A dust-covered, bloodstained hand reached out from beneath the rubble, knocking stones clattering down. It clutched a crystal ball tightly. The crystal ball seemed to have been activated by some mysterious power, its surface emitting a faint glow as a thin mist drifted from it and shrouded everything nearby.
The blood-covered hand struggled twice before lifting away a larger piece of rubble. The stone rose as lightly as weightless foam, then rolled away with a heavy thud.
Then, with a crash, a large section of rubble and broken timber was pushed aside, and a dust-covered figure crawled out from beneath it.
The person was gray with dust from head to toe, with only two lively, alert eyes remaining. He carefully surveyed the surroundings and, seeing no sign of the Dragon Queen, finally let out a sigh of relief.
It was Brando.
He thought that the Elf Queen probably had not been joking with him about this, after all. The Dragon-Repelling Orb in his hand had indeed worked. Otherwise, a thin layer of rubble and timber would never have been enough to block Gwendolyn's search.
Glancing at the crystal ball in his hand, Brando casually opened his belt pouch and tossed it inside. Though separated by a layer of fabric, the Misty Vapor film surrounding his body, like a layer of fog, did not diminish in the slightest. Apparently, the orb's effects had not been affected.
This freed both his hands. He bent down and carefully lifted Medisa from beneath the rock. He himself was covered in scratches, but the Little Princess of the Silver Elves was almost completely unharmed under his protection. That reassured him somewhat. He carried her onto his back, braced himself with one hand on his sword, and cautiously surveyed the surroundings.
This should already have been