Chapter 20: The Boss

A woman was riding towards them from the distance, speed too fast for a normal horse to reach, with her body clad in black clothes showing off her muscles and her wild black hair fluttering behind her head like a lion's mane, she looked like a fierce beast about to bite down on its pray.

At the notice of her presence, The Resistance members quivered in fear, each retreating a few steps back into hiding. The horse passed through the uniform-wearing men and reached the center of the gathering, halting beside the other black-haired black-clothed warrior who had his sword clenched in his fist, ready to launch at the enemy.

TaTap

She jumped down the horseback before the animal could completely stop and rushed at the brown-haired man before the heels of her leather boots stabilized on the ground.

"I'm away for a little while and this is what you do?"

POW

A punch landed on the man's face and his body was thrown backward like a lifeless doll.

"What is the meaning of this??"

She turned to the other members of The Resistance, yelling the question for everyone to hear. Despite that, no answer came from the frightened fellows.

The knights from the noble households also backed away from the scene that was unfolding, as if infected by The Resistance members' fear. No one dared to talk or ask a question in the presence of the woman, not even Raven who was determined to be the strongest swordsman in their group. The black-haired youth had a rare glint of agitation in his eyes as he stared at the woman called The Boss, rapidly tapping the hilt of his sword with his fingers in anticipation.

"I asked what's the meaning of this?"

Pow

The man named Alex, who was already sprawled on the ground, was kicked in the stomach and sent back flying.

'Poor Alex,' Ian sighed. 'If you want answers, then don't beat the boy and let him talk!' Although Ian too would've beaten the boy if he was in The Boss's shoes.

-Master, I'm tired of asking this question, but what exactly is going on? Why is The Boss here anyway, she should be somewhere else doing business at this time...

Lior was right. This woman was supposed to be far away from this place, scouting members for her army, not here, beating Alex's ass.

However, Ian didn't harp on that question for too long and pushed it to the back of his head. Instead, he, as the sole person in the whole crowd who wasn't fear-struck, stepped forward and opened his mouth.

"They told us to retreat and never come back," his loud and unwavering voice echoed in the area, seizing everyone's attention. "That man said that it would be good if the emperor is enraged by our absence and started a war, and that The Resistance would fight with them diligently if that happened." Ian pointed his finger at the crumbled Alex on the ground, "Oh, and, he insulted my master and the other noblemen, calling them dogs."

"....."

The blue-haired servant didn't budge under so many gazes, not even when his master nudged his side with a pitying gaze and asked if explaining all of them was necessary.

"Oh, I see!" The woman suddenly grinned, a smile that didn't match her enraged expression. "And he brought a lot of people here for that shit. I see, I see!"

As the quivering of the warriors increased, The Boss turned away from Alex and cast her gaze at Barnett and the young girl next to him. The light of the torches fell on her face, revealing her scar-coated face and gray eyes. She cast her gaze upon the traveling noblemen once before slightly bowing her head.

"I must apologize," her voice was firm and resolute, not showing any hints of embarrassment or hesitance in bowing down to people younger and weaker than her. "My subordinates have acted up on their own while I was away. It's my fault for not subduing them properly, so I must ask for your forgiveness."

"...."

It took a few seconds for someone to finally respond to the woman.

"Ah, yes, it's alright!"

Evelyn was quick to recover from her daze.

"Okay then." The Boss raised her head, ready to leave with no regrets. However, she halted immediately and gazed to the side, where she had been feeling a piercing gaze. Her eyes met with the pitch-black pupils of a young man.

"...."

The two of them seized the other as if inspecting an opponent.

"Ohhh!" The Boss suddenly wowed. "Not bad, not bad at all!"

She strolled over to Raven with large steps and circled around him, who was sending murderous glares at her for some reason.

"You're about to reach mastership over the sword, and at such a young age, wow!"

Her admiration was genuine, out of pure respect for the swordsman about to ascend to the realm of a swordmaster. Some of The Resistance members shifted and stiffened upon the realization, all turning to scan the young man.

'He is about to become a swordmaster?'

Even Ian was awestruck by the truth. It wasn't easy to become a swordmaster and gain control over Aura, one needed years of determined training and undying motivation to grasp the ability and reach the realm of mastery over their swords. As a result, there weren't many swordsmen found in the world and even fever in this continent, not to say that most of them were recruited by the empire. It was an event close to a miracle to get a glimpse of a swordmaster's battle, and yet they were here, traveling along with a soon-to-be master.

'Man... How can someone like that work as a mere mercenary? Is that Raven dude out of his mind?'

