FORTRESS TRIAL

The wooden wheels of the carriage creaked softly as they rolled over the roots protruding from the forest floor. The sound marked the slow-moving merchant caravan, sheltered beneath a canopy of lush trees whose branches and leaves obscured almost the entire sky, allowing only faint rays of sunlight to slip through the gaps in the foliage. Beams of light were cast across the surface of the merchant carriages.

In one of the rear carriages, Ennis sat leaning back with her arms folded. The carriage's constant swaying did not bother her in the slightest. Her attention remained fixed on the necklace hanging around her neck.

It was a cross-shaped necklace with a small pearl at its center, fashioned in the shape of a miniature human womb with a carving of an infant nestled within it.

She gripped the necklace tightly as she murmured in confusion,

"What exactly happened while I was unconscious?"

Fragments of memory began replaying in her mind. First came the appearance of the evolved Guerezza horde. Then, her body had become covered in wounds that multiplied with every passing second. Before long, her stamina must have been completely exhausted. She had thought the darkness that consumed her would remain forever, but strangely, when she opened her eyes, the entire horde of monsters had already been reduced to mangled corpses, their crimson flesh scattered across the ground. Not a single one remained intact, much less alive.

Even the dungeon boss had been found dead in a far more gruesome state.

It was undeniably baffling, making it difficult for her not to furrow her brow.

She could only arrive at one conclusion.

"I wasn't the one who did it."

Her instincts told her that someone—or perhaps something else—had been responsible. But that only gave rise to another question.

"Then who was it?"

"Milady! Milady!"

Taffi's cheerful voice immediately interrupted her thoughts. The little girl gently yet enthusiastically poked Ennis's arm while pointing out the wooden carriage's window with sparkling eyes.

"Look! Look at that!"

Ennis merely let out a soft sigh before turning her gaze toward where Taffi was pointing. A moment later, she blinked slowly.

The forest before them had changed drastically compared to the outer regions. The trees here towered high and stood firm, their trunks so massive that each was wide enough to house dozens of people in a two-story dwelling. Even with a slight glance downward, enormous roots could be seen coiling across the forest floor like intertwined serpents, forming countless narrow passageways.

Not far away, vines as thick as a human body hung from the lofty branches above. Bright blue flowers bloomed along their stems, releasing tiny motes of light as beautiful as fireflies dancing in the night.

Several butterflies of various colors fluttered past the carriage. Their wings reflected rainbow-like hues before they flew off into the distance and vanished among the foliage.

As a slave who had been born and raised in a dry, rocky land, Taffi had naturally never witnessed scenery as beautiful and lush as this. It was no wonder that the little girl's round eyes sparkled brightly.

"Waaah... It's so beautiful."

She turned her head in every direction, making no attempt to hide her admiration as she looked from side to side with childlike wonder.

"I've never seen a tree this big before! It's huge! Like a giant!"

Ennis observed the scenery as well, but her thoughts were occupied by an entirely different question. If her memory served her correctly, this area should have been nothing more than a mountain forest with scarcely any inhabitants. There was no city here, let alone a fortress.

if I am recall near this forest there aren’t city around only mountain formation. Where the convoy were lead to?

Ennis shifted her gaze toward the coachman sitting at the front, leisurely humming a tune. The man did not appear worried in the slightest, as though the road they traveled was nothing more than an ordinary trade route. There was not the faintest trace of nervousness in his expression—the kind one might expect from a criminal or someone harboring ill intentions—as if this journey were nothing more than another routine trip.

Strange.

Truly strange.

Though she sensed that something was amiss, Ennis decided to quietly observe the situation while waiting for them to reach their destination.

Not long afterward, the wooden carriage carrying Ennis, Taffi, and the other passengers came to a stop before a colossal fortress.

“finally we made it, refugees fortress of ashen. Ashen nobles ordered people’s who seek refuge to move here.”

The coachman's voice prompted Ennis to lift her head. She followed the direction he was pointing and unconsciously widened her eyes ever so slightly.

The fortress was far larger than she had imagined.

Built into the face of a colossal mountain cliff, its stone walls towered dozens of meters into the sky, as though they were a part of the mountain itself.

