The ambush

A magical circle appeared under the carriage. The horses were startled and tried to flee, but the wheels were ensnared by roots that sprouted from the ground in that very instant.

Once the old man managed to regain control of the animals, he focused on casting his magic. A magical dome quickly appeared around the carriage, and the roots transformed into dry earth, restoring mobility to the vehicle.

The carriage continued to move as the coachman attempted to distance it from the attackers. Then, a young man named Jiro opened the door and leaped out. The dark-haired girl followed him closely, as if she were his shadow.

"Get back in the carriage, Miss Naige," ordered Jiro, in a calm tone.

However, the girl kept walking, her expression stubborn. She seemed determined not to obey any orders when she stopped in front of the young man, raised her face to look him in the eyes, and said, "Don't stand in my way."

At the same time, the coachman maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road. He wouldn't be able to guide it while his focus was on maintaining his magic.

"Are you all okay in there?" the girl with pink hair responded, looking at Lince.

The coachman sighed in relief and finally said, "Don't worry. They shouldn't be able to breach my barrier..."

Those inside the dome had a clear view of the outside, but the reverse was not true. Basic spells or physical attacks couldn't penetrate the barrier. In this way, he could keep everyone safe under the protection of his magic. That's what the old man thought, as he spoke. However, a sound similar to shattering crystal echoed inside the dome. Then the tip of a broad blade pierced through to the inside, and before long, a hole opened, and two people entered.

"It can't be..." Seeing this, the old man's eyes almost bulged out of his head. "He broke my barrier with just a sword?"

Furthermore, the entire barrier was undone after a part of it was broken. Although his magic wasn't indestructible, it had the ability to withstand high-level attacks for a considerable amount of time. Still, a single man with a sword had managed to destroy it with a single strike. It was hard to believe.

"You all, stay inside the carriage," the young man in white said.

However, he wasn't the only one heading towards the enemies; the princess was right behind him. On the other hand, Lince and the girl with pink hair got out of the carriage but stayed close to it. Since neither of them had useful powers in a battle, they could only watch from afar as mere spectators. Both of them looked at the center of the road, where only two people were calmly approaching.

One of them appeared to be a mage. He was tall, with his entire body covered in a red-brown cloth cape, and a hood partially concealed his face. The other was undoubtedly a swordsman, shorter in stature, dressed all in black, and carrying a sword large enough to attract attention from a distance. Both seemed to be around the same age, not much older than twenty-five.

"Who are those people?" Lince asked, worried. He had encountered bandits before, and although dangerous, they didn't exude the same determined aura as the two on the road.

"I have no idea," the girl with pink hair replied, also looking concerned.

"They're just two scoundrels who don't know what they're getting into. Young Master Jiro will surely handle them," the old coachman murmured, but his voice didn't instill much confidence.

Although Jiro could handle one or two strong opponents, taking on them alone wouldn't be a simple task. Furthermore, the two didn't resemble ordinary bandits who typically traveled in larger groups.

But for Ran, his concern was more focused on the princess, and his eyes followed her every step towards the enemies with anguish. To make matters worse, she felt an uneasy sensation every time she looked at the hooded man.

All those awakened to magic possessed an aura that formed even in the womb. It was a mysterious energy invisible to the eyes, believed to be the source of all a mage's powers and protection against their own magic. Over time, this energy became known as mana, a name that became more popular among ordinary people.

Although it was an invisible energy, mana could still be sensed by other mages, much like feeling cold on a winter night or warmth on a summer day. That's how a mage could tell when they were in the presence of another mage, and if the mana was very powerful or the two mages were very close, this aura would be even more noticeable.

However, many things could interfere with a mage's aura. Spellcasting was the most common, but even emotions could affect it if they were strong enough. Perhaps that's why Ran felt an unpleasant aura around the hooded mage.

Jiro walked towards the two men, noticing the princess following him, and once again, he kindly asked her to return.

The princess ignored him once more. He then insisted with a more impassive tone, "I asked you not to get involved in this, Princess."

"I can take care of myself," she interrupted, even more impassive than he was.

She remained stubborn, standing beside him with a determination bordering on naivety. This made Jiro a little impatient.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but this isn't like a class at the Academy. Those people won't be like students who are afraid of hurting you."

"Don't treat me like this!" she shouted angrily. Then, the princess cast a look of disdain towards the young man in white, who didn't seem to care.

"Princess." Naige hated being called that. It was how others had treated her since childhood when she was still a girl who needed to be pampered and protected, like a true helpless princess. But she wasn't like that anymore. She was determined to prove that to anyone, whether it was the young man by her side or her father. So she would fight any battle necessary with her own strength and without relying on anyone else.

Jiro sighed. Looking into her eyes, he said, "I'm just doing my job here. You should understand that."

"It's you who doesn't understand," Naige retorted. "I don't need you to be my babysitter. I can protect myself."

She, more than anyone, should understand him. How could he protect someone if the person themselves didn't want to be protected?

Seeing her stubbornness, Jiro sighed once more and rubbed his forehead. He was irritated. His inclination was to forcibly grab her and lock her inside the carriage, but he couldn't do that without worsening their already strained relationship.