After thinking about it for a brief second and remembering all of the man's weird actions, Ian couldn't say that the boy had a clear state of mind, but this was still too much of a waste of talent for him to escort random travelers and chase after bandits.

'Wait, how have I made a possible enemy out of a future swordsman? I don't even know him!'

As soon as he thought of that panic-stricken question, another problem popped up in his head.

'Really, how come I don't know about this man?'

If a soon-to-be swordmaster now, he'd be a real swordmaster in a few years, and there was no way that such a strong individual had no role in the future of this land. How couldn't Ian remember him?? How was that even possible? Ian thought he'd go crazy if he thought of it a bit more.

-Master, please don't go crazy yet, it's too soon.

Seemed like he was read through by a little child again. Embarrassment was added to his confusion.

"Hey, hey, what's your name? Who do you work for?"

As if finding gold beneath layers of unworthy trash, the woman's eyes sparkled, and her tone elated with excitement.

"Holy shit, a possible swordmaster!"

"Man, we would've been done for if we fought him!"

"Good thing boss came on time!"

"Yeah, thanks, god!"

The Resistance members conversed among themselves while the knights of the noble households whispered similar things to each other. Among them, a few were the most astonished, such as Liam, who had been sparring and practicing with Raven when they found free time.

'Only a person higher in level can comprehend the strength of other swordsmen,' the lessons he'd learned long ago phrased through Liam's head. 'Meaning that this woman is even stronger than Raven... and that means that she is at least a swordmaster as well...'

Blood rushed through his vines at the realization, making him tense up even more.

Raven's gaze swept across the crowd and landed on a blue-haired servant calmly observing him.

"I'm not a part of any household."

Uttered he, beneath his suppressed breath. The pressure the woman was giving up had intensified as soon as their gaze met a few seconds ago, like a response to Raven's provocation. He fully understood that the person against him was too much far stronger than he'd imagined at first. That was why he was answering each question. He wasn't in a position to act up.

"Why are you traveling with them if you aren't one of them? You even tried to fight against my men."

"I'm hired."

"Hired?"

"A mercenary can be bought by money at any time."

"...."

The Boss blinked a few times before the light of realization surged in her eyes.

"Wait, are you possibly Raven?"

The young man flinched, and so did Ian. The woman didn't waste any time explaining herself.

"Man, I was searching all over for you!" She wrapped an arm around the boy and tapped his shoulder in a friendly motion. "I've been looking for talents to recruit, thus I had a meeting with the mercenary guild. They gave me a list of candidates and you were at the top, far above anyone! They said I could find you in a village but when I went there, you were gone, thus I came back to search for any further clues!" She exclaimed in pure happiness, "Such a coincidence this is!"

As the crowd hummed and conversed about the bizarre yet pleasant turn of events, Ian gaped in the distance, unable to comprehend the situation.

'Do you mean that, if I didn't interfere and force Golton Merchant Guild to hire Raven, he'd meet up with The Boss and end in The Resistance?'

There was no way that this woman would allow a talent like this to slip her fingers, so it was certain that he would be forced to enter and fight for the revolution.

'But then... Wasn't I The Resistance's commander...?'

For a very long time and in multiple rounds, Ian was one of the core members of this organization.

'And I didn't know we had a swordsman with us...'

Ian didn't know if he had to be surprised, panicked, or sit in a corner and cry.

Tap Tap

A tiny front paw tapped on his pants as if saying that he shouldn't be doing any of them.

"Well, it's time to throw aside this career of yours, Raven, my friend! I'll take you with me. What do you say? Join us, and I'll give you whatever you want. You'll gain a high rank upon entry and will be given any opportunity you desire to grow. Hmmm? Why can't I hear you saying yes?"

Thick eyebrows interwoven, a look of hesitation emerged on the youth's face. There was no reason for him to refuse this offer, not when he had another swordmaster to train under and many opportunities, on top of the fact that his goal aligned with The Resistance.

However, there was something stopping him from accepting the offer right away.

"I decline."

The young man's eyes were glued to one spot, a place where a servant was standing in a daze with his master still hiding behind him like a cat.

"...."

'Why is he staring this way?'

Ian's head throbbed in pain. Honestly, this was too much. He'd just decided to cast aside his lazy lifestyle and become active again. His brain needed some time to get accustomed to thinking!!

"Hmmm?" The Boss flowed the gaze, arriving at the boy who'd answered her question a few minutes ago.

"And why do you decline?"

"I have other businesses to take care of."

The two of them saw how the blue-haired servant flinched, yet none cared about it.

