Chapter 3: Now There Is No Choice

Kalia looked at Roland with apologetic, guilt-ridden eyes that met his own steady gaze.

"I’m sorry for dragging you into this. They shouldn’t have seen your face, though. I can use shadow magic to take you to the station; you should catch the next train out of here."

"As long as you mask your magical signature, they won't notice you. I'll draw their attention away before you leave."

"Their target is me, after all. They won't pay much mind to your existence."

Roland didn't answer immediately. Instead, he strained to discern the sounds from the outside world. Trapped within the shadows, the two of them were cut off from the reality outside, as if this pocket of darkness were a separate plane of existence. Roland could only guess at the safety of the outside world through sound—a rather unreliable method, considering the abundance of spells and techniques designed to dampen or mask noise.

However, it was silent out there. Even the magical fluctuations had vanished. It seemed the attackers had departed. Only then did Roland turn back to Kalia.

"Haven't you realized it yet? While a witch's awakening grants her a unique, innate spell that no one else can learn, they have clearly mastered a way to track you."

"Given that they couldn't find you while we were hiding in these shadows, it’s clear they cannot locate you when you are merged with the darkness. You mentioned you could use your innate magic to take me to the station, which implies you can travel through shadows. It seems you’ve escaped their pursuit this way more than once before. That is why they stopped waiting in ambush and simply left."

"But the moment you step out of the shadows, they will be on you again. If you could simply rely on that 'getaway' skill, you would have shaken them off a long time ago."

"If you take me to the station, you will inevitably expose my location. Those two aren't fools; they’ll know I was hiding in the shadows with you."

Using the scraps of information he had just gathered, Roland briefly analyzed the situation for Kalia. The reality was that from the moment Roland decided to feed this beautiful, starving girl, he had become inextricably tangled in her troubles.

Kalia’s logic was sound—the attackers’ line of sight was blocked by the wooden cabin, and they could only confirm the presence of two people through magical signatures. If he suppressed his own aura and made a mad dash for the station to catch the magitech train to the capital and complete his enrollment, he might have been able to escape the mess.

But her proposed plan was not feasible. Roland didn't know if the attackers had been speaking specifically for his and Kalia’s benefit, nor did he know how much of their words were true. However, he suspected that the power behind them already held significant control over the city of Ryskan and its surroundings. Just because the pursuers had left didn't mean others weren't watching this area.

Worse yet, this cabin wasn't exactly a secret hideout. Many of his father's associates from the Adventurers' Guild knew that Roland had built a cabin by the lake in the small forest outside the city. He had never intended to hide it. Anyone could find out just by asking around at a tavern; they wouldn't even need to look hard.

Roland was something of a minor celebrity in Ryskan. After all, it wasn't every day that a sixteen-year-old passed the rigorous entrance examination for the Royal Academy of Magic. Even though Ryskan was a prosperous hub of trade—famous throughout the Empire and the entire Southern Continent—it rarely produced anyone of real power.

A city of merchants, a paradise for the greedy, a hell for the poor... Greed and profit were the colors of this city; its people cared far more for wealth than for magic. A magical prodigy like Roland, especially one determined to study at the Royal Academy, was a rarity.

To pass the exam, one had to satisfy four criteria simultaneously: combat ability, academic knowledge, creativity, and, most importantly, raw talent. This made the fact that Roland had passed with only second-circle strength even more incredible. Usually, the practical combat portion alone required at least fourth-circle strength. Yet, Roland had cleared it with second-circle power, which only added to his fame in Ryskan.

Even if most people didn't know his face, the name "Roland Lancelot" had recently become common fodder for gossip among the city's residents. It was clear that even if the attackers lacked vast resources, they could easily obtain intelligence on someone like him. For the first time, Roland realized what it meant to be burdened by a reputation.

"Alright, Miss Kalia. We're in the same boat now."

"At least let me know who is targeting you and trying to take your life. It’s for my own good, too."

Kalia let out a long sigh, explaining with deep remorse, "I’m sorry for dragging you into this. If I’d known, I wouldn't have asked you for food. I could have just settled for bugs and grass for another couple of days."

"It started like this: my teacher told me to deliver a pendant to the capital."

"It’s outrageous, isn't it? I’m only sixteen! Even for a witch, that’s just too much, don't you think?"

"For the last sixteen years, I’ve been following her instructions, training in the forests of the Blackthorn Territory. I have zero experience in the outside world!"

"She sent me on such a long journey without even giving me enough travel money—I spent it all in two days!"

Kalia’s apologetic tone grew more animated as she ranted about her mentor’s unreliability, her voice laced with complaint.

"If the money wasn't enough, I could have just taken some potion-crafting commissions at the Adventurers' Guild to make ends meet. But the moment I left the Blackthorn Territory, a group of people in black started chasing me, demanding I hand over the pendant."

"I actually wanted to hand it over, but those guys clearly intended to kill me to silence me! That’s why I’ve been running this whole time!"

"Wait, the Blackthorn Territory?!" Roland, who had been listening intently, realized something belatedly. "You ran all the way from the center of the Empire to Ryskan!?"

"You went in the completely wrong direction!"

"The capital is to the north! Why did you run south?"

Kalia retorted, neck stiff with defiance, "It’s not my fault! Those guys were surrounding and intercepting me the whole way; I had no choice but to be driven here!"

"Besides, this is my first time traveling! Before this, the furthest I’d ever gone was to the villages and towns near the forest to buy supplies!"

"And if this pendant is so important, why didn't that wretched old hag come get it herself instead of making me deliver it?"

With that, Kalia puffed out her cheeks, crossed her arms, and sulked.

"So," Roland said, ignoring the witch’s complaints, "what is the background of the people chasing you?"

"I'm not sure. But I did hear them mention a name..."

"The Mother of Ulcers."