It’s been a month since Eric first arrived at Peteonia Village. He had taught many things to the villagers about martial art and weapons utilization, such as swords, sticks, or bows and arrows. All residents were very enthusiastic. Their abilities increased in a relatively short period.

Eric then appointed some of the most talented figures to continue training the others. He also emphasized the importance of strategy and collaboration. Sometimes, the weaker could overcome the stronger group because of careful preparation and strategy. Now, the villagers felt more confident and no longer afraid of the robbers.

After all that, it was finally time for Eric to say goodbye and continue his journey to Kingsford. Although it was hard to leave this beautiful village and its friendly people, he was a man who stood firm under his oath. He then met Mr. Ergus, the village head, to convey his intention to leave.

Mr. Ergus greeted him with a calm look and a smile on his lips. Even though it’s hard for him and all the villagers to part with Eric, he couldn’t hold the knight any longer. He then took an initiative to gather the village citizens in the village square as a farewell.

By noon, all the residents were present in the village square to send Eric off. They took turns hugging and shaking hands with Eric as a sign of genuine friendship. Elise was also present there to give a few food supplies for Eric’s journey and wish him the best of luck.

Eric hugged Elise tightly and thanked her for all the kindness provided during his stay in the village.

“Please meet my daughter at home. She doesn’t even dare to come and send you off,” said Elise.

“Sure, I wouldn’t leave her without a proper farewell,” said Eric, curling a smile on his lips. After all the residents dispersed, Eric went home to meet Egelina.

Eric found Egelina alone, sitting on a wooden cot with her hands clasped together. A second later, their gazes met in a warm feeling that seemed to permeate the room. Pulling a smile, Eric walked over to his love.

Egelina got up from her seat and stared at Eric blankly.

“I’m sorry, I have to go.” Eric held the girl’s hands.

“So you really are going to leave me?” Egelina looked at Eric with watery eyes. She allowed the knight to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear. A drop of tear dripped from the corner of her eye.

“I’m going… not to leave you. But to fulfill my duty. I’ll be back soon after it’s done.” Eric swiped Egelina’s wet cheek with his thumb.

The girl took Eric’s hand and rubbed her thumb gently. They stared at each other in silence, trying to understand each other’s feelings. As if a magnet was attracting the two of them, Eric leaned closer to Egelina, while the girl closed her eyes. Eric wrapped his arms around Egelina’s waist, and their lips met in a warm sincerity of love.

Eric, who had never experienced anything like this, seemed didn’t want to let the sensation pass. It felt so calm and warm. Time seemed to have stopped for them, who were now living in a dimension full of love. The two of them hugged tightly as if nothing else could separate them.

For a long time, they were immersed in feelings for each other. Deep in his heart, Eric found it very hard to separate. However, the decision had to be made. Slowly, he began to let go of his arms and took some distance. Egelina looked deep into Eric’s eyes in silence, as if hoping he would still change his mind.

Eric kissed Egelina’s forehead while stroking the top of her head as a sign of farewell. After that, he turned away. Even though his steps were heavy, he didn’t stop until he was beside his horse. Eric cast his gaze once more and found his lover standing in the house’s doorway, leaning on the wooden frame while hugging herself.

Without another word, the knight jumped onto his horse and spurred it away. Once, he turned back to look at his lover, who was standing still while wiping the tears in silence and loneliness.

Trying to strengthen his resolve, Eric continued to gallop away faster. He went through tall trees and jumped over bushes. After some time, he looked back to find Egelina wasn’t there anymore. Thick vegetation was all over the place.

Different from every farewell ever experienced, Eric felt so bitter this time. Even though his body remained strong, half of his soul was left behind. In the village of Peteonia, his love had been tied. Leaving hope to return someday. A gust of wind hit his face. Unknowingly, a single tear fell from his eye, leaving a small trail on the rocky ground.

Now, the knight was completely alone again. He rode his horse as fast as he could, hoping to reach the capital as soon as possible. He only rested at night and immediately continued his journey when the dawn broke.

After several days, Eric saw a hut in the middle of the forest. It was almost evening. The knight intended to stop for a moment to recover his strength. There were three people there sitting and talking. As he came closer, Eric realized he recognized two of them.

“Mr. Gideon and Mrs. Aileen.” The knight greeted respectfully. “I’m sorry for failing my task.” Eric knelt with one leg bent. He was so relieved that he had finally found his mister. Gideon and Aileen purposely visit Ronald’s hut to ask for help to find their children.

“Eric? Get up. What happened?” asked Gideon with a worried face.

“Our ship sank in a storm. Young master and lady were stranded on an island.”

“Oh, my! Are they all right?” asked Mrs. Aileen. She looked even more worried.

“I’m sorry, madam. But currently, I can’t guarantee their safety.” Eric felt so guilty in front of Gideon and Aileen.

“We have to get there quickly. I’ll get things ready soon. We’ll leave early tomorrow morning,” said Gideon.

“I will join you. I think your children were stranded on the Amui island. I heard that there is an evil mage living there,” said Ronald.

“He is Ronald Alane. The greatest mage of all time.” Gideon introduced the host to Eric.

“Do not exaggerate, please.” Ronald felt a bit uncomfortable with the title.

Eric got up and stretched out his hand to shake Ronald. “I’m Eric, a knight of Portos.”

“All right then, let’s go. We must hurry to meet the king,” said Gideon.

Ronald then told Bram, the former gerpa, “We’re going to the city. You stay here guarding my house.” As the king himself had ordered Bram to never again set foot in the city, Ronald couldn’t take that boy.

Bram nodded as he will comply.

Gideon, Aileen, Eric, and Ronald then rushed to their horses, spurring them off toward the capital through the thick forest trees. They should at least say goodbye to Agra and thank him for the excellent treatment that the king had given them.

