When she was in a situation where she had to marry Count Hermence and MacDallin made that statement, she woke up with a start. If nothing changes, it’s better to struggle; then there won’t be any regrets.

And that struggle changed a lot.

Beyond the annulment with Count Hermence, she ended up promising marriage to Gibran Lianster, living in Blestige, and even attending the Horizon Academy.

If she had just married Count Hermence meekly without any rebellion… Nothing would have changed!
Riley clenched her fists and began to walk.

Towards the chaotic battle between Ban and the enemy.

‘Even if my body falls apart, it doesn’t matter.’

Something must be done to change the outcome. If nothing is done, nothing will change. So something had to be done, even if it resulted in shattering the physical body. Even if the end was death.

Riley stretched both hands forward.

Imagine the magic you want to cast in your mind.

Imagination becomes nourishment, and nourishment soon turns into magic.

Concentrate your magic at your fingertips and shoot.

Recalling Arpege’s words, Riley concentrated her magic at her fingertips. As her body heated up, her fingertips felt as if they were burning. Trees, the forest, tentacles… Visible things became images in her mind.

The completed image gradually turned into shining letters. A multitude of characters that she couldn’t even recognize formed a spectacle.

Her body boiled like a blast furnace. At the same time, light poured out.

Bang!

“!”

“!”

At the tremendous impact, Ban and the masked man simultaneously turned their heads.

A massive tree trunk poured out from Riley’s fingertips, and with the recoil, Riley’s body twisted and flew backward. Her flying body collided with the rock.

“Ugh!”

Suppressing the pain that felt like bones were snapping, she bit down on her lips to hold back a scream. Riley focused on the magic, aiming at the enemy.

The massive tree trunk rising from her started to charge towards the man fighting Ban at a terrifying speed.

Vines sprouting from the tree trunk wrapped around Ban’s body, protecting him like a shield. On the other hand, the sharp tree trunk ruthlessly pushed against the masked man.

The places swept by the tree trunk instantly turned into chaos, collapsing into ruins, but the vines emerging from the tree protected Ban and Riley, ensuring their safety.

Ban, still hanging limply tied by the vine, stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him.

“What the hell is this…?”

As the dust settled, the area densely filled with trees was instantly turned into a desolate field.

The masked man was nowhere to be seen, and what was visible were broken trees and rocks scattered around. Ban, looking around in bewilderment, quickly searched for Riley.

“!”

In a mess, Riley, bloodied and fallen, was visible.

Ban hurriedly cleared away the tree vines and approached Riley to check if she was breathing and if her pulse was normal. Fortunately, she was breathing, and although her pulse was a bit slow, it was beating normally.

‘Is she unconscious?’

Whether she couldn’t handle the magic, resulting in burns all over her, or her clothes torn apart, her limbs bent in strange ways, and visible wounds bleeding, Riley seemed to be in a terrible state.
If the impact is at this level, it’s not just an external injury; the possibility of internal injuries couldn’t be ignored. With no medical knowledge about whether the bones inside were intact or if any organs were affected, Ban, for now, hugged Riley.

The fatigue accumulated from the recent battle was considerable. Riley’s magic was undoubtedly tremendous, but Ban, with no medical knowledge, could see it was unstable. Perhaps the masked man would still be alive since he didn’t seem to die after such a powerful attack. Before launching another attack, he needed to hide.

“…Why did she just stand there when she can cast such an incredible spell?”

If she could use such magic, it would have been better to leave this place before nightfall.

Ban sighed and held Riley.

‘Ugh, did I push too hard?’

Even if it was unreasonable, it would have been correct to leave this place immediately. However, the sudden battle consumed too much stamina and magical power.

In this environment where magical power was rapidly drained even when staying still, using magic recklessly was questionable. Whether he could use teleportation magic to escape all at once in this situation was also uncertain.

Encountering the demons in this situation…

‘It would be a perfect opportunity for them to have a feast.’

Ban decided to look for a hiding place.

When the day brightened, and the activities of demons and magical plants quieted down, he could use teleportation magic to escape. Of course, until then, he must not be detected by demons or enemies.

‘Why the hell did I get involved in such a troublesome situation…’

His worries increased as much as his sighs.

Gibben continued to fiddle with one earring all day.