The first to sense the ambush was Froy.

Already on high alert, as he swiftly turned his head, the object hurtling towards them abruptly froze in midair, as if a lie.

It was an elongated needle-like dart with a bluish tinge at the tip.

“…”

Watching the severed dart limply drop to the ground, Rosha thought.

‘I expected they would know I had arrived, but… Wasn’t I discovered too quickly?’

While she had inscribed a concealment magic formula around them to avoid detection, her failure to protect her head had been an oversight.

Gathering her mana, she turned towards the direction the dart had come from.

There, at least ten or more people seemed to materialize from behind some invisible barrier.

“…An innate ability.”

Froy murmured softly.

This small wooded area near the shoreline had uneven tree spacing, making any approaching figures immediately visible.

Yet their presence had only been detected now, likely due to the ability she had just witnessed.

The ambushers, a mix of mercenaries, magicians, and Atica warriors, slowly encircled them, speaking out.

“Have no regrets. Lament the fate of being chosen as the target.”

“It would be preferable if you obediently sacrificed yourself for this city’s sake… but I doubt that will happen.”

“The principality has placed an immense bounty on your head. Now that you’re in my sights, I can’t simply let you go.”

They were all fixated on the diamond mark hovering above Rosha’s head, as if eliminating the one bearing that mark would resolve everything.

‘But that’s unlikely.’

Even if the target was dealt with and this trial safely overcome, the next one would undoubtedly follow. And if another became the target then, what would they do?

Of course, these people seemed to have never considered that far ahead.

“No more stalling, just kill her. The opponent is a magician!”

“Open with magic!”

While exchanging glances with Froy, various spells were simultaneously unleashed towards Rosha.

It was a chained spell where the earth ruptured deeply, launching several fireballs propelled by blade-like winds at her.

‘Hmm… not bad application for self-taught magicians. Did they have access to spell books?’

This world did have long-established magician lineages like the Lycaon family, so it wouldn’t be too strange if spell books existed somewhere in the Kingdom.

But this level was still far off.

Encasing herself in a protective barrier, Rosha dispersed the incoming spells through reverse calculations. The fireballs extinguished, the winds dissipated, and the earth swiftly returned to its flat state.

“No way…!”

The opposing magicians’ eyes widened in disbelief, but it was only natural.

The hierarchy among magicians was far clearer than any combat force. Even with the same spell, the power vastly differed depending on which realm the casting magician belonged to.

Moreover, Rosha wasn’t an ordinary 5th stage magician.

‘I can see right through how their mana is being channeled.’

Scattering the next volley of spells, she inwardly murmured. The disparity in realms made her feel like slapping a child’s wrist in admonishment.

However, the reason she refrained from using magic was to avoid causing a bigger commotion that could attract more people.

As she had tentatively agreed with Froy, her role in this battle would be supportive.

“What’s the matter? Go ahead and try some more.”

In contrast to the clashing of weapons, Froy’s combat was eerily silent.

Shielding Rosha, he surprisingly remained standing still. Yet his surroundings were already littered with those killed or injured by various weapons.

Each time the ambushers tried to attack, their strikes had been directly reflected back at them.

“Agh…!”

At that opportune moment, the abdomen of a mercenary raising his sword became stained crimson, as if slashed by some unseen force.

Such an attack required impeccable observation and exquisite timing, a level of calculation power that seemed utterly unbelievable.

“How, how is this possible…”

“…A monster?”

Witnessing the instantaneous deaths from mere movement, the would-be assailants couldn’t easily approach. A fleeting sense of defeat crept across their faces.

Above their heads, the crimson motes that had appeared earlier drifted like cherry blossom petals caught in the breeze.

Lysithea was continuously extracting their life force with her ability.

“I brought vials to store life force back home… but my luggage is over there, so I can’t retrieve them. Regrettably, I’ll have to make a donation to the forest instead.”

Noting the increasingly vibrant trees around them, Lysithea clicked her tongue ruefully. Following her gaze revealed a small cloth bag with a familiar book jutting out – ‘The Fundamentals of Magic’.

“You’ve been studying magic lately?”

“Oh, you noticed? I was planning to surprise you later.”

“…”

While boasting that she had already covered over half the material, Lysithea’s complexion gradually paled. Though she didn’t show it, witnessing death still seemed to unnerve her.

Shielding her from the front, Joel remained steadfast in a defensive stance, unmoving like a sturdy rock.

It was at that moment.

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

The magicians who had been restraining their power against Rosha collapsed in unison, spewing blood. Behind them, a burly, muscular man lumbered towards their direction.

Skin tanned by the Atica sun’s intense glare, pale lemon eyes wielding a long crescent-shaped sword.

It was Nardil.

“Your Highness!”

The warriors who recognized him greeted him happily, but Nardil’s reaction was chilly.

“Seeing the falcon circling overhead, I came to check, and as expected, this is what I find. Those who take advantage of chaos to commit murder shall be executed on the spot.”

“But Your Highness, we were doing this for your sake…!”

“Did I not clearly order you not to abandon the city’s defenses?”

Without any meaningful resistance, the warriors who had survived until the end met their demise at the Prince’s hands. Nardil, who had directly taken their lives, appeared deeply anguished.

After briefly wiping his face with his palm, he turned his gaze towards them.

A faint delight shone in Nardil’s eyes as he looked at Rosha. However, just as he began to approach, Froy stepped before her, blocking his path.

Their eyes met.

In contrast to earlier, the man had fully drawn upon his ability’s power as he flatly stated:

“Please go no further, Your Highness. I must protect Rosha, as she is the target. I ask for your understanding.”

“…I understand.”

After briefly regarding the diamond mark above Rosha’s head, Nardil spoke from a distance.

“I had wished to properly greet you. Thank you for coming to our country despite being the target. For the earlier ambush… allow me to apologize on their behalf.”

“Well, what could you do with the target wandering around? It’s understandable that you couldn’t control everyone. Oh, and I hear there’s a bounty on my head too?”

“…Yes. The principality placed it after the rift opened.”

Visibly dejected at the mention of the bounty, he continued while gauging Rosha’s reaction:

“Perhaps things might have been different if you had come to our country without incident, but you became the target, and the rift has already opened. Fortunately, by heeding the great fortune-teller’s warning and evacuating people early, the loss of life was minimized.”

“That’s… fortunate, at least.”

“Yes. Material damage can be rebuilt. However, this area is a major residential zone for most of our Kingdom’s citizens, so we intend to restore it as swiftly as possible.”

“I agree. That was my plan as well.”

Rosha briefly glanced towards the distant ice palace.

Apart from the trial itself, she needed to quickly deal with it to remove the mark above her head.

‘Only then can I safely go see my family.’

According to Froy, upon her ‘abduction’, Cedric had immediately taken their family down to their territory.

While buying her some time, she wanted to resolve this situation promptly, unsure of what retaliation might come.

Following her gaze, Nardil softly remarked:

“Your coming here implies you intend to enter that ice palace eventually. We plan to infiltrate it tomorrow morning, so consider timing your approach accordingly.”

A reminder to avoid overlapping, given her status as the target.

Nodding, Rosha thought.

‘To evade further attacks, it’s better to enter the palace sooner rather than later.’

However, since she would have to cross the shattered sea, night was preferable to day.

Indeed. Rosha planned to traverse that sea and reach the ice palace tonight.