Towards evening, the group finally arrived at the castle. They went straight to meet Agra and conveyed their intention to leave immediately.

“We have to go to Amui island as soon as possible,” said Gideon, telling the king what happened to his children.

“Alright. Go early tomorrow morning. Tonight.” Agra gave his blessing.

After that, Gideon and Aileen immediately packed up. Various wild imaginations continue to haunt their minds. Although feeling anxious, the information from Eric was at least a good thing. Now they can only pray for the safety of their children.

The next day, Gideon, Aileen, Eric, and Ronald arrived at the pier even before the sun appeared. Kingsford was indeed located right on the beach, so the distance that must be traveled from the king’s residence was not far. Several servants were there to help carry things. In a few minutes, when everything was ready, Gideon ordered the captain to leave immediately.

“How long will it take to reach Amui island?” Gideon asked the captain.

“About six days, sir.”

“I’ll make it faster,” said Ronald. He then raised his staff while chanting a spell. “Ecctus tarbantum.” Miraculously, the wind started to blow hard in which direction they were going, helping the ship move faster.

***

Meanwhile, Peter, Susan, and Anna meet up with Borin and Gladys in prison. The prison wasn’t large compared to the large stone cave outside. Peter never thought the plateau—which from the outside looks like an ordinary rock hill—hid a giant cave inside.

Since the sun’s rays could not penetrate the cave, the lighting there came from a few torches stuck to the solid wall. This creates a gloomy atmosphere and damp air. Peter felt very sorry to see Borin and Gladys, who had been languishing there for days. Their eyes were sunken while their hair seemed to thin from stress and fear.

Even though Borin didn’t know if there was still an escape chance, his friends’ presence made him feel a little spirit rising from his heart. Meanwhile, Gladys was constantly gloomy. Anna sat next to her, trying to comfort her. “What happened?” asked Anna softly.

Gladys did not immediately answer her maid’s question. She looked into Anna’s eyes with a gleam of deep sadness.

“Are you sad because of your brother’s death?” asked Anna, guessing.

Gladys shook her head. His brother’s death was only one of many terrible experiences that befallen her.

“Relax, now we are with you.” Anna tried to comfort her, but Gladys remained silent. Her lips trembled as if she was trying to hold back a sentence that was about to gush out.

“Tell me, Miss. Maybe that will help you,” said Anna trying to help.

Gladys remained silent. Her heart was very dismay. Revealing the bitterness she was experiencing was humiliating, but keeping it to herself was also very painful.

After a long silence, she finally mustered up the courage to whisper in Anna’s ear. “H-he… he… I… was… l was harassed…” As soon as those words were spoken, Gladys burst into tears. She buried her face in Anna’s shoulder as she sobbed.

Besides being cruel, the silver-haired mage was apparently lewd. He harassed Gladys sexually. It was torture never been imagined by Gladys as a princess. She—who grew up in a noble family and was always respected—had to suffer such a low level of harassment. Her self-esteem was now completely shattered.

Anna—knowing the awful disaster experienced by Gladys—patiently accompanied her. She tried to calm her down by giving her a warm hug. She could understand Gladys’s pain. Such a cursed treatment had befallen her when she was still a slave. Anna then recounted her experience to make Gladys feel better.

“At that time, I was so desperate. They treated me like junk. It felt like there was no future anymore. There was only fear and tears. I tried to kill myself many times, but they always found me.” Anna’s body trembled as she recalled the darkest memory of her life.

“I’m sure the storm will pass if we stay strong. My wait paid off when you finally saved me from that mire of suffering.” Anna looked into Gladys’s eyes, which were red with tears. “Thanks for buying me,” whispered Anna. Gladys felt a little better for having a mate with a similar fate. Until a few moments ago, she had absolutely no idea of her servant’s past, which turned out to be so dark.

“Sometimes, something bad happens to us. That’s when we have the choice to fall down or get up stronger.” Anna tried to cheer Gladys up, though she felt broken inside.

Although never treated so badly, Susan also felt Gladys’ misery. She was furious and determined to kill the mage, no matter what. There have been too many victims because of his abominations.

“At least you’re lucky to be alive,” said Susan as she tried to encourage Gladys. But it was a total failure. The noble girl felt that her life was worthless.

“I think it’s better to die…” said Gladys in Anna’s ear. She continued to hug her in silence.

“Is there still something we can do?” Peter also felt so emotional. He gritted his teeth in anger.

“As far as I know, he is a mage. He can release his soul as a blue flame. And the kobolds are his army,” said Borin.

“Then what is the sacrificial ritual for?”

“For eternal life. If he can get Anna as a sacrifice, his power will be multiplied and the ritual will no longer be needed.” Borin’s explanation was already known to Peter. Thanks to Susan’s mind-reading ability.

“So, we must defeat that mage before Anna is sacrificed,” concluded Susan.

“But how? We’re all locked up here,” asked Borin as he was completely clueless.

For a moment, they went silent.

“I’m going to seduce him,” said Susan. “I’ll stab him with my anesthetic needle when I get that chance.” The kobolds had disarmed all the weapons they were carrying. Only one needle was now left.

“But it would be very suspicious if you suddenly seduced her.” Peter put forward an opinion. Borin nodded in agreement.

“Hmm… let’s put it this way. You guys need to act rude to me. I’ll then pretend to be helpless and ask that mage for help. We have to play out a scenario. Act as I am the one framing you here as victims.”

“Hmm… maybe, just maybe, it could work,” said Peter. “It’s dangerous, but it’s our best bet.”

After more consideration, they finally agreed with Susan’s idea. The plan seemed to have a chance. Susan was a beautiful girl with exotic brown skin. It seemed the mage could be provoked easily.