"Hmm, then join us after you are done with-"

The Boss halted her speech halfway and shifted her nack to the side.

Swoosh

Tak

An arrow that pierced the air, coming out of the darkness, hit an invisible wall and fell to the ground.

Tak Tak Tak Tak

It wasn't only one, but many of the same fell upon the group like rain.

"What?"

"We are attacked! We're attacked!"

As the realization dawned upon them, the crowd, both the travelers and the warriors of freedom, took position and prepared for a fight.

"Hoh!"

The Boss gasped in amusement and cast a look around. The whole area was flooded with soldiers of The Empire. The Resistance members shifted their posture in an instant, facing the newly arrived enemy with their guards up.

"What..."

"What's going on?"

From one side came the confused gasps of the nobles and their people, while on the other side,

"How did they find us?"

"Were we tracked?"

"They are the units guarding the borders!"

The Resistance members exclaimed in bewilderment.

"Aah, shit!" As she muttered under her lips, The Boss took out the sword tightly attached to her belt and held it with both hands, facing the direction where the arrows were shot from.

"Umm... Sorry..." Barnett raised a finger, talking to the dark side of the plain where he assumed the attackers were gathered. "Why are The Empire's soldiers-"

"ATTACK!"

A command resonated in the area before the nobleman could even finish his words. As soon as the word was spoken, a barrage of arrows pattered down upon the group like a sudden burst of rain.

"Formation! Formation!"

"Aaaah!"

"Pick up your shields!"

Knights ran around, shielding their masters and forming protective lines around them. Barnett and Evelyn, as well as Golton Merchant Guild's head, were surrounded by their own soldiers in a gesture of protection.

Liam ran to Alaric followed by his subordinates, lining up in front of the man who was already being shielded by his blue-haired attendant.

"Why are they attacking us? We've done nothing wrong!"

Alaric grabbed Ian's shirt from behind and pulled him back in panic. He dragged the servant towards the carriage that could act as a temporary barrier for air attacks.

"They must've followed The Boss since they arrived right after her and seen us conversing with that woman," Ian explained in a low voice. "And also how she bowed down to us. That might've made them think that we are cooperating with The Resistance."

"But... But they can't just attack nobles of another county for a mere doubt!"

Yells and shouts rose up as the people from both sides clashed against the other, slashing and smashing their enemy and rushing forward like a tide. The Resistance members creating the outer line of defense, fell one by one under the immense number of the empire's men.

"They are some units formed to guard the borders and attack The Resistance wherever they notice them. I doubt that they've even thought about our identity before attacking. They are exhilarated at tracking down The Revolutionaries' leader, and nothing else is more important than killing her at the moment."

The Boss reached the line of defense with a large leap and slashed her sword. A half-transparent white energy shot out of her sword, moving forward like a blade and cutting anything on this wage. She didn't hesitate to use her aura against her enemy.

"And I doubt the empire even cares if one or two noblemen die as a result of a misunderstanding."

That was the truth. What could happen if they died here? Their families would be enraged, probably sending letters of complaint to the emperor; then what? What'll the emperor do? Why would he even care?

The answer was a definite 'No'.

"Gah, why should we face so much hardship as some mere side characters?? Isn't this too much? There is an arc every two days!"

Alaric muttered something uncomprehendable under his breath that no one cared about.

"Don't let any of those scumbags run away!" Shouted the same voice of command from before.

"Who is the scumbag?"

The Boss's voice ran even louder than the enemy commander.

"Don't leave a single one of these dogs alive! Did you hear me? Not a single one of the empire's trash will leave this place alive!"

The enraged voice of the woman roared high and mighty, giving a sudden boost of morals to her following freedom-seekers. The Resistance raged and sliced their enemies one by one.

However, no matter how much stronger these warriors were, they were too little in number.

"Help them," Ordered the sun of Duke Blicra. Evelyn followed suit. Their knights split into two units, one guarding their masters and the rest, joining the battle.

"Huh? Why?"

Alaric was resultant in sending his men to fight, knowing the possibility that a lot of them might die. His attendant, who had been calm the whole time, maybe too calm for the current situation, responded to his question.

"They won't win with their number, but it's possible that they keep up until the empire's soldiers retreat after taking many losses."

The tide of battle would change if they resisted for a while until the enemy's men lost their power and energy and as their name implied, The Resistance was good at resisting.

"However, it's be bad for us if they retreat. We'll be known as helpers of The Resistance once the survivors submit a report, and the only thing waiting for us and our families is execution."

"Gasp!"

