Chapter 320: Memory (5)

Rattle, rattle.

On a ten-seater transport carriage that was speeding through the city, there was an anomaly among the grim-faced adult men.

A fourteen-year-old girl staring blankly into space.

Her seemingly calm demeanor masked her anxiety, and no one noticed except for her older sister, Laura Rainwales.

Swoosh.

Amelia, who had been sitting stiffly with her hands on her lap, flinched.

Her sister’s hand had covered hers.

“What’s wrong? Are you worried?”

Amelia, who was introverted, nodded.

And she would have noticed anyway.

Just how much her body was trembling, even on this shaking carriage.

“…It’s okay, nothing will happen.”

Amelia felt her anxiety ease as she felt her sister’s warmth.

Even though they were practically being dragged to a battlefield.

She closed her eyes, and the adult men’s conversation reached her ears.

“What about Iron Mask and Emily?”

“I heard the Lord sent someone to their inn, but I don’t know if they received the message.”

“Damn it, he should have told us beforehand. What the hell is this?”

“It must have been top secret. I can’t believe the Lord is working with the royal family to attack Orculus.”

They were summoned by Pelic Barker while working at their foster father’s bar, like any other day.

He didn’t explain anything, just told them to get ready to fight, and then they were loaded onto a military carriage with the other clan members as soon as they grabbed their equipment.

“Wait a minute, attack Orculus? I didn’t hear anything about that. I was just told there was a riot in the eastern district and we were going for support… And the royal family? What the hell is that? How can the Lord work with the royal family?”

“I heard the royal family contacted the Lord recently. I don’t know what they talked about, but… it’s not hard to guess.”

“Well, the royal family also hates Orculus. They have a common interest.”

“Damn right, why else would the knights sent by the royal family be fighting Orculus?”

“…That’s probably why the Lord didn’t tell us until today.”

“Right. They’re the main force anyway. We just have to focus on surviving.”

“Ha, I should have slept outside the castle like Iron Mask. I was dragged here because I was inside.”

“Derbon, watch your mouth.”

“Ah… I misspoke.”

“And stop complaining. We’ll be properly compensated after this is over, knowing the Lord’s personality.”

Pelic Barker, the clan leader, calmed them down.

And after some time…

…the carriage finally stopped at the entrance of Noark’s eastern district.

“We have to walk from here.”

The stench of blood filled the air from the boundary of the eastern district, where several battles seemed to have taken place.

Collapsed buildings and mangled corpses.

She could hear explosions in the distance, and human screams that were even more chilling than a banshee’s.

“What are you waiting for! Get off! Can’t you see there are more carriages behind us?”

Amelia followed them out of the carriage.

Her body, which had calmed down during the ride, started trembling again.

Her sister held her hand.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll protect you…”

Her sister’s words, a promise she had never broken.

But Amelia couldn’t calm down.

No, rather…

Clench.

…the more her sister squeezed her hand, the more she felt a sense of foreboding.

____________________

Amelia opened her eyes, snapping out of her memories.

She knew where she had to go.

The eastern district of Noark, which had become increasingly independent from the Lord’s influence after Orculus made it their headquarters.

“Fi, fire!!”

Although people thought it was just a fire…

…a war was taking place there.

And her past self…

‘She must be on her way to the eastern district in a carriage.’

It was a memory from twenty years ago, and she had been so overwhelmed by the large-scale battle that she couldn’t remember the details…

…but she could roughly recall her movements.

It wasn’t a memory she could forget even if she wanted to.

After all, her life for the past twenty years had been spent regretting and reliving that day.

Tadat.

Amelia ran towards her destination.

Hundreds of explorers, summoned by the Lord without knowing the details, were stationed at the entrance of the eastern district.

She soon found the person she was looking for.

“You’re here.”

“Who… Oh, Emily?”

Pelic Barker’s eyes widened as Amelia approached him.

“What are you doing here?”

He seemed surprised to see her.

“I went to the castle after hearing the commotion, and they told me to come here. I heard what happened from the others on the way.”

“Ah, I see… But where’s Iron Mask?”

“He’s sleeping, so I left him.”

