The shadow sped by the three travelers Ripley, Marlowe, and Lou, snatching a charred box with the Blue Army's emblem on it. It left behind it a jangling sound as it wove through the tall pillars and the jagged boulders. Two minutes later, after losing sight of the shadow, the three boys came across a scene they never imagined.

"A Blue Army encampment!"

A collection of tents, boxes, and soldiers in uniform were gathered on the mountain slope. They immediately hid under an unguarded stockpile, cursing under their breath.

"Why did there have to be a camp in the middle of the forest? Now the thief's gonna get away with the box." Ripley wiped the sweat off his head.

"It was your stupid idea to bring it out in the first place," Marlowe complained.

"Say," Lou butted in the bickering. "Is the box really that important to you two?"

"Of course it is!" The two immediately answered simultaneously, but the goggled youth had more to say.

"That box still contains all-important documentation regarding Ripley's revolver. If the thief read those, he'd probably sell them to a shady buyer. Or worse!"

"Why, what's worse?" Lou pushed him on.

"The thief will make one of his own. Once he does, he will mass-produce that weapon and sell it to various arms dealers, earning him more money than he could ever ask for! And since it's an old relic, people will pay top dollar for a single one of those! But that's not all! Those who bought the weapons will rise up and form their own armies, changing the landscape of war as we know it!"

"No, I think the Blue army will get wind of it before he can ever make his own army," Ripley refuted monotonously. "But still, once the documents reach a smithing town, it would give them the advantage! You saw what it can do! Imagine multiples of them in an army! It's the one thing Father does not want."

"Speaking of which, do you think your dad's probably somewhere in this camp? Maybe in one of the tents?"

"As much as I want him to, it's unlikely. The projections showed they were headed in a different direction from this camp. This is possibly a border encampment. We're already in a dangerous spot."

After all, they were close to the supposed border, where the war was heaviest. In fact, the mountain they were on was part of a range that marked the border between the western Bulwark Kingdom, and the eastern Shorin States. Meaning, not only are they in danger of getting captured by Bulwark, but also getting ambushed by Shorin troops. The vagabond had put them in a trap.

"Right," Lou whistled, impressed by Ripley's knowledge. "You really do know you way around these mountains, kid. Since you guys don't want the box to reach the Blue Army's hands, I'll take up on your offer."

"But the thief's probably well away now."

"No, I have something." And Lou closed his eyes and took one big breath. This was enough to blow Marlowe's top off, thinking that he simply dozed off, but Ripley immediately stopped him. He tried to rouse Lou from his slumber, and when he made contact, his vision was immediately tinged with a blue hue.

"What is this spell?" Ripley was awestruck. "I've never read about this in my books."

When he looked in front of him, he could see Lou as a glowing human being with ripples coming out of him. He turned around to check on Marlowe, who was also shown as a glow, only fainter due to his mana-extracting methods. He could also see numerous glowing dots in the distance.

Ripley tried to approach them, but he was stopped by an unseen force, as if a solid barrier was blocking him. Then he realized that the barrier was actually the vey box they were hiding, and the little dots he was seeing were other people from the other side of the box pile. In short, Ripley was able to see through walls.

To be specific, the glowing objects were the mana signatures of living things. They would leave a ghostly trail, indicating their footprint, and when Lou's ripples hit them, they would bounce back, and the glow would intensify a little bit.

He scanned the seemingly limitless surroundings, and immediately zeroed in on a series of concentric ripples. The source of the ripples was darker than the surroundings, but it would continually give away its location thanks to Lou's magic. When it moved from one place to another, it let out yet another series of ripples, and he could also hear a recognizable jangling sound.

"Okay, got it," Lou opened his eyes. "Our mark's right by the log cabin a few tents from here. The guards won't be a problem, as there aren't many guards to begin with. I suggest we split up and flank the thief. Boss, you go with your friend and take the left side. I'll go for the right."

The mercenary immediately sped away before the two boys would raise their hands and inquire about the strategy. Ripley didn't even notice that the spell came undone as soon as Lou left, still dazed by the magical light show. It was only after Marlowe snapped his fingers in front of his face that he was able to return to the real world and undertake the ambush.

