Qin Ran and Mary walked side by side.
Following the red carpet, they entered the southern reinforcements' camp. Instead of heading straight to the command tent, however, they walked toward the screams.
It had been Qin Ran's suggestion.
Mary had not objected.
Although she was not yet an adult, Mary already understood something that many adults never did: once you bared your fangs, there was no need to hide them again.
A drawn sword returned to its sheath only after taking a head!
Mary wholeheartedly agreed.
Besides, she was quite curious about this member of the Netherwood Faction, the same faction her aunt belonged to.
But when she saw the woman, she was deeply disappointed.
The woman was as short as a dwarf, with a hideous face and disheveled clothing. Gold and silver ornaments lay scattered around her. After glancing at their size, Mary's expression shifted slightly.
"Was it a backlash?"
Mary asked quietly.
"Yes."
Qin Ran nodded.
The Netherwood Faction member before them had clearly suffered a backlash from the power of a "curse."
Having experienced it several times, Qin Ran never dared underestimate the power of a "curse," so he forbade Mary from approaching the woman.
Even he kept a certain distance from her.
Qin Ran examined her closely.
The Netherwood Faction member continued screaming from the backlash. She spotted Qin Ran and Mary.
At this point, she was not entirely incapable of resistance.
She still had a tiny bit of power left.
Unfortunately, that tiny bit of power was nowhere near enough for a fight. What had just happened was enough to show her the gulf between herself and Qin Ran.
So...
Run!
She was no knight, and she saw nothing wrong with that.
And so-
Caw!
A black crow composed entirely of mist suddenly shot skyward