Alaric's grip on Ian's shirt got tighter.

"That's unfair! Too unfair!" Despite his grumblings, Alaric sent a pained look at his knights, asking them to join the battle if they wanted.

"Mages!"

The enemy commander's voice was heard once again and upon that notice, light shone from the distance, brightening the battlefield for an instant. The sky roared as thunder danced among the clouds before jumping down, biting on the people on the ground like a hungry snake.

BAAAMM

The thunder snake's sting failed to dig into its prey as it was blocked by a half-transparent aura barrier.

BAMM BAMM BAMM

Thunder slashed against the barrier again and again, yet it failed to pierce a swordmaster's shield with its weak attempts. The Boss gritted her teeth and shifted her posture, thrusting her blade into a bulky man's chest.

"My friend!" She yelled to the other side of the battlefield. "Don't you want to lend a hand?"

Standing at the ending point of her line of sight was a young man clad in black clothes who hadn't moved an inch since the start of the battle.

"...."

Raven shifted his gaze away from her and looked to the side, locking eyes with a pair of sky-colored pupils. The boy was standing still with an unwavering face despite the heated battle going on on every side.

"Tsk!"

The swordsman let out an annoyed tsk before leaping towards the closest enemy. Spinning on one heel, slashing down, moving his sword like a leave in the wind, and shifting through the enemies like a swift shadow, Raven was more like an assassin than a knight. His movements didn't look like a swordplay but rather a dance.

"....."

Ian's eyes narrowed as he watched the man's swordsmanship. For a second, The Boss's last words echoed in his head.

-My friend!

'Can it be... The Boss's friend...?'

There was an individual whom The Boss blabbered about way too much. She called that person her friend, someone she'd found and recruited in an instant. The swordmaster never participated in any meeting or gathering among The Resistance's leaders, saying that his only purpose and talent was to kill, not converse or negotiate. He was second to The Boss in power and had the largest of the units under his leadership, a mysterious man with no name known of him to anyone but feared by all, inside or outside the organization.

'Haha, no way!'

And Ian, as someone who mostly had the rule of commanding the others rather than taking part in close combat, had never met this man up close. He'd only seen him briefly from the distance, and the man's face and body were hidden by a hood and cloak at those times.

'And how can I remember this man's childhood?'

Ian could only chuckle at his entangled fate.

"Hold up until unit three arrives!"

Another shout from the empire's side gave a new realization to everyone present in the battle.

'A backup unit is also moving this way... They must be quite thrilled at finally cornering the head of their enemy...'

Could they hold up against another unit? The fighters were already exhausted and injured from the current fight. The chances of them winning were slim from the beginning, and now, it was getting close to zero.

"Tsk, damn!"

Alaric groaned as he shook and waved his hand. A slim and weak energy flashed on his palm before fading, unable to contain any form. He'd been trying to cast a spell for a while but his attempts didn't bear any fruit.

"Aaahhh!"

"Argh!"

"My arm, my arm!"

Agonizing shouts gradually filled the area as the fight dragged on. More and more figures fell down from both sides, either dead or heavily wounded. The circle that The Resistance members had created got smaller and smaller and eventually, the last line stopping the fight from entering the innocent nobles broke apart. Chaos blended with the fear at the center as figures battled against each other, slashing and smashing their opponent. The tides of the battle had gradually shifted, hinting at the downfall of the warriors of freedom.

"Attack!"

The sky lit up in an instant with numerous fireballs dancing in the air, a result of the mixed attack of various mages. It seemed like the backup unit had arrived, a group consisting of mages and knights.

Swosh

BOMMM

BANGGG

Fireballs shot down on them like tiny meteors, burning everything they hit or landed on. A number of the carriages were set on fire, some of the knights protecting the noblemen fell, and the center of their formation got rowdy with panic and pain.

Ian's deep blue eyes took in the sight entirely, absorbing every bit of detail in the surroundings. From Alaric's continued gasps to the exhausted faces of the warriors, the furious expression of The Boss to the pain-stricken look on Barnett's face, Ian watched them all in silence. His gaze finally landed on a black-haired swordsman taking away one life after another without any mercy sensible from his blade.

He thought about it, about what he could do and what he couldn't, and about the consequences of his actions. He wanted to consider everything in detail first before taking action. However, he didn't think he could. He couldn't stand back and watch this massacre any longer.

Tap

He took a step forward, startling Alaric who was leaning on his back.

"What are you-"

Tap

Disregarding his master, Ian took steady and slow steps forward under the shower of a fiery rain and raised his hands up to his chest in a clasp.

"Light..."