As the goggled youth pulled the young smith's hand and led him to a tree, he asked, "What was that about, Rip? You were daydreaming again?"

"No, it was something I've never seen before. A brand new spell!"

"Shush! Save that for later. We have to get the box before he sells it off."

They closed the distance between themselves and the thief, zigzagging between trees, boxes, and tents. Whenever they would spot a Blue Army guard nearby, Marlowe would pick up a stone and throw it somewhere, drawing the guard's attention there. Meanwhile, they could see Lou just below them taking out a guard silently and hiding his unconscious body.

They were now closing in on the thief, and Ripley now knew the reason for the jangling noise he leaves. He was wearing a robe was made out of tiny, metal rings that linked together to resembled cloth.

A chainmail.

"That's one bad fashion sense," remarked Marlowe. "Chainmail's fine for protection and all, but it's so shiny I could probably see him from a mile away! And all those baubles just make the jangling worse!"

Across them, Lou approached the log cabin and snuck behind the thief, who was busy prying out the Bulwark crest from the box. It was a good thing too, since he was so preoccupied with it that he didn't hear Marlowe's gripe. Lou peeked from behind and eyed the two boys, making hand gestures that signaled them to shut up and go to the next cover, which they did.

But when they were about to reach the next point, Ripley stumbled on a tree root, and he crashed headlong to an empty tent, creating a loud crashing sound. This alerted the nearby sentinels who were posted, and they rushed to the source of the disturbance. He immediately clambered out of the wreckage with the help of Marlowe, who chastised him for being clumsy in a sneak operation.

Of course, the thief was also alerted by the sudden commotion, and so he started to bolt away, but a wave of blue energy blasted the solid earth just a few paces in front of him. Behind him, Lou approached, glowing sword at the ready.

"Just where do you think you're going, little missy?" he warned the chainmail-wearing vagabond. "I believe you have something that belongs to my client. Hand it over."

Not wanting to be outdone, the thief immediately plucked something off the chain robe and threw it on the ground. Smoke billowed out, blocking the mercenary's vision. He, in turn, swept the sword in a wide arc, blowing it away, but when the smoke cleared, the thief had disappeared. Lou called out to the two boys, "Hey! You two! Don't just stand there! There's no point in hiding anymore! That stunt just alerted the guards!"

"But your stunt just made it worse!" Marlowe barked back. "And now the thief's gone with the box! What are we gonna do?!"

"Can't you just talk it out?" Ripley suggested. "I mean, you were a Blue Army soldier. Maybe they will let it slide."

"It's not that easy, kid," answered the former soldier. "I ran away on my own a long time ago. That amounts to treason, so you could say I'm a criminal in these guys' eyes. I don't think the Kingdom's gonna accept me with open arms, but if they're itching for a fight, I'll give it to them, though it'll just add more layers of treason on me."

The three prepared themselves for combat. Multiple guards surrounded the intruders, with the majority focusing on Lou, who poses a greater threat compared to the two boys. Ripley readied his clockwork hammer. He didn't use it earlier because of the noise it makes when firing, and also because of the potential harm it might do to the vagabond.

"So, boss! Should I go all out or what?" Lou was awaiting for further orders.

"Just get us out of here!" was Ripley's reply.

He did not hesitate to fire a nail towards a Blue Army soldier. After all, they abducted his father, and he cannot forgive them. But he did not intend to kill, and the shot that he fired only served to catch the attention of the soldiers.

At the same time, Lou lunged forward and made an opening in the formation. The guards immediately zeroed in on him, but he easily took them out with his superior swordsmanship. Although it was the same style as that of the Blue Army, his didn't focus on the sword. He would occasionally use his free hand to subdue the opponent, and sometimes he would let out a burst of energy from the palm, sending a soldier flying backwards.

Meanwhile, Ripley and Marlowe were making a break for freedom, bobbing in and out of the ensuing conflict. The goggled youth had picked up a sword from nearby, clutching it with both hands. The young smith still had his trusty revolver, but he would only fire when necessary. He didn't shoot out of a need for revenge, since it would be a waste of ammunition.

