Without wasting time, Eris began leading the four toward Ezkalor. She didn't bother restraining them or anything of the sort, she didn't even search them. She simply guided them on foot; if any of them tried anything, their heads would fly off instantly.
Of course, not everyone in that group seemed aware of this.
Zenith looked confused and shocked; she wanted to ask many questions, but didn't dare. Her sister, Therese, was distraught and melancholic, eyes downcast and steps heavy.
Only Edgar and Norn showed any energy, though for completely different reasons.
Edgar walked in silence, observing everything carefully. He still hadn't accepted the situation and harbored hope of escape if he paid close attention to Eris's path and movements. As for Norn…
Norn was an idiot.
To begin with, she didn't want to leave Milishion.
And when she was "invited" to dismount the carriage and follow this red-haired woman, she was outraged. She clearly didn't grasp the gravity of the situation.
To her, it was all just a huge inconvenience. At one point, huffing and puffing, she said:
"Hey, you! Get me a carriage! Or even a horse will do!"
Eris looked at her as if she'd heard a rock complaining about the sun. Zenith quickly stepped in front of her daughter, bowing and saying:
"I apologize for her behavior. She's used to living in the mansion…"
Eris snorted.
"She really isn't anything like Aisha…"
Zenith pulled Norn aside and tried to speak calmly, explaining that they were in a dangerous situation, but Norn simply couldn't understand.
No one was chained, no one was being mistreated.
In her mind, it was all just a pointless forced trip.
The two missing soldiers? Well, she didn't even know who they were and hadn't seen them die.
Norn's childish mind could hardly keep up with recent events. After all, she was only eight years old. And, above all, just an ordinary child.
She had grown up protected within the mansions of Casa Latreia, raised by her grandmother Claire, who, though very strict and rigid, was also incredibly loving in her own way.
As a young noble, Norn had to learn many things… and she wasn't good at almost any of them.
She had lessons in etiquette, oratory, history, even magic. She was terrible at all of them, but made up for it with a touching effort.
She tried so hard to please her grandmother. Aunt Therese was one of her role models—always radiant, strong, and confident.
Like any other ordinary child, Norn didn't have many clear memories of her earliest years, of course.
She had no memories of her mother or father, nor of living in Buenna Village in the Asura Kingdom.
She didn't remember Aisha or Lilia, who left Casa Latreia when she was only two. Basically, for her, her entire life had been as a noble in Milis.
There was, however, someone she remembered in more detail—her brother, Rudeus Greyrat. He appeared when she was four and was very affectionate and attentive.
He left early, though, so she didn't become too attached.
When the conflict against the Iron Legion began, she saw them as monsters. Uncontrolled beasts. Bloodthirsty demons. The absolute villains in her childish mind.
But even with the war, life in Milishion didn't change much. When the battles really began, the adults shielded her from everything.
Knights went to the front lines, but Norn remained safe. In the last two years, the atmosphere in the house even felt lighter. Her grandmother Claire and the others were kinder.
She didn't know why, but she liked it.
Then her biological parents arrived.
A swordsman named Paul and a healer named Zenith. Her mother resembled Therese, which made her curious.
Norn would be lying if she said she never wanted to meet them. According to her grandmother, she discovered that her entire family had been teleported by a mana disaster in their homeland.
But there was a problem: they wanted to take her away.
How? Why? She didn't know any other life. Why follow these two strangers to a distant land?
She spoke with her grandparents, Claire and Carlyte, and begged her parents to stay. She asked them to fight for Milis.
She remembered their expression perfectly when she said that: sadness and disappointment. She was incredulous. To Norn, it was incomprehensible. Fighting demons wasn't something honorable? Helping Milis wasn't noble?
In her mind, the perfect scenario was simple: her parents would redeem themselves by helping win the war against the demons and then live with her in Casa Latreia. But no. They insisted on taking her. No matter what.
It took her grandfather involving Your Holiness, Pope Lucios, to convince Paul to fight for Milis.
And Paul ended up fighting for the cause… and dying. He was killed by the leader of the demons, the abominable Beast God.
Norn felt sadness. Paul might not have been an exemplary person—he actually seemed unpleasant to almost everyone. But with her… he was gentle. And loving.
After that, her grandfather announced she would leave Milishion with her mother. She revolted, resisted with all her might, but it was to no avail.
And now, she was being taken by force, with no choice. And to make matters worse, the red-haired woman didn't even let her use a carriage. They were on foot.
Norn marched sullenly, kicking twigs and glaring at Eris's back with the murderous look of a spoiled girl. In her mind, this woman was just another minion of evil. The Red Lioness? More like an aggressive nanny.
Then, after a few hours of walking, the forest opened up and revealed an impressive sight. Ahead, standing in the center of a clearing, was a huge Red Dragon. Its scales gleamed like rubies in the morning sun. Wings folded, eyes half-closed.
Zenith turned pale. Therese froze. Edgar's eyes widened. Norn took a step back, deeply terrified.
Eris, impassive, pulled a rope from her backpack, tied them all together with frightening efficiency, ignoring protests and incredulous looks. She bound the four as if it were a school field trip.
"All set!" she said, satisfied, adjusting the knots. "Just like we did with Skoll!"
