Chapter 5: Escape?

A sliver of gold pierced the inky blackness of the east, gradually bleeding into fiery orange, signaling the dawn of a new day. In the aftermath of a fierce battle, a large crater marred the Forest of Balto. 

As Julian lay nestled in slumber within the Forest of Balto, Roma stood vigilant, her sword glinting in the faint light of dawn as she sharpened its edge.

Watching the sunrise, Roma felt a gnawing unease. "The sleeping pill is losing its grip," she mused, her gaze flickering to Julian's peaceful form. With a resigned sigh, she sheathed her dagger and hoisted Julian onto her shoulders.

"But why him?" she whispered to the quiet forest, frustration etched into her voice as she strode onward. "Why go to such lengths for a seemingly inconsequential man?" Her hand met Julian's cheek with a sharp slap, the sting echoing her inner turmoil.

With a knight commander fallen in the Kingdom of Lihnea, Roma knew their country teetered on the brink of unrest. The loss of such a pivotal figure left them vulnerable, their defenses weakened. And yet, there is still the king which is the most powerful person in the entire world.

The Kingdom birthed the most powerful king which is King Farmuth Vi Andalio II.

Julian who was now awake suddenly found himself in the middle of the Forest. What the heck happened?, he thought.

One of our maids gave me a bluish pill, and then... I fell asleep. That's definitely what happened. Now I find myself in the forest, being carried by a woman. Besides, how strong is this lady to carry me like that? Maybe women in this era are stronger than those of the 20th century.

System!

System!

System!

A wall of text appeared in front of Julian:

Name: Gian

Level: 1

(Kill 1 human to Level Up)

Strength: 1

Vitality: 1

Agility: 1

Mana: 0

Skills:

Vertical Slash (Locked. Requirements: Practice 1000 swings using a sword. A weak slash that can't cut a tree. Only effective up to 5 meters)

System! Can you help me?

...

...

So, I can't get out of this predicament, huh. I'll just pretend to be asleep and see where this woman takes me.

Unaware that Julian was feigning sleep, Roma strode swiftly through the forest. Entrusted with a critical mission – the kidnapping of Viscount Chris's son – she remained in the dark about its significance. Even resorting to such drastic measures to terrorize the Asmanthus Village in the Kingdom of Lihnea, Roma was clueless about the true weight of abducting Julian.

The Forest of Balto, with its towering mountain ranges that pierce the sky, remains shrouded in mystery regarding the Barbatos Empire's successful attack on Asmanthus village. 

Panting, Roma reached one of the mountains. Upon closer inspection, a tunnel, large enough to accommodate four people comfortably, was revealed like a hidden passage. This secret passage explained how Jethro and his father bypassed the Forest of Balto's defenses and infiltrated Asmanthus village.

Stunned by the sight of the tunnel, Roma couldn't help but wonder how they'd managed to carve such a passage through the towering mountain. Following only the cryptic instructions from the letter before Julian's abduction, she ventured inside, her eyes fixed on the faint light flickering at the far end.

Roma followed the light. Emerging from the tunnel, she was met with the sight of numerous soldiers patrolling and camps bustling with activity. This was likely the main force of Barbatos Empire.

A figure with a fiery gaze and imposing physique approached Roma. "Report from the advance party?" he inquired. This was Miko, the leader of the main force and a powerful figure within the Barbatos Empire.The Empire was renowned for its overwhelming strength, particularly its soldiers' formidable physiques. From a young age, they were rigorously trained to enhance their musculature and overall physical prowess. As such, they prided themselves on their martial might, embodied in their motto: "One fist to crumple the world!"

"Well, they managed to kill the wife of the Viscount and pillaged the village of Asmanthus, but the son of that fool sacrificed his life to kill the Viscount. He just wanted to avenge his father, who was killed by Viscount Chris when they attacked the village," Roma told Miko about what had transpired the day before.

"They were wiped out, huh. How about the Viscount's son? Did you manage to kidnap him?"

"Luckily, yes, but why would you want to kidnap the son?" Roma asked Miko, the question that had baffled her mind the entire time. She then lays Julian inside the tent.

"See those merchants in caravans, they are the ones who wanted to kidnap the Viscount's son", Miko points at the the merchants resting near the tree. Their face covered in hood. The camp different from the other soldiers. It shows that they are not part of the Empire's army.

