"Lady Nassandra?"
He had already walked a few steps back to the house, waiting for her to follow him. However, she stood rooted on the spot, seemingly lost in thought. At that moment, snowflakes started to fall from the sky. It was finally snowing! Sir Melvin felt a chill, and his breath turned white. He felt the urge to warm himself up. As for Nassandra, she continued to stand there as snow landed on her. A deep shadow shrouded her, highlighting her loneliness. It was a sad scene. For that reason, Sir Melvin pitied her. He decided to wait quietly. Time passed. Nassandra suddenly raised her head, a smile blooming on her petite face like the dawn of spring.
"I'm sorry about this," she said plainly.
A wand slipped from her sleeve into her hand. A Magic Circle instantly formed! Sir Melvin raised his eyebrows in alarm. He had not expected her to cast a spell! Immediately, he retreated and reached for his sword, as his battle instincts took over. His reactions were swift, since he was a Half-Perception Realm, but who was Nassandra? She was the youngest Ten Dawn in history, a genius among geniuses. Her spell-casting speed was far faster than his reaction! Ice and snow stormed over like an avalanche, threatening to engulf him. Sir Melvin was thoroughly caught off-guard and braced for the impact. His thoughts were gloomy. He wondered if he would be killed next. However, despite the powerful show of force, the snow was soft and gentle. It carried no force whatsoever! He endured the snowstorm and when his eyes reopened, Nassandra was gone!
"What?" he cried out.
Things were developing too fast for him. He could not understand anything that happened. What was Nassandra doing? He scanned the surroundings again for Nassandra and confirmed she was really gone. Unfortunately, he was a Half-Perception Realm. He could not unleash a Martial Perception. This severely limited his searching ability. Regardless, his first priority was to alert everyone else. He casted a simple fireball spell and shot it straight up. In the dark night, it shined brightly, illuminating the night. The various Grand Knights and Arcane Knights saw it and converged on him. Elizabeth and her friends were also notified, and they charged out. In less than a minute, everyone was outside with Sir Melvin.
"What is the situation?" the knight captain asked.
"It's like this…"
"My sister is gone?" Freon yelled with fury.
"Yes, when I looked up, she disappeared," Sir Melvin answered meekly.
Freon's face was ugly. He knew that his sister was down and unhappy, which was why he let her leave to sleep early. But he never imagined Nassandra would pull a stunt like this. It was far beyond his wildest dreams. His frustration changed into anger. Rushing up, he furiously grabbed Sir Melvin's collar, his face within spitting distance. "I swear… If I find out you did something to her, I will tear you apart and kill you myself!"
Freon was normally reserved, so when his killing intent exploded out, Sir Melvin paled. His back was covered in cold sweat. "I wouldn't dare!"
"Hehe. Let's hope not!"
Benedict held Freon's arm. "Calm down. Our priority should be finding where Nassandra went."
"I know that." He clicked his tongue and backed off.
"Freon, you and Benedict go ahead and follow her tracks. She might not be very far. A few knights will accompany you. Remember to use your perceptions. If you find her, let us know immediately," Elizabeth organized swiftly. "In the worst-case scenario, she might be headed to the Mordrigan Peaks. Go first! Time is of the essence!"
Freon did not spare a word. He pulled out his wand and casted his movement spell, Spring Step. Bang! A deep hole was left in the dirt, scattering wind in every direction, as he soared towards the forest at breakneck speed. As for his Magic Perception? He used it the second he learned Nassandra was missing! That was why his face was ugly, because he knew his sister was nowhere nearby. At the Low Condensed Drop Core Level, the range of his Magic Perception was relatively small. It could not even encompass the entire village. So, he had to keep moving while using his perception to search the surroundings. The mental strain was naturally high. However, he did not give a damn! Finding his sister was the most important thing! His mind was chaotic, and in his haste, a stray tree branch slashed his forehead. Blood dripped down his face. He looked crazy.
Suddenly, a force picked him up and tossed him on someone's shoulder. It was Benedict! He saw Freon's head wound and sighed. He realized Freon was not in his right state of mind. No wonder he crashed into a tree. At their speed, they needed to be very careful. He must care about Nassandra a lot. Thinking this, Benedict used Moon Flash. His figure flickered through the forest at high speed, leaving behind a trail of moonlight, while carrying Freon on his shoulder. Since he was a Perception Realm, he could maneuver far more nimbly in the forest compared to Freon. And Freon seemed to calm down, understanding Benedict's intentions, he continued to use his Magic Perception. Not far behind them, some Arcane Knights and Grand Knights were struggling to keep up. Although the Arcane Knights used spells to boost their speed, the effects were still slower than Benedict. Under their efforts, a wide net was cast to find Nassandra.
In the village, Elizabeth said, "Next, I will go find the village chief and ask for his help. We don't have many people on our side. If all the villagers decide to help us, that would be ideal."
"I can handle that," Lord Fredrick announced. "Your Highness should stay here to manage the overall situation."
"That… Alright, I'll leave it to you then."
Lord Fredrick left with his guard, and a few others. The ones who remained were Elizabeth, Shirley, Yuna, Lady Kalasena, and some knights. Even Sir Melvin and the two junior Arcane Knights joined Benedict and Freon. Of course, the knight captain did not forget his mission to keep Elizabeth safe. With the situation unclear, he specifically assigned the strongest knights to remain by her side. His orders were inviolable. Elizabeth could not change it. Everyone was on guard in case there were enemies. Elizabeth chose to keep Shirley here, since they were both Half-Rank 2 Lords. They could not extend their perceptions out like Benedict and Freon. It was more suitable for the latter to go. Elizabeth waited for the news.
Thanks to Lord Fredrick, the entire village was quickly roused awake and assembled. Most were unhappy, grumbling and cursing under their breath. This was expected. The village was a simple place with simple people. They were deeply protective of this lifestyle and detested outsiders. Elizabeth's convoy caused a stir and due to the power she had, the villagers had no choice, but to comply. Bitterness brewed in their hearts, especially the village chief, since he would take all the blame! His relationships would sour after this for sure. It was mainly because Elizabeth did not disclose her identity to them. If they knew they were entertaining a princess, they would have undoubtedly been more enthusiastic. But she chose not to, out of respect for their simple lifestyle.
She declared with a grand voice, "One of our companions, a young girl, has gone missing, and we are searching for her. I request everyone in this village to cooperate with our investigation!"
People were surprised to hear this, and their bitterness changed to worry. Someone went missing in their village, would that not mean they were responsible? The power of Elizabeth's knights left a deep impression. The villagers immediately cooperated! Elizabeth nodded and thanked them, before forming search parties and sending them in different directions. These locals knew the terrain far better than Elizabeth's side did, so their efficiency did not lose out to Benedict, Freon, or the knights. The area around the village was quickly being explored. As for the actual village, there was no need to search house by house when there were Perception Realms. A Martial Perception was many times more thorough and could sense the tiniest discrepancies. Eventually, the worst came to pass.
"She's nowhere nearby?" Elizabeth grimaced. Nassandra was not in any of the houses, or in the surrounding areas. She did not take a carriage or horse either. A Condensed Drop Arcanist could travel very fast if they wanted to. There was no telling where she might be.