Draven didn't repeat himself.
After a moment, Aldric sighed and snapped his fingers.
The blood chains dissolved from around the cultist's body, fading into the night air.
She rolled her shoulders slowly, feeling the circulation return to her arms. The forest clearing was dim, lit only by scattered moonlight filtering through the canopy.
Her eyes moved across the group.
Lyriana.
Vaelith.
Aldric.
Then finally—
Draven.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she spoke.
"You both managed to leave the town before the battle began," she said calmly, looking toward Lyriana and Vaelith. "Which means you never encountered the barrier when you escaped."
Vaelith didn't answer.
The cultist tilted her head slightly.
"If that's the case… why did you engage the army at all?"
Her gaze shifted toward Draven now.
"My lord could have simply left as well."
The forest remained quiet.
"Instead," she continued, "you fought them. Drew attention to yourselves. Revealed your presence."
Aldric folded his arms with a bored expression.
"Where are you going with this?"
She ignored him.
"By engaging them… you've confirmed something."
Her eyes stayed fixed on Draven.
"The one they're hunting was **in that town**."
Lyriana's grip tightened slightly around her weapon.
The cultist's voice remained calm.
"The bounty on your head was placed by the Holy Empire."
She glanced toward the dark horizon.
"And now the people hunting that bounty know where to look."
The wind stirred softly through the leaves.
"In no time… they'll start pouring into this country."
Hunters.
Mercenaries.
Imperial agents.
All drawn by the same thing.
Draven.
Aldric let out a quiet laugh.
"Good."
Everyone looked at him.
He grinned, showing his teeth.
"More entertainment."
Draven didn't react.
His eyes remained fixed on the cultist.
Silent.
Unreadable.
The cultist looked at Aldric, her calm expression tightening slightly.
"Are you acting like you don't care," she said evenly, "or are you simply blind to the situation?"
Aldric raised a brow.
She continued.
"If people begin hunting you day and night—adventurers, mercenaries, bounty hunters—none of you will be able to move freely anymore."
Her gaze swept across the group.
"They'll hunt nonstop for the reward."
She gestured faintly toward the sky through the trees.
"With ships… you can hide from them for a while, yes. But you can't outrun them forever."
Her eyes returned to Draven.
"If the army had truly followed you tonight, you would not have escaped so easily."
The clearing remained quiet as the implication settled.
"And if the hunters start pouring into this country—"
"Alright, shut up already."
Aldric cut her off with a lazy wave of his hand.
His voice sounded bored.
"We know."
The cultist frowned slightly.
Aldric shrugged.
"There's no real difference between before and now."
He stretched his shoulders lazily.
"It was only a matter of time before the Empire found us anyway."
The cultist's eyes narrowed.
"…What do you mean?"
Aldric smirked and pointed a thumb toward Draven.
"Him."
She looked at Draven, confused.
"A tracker?"
Aldric's grin widened slightly.
"He was branded."
The word hung in the air.
"After he killed their Saintess."
For the first time since the conversation began, the cultist's calm expression cracked.
Aldric continued casually.
"So from the very beginning…"
He folded his arms.
"…the Holy Empire was already coming."
---
The cultist stood still for a moment after hearing Aldric's words.
A brand.
Placed by the Holy Empire.
Her eyes slowly shifted back to Draven.
"…So the Empire was already hunting you," she said quietly.
No one answered.
The forest remained silent except for the rustling leaves above.
After a moment, she let out a slow breath and spoke again.
"Then why are we still standing here?"
Her tone sharpened slightly.
"If the Holy Empire is already hunting us, stopping like this only makes things worse."
She glanced toward the dark horizon.
"They won't stop searching. Not after something like that."
Her gaze moved between them.
"We should be moving. Continuing without stopping."
Aldric stared at her for a second.
Then he chuckled.
Low at first.
Then louder.
"Well… look at that."
He tilted his head slightly, studying her expression.
"Looks like you're finally realizing the kind of mess you've stepped into."
The cultist didn't respond.
Aldric's grin widened.
"As a **black mage**…"
He leaned slightly closer.
"…the Holy Empire is basically your worst nightmare."
His voice carried mocking amusement.
"They burn your kind alive with those holy flames of theirs when they catch you."
The cultist's eyes didn't waver.
Aldric shrugged and leaned back again.
"So congratulations."
His red eyes gleamed faintly in the darkness.
"You picked a great group to travel with."
---
The cultist fell silent.
The forest wind moved softly through the leaves while the group stood in the clearing.
Her brow slowly furrowed as she thought.
"…Something about this doesn't make sense."
Aldric rolled his eyes slightly.
"Here we go."
She ignored him.
"If the Holy Empire can track the Lord…" she said slowly, "…then why place a bounty at all?"
No one spoke for a moment.
Her eyes remained on Draven.
"If they already have a way to find him, why involve adventurers and mercenaries?"
She shook her head slightly.
"It's inefficient."
Lyriana glanced briefly toward Draven, but he remained silent.
The cultist continued thinking aloud.
"The Empire doesn't act without purpose. A bounty means they want as many people searching as possible."
Her gaze narrowed.
"But if they can already locate him…"
Aldric sighed loudly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yeah, yeah."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"We thought about that too."
The cultist looked at him.
Aldric smirked.
"So why don't you do me a favor."
He leaned slightly closer to her.
"When the Empire finally catches you…"
His grin widened, sharp and amused.
"…ask them for us."