Underlying Currents

The scene quickly descended into chaos.

As the saying went, you didn't fear godlike opponents; you feared pigheaded teammates.

For Rhode, these ambushers weren't particularly strong. Even facing four opponents at once, he was confident he could win. But Ben and his guards had clearly never dealt with a surprise attack before. When the black-clad men sprang out of the bushes, they were even less composed than Lize. The two guards shouted and swung their swords, getting tangled up with the attackers. That made it difficult for Rhode to act.

But that wasn't a problem for Rhode.

"Whoosh!"

The gleaming blade cut through the night. Rhode spun aside, his figure blurring as he dodged a black-clad man's attack. Then he turned his sword and slashed diagonally downward. Blood blossomed at the man's neck. He froze, then fell to the ground, silent.

As the man fell, Rhode had already withdrawn. He extended his left hand, and a blue-green card appeared in his palm. The next moment, he turned his hand and gripped the card.

"—!!!"

The card shattered in Rhode's hand, and a crisp, clear birdcall rang out once more. Wrapped in wind, the glowing blue-green Soul Bird soared through the night sky, becoming a streak of brilliant light as it shot forward. Howling winds followed in its wake, rushing toward the people locked in combat.

Neither Ben nor the black-clad attackers had expected Rhode to strike without hesitation, even with his allies nearby. As the blue-green streak flashed past them, almost everyone froze instinctively. But before they could react, a violent gale surged in behind the signal and swept them all up.

"Whoa!"

"Ah!"

The four combatants shrieked as they staggered apart. In that instant, Rhode slipped in like a shadow.

He wasn't as skilled at stealth as a professional thief, ranger, or spy, but he was more than capable of handling enemies of this caliber. The others hadn't even figured out what had happened. All they knew was that a sudden gust of wind had swept by, and the three black-clad men they'd been fighting were now lying on the ground, silent. Before the three guards could confirm what had happened, Rhode appeared beside them.

"Don't waste time. Protect the carriage."

"Ah, yes!"

Rhode's reminder brought Ben back to his senses. Remembering his duty, he hurriedly raised his sword and waved for his men to turn and run toward the carriage. At that moment, Rhode sensed that the figure who had been lying in wait straight ahead had finally made his move.

This was the perfect opportunity for Orland.

After sending his men to keep the enemy occupied, Orland had been ready to launch a surprise attack at any moment. He hadn't expected Rhode to be so powerful that even four Level 10 swordsmen couldn't stop him. Fortunately, they had at least served their purpose. Now was the time for him to act!

As Rhode killed the three black-clad men, Orland sprang out of the bushes and charged toward the carriage. He'd already gauged the enemy's strength during the fight. Aside from the young man, who was exceptionally powerful, the three guards were just as useless as he'd expected. The Spirit Master looked reasonably capable, but that profession had nothing to do with combat, so he could ignore her. As long as he was fast enough, he could grab Miss Helen before the young man returned. Then he could use her as a shield and escape with ease.

"Who's there?!"

As a thief on the verge of advancing to the next rank, Orland was undeniably fast. Of everyone present, only Lize besides Rhode reacted in time. A Spirit Master, she instinctively cast Shield of Protection on herself and retreated. But Orland clearly wasn't after her. He brushed past Lize and charged straight into the carriage.

"Help!!!"

Helen's scream soon came from inside.

When the fighting began, Helen had already woken up. She didn't know what was happening, but Lize had told her to shut the carriage door and hide. So the young lady had huddled in a corner, listening in terror to the clashing weapons, screams, and shouts outside. It was enough to make her tremble from head to toe. She had never experienced anything like this, and she was so panicked she could barely think. Then someone suddenly rushed into the carriage. Helen screamed on instinct, but before she could do anything else, the intruder clamped a hand over her mouth, grabbed her, and carried her out through the other side.

By then, however, Rhode and the others had surrounded them.

"Don't come any closer!"

Orland held a dagger to Helen's neck with one hand and clamped his other arm around her waist. He watched Rhode, who stood to his right, and barked a warning. Helen was clearly stunned by the sudden turn of events. She stood rigid, unable to react.

"Let the young lady go!"

Seeing Helen taken hostage, Ben and his two men paled. They knew they'd made a terrible mistake. If they hadn't rushed ahead in a panic, the young lady wouldn't have been captured. Now the enemy had a dagger at her throat, and even the slightest movement could cost her life. What were they supposed to do?

"Hmph."

Seeing everyone stop, Orland felt some of the tension leave him. According to plan, all he had to do was hold Helen hostage and retreat into the forest. Then he could easily shake off these fools. But...

Damn it, why was this fat woman so heavy? How much did she weigh? Weren't rich young ladies supposed to be slim, delicate, and light as a feather? Like that Spirit Master girl, for example. How could this woman be as heavy as a pig, so heavy he could barely drag her? Was she really the Keller Family's young lady?

Orland tried tugging her a few times, and his confidence evaporated. He hadn't expected her to be so heavy. When he'd heard that his target was the Keller Family's young lady, he hadn't thought much of it. He'd simply assumed she'd be like all the frail rich girls he saw every day. But now he'd discovered the truth. In fact, he'd realized something was wrong the moment he carried Helen out of the carriage. The woman in his arms wasn't a person at all—she was a boulder!

"Help, help! Ben!!! You idiot, what are you standing there for? Come save me!"

Helen seemed to have finally snapped out of it and began screaming for help. But she'd barely gotten halfway through before the blade pressed to her throat forced her to stop.

"Shut up, you fat pig! Or I'll kill you!"

The vicious threat in her ear made Helen fall silent. Her round face crumpled into an expression halfway between a sob and a smile, which looked rather amusing.

"R-Respected sir!"

Seeing his mistress held hostage, Ben was extremely anxious. He came to Rhode's side and pleaded in a low voice.

"P-Please help me. Save my mistress from this villain. Miss Helen is the Keller Family's only heir. If she dies..."

There was no need to hear the rest, and Rhode had no intention of listening.

While Ben was still racking his brains and pleading desperately, Rhode suddenly swept his right hand forward.

Orland didn't understand what Rhode's gesture meant. But in the next instant, a flash of blue light shot past him.

Damn it!

That was all Orland had time to think. The next moment, Helen's body jerked as if an invisible fist had struck her, and she doubled over with a cry of pain.

"Ah—ow!!"

Under Rhode's control, the Soul Bird struck Helen squarely. The blow wasn't especially powerful, but it was far from gentle. Helen was a sheltered young lady who had never endured anything like this. The pain made her forget that a knife was at her throat, and she instinctively doubled over.

Orland was caught off guard by her movement. He hadn't actually meant to kill the young lady; his orders had been to take her alive. But the young man's unpredictable tactics still shocked him. He hadn't expected him to strike so viciously, as if he didn't care whether Orland killed the woman. When Helen instinctively bent toward the blade, Orland had no choice but to pull the dagger away. Then he gritted his teeth, reversed his grip, and brought the hilt down on her.

But he didn't get the chance.

A faint golden barrier appeared out of thin air, firmly blocking Orland's attack.

Shield of Protection?!

Orland looked up in alarm. Then he saw the young woman standing nearby, both hands raised, her expression grave and her face beaded with sweat.

At that moment, Rhode moved.