The next day.
Noel and Dimitri had finally regrouped.
"Master. I don't think they are chasing me." Dimitri reported while looking back. They were a few kilometers outside the city as Noel had chosen this place as a strategic rendezvous point.
"I know." Noel nodded with a serious expression. "If my prediction is not wrong, then they are going to come after Tristan and Sandra."
"Are you planning to use them to escape, Master?" Dimitri asked, thinking if Tristan and Sandra would be sacrificed.
However, Noel immediately shook his head while pointing northeast. Dimitri agreed, and they decided to start running.
"Looking back at how the Supreme Devil Organization defeated me two times, I finally know that they are an organization that emphasizes strength. The fact that you heavily injured Nelfer is enough to slow them down."
"Shouldn't I kill Nelfer?"
"After depleting all that energy, can you kill Nelfer within an hour?"
"If I use my True Spirit Body, I should be able to."
"But after that, you'll become vulnerable. What will we do against Qiel?"
"That's true. If I don't use my True Spirit Body, then I will probably need a lot more time because I can't have too many injuries to handle Qiel afterward."
"Exactly. And Qiel shouldn't leave Nelfer for too long, knowing that you are more than capable of killing Nelfer. Hence, it's better for you to retreat before she comes."
"Then, shouldn't they chase after us?"
"No. Qiel should have stayed in that city for a bit more and noticed the movement of Legolaz and the others. With that, she will suspect something and change her plan from chasing after us to Tristan and Sandra."
"But it will be hard even for her to bypass Legolaz and the second prince, giving us a bit more time. By that time, Tristan and Sandra should have reached the next city and hired an escort to another city."
Dimitri looked down and asked, "If that's the case, shouldn't Qiel have figured out our path?"
"Yeah. However, she doesn't know the exact place. In other words, she will try to spread her force in order to find us. The problem is whether we should divide our group again or not."
"Although I don't really want to say it, Tristan and Sandra are more like a burden right now." Dimitri agreed.
"In any way, they will surely blockade the east, especially around the border to the Greenwood Kingdom. They should have sent a lot of people to maintain the border of the Muivell Kingdom." Noel raised one finger. "That's why we only have one solution?"
"Entering another country to loop around them?" Dimitri was thinking about the fourth country, but Noel said, "The fact that you can think of that plan means Qiel would have seen through that plan as well. Hence, our solution is to break through."
"But with Tristan and Sandra, we will definitely have a hard time."
"We'll confuse them. Qiel should have realized by now that I'm not a mere guy who can be underestimated after our battle of wits not long ago. Hence, she will definitely become even more careful with my every movement. That's why if we throw a bait, she will bite it."
"Bait…" Dimitri wondered what the bait was. Tristan and Sandra weren't considered ones according to their conversation. And he would definitely oppose if Noel wanted to be the bait himself. If he became the bait, Noel and the others would be exposed to danger. In other words, the bait didn't come from someone. And there was one thing that he could think of. "Wait a minute. Our destination…"
"Exactly. That's the bait. And I have left another trump card. As long as we can reach the border, we will be safe or so what should happen." Noel sighed. "In any case, time is the essence."
"So that they won't have enough time to react to our plan?"
"No. So Nelfer doesn't have enough time to recover." Noel shook his head. "I can somehow fight against their Devil Bishops, but those two Devil Saints are the problems. Hence, killing him would be ideal, but since that is not possible, heavily injuring him is enough."
"Without his full power, Nelfer shouldn't be able to aid Qiel that much. That should leave some burden on you, right?"
"Yes. The injury I gave him is not something that can be easily recovered. Even if he still comes at us, I can defeat him."
"Hence, I want you to utilize the runes on your body to defeat Nelfer within the shortest amount of time while stopping Qiel's arrows. Do you think it's possible?"
"If I can use the Rune Body, it'll be hard but not impossible." Dimitri finally understood why Noel was contemplating whether he should ask Tristan and Sandra to go by themselves or not. Fighting Qiel and Nelfer simultaneously would take everything from him, meaning Noel and the others would be exposed to that kind of danger.
Considering the enemy number, it wouldn't be weird if Noel got surrounded by at least five Spirit Grandmasters and more than ten Spirit Masters.
He had to fight against them while protecting Tristan and Sandra.
After contemplating his choice for a while, Noel finally made a decision. "In any way, we should regroup with Tristan and Sandra first."
"Understood."
Dimitri and Noel sped up. According to their calculation, Tristan and Sandra would have reached their destination one day prior to their arrival.
Meanwhile, Qiel and Nelfer had been moving east, establishing the information network to capture Noel.
As Noel predicted, Qiel had blocked the border to the Zaecuria Kingdom so that Noel couldn't loop around and enter the Greenwood Kingdom through it.
There was a possibility that Noel would return directly to the Muivell Kingdom. Hence, she had ordered an attack around the southern base of the Demon Banner Army. As a result, the tension would rise and the chaos would make their people find Noel easier.
All she had to take care of was the small border that linked the Atracaeca Kingdom and the Greenwood Kingdom.
Since Nelfer and Qiel didn't take a detour and went straight to that little gap, specifically the town that protected the border, they arrived far earlier than Noel and Dimitri.
Qiel was still heavily injured because he used most of his Spiritual Energy to speed up instead of recover, but this speed would buy him some time.
Unfortunately for them, Noel didn't plan to let Nelfer rest.
…
Two days later.
Noel and Dimitri had finally reached their destination, a small town called Caidence.
Dimitri immediately checked the town and reported to Noel, who was waiting outside the town.
"I have checked the town. I'm not sure about the spies, but I have found Tristan and Sandra. Should we enter?"
"Yeah." Noel nodded with a serious expression.
Dimitri led Noel into the town, specifically the inn, where he spotted Tristan and Sandra.
Knock!
Knock!
It took them a while to open the door because Sandra had to dress up again, showing that they were still in disguise.
However, the moment Sandra confirmed their identity, she called out aloud, "Master!"
After that, Tristan opened the robe, confirming their identities. The people they had waited for so long had finally arrived.
"You two have worked hard." Noel smiled.
"Not at all. If not for your instruction, we wouldn't be able to do anything." Tristan replied.
"In any case, we don't have a lot of time left. So, I will be quick." Noel entered the room and closed the door. He glanced at Dimitri, who immediately scouted the area.
Tristan and Sandra immediately stopped talking.
"I'm afraid that I have to ask you to go by yourself again," said Noel with a grim expression. "And it will be very taxing because you can't take off your disguise."
Instead of getting disappointed or thinking about the hardship, Tristan looked at what was going to happen and asked, "Where should we go?"
That determination put a smile on Noel's face as he took out the map, pointing at the border town. "This one. Once you reach this place, I want you to wait until the third day when the sun is directly above your head before leaving the town. That's where we will meet each other again, but it will be extremely dangerous. If we can reach the Greenwood Kingdom, we should be safe."
"I understand." Tristan agreed without hesitation.
While Noel was talking, Dimitri returned and reported, "Master. I haven't found any spies yet, but the people are a bit more cautious. It seems that Legolaz is using his influence to find us."
Noel nodded as though he had expected it. "Well, he must have made another agreement with the Supreme Devil Organization like even if the organization fails to capture me, they will have Tristan in their custody."
Tristan never thought that he would be targeted like this. But considering his relationship with Noel, it was a visible sign of how his status had changed.
Tristan said, "Are there any other instructions, Master?"
"I'll give you the details." Noel began explaining his plans to escape this kingdom.
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