed to be equipped with magical artifacts, so all four of them moved back into the forest.

However, from the way they spread out, Viela’s only escape route was toward the cliff. If she fell off, she would surely...

(Haha, I can’t stop trembling. Is there really no good way out?)

To calm herself, she placed her free hand on her chest, where her necklace was. She took deep breaths, pretending to focus on deactivating the barrier while still looking for a way to escape.

(If I imbue these handcuffs with a lightning spell to use as a weapon... no, I’ll be paralyzed too. If I imbue the pen with a blade effect... I’ll be cut by the patrol team’s swords first. The reach is too different. Then, if I turn the pen’s magical stone into a magical bomb... the material is crystal, right? It’s great for writing magical formulas but not for storing magical power. It would only cause a small explosion. The only option left is...)

The highest-quality pink diamond at her chest could create a large explosion. Levan and the others hadn’t noticed it, and she could catch them off guard.

The problem was that she didn’t know how large the explosion would be. If she miscalculated, she might get caught in it and wouldn’t be able to escape. Besides, she didn’t have the courage to harm Levan and the others, even though they were her enemies.

(What should I do? What should I do... Ah, what should I do?)

The image that came to mind in such a situation was Lukas. But he was under house arrest and couldn’t come. She had to find a way out on her own.

Just as Viela was struggling with this—

Thud

Suddenly, an arrow pierced the ground between her and Levan. A tube was tied to the center of the arrow.

Everyone was momentarily stunned, and then a strong flash of light was emitted from the tube. Viela’s eyes were blinded, and she couldn’t see anything.

"What is this!"

From the anxious voice of one of the patrol team members, it seemed they were in the same situation. The flash continued.

Not knowing what was happening, but realizing this was her chance to escape, she tried to determine her direction based on her position.

Just as she was doing this, the flash disappeared.

Taking a chance, she started to run in a direction other than toward the cliff, but her body was lifted. From the way she was being carried, she immediately realized she was being hoisted over someone’s shoulder.

But she couldn’t give up on escaping. As she tried to resist—

"Viela, it’s okay now."

"---!"

A familiar voice reassured her, and the person started running with her in their arms.

Forcing her eyes open, her vision, which had been white from the light, began to return to normal. The black hair, which swayed like a dark, glossy wave, was neatly braided and tied with a blue ribbon. The olive embroidery on the ribbon was crooked, a clear sign of amateur work.

"Don’t let her escape!"

At Levan’s shout, Viela looked up. The patrol team members were chasing them with all their might from behind. She was being carried by one person, while they were unencumbered. The distance between them was gradually closing, and the direction they were heading was toward the cliff. It was too late to try to slip through or change direction. The only way to escape was to jump off the cliff.

But Viela didn’t feel fear.

"Close your mouth so you don’t bite your tongue. We’re jumping!"

"Okay!"

Holding tightly onto the uniform of the person carrying her, the next moment, they leaped off the cliff. She felt a brief sensation of floating before the feeling of falling took over.

"Ah!"

It was indeed scary.

"Kyu!"

But before they fell completely, they were caught by the broad back with large wings that had been flapping. It was a place she had been carried many times before.

The person carrying her gently lowered her sideways and held her in their arms. This strong, warm embrace and the large, fluffy back were the place she had longed to return to.

"Lord Lukas, Lady Tina!"

She clung tightly to Lukas’s chest, and his arms tightened around her.

"I wanted to see Viela. I really, really wanted to see you."

Lukas’s voice was small and trembling. Looking up, she saw his blue-gray eyes, which were on the verge of tears.

But in just a few seconds, he blinked and his gaze turned cold as he glared at the cliff.

"I will apprehend the criminals. Please stay with me for a moment."

"Understood."

Lukas ordered Albertaina to ascend. They rose gently and quickly to a position overlooking the cliff.

At the edge of the cliff, Levan and the three patrol team members were staring up at them in shock.

"Divine Beast Knight Lukas Herring announces! I will arrest you for the current crime of kidnapping the royal palace magician. Do not resist!"

"Even if it’s just Lord Levan, let’s hide in the forest—"

Thinking they could escape from a hero, even if it was just one person, one of the patrol team members drew his sword and started to retreat, shielding Levan.

But as if waiting for the right moment, two pairs of divine beast knights and griffins emerged from the forest, swords drawn. They positioned themselves in a circle around the enemies, closing in.

To prevent them from becoming desperate, Albertaina also landed, blocking their path toward the cliff.

With their escape route completely blocked, Levan and the others were left standing there.

Not only was Lukas, who was supposed to be under house arrest, there, but a team of divine beast knights had appeared. Moreover, they had arrived at this time and place with perfect timing, as if they had known the plan from the beginning.

Levan’s gaze briefly met Viela’s, but she was just as confused.

"I announce again! The base has already been secured. Resistance is futile. Drop your swords and kneel now!"

Lukas, still on Albertaina, looked down at them from a high position, issuing a commanding order.

After a few seconds of staring at each other, Levan collapsed to his knees. The patrol team members also dropped their swords.

From there, it was quick. Levan and the others were quickly restrained by the divine beast knights.