She turned to the dragon and smiled, climbing up its scales with agility. She faced the others, now tied together like a human bouquet.
"Looks good! Pray you don't fall off!"
And then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes:
"After all, I can't fly like Rygar!"
Before they could protest, the dragon spread its wings, roared a thunder that shook the forest, and took flight with the group.
---
Ironically, the two main capitals, Milishion and Tinaver, weren't that far apart.
It was still a considerable distance, but nothing a Red Dragon flying at top speed couldn't cover in a matter of hours.
Eris was very comfortable, sitting confidently on Ezkalor's saddle, feeling the strong wind whip her red hair. Her passengers, however, couldn't say the same.
Zenith, Therese, and Norn were unconscious, their bodies swaying as they remained tied up, completely overcome by the altitude and cold of the flight.
Edgar, by contrast, forced himself to stay conscious with impressive stubbornness.
His gaze swept the horizon and then fixed on Eris's movements, studying, observing, believing that if he stayed alert, he might find an opportunity to escape.
Eris knew she had no time to waste. The war was raging and she needed to return to the front line.
As soon as the city walls appeared on the horizon, she quickly activated the magic circle that Rygar had given her.
The barriers protecting the city's skies were crossed without resistance, recognizing the Beast God's signature.
Ezkalor descended with grace and power, landing in front of the house where Rygar and his allies lived. Without ceremony, Eris grabbed the three unconscious by their bonds and threw them to the ground in front of the door.
Then, she crossed her arms and waited, sitting atop the dragon, looking around with disinterest.
Curious onlookers began to approach the dragon, but upon realizing who it was, they stepped back or contented themselves with keeping a respectful distance.
Only one Guard Commander came and asked why she had returned, and Eris said she was just there to drop off some prisoners. The guard seemed to accept the explanation easily.
After all, she was the Beast God's wife. No one dared ask too many questions.
A few minutes later, Aisha arrived upon learning of the guests. She was sweaty and out of breath, clearly in the midst of a fencing practice. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and a kind of living energy vibrated around her.
When she spotted Eris, her face lit up.
"Eris! When did you return?!"
The swordswoman smiled at the corner of her mouth and tossed a small knife with surgical precision. The blade cut the three prisoners' bonds with a dry sound.
"I returned a few minutes ago, I'm short on time, Aisha. These are the people of Casa Latreia, including Zenith and Norn. I don't know what to do with them, but I guess you will. I'm heading back into battle!"
Before Aisha could respond, Ezkalor was already taking flight again, its wingbeats kicking up dust and shaking the nearby vegetation. In seconds, it was just a dot in the sky.
Aisha stood there, stunned for a moment, watching the silhouette recede. Then she turned her gaze to the four before her. Her expression hardened slightly.
Edgar, feeling his body freed, acted quickly. He grabbed his spare sword that Eris hadn't bothered to confiscate and murmured:
"Aisha… you are Aisha Greyrat…? So you're the Beast God's disciple?"
"Oh, yes, that's right," she replied casually. "And you are…?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he burst forward with speed, aiming to take Aisha hostage. If he succeeded, they might use the chaos to escape Tinaver with at least one advantage.
But his hope was shattered in the next second.
Aisha raised one hand with a light, casual gesture, and an Earth Pillar exploded from the ground beside Edgar.
The impact was brutal, breaking his ribs and throwing him backward like a rag doll.
Before he could recover, Aisha spun her fist and a sonic blast hit him, hurling his body against a nearby wall, cracking the structure with the force of the collision.
He fell unconscious.
Zenith, Therese, and Norn had awoken since the dragon's landing and watched everything in absolute shock. Zenith murmured, incredulous:
"Aisha…? You're Aisha? Lilia's daughter?!"
The woman had to contain herself from running to embrace the girl; after all, she was one of the people she had been looking for all this time.
But now, seeing her in action, she thought that Eris might be kinder than the young woman before her.
Aisha responded with a bright smile:
"It's me! You must be Zenith Greyrat! I'm sorry for the loss of your husband…"
She glanced briefly at Norn.
"And your father too."
Norn didn't reply immediately. She was still staring at Edgar—the symbol of strength and protection her entire life—fallen, defeated twice in a row. First by Eris. Now by Aisha.
"Oh, yes… thank you," she finally answered, without much conviction.
Aisha studied her with an interested look. She didn't bother hiding it. She wanted to know what that sister could do.
After all, Paul had two prodigious children—Rudeus and herself. It was unlikely that this girl was ordinary. Could Norn also carry some potential?
"Although we have some ideological differences," Aisha said with a friendly smile, "you are my sister. I hope we can get along!"
She turned to Zenith:
"Anyway, who are those two extras?"
Zenith was still trying to process everything, but replied:
"They are my siblings… Therese and Edgar."
Aisha placed a hand on her chin, thoughtful.
Then she gestured to two guards who had been watching from afar. They approached immediately and took Edgar, still unconscious, to a cell in chains.
Aisha then turned to the three remaining women with a warm smile:
"All right! He'll spend some time in prison for attacking me. You three, follow me!"
With that, she turned and entered the door of the huge mansion next to the Iron Legion's strategic center.
The others followed, with cautious steps and wary looks.
-----
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