After passing the great wall, Aslan was shocked by the scene before him—shabby huts barely standing, and people who looked emaciated and starving.
"Why is this place so different from the area inside the wall?" Aslan asked.
"They committed minor crimes. They don't deserve pity," replied one of the soldiers flatly.
Let's call him Soldier B. He was one of the escorts and a Tier 3 fighter. He wasn't the leader though—the leader will be referred to as Soldier A (I'm too lazy to give them real names; they only appear briefly anyway).
Note: Each kingdom consists of multiple cities and villages. In this world, a "kingdom" is equivalent to a nation in the real world, except here they must all obey and follow the orders of the Emperor.
After hearing Soldier B's explanation, Aslan said nothing and stopped looking around.
Time passed. The journey had now taken three weeks. They should be nearing the Kingdom of Ardan, yet nothing strange had occurred. The horses they rode could run all day, and they would rest only at night.
In the distance stood a massive mountain. As they got closer, the sound of birds chirping echoed in the air. This was odd—previous forests they passed had been eerily silent.
"Once we cross this mountain, we'll officially enter Ardan's territory," said Soldier A.
"It's been three weeks... and still no ambush. Did the Queen cancel her plan?" Aslan wondered.
Just before reaching the peak, Soldier A decided to make camp. The soldiers began pitching tents and lighting fires.
Darkness fell. As the soldiers busied themselves with the tents and tending to the exhausted horses, the peaceful silence was suddenly shattered.
A single arrow shot through the air at blinding speed—aimed at Soldier A. He narrowly dodged it.
"Everyone, prepare for battle! We're under attack!" shouted Soldier A, drawing his sword.
A group of masked attackers with spears charged at them, and chaos erupted.
Aslan's side was overwhelmed—their numbers couldn't compete.
"Get the young master out of here. We'll hold them off!" shouted Soldier A to Soldier B.
Soldier B hoisted Aslan onto a horse and rode off with him.
"Don't let them escape!" shouted one of the masked men, and the chase began.
Another arrow came flying, but Soldier B managed to dodge it.
"You handle the reins—I'll deal with the attacks," said Soldier B to Aslan.
Aslan quickly switched places, taking the reins while Soldier B stood at the back, sword in hand.
With skill and speed, he deflected dozens of arrows. But one struck the horse's leg—a spot he couldn't guard from his position. The horse stumbled, and they crashed to the ground. Soldier B quickly pulled Aslan up, and they ran into the brush, hoping the thick shrubs would hide them.
The pounding of hooves behind them grew louder. They were running out of energy. Suddenly, Soldier B shoved Aslan to the ground.
"Ugh… damn it, this is all your fault. Better to hide from the Emperor than die here," Soldier B snarled, turning and abandoning Aslan.
But before he could flee, a small object flew at him. He dodged it just in time.
"No need to worry about being hunted by the Emperor... because you're going to die here," said a masked man who had suddenly appeared.
"Kill him. I don't care," Soldier B said coldly.
"Haha! Unfortunately, I can't leave any witnesses," said the masked man, pulling out a handful of needles and launching them.
Soldier B parried the first wave with his sword.
Aslan, watching the fight, saw a chance to escape. He tried to run—but his leg hurt too much to move fast.
"You're after that boy, aren't you?! Why are you attacking me instead of going after him?!"
"Don't worry. I'll chase him after I'm done killing you."
"Damn bastard! Then I'll be the one to kill you!"
---
Five minutes had passed since Aslan fled. Just as he was starting to relax, Soldier B's corpse came flying toward him. He had been sliced open—clearly dead.
"Haha, I almost died back there," the masked man said, catching up and grabbing Aslan.
More men arrived, whispering something to him.
"Really? Good. That means no one will interfere with our mission."
"Hey, you! Cook me something. I'm starving after that fight. But before I rest… I think I'll have a bit of fun first," he said, pulling out another needle.
"Get ready to go blind, kid," he sneered, bringing the needle close to Aslan's eyes.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a powerful explosion threw the man backward.
"What the hell just happened?" Aslan thought, dazed and coughing from the smoke.
Through the dust, he saw Soldier A—also looking confused but quick to act.
"Let's get out of here!" Soldier A shouted, lifting Aslan onto his back.
Aslan grabbed a broken arrow on the ground and held onto it as they fled.
They had only run for a short while before Aslan jammed the broken arrow into Soldier A's head, killing him instantly.
He grabbed the man's sword and cloth satchel.
Aslan was certain now—this soldier had been planted by the Queen. When he saw the wounds on Soldier B's corpse, it confirmed everything. The masked man used needles, not blades. So the slicing wounds must've come from Soldier A.
He remembered the Queen's words: "a little lesson," but not death. He now suspected that "lesson" meant taking his sight. Releasing him afterward would have been suspicious—so Soldier A had been planted to play the role of rescuer after the enemies "rested."
But the explosion… that hadn't been part of the plan. Soldier A looked just as shocked. Someone else had intervened.
With the supplies from Soldier A in hand, Aslan ran—only to find a steep cliff ahead. Things got worse when the masked men caught up.
Aslan froze, unsure what to do.
The masked man hesitated too. He remembered the Queen's order: Aslan must not die. But now, seeing the corpse of Soldier A, he was sure Aslan had discovered everything. Letting him go would be dangerous.
As the man hesitated, Aslan made his decision.
He jumped.
To be continued...