In another part of the forest…
The peace of the calm forest had been distorted, the ground painted with blood, and the wind filled with the morbid sound of a litany of screams.
Scattered around the floor were the bodies of multiple mercenaries, each of them bearing viscous sword marks.
Ash was standing atop this field of blood, staring into the eyes of a mercenary he had just impaled.
His ashen hair was gleaming like the moon light was encased in it, slowly floating in the air, while his eyes shone like polished silver.
"T-they said y-you were not up to a knight!" The mercenary cursed, just as Ash pulled out his blade, blood gushing out of the wound.
"Are these really the type of people that tormented Artaris in the past?"'
For many years, Artaris could do little to defend itself against mercenary raids.
Although there were a number of notable warriors among them, the mercenaries far outnumbered them, and their leaders were just too powerful.
