TDSFE 30

chapter 30

2021.05.15

Determined to eliminate the criminal organization, Thesia and her group once again attempted to use tracking magic on Lowenheart and Kroyl. However, when Redford began drawing the magical formula, a look of bewilderment quickly crossed his face. Alex, peeking over his shoulder, saw the magic behaving unpredictably and gasped, eyes wide.

“Wha-what?! It’s moving!”

“It’s splitting into two, Thesia.”

Redford clicked his tongue. Kroyl was the one moving, and Prince Lowenheart’s location had also shifted from its initial point. It had barely been thirty minutes. From the situation, it seemed the prince had moved while Redford was gathering information from the neighborhood children. Since no one had left the building, there was only one logical conclusion.

“There’s a secret passage inside the building. Prince Lowenheart isn’t in the guild hall either.”

“Let’s split into two teams.”

Thesia quickly divided the group. She and three knights would pursue Lowenheart, while Redford, Alex, and the remaining knights would track Kroyl. Redford handed Thesia Lowenheart’s earrings and said,

“Be careful, Thesia.”

“You too, Didi.”

“We’ll definitely bring Kroyl back! Captain!”

There was no time to waste. Thesia and the others moved briskly.

At the heart of the Estonian Empire’s capital flowed the beautiful Twency River. Flowing year-round without drying, it granted the empire perpetual prosperity, particularly in commerce. Transporting goods along the river was faster and cheaper than by land with wagons. Naturally, the capital became the hub of trade, and goods gathered there spread across the continent on the wind. Truly, there were vast amounts of goods.

“Captain, it seems we’ve been caught by tracking magic.”

“What?”

Inside the rattling carriage, the person called “Captain” asked nervously. As she wrote her report, her hand slipped, leaving an unsightly black ink blot on the parchment.

“Tracking magic? By who? Since when?”

“About twenty minutes ago. Upon tracing it back, it seems the opponent is following us.”

“Tch.”

The young captain clicked her tongue, displeasure woven into her voice, slightly altered by magic. A large cart was attached behind her carriage, carrying a total of five sacrificial offerings, one of whom was Kroyl, a rookie knight of the Valkyrie Order. Normally, these offerings had to be sent quickly to their homeland before the enemy noticed. But with Princess Thesia returning to the capital, border security had been strengthened, blocking the usual sea route. The captain had to find a new method: crossing the mountains to a nearby territory and then using a ship again.

“They must be waiting for us.”

“What shall we do, Captain?”

Yet being caught by tracking magic meant staying put was too dangerous. The captain made a decision.

“Leave the knight’s body on the roadside. Tracking magic is likely only affecting the knight. It’s a pity, but we have no choice. You take the remaining bodies and follow the original plan.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll turn back from here.”

The captain drew a magical scroll from her cloak. Though worth ten thousand gold, she tore it open without hesitation. A blue light spread, and the captain sitting in the carriage disappeared. The rest moved in coordinated unison.

“Abandon the body!”

As the order was shouted, Kroyl’s body was thrown from the moving carriage. The cold corpse thudded heavily against the ground. Exactly ten minutes later…

“Oh my…”

Redford and the group discovered traces of the Dark Guild—the bodies they had discarded. Kroyl’s body, carelessly thrown onto the street, had been horribly mutilated. Redford groaned at the gruesome sight, and Alex’s anger flared.

“Bastards who rip limbs apart.”

Seeing the rookie knight of the Valkyrie Order in such a state ignited a fury in Alex. Though untrained, Kroyl bore the title of Valkyrie knight. Redford’s warning that the signal was fading made Alex anxious. He had hoped Kroyl was still alive. Alex gathered Kroyl’s body. Redford said,

“They couldn’t have gone far. Judging by the path, they were trying to avoid the checkpoints by moving through the mountains.”

“This mountain splits into two paths. Both lead to the border.”

