C15. Freemen

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come in."

A few hours later, Tyler opened the door and walked in, carrying a bowl of leftover meat from last night's Red Hawk. He had reheated it and found a bowl in the kitchen to place it in.

Earlier, he had left the room to give her time to bathe and change. He had also explored further south and discovered the kitchen area, a journey that took hours due to the castle's immense size.

Just like the rest of the castle, the kitchen was abandoned. Tyler knew it had likely been deserted after the war, yet it felt more like the previous residents had relocated than fled. All he found were a few bowls and some dusty but high-quality utensils. It was odd, but not alarming. His priority remained gathering information from the blonde girl.

As he entered, he was struck by a bewitching sight. She wore only a brown shirt and grey pants, yet her aura had transformed remarkably. The simple attire accentuated her beauty, and he caught a whiff of her alluring scent from the doorway.

Her snow-white skin, lovely face, and appealing figure, barely concealed by the plain clothes, made her resemble a goddess. A true beauty of international renown.

Tyler began to feel a stir in his body, worsened by the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra—though he suspected such garments might not exist yet. In the past, most women wrapped cloth around themselves. He wondered why the first female hero summoned hadn't insisted on creating bras. Not wanting to lose composure, he hurriedly placed the bowl on the desk and spoke with authority:

"You can eat this. When you're finished, meet me outside."

With that, he left the room quickly, keenly aware of how impeccably clean it was—a likely result of magic use.

Meanwhile, Liz finished tying her hair into a ponytail and dressed. She walked to the bedside where Rain lay unconscious, having cleaned both her wounds and her body. Her emotions were gradually stabilizing, though the enormity of their situation left her feeling overwhelmed.

Outside, Tyler waited by the grand double doors of the castle, strategizing while he waited. Things had not gone as expected, but he remained cautiously optimistic. Whether staying in the Demon Continent or finding a way out, much depended on the current geopolitical landscape between the four continents over the past millennium.

At that moment, Liz emerged from the castle, looking slightly breathless, as if she had become disoriented and had to sprint around searching for the exit.

"Well, she was unconscious when I brought her here. She must think I'm an ass right now," Tyler mused, trying to avoid eye contact. He noticed Liz was doing the same. "Did she notice my reaction earlier?" he wondered, feeling embarrassed and awkwardly scratching his head.

"Why don't you lead the way since you know the directions?" he suggested.

"Okay," Liz replied shyly, indicating she might have noticed something after all. Her nervous fidgeting suggested she wanted to say something.

Noticing her discomfort, Tyler prompted, "Is something wrong?"

"Ah... Um... No... I mean... I'm... um... I haven't fully recovered my mana yet, so I can't use flight magic."

Tyler was momentarily speechless, having forgotten about flight magic altogether—a Tier 3 spell he hadn't learned. He had assumed they would run. Why did he think that? It appeared he wasn't as astute as he thought.

Fortunately, her inability to use the spell right now meant he didn't need to explain why he couldn't either. Admitting he was only a Tier 1 mage would be a quick way to get himself killed. He quickly regained composure and replied, "I see. Well, running is fine. It won't take much longer to get there."

"Okay... Thank you."

She visibly relaxed, though Tyler sensed she was somewhat naive. "Oh, right. What's your name?" Tyler realized he hadn't asked yet, referring to her as "the blonde girl" in his mind.

"Liz," she replied simply, not waiting for a response before setting off. Tyler felt a pang of disappointment. He had intended to offer a random name that wouldn't stand out in the Demon Continent, but it seemed she wasn't interested in him. This didn't bode well, increasing the risk of betrayal if she discovered his true identity.

They began to run. As soon as Liz took a step, she disappeared from Tyler's view instantly.

"How am I supposed to keep up with that?" he thought, instantly devising various lies and excuses for why he couldn't accompany her. However, when he took the first step, he found himself right behind her without lagging. He even felt he could move faster if he wanted to. A smile spread across his face, a surge of excitement welling up inside him. "What happened to me?" He felt completely at ease in his body, with exceptional balance and full control. "Finally, something I can control."

He ran closely behind Liz as she navigated toward the Freemen Settlement. They bypassed Darknar Forest, heading southwest between the forest and the Darkin Mountain Range. The settlement lay beyond a river, which initially worried Tyler until Liz used a lower-tier spell to freeze a narrow platform for them to cross.

They maintained an incredibly fast pace. Tyler wasn't sure of the settlement's distance, but they were making good time. He needed to ask his questions as soon as possible. Drawing closer, he inquired, "So, what kind of settlement is this Freemen Settlement? Do you think they'll help us?"

Liz remained silent for a while, leaving Tyler feeling anxious.

"Freemen are basically outsiders. They reject noble rule and establish their own settlements in regions not controlled by demon nobles," she explained tersely.

Tyler felt the explanation was overly simplistic. He had hoped for more details to understand this era better, but Liz seemed inclined to keep conversations brief—or perhaps she was wary of him.

She added after a moment's thought, "After the king's death, the five families expanded their territories to increase influence on the continent. They took over most neutral and dangerous regions, displacing Freemen who refused to submit. Since none of the families claimed the king's region, the Freemen from those conquered regions migrated here, along with some demon nobles who lost their titles."

She seemed to want to prevent further questions by providing a detailed explanation of who the Freemen were and why they were in this region. "Typically, Freemen consist of lower races like orcs, beastmen, ogres, etc. However, after the king's death, many loyal to the king became Freemen. If we find a demon in the settlement, they might help us," she concluded, stressing the words "help us." Tyler felt as if she meant only him, but that couldn't be right. Why would demons go out of their way to aid a mere human? Maybe he was overthinking it.

For the next hour, they ran in silence. Liz seemed uninterested in talking, and Tyler didn't want to irritate her further. Walking on eggshells was nerve-wracking.

Nevertheless, Tyler was satisfied with the information gleaned. At least he knew demons were scarce in this region. The other settlement she mentioned might prove useful in the future. He would gather more information upon reaching the Freemen Settlement.

They maintained their sprint for over three hours, and Tyler was starting to grow bored. Clearly, the place was more than just a few miles away. At their speed, they should have covered about 400 miles in the last three hours. He marveled at how effortlessly Liz navigated each terrain without pause or slowing. He knew her concern was for the elf, yet her speed and endurance impressed him. He only kept pace by following her path, mimicking her methods of avoiding obstacles.

They ran through rocky terrain until Tyler spotted black smoke rising in the distance.

"A campfire?"

"No," Liz replied, accelerating toward the smoke.

Tyler was further impressed, realizing she hadn't been running at full speed until now. He increased his pace, maintaining the distance between them.

As they approached, they saw what appeared to be a town or village in the distance, enclosed by high wooden walls. Some houses were ablaze, and movement was visible within the settlement, though it was indistinct from their current vantage.

Liz squinted ahead. "They're under attack."

Tyler observed villagers or Freemen struggling against large lizards. One individual managed to hold their ground amidst the chaos, though they appeared sluggish yet stronger than the rest. It seemed the battle had been ongoing.

Unable to discern more, Tyler withheld judgment, uncertain of the full story. None of the townsfolk appeared to use magic, suggesting all magic users were engaged in defense. Approaching from the rear, he suspected the main battle raged at the front gate.

Tyler sighed inwardly. It seemed fate had other plans for him today. Glancing at Liz, he sensed her anxiety. With presumably only one healer in the settlement, their lives hung in the balance. What would happen to Rain if they perished today?