Chapter 387 – Fugitive

In Ankara City of Gray Rain Country, not far from Grey Mire Swamp, two figures cloaked in black robes were swiftly navigating through the bustling marketplace. The shouts of vendors and the clamor of rude customers seemed to exist in a completely different world from these two individuals.

“Anya, we must quicken our pace. We’re still too close to Grey Mire Swamp. We’d better reach Emerald Forest before sunset. Please bear with the fatigue of the journey a little longer.”

“It’s alright, Mr. Mijia Ka. I can still endure. I keep having this terrible premonition… Regardless, we should leave Gray Rain Country as soon as possible.”

Few would likely imagine that these two people walking through the filthy, muddy streets and alleys included a powerful Formal-Level Mage, while the other was a disciple of a Master-Level powerhouse. Yet now, both were desperately fleeing the Thought of Truth, which typically represented a bright future. For this, they endured long journeys and even tolerated the noise of crowded markets.

Gently casting Mage Hand to support the exhausted but still stubbornly persevering Anya, Mijia Ka sighed as he looked at the girl’s flushed face:

“Anya, I don’t know if our current choice is correct. If my speculation is accurate, Lord Punk Cyan has probably gone on a mission. Master-Level missions can last as short as one or two days, or as long as one or two thousand years. But when Mage Cyan returns, both of us will likely face danger. None of the other Master-Level powerhouses in Thought of Truth can be trusted either – falling into their hands would probably be no different from being captured by Master Cyan. So……”

Gently guiding the seemingly faint Anya to a small, shadowy corner, Mijia Ka rambled on while watching the girl’s flushed face.

In truth, Mijia Ka had been struggling to determine whether his decision to take Anya away from Thought of Truth was correct. While Anya’s soul indeed had problems, this didn’t necessarily mean Punk’s actions were malicious. Now that he had left Thought of Truth based merely on speculation, what if his guess was wrong? Wouldn’t that ruin Anya’s chance of receiving treatment?

Thinking this, Mijia Ka couldn’t help but clench his fist.

“It’s alright, Lord Mijia Ka. As long as I’m with you, Anya won’t regret anything no matter what happens. Can’t we seek help from the Harpers¹? If we can join the Harpers, both our safety and treatment would be guaranteed, right?”

Trying to calm her breathing, Anya managed to put on a cheerful smile. Although violating Punk’s rules made the girl inevitably anxious and fearful, she still had no regrets.

“But, Lord Mijia Ka, can we truly escape Master Cyan’s clutches? It seems… Master Cyan is quite proficient in divination magic.”

Whenever she thought of her almost perpetually expressionless mentor with his icy gaze, Anya always felt as if she had fallen into an abyss of terror. No matter how much time passed, Punk’s sinister eyes remained an indelible shadow in the girl’s heart. Even though they had traveled far from Thought of Truth, Anya still couldn’t shake off the fear Punk instilled in her.

“Don’t worry, Anya.”Gently stroking Anya’s small head, feeling the slight tremble in the girl’s body, Mijia Ka made every effort to fill his voice with confidence, even though the unease in his heart was no less than Anya’s.

“I used up all the exchange points left by Mage Cyan, sold my mage residence, and a decent Master-level staff I had. Finally managed to buy this magic brooch capable of blocking Master-level divination. With this, even a spellcaster like Master Kirk Weilen who specializes in divination spells will find it difficult to track our location.”

Lightly brushing the brooch at Anya’s collar, watching the golden brooch shimmer with rainbow-colored magical luster under the sunlight, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Mijia Ka’s lips. Although he had to sell a Master-level magic item left by his mentor to purchase this Master-level magic brooch, Mijia Ka wouldn’t regret it if they could escape safely.

“Lord Mijia Ka…”

Feeling the young man’s fingers gently brush past her neck, seeing Mijia Ka’s confident smile, even though they were still on their escape journey, even though they were still in this dirty alley, Anya felt her entire spirit becoming uplifted.

Every young girl dreams of riding across the world with her prince charming, and Anya was no exception. Though danger could strike at any moment, though the journey was exhausting and long, Anya still felt secure and happy, because…

“Thank you, Lord Mijia Ka. It’s so good to be by your side…”

The girl’s lips moved slightly, her words turning into an indistinct murmur.

“What?”

“Nothing, Lord Mijia Ka. Let’s hurry and continue our journey!”

Struggling to stand up, the girl put on a spirited appearance.

Carefully casting a couple of healing spells for the girl, but seeing Anya’s somewhat pale face, Mijia Ka advised with heartache:

“No need to rush too much. Taking more rest is fine. Once we cross the Emerald Forest and reach the Ci Ying Empire on the other side, we can find the Harpers. I believe the Harpers, who have always upheld the creed of ‘risking everything to rescue any good-hearted person,’ won’t refuse our membership.”

When mentioning leaving the Thought of Truth, Mijia Ka’s voice lowered slightly. After all, he was a spellcaster who had grown up in the Thought of Truth since childhood. Although that lifeless place hadn’t given Mijia Ka many childhood memories, it was still the young man’s “hometown.” After leaving like this, he didn’t know if there would be any chance to return.

“Lord Mijia Ka… you…”

Sensitively perceiving Mijia Ka’s fleeting trace of sadness, Anya’s voice trembled slightly. The next moment, the red-eyed girl was about to say something.

But…

Mijia Ka gently placed a finger on Anya’s lips:

“Don’t apologize, Anya. This was my own choice. I don’t regret it, and you shouldn’t either.”

After saying these words, Mijia Ka carefully picked up Anya’s petite body. After meticulously dispersing all the magical energy he had left in the alley, he was ready to continue their journey.”Let’s go. The so-called ‘freedom to come and go’ at the Thought of Truth is practically meaningless. We only managed to leave because we accepted missions. If other Master-Level experts notice something amiss, the idle Masters might intervene. We must hurry to the Harpers branch!”

Gently cradling the young woman, Mijia Ka began swiftly navigating through the Alley. The Emerald Forest was already within close reach—success… was right before their eyes!

(End of Chapter)