Chapter 1: The Traveler (Part 3)

At night. After a couple of encounters and evasions from monsters, the party found a clearing and decided to set up camp there.

Wood crackled as Fire danced excitedly as the skewered fish surrounded the bonfire, matching the people around it.

“We’re halfway towards the dungeon… so we should expect more monsters on the way,” Elbard said as he sat down by the bonfire.

On his right, sitting apart from him, are the two investigators, Morz and Denzel. Ortiz stands behind them. And a little further behind him, atop a tree, is Clavic.

“Things are getting more dangerous…” Esvele replied softly from the other side of the bonfire. “We should avoid fighting monsters now. We can’t afford to face monsters like the Whitemane.”

Fenma, Neia, and Esvele sat together by the log. Behind them are Ruy, sitting at the stump, and Rudel standing on his left.

“It’s unfortunate for those adventurers, but it is what it is. This profession goes hand in hand with death. The best thing we can do is to grow stronger and be more careful to avoid the same fate.” Yord said on the silence that lingers for more than it should.

He sat on a stump 5 steps to the left of Esvele.

“We really are fortunate that this young man is with us,” he said as he turned to the traveler. Cross legs atop the rock under the nearby tree to the west of the group. He was drinking a fruit juice box through a straw.

He bowed lightly to the adventurers looking at him.

“I must say, You’re detection magic is a whole other level. we’ve screwed been if you weren’t here with us. Thanks, you really saved us this time.” Ortiz said.

“Yeah, I did.” He said, throwing the empty box behind him.


“You know, I thought you were just kidding when you said you’re going to the dungeon,” Fenman said

“Is that so?”

“I understand if you’re at a party, but for a mage… It’s common sense that you need someone to guard you while casting magic, right? Isn’t it practically impossible for you to conquer the dungeon alone?”

“Hmm… There are adventurers going to the dungeon alone. Most rank S adventurers are solo adventurers. Some of them are solo mages.”

“Yeah… but…” she trailed off, eye glancing sideways in awkwardness.

“But you’re not an S rank nor an adventurer,” Esvele said with a proud look on her face as if she had finally pulled a fast one on him.

The traveler smiled, looking down.

“Don’t you think it’s more ideal to join a party? With an ability like that, I’m sure lots of parties would want you. It would be easier and safer that way, just as Sir Elbard said. We still have a spot for you.”

“The dungeon only grants 1 relic. So there is a chance of disputes if the others also want it.”

There were cases where parties ended up betraying each other because the other party wanted the relic for themselves. As such, many would want to sell it for equal rewards. But sometimes, the arrangements were made beforehand for someone to get the relic for the party.

Or they could just sell it and split up the rewards for the better.

“I see… I get what you mean.”

“In your case, it’s probably you, isn’t it?”

Esvele nodded in silence.

“I need for our party, most importantly, to help a friend.”

“Is this about the succession war?” Albard asked, and Esvele nodded in response.

Perhaps she didn’t need to hide it since everybody knew it.

“My house supported the first princess, Selise. And out of the three princes, she is at the bottom of the ladder. But if I get my hands on it, the first princess will gain a big leap in the race.”

“I see… so you really need it.” The traveler said, not intending to dig further into details. “But it looks like this will be a hard fight for you guys… It’s not just the triblades, you also have the high-ranking parties coming here from all over the country.”

“Yeah, it’s a real challenge. I heard that even the rival factions sent their own subjugation party. But it’s even worse for you, isn’t it?”

“Not really… the place I’m going to is a lot dangerous than this, so I might need a party when I get there. But for a dungeon of this level, I think I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Is that right…” Esvele stared in amazement. He looked at the young man's eyes, which glinted with optimism and determination.

“That must be pretty dangerous if you find our dungeon and forest trivial,” Rudel joined in.

“No wonder you’re confident in taking this dungeon alone. It’s like you’re so sure you’re going to get the relic.” Ruy said.

