Day Sixteen: Live or Die (1)

In a city near the Seira forest

「???: What did you say?! That b*tch got out?!」The man howled at his subordinate in front of him.

「Subordinate?: A-apologies Sire, we didn't expect her to be able to escape- Eep!」as the subordinate tried to apologize, a sharp object grazed his cheek.

The subordinate slowly looked back and saw a knife plunged into the wall of the room, the subordinate's leg trembled and immediately collapsed as he took a step back.

「Subordinate: S-sire...?」the subordinate called as he looked at his boss(?).

The boss(?) that was sitting earlier was now standing as he holds a champagne glass on his left and a knife at the other.

"where did you get that knife" the subordinate wanted to ask. He knew and almost everyone who knew his boss(?) knew, that their boss(?) was fond of jokes and comedy to an extreme level.

Their boss(?) would even kill someone just to have fun. Torturing slaves to make them scream is the hobby of the man in front of him.

That's why he swallowed the question as he looked at the man, as he tried to stand up. He knew he would be the next in line for his boss's(?) hobby, even if he tried to escape, his family would not be able to. That's why he would at least try to appease his boss's(?) anger, cause a mere commoner like him is just a bug infront of well known noble.

「Man?: Didn't expect?」 the man scowled.

「Man?: what didn't you expect? Huh!? You useless bugs!」

「Subordinate: ...」 the subordinate didn't answer as he smacked his lips, his head hangs low.

「Man?: A mere girl with wounds all over her body was able to escape?! It couldn't be just mere negligence is it captain?」

「Subordinate: It... it is as you say, Sir, we found out that someone let her escaped. We were able to capture the person, but...」the subordinate spoke as he conjured what his boss(?) was able to infer, but then he trailed off his words.

「Man?: Don't tell me...!」 the boss(?) immediately caught up to what his subordinate was talking about as he balled his fist.

And immediately after, the desk that the man was using exploded into splinters. Cold-sweat was running at the subordinate's back, as his body trembled, nevertheless he parted his lips.

「Subordinate: Y-yes Sire, T-the person killed himself the moment we caught him...! aak!」the subordinate stutteringly spoke.

But it was all for naught as a knife flies towards him, specifically his head. The subordinate immediately moved as he uses his left arm to block the knife, his palm facing the tip of the knife, and it immediately pierced his hand as the momentum and the strength used on it was not normal.

The subordinate held his pierced hand as he endured the pain.

「Subordinate: I shouldn't have answered」 the subordinate thought as he gritted his teeth.

「Man?: I said don't tell me!」 the boss(?) growled, his red bloodshot eyes were looking at the subordinate infront of him as if wanting to devour the man whole.

「Subordinate: A-apologies Sire!」 the subordinate immediately got on his knees as he pleads for his life, his forehead touching the marble floor.

「Man?: Haa...」the man exhaled as he put a hand to his chest.

「Man?: Enough」he spoke.

「Man?: Gather all of your Unit and look for her! If you can't find her here in Plastain, look for her in Seira forest」the man ordered at his subordinate, his voice was cold as if he weren't in a rage earlier.

「Subordinate: Aye!」the subordinate saluted at his boss(?) before going outside the room, then breaking into a run.

「Subordinate: Little girl, I hoped you were able to escape...」the subordinate thought.

The real culprit for the girl's escape, was the subordinate himself, Captain of the 3rd division, one of Marquis Alimon's knight, Pumien Salva. Along with the other knights accompanying them on their earlier journey.

As the Marquis himself was not aware, during their travel, before they reach the city of Plastain. He and almost all the knights that were transporting the girl, let her escape. They killed those who would report to the Marquis, but thankfully there was only one and that was the Marquis's assistant.

Before they let the girl escape, they bandaged her wounds, gave her a weapon, and some food. Though wary and hesitating the girl accepted it, and immediately ran towards the Seira forest.

「Pumien: I need to gather all of them, and order them to escape along with their family...」he thought as he dashed through the hallway of the Marquis's castle.

And on that day, twenty knights of Marquis Alimon went missing along with their family and relatives. And on the same day, the Marquis was informed of his assistant's death.

「Alimon: Those Bastards!」He howled.

----

Three days before Captain Pumien's report to Marquis Alimon.

「???: Little girl」A man spoke, he was wearing metal armor a violet coat and he was holding a sheathed sword with an engraving of a Hydra.

「???: I am Pumien Salva, and these boys here are my subordinate」he spoke with a light tone, trying not to scare the girl infront of them.

The girl with long disheveled honey-blonde hair, big electric blue eyes, and small but well proportionate stature was inside a cage and was at the very corner of it. She was trembling and pale, not due to fear, but due to hunger and the wounds all over her body.

Marks of relentless whipping could be seen on almost every part of her, some wounds looked like it came from a knife, her cheeks were also swollen and only a few teeth remain. Eyebags could be seen under her eyes, indicating that even sleeping was not given to her.

But, even if she was trembling and pale, and looked like she would die any moment, her eyes were still alive. Her electric blue eyes showed no fear but anger and determination.

「Pumien: little girl, We're letting you out now. We'll leave a short sword and some food here for you, but, your wounds must be treated immediately」he said as he backed away from the cage, his eyes were showing pity.

「Girl: ...」The girl didn't move from her spot as she eyed the people infront of her. She didn't trust them, no, she couldn't trust them.

There was also the same thing happening back then before her body became tattered and became full of wounds before she was bought by the Marquis.

The soldiers of the person who bought her did the same thing, she was offered food and water, and as a result, she was raped. That was the first time she experiences it, those horrible things, she couldn't do anything, as a young girl at the age of eight, she was powerless infront of the well-trained soldiers.

That's why, even now she didn't accept it, due to the repeated things that happened to her, she couldn't trust anyone, only herself. Even if the person giving her this, is a girl and of the same age, she wouldn't. Those experiences she had, were marked not just on her body, but on her soul as well.

「Pumien: ...I know you wouldn't trust us, but please at least bandaged your wounds, we will leave for now, and come back, I hope you've escaped by then」he said as he throws a rolled-up bandage towards her.

The girl glanced at the bandage infront of her, then focused her bloodshot eyes, towards the men infront of her, and after a few seconds, they left.

The girl, touched the bandage as if wanting to know if it was safe. And after confirming it was safe, she immediately removed her cloth, a dirty one-piece fabric. Then she started to bandaged her severe wounds.

Her bloodshot eyes were focused at the entrance of the cage, as she bandaged herself. Then after bandaging herself, she wore the one-piece cloth again.

She braced herself for escape, as she warily feels her surrounding. She eyed the small sword in front of the cage and then looked at the brown bag next to it.

「Girl: ...」after a few seconds, she dashed out of the cage, she took the sword using her right hand and the bag using the other.

Though in pain, she continued to run, until she reached a forest, she dashed through it without stopping.