Wherever I Am Is the Pioneer Territory

"I wanted to ask what you thought in private, but then they suddenly came over. I hid in the carriage, and afraid of being discovered, I drank a Breath-Concealing Potion."

Seeing that she could no longer avoid the matter, Audrey awkwardly confessed.

She had originally wanted to ask Medivh what he thought, but she was afraid her family would catch her, so she hid herself away.

Before she could come out, Wester arrived. To avoid being caught, she had no choice but to drink a Breath-Concealing Potion, after which Medivh took her out of Loran City.

"You really are bold!"

Medivh did not know how to describe Audrey.

The Breath-Concealing Potion was also known as the Feign Death Potion. After drinking it, a person would enter a state of suspended death. Their consciousness remained clear, but they could not move, allowing them to evade aura detection.

A person in a state of suspended death was completely defenseless. All Medivh could say was that Audrey had courage, drinking the Breath-Concealing Potion without any preparation.

"Zaun City is up ahead. Eat your fill, then go back."

After learning what had happened, Medivh pointed toward Zaun City and told Audrey to return as soon as possible.

"Hey, why did you agree so readily? Why didn't you fight for it?"

Pretending not to hear him, Audrey brought up the engagement.

"There was no need."

Medivh answered calmly.

Noble marriages were based on exchanges of benefit. As a Necromancer Apprentice, he brought no benefit to either family. Making a fuss would only make things uglier.

"I suppose that's true."

Audrey thought about it and found that it made sense.

"You're not leaving?"

Medivh looked at Audrey strangely, unable to understand what she was thinking.

"You can pursue freedom, and I can refuse to be bound as well!"

Audrey proudly raised her chin.

At first, she had deeply resented the arranged marriage. When she was young, she had even gone looking for trouble with Medivh.

Medivh's answer at the time had left a deep impression on her.

Medivh had said, "My life is mine to decide. Once I become a Mage Apprentice, I'll personally go to the Newint Family and break off the engagement."

Audrey had refused to accept that back then. Why should Medivh be the one to break off her engagement? Before Medivh could say anything, she wanted to find him first and break it off herself.

For that goal, while other girls busied themselves with socializing, she diligently cultivated Battle Qi to give herself more confidence in breaking off the engagement.

Later, Medivh's family suffered misfortune, but Audrey continued training. She had begun to think differently.

As she grew older, she came to believe that Medivh had been right.

Their lives should be their own to decide. She should not be treated as a tool for bargaining.

Breaking off the engagement because Medivh had fallen on hard times, only to be promised to someone else the next day, was not the future she wanted.

Since fate had brought her out of Loran City, it was heaven silently granting her permission to pursue freedom.

"Look at you, a weak Mage Apprentice who could be bullied even by petty thieves. You need a knight to protect you!"

Audrey tapped her armor with her sword, making it clear that she wanted to adventure alongside Medivh.

"Odyssey is no good place."

Medivh sternly reminded her, hoping Audrey would not act on a momentary impulse.

Odyssey was called the Land of Exile for a reason.

After that war, the Odyssey Region had become incomparably chaotic.

There were thugs and foreign races there. It was a mad region where people never knew if they would have their next meal.

Before Medivh, there had been many Pioneers.

At first, the Noble Council appointed Pioneers with the aim of reclaiming this region.

As Pioneer groups died one after another, the Odyssey Region gradually became a place of exile where noble families disposed of internal dissenters.

It was called pioneering, but it was actually exile—a hypocritical game maintained by those nobles.

"Of course I know. That's exactly why you need a knight to protect you!"

Audrey's eyes were filled with longing for a free and adventurous life.

She was too caught up in her excitement, so Medivh said nothing more.

There were still more than three days before they reached Winter Fortress. He believed Audrey would calm down and properly consider her life.

"This must be Miss Audrey. The Newint Family asked me to deliver a letter to you."

When Medivh submitted their travel documents, a clerk handed a letter to Audrey beside him.

Audrey had been missing for several days. Her family had already realized that she had run off with Medivh.

"Medivh, look. I have no way back now."

Audrey quickly read through the letter, then suddenly smiled in relief. She no longer had to struggle with her decision.

The Newint Family had raised her as though she belonged to someone else. The care they had given her in childhood was not even a fraction of what Medivh's parents had shown her. There was a reason she had silently followed Medivh away.

Medivh took the letter and glanced through it. Its general meaning was that Audrey had disgraced the Newint Family. No noble heir would be willing to marry a girl like her, so she had been expelled from the family.

The nobles of Loran City were that pragmatic. It was commonplace for those who brought shame to the family and had no remaining value to be cast aside.

Medivh understood that deeply, so he was not surprised.

"Let's go."

Medivh said nothing else and gestured for her to follow. He had originally intended to travel alone, but unexpectedly gained a companion.

"Medivh, this isn't the road to the Pioneer Territory?"

Audrey adapted quickly. As Medivh drove the carriage, she sat beside him and studied the map.

"Beyond Winter Fortress lies Odyssey. Wherever I am is the Pioneer Territory. What does that place you mentioned have besides a bunch of thugs?"

Medivh knew very well where he was going. He had never intended to visit the Pioneer Territories left behind by his predecessors.

"That's exactly right, Medivh. You really have always had your own ideas!"

Medivh's insight made Audrey's eyes light up. Sure enough, this guy had possessed unique ideas since childhood.

Winter Fortress had been built amid mountain gorges. During that war, it had served as a bulwark against the advancing enemy.

After leaving Winter Fortress, they could still see the fortress patrols at first.

But as they traveled farther away, the land became barren and desolate.

The area patrolled by Winter Fortress was relatively safe, and Medivh's group encountered no thugs blocking the road.

After leaving Winter Canyon, Medivh stopped at a remote ruin.

"Medivh, I didn't expect you to bring spices!"

In the night, Audrey stared at the roast rabbit sizzling with oil over the fire.

As Medivh sprinkled on the spices he had prepared, an even more enticing aroma filled the air, and she could not help swallowing.

"Oh, we're having a feast tonight!"

The drifting scent of meat drew uninvited guests. Several dozen thugs surrounded them.

At the sight of Audrey, the thugs became extremely excited. They were in for some fun tonight.

"That boy is quite pretty. It's not like he can't be used. Go easy on him later—don't damage him for me!"

While most of the thugs greedily ogled Audrey, a yellow-toothed brute set his sights on Medivh.

"Hand, you like that too? We can share later!"

The yellow-toothed brute's words drew the attention of like-minded men, and some thugs declared that they shared his taste.

"Hahahaha!"

The thugs laughed recklessly, treating Medivh and Audrey as lambs awaiting slaughter.

"Medivh, I'll hold them off. You run first!"

Audrey gripped her sword and stood protectively in front of Medivh. These were not street punks—they were a pack of Bloodlust-driven thugs.

There were several Apprentice Knights among them who cultivated Battle Qi. Audrey was not sure whether she could defeat them.

"Your laughter is unpleasant."

The thugs' filthy words filled Medivh with killing intent.

He planted the roast rabbit in the ground and said coldly.

Just as Audrey was puzzled, and the thugs were about to laugh again, Medivh shot over the fire with a whoosh.

His sword flashed like a shadow, drawing dark red blood. Wherever Medivh passed, thugs clutched their spurting throats and made rasping sounds.