I don’t move from where I am, the bitter taste of having let that woman die keeps me from moving a single muscle. I already had her in my hands, I had already caught her and even held her in the gravity prison to prevent her escape.

  I clearly felt when she was about to use that ability to commit suicide; I even tried to counter it in every possible way and still wasn’t able to stop it. My Imra is stronger— for a moment I thought I could block the activation of her mana and restrain her. I was very naive.

  Her control over mana easily surpassed my Imra and the restraints, and she ultimately burned herself until she turned into pure ashes. I ended up winning the battle, but with a bitter aftertaste at the end.

  The woman’s ashes scatter through the air. I look at the place where my right arm should be and click my tongue. The power of her final ability caught me by surprise; it consumed everything around it in an instant. If she had had a little more mana or fewer restraints, I would have ended up like her, turned to ashes.

  I apply death mana to annihilate the remnants of the ability. I frown when I see how complicated the task is; her ability is very persistent, obstructing my mana and Imra. When I finally finish with the remnants, I inject life mana and feel the same problem again. My life mana isn’t working properly; the arm that should regrow instantly is taking much longer. After a few seconds, I finally return to normal.

  “Damn witch, you didn’t stop being annoying until the very end.” I complain as I head back toward the village, seeing one of the elders waiting for me at the gate.

  “Thank you again, you’ve saved us twice in one day.” The village elder bows again. I can clearly feel how he has lowered his defenses, his Imra showing gratitude and other mixed feelings.

  “Don’t worry.” I smile softly. “That madwoman belonged to that group called the Withered Tree. Do you have any idea why they appeared here?” He should know at least something; he’s the leader, and I can see years of experience at a glance.

  “I’ll tell you everything I know, though it isn’t much. Please follow me.” The elder turns around, and I walk at his side.

  “I’ll skip the basics, since you should already know what kind of group they are.” I nod. “They were never seen near these places before. They usually operate in similar areas, but where there’s much more traffic of people or valuable goods. However, a few months ago there were reports of sightings in this region of the kingdom. Many adventurers have fought for their lives.” I can see the anger on his face as he mentions this.

  “I’m not sure, but many adventurers think the Count is involved somehow… The lord of these lands makes minimal effort to catch them or search for their hideout. Sometimes he mobilizes personnel or makes announcements, but nothing has changed. He’s never shown any clear proof in recent months. There have been small complaints from people, and unfortunately they were silenced… People stopped complaining after the last cases.” I can see his anger seeping out as he recalls it.

  The village leader looks at me for a second and his attitude changes instantly. “I don’t hate nobles— only people who want to harm others.” He grows more serious at the end. “The royal family is doing a good job. In recent years the kingdom has prospered greatly, and fewer people are dying of hunger or living on the streets. The problem is those damn nobles who are incompetent and prefer personal gain.”

  I’m almost sure this elder knows I’m a noble and understands my situation with Brendu. I’m also sure that if the royal family were doing the opposite, he wouldn’t hesitate to spit the truth without fear of losing his head. I like his personality; being blunt in situations like this is respectable.

  “The adventurers also mentioned usually fighting Sapphire ranks and very few in the Ruby rank. They never saw anyone in the Diamond or Obsidian ranks. Unfortunately, that’s all I know.” The elder beside me lets out a light sigh, as if a weight had been lifted.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Thank you, that helps a lot.” I thank him sincerely. If the Count is involved in any way, I can relay it to Brendu. I’m sure his family has noticed, but they must not have found clear proof, and trying to revoke the title of a noble of that level is cumbersome.

  Other nobles could feel threatened, causing small rebellions against the royal family. Even high-ranking nobles might decide to declare independence, which would only lead to war and massacres. The only way the royal family can act directly is with clear and decisive evidence.

  These kinds of issues are a headache— even worse than politics in my previous world. There’s always a way to cheat the system and rob the people.

  We reach the other edge of the wall. Along the way we don’t talk much more, just casual questions about how the village functions. The elder offered me an old detailed map of the area— Skyblue City, other small villages, and the city I must go to are marked. He’ll give it to me later.

  Everyone looks tense and worried, ready to fight. They relax quickly when they see us arrive. I see relief on every face; just thinking that they all could have died for some sinister, hidden reason turns my stomach. Fate favored them— I appeared by chance at just the right moment.

  We all head back to the center of the village. Though calmer, they’re clearly looking in all directions and staying alert. The fear of being attacked again by that criminal group must be a constant torment.

  I decide to stay until tomorrow to assess the situation and take this time to rest properly. The last fight was much harder than expected; my mana pool was almost completely drained. If it had lasted a few minutes longer, I could have died or been seriously injured.

  The fire mage was also nearly out of mana at the end. Ruby-rank mages have vast mana pools, and I’m sure she had a bit more than I did overall. Ranged fighters usually expend mana much faster than melee fighters.

  I must be more careful next time. If I face two or three Ruby-rank mages, I’ll be in trouble. At least I’m confident I won’t lose or that I can escape; my flight speed is on another level after my last training in that demon dungeon where I was trapped.

  The village leader decides to send almost everyone to the town where the rest of the residents are located. Only four people will remain here for the next four days to deal with nearby monsters or watch for suspicious movement. I think it’s a great decision.

  We have dinner— a very good meat stew. Most people in these villages focus on livestock breeding and trade. They use enormous brown cows, truly massive, about 2.5 meters tall. That’s why the meat in the stew was particularly tender.

  A few hours later, I not only receive the map but also several kilos of meat. They offered me money or precious jewels; I refused because I don’t need them and did this without expecting anything in return. Brendu’s family will probably reward me when they hear about all this, though I’ll try to refuse if possible.

  I’m surprised by the distances to Skyblue City and the other city with the teleportation gate. This village is only a few kilometers from the border, and Skyblue City is relatively close. According to the leader, there’s no direct connection from here because the route passes through many mountains and dangerous areas; grade 3 and 4 monsters abound in the forests and mountains.

  The safest route is from the other city, adding only a few hours to the journey. That area lacks plains or many mountains; the path is mostly flat, and at one point you can start navigating the river or continue by land. That city has many advantages.

  The reason for my happiness is that I can fly from here. Taking the direct route from this village would only take a few extra hours. I don’t need to pass through city checkpoints or alert unnecessary people to my presence. Using the teleportation gate would be a problem, and I’d rather not reveal my name in this county.

  The mountains and forests aren’t an issue; I can just fly calmly. Grade 3 and 4 monsters aren’t a problem either— I can escape or simply annihilate them. A grade 5 monster would be a major issue, but according to the villagers, none above rank 4 have ever been sighted in these areas.

  I slept like a baby in the village leader’s house. There were no nighttime attacks, and for now there’s no suspicious activity. I hope it stays that way after I leave; it would be a shame if everyone died after being saved.

  “Thank you again for saving us.” The leader thanks me once more. Not only him— the other elder and the two men in their twenties also say similar words.

  “You’re welcome. Thank you for the lodging and food.” They look a bit uncomfortable, still thinking the payment is far too little for their benefactor. I overheard talk last night about building a statue in the middle of the village; I ignored the comments.

  “Have a good journey. I hope we meet again someday.” The elder smiles from ear to ear. I firmly shake Hurye’s hand, then do the same with the other three present.

  “I’ll return someday— maybe with a few guests.” I wink at them all.

  “We’ll be happy to receive you. You’ll always be welcome.” They all make a small bow. I don’t want to prolong this any further. I float gently and raise my hand in farewell. It’s time to head back!