"Kerina, shouldn't we remain on alert about that merchant caravan returning here? If we miss it, our client is going to destroy us.", one of the dark heldens asked.
The commission this time was high and failing to complete it just because they were messing against a group of kids wasn't a worthy investment.
"What do you know, idiot?! The client also sent us to look for some other people. And those four match the description.", Kerina replied.
The bandits turned to look at Kerina. Wasn't this day an auspicious day for them?
"If I were you, I would focus on searching them first. The client's rewards will be higher if we manage to catch them.", she snorted and took off.
She was unable to properly use her magic due to the punch-sting bees' attacks. Not only did it mess with one's muscles, but it also affected their mana circulation as well.
Without it, Jinmu would have been apprehended otherwise.
The winds turned gloomy, alerting the group of bandits. The air vibrated, worsening the bruises to a high degree.
"Ah! Damn it, get out of here!", Kerina panicked.
However, the vibration quickly increased in frequency and power every time it bounced on the edge of the sound barrier. The prolonged exposure destroyed their sense of gravity, rendering them unable to walk properly.
Some shouted in distress which only worsened their situation. The vibration at that point was too strong that the ground cracked, killing those who were unfortunate to fall on the crevices.
The others who remained bled in their ears and died soon after.
Kerina gritted. She was unwilling to die in this forest.
Fortunately, the vibrations stopped. She rolled on her left side in order to ease the pain.
The surroundings were blurry to her. It was similar to being drunk, except that her life now hung on the brink of death.
Jinmu saw the entire incident flashing past his eyes. In 5 seconds, a group of high-level bandits was turned into mush.
There were no indications of a spell being casted. It was a thorough surprise attack that caught the targets off-guard.
The map displayed one red dot remaining and the green dot near him never moved once.
Until now.
The air vibrated and a tall figure appeared. His wizard robes were larger than his body frame, with a slightly curved nose that aligned with the pointiness of his short black hair.
Jinmu quickly used the system to identify this newcomer.
[ Name: Veron Zumfiel ]
[ Age: 91 years old (273 human years) ]
[ Race: Elf ]
[ Status: Alive ]
[ Affiliation: Zumfiel Noble Household, Alderian Terrestrial Sanctuary ]
[ Magic Power: Grandmaster Magus (Full Ring) ]
[ Magic Root: Vibrant Magic Root (Legendary) ]
[ Magic Aptitude: 8.2/10 ]
[ Magic Affinity: Wind, Sound ]
'Someone from the Zumfiel Noble Household? What is he doing here?!'
Jinmu had a lot more questions on his mind but he chose to observe for now. Veron knew that Jinmu was watching and he let the boy do as he wished.
"I didn't expect that one of you manage to survive my fiery resonation spell. A formula 7 magic should have killed you all many times over."
Veron grinned.
"But I guess it is a blessing in disguise. At least, I would be able to interrogate you about your intentions in this place. Your words earlier piqued my interest."
Kerina wasn't paying attention nor did she have the ability to do so. In her mind, however, was an incessant cursing targeted towards Jinmu and the person who ambushed them.
Veron noticed a very well hidden paryus inside her tight-fitted dark robe. He used his wind magic to retrieve it.
There were magic lines engraved on the paper, surprising Veron.
In the center was a circular pattern with a cross inside. Its lines extended and met on the other end. Then, in the middle of the cross was a diamond-shaped figure imprinted with a strange symbol that Veron couldn't identify.
"A 4-way magic encryption lock. Your client is truly secretive and resourceful."
He channeled his mana and forcefully destroyed the lock. Words suddenly appeared on the blank paryus.
Veron read its contents carefully and understood them.
"So you were originally targeting a returning merchant caravan but you stumbled on a greater prey instead."
And the greater prey the paryus mentioned were a group of five young children that appeared on Leeveria Forest a few days ago.
The details were descriptive as possible.
The first one was a young man with slightly tanned skin, a muscular body, and a half-bald head with a long scar on the left side of his face. He had a fierce aura, accentuated by his sharp brown eyes.
