Ch-40 A Pair of eyes.

The next morning, Ignis woke well before sunrise, stirred by the stillness of the forest and the faint light creeping across the sky. Despite the occasional disturbance during the night, his sleep had been restful. The barrier had only triggered twice—once for a scurrying rat, which he quickly shooed away, and the second time for a rabbit that had wandered too close. He'd seized that opportunity, capturing and killing the rabbit swiftly before bringing it into the tent and storing it for breakfast.

Now, as the sky slowly shifted from deep indigo to a pale blue, Ignis got to work. He started a small, smokeless fire inside the tent, using magic spell Ignite. With practiced hands, he cleaned the rabbit, seasoned it lightly using some herbs and spices he carried, and roasted it over the flame.

The scent of cooked meat filled the inside of the tent, but the magic ensured not a hint of it leaked outside.

Once it was done, he sat cross-legged and ate in silence. Though the rabbit was large, Ignis finished it without struggle—his body, strengthened by mana and training, demanded more fuel than that of an ordinary twelve-year-old. His physical strength, after all, was already on par with that of a 1-Star Knight.

After the meal, he packed up his campsite. He gathered fresh leaves and grass from the surrounding area for his horse, letting the animal eat while he dismantled everything else. The red cubes that had formed the barrier were plucked from their corners and returned to the saddlebag. The tent, once deflated with a pulse of mana, was folded and packed away as easily as it had been set up.

As the final step, Ignis fetched water from his enchanted bottle and let the horse drink, gently stroking its mane while waiting for it to finish.

But as he stood there—his gaze relaxed, his guard lowered—something unseen watched him from a distance.

A pair of eyes peeked out from behind a thick tree trunk in the forest. The presence lingered for only a moment, silent and hidden, then vanished back into the trees without a sound.

Ignis didn't notice.

Ignis waited for another fifteen minutes, letting the first rays of the sun rise above the horizon and paint the sky in warm gold. Once the light was clear and steady, he decided it was time to resume his journey.

But just as he reached for the saddle and prepared to mount his horse, a sharp chill raced down his spine—a sudden warning from his instincts honed through training.

An attack.

Without hesitation, Ignis activated Shunpo, his body vanishing in a blur of motion as he dashed away from the spot in an instant.

A split-second later, an arrow embedded itself in the ground exactly where he had been standing. The impact thudded with deadly force—aimed not at his horse, but at him alone.

Landing several paces away, Ignis narrowed his eyes and immediately scanned his surroundings. He quickly traced the trajectory of the arrow, his gaze locking onto a figure partially hidden among the trees—a man clad in dark leathers, holding a bow, the string still vibrating from the release.

"That must be the one who fired," Ignis muttered under his breath, golden eyes flashing with focus.

But before he could act, a wave of hostile intent washed over him. One after another, shadowy figures emerged from the forest, stepping out from behind trees and bushes, their weapons drawn and faces half-covered. In a matter of seconds, Ignis was surrounded on all sides.

Roughly twenty men now formed a loose circle around him, their stances practiced, eyes sharp. Some carried swords, others axes or spears. And the archer remained in position, nocking another arrow in case Ignis made a move.

Ignis's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.

"Bandits... or bounty hunters?" he wondered, his mind racing. "Either way, they picked the wrong person to ambush."

Among the ragtag group of armed men, one of them stepped forward with a crooked grin, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction.

"Mouse," he said, glancing toward the archer in the trees, "when you told us there was some fancy little brat out here—wearing noble clothes, carrying good gear, all alone—I thought you were still drunk on last night's wine. But damn, you were right. Look at this horse. And all that equipment. We're gonna make a fortune off this one."

Ignis turned his sharp gaze toward the man who had spoken. From his confident posture and the way the others subtly deferred to him, it was clear—he was the leader.

"So… you're a bandit?" Ignis asked plainly, golden eyes unflinching.

The man let out a boisterous laugh. "Hah! That's right. You've got bad luck, kid. We were actually heading to Pinewatch to clean them out, but then we spotted a fat little sheep like you just waiting to be sheared. You saved those villagers—congrats."

Pinewatch? Ignis thought. I just left that village yesterday. If I hadn't passed through here, they might've been robbed... or worse.

His expression darkened as he stepped forward slightly, ignoring the circle tightening around him.

"I'll ask you one thing," Ignis said calmly, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Answer truthfully. After that, you can do what you came to do—attack me. But I'll retaliate, of course."

The leader raised an eyebrow, amused. "Heh. Brave, aren't you? What's your question, little brat?"

Ignis's eyes narrowed. "Do you just rob people… or do you kill them too?"

The man let out a rough, guttural laugh. "What kind of question is that? Of course we kill them. You think we leave people alive so they can run off to the nearest town and send guards or hunters after us? We're not that stupid, kid."

Ignis's expression hardened.

"That's all I needed to know," he said coolly. "Thanks for the honesty. Now I won't feel the slightest bit of regret when I kill every last one of you."

He rested his hand fully on the hilt of his sword.

"If you were just thieves, maybe I would've let you go. Robbery doesn't always earn a death sentence. But murderers...?"

His golden eyes gleamed, cold and resolute.

"You don't deserve mercy."

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