"Go home!!! No matter what you do to me, I will not obey the king's orders!"
"Princess Giania, bringing you back to the kingdom is a task given to us, we will not give up so easily."
"Never mind, Ivan. It's useless to negotiate with her, let's just take her by force. You two, quickly drag the princess here and bind her hands," Charls ordered, to the two soldiers standing nearby.
"It won't be that easy!"
I took out the sword that I had kept at my waist since I left the palace. This was my choice, I would face them. This sword did feel heavier than the sword I used to use during training. But this would not diminish my ability in the slightest.
Seeing me who was preparing to defend myself with the sword that I grasped firmly with both hands, the two soldiers also looked very surprised and then stopped their steps.
"Don't stop, go get her dead or alive!"
After hearing the order from the man named Ivan, the two soldiers immediately took out their swords and prepared to face me. With the swordsmanship I had learned so far if only two soldiers attacked, I could still survive their attacks.
Teng... Teng... Teng...
I blocked all the sword strikes that the two soldiers aimed at me. The few gaps and mistakes the two soldiers made, I took advantage of to counterattack. But those two soldiers seemed to be well-trained. They didn't give me the slightest chance to counterattack.
Their attacks felt stronger and faster. If it continued like this, I would lose. It turned out that my sword skills were still far below those of the two soldiers. But I won't lose, I'll do whatever it takes to defeat them. While continuing to ward off their attacks, I also tried to look into the eyes of one of the soldiers.
"Sleep in sad ... sleep deep and breath ... our heart like the evil of art ..."
I felt a strong wind from behind me and I felt a chill on my shoulders. While continuing to stare into the eyes of one of the soldiers, I continued to chant the abject verse.
Brak
The soldier immediately fell and seemed to be unconscious. The other soldier also looked very surprised and frightened because his partner had been crushed so easily. I will not waste this opportunity. Without thinking, I immediately counterattacked. I swung my sword towards the sword of the soldier who was still standing, staring at his partner lying on the ground. The warrior's sword was knocked quite far away. He immediately retreated and seemed to be in a defensive stance. Seeing that, I didn't stay still. I immediately moved, jumping towards the back to defend again. I won't be rash, this is a real battle. I had to plan something to win this fight.
"Ivan, do you know about this?"
"Yes Charls, it's despicable magic. It's true what the king suspected all along."
"But, she's a princess, no way... this can't be..."
"Charls, I think this is beyond our capabilities, but I will not give up that easily. Results are everything, I'll bring the princess home," Ivan said, full of determination. He looked at all his soldiers who were waiting for orders. "All soldiers, prepare and surround the princess!" shouted Ivan, finally giving the command.
Even though I was quite far away, I could still hear the conversation between the two troop leaders. It seemed like they didn't want to give up. I just realized that my position was being cornered. The 20 troops were surrounded and kept walking while pointing their swords at me, leaving me no choice but to keep walking backward, until finally my back bumped into something and stopped me in my tracks. Behind me was a giant tree. For a moment I thought this might be the end of my life.
The verse I managed to use earlier, was the first try after I learned it secretly at the Palace. Right now my tongue was completely stiff, I couldn't say anything at all. I didn't know the effect of that verse could freeze my speech. I can't say that despicable verse anymore now. What should I do?
Suddenly a voice rang out, the voice of someone I believed to be from the top of the tree growing tall behind me.
"Hey lady, are you alright?" the stranger asked. "All of you stop it, it seems this lady doesn't want to obey your orders. You guys go home and let her go."
Then...
Brak!
The person suddenly appeared and stood in front of me with his back to me. It seemed like he jumped straight down from the tree. I don't recognize this person. Did he come to help me?
"Miss, are you alright? Your nose is bleeding," he asked.
"A... a... a..."
I still couldn't speak, my tongue was still too stiff for me to move and speak.
"You still can't talk, huh?"
I could hear his mumbling clearly, it seemed like he knew my current condition. Does he know about despicable magic?
"Miss, I know ...."
Regardless of the soldiers who were surrounding us, this person calmly continued to talk to me. Who exactly was he?
While continuing to talk, the person then turned his body to face me. He took a piece of cloth from his pants pocket then wiped and cleaned the blood dripping from my nose.
"I can't let this happen, a girl being surrounded and attacked by so many soldiers, it feels so unfair. Miss, you rest for a while, sit down while leaning against a tree, and... enjoy this show of mine."
This man's eyes are... beautiful. Never have I seen someone's eyes this beautiful, like glittering rocks. I keep trying to speak to him but my tongue is still unable to move. Intending to warn him, I pointed my index finger at the soldiers who were about to arrest me. After finishing cleaning the blood on my nose with his handkerchief, the man turned around and looked at the soldiers.
"You guys go away... this girl won't follow you."
"Who are you? How dare you obstruct us," said one of the soldiers.
"I'm just a traveler, my name is .... "
"Tsk... talk too much, all of you attack and finish that bastard!"
"Haah, Ivan... you seem to be in a bad mood today?"
"Shut up, Charls!!!" snapped Ivan, he again gave orders to all my soldiers to attack the mysterious man.
Upon hearing Ivan's order, the twenty soldiers simultaneously drew their swords and ran toward the stranger, intending to kill him. However...
Crraaat!
Bruk!
Craaaaaat!
Trak!
I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. Blood was spraying everywhere. The sound of cracking bones, falling human bodies, and heads rolling on the ground.
"Kyaaaaaaa!!!"
I screamed at the top of my lungs, forgetting my frozen tongue. "Noooo. What are you doing?!"
Instantly the man stopped his attack, it looked like he was about to decapitate the man named Ivan. However, my shout just now stopped his movement. Realizing that the man had stopped his movement, Ivan and Charls immediately ran and got on their horses to leave all his dead troops behind. Paying no attention to Ivan and Charls who had left, the man turned his head, directing his sharp gaze at me.
Those eyes... and those lips that were saying something, could it be a despicable verse?