This person was the strongest of the five, followed by the next in line.
She was a northerner girl with long silver-white hair and round bluish-white eyes. She had a tall body attributed to her long slender legs coupled with her cold demeanor.
Next was a fairly-skinned young man exuding an aura of nobility. The person's hair was colored golden and styled like spikes, blown to the back of his head with a mocking expression on his diamond-shaped face shown by his clear blue eyes.
The second last was a scholarly young man with long black ponytailed hair. He had a thin and frail figure, and black eyes comparable to the calmness of a silent river.
The last was a girl with feline ears and tail, with short honey-colored hair and crystal-clear black eyes. This person was said to be the weakest of them all.
Veron sighed and looked at Jinmu's location.
"You can come out now.", he gestured. Jinmu walked out, making Veron shake his head in realization.
"Take this, you will need it.", Veron threw the paryus to Jinmu.
"This is?"
"A contract, something that concerns you and the people who were with you.", Veron replied.
"May I know of senior's intentions? Are you here to help us?"
Veron studied Jinmu's appearance and concluded that he was the fourth man on the list. Although he was no longer frail and thin, his hair and scholarly aura remained.
"Kid, I don't know who you are and what you did but I would be careful around these parts of the Dark Forest. Otherwise, whoever is pursuing you might catch you on the moment you least expect it."
Veron already has a name in his mind. Coincidences from the recent events made him cautious of the Sanctuary and worried for these young people.
He also included the possibility of Haera's mission being involved as well. He heard from Wyn Qinric that Haera introduced him to a notable seller of demon beast materials.
Their excellent quality made Wyn cry tears of money as the bastard businessman started showing off to his peers. That 'notable seller' might have something to do about the dark helden's contract and other things.
On the other side, Jinmu was confused by Veron's words. He couldn't come up with a reason as to why would someone go after them.
Was someone ambitious enough to make a target of the Heavenly Magic Academy?
If they were, then they had a death wish. He would simply report this to the academy master and have him deal with this problem.
Seeing his confusion, Veron smiled.
"Kid, you don't need to bother with this. Allow us, the Zumfiel Household, to repay the mistakes of our race. I hope that you and whoever is backing you re-consider their thoughts."
He understood why Haera was protective of them. She knew something that she was unwilling to impart. Veron wasn't the one to force her either.
If she wants to, then she will tell both him and Norton at the right time.
Also, the fact that these humans managed to arrive in the Dark Forest unknowingly fascinated Veron.
'A teleportation spell must be involved. Also, seeing how brave they are to be this deep, there should be a protector hiding in the dark.'
Since that was the case, Veron put it into his heart to not let that person act first-handedly to deal with whoever was targeting them.
Otherwise, they'll be displeased and retaliate in response, something Veron didn't want to happen.
"How do I know that you won't turn your back on us?", Jinmu inquired.
This person went to all the trouble of coming from the Sanctuary City to the Dark Forest which was a hundred kilometers away.
Even if he took care of the bandits, what if it was a facade to gather Jinmu's trust?
"I will leave you to your business, kid. Have fun and be careful. Until we meet again.", Veron's body vibrated before vanishing in sight.
Leaving was better than answering Jinmu's questions. Doing the latter action would end up with Veron earning Jinmu's suspicion instead.
Jinmu wanted to ask more but he was too late. He looked at the map and noticed Veron going to a familiar place he was in before.
'Is he going to confront that Harruga guy?'
Kerina's groan caught his attention. He closed his system panel and stared at her.
'Now, what do I do with this bandit? Kill her?'
Her group tried to kidnap them and their intentions were hostile. He coldly snorted and casted a water sphere. He submerged Kerina's head and tried to drown her.
The dark helden was unable to do anything. Her muscles were lifeless beecause lost all of her strength.
She struggled in getting out of the water sphere and suffocated after.
Jinmu was about to leave when his system alerted.
[ Corpses of multiple dark heldens found. Do you want to harvest loot from their bodies? ]
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