If Kasha wanted to take revenge on Yarson right now, it would be very easy. She could just leave him crying and begging to save his child, and go on her way.

However, if she did that, the most miserable one wouldn’t be Yarson, but his son Toby.

If an innocent child met a miserable death, would Kasha’s revenge be justified? The deaths of Elor and her daughter were still lingering in her heart.

Kasha thought to herself.

‘To take revenge on you, I don’t need to become a person like you.’

Her eyelashes trembled as she looked down at Yarson. Yarson shrank back pitifully, not knowing what was going on. The name ‘Kasha’ that the knight commander had called out somehow felt familiar to him.

Kasha urged Leon again.

“Leon.”

Leon, who had been staring at her, quietly nodded. Then he quickly ordered Karim.

“Only the 1st and 2nd platoons, which are mainly knights in charge of close-range magic tools, follow me. The rest of you, including Karim, establish a camp nearby and keep watch so that the villagers, including this man, cannot leave of their own accord.”

Leon’s chilling gaze swept over Yarson’s hunched back as he spoke the last sentence.

“Yes, understood!”

Karim loudly replied, relayed orders to each platoon leader, and began to move.

Leon and Kasha took the lead and disappeared into the mountain path with their elite knights. It was a swift movement without a moment’s hesitation.

“This way.”

Kasha advanced without hesitation as they entered the mountain path.

This village had not changed much in the past few years. As they approached the village, her memories became clearer and various thoughts seeped in.

She resolutely shook off those thoughts and rode her horse.

Because it was just a past that no longer affected her now.

And watching her back, as if she was firmly pushing something away and moving forward, Leon’s expression subtly sank.

After about 5 minutes of riding, one or two huts began to appear in the distance.

When Kasha looked back and nodded, Leon signaled for a brief stop.

As Kasha stopped her horse, Leon also slowed down and nimbly jumped off his horse. The knights following behind also dismounted and fell in behind him, taking up battle positions.

Leon asked Kasha in a low voice.

“That warehouse you mentioned, where is it?”

“If you follow this path all the way, you’ll reach the village square. Next to the large monument erected beside the square, you’ll see a wooden warehouse.”

Leon, who had been listening to her explanation, nodded and began injecting holy power into the magic tool he was holding.

At that, the other knights also began injecting holy power in unison.

The golden holy powers filled within the spheres flickered and emitted a sacred light. Leon’s holy power was not only the greatest in quantity, but also radiated an incomparably bright and pure light.

Confirming that they were ready, Leon surveyed the village and suddenly tilted his head.

“Something’s strange.”

“What is it, Captain?”

“It’s too quiet. If monsters had flocked in droves, it couldn’t possibly be this quiet.”

Hearing those words, Kasha felt a chill down the back of her neck.

He was right. From the village that was supposed to have been devastated by a monster attack, not a single scream or monster’s howl could be heard.

After listening to the unnatural silence for a moment, Leon ordered three senior knights.

“You three go to the location Kasha described and check the warehouse. Don’t push yourselves. If you see anything suspicious before that, come back and report.”

“Yes, Captain.”

They replied briefly and began approaching the village while maintaining vigilance, holding their magic tools.

That’s when they saw something glinting on the ground in the direction they were walking. A square stone the size of a handkerchief. And strange patterns glittering chaotically on top of it.

Kasha narrowed her eyes, thinking it looked somewhat familiar.

The knights must have noticed it too, as they exchanged glances and carefully approached. Just a few more steps and they would reach the suspicious stone.

That’s when Kasha shouted urgently in a raised voice.

“No!”

“…Kasha?”

Leon didn’t even have time to stop her. Kasha was already running towards them at a fast pace as she shouted.

“Stop! Don’t get any closer!”

“What?”

The knights turned around with puzzled faces. That’s when one of the three knights staggered as if losing balance. One of his feet faltered as if about to step on the square stone.

At that very moment, Kasha, who had run over, pushed the off-balance knight away and stood in his place instead. Her eyes, wide open as if greatly startled by something, suddenly glanced in the direction where Leon was.

According to the testimony of the knights who were there, it seemed as if the air around Kasha was rippling for a moment. As if an invisible transparent curtain was swaying in the wind, suddenly revealing its presence.