At its highest point stood a castle carved directly from the mountain's stone. Watchtowers were scattered across the fortress walls, while massive stone bridges connected each of its layers. Its form reminded Ennis of a gigantic serpent coiling around the mountain.

The Ashen Refuge Fortress was divided into three distinct layers.

The lowest layer served as the primary refugee settlement. Hundreds of white and brown tents stretched across the vast grounds beyond the outer gate. Thin streams of smoke rose from countless cooking hearths, a sign that many people were still struggling to survive within the area.

The second layer was situated higher along the mountainside. Unlike the tents below, it was filled with sturdy stone buildings that appeared far more permanent.

The third and highest layer lay near the mountain's peak. The main castle had been carved directly from the natural stone, seamlessly merging with the mountainside itself. Its security was also far stricter than that of the other two layers.

The fortress had clearly been built not only to withstand monster attacks, but also to shelter thousands of refugees at once.

Meanwhile, Taffi's attention was fixed on something entirely different. Upon realizing that their destination was a fortress of such immense size, her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"WAAAAHHH!"

she exclaimed enthusiastically. Her small body nearly leaned out of the carriage window in her excitement.

"Milady! It's huge!"

Ennis merely smiled faintly at her little companion's reaction. However, her attention soon shifted toward the long line forming before the fortress gates.

In the distance, dozens of carriages and hundreds of people were waiting their turn to enter the Ashen Refuge Fortress. It was not an unfamiliar sight in itself.

And yet, something felt strange.

The guards were not merely inspecting the newcomers' identities through letters or identification papers—they were also handing each person a small vial filled with a bluish liquid before allowing them to enter the fortress.

At the sight of this, Ennis could not help but furrow her brow.

What is that?

She wondered suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

As time passed, the distance between them gradually disappeared, allowing Ennis to observe more clearly. Their carriage had now reached the front of the line. Only three more carriages remained before their turn arrived.

A little closer, and perhaps she would be able to determine exactly what that suspicious liquid was.

On the other hand, Taffi, who had been watching the inspection as well, could only tilt her head in confusion.

"Milady, what are they doing?”

"I don't know. Not yet."

Ennis spoke honestly. She still could not determine why the potion was being given to every newcomer. Would its contents settle within the body and prove harmful? Or was it merely some kind of holy liquid?

It was also possible that the liquid was some kind of medicine. However, in all her life, Ennis had never encountered a ruler generous enough to freely hand something valuable to every stranger who arrived at their gates. For that reason, she decided it would be best to quietly observe as the guards distributed the vials to each newcomer. So far, no one had shown any unusual symptoms after drinking the bluish liquid. Perhaps it truly was harmless.

That assumption, however, did not last long.

When it was the turn of a middle-aged man from the foremost carriage, something unexpected happened.

At first, the middle-aged man stepped down from the carriage alongside several others without showing the slightest resistance or objection. Just like everyone before him, he accepted the vial from the guard and drank its contents without hesitation, as though such a procedure had become an everyday occurrence.

For a brief moment, nothing happened. The man had even begun preparing to continue on his way.

However, a few seconds later, his body suddenly froze in place. His unusual silence caused the people around him to exchange puzzled glances. The moment one of them reached out and touched his shoulder, the man's frail body began trembling violently.

"W-What's happeni—"

THUD!

Without warning, the man collapsed face-first onto the ground before rolling onto his side, clutching his throat. As Ennis narrowed her eyes to sharpen her vision, she saw black veins slowly emerge along his neck before rapidly spreading across his face. They crept outward like branching roots, advancing at an alarming speed.

"AAAAAAARGHHH!”

His agonized scream instantly shocked everyone present. Instinctively, those standing nearby hurriedly retreated several steps in panic. Their faces turned deathly pale in an instant.

"He's infected!"

"Don't get close!”

Panic immediately spread through the crowd as everyone tried to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the man. Their horrified gazes fell upon the middle-aged man, whose body had begun convulsing violently. From up close, they could clearly see every symptom: saliva mixed with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes rolling white, and the unnatural, spasmodic tremors wracking his body.

