“What happened? Why did we stop in the middle of the forest?” Ella questioned, her confusion evident.

“Are you oblivious? I just mentioned that I smelled blood,” Anon retorted with impatience.

Faith, ever the practical one, took charge of the situation. “You all stay inside. Julia and I will investigate the situation outside.”

Julia added a parting jab to Anon, saying, “Keep an eye on her; she’s a bit dense.”

Anon dismissed the suggestion of going outside with an astute response. “I’m not venturing out. What if someone kills me?”

He casually put on his sunglasses and leaned back in his seat. Ella, however, couldn’t resist a sarcastic remark. “Wow, for a man, you sure have a brave heart. Since you’re not going, I will.”

As Ella reached for the carriage door handle, she glanced back at Anon, branding him as a coward. The moment the door opened, two arrows streaked towards her from the trees. Before the arrows could touch her, Julia’s swift swordplay intercepted and destroyed them.

Julia scolded Ella as she joined her outside the carriage. “What are you doing out here? Didn’t you hear what I said? I told you to stay inside.”

Ella, ever determined, replied, “Well, Commander, I’m your vice-commander, and I can’t stay in this carriage while you’re facing danger outside.”

Julia’s response was to instruct Ella. “Very well, Vice Commander. Take cover and try to locate our attackers.”

Curious, Ella asked, “Where’s Madam Faith?”

Julia provided an explanation as they took refuge behind a large tree. “She’s in the trees, dealing with the archers attacking us. We just need to pinpoint their locations and relay that information to her.” ｏｖ𝚕．ｃｏ𝚖

Ella inquired further, “What happened to the rest of our soldiers?”

Julia delivered a grim assessment, “They’re all dead. These archers are professionals, and we can’t take any chances. They know precisely what they’re doing.”

Ella then surmised, “So, if they’re professionals, they’re not random bandits, right?”

Julia confirmed Ella’s suspicion, “Correct. They’re not. They’re here to assassinate Sir Jule.”

Curiosity drove Ella’s questions as she probed, “And how do we know that?”

Julia provided the rationale, “He’s the Queen’s Candidate in the exchange event. That’s why they’re here to eliminate him.”

Ella sought more details, asking, “Do we have any numbers?”

Julia admitted, “No, we’ve been attacked from several directions. They change their positions with each attack. I can’t determine their exact numbers, but Faith is continuously tracking them.”

Ella couldn’t resist taking a dig at Anon, even in the midst of danger. “Mr. Jule won’t step out of his carriage. Don’t you think he’s a bit of a coward?”

Julia defended Anon’s actions, saying, “No, he’s just following orders, like a good soldier.”

Suddenly, a barrage of arrows rained down upon them. Ella and Julia hastily sought cover behind the tree.

“They’re attacking with full intensity. What should we do?” Ella asked with genuine concern.

Julia, too, was worried. “Madam Faith, what’s our course of action?”

Suddenly, Anon emerged from the carriage and glanced around the scene. “Haa… How much longer are you going to take?”

Julia shouted in a futile attempt to keep him inside, “Mr. Jule, go back inside!”

But it was too late. Over a hundred arrows were directed at Anon from all directions.

Anon employed his telekinesis to halt the incoming arrows.

“I have to save—”

Before Julia could complete her sentence, she witnessed an astonishing sight. The arrows hovered in mid-air, frozen in place. Anon effortlessly redirected them back towards their origin, doubling their velocity.

The arrows found their marks, and the forest was filled with the sound of bodies thudding to the ground.

Ella, still in disbelief, asked with a mix of surprise and admiration, “How can you do that?”

Anon maintained an air of mystery as he mockingly replied, “It’s a secret.”

Faith rejoined the group after investigating one of the corpses. “Come here, everyone. Look at this.”

Anon, Julia, and Ella gathered around Faith to see what she had discovered. Julia inquired, “What happened, Madam Faith?”

Faith revealed a distinct tattoo on one of the dead assassins. “Look at this.”

Ella recognized the symbol and inquired, “Isn’t that the mark of the Croc-Assassins?”

Anon, less familiar with the term, asked, “What are Croc-Assassins?”

Faith provided a brief explanation. “They’re the most renowned group of highly skilled assassins, holding a formidable reputation in the underworld. They want you dead at any cost. They must have tipped off the largest assassins’ group, which means they have a lot of resources—”

Anon, distracted, interrupted her with a question about the event’s rules. “Was there any rule in the exchange event that states I would lose automatically if I arrived a little late for the match?”

Faith clarified, “Yes, there is. If you don’t reach the arena within ten minutes of the match starting, you’ll be declared the loser.”

Anon pieced together the situation. “They weren’t here to kill me; they were here to prevent me from reaching the Colosseum. A clever plan… They killed our drivers first, released our horses, and sabotaged the carriage wheels.”

Faith lamented her decision to bring the group with her. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have brought you all with me. Now we won’t make it in time, and the Queen will impose the death penalty.”

Anon, ever the optimist, responded, “Don’t worry, love. Sometimes, a whistle can summon help.”

“A what can do what ?” Ella asked with a confused expression.

He stepped forward and whistled loudly.

Whistleeeeeeeeee

The sound echoed through the forest, and, in response, a series of caws filled the air.

Suddenly a big black Raven who had three eyes appeared over in the sky.

“What is that ?” Julia asked.

“My pet, a three eyes raven.” Anon answered.

“Wait, Wait, Wait… A three eyes what ?” Ella asked in a Shocked tone.

“A three eyes raven.” Anon repeated.

“Isn’t that the pet of Demonic Royalty ?” Ella asked.

Suddenly the Raven descended on the ground and Anon walked up on it’s back after scratching it’s head.

“Come on, Luv. We have a fight to catch.” Anon said as he helped Faith getting on the raven.