“Hmm… You left such a valuable asset behind…”

Pelic Barker didn’t seem to find it strange, even though he expressed his disappointment.

It was because the barbarian often used the excuse that he had drunk too much the night before when he was late.

“Well, he wouldn’t have known this would happen. We should assume he’s not coming.”

Amelia then stood next to her younger self and her sister. They awkwardly greeted her.

“Hello…”

Unlike the sociable barbarian, Amelia hadn’t interacted with them much during the past few months, except for the necessary conversations.

She couldn’t bring herself to speak to them.

But she forced herself to speak this time.

“Stay close.”

“…Yes?”

“So I can protect you.”

“Ah, okay…!”

The sisters, who knew about Amelia’s skills even though they weren’t close, brightened up at her words.

Although they didn’t seem to know why she was suddenly being nice to them.

“Battle stations!”

Anyway, it was soon their turn to go to the front lines.

The groups were taking turns resting and fighting…

…but there wasn’t anything dangerous yet.

After all, the knights sent by the royal family and the Lord’s elites were taking care of the main battle.

“They’re trying to escape! Kill them!”

Their goal was to surround the enemy, not to wipe them out.

How strong could the remnants escaping from a burning city be?

It was a one-sided massacre.

“It seems like the Lord is serious this time.”

“But look, 70% of them are ordinary citizens. Is it really okay to kill them all?”

“Ugh, you idiot. We can’t tell them apart. What if an Orculus member escapes disguised as a civilian?”

“That’s true, but…”

Although some expressed their reservations about the one-sided battle, they were a minority. They were all used to killing.

“Does anyone remember what the commander said? How much was it per head?”

“I don’t remember exactly, but at this rate, it’s probably better than going on an expedition.”

“Hey! Runners! Don’t fight, just collect ears! Ah, and strip them of anything valuable!”

Most of them were happy to receive a high reward for easy work.

But Amelia’s expression hardened.

She was born and raised in this city, but she still found their mindset repulsive.

And she was the only one who knew…

…that this festive atmosphere was just a fleeting moment, and hell would soon break loose.

“What the hell, someone’s coming alone.”

Someone muttered, his voice unusually loud despite the surrounding noise.

Amelia quickly turned her head.

“…Is he crazy?”

She saw a man walking towards them alone.

It was a strange sight, considering that all the previous escape attempts had involved hundreds of people.

But…

Thud.

…the onlookers started to feel a sense of dissonance as the man approached.

Thud.

He was wearing black clothes stained with blood.

But his clothes were intact, even though they were wet.

Judging by the blood, he hadn’t come this far without encountering any trouble.

Thud.

The sword on his waist was also unusual.

The looters, who had a keen eye for valuable items, realized that the sword was no ordinary weapon as he got closer.

The sword itself was very ordinary…

…but the man who was carrying it was infamous in this city.

“…Hey, that’s not who I think it is, right? Please tell me I’m wrong.”

“…….”

“Does anyone know his face?”

The explorers waiting in line started to panic.

Some instinctively retreated, and some desperately denied it.

But…

Thud.

…when the man was within 50 meters…

Whoosh!

…a flamethrower user unleashed his attack, but the flames were extinguished before they could even reach the man, and a brief silence fell.

Because it was a well-known ability.

“Fl, Flameless Spirit…”

[Flameless Spirit].

The power of the Lord of Silence, the ruler of the 5th floor.

This incomprehensible power that nullified abilities was only possessed by less than ten people throughout history…

And in the current era, only one person was known to have it.

“He, he’s the traitor…”

The only criminal with the title of ‘Traitor’.

The founder of Orculus…

…and the undefeated swordsman who was once known as the ‘Sword Saint’.

Ricardo Liuhen Praha.

His appearance caused chaos.

“Why is he here…?”

“He’s supposed to be fighting the royal family!”

The man didn’t answer their questions.

He just raised his sword.

“Ru, run!”

The explorers turned and ran.

But the moment he swung his sword…

Flash!

…a fleeting flash of light blinded them.

And…

Slash!

…an old memory, replayed countless times for the past twenty years, began to unfold once more.