And the next moment, Kasha’s body began to vanish from their sight in an instant. It was as if she was being sucked into the crevice of an invisible space.

Kasha’s body disappeared from their eyes in just 2 or 3 seconds. The sight was so astonishing and surreal that everyone froze in shock.

At first, it was Kasha’s right foot that had stepped on the stone and the hem of her skirt that were erased into the void. Next, her right arm and upper body vanished. Her fluttering dark blue hair and her face, which looked frightened, also disappeared in turn.

And just as her left hand was about to vanish into the void, Leon, who had rushed over at some point, grabbed her hand.

“Kasha!”

His urgent cry shook the silence.

And the next moment, unbelievably, even their commander Leon Aranias followed Kasha and vanished into the void.

The knights left behind stood there blankly for a long time, as if possessed by a ghost, eyes wide open.

Is this… hell?

The moment he set foot in that space, Leon thought.

This place is definitely not an ordinary place.

The sticky air clinging to the skin, the pungent smell that seemed to claw at the nostrils and throat with every breath, the reddened sky, and the tree shadows that rippled black as if possessed by evil spirits.

However, there was no time to be amazed by that terrible sight that resembled the hell depicted in the scriptures.

Aooooo

The unmistakable cry of monsters was heard from afar.

Leon’s hand, which was holding Kasha’s, involuntarily tightened.

He looked around, but there was no sign of the knights. Only Leon and Kasha were alone in this ominous space.

Leon first found a large rock where they could take cover and hid with Kasha.

“Kasha. Do you know where we are?”

As he asked that and looked down, Kasha’s trembling eyes finally caught his attention. He was startled and tried to embrace her, but she pushed him away and stammered.

“Le- Leon. Even you… I didn’t know it would turn out like this. No… I knew, but no, I thought it was a dream.”

She, who was always calm, was rambling incoherently. Moreover, her eyes were also very anxious. It didn’t seem to be solely due to the unfamiliarity or fear of this world.

“Kasha. I’m fine. The thought of you entering such a place alone would drive me crazier.”

“Leon.”

“I really mean it.”

However, Kasha was not easily calmed down. It seemed as if confusion had swallowed her. Leon grasped Kasha’s shoulders and lowered his gaze to meet her eyes.

“Kasha Lyuschino. Look me straight in the eye.”

“……”

“We will get out of here. Definitely. I have no intention of leaving you to live the rest of your life in a place like this.”

“…Leon.”

As she met his resolute gaze, her eyes gradually regained focus. Leon looked into them and slowly spoke.

“For that to happen, you have to tell me everything you know about this space. Every single detail, no matter how trivial.”

Kasha bit her lip tightly.

Then, the cry of monsters was heard again in the distance. Hearing it, Kasha closed her eyes tightly once as if making a decision, then opened them. Her eyes, which had turned red like blood from the color of this space, finally regained their light.

“This place seems to be inside a barrier.”

“…A barrier?”

“Yes. It probably has something to do with my birth mother.”

“…With your mother?”

Leon’s eyebrows twitched at the unexpected answer.

“This village, where I lived with my mother until I was twelve… It’s the place I encountered earlier.”

“I see.”

Leon recalled Kasha’s cold gaze as she looked at the village chief. She must have bad memories of him.

While briefly deciding that he would not let that man go easily if they managed to return, Kasha continued.

“I told you that my mother taught me magic.”

“I remember.”

“For a crazy person, my mother was a truly remarkable magician. To the point where it was incomprehensible how she ended up like that… When she was in her right mind, she performed magic that would make even the magicians of magic towers envious.”

“Then this barrier was also created by your mother?”

“I don’t know for sure if my mother created the barrier, or… if she simply created the entrance to the barrier, or if she accidentally discovered that entrance. My mother was reluctant to mention this place.”

“Reluctant to mention it? Then how did you find out about the existence of the barrier?”

“I… have been here once before.”

Kasha suddenly shuddered. Her eyes were once again shrouded in a distant fear. It seemed as if she was looking back at a distant past, not the present.

Leon silently embraced her back and stroked her pale forehead. As if to reassure her, as if to say he was here.

Feeling his warmth, Kasha’s expression became much more stable.

“In fact, I only now became convinced that this place was real and not a dream. Because whenever I asked my mother about this place… she always reassured me that it was just a dream.”