Beads of sweat still trickled down his face as he continued to stare at his palm. Trembling incessantly, the shadows of those who had always underestimated him had become haunting.
"That power will be mine..." Desmond's voice hummed with a wide grin.
The constricted breath was hard to control, and slowly he lifted his face.
Footsteps approached, soon replaced by the sound of a door opening.
"You're awake," Maria said, welcoming him with a warm smile.
However, even so, Zeion did not provide a response. His face was still filled with concern.
"Are you alright?"
Still, there was no reply. Zeion merely lowered his gaze as if afraid of something. This made Maria reluctant to ask further; she was worried about disturbing his mental state.
Not wanting to prolong the silence, gathering all his courage, Zeion took a deep breat
This immense flow of energy continued to drive Zeion into a complicated state as if his body were falling into an oceanic abyss that incessantly pulled him downward."Where am I? It feels so comfortable here. I don't want to leave...""You fool..."Zeion's pupils dilated as he saw Hander's face in his mind, the yelling always disturbing melody to his ears.Even though they had been separated for so long, Hander's face still managed to disturb his inner peace."You have talent, but don't get too complacent! There will be many things you can't predict! All you can do is learn to accept the condition as that arises..."Those words instantly stopped the flow of energy within Zeion's body; slowly, he opened his eyes.The atmosphere had darkened, and he hadn't realized he had spent so long time just calming his mind.
Like it or not, he still had to accept the pouch, especially as a sign of gratitude from the villagers for being protected from those wolves.For some reason, his heart felt lighter after leaving the village; no regret should have lingered in him."I don't know, but it seems like it should be this way..."Although he hadn't completely succeeded in protecting the people, he would still consider this a valuable experience.Thanks to the money he acquired, hunger during his journey was no longer a concern upon reaching some villages.This was the fifth day of the journey, and the direction he'd been heading in couldn't be distinguished as truly right or wrong.He simply walked without much thought or complaint. During this time, he was able to improve his concentration; encountering several wild creatures helped him practice his combat skills.
They both instantly clashed in strength, but at this rate, everything wouldn't last long.And, true enough, within just a few seconds, the girl was already thrown off."Hahahaha... so weak. Is this the strength of a guardian knight? You're more suited to be entertainment for men…"She regretted hearing these vulgar words, but regardless, she had to admit that man's strength was far beyond her current abilities."So strong, what should I do to defeat them? If it's like this…""No…""My Princess…"That shout caused the commotion to increase, and a black-haired princess in bright blue attire was forcibly brought out."Let me go..." she murmured, squirming continuously.Such an act didn't invoke any sympathy from these people; they simply laughed at the girl's helplessness."Bastard, you will regret treating her like this!"Her fiery spirit made her stand tall again, however at this moment, she was a bit hesitant about whether she could defeat the opponent in front of her or not.She knew
The swift movements executed by Zeion to evade the sword attacks caught the attention of the robbers. Not only that, Zeion used the sword as a foothold to kick towards the man.Dash...The fatal blow landed on the man's face, launching him off the horse.The thunderous sound silenced the surroundings. The other three robbers were confused by what had happened. They had only seen Zeion standing in the middle of the road earlier, but now he was standing atop a horse's back."How could he have managed to strike his face?" uttered one of the robbers who had witnessed the events up close.The leader of the robbers immediately understood that Zeion was not just a young person who had lost their way. His narrowed eyes stared sharply at the young man."He's not just a kid. His ability to do what he just did...""Insolent brat..."
What appeared was something incredibly unbelievable, a sword that had strong components could be broken using just bare hands.Dash...Zeion's strikes didn't stop until landing on the man's face, splattering blood into the air."How could this kid manage to do that?"It was enough to astonish Zeion; the punch he delivered still kept the man conscious.Blood relentlessly streamed from the nose, several teeth shattered, accompanied by an unbearable throbbing pain.At first glance, Zeion sensed that the man possessed a flow of energy typically used in combat, but its level was too weak.With remaining strength, the man tried to stand again, not to resist, but hoping to escape from there at this distance.In a staggering state, he continued running away."I must survive..."Whoosh
Mily was intensely trying to gauge Zeion's reaction to that question, but what she saw wasn't enthusiasm.His eyebrows lowered sideways with a downcast gaze, clearly indicating a heavy burden on his shoulders.Zeion's reaction undoubtedly startled the girl in the blue dress; she hadn't expected Zeion to appear saddened by her question."I'm not a knight or a fighter, I'm just a wanderer," Zeion replied wearily.Hander's advice to stay alert should be heeded by Zeion; even the slightest carelessness could lead to disaster."Is that so?"Zeion's words made the atmosphere incredibly awkward, and there was no further conversation.Although they had resumed their journey, they wouldn't reach their destination on time.The afternoon had passed, and now they had to face the darkness of the night accompanied by
True, Mily must give the answer. It's impossible for her to let the girl be in danger again; their chances might run out if they act recklessly.Her fingers held her chin, very gently pondering Zeion's attitude. Since their first meeting, nothing suspicious had been observed, just a rather mysterious young man, but...Her eyes tingled when imagining the aura enveloping Zeion's body."For now, there's a possibility that we can trust that young man!"How could she trust Mily's words if what was shown was reflected in doubt?Even though it wasn't expressed, he could witness Mily's worried gaze."If it were up to me, he might be trustworthy!"Mily was shocked by this statement. She, who didn't fully trust Zeion, had to accept this fact."But why does Princess trust that person? Isn't it too dangerous to trust him so
For some reason, the situation became so complicated, Zeion who had just arrived was given such a sharp look.There was no strong reason for him to return that sharp gaze. Perhaps if from the beginning they were enemies, he would quickly have made Mily an enemy."Mily, what are you doing? Why are you acting like that?" the girl in the blue dress reprimanded."Princess, we cannot trust this young man. He might be planning something to hurt you!" Mily replied firmly, never once averting her gaze from Zeion."What is this woman saying? Do I really have intentions to hurt them?"Mily showed no signs of letting down her guard; at any moment, she would draw the sword at her waist and strike Zeion's head with a single step forward."Mily, stop!"This shout startled them both, and spontaneously they turned towards the girl in the blue dress.