Lucian's merchant instincts screamed that this was a situation he couldn't negotiate his way out of. He took a step back and turned to leave.
'I have to warn Celine.'
'She is in danger.'
'Her whole family is in danger.'
The Duremonts weren't the only ones who wanted the Rocheforts out of the picture.
It was the royal family as well.
Mathieu was just a scapegoat, meant to hide the bigger picture.
If a fight were to happen between the Rocheforts and the Duremonts, the Rocheforts could still come out victorious. But what chances did they have in the middle of the royal military base?
Lucian forced a smile as he joined a small group of royal soldiers lounging by the tree, asking if anyone had a spare uniform for sale.
"I'm afraid I will lure some wild animals if I keep wearing my current clothes," he joked, pointing at the blood on him.
"Sorry," one of the soldiers answered, "But we can't sell you our uniforms. It's a military property."
"Name your price," Lucian said, a bit too fast, "...I'll pay triple."
The soldiers were tempted, but ultimately refused to part with their uniforms. They offered to sell Lucian some of their personal belongings to make up for it, and he agreed to the deal.
Placing the shirt and the pair of trousers inside his bag, Lucian excused himself and left to clean up the blood on him. In case someone noticed his absence later on, he wanted to have an excuse to use.
As soon as he was out of sight, he scanned the area again.
He noticed that his radius of vision had increased by around thirty percent. From around 262 feet (80 m) to around 341 feet (104 m).
He spotted a patrolling knight. Lucian couldn't see his rank, so he approached the man, starting a small talk.
"Are you a new recruit? You seem younger than the others," Lucian asked casually, noticing the knight's unseasoned expression, which made him look inexperienced compared to others.
The knight gave him a quick once-over, his eyes lingering on the blood on Lucian's clothes, recognizing him as the tortured hay head from earlier. He relaxed, seeing only a weak victim, "Yes, I just joi─"
Lucian didn't let him finish the sentence, his elbow slamming into the knight's throat, causing him to gasp for air. He quickly grabbed his neck and snapped it.
'Forgive me. I will find a way to repay you later.'
Lucian dragged the body away from the path and stripped the corpse of his uniform, putting it on.
He did not have the luxury of thinking about his morals. He tried to solve the problem with money earlier, but his offer was rejected, and he didn't have much time to think of another way.
Three more squads have joined forces to form an army against Celine's small party. They were advancing faster than Lucian expected.
He wouldn't be able to warn Celine of the incoming danger in time.
300 knights versus 40. They were leaving no room for escape, just like how Edmund didn't leave any room for Lucian. It was all or nothing.
It made small bandit ambushes look cute and friendly in comparison.
Lucian felt sick in his stomach. Having a backup plan in case someone had tried to assassinate him like in the past, was not enough.
He had to think bigger, much bigger. But first, he had to get Celine into safety.
He followed behind the royal army, barely able to keep up with their pace.
They were marching in a large formation, their ranks varied, with the lowest being golden, and the highest being ruby.
Someone chose the elite of the elite for this mission, and Lucian could feel the danger of their intentions from their grim expressions.
They weren't here to play games, or to mess around, they were here to wipe out the only heirs of the Rochefort house.
'Change that soldier, I've just dealt with, into a shackled, Voice.'
A small chaos erupted close to Mathieu's camp. A shackled appeared out of nowhere, attacking everyone in sight.
Lucian hoped the horn would delay the main forces, or at least warn them that there was a shackled in the area, making them rethink their plan, but they didn't.
The army continued marching towards Celine's location at an incredible speed.
The wind from their charge made Lucian feel like a child trying to run alongside a hurricane.
He was at the back, trying to catch up to them, but they began to move even faster. He couldn't reach the front lines. But his eyes could.
The royal knights activated their ranks, one after the other, flashing the aura of the color of their rank to the surroundings.
They leaped through the forest and landed on the ground on both sides, surrounding the Rochefort's camp in a half circle.
The army had no intentions of sparing anyone. There was no warning, no declaration of a war.
The watchers on the outskirts of the camp were the first to die.
Lucian panted heavily as he slowed down, straining his vision to take in as much information as possible.
'Voice, wake him up.'
One of the fallen Rochefort men turned into shackled, immediately attacking the army. It didn't last long, as the shackled was easily disposed of.
Its drive looked low, as if it had already given up at the sight of the enemy, dying while scared to death.
'Too weak,' Lucian hissed, more to himself than the fallen man, 'That one. He died angry.'
Another Rochefort knight lay twisted in the mud, his hand still gripping his sword, his dead eyes wide.
'He died while she is still fighting. He does not get to rest.'
crack
The corpse didn't just twitch; it convulsed violently.
The Royal Knight who had just defeated it turned, too late. The newly born shackled tackled him to the ground.
'Yes, serve her one last time.'
thud
Lucian's cheek clipped a branch he hadn't seen. He tripped and stumbled, but he kept running, looking like a pebble that tried to stop a landslide.
'Focus!' he yelled internally, shaking his head to clear the double vision. His body couldn't handle the terrain when his mind was that far away.
He returned to his own sight and asked Voice to help him find her.
He avoided the branches and tree trunks as he ran.
By the time he reached the battlefield, only a few seconds have passed.
'Where is she?' Lucian looked around frantically. All he could see was a sea of people obliterating anything in their way, 'Where is she? Where?!'
The sudden appearance of shackles broke the army's momentum. The shock on their faces was apparent, buying Lucian a little time.
ting-ting
Amidst the roars and clashing metal, a small ringing of the bell echoed through the battlefield.
'The cat's bell!'
Lucian pushed forward, hiding behind a cart. If he attacked any of the royal knights, all would take him as a threat. He couldn't afford to make his presence known yet.
ting-ting
The little bell was ringing again.
'There!'
Lucian turned to the direction of the sound, to see a small, motionless heap of fur being crushed and stomped on by both sides.
Blood soaked through the blond fur, and its paws were bent in different directions.
'No…' Lucian refused to accept the sight in front of him.
Celine planned to introduce the cat to him, their first child that they would both look after together while playing house. It took after Lucian's hair color, and was supposed to be a symbol of their future.
The creature was now dead.
The cat.
Their cat.
They were supposed to come up with a name together, with it getting used to his smell, and then based on its reaction they would decide on a good one.
One heavy boot came down, extinguishing the ringing sound.
The bell broke into pieces, and with it, the first thread of Lucian's and Celine's happiness was severed.