“Oh, hardly. Nothing is certain inside the dungeon, they said. Even a seasoned warriors get killed by just one mistake. With these strong competitors coming in, I’m not confident that I would get my hands on it. But one thing is certain is that I have to do this… because that’s what I choose to do.”

Esvele smiled. “Yeah… you’re right… I’m not sure if we can get it, but we just have to do what we can.”

“Actually, I’m concerned about that traveling warrior. If he is indeed aiming for the relic, he most likely is going to succeed.”

“Traveling warrior?” Ruy asked, tilting her head.

“Ah, you know the one at the village, killing a score of adventurers? The news.”

“Oh yeah… that guy is dangerous, taking down several rank A and even a relic holder.

“Truth be told, I was there when it happened. And I’m telling you that guy is no joke.”

At those words. The group looked at him in amazement.

“Is that true! Did you see the fight yourself, what he looked like?” Ortiz stepped forward as he pressed for answers.

“The fight is already over before I even notice.” Traveler sighed awkwardly. “But the bodies lying around showed just how much he overpowered those rank A adventurers and the relic holder, it’s one-sided beat down.”

“Wow…”

“Did you see his face?” Esvele asked with subtle expectation.

“Yeah, what does he look like?” Ruy asked.

“He looks….” The traveler posed for a few moments. Perhaps gathering his thoughts. The people await him, curious.

Then a single word spilled from his lips

“Cool.”

“…What?” Ruy asked with a blank expression.

“He looks cool.”

“Lad…” Yord said with a placid face. And everyone painted with a similar expression.

“Look, I don’t know what he looks like. He wore a mask. For appearance, it’s the same as what was stated in the newspaper. But if someone can take down a relic holder, then he’s definitely cool, right?”

“Pufufu.” A small laugh escaped from Esvele. “I mean the effort and discipline to be strong at that caliber. Yes, it’s definitely worth calling that person cool.”

“Right?” the traveler said with a hint of enthusiasm.

“Right…” and Ruy said flatly.

Neia picked up her skewer and examined it.

“I guess this one’s ready,” she said, making an approach and picking his skewer up. Then the other followed suit.

One skewer flew over to the traveler’s hand.

“Do you really have to use magic for that?” Fenma asked, brows knitted.

“I have it, so I’m gonna use it.” He replied lightly and winked.

Neai gigled at their interaction.

Everyone went back to their spot.

“This is delicious…” Elbard said, nodding as he savored the fish.

“Never thought I would eat something warm during the camp.” Clavic also voiced his agreement.

“Yeah, this is great stuff…” Ortiz said in a jolly tone.

Normally, adventurers would settle for instant rations like biscuits and bread when camping since it is considered a bad idea to cook outdoors as the smell will lure out the mounters with a keen nose. But that’s only for high fragrant foods that the smoke from the firewood can’t mask.

“Neia’s parents run an inn in the capital, so she picked up their cooking skills and became the cook of our party.” Esvele proudly said, which made Neia smile bashfully.

Neia prepared the fish from the magic storage she had and shared it with everyone. It doesn’t have a strong smell. And as additional precaution, they burn monster-repelling incense downwind.

“By the way, what are your plans, you two?”

Yord asked the two adventurers before taking a bite of his fish.

“Well… we’re only supposed to investigate the forest. And we’ve done our part. So we’ll leave by dawn.” Morz answered as Denzel was busy with his fish

“I see… be careful out there.”

“You should be careful too…” Morz said before taking a bite. “But I guess it’s already too late.”

A wicked smile on his face.

Yord’s eyes opened wide in suspicion.

“What are yo—“

His fish dropped on the ground. Palms raised toward him and Esvele. Morz shouted, “Hell’s bindings!”

From the conjured magic circle, Black chain shot forth from the magic circle, shackling Esvele and Yord. As if that wasn’t enough, Clavic appeared before Esvele and fixed a metal bracelet on her wrist.

The rest of the party was stunned. But only for a brief moment

Fenma pulled her wand, but it was cut off before it could make a miracle. A blade was pressed on her neck, as well as on Neia.