There were still a few guards on their tail, so the two split up to confuse their pursuers. Ripley scaled the mountainside, firing his revolver from behind him, not intending to hit, but to scare. Below him, he could see Marlowe enter a tent and collapse it when a guard or two made their way inside. And when his friend's escape path would be closed, Ripley fired a series of shots from afar to catch his attention, to which Marlowe would then use underhanded methods to take the guard out.

In the distance, he could see Lou still battling it out with the guards, but they showed no sign of stopping or tiring. Despite getting the upper hand, the mercenary was still at a disadvantage of number. He was now closing in towards where Ripley and Marlowe were, who were also having a bad time with the guards.

In the end, the three were cornered.

But all was not lost.

A chime-like voice called out, "Shield your eyes if you don't want to get blind!"

From out of nowhere, something like a stone flew right in the center of the gathering before exploding in a blinding flash. The three had done what the voice had told, and so they did not suffer from blindness. With eyes closed, Ripley could hear sounds of clamor and beatings, but also he also heard a familiar sound.

The sound of jangling chainmail.

The vagabond from before had returned to aid the three, and upon closer look, Ripley could see all sorts of things stuck on the mail, such as an assortment of larger rings, metal pieces, and clear pouches containing ash. He could also see that the figure was covering his face with torn rags so that no one could recognize him, but he wondered about the chainmail, which was easily recognizable wherever you looked.

"You three, this way," he said in a muffled voice, but its chime-like timbre was still recognizable. The three followed and bolted while the confusion still ensued.

"It's the thief!" shouted Marlowe. "Hey, why did you decide to help us? You know you stole something from us."

"That's just how Silt works, little dude. She would never turn her back on the young ones," explained the mercenary. "Thanks for the save, by the way, though you didn't have to run away the first time."

"You were trying to kill me back there, weren't you?" said the cloaked figure. "I went back because I'm interested in something."

"Just as I suspected," Lou mused. "She's taken a liking to you, boss."

"Wait, he's not a guy?" Ripley's eyes widened.

"Of course I'm a girl, stupid!" he, or rather, she turned to Ripley and replied irritably. "Can't you tell by my voice? And it's not just you that caught my attention. It's that weapon of yours."

The vagabond took off the piece of cloth covering part of her face, revealing the features of a young girl. With a cat-like gaze that seemed to pierce one's soul, she scanned the area for a possible escape route, as if she was simply retracing her steps when she ran from the three.

They arrived at the edge of the conifer forest, where the desert basin stretched below them. Silt pointed towards an object below, and said, "There's our ride. We have a lot of explaining to do once we get there."

"Whoa," Marlowe couldn't help but shout in awe. "You own a Behemoth?!"

A series of blue bolts came streaking towards the group, but the mercenary deflected them with his sword, hitting the nearby trees. The Blue Army had finally recovered and were starting to gain on them, their swords and feet emanating a ghostly glow, indicating an enchantment spell. They fired mana missiles from the tips of their swords, and Lou would simply block them with a quick barrier.

"Like she said," continued the mercenary,"a lot of explaining to do once we reach it. So less talking, more running."

The group dashed towards the large object sitting by the crags, with Silt and Marlowe taking the lead. Lou and Ripley were keeping their pursuers at bay using their respective weapons, the young smith with his clockwork hammer, and the mercenary with his glowing sword.

The object they were approaching was quite unlike the Behemoths that Ripley saw from before. Its entire body was akin to that of a wagon, with four black wheels for feet and a large cabin that can house an entire stockpile. The two before him had entered the front of the vehicle, the thief sitting by a fifth wheel in front of her, and the goggled youth right next to her, eyes sparkling in admiration.

The Behemoth emitted a low growl as Ripley approached it, smoke billowing out of its backside. He looked backed to see if the soldiers were still hot on their trail, and sure enough, they were still having a hard time with Lou as he made a big horizontal slash in the air, kicking the sand below the approaching threat to create an improvised smokescreen.

"Go on, get in the back!" he hollered as he stretched his hand towards the enemy. The young smith quickly clambered inside the back of the Behemoth as he was told, and the mercenary leapt inside. The metal wagon then began to move forward at a breakneck pace, leaving its pursuers behind.