“They probably abandoned Kroyl to evade tracking. If they take the fork, it’ll be harder to trace them.”

The thought of losing their trail only fueled Alex’s anger further.

“We will capture the ones who did this to Kroyl. They will pay! Derek, take Kroyl’s body to the capital. The rest, follow me!”

“Yes!”

The sound of hooves echoed as Redford’s team resumed the chase. The Valkyrie knights’ eyes were cold as steel. These were knights who had fought monsters under Thesia’s command. It felt as if silent flames burned in their wake.

“There!”

Their efforts bore fruit—an unusual carriage appeared in sight. Redford traced a magical formula and muttered an incantation. Suddenly, the wheels of the carriage ahead clattered and collapsed. The startled horses neighed in panic.

“Damn it!”

Five armed men leapt from behind the carriage and cart. Just as the street children had described, their cloaks bore the Dark Guild’s emblem. Alex shouted,

“Take vengeance for Kroyl! Don’t kill them—capture them to find their masterminds!”

At his command, the knights of the Valkyrie Order charged the Dark Guild. The clash of blades rang sharply.

“Argh!”

An enemy lost an arm to Alex’s sword, screaming. Though brutal, the Dark Guild members were no match for the Valkyrie knights. Wherever the Valkyries passed, no monster bones remained. Seasoned under Thesia’s command, they were unbeatable.

“Craaah!”

One by one, the Dark Guild members were disarmed. Realizing they were losing, the enemy tried to retreat. One attempted to draw a magic circle midair. Redford, observing from the rear, intervened.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

He countered with a reverse formula, shattering the enemy’s magic circle with a pop. Seizing the opportunity, Alex swung his sword mercilessly.

“Ugh!”

The opponent collapsed, pierced through the torso, blood spilling freely.

“You dared touch the Valkyrie knights.”

Alex’s calm yet furious expression was chilling. The other knights cleared the remaining enemies. Redford approached Alex.

“Dead?”

“Not a chance. I cut around the heart.”

Alex’s cold gaze fell on the trembling foes.

“We can’t kill them before discovering the masterminds.”

The knights bound the captives, who would now face the icy dungeons of the imperial palace and reveal their secrets. Redford approached the cart filled with large wooden boxes. One knight cut the securing ropes, and the boxes fell with a crash. Inspecting the cart, they found a shocking discovery.

“There… here are the bodies!”

Beneath the empty boxes were slightly larger boxes containing corpses, long dead and cold, curled like fetuses in their mother’s womb. Horrifyingly, there were many such boxes. Alex ground his teeth.

“Monsters of the world.”

At that moment, a loud boom exploded behind Redford and Alex. The captives they had left alive to discover the masterminds were now engulfed in a blazing fire. A magical fire scroll, left for self-destruction if the mission failed, was the source. Redford’s face contorted—there was nothing he could do. All that remained in the flames were silent corpses.

“Ha…”

Thesia exhaled sharply, eyes sharp and determined. Following Redford’s tracking magic, they arrived at a shabby warehouse not far from the original building. The warehouse, long abandoned, looked ready to collapse, though the worn path outside suggested occasional foot traffic. Thesia signaled, and armed knights drew their swords. Carefully approaching, Thesia kicked open the door.

Bang!

The old wooden door shattered. Thesia led three knights inside.

“Hah.”

Sweeping her hair aside, Thesia saw the warehouse was empty—had the enemy fled after sensing their approach? A sheet of paper fluttered on the floor. It detailed personal information: height, weight, family, and even magical capacity. Similar documents were scattered nearby. Thesia glanced at the earrings she held. The magical circle, previously blue, now glowed red.

“If the owner of the earrings is in danger, the magic circle turns red.”

Thesia’s expression hardened. If Heart were in danger, it was her responsibility for putting him in the guild hall.

“Thesia! There’s an underground passage here!”

One of the knights called urgently. Thesia swiftly turned toward the indicated spot.

“Hold on a little longer, Heart.”