"Wait, did you say that Viscount Chris, the Knight Commander, is dead?" Miko couldn't hide his shock when Roma told him. Roma nodded. "I don't know what method he used, but it caused a loud ruckus. The entire forest was illuminated in a bright light, then boom. I didn't go back to check the casualties, but I'm sure that the Viscount, along with Jethro, is dead."

Miko understood the difficulty of killing a Knight Commander. He recalled a past encounter with Viscount Chris, before the Viscount achieved that rank. Despite facing him then, Miko emerged defeated. This experience solidified his respect for the Viscount's strength, especially now as a Knight Commander.

"So Jethro used the weapon that the merchants gave him. I wonder what kind of powerful country is supporting those merchants. Or maybe they don't belong to a country, but to an organization"

Miko shuddered at such thoughts.But it goes without saying that with the help of these merchants, the Empire will invade the Knight Kingdom without fail even with the threat of King Farmuth.

Roma glanced at the merchants, then a frown creased her brow. Her gaze snagged on a logo on their clothing – a lion's maw engulfing a tiny rabbit. She squinted, fear creeping across her face like a shadow. Recognition dawned, though she couldn't recall the organization's name. One thing she knew for certain: they were puppeteers, manipulating conflicts in faraway lands.

"Why hire them?" Roma blurted, her voice tight.

"The King said we needed their assistance," Miko replied. "They're the ones who built the tunnel through those imposing mountains, after all." 

Roma opened her mouth to argue, but the words died on her tongue.

...

"Hmmm… I sensed something," one of the merchants rasped. "It seems the kidnapping is successful."

A glint flickered in his eye. "Our master predicted this outcome."

"Otherwolder… was it?" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper.

"Kill them?"

"No need," the leader rasped, his voice like dry leaves. "Our contract ends tomorrow. We will wait for them to hand the Viscount's son."

The men exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them. They were the merchants, the ones who snatched the Viscount's son. Their emblem – a lion's maw swallowing a tiny rabbit – marked them as part of a clandestine organization. Their true motives remained shrouded in mystery.

Back in the Tent

Julian had been pretending to be asleep, but now that he noticed no one was near him, he woke up. "It seems no one is guarding me, or maybe they're just confident that I'm a weakling. Mind you, I even know some basic martial arts, like that one chop to the neck that makes a person unconscious," he thought.

"What should I do to escape from this predicament?" He racked his brain for a solution.

"Even if I escape, I don't even know where I am or how I can survive. Right after my reincarnation, the maid kidnapped me, so I don't have any clue about this world."

Julian checked inside the tent and found only a few small boxes, a blade, and a food pouch.

Suddenly, he saw a shadow outside the tent, approaching him. "Judging by that shadow, there's only one person. Maybe I can do that quick chop to the neck, just like in the movies," he thought.

He pretended to be asleep. The shadow outside entered the tent, revealing a man with a bulky body and an exposed upper torso. The man saw Julian lying there, seemingly asleep, and, after concluding that nothing was amiss, turned his back to leave the tent.

Seizing the opportunity, Julian swiftly moved into position and aimed for the man's neck with a chopping motion. However, what works in movies doesn't always work in real life. The man turned around just in time and caught Julian's fist.

"Do you think I won't notice you pretending to be asleep, kid?" the man growled, punching Julian in the gut with a restrained blow.

"Why did I think that would work?" Julian questioned himself, regret twisting in his gut.

He stumbled backward, landing near the stacked boxes. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a blade and snatched it.

The man saw Julian grab the blade but made no move to stop him. "A flimsy thing like that won't hurt me," he taunted, his voice laced with amusement. "Go ahead, try it."

"Look!" Julian yelled, pointing a shaky finger behind the man.The man instinctively turned to follow Julian's finger. Realizing his mistake a fraction of a second too late, he felt a searing pain as the blade plunged into the back of his head. Blood erupted in a crimson spray.Julian, panting heavily, felt his legs give way beneath him. Though it was his first time killing someone, he felt an unsettling numbness rather than remorse. As long as he convinced himself it was for survival, he wouldn't allow himself to feel guilt. "Honor," he scoffed, the word a bitter echo in his mind.

(Level Up)

(Level 1 -> Level 2)

(Gain 2 Attribute Points)