Coming to the Rescue

The caravan continued heading towards [Äußerst], but because of the devastation they had witnessed in the village, they were no longer excited about completing their journey.

A heavy silence filled the convoy. Many of the dead villagers were friends with them, and seeing their mangled bodies lying on the charred earth made many feel nauseous.

Where do you think the Demons are right now?

Frog, his face grim, drove the carriage and asked Galan beside him.

Fearing a Demons attack, Galan and Lancelot did not sit in the carriage but instead walked on either side of it, weapons in hand, vigilantly surveying their surroundings.

"I don't know... but I don't think any Demons would dare to attack [Äußerst]. With Serie there, they wouldn't dare... However, I didn't expect it to affect the surrounding villages..."

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Galan was also deeply shocked. Although people had always talked about the cruelty and ruthlessness of the Demons, this was the first time he had ever witnessed the horrific scene of the Demons massacring a village.

"In any case, it's best to be cautious. Judging from the situation in the village, the other party probably hasn't gone too far. Hopefully, we won't be so unlucky as to run into them."

"Furthermore, judging from the way the soldiers died, there should be more than one Demons. If you do encounter one, you'd better be prepared to abandon the convoy and run away."

He calmed himself down, trying to stop thinking about the village, and said to Frog.

Lancelot had told him before that although the captain of the guard was not as strong as him, the difference was not significant. The fact that such an excellent warrior could not deal with those Demons was enough to show how powerful they were.

Even if he and Lancelot combined, they might not be able to defeat him.

After the convoy had been traveling for a while, they gradually began to see the blurry outline of the city in the distance. Frog estimated that they would arrive around the afternoon and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The closer one gets to [Äußerst], the stronger the reaction of the city's [Defensive Magic] becomes. This magic, created by the Mage Flamme, capable of resisting Demons and monsters, continues to protect humanity to this day.

Galan vaguely sensed a strange Mana flashing far away. Whose Mana was that...? Could it be Demons?

Fortunately, judging from the appearance, they are some distance away from the caravan. As long as everyone conceals their presence and quietly walks along this road, the enemy should not discover them. Even if they do, they are unlikely to risk chasing after them.

It seemed that everyone was quite lucky and had escaped a calamity. Just as he was thinking this, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief as another wave of Mana was released in the direction he sensed. This time, the scale of the Mana was extremely exaggerated, shaking the entire forest. Not only him, but everyone else in the caravan also felt this wave of Mana.

"Whose Mana is that? Could it be from Demons?"

Lancelot nervously drew his sword, fearing that the enemy was after them.

"No... that's not Demons Mana..."

At this moment, Galan's heart was filled with indescribable emotions, as if it were being repeatedly battered by raging waves.

It's like suddenly encountering someone you know on a foreign street; you feel warmth and surprise.

That was... Lia's Mana. No matter what, he would never mistake it. After spending so much time together, he was extremely familiar with every trace of her aura.

But Galan quickly realized something, and her heart jumped into her throat. If Lia were to encounter the Demons who were massacring the village head-on, with her current abilities, she would definitely not be able to escape, let alone defeat them.

Going to rescue her was something Serie had also said, in case something happened that was a Time Paradox, in case...:

Another powerful surge of Mana swept in, startling the caravan's horses. The horses neighed uncontrollably, trying to leave the area.

No, there aren't that many "what ifs." Galan's eyes narrowed, and ignoring Lancelot and Frog's calls behind him, he quickly rushed into the forest, running in the direction he sensed...

Thankfully... thankfully I made it in time.

Feeling the familiar scent of the person in his arms, Galan's heart gradually calmed down.

Fortunately, I didn't hesitate to act according to the situation just now. If I had been even a step later, Lia would have been mercilessly killed by that Demons.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with you, human. Why do you go out and seek your own death?"

Nolz slowly turned his head, looking at Galan with great interest.

Actually, he had just sensed a large number of human presences passing by in the distance; it was probably a passing caravan or something.

However, since the other party was already quite close to the vicinity of [Äußerst], he didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble; it wouldn't be worth getting himself caught in the crossfire.

Therefore, the idea of going out to hunt them down was not conceived.

But now, someone has actually come over on their own initiative; that's really strange.

Nolz brandished his greatsword, watching the two people in front of him, but seemed to have no intention of attacking immediately.

There are two issues I need to correct in what you said. First, I cherish my life more than you do.

"Secondly, our relationship isn't what you call 'completely unrelated,' she's my... partner..."

Um."

When he said those two words, Galan felt uneasy all over, and his hand around Lia's waist felt itchy.

How embarrassing... to say such things to other people...

"Partner? Isn't that what you humans call a companion? You and this Elf? Ha! How foolish."

Nolz paused for a moment, then gave a mocking laugh; this was the first time he had ever encountered such an oddball.

A human actually said that the Elf was his companion; I've never seen anything like it in my two hundred years of life.

Lia, held in Galan's arms, was also somewhat at a loss. She looked at Galan, her empty and dark eyes revealing confusion.

I... don't know you...

"Regarding...: We didn't know each other before, but we do now."

Galan smiled at Lia, a genuine smile.

This was the first time he had ever so clearly felt Lia's helplessness and fear.

The feeling of being powerless to do anything about your enemy must be awful...

By the time Galan arrived, the place was already in ruins.

When he noticed the scattered Elf bodies on the ground, he basically understood what had happened.

So that's how it is... So it was because of this Demons that Lia lost her family and people. He released his hands from Lia's waist and placed them on her head, gently stroking it as if comforting a child.

Don't worry, I'm here.

A gentle smile appeared on his face, which made Lia relax unconsciously, and the fear she had felt when she was driven to the brink by the Demons slowly subsided.

Who are you...?