The horrifying sight was enough to seize everyone's attention, including Ennis's and Taffi's. Ennis gripped the necklace hanging around her neck, preparing herself in case of a sudden attack. As she anticipated what would happen next, her thoughts began to wander despite herself.

A monster? she guessed uncertainly. No. The symptoms were entirely different. Could it be—

Before Ennis could voice her suspicion, the sharp sound of something slicing swiftly through the air suddenly rang out.

SWOOT!

Her head snapped upward at once.

At that very moment, Ennis's golden-yellow eyes caught sight of an arrow hurtling through the air. In the next instant, her shifting gaze saw it pierce the skull of the middle-aged man just as he was attempting to rise. The force of the impact snapped his head backward. His entire body froze in place for a brief moment before losing its balance and collapsing onto the ground.

A heavy thud followed immediately after.

Those who witnessed the incident—which had unfolded in the blink of an eye—needed several moments to recover from their shock and swallow nervously. Meanwhile, Ennis had already lifted her gaze toward the top of the watchtower. Only then did she identify the culprit—a black-armored archer still standing firm with his bow in hand.

Judging from his flawless posture, there was not the slightest trace of hesitation or inexperience in his movements, as though what he had just done was nothing more than routine. There was further proof of that. When Ennis shifted her gaze elsewhere, she clearly saw two guards dragging the man's corpse away without needing to be ordered.

Everything was carried out so smoothly that it seemed they had memorized the entire procedure by heart.

"Next!"

If one listened closely, Ennis could even detect a hint of boredom in the guard's loud announcement.

This was undoubtedly an absolute rule of the Ashen Fortress—a rule that had to be obeyed by anyone wishing to enter. Unfortunately, Ennis possessed no privilege that would exempt her from it.

And it seemed Taffi shared the same concern, judging by her pale face and the way her small hand tightly clutched the sleeve of Ennis's clothing.

Her voice was even trembling with nervousness.

"M-Milady ... do we have to drink that too?"

"Probably," Ennis replied without hesitation.

She wanted to offer words of comfort to reassure the child, but not only was she utterly lacking in that particular talent, the reality before them was also impossible to ignore. Besides, Ennis had never been one to lie. So, she chose to remain silent.

Apparently, Taffi interpreted Ennis's silence differently. The little girl assumed that Ennis was just as frightened as she was.

"Th-Then ... what if ... we suddenly explode?"

"..."

Ennis was momentarily at a loss for words before letting out a quiet sigh. "That man didn't explode because of the potion," Ennis answered honestly.

For a moment, relief filled Taffi's little heart. "Thank goodness."

At least, until Ennis added her next sentence.

"But if we become infected like that man, we'll suffer before we die. It'll be far more painful than exploding immediately."

"..."

Tears instantly welled up in Taffi's large black eyes. She looked as though she was on the verge of bursting into tears when it suddenly became their carriage's turn to be inspected. Her sadness was momentarily replaced by nervousness as she heard the approaching footsteps of a guard carrying two small vials filled with a bluish liquid.

"Drink this."

Ennis accepted the vial and observed it for a moment. The liquid resembled ordinary blue-tinted water, but tiny luminous particles floated within it, giving it a faint, shimmering glow. Overall, it looked rather suspicious.

She then glanced at Taffi, who had already closed both eyes and begun praying.

"Milady! If I die, please bury me with my favorite food!"

"You won't die."

"But if I do—"

"Then I'll die with you. So just drink it."

After saying that so casually, Ennis was the first to drink the potion. The cold liquid flowed down her throat without producing any unusual sensation aside from a tolerable chill.

Silently, she counted each passing second in her mind. Seeing that Ennis had already finished hers, Taffi finally gathered the courage to do the same.

Fortunately, after twenty seconds had passed, nothing happened.

The guard on duty finally gave a single nod. "You may enter.”

The words were spoken so casually, yet strangely enough, they eased the tension weighing upon both Ennis and Taffi.

The two let out sighs of relief as they watched the guards stationed beside the gate step aside to clear the way. At a hand signal, the colossal gates of the Ashen Refuge Fortress slowly began to open.

GRRRAAAAK!!!

The sound of sturdy stone grinding against the ground echoed through the air, causing both of them to instinctively raise their heads. The view beyond the gates gradually revealed itself through the widening gap.

At last, they had reached the destination of this journey.

The carriage wheels began turning once more, slowly closing the remaining distance before finally entering the fortress grounds. When it came to a stop at the roadside, Ennis knew it was time to disembark. She jumped down from the carriage while carrying Taffi in her arms to prevent the little girl from falling should she climb down by herself.

Seeing that the coachman was about to pull on the reins and turn his horses around, Ennis quickly walked to the front of the carriage and gave him a small bow of gratitude.

"Thank you for giving me a ride," she said with a slight nod.

The coachman smiled broadly as he stroked his thin beard. "It's no trouble at all. If I'm not mistaken, the emblem on your envelope belongs to those residing in the uppermost part of the fortress."

Ennis raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "It seems you know quite a lot."

"Of course.” The man chuckled softly before proudly pointing at himself. "I'm a merchant. Information is one of the commodities I trade." Then, he gave her a playful wink, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. "Well then, until we meet again, beautiful lady."

Those words marked their farewell—for now, or perhaps forever. What was certain was that each of them had their own destination awaiting them.

Especially Ennis and Taffi.

Their arrival in this place was far from mere coincidence.

***

After stepping inside, the Ashen Refuge Fortress proved to be far livelier than Ennis had imagined.

The moment she passed through the main gate, the scenery before her felt like an entirely different world from the wilderness beyond the walls. Towering stone ramparts surrounded the refugee grounds, protecting the countless lives that had managed to survive the dangers of the outside world until this very day.

Hundreds of white and brown tents stretched across the vast open plain. Most were made from thick cloth that had been patched time and time again, while the rest had been crafted from carefully processed monster hides. Thin wisps of smoke rose from the small stoves beside each tent, blending with the aroma of freshly baked bread, vegetable stew, and simmering meat. The combination was warm, fragrant, and strangely comforting.

Elsewhere, children around Taffi's age ran through the stone-paved streets with bright laughter. While they played together, Ennis noticed several women washing clothes beside a public well, while the men busied themselves repairing hunting tools and damaged weapons.

The sight was peaceful and harmonious.

It was difficult to believe that most of them were refugees who had lost their homes and families to war or monster attacks.

Taffi, who had been in Ennis's arms all this time, could not hide her amazement. Her eyes darted from one place to another as she curiously took in every corner of the fortress.

"Milady! There's a bakery!" she exclaimed enthusiastically while pointing at a small stall filled with various kinds of bread.

Before her excitement could settle, her little finger immediately pointed elsewhere. "And there's a grilled meat skewer stall too!"

A moment later, she pointed somewhere else again. "What's that? It looks delicious!"

"It's potato stew with meat and carrots," Ennis replied calmly, the complete opposite of the little girl's enthusiastic reaction.

"Wah! Potato and meat stew? They even eat luxurious food here?"

"..."

Ennis fell silent for several seconds.

Sometimes, she forgot that Taffi's standards for happiness were much simpler than most people's. It seemed that even a piece of warm bread would make the child bow deeply in gratitude.

The kind of child who would be easily kidnapped.

Somewhat concerning.

Still, seeing Taffi's excitement unconsciously brought a faint smile to the corners of Ennis's lips. After everything they had gone through, seeing the little girl still capable of smiling like this was not such a bad thing.

Her focus soon shifted elsewhere. Unlike Taffi, who was busy admiring their surroundings, Ennis carefully observed the structure of the Ashen Refuge Fortress.

Now that she was inside, she could clearly make out the fortress's three layers, which had only appeared vaguely from afar before.

The first layer was the refugee district.

The second lay much higher upon the mountainside and was filled with neatly arranged stone buildings. Even from this distance, Ennis could see several soldiers patrolling the massive stone bridges connecting each layer.

As for the third layer, it was almost impossible to observe clearly from their current position. The main castle stood magnificently near the mountain's peak, shrouded in a thin veil of mist and guarded by dozens of fully armed soldiers.

At last, Ennis's gaze fell upon the envelope she had carefully kept all this time.

If the coachman's assumption was correct, then the emblem engraved upon it was connected to the fortress's upper district.

"Are we going there right away, Milady?" Taffi asked curiously while pointing toward the place Ennis had been staring at. It seemed the child had finally satisfied her curiosity about their surroundings and returned to her usual timid self.

In response, Ennis merely nodded once. That silent answer was more than enough.

Without wasting any more time, Ennis began asking for directions to the upper district of the fortress.

Fortunately, the people of Ashen Fortress were rather welcoming toward outsiders. After asking several residents, she finally learned which route would lead them to the second layer.

The only slight problem was that the journey was much farther than she had expected.

They had to cross several massive stone bridges connecting the refugee district to the mountainside. The higher they climbed, the fewer civilians they encountered, their numbers gradually replaced by guards stationed at various important checkpoints.

Not only that, but the buildings around them also began to change. While the refugee district was filled with simple tents, the structures here were constructed from sturdy mountain stone and possessed far more refined architecture.

Taffi, who had been quietly holding onto the hem of Ennis's clothing all this time, was beginning to grow nervous.

"Milady, this place looks expensive."

"It is."

"I don't think I belong here."

"Neither do I."

"Eh ...."

That honest answer left Taffi speechless for several moments. For some reason, she felt slightly relieved knowing that even Ennis considered herself out of place here.

Not long afterward, their steps came to a halt before an enormous stone gate guarded by several soldiers clad in black-silver armor. The emblem of Ashen Fortress was magnificently engraved above the gate itself. It was immediately obvious that security here was far stricter than within the refugee district.

Just as Ennis was about to step forward, one of the guards immediately raised his spear to block their path.

"Halt!" The firm voice instantly drew the attention of several nearby people. "This area is reserved exclusively for those bearing an invitation."

Ennis's expression remained unchanged upon hearing the explanation. Calmly, she took out the envelope she had been carrying and presented it to the two guards.

"Would this count as an invitation?"

The guards accepted the envelope for inspection.

At first, their expressions were perfectly ordinary. However, the moment their eyes fell upon the emblem engraved on the back of the envelope, they exchanged glances for several seconds before revealing expressions that were difficult to describe.

Then … they burst into laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Ennis merely frowned slightly, finding the mocking tone hidden within their laughter all too familiar.

One of the guards even wiped at the corner of his eye as though what Ennis had just asked was nothing more than an amusing joke.

"I can't believe there are still idiots out there."

"..."

Thus, Ennis silently restrained herself while looking at the other guard, who wore an irritating smirk as he cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Well, let's just leave it at that. I suppose today is the Professor's lucky day."

Professor?

Ennis raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing the title.

Before she could ask any questions, the guard produced a scroll and a small pouch filled with coins before handing them to her.

"Here. Your task and some pocket money.”

"..."

Now, it wasn't just Taffi who was stunned.

Even Ennis needed several seconds to make sure she had heard correctly.

A task?

Pocket money?

Why was the recipient of an invitation being assigned a job before anything else?

Seeing the obvious confusion written across their faces, the guard casually continued his explanation.

"Several important figures reside beyond this gate. We've been ordered to inform anyone seeking His Excellency that they must first complete a certain task before they are permitted to meet him."

Ennis stared at the small pouch of coins in her hand for several moments before finally opening the scroll she had been given.

However, the longer she read its contents, the more surprise gradually appeared upon her usually calm expression. This was entirely different from what she had expected.

Still, it seemed she had little choice in the matter.

Ennis eventually let out a quiet sigh. Though the task itself appeared troublesome, there was something else that interested her far more than the assignment.

"Him?”

As though confirming her thoughts, one of the guards nodded.

"That's right. The emblem engraved upon your envelope belongs to His Excellency."

Hearing that, Ennis fell silent.

So she had been mistaken all this time. She had originally assumed that the emblem belonged to an organization or perhaps a noble house connected to Ashen Fortress. Instead, it represented a single individual.