Ambush

"Mr. Adrian, wake up. It's already early in the morning."

Nash said as Adrian slowly opened his eyes. He stretched his arms and yawned, realizing that it was indeed early in the morning.

'Time to start the day.'

"Is everything ready?" Adrian asked Nash in a low voice.

Nash nodded. "Yes, everything is set, Mr. Adrian. I already put the letter inside the big rock in the forest."

'After I met Diana at the pond yesterday, I spoke to Nash about what's going to happen.' Adrian thought to himself.

'We discussed the plan and made sure everything was in place for today.'

'I sneaked into the large tent and used the bracelet while the others were sleeping, but the bracelet did not glow.

The person that She's looking for is not among the members of the escort.'

'I also tried it on Nash, and the result is the same as others.'

Adrian and Nash exchanged knowing glances before leaving the tent to have breakfast.

As he sat down to eat, Adrian's gaze stopped at the bodyguard-merchant duo. He nodded in their direction and greeted them. "Good morning, Mr. Marcus and Mr. Luther."

'At first, I thought it was the merchant, but the bracelet didn't react to him either. So that only left me with one possibility. The bodyguard, Mr. Luther.'

'I was surprised when the bracelet didn't glow on Marcus but instead reacted on Luther.'

'I guess that you can't really judge a book by its cover. Who would have thought that he had the blood of that destroyed family.'

'Come to think of it, Diana has a guard that is always wearing a mask on the original timeline.

That guard is a master at spear arts, and it looks like Luther's weapon is also a spear.

The similarities between Luther and Diana's masked guard from the original timeline, made adrian ponder about their connection.

'hmm... Maybe Luther is Diana's masked guard.'

Adrian leaned in closer to Nash and whispered. "They're here."

Amidst their peaceful breakfast, an arrow whizzed past them, narrowly missing their table.

"Ambush!" Nash shouted dramatically as he conjured a shield using mana.

Others also followed and began to defend themselves, creating barriers and casting protective spells.

The chaos erupted as arrows continued to rain down, forcing Adrian and Nash to take cover behind overturned tables.

Several peak D rank auras emerged from the forest. Realizing the current dangers that the group is facing, Adrian offered up an idea.

"Hey, I'll take Mr. Marcus to safety first. You guys buy time." Adrian's suggestion was met with hesitant nods and worried glances exchanged between the group members. Nash, however, quickly spoke up.

"Ok, please do that. Use the carriage, and be sure to come back and pick us up once you've secured Mr. Marcus." Nash said, his voice filled with urgency. Adrian nodded in agreement.

'He's damn good at acting.'

"Mr. Luther, I'll get Mr. Marcus to safety first. Please cover us. Cara, come with us too. Let's go."

Luther stood in front of us, wielding his spear. He twirled it and reflected the arrows that were coming towards us. "Go now!" Luther shouted as he continued to defend us.

We sprinted towards the carriage, dodging debris and enemy attacks along the way. Once we reached the carriage, Adrian swiftly climbed onto the driver's seat and took hold of the reins.

Cara and I quickly climbed in behind him. our hearts pounding with adrenaline. As Adrian expertly guided the horses forward, we could hear Luther's desperate shouts for us to go.

As the carriage vanished into the distance, the rest of the group braced themselves for the battle that awaited them. They tightened their grips on their weapons, ready to face whatever came their way.

"..."

"..."

The sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling filled the air.

The trees seemed to blur together as Adrian skillfully maneuvered through the forest, avoiding any obstacles in their way. And with every passing second, the trio distanced themselves further from the battlefield.

Having gained quite a distance from the camp, I stopped the carriage. And surveyed the area for any signs of pursuit.

"Looks like they didn't pursue us." I heaved a sigh of relief as I jumped down from the carriage. "We should be safe for now."

"Mr. Marcus, I'll go back to the camp now and help them. The decision is up to you if you want to proceed to the city or wait here, but I suggest that you proceed to the city. Cara will guard you and drive the carriage. We'll follow you to the city."

Mr. Marcus listened to my suggestion, his worried expression deepening. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded reluctantly.

"Alright." he replied, his voice laced with anxiety. "I'll proceed to the city. Please make sure everyone at the camp is safe." With that, he climbed back into the carriage.

"Mr. Adrian, be careful."

"We'll follow you to the city." I assured Mr. Marcus, "Don't worry, we'll catch up with you soon. Just be careful and stay alert on your way to the city."

With a nod of understanding, Mr. Marcus thanked me and wished me luck before heading off towards the city with Cara by his side.

As I watched them disappear into the distance, I couldn't help but curl my lips into a smile.

Adrian augmented his body with wind element and dashed through the woods like a blur, his senses heightened and his movements are swift.

As Adrian traversed the woods, his enhanced senses allowed him to pick up on subtle sounds and movements. Suddenly, his keen eyes spotted a person ahead. He slowed down his pace and approached cautiously.

"Mr. Neil, What happened at the camp?" Adrian called out, his voice filled with concern as he noticed Mr. Neil's disheveled appearance."

"Run, Mr. Adrian. They're all dead."