“Don’t move.” Said clavic holding the daggers as Denzel put the metal bracelet on Yord’s wrist.

Ruy brandished his sword. But before he could even pull his sword, a fist landed on his gut, expelling the air out of his lungs. Albard followed up with a kick to the face, sending him flying in the distance.

“You bastard!” Rudel already stood, swung his mace downward for vengeance.
Albard brandished his sword and nocked the mace out of its path. With Rudel’s stance broken, he slashed him on his chest diagonally downward. The armor split open, giving way for the blood to splatter in the air.

Rudel fell bleeding. Not minding the pain, He forced himself to get up— until the sword pressing to his cheeks stopped him from doing so.

“That’s enough.” Cold words came from above. Albard looked at him gravely.

In just a small, all First Dawn members were subjugated in a swift moment. Just one person remaining.

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

Everything happens so fast. They were enjoying their food, laughing. And in the next moment, she was shackled and the rest of his party and immobile.

Esvele looked up, her breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened in disbelief, before it contorted in rage as it finally sank in.

“Elbard! Why!?”

“Sorry, princess, we're just following orders.” Elbard dropped down and gazed Esvele in the eye. "Losing the support of Duke Edelwiess will crumble the First Princess faction and will strengthen the other.”

“Whose faction are you! Do you think you can get away with this!?”

“Once he gets the crown, then our crimes will be absolved and even included in his good list,” Elbard said in a good mood.

“You fucker!” Yord roared, but Denzel kicked him in his face to shut him up.

“Sir yord!” Esvele screamed.

The chains that bind here and yord dissolve into thin air. It seems Morz deactivated his magic. But even so… why can’t she still move? Esvele mustered her strength, but her body felt like lead. Esvele groaned as she forced her body.

“Give it up. That bracelet was made by master mage in the underworld. Prized for it’s ability to retrain even S ranks. It was imbued with paralyzing magic.”

Esvele bit her lip in frustration.

“T-the goddess won't forgive you!” Neia cried as Clavic began tying her.
“As if I want her forgiveness.” He growled in reply.

Fenma glared sharply. Her hands were cuffed behind her back while wearing the same restraining bracelet. Denzel is working on Ruy after he’s done tying up Rudel. udel.

“It’s me that you want, right? Leave them alone… pls not them.” Esvele cried

“Morz, Denzel. Set up the teleportation circle.” Elbard said, ignoring Esvele's plea.

Esvele prayed for the solution. Then it dawned on her. If there’s someone capable of overturning this situation, perhaps that would be…

“All that’s left is that traveler,” Elbard said, turning his attention to every person.

The traveler takes a bite of his fish; his face is free of tension. He never moved from the spot and just watched things unfold.

Ortiz was on standby, watching him from the start. Ready to kill him if he moves suspiciously.

“You seem awfully calm,” Albard asked.

“Well, I have a hunch this would happen.”

“So you knew?” Elbard said, maintaining his composure.

“I sense 4 adventurers were following us from the start. And Clavic met two of those people during his stroll. they ran over to us, dragging that beast. So I knew for sure something was up. You probably plan to wear us down and catch us off guard after the fight, so you can take us down easily. But that Whitemane was outside your calculation. And killed the other two. Too bad.”

“I see so you lied with your detection magic, and you can detect people, too?”

The traveler shrugged his shoulder in response.

His carefree attitude is starting to get on his nerves. If a look can kill, perhaps this young man has died a thousand times already.

“Did the first princess faction send you?”

“Who knows?” the young man smiled mischievously.

“I see… out of my respect for your outstanding detection, I’ll let you go free. Just hand over your storage bag. It will spare you the unnecessary trouble.”

“Not happening… You guys want to see me fight, right? He lowered his gaze as he flicked his wrist. A mask appeared out of thin air wore it on his face. “I’m sure you’re also dying to know?”

A dangerous glint seemed to flicker behind the mask, or it must’ve been his imagination. Elbard unsheathed his sword and glared at the traveler with murderous intent.

“You won’t like this fight.”

“I’m liking it now… your friends showed me a good fight, now I’m curious how well you’ll fare—“

Without letting the traveler finish his words, Elbard moved with a breakneck speed and appeared in front of him with a sword ready to swing downward—

The rock and tree split in half and fell to either side.

But the traveler wasn’t there.

His instinct kicked in and raised his sword, just in time to catch the traveler’s sword that came from above. Steel clanged. The shock rippled up Albard’s arms as their blades met

The ground beneath his feet caved in. His eye contorted in pain.

Heavy!

The traveler bounced back. And once his feet touched the ground—

He dashed at inconceivable speed.

Albard dodges with a side step. He returned with a downward slash aimed at the traveler’s unguarded back. The traveler twisted his body and flicked Albard’s sword. With his sword out of the way, the traveler’s blade swung to his chest.

He jumped backwards in hope to evade, but the sword already connected and sliced the breast plate. Blood marred his coat. Luckily, it's just a shallow wound, and the pain can be endured.

“Let’s see if you can handle this!”

Ortiz lunged forward to assist —perhaps he judges that their leader was outmatched.

Ortize swung his large sword diagonally down. Sparks flew as the traveler parried the large sword. He followed with a thrust to his chest.

Ortiz twirled his large sword, blocking the tip with its fuller.

“Shit!” Ortiz clicked his tongue. The man’s movements were clean—too clean.

The traveler twisted his body and swung his sword upward behind him.

Steel rang out again. Clavic’s dagger flew wide. His ambush failed.

But he charged once more.

The traveler parried it again and returned a swing. Clavic blocked it.

The traveler casually sidestepped, evading the large sword that fell like a guillotine. A sword raced to Ortiz’s neck in return. He let go of the sword and stepped backward. Completely safe.

But momentum carried the sword toward Clavic from behind, which he blocked with his 2 daggers.

“Poison, huh?” The traveler retreated lightly and pointed his left palm.

“Eat this.”

The traveler whispered before an unknown force blasted clavic in the distant trees. Ortiz

He jumped backward to evade the sword coming from Albard. But charged and swung his sword toward Elbard's neck.

Unfortunately, it only grazed him as he jumped backwards.

“So all this time you’re not a mage!” Albard growled. Blood trickling down his neck.

“I’m a mage… I just knew a little bit of swordsmanship.” He shuddered as he twirled his katana playfully.

Albard ground his molars, frustrated that they had been tricked. Perhaps the reason he never showed any spell was that he wasn’t capable in the first place.

He agreed to let him join the group because of the way he presented himself. He definitely has a magic bag with him, an Item that lets you store items in a subspace, as he lacked the luggage for a traveler. The pants and rubber shoes he wore were tell signs that he belonged to a country with advanced technology.

“Surely he had those terminal devices, right?” he said to Ortiz and Clavic the night before their departure.

“Fetches a large price in the market, too, those nobles! hogging all the devices to themselves.” Clavic grunted.

“Mages are weak in melee, and he’s alone, too. He poses no problem with us!” Ortiz spat, so sure of the outcome.

But this isn’t the outcome they expected.

If only we could have an opening…

“Hell’s bind!”

black chains wrapped the traveler, rendering.

“Now!” Morz screamed at the top of his lungs.

This is our chance

Elbard beamed internally.

Ortiz retrieved his sword and swung it at the immobile target.

“You’re dead!”

It was over.

Ortiz hacked his blade, taking advantage of its large size.

But the traveler broke free from the magic and easily deflected the large sword, guiding it towards the sides before he slashed across his unguarded chest.

Ortiz staggered backwards but held his sword.

“Dam you—”

Ortiz glared. But his face caved in as a wild fist crashed into his cheek, staggering him to his knees.

“Looks like this is all you amount to.” He mocked before he followed up with a kick that sent him crashing to the trunk.

Then a giant fireball came flying towards him.

The traveler raised his hand. The roaring fireball froze midair, its light pulsing in silence before collapsing into a blinding core.

“I’ll return this to you.”

Sensing the impending danger, the Morz recited his spell. A magic barrier formed but was broken easily as the dense fireball exploded upon contact. The mage investigator blasted to the thickets with his body charred and smoking.

Then the last investigator snuck in and successfully landed a slash.

But the traveler’s body puffed with smoke and revealed a piece of a log with a carved middle finger on it.

Densel was stunned, unable to make out of what had happened.

But he launched into the trees as the young man appeared beside him.

“So you’re still awake,” he said to no one in particular. But he points behind him—

towards Clavic, who struggled to get up. Then something pierced his legs, which felled him.

He growled in pain as he clutched his legs to his breast.

Just how!

Elbard can’t make sense of what’s happening around him. All of them rank A, a status not only the strong can have. They are not someone that can be beaten so easily.

But two of his comrades are down together with additional reinforcements. And it wasn’t even a fight. The enemy is just toying with them. They have no information about him. All they knew was that he was a mage, which was most likely a lie.

Regret, frustration, and Anger.

“Damn you!” he gripped his sword tightly sword beamed, screamed as he charged.

He sent a series of slashes, each packed with power to split an orc, but every single one either got deflected or evaded.

“How about this!”

He lowered his posture and struck from below. The traveler tilted his head from the side just in time for the blade to pass through. But then the blade dragged towards him, aiming at his neck, but the hilt parried it.

The traveler slashed downward, but Albard jumped backward

“You’re mine!” He shouted as he swung from above

The traveler pulled his blade to receive his blade.

But Elbard pulled his sword and made a wide arc; his sword gleamed with prana, and he aimed at his neck.

It appears the overhead strike was just a feint to move the sword away up as he struck from below. However, the traveler jumped backward to evade, but as he was in mid-flight, the sword rushed towards him, aiming for his chest.

This should end the fight as the traveler has no way of dodging it.

But he pointed his left hand to his right, expelling invisible force. He was pushed to the left and flicked Elbard's sword upward with his katana.

Elbard’s sword pierced the trees, obliterating their upper parts. He staggered in an undefended posture. The traveler moved with a breakneck speed, faster than the eye could perceive, before unleashing a palm strike on the stomach.

Elbard dropped down as he was clutching his stomach and gasping for air.

“That was dangerous.” He said

Behind him were the people tied up.

Had he not redirected it blast, it would have hit them for sure.

Albard gritted his teeth.

“We! We’ve done nothing wrong to you! Th-this has nothing to do with you! So why are you interfering?” Elbard bellowed his frustration and anger, evident on his face.

The young man looked up, ignoring him.

“Don’t think you can walk here without any consequence. Our guild will hunt you down anywhere you go… we have contracts with relic holders. But if you help us get out of this forest along with prisoners, we will forget your crime and set you free—

“Hehehe… you’re hilarious.” The traveler said in a jolly tone. He looked at him.

“You know, I just killed a relic holder who tried to mug me recently. Obliterate another one along with 7 seven A-rank adventurers.”

“What are you… saying…?“ he muttered in a daze. Then it dawned on him. The traveling warrior wore a mask the same as this guy right here. But this guy wore a mage garb. So it’s not him. But what if he lied just to cover up his identity, just as he lied to cover up his true identity?

He shuddered, and despair embraced him.

“Those adventurers were in the same guild as you. I thought those people were just an exception. But when I found out your ploy, it got me thinking perhaps the very guild itself is rotten to the core.”

The young man dropped down and gazed at the elder as if his soul was being stared bear.

“So go ahead… Try me.”

An indescribable fear embraced him as if he were staring into the abyss. He understood this was not someone he should’ve messed with.

“Who are you?”

The young man stood up before he answered, “I’m just a traveler.” Before he stomped his head, embedding it into the ground.