Shane and Sera, sensing the presence of others, immediately exited the carriage and readied themselves. The aura they felt was so faint that they barely noticed it, as they were preoccupied with their children.
There were five people in total, wearing tattered clothes, with marks on their bodies and blood gushing out from their wounds.
The knights took their positions, ready to protect the carriage.
One of the people stumbled forward, his voice ragged with terror. "He... help, HEL..P us, we are bei..ng chase...d." He gasped. He was panting hard, his voice barely audible and breaking apart.
None of the knights moved from their positions. They remained wary, wondering who would chase people here if not beasts. However, the marks on their bodies were not from beasts—they were from swords.
The people stopped near the group, not daring to move past the knights for fear of being attacked. Panting hard, they rested their hands on their knees, exhausted from running. They were barely able to stand, struggling to keep themselves from fainting.
The man who had shouted earlier took a few steps forward, bowed his head, and said, "I am the leader of our team. We are being chased by one individual. Please help us."
All the others behind him knelt on the ground one by one, and the leader followed suit. One of the followers spoke with a quivering voice, "He killed our two friends. He's a monster, yes, a monster. He is a monster." His body shook as he remembered the figure that had chased them; a shiver ran down his spine.
Shane dismissed his sword, returning it to the dimensional space.
Knights also sheathed their swords back in their scabbards.
Shane ordered them, "Stand up and tell me exactly what happened. Who is chasing you, and why?"
They all stood up. Their faces were drenched in sweat. Their eyes darted left and right, searching for any sign of the 'monster' who pursued them. Fear clouded each face.
The leader took a moment to calm himself and said, "We are an adventurer team, and we were tasked with dealing with a beast that had been attacking travelers. While searching for it, a figure with his face covered suddenly attacked us and killed two of our teammates; we barely escaped."
Shane nodded. "Hmm, any idea why he attacked you?"
The leader was about to speak, but suddenly, a rustling in a nearby tree branch caught everyone's attention. From the woods, a figure emerged. He was about Alex's height, wearing a hood and covering his face with a black mask.
The only visible features were his black hair, black eyes, and pointed ears. He held a sword drenched in blood; small droplets fell onto the ground, staining it deep red.
Alex and Ariana had already exited the carriage and listened to the leader's words. Both were immediately shielded by Sera as the hooded figure appeared.
Ariana exclaimed, "An elf!"
Alex immediately put his hand over her mouth. Something inside him told him the elf was strong, very strong, just like Princess Eva.
Everyone could feel his anger as they gazed into the elf's black eyes; those eyes were fixed on the leader and his teammates with intense hatred, making them flinch at how someone who appeared to be a child could possess such anger.
Shane asked, "Who are you, child? Why are you chasing them?"
The elf answered, his voice deep and rumbling, "Leave them to me. They will die by my hands."
Shane shook his head. "I am not asking; I am ordering you. Tell me why you are chasing them, or you will die here." He released ten percent of his aura towards the elf.
The elf managed to stand. He planted his sword on the ground and leaned on it to keep himself from collapsing. Clenching his teeth, he met Shane's gaze evenly. "They kidnapped the elves' children and were trying to sell them."
Immediately, Shane withdrew his aura from the figure and said, "Kids, close your eyes."
Alex quickly covered his sister's eyes and closed his own.
Shane unleashed his full aura with blunt force upon the 'adventurer team.' They were thrown to the ground, their faces pressed into the dirt, and their bones began to crack.
The leader immediately pleaded, "Please forgive us, we won't kidnap aga..." But before he could finish, their heads burst apart. Such was the aura of a paragon rank.
Sera immediately channeled her ice magic and hurled the bodies into the forest, her eyes blazing with anger at those who tried to kidnap children. The path was left clean, with only a wet trail remaining.
The elf, who had withstood Shane's aura without wavering, was dissatisfied at not being able to kill them himself. He quickly stepped back, looked at Shane and his family, memorized their faces, and disappeared into the woods.
Sera said, "Children, you can open your eyes now."
Alex opened his eyes and removed his hand from his sister's face.
Ariana opened her eyes and saw her parents, angry. This was the second time she had seen them so angry; the first was when they were in the inn.
Alex looked to the spot where the elf had stood, but it was empty. "Father, the elf is gone."
Shane nodded. "Yes, he likely left since they have been dealt with." He had noticed the elf retreating but did not pursue him. Shane agreed with chasing the kidnappers—he would have done the same if he were in the elf's place. Besides, he did not feel like making the acquaintance of someone so wary of them, so he let him go.
Alex asked, "Father, he took on your aura and did not waver